Sunflower Seams Posy

 I tested for Sunflower Seams Pattern Posy dress which is a lovely vintage length, A line dress for children ages 18 mth to 14 years. 

I really love the flared silhouette of this dress. And the sleeveless version I made here is reversible too! 

There's also the option of a side ruffle, flutter sleeves, puffed sleeves etc. 

I made the side panel in a solid yellow color as a contrast to the unicorn pattern fabric. I used rainbow buttons but unfortunately you can't really see it in the photos. It's an important feature though. She's learning to button her clothes herself so the colorful buttons are useful! 

I think she's really happy in her new dress. Now I just need to convince her that the other side is really pretty too. haha. 

Winter Wear Designs Ma Cherie Top and Stargazer Shorts

Hello again for the Hello Summer Kids Blog tour for Winter Wear Designs. This is Day 3 and I'm here again with 2 kids pattern sews from Winter Wear Designs, this time for my little girl 💓

I've always wanted to make a cute hanbok inspired top for my little girl and the only pattern I had was for knits. But I finally found one that isn't for knits! 

Ma Cherie is a super cute V neck tunic top that has pleated skirts. I made my girl's version with a solid color Kona Cotton from 2quilters and Kobayashi Colorful Dots in double gauze from Nekoneko. 

Doesn't she look adorable? I think this one is a keeper! In fact, I may hack this to be longer so she can wear it as a cute maxi! But since this is a tunic, I needed to match it with a super cute pair of shorts too. And the Stargazer bubble shorts is perfect! 

And as with all her new shorts, the first thing she checked was whether there was any pockets. 

I'm pleased to say that she is pretty happy with her new bubble shorts with the roomy roomy pockets. I made it just slightly bigger so that she can wear this longer and I think she will wear this pretty often too! 

The fabric is stretch twill. Here's the flatlay!

You can get the patterns here: http://bit.ly/WWDMaCherie 

and here: http://bit.ly/WWDStargazerShorts

Make sure to stick with us all week long for sewing inspiration, pattern hacks, and tutorials about how to get the most out of your summer sewing!!!

Monday:

Suzanne of Winter Wear Designs

Tuesday:

Hwee Ke Lim of KeKe Sews

Suzanne of Winter Wear Designs

Wednesday:

Laurie of The Bear And The Pea Atelier

Hwee Ke Lim of KeKe Sews

Thursday:

Kristen Guest Posting at WWD

Rachel of Violets & Jewles

Friday:

Laurie of The Bear and the Pea Atelier

Donnisha guest posting at WWD

Candy Castle Cotton Candy Dream Dress

The Cotton Candy Dream Dress from Candy Castle Patterns is such a darling little dress! It features two amazing options: an everyday play dress and a special occasion dress with tulle. 

I made the everyday play dress in quilting cotton and honestly, I think it's beautiful and not at all just-an-everyday-dress. It's pretty enough to be a party dress! 

This is quilting cotton from handmade fabrics and I used black bias that was slightly shiny for the straps and also the hem for that pretty bordered effect. 

I just love the back of the dress. It's perfect for summer! 

The sweetheart neckline is really pretty too! 

Maybe one day I will try the tulle version! 

Get Cotton Candy Dream Dress at a discounted price with code June! 

Mashing Gold River Adventure Dress with Poulsbo Joggers to create overalls!

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I tested the Goober Pea Design's Gold River Adventure dress and since then, I made a few more Gold Rivers in both woven and knits and it has always been a hit with this little one. 

Throwback photos of my tester makes:

Today, I want to show you my latest Gold River Adventure Dress hack! I'm calling it my Gold River Adventure Overalls. =) 

This was mashed with the Poulsbo Joggers from Rain City Pattern Co. A quick review of these joggers - these are not tight fitting joggers, they are loose yet there's still shape to the legs. My girl loves wearing these because they are more comfortable than leggings which are sometimes too tight for her liking.  

Because these joggers are incredibly comfortable for my little one, I thought they were a perfect option to use to make my hacked overalls. It also helps that the instruction comes with the option of yoga band and elastic band so I can change the rise of the pants to suit my girl's height. 

To decide on the rise, I used an existing Gold river adventure dress and Poulsbo Joggers that I already made and wore it on her, then I decide how much more rise to add to the joggers to make it comfortable for her to wear as overalls. 

Based on the cutting chart, I decided that cutting on the line just above the yoga waistband cut line will be sufficient enough for my girl (she isn't very tall!) 

I then followed the instructions as per Goober Pea's blog on how to mash pants pattern with gold river to get my overalls. It fitted on the first try! Yay!

She's trying to tell you her joggers are very comfortable in the bum area in that photo above hehe. 

