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! 

S.U.A.T Titania and Pixie Tank and dress

It's time for another Stitch upon a time Pattern Showcase / Sale!

This time round, we have a wonderful summer staple - Titania Top and Tunic and Pixie top and dress!

It's SO SO cute!

 

I love the razor back. It feels so athletic! And I know what you are thinking - what about the bra? Well, this pattern comes with an inner built in bra! I made mine with it so I can skip the strapless bras which we all know isn't comfy nor that secure! 

I made mine as a top length so that I can squeeze both my top and my girl's dress out of a yard of fabric. And I think I still have enough remnants for something else for her!

Here's my girl in her Pixie dress. She looks adorable if I may say so myself hehe. I love the flare of the dress and there's also a slightly less flared version. 

The dress came together really quickly because there isn't any gathering. And the only band is the neckband. The armscye is done by hemming - set up your twin needles or coverstitch cos there's quite some hemming to do! hehe. But trust me, it's worth it!!

Candy Castle Snickerdoodle Sweater and Tunic

Did you know that while Candy Castle is well known for their whimsical dresses for girls, they also have some lovely unisex patterns including this lovely sweater pattern that you can make for your boy?

I made the Candy Castle Snickerdoodle Sweater for my boy and he couldn't be more pleased. 

This pattern comes with projector file - a must for me these days. And the short sleeved option comes with an extra tall cuff that makes it unique and super cute!

The fact that this doesn't need hemming also meant that it came together incredibly fast and I'm SO SO happy whenever i can get a shirt done in a short time - cos that gives me more time for more sewing! 

The fit is comfortable and there's blending instructions for those who needs it. The pattern also comes with kangeroo pockets and long sleeves with cuffs. 

Winter Wear Designs Collared Shirt for kids

I made so many of this Collared Shirt by Winter Wear Designs but have yet to blog about any! 

The collared shirt pattern is my go to pattern for this boy whenever I need something a little more formal for his various dress up days at school and also on special occasions. 

I like how there are several options and I can choose between broad shoulders and slim shoulders. I can also use the pattern for my girl (there's a skirted version!) but she doesn't like button ups as much as I only made 1 dress for her so far - I'm hoping that when she grows older, she will like button ups! 

The curved hem is so cute isn't it? And it helps to keep the shirt tucked in when you want it tucked! Cos it is long enough to not come out when he waves his hands around. 

This shirt is made with double gauze fabric. I have also tried cotton woven twill, quilting cotton and they all turned out great! 

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! 💗

Peekaboo Peyton Cocoon Cardigan

While Singapore's weather is mostly really hot and "summery", whenever we go indoors to shopping malls or libraries, the air conditioning is usually really cold. 

I wanted to make my girl a cardigan for some time now. To keep her warm when we go indoors. 

I finally settled on a quick sew - the Peekaboo Peyton Cocoon Cardigan. 

I made this with vintage knit fabric with little stretch. It turned out really cute! 

I liked how everything came together and it helps that this is such a fast sew too. I could cut it out with the projector and sew it up during her nap time, and have her wear it on a trip to the library when she woke. Yay for fast sews!

Do you like the silhouette of the cardi? I kinda want one for myself too! 

Eunoia Design Group Kaleo

Eunoia's Kaleo has just been updated! It now has more sizes, better fit, pockets, a new puddle jumper length (not floor length but slightly above ankle) etc etc and it also has projector file!! YIPPEE!

I love how elegant it looks! And it's just a really beautiful top and skirt combo. 

I made ours in puddle jumper length because this toddler isn't exactly very good at climbing steps while wearing maxi skirts. This length is perfect for her. It's long enough to keep her legs covered yet give her plenty of ease to move around and jump. 

The top has a high neckline in front and a lower one at the back, but i have seen others wearing it on their little ones the other way round without any problems!

And because it is lined, the dress has no bands - which makes for a lovely silhouette!

Did I mention it has pockets? 💗

Simple Life Pattern Co Kinsley Cascading Flounce Dress

For Chinese New Year in 2021, I made a cheongsam inspired princessy brocade dress for my darling using a hacked SLPco pattern - Kinsley Cascading flounce dress.

It addressed all the common issues I have with traditional cheongsams for children - restricting high necks (most kids hate it) and too tight (cheongsams tend to be more figure hugging, but toddlers needs room!)

Kinsley was chosen cos it was loose fitting and i loved the silhouette! 

I wrote a blog post about my hack in the SLPco blog here. 

The hack takes a bit of effort to do but the result is so satisfying! If you like the hack and would like to try it yourself, I'll be super happy to see your version! 

If you have not bought the pattern and would like to use my aff link, it is here. (thank you! 😘😘😘) 

Goober Pea Design Hip 2 B square tee

One of my favorite Boy t-shirt pattern (It's actually a unisex pattern but I use it mainly for my boy) is the Hip 2 Be Square Tee from Goober Pea Designs. 

I love it because of how flexible it can be. It's lovely as a simple tshirt. You can also use up remnants if you use the color blocking options. If you got a cute woven fabric you want to feature, you can also do just that! Imagine a woven fabric, used in a comfy knit t-shirt! It's brilliant! There's also fancy sleeves options with a square cut out if you wish to do that! 

Here's just some of the MANY MANY hip 2 be squares I have made over my 2 plus years sewing. 

This first one is made with a WOVEN panel. I had a glow in the dark dino fabric my little one insisted on wearing. I used it in the colorblocked version of hip 2 be and it worked perfectly! The knit portion is swafing jersey. 

Here, you see a pajamas I made with the fancy sleeve stripes version of hip 2 be. It is made with a 2 way knit that had poor recovery so I made it bigger for a comfy fit since he likes his PJs soft and loose. 

This is a t-shirt made with a lego remnant I scored from a destash. That piece of remnant wasn't big enough for much so it went to the front panel in this shirt and he loved it!

Here's another with black Cotton lycra and dino double knit.

This one is made with non-stretch knit. So that means even if your knit has zero stretch, it works! (Just size up for comfort and remember to use rib knit for the neckband!)

So, there's my short blurb on the hip 2 be square tee. 

It appears that you can use practically any kind of fabric for the centre panel e.g. woven for the centre panel, and for the entire shirt, if u wish to use a knit with very little stretch, just size up and use a good and stretchy rib knit for neckline. Of course, 2 way and 4 way knits works perfectly well! 

Hope this helps you! Thank you once again for reading! Click here to start shopping! (aff link)

S.U.A.T Archer and Artemis Tank

It's SUMMER all year round in Singapore so tanks are always a favorite of the kids. I had the chance to make 2 different tank patterns from Stitch upon a time for my little ones to twin and I'm so happy that they look so good in them! 

My boy is modelling the Archer Tank which is a unisex racerback tank that is incredibly fast to sew. In fact, it is so so fast that he already has 3 such tanks in rotation in his wardrobe! My girl's modelling the Artemis Girls Top and Dress which is a racerback that can be a cute tank or a circle skirted dress. Both tops are made with Cotton Lycra from Spotlight. 

The racerback Archer tank is a lovely quick sew. You can see from the photo that the armhole fits quite well - you have to grade properly though! For example, my boy is stick thin (We DO feed him!! It's genes lol) so his chest is 3T while his height is 6T. I had to grade it according to the instructions in order for the tank to fit nicely - so please don't skip grading!

The Artemis top has a super cute feature behind:

I love it! The gathered back made the outfit really adorable (Quick note: I graded the top to be a little longer than is necessary cos she likes the armscye of her tank tops lower but if u did the tank according to instructions, the armscye doesn't go so low!)

Look at how pleased she is! 

And now I shall spam you with 2 more photos of the lovely duo. 💗