Tag: Handmade

Pattern Review: Petite Stitchery Arlo & Birch
Pattern Reviews

Pattern Review: Petite Stitchery Arlo & Birch

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Petite Stitchery just released four new patterns in their vintage collection and they are all so good.  I was fortunate enough to test two of these in kids sizing and can’t wait to share all the details with you!  The Arlo Turtleneck and Birch Jumper are available in both kids and women’s sizing.  And as an added BONUS the kids patterns include baby sizing files as well!

First, let’s go over all the details of the Arlo pattern.  This isn’t the turtleneck that you will cringe over like I did as a kid.  It has been revamped and made modern and trendy.  And, as usual, PSCO packed this full of options and the size range is huge ranging from 2T up to 17 (and don’t forget those bonus baby sizes included at 6 month-24 months) drafted for knit fabrics.  You can choose from midi, dress top or crop length with banded bottom, flare or slim fit and traditional or split hem.   Sleeve choices include tank, short, mid, long or bishop and neck choices include crew, mock neck or full turtle neck (simple or foldover).  Check out the line drawing below for the full range.

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Next, let’s go over the Birch Jumper options.  This pattern has the same extensive sizing included above, has several choices and is drafted for woven fabrics.  I love the vintage feel of this in the skirt and jumper but especially the jumper dress.  Both have either a button down front or no closures.  There are two pocket options and two lengths included which are vintage or dress length.  Check out the line drawing below for the full range of what’s included with this pattern.

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Now, let’s go over all the fun pieces I sewed up for my girls!  First,  I chose a double brushed poly to make Arlo dresses for both of them.  For my youngest I sewed the banded dress length with bishop sleeves and mock neck.  For my older daughter I sewed the midi length split hem also with bishop sleeves and mock neck.  I love the lettuce hem on the neck, it makes this pattern even quicker and adds an extra feminine touch.

I also sewed up top length Arlo for both girls to pair with the Birch jumpers I made them.  For my youngest I chose the mock neck with bishop sleeves and for my older daughter I chose the crew neck with bishop sleeves.  I used a rib knit for these tops and it’s my favorite fabric choice for this pattern so far!  I used a non-stretch corduroy in dress length for both jumpers and added the pockets with some cute vinyl details to my youngest.  This jumper is seriously SO FAST and simple to sew if doing the no closure choice.   I love the total 90’s vibe these sets give me!

I just couldn’t help myself and sewed up one more jumper for my youngest.  I paired this with the same top under and used a flannel fabric.  This was a little tricky to turn out the lining using the burrito method because of the thickness so take your time and be extra careful if you use a thicker fabric.  It turned out so stinking cute though that it was totally worth it! 

I love all the options packed into theses patterns and can’t wait to try the adult Arlo in a flare dress for myself up next!  These new vintage collection patterns are on sale through October 26 and are eligible for bundle discounts on the website as well!   

I’d love to see what you create:)

**I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THESE PATTERNS AS PART OF THE TESTING PROCESS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS**

 

Pattern Review: Zoe’s Knit Princess Seam Dress and Top by Simple Life Pattern Company
Pattern Reviews

Pattern Review: Zoe’s Knit Princess Seam Dress and Top by Simple Life Pattern Company

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Simple Life Pattern Company just released Zoe’s Knit Princess Seam Dress and Top and I am in love with this pattern!

Zoe’s is a pattern drafted for knits with tons of options included.  You can sew up a dress or peplum top length with gathered or circle skirt.  The bodice has the choice of a solid front or princess seam bodice with or without bands.  The back bodice has a regular or scoop back.  The skirt has optional pockets with or without bands that accentuate the princess seam bands.  Sleeveless, short, elbow  or long sleeve options are all included.  Sizing runs from 2T up to size 12 and projector files are included! This pattern is perfect for bringing all your color blocking visions to life.

I sewed up two dresses for my 7 year old dress obsessed little girl!  I chose almost all the same options on both dresses.  We opted for scoop back, princess seams with bands, short sleeves, circle skirt and pockets with bands. I did a traditional hem on one dress and a rolled hem on the other one.  The pockets are nice deep pockets with plenty of room for treasures.  For her sizing I used a size 5 for the chest, size 6 for the waist and a size 7 for the length.  It was a little tricky blending the sizes using my projector but only because I am fairly new to projector sewing.  You do need to double or triple check that your pocket bands and bodice bands are lined up before sewing to get that seamless finished look.  I suggest basting them together once they are aligned so that the bands don’t shift when serging the seam together.  All of the fabrics I used are from Knitpop and are double brushed poly.  The sunflower and solid neon pink are unfortunately sold out but the rainbow neon tie dye (which is SO vibrant and cheerful) is still available here.

The pattern is on sale 20% off through September 2 and I can’t wait to see yours sewn up.   If you buy this pattern on sale let us know what you think!

**I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PATTERN AS PART OF THE TESTING PROCESS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS**
Pattern Review: Advanced Bralette Add-On by Rebecca Page
Pattern Reviews

Pattern Review: Advanced Bralette Add-On by Rebecca Page

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Rebecca Page Patterns just released an add-on to their Bralette Tank pattern and it’s fantastic!  The Advanced Bralette Add-On uses the main bralette pattern (you must own that first!) and adds extra features and options to it. 

