Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Boardwalks!

When I am shopping for patterns for my 4 boys, I look for patterns that offer a lot of versatility and options. The Peek a Boo Pattern Shop Boardwalk Tee is just that. You’ll probably notice that many of the clothes I sew for my boys are from PAB, and there’s a good reason for that. Amy’s patterns are easy to use and provide professional finishes. Her pictures and step by step instructions have made it easy for me to improve my sewing skills! Continue Reading

The Franklin Dress by Brooklyn Pattern Company

Who here loves Pinterest?!?  I love collecting all the beautiful pictures and looking back over them for inspiration. At one point, in my early Pinterest days, I made a point of trying one new project a week. Felt donuts, detailed quiet books, clothes for my baby, new recipes…. so many fun things! We’ve been working on Pinterest boards for the Sew and Tell Project! For all sorts of sewing inspiration, you can follow The Sew and Tell Project here.  If you are looking for a wider variety of inspiration for all things crafty and kid-related, you can follow MadeByEmily here. Continue Reading

Baptism Sunday

Hello, all! While I’ve been able to collaborate on a few posts and help with some things in the background, due to my pregnancy and now newborn, this is my first solo post! I couldn’t be more delighted to be here. My husband and I have been married for fifteen years and have three beautiful children. Our girls are 12.5 and 6, and our son is brand spankin’ new. I have been sewing and crafting since I was a little girl and am looking forward to sharing more projects with our readers. Continue Reading

PAB Bahama Mama Peplum Tankini and Bikini Bottoms Review

As I mentioned in Swimsuit Sewing Challenge 2016 and in my tutorial on sewing a real bra into a swimsuit pattern I made myself a couple of new swimsuits last week!

The Bahama Mama Peplum Tankini top and Bikini Bottoms released yesterday. I wanted to share some more details with you about the pattern, the adjustments I made for my height, and some fabric shopping and sewing tips I picked up in testing. Continue Reading

Keep up with us on Bloglovin’!

Hey followers,

The team and I are working really hard to make this blog fun, informative, and easy to follow!

Throw your hands up in the air if you want to follow us on Bloglovin’! I’m working on making it happen.

If this isn’t interesting to you, here’s my handsome dude in his Boardwalk Shirt and Hoodie from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop when we spent Thanksgiving on Padre Island in Texas! Continue Reading

How to Sew a REAL bra into Your Fave Swimsuit Pattern

Hey guys!

As you heard on Tuesday with my Swimsuit Sewing Tricks and Tips for Beginners post, I made myself a fabulous swimsuit last week. Since the pattern released today (3/31) I can finally share my pictures and a special hack I made to make it perfect for me!

I am happy to report that testing the new Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop Bahama Mama Peplum Tankini and High Rise Bikini Bottoms went very well, and I ended up with a suit I love for a day at the pool, the lake, or just heading to the splash pad with my kids. I will share more about my new suit on Friday (4/1) since today I want to share my special bra hack for all the ladies eager to sew theirs up right away! Continue Reading

Swimsuit Sewing Challenge 2016: Tips and Tricks for a Beginner

Hi Guys!

I hope you’re loving the newly-designed Sew and Tell Project! If you are still following us at The Show and Tell Project, come join us here! We are here to stay awhile. This post will be the first one in our Swimsuit Sewing Challenge 2016. Alisha, Genie, Emily, and I have all challenged each other to sew swimsuits for ourselves and/or our kids and we are hoping to inspire you to join us! Continue Reading

Introducing the Semper Sweater from Sofilantjes

I was so excited to be chosen for my first test from Sofilantjes. I was chosen to test the Semper Sweater for my oldest son. The Semper Sweater is a unisex knit sweater with a crossover hood or cowl option. The Semper also comes with a fun side pocket option. It’s available in sizes ranging from 12 months to size 14.

I was chosen to test the side pocket option with the crossover hood. Both my 8 and 5 year olds love the side pockets! The crossover hood and raglan sleeves and add an exciting twist to a standard hooded sweatshirt. For my older son’s sweater, I used navy cotton/lycra and kelly green interlock. The weight of the interlock added a nice stability to the hood.  Continue Reading

First Communion Attire for Boys

I’m sure many of you have seen Eleri’s beautiful series on making her daughter’s First Communion dress from her mother’s wedding gown. If you haven’t, make sure to go check out the series here, here, and here.

My oldest son makes his First Communion in a few short weeks, and I wanted to make him something that he could have as a keepsake of this special sacrament. After thinking through my options (because it’s much harder for me to think of things to make for boys!) I chose to make him a tie from the shawl of my wedding dress. I am so thankful I had my wedding dress preserved after our wedding 10 years ago. I removed my shawl and was able to steam the wrinkles from it before I cut out the tie. Continue Reading

Another Dolman Day

So last week, I was finally able to share pictures of my Sun Kissed Tee by Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop in a gorgeous Art Gallery knit. If you scroll through the blog, you can see that I’m a HUGE fan of PAB. I have sewn over 100 garments made with PAB patterns in the last 22 months.

There are a few reasons for that volume of sewing (not that I have to justify sewing excessively to my readers, I imagine). Continue Reading