One good thing about using the RCPC pattern with the GPD one is that I found the 2T sizes matched in the waist area so I didn't have to adjust the waist to match! You may wish to check if the size you need is the same! 

Hope you liked my post and the look of this overalls! If you wish to purchase either of these patterns, I hope you can consider using my aff links here:

Goober Pea Designs

Rain City Pattern Co. 

IvL Angel Sleeved Dress

I had an opportunity to test for IvL- Hecho's angel sleeved top and dress tt they were updating to a bigger size range and i made our version in double gauze. Isn't it cute?

For a whimsical detail, i added a metal cat button at the back for my girl who loves all things "meoowwww". It's the only reason she's willing to try it on - apparently the dress is not colorful enough for her toddler aesthetics and sense of style 🤣

Thankfully, after trying it on, she claims it's soft and comfy and the dress has her approval to go into wardrobe rotation 🤣

I used a contrasting thread in the bobbin for a pop of color. Haven't decided if i liked it yet. What do u think?

I feel that the dress is, overall, loose and summery. If u feel like ur kid prefers it fitted, it may be good to make the knit version instead, or simply size down in width! For us, the loose fit is perfect for play and great for the summer heat where we stay. 

I also like how the lace detail on the sleeves add a lovely touch to the dress. The instructions also suggested pompoms! I shld go find some cos the testers who used pom poms had really cute dresses and I'm guessing rainbow poms would be right up this little girl's alley!

She's pretty happy with her angel sleeves. Perhaps i would make a knit version for her once she outgrows this one! 

True Bias Ogden Cami

I've always wanted to try making an Ogden Cami from True Bias. So when I found time between pattern tests, I decided to cut out my first Ogden! 

There wasn't a projector file, but I had the A0 which was layered and good enough for projector cutting. 

The cut of the cami is lovely and very flattering. But because it is drafted for B cups, I found that it was a little too low for my liking so I had to shorten the straps about 1.5 inches. I think, moving on, my next cami will probably need a SBA. But another cami is definitely something that will happen cos I love love love my ogden cami. 

 I am officially an ogden convert! 💗

Jeans making! Rad Patterns Kelly Jeans

MY VERY FIRST PAIR OF JEANS! 

I am incredibly proud of this pair of self sewn jeans. I did this on my Brother FS101 domestic sewing machine too. Can you believe that a cheap domestic can sew this? So happy!

This is the Kelly Jeans from Rad Patterns that I had the opportunity to test for. It is drafted for non-stretch denim - this is an important detail because that means that unlike the RTW jeans that most of us buy that are stretchy, this one has to have build in ease in order for it to fit properly while giving you space for movement. 

I made my version in mid weight light blue denim with zero stretch. I made all the options - coin pocket, Rivets on everything, jeans zipper and jeans buttons. Everything. The only thing I skipped? Belt loops. That's right! Why for make belt loops if you DIYed and am therefore sure that it will fit beautifully such that there is no need for belts at all! 

I kinda like the clean look of the jeans without the belt loops too! 

For all my topstitching around the pockets and zipper, I got a matching blue jeans thread which is thicker than normal thread. I used normal quilting threads for the bobbin and only the jeans thread in the needle. This helps reduce bulk and breakages. I also used a new Jeans needles and changed it the moment it starts 'acting up' - after all, you are sewing through thick layers so you may need to change needles more frequently. 

One thing that I would strongly recommend is the initial basting step to check fit. I almost never do muslins for my clothing, preferring to 'wing it'. But for this pair of jeans, I knew I cannot do that - non stretch denim can be unforgiving! So I did the fit check as per instructions - i was a good girl! And thank goodness I did that, I had to let out a little bit of the Seam allowance to get the ease that I preferred. And since everyone's preferred ease is different, I strongly recommend that you don't skip this step! 

Doesn't this fit look very flattering? I'm 167cm tall and I didn't have to change the length of the jeans pattern at all. Even if you are the same height as I am, it may be good to compare the length with an existing pair of pants that go to the length that you desire because everyone's proportions are different! 

Let's talk pockets next. The pockets on the jeans are drafted such that they are lower on the bum. It's a 'boyfriend jeans' look. Not everyone would like it so low and it might be a little awkward if you intend to slip your phone in there. (I tried a wallet and it fitted perfectly in that space below the curve of my bum so I suppose it depends on what you want to put inside also?)

That said, some of you may want to baste the pockets on first then check if you are happy with the position of the pockets. I know some testers shifted their pockets upwards so that it cuts the yoke. Here's a close up to see where the pocket placement based on pattern instructions will be. Hopefully that can help you decide how high you may wish to place your pockets! 