Let’s first go over the basics of the main Bralette Tank.  This is available in a huge range of sizes XXS to 5XL (also available in children’s sizing).  This can be worn alone as a bralette/crop top however it is not intended to be worn as a sports bra.  A regular bra underneath is recommended for full support when worn for exercise.  It can also be worn as a tank with pleated or gathered flowy sides.  It is a fully lined pullover style with optional back pocket.

Okay, now that the basics are covered let’s go over all the extra fun options in the Advanced Bralette Add-On!  This is a great mega add-on that features nine different strap and three different back options not included in the basic pattern.  Don’t be intimidated by the “advanced” in the title as it is totally beginner friendly with tons of detailed steps in the tutorial.  Take a look at the line drawing below to see what you can choose from. 

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I sewed up two different bralettes choosing Option H and Option E for mine.  I used an athletic knit from Hobby Lobby and paired mine with the Sports Shorts in the legging option short length modified to have a foldover waistband.  I sewed up a size medium on both with no alterations to the size and both bralettes fit fantastic.  As they aren’t intended to be stand alone supportive I wear mine for yoga or weight training days instead of cardio so that I don’t have to wear a bra underneath and distract from those fancy back straps! 

I would love to sew up the tank option next and maybe even a swim top!  This pattern is on sale for a short time so scoop it up here and sew up some fancy bralettes!  I’d love to see what you create:)

**I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PATTERN AS PART OF THE BRAND AMBASSADOR PROCESS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS**

Pattern Review: Felt Dolls by Rebecca Page
Pattern Reviews

Pattern Review: Felt Dolls by Rebecca Page

aschildmeier3 Comments

My kids love dolls and pretend play so I knew that the new Rebecca Page pattern for Felt Dolls would be right up their alley!  We had already sewn up the Dollhouse Quiet Book a few summers ago (and it still gets TON of playtime) so I was excited to try out the new dolls!  The best part is that these dolls are the perfect size to use with the quiet book so we even sewed up 4 new rooms to add on to ours.

First, let’s chat a little about the Felt Dolls pattern and details.  The finished size on these dolls is approximately 8.6 inches tall and 5 inches wide.  The pattern includes TONS of options to personalize these including 8 different hairstyles, 4 types of shoes and 12 garments that are all mini replicas of RP patterns (how cute is that?!).  There are instructions included on how to hand embroider the faces as well.  You can use fabric scraps, felt, vinyl, and really almost anything to create these.  I did buy velcro and interfacing because I was out but other than that I used materials I already had for everything else.  That is a huge bonus to make these as cheaply as possible!

All four of my kids wanted their own doll so we sewed up every option included and ended up with 4 dolls, 15 mix and match pieces of clothing, 4 pairs of shoes and 4 hair styles to choose from.  They helped design every step and loved picking out the different fabrics and accents.  It was a great summer project that we had fun working on all together as a family.  My oldest even did all of the detail tracing for me so that all I had to do was run the clothing pieces through the sewing machine!  Take a look at the line drawing below for a better idea of the options that are all included.

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My kids all wanted a doll that resembled themselves and they turned out so cute!  We used felt for the dolls and hair (please note the blond pigtails are purposely upside down to mimic my 2 year olds crazy pigtails in real life). The hair slides onto the top of the head for easy changing.   For the clothing and shoes we used a mix of solid and patterned felt, glitter and patterned craft vinyl, craft foam and extra accents like ribbon, pom poms, buttons and bows.  The clothes all attach with velcro so they are super easy to mix and match for tiny hands.  They really remind me of playing with paper dolls as a child.

Once we finished our sets of dolls the kids asked to add more pages into our Dollhouse Quiet Book.  Our book is already quite large at 8 pages but since the pages attach by velcro it is easy to add in more.  Most of the traditional rooms already included in the pattern were already in our book so most of the additions are our own creations.  We still used the pattern pieces for the pages and the bathroom but otherwise I really let the kids use their imaginations to create.  We added in a bathroom, kids bedroom with bunk beds, laundry room and sewing/craft room (my favorite room!).  I recently started sewing with a projector (LIFE CHANGING PEOPLE) and it came in handy with this too.  I use Chrome Cast to cast my desktop onto the projector so I was able to pull up clipart of accessories (the sewing machine for example) and simply project the shape onto the fabric to get it the perfect size, traced it and then cut/sewed the pieces.  It was so easy!  Here’s a few pictures of the new pages we added in, I wasn’t able to dig up pictures of the rest of the book.  The best part of this book is that is completely interactive, you can make as much (or as little) as you want removable via velcro, button, etc.

The Felt Dolls and the Dollhouse Quiet Book are such a perfect pair and the possibilities truly are endless!  This pattern is on sale for a short time so scoop it up here and  I’d love to see what you create:)

**I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PATTERN AS PART OF THE BRAND AMBASSADOR PROCESS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS**