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Category: Patterns for Pirates
Today I’m excited to be kicking off the week with my contribution to the Sew Americana Blog Tour hosted by Katy at Wild and Wanderful! The 4th of July is always a festive occasion around here and this year is no exception. In addition to an outfit for my little miss, I decided to get in on the fun and make a patriotic top for myself… and share a little announcement!
That’s right! This little lady is super excited to be a big sister again! She has been carefully saving her mommy-made dresses for years in hopes of someday having a little sister to pass them on to. And, at the rate she has been growing, the collection of dresses she has quickly outgrown has been increasing faster than we expected! Who knew kids could grow so fast?
I have a teenager.
Weird, right? This itty bitty girl is now nearly 14 and in the 8th grade:
This was a flower girl dress that I made her. Back then, she liked party dresses with fluffy skirts, and ruffles, and bows, and really anything Mommy made her. Things sure have changed! She still likes the things that I make her, but the focus has changed. I think now it’s more about my taking the time and thought to make her something, while still wanting to look like her friends. The hardest sewing lesson I’ve had to learn is to listen to her and use fabrics and patterns that she likes. We still have our disagreements, but giving up the ruffles and florals when I sew for her has gone a long way. Now, if we could only find the perfect compromise to hemlines and NOT having everything fit like dance wear…
With three kids and no family nearby, my husband and I don’t get to go out on date nights often. So when we get the chance, my first thought is almost always OHMYGOSH WHERE WILL WE EAT?? because I love food. 😉 Ok but seriously, I usually think “What am I going to wear???” first.
When the Mama Claire Two-Way Dolman Top by Made for Mermaids was released, I knew it was a style that I’d like, and I decided rather quickly that I wanted to try it out for this blog tour.
We’re nerds.
There, I said it. We love Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Dr. Who…well, let’s just say we like lots of geeky, convention-worthy things. My husband and I played AD&D well into our 20s, and I even LARP’ed now and then. And…we both played Magic: the Gathering. Husband calls our eldest “Number One.” Our kids are following right in our footsteps, and we watch Star Trek together often. Eldest and husband watched the entire Star Trek: Voyager series, then The Next Generation, and now they’re watching the Original Series. Good times.
Genie and I are back with another set of fun raglan tees for our kids! Patterns for Pirates is celebrating Raglan Week this week, and as part of the celebration, they are re-releasing an updated Jolly Roger Raglan. But the best part is they designed an add-on pack to go with the raglan! I’ll talk more about the add-on pack in a minute but first….the basic shirt.
Genie and I both tested the updated basic raglan pattern. I love when pattern designers include layers in their patterns, and it makes taping and piecing the pattern quick and easy! Here are some adorable pics of Genie’s little guy wearing a 6 month short sleeve version with a triangle accent. Seriously, could he be cuter?!
I have a confession to make.
I buy fabric to make things for myself, but never make anything. I end up hoarding it, or using it for my kids. Pattern testing for myself has been an awesome way to break me out of my shell. Since I have sewn wovens for many more years than knits, I was super excited when Judy from Patterns for Pirates announced that she had a woven pattern almost ready for testing. As soon as the call went out, I signed on. And you know what?
Hello lovelies!
Fall is in the air where I live. It is still warm during the day but the nights are crisp and the apples are falling off of our tree. I find myself still wanting to dress cool for the day, but then needing layers for temperature changes. Keeping that in mind, I decided to sign up to test the Canyon Cardigan as one of members of Love Notions Promo Team. Testing with the Love Notions crew is always so fun! There is so much style in this friendly group.
Back to school shopping is so iconic. It brings back so many memories of trips with my mom and grandmothers before school started. Do you remember that feeling you got when you picked the perfect outfit for the first day? And then the feeling you got when you started second guessing it? 😉 Since my kids have gone to private school (uniforms) and been homeschooled, we’ve kind of missed out on that. I mean, let’s be honest…there isn’t the same FEELING when you’re going to buy navy pants, polo shirts, and Mary Janes! And homeschooling is a whole ‘nother battle. “Mom, why do I have to get dresssed? We’re not GOING anywhere!”
Hello lovelies!
I’m going to give you a little summary of the Sunshine dresses that Alisha, Genie, and I whipped up this past week during testing for Patterns for Pirates.
The new Sunshine dress has several options that make it a versatile staple for every wardrobe. There is a crossover bodice, halter bodice, and a strapless bodice. The skirt options include maxi length, above knee length, and below knee length. There are optional dress pockets as well. Both the halter bodice and the strapless bodice are lined, while the crossover bodice is finished with bands.
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 here. The 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.