One last thing, I used a lot more rivets than the pattern required - mostly because I am apparently really really bad at installing rivets. So that may be something for you to consider as well - buy more rivets! I destroyed about 50% of the rivets I bought and had nothing left of these rivets by the end of it so... just buy more rivets. ALOT more. haha. 

Thank you for stopping by! Really happy that you read this! 

Valerie Wallet

I had the opportunity to test for Porcupine Pattern's Valerie Wallet and made 3 at one go! 

From left to right: Denim (non-stretch) main /cotton lining, Cork main/cotton lining, cotton main/cotton lining

Here are some thoughts:

It is very important to trim the seam allowance when the instruction says so. The bulk is really thick especially if you are trying to sew with an ordinary sewing machine. Top-stitching through bulky layers would be better done with a 90 or 100 needle and preferably with a longer stitch length of about 3.5.

When it comes to the cork wallet, I found out that it really isn't a good idea to iron cork. So the only way is to simply hand press it as well as you can. Also, cork is not the best material to try to birth so I strongly DO NOT recommend anyone try to sew this with cork fabric. 

In fact, of the 3 wallets I made, I felt that the best materials for the wallet are quilting cottons for both main and lining. It is a lot less bulky and much easier to birth. The overall look is also prettier and you can add the foam lining to give it a lovely professional finish. 

At first I tried to 'label' the wallet with my tag. But i realised I didn't like that look so the rest of the wallets were done with the tag on the inside of the coin purse. 

Another thing that I realised was I preferred that the main fabric wraps around the card slots so that the fabric for the card slots can't be seen on the outside even at the edge. Hence, for my second and third wallet, I made sure to only use the lining fabric for the card slots and the coin purse lining. 

For the buttons, I used metal buttons that needed to be hammered in. Some testers used plastic snaps which looked good too. I didn't have the metal magnetic snaps that was in the tutorial and I wish I had slim magnetic snaps, but I had to work with what I had. Tip: Make sure you have materials before beginning the project! Chinatown is a good place to find notions! 

Hazel Alekmond Batemans Shirt

I pattern tested the Batesman Shirt by Hazel Alekmond and featured here are 2 of the shirts I made - the train one was my first shirt and the dinosaur, my second. 

Hazel Alekmond is a relatively new pattern company. In fact, I hadn't heard of it till I applied for their test. It excited me to see that this Batemans pattern had so many different options. 

I copied this from their website:

Batemans PDF Pattern includes:
• Children's sizes 2T-14Y
• 3 Hem styles (curved, straight & drop back)
• 4 Collars (mandarin, wingtip, pointed & club)
• Includes separate placket pieces to create truly unique shirt features
• 2 pockets (round & pointed)
• 2 Sleeve lengths (simple short & cuffed long)
• Fully enclosed seams using the Burrito Method & French Seams (Simple quick sew included)

BONUS Batemans Adjustment Tutorial includes:
• Blending sizes
• Adjusting the length
• Creating bubble & simple sleeves
• Adding button tabs
• Back waist darts

• Side splits

So many options! Can you see why I was excited?

 

What I liked about this pattern was the fact that I can make a variety of shirts (but I really only want to make the short sleeved, club collar because that is the only kind my boy wants to wear) That said, it is always good to have varieties cos the boy is growing up and he will have other likes! 

Another good thing about this pattern is the inclusion of instructions and pattern pieces that allows us to upcycle dad's old shirts. That way, we can easily create new shirts at a fraction of the time needed to sew one from scratch! Win! 

Full disclosure though, one thing that made me a bit concerned initially was the fact that the sleeves were cut on fold. Yes. Woven Shirt Sleeves On FOLD. The warning bells went up for sure. I was worried about whether the sleeves wld fit properly. But turns out, it did fit. Quite decently I might add. Afterall, the boy did cycle while wearing this shirt! 

The key to it was the gathering of the sleeves just enough for it to fit nicely into the armscye without showing actual gathers that may make it look more like a girly pattern. The result was a rather handsome looking top with sleeves that had a decent amount of movement for the boy.

The only other boy shirt pattern I own is the Winter Wear design Collared Tee and Dress Pattern. Let's discuss the differences. 

There are less options for the Winter Wear's version for a shirt - there's really just the mandarin collar and club collar and of course the short and long sleeve lengths. However, the Winter Wear one does come with both shirt and dress patterns which is very useful for parents with kids who wear dresses and shirts. The sleeves for Winter Wear's version is asymmetrical for front and back and so the ease is good on the sleeves too. 

So then which do I recommend?

I like both patterns and still want to continue to use both for making shirts. But I plan to use them differently. I use Winter Wear's one when I want the cute hem, and lovely broad shoulder fit that I know works very well with my boy. I use the Batemans when I want to upcycle old shirts because it is simply easier.  

Thank you for your time!