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Category: Sew and Tell Project

Small Town Summertime Sewing Link-Up!

I am so excited to be linking up with one of my blogging friends today!

As soon as I saw that Tami from SewSophieLynn was hosting a Small Town Summertime Sewing Link-Up I knew it would be my cup of tea…. Or should I say “tall glass of ice cold strawberry lemonade served in a mason jar with a red and white striped straw?” We’ll stick with cup of tea. That’s shorter.

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PAB Barcelona Blouse

When Amy from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop released a sneak of the summer blouse she was working on, I knew I wanted in. It was light and flowy, and oh so cute!

The Barcelona Blouse is a loose, flowy top that is perfect for summer heat. It includes a sleeveless and petal sleeve option, and can be made with either knit or woven fabrics. The top yoke is lined, which makes it perfect for a lovely lace fabric. It is available in sizes XXS through XXXL; I tested the size XS in the first round, and the XXXL in the second round. Continue Reading

Riley Blake Acorn Valley Blog Tour

Hello lovely readers!

I am absolutely pumped to be on my first tour for Riley Blake Designs today! If you’ve read several of my past posts, you know that I am a big fan of Riley Blake cotton spandex knits. The quality is absolutely amazing and my children love the Riley Blake lines just as much as I do. If you would like your own chance to win a mini-stash of Riley Blake Acorn Valley flannel make sure you read all the way through the end to enter the giveaway! Continue Reading

Introducing the Chloe: A FREE Skirt Pattern from Made for Mermaids!

I don’t know about YOUR facebook feed, but lately my Facebook newsfeed has been full of selfies of enthusiastic fans of a new line of bold and colorful clothing.  First there were rumblings over buttery soft leggings, then loud cheers for the fun and colorful designs.  Well, leggings are one thing, but then – there was great applause for cute and comfy dresses and skirts. Gorgeous, practical,  COMFY skirts. Sound familiar?  Now, what woman doesn’t love a pulled together look that is just as easy and as comfy to wear as leggings… or even yoga pants.  What is even better, if you love to sew like us, is making your own comfy and cute skirts. You pick the fabric, sew a few seams…. and a cute new piece is ready to wear a few hours later.  NOW, what is EVEN better than sewing your own gorgeously comfy skirt, is a FREE PATTERN for one!!  Introducing: the Chloe Skirt from Made for Mermaids – available in sizes for both girls and women! Continue Reading

Coco Cay Tankini + a Swim Skirt Add-on Tutorial

Today I am delighted to share with you my contribution to the Swimsuit Sewing Challenge 2016!  I was hesitant at first, having never worked with swimsuit fabric, but I studied Eleri’s tips for sewing swimsuits and I’m SO glad I jumped in and gave it a try – I just found my new favorite thing to sew!  Finding swimsuits that fit my daughter and suit her style is difficult – but now we can work together to create comfortable, well-fitting swimsuits that work well for her active lifestyle.  No more trying to pick favorites from the catalogs, guessing at sizes, and hoping everything fits when the package arrives!  Fabric shopping is much more fun, right? Continue Reading

Heirloom Sewing

When I was approached by my dear friend and godmother to my middle little, T, to make a First Holy Communion dress for her daughter, B, I was excited and honored. And then, when I realized it would be made from her wedding gown, I was very, very nervous.

B and her family chose the pattern (Vogue 7681), and we made a shopping trip to pick up some basics that I’d need to construct the dress. When I noticed how similar the pattern B chose was to her mother’s wedding gown, a few ideas started percolating. Continue Reading

Poolside Blog Tour: Journey and Riptides by 5 out of 4!

Hey guys!

It’s my turn on the Poolside Blog Tour today! Thank you Deb from Sprouting Jube Jube and Ula from lulu & celeste for letting me participate in an amazing tour. Did you visit my sewing bestie, Alisha, yet?

For my post I decided to feature the 5 out of 4 Patterns Journey Tank and 5 out of 4 Riptide Reversible Shorties. If you are wondering if you’ve seen me in this suit before, you definitely have! I tested the Journey a couple of months ago and shared it here! Continue Reading

Sew Americana: Sewing Independently

Independence.

noun 1. Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent. 2. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others. 3. Archaic. a competency.

I’m so excited to be linking up with so many talented bloggers this week during the Sew Americana Blog Tour hosted by Wild and Wanderful! I love celebrating Independence Day with our family. We celebrate it small-town America style with parades, candy, and lots and lots of explosives. You will also see that Alisha and I share very similar tastes as we both used the same panel for our days on the tour. Make sure you check out Alisha’s darling boys from earlier in the week hereThe 4th of July panels, cotton lycra solids, and firework print were all ordered from Peek-a-Boo Fabric Shop. My look was created with Riley Blake white and navy stripes purchased from the Fabric Fairy. Continue Reading

Sofilantjes Litore Tunic and Dress

This week, I’ve been a busy bee with pattern testing and I’m really excited to share my first with you!

This was my first test for Sofilantjes, and I want to take a moment to say how easy Anne was to test for. This pattern was well designed and well written, and she was very responsive to any input, problems, or questions we had as testers.

But now on to the good stuff!

The Litore Tunic and Dress is a classic looking sundress from the front, with a really fun  criss cross strap detail in the back. It is available as a tunic, dress, or maxi with three different hem types; a-line, high/low circle, and handkerchief. The circle and handkerchief options also include pockets, which are so necessary for little girls and their treasures. All three skirts are interchangeable with the Solis Tunic and Dress, too, providing endless summer options! The pattern contains sizes 12 months through 14 years (undeveloped, although alterations aren’t too hard if your girl is within the size ranges), is written in English and Dutch, includes instructions with both pictures and graphics (the pattern is so easy to follow), and trimless pattern pieces in A4 and letter size. It’s on sale for two days only for 5.50 Euros (the exchange rate shows it at $6.12 USD, but that will be subject to change). Continue Reading

Poolside Tour: 5 out of 4 X Factor

Welcome to my stop on the Poolside Blog Tour! Make sure to hop over and check out the other stops today and come back here on Saturday to see Eleri’s post! Also, read all the way to the bottom, there’s some great coupon codes, and a Rafflecopter giveaway for fun prizes!

Here at Sew and Tell Project, we have challenged each other to a swimsuit sewing challenge this year. Eleri has written a great post with some beginner swimsuit sewing tips to get you started if you want to join us! I was nervous about sewing swimwear because it sounds so hard, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it was. Continue Reading