{Riley Blake Designs} Mod Meow by Amanda Niederhauser

 

I've loved kitty cats since I was little and always dreamed of having one when I grew up -- then I married a man who was allergic and had two kids also allergic... HA!   I'm always drawn to any cat print on fabric and my daughters share the same love.  

Mod Meow by Amanda Niederhauser for Riley Blake Designs is such a fun collection.  Inspired by the century modern era with added feline features, it's purr-fectly cute!  (Sorry, literally couldn't resist).  The main colorways are blue, blush and cream with fun coordinated of gold, green and red.

Not only does the collection offer the prints above, it also has a border print in all 3 colorways and I never miss a chance to sew up a border print!  I chose the Mod Meow Border Cream and paired it with Mod Meow Stripes Cottage.  I really love the plaids too and nearly chose one as a coordinate.  

My original plan for these fabrics was to sew up a dress for my youngest daughter, but once I got them in, I just wasn't sold.  I enlisted my daughter and she selected a skirt and sleeveless top and I still just knew it wasn't "it".  Finally I gave in and asked the fabric and I love what the fabric had in mind!!    I ended up sewing a Slumber Set, complete with cinch sack (in case we ever get to have sleepovers again) and sleep mask.    

The pjs are Adelaide by Little Lizard King, with a few modifications.  I prefer a slimmer top and knew it would show the border print better so I took 5" from both the front and back pieces. For the shorts, I eliminated the side seam.  Obviously these pjs are super comfy and she couldn't believe I was letting her jump on my bed.  (Fun fact .... to the right of my bed -- just out of frame -- is where all my sewing magic happens!)

I also added grommets and a twill tape drawstring!  I broke down a couple months ago and got a whole grommet kit and now they are so easy to put in.  Plus, the drawstring helps my daughter know which way is the front. Hehe.  

I love these shorts in the kitty stripes.  It's SOOO cute in person.

I had fabric leftover so I sewed up a sleep mask from Made for Mermaids.  I used the kitty stripes on the outside and a cozy black fleece on the backside.

Then I decided maybe a cute bag to carry the pjs in would be cute so I set out to make a cinch sack.  I browsed Pinterest for a bit, but couldn't find exactly what I had pictured.  So I drafted my own.  (I'll share the tutorial in the future -- this project was added last minute!).

I also added a pocket inside for her toothbrush and toothpaste.

I'm glad I listened to the fabric!!  This set is exactly what it needed to become.  My daughter is currently happily snoozing in her new pjs and I love being able to sew up fun things for her.

Mod Meow is already out so

please check with your favorite fabric shop for yardage!!

{Riley Blake Designs} Notting Hill by Amy Smart

 

I love large floral prints, plaids, gingham and polka dots so when I saw Notting Hill by Amy Smart releasing for Riley Blake Designs, I was in love!  This collection is inspired by Notting Hill of London and is completely gorgeous!  

I was drawn to SO many gorgeous prints, it was really hard to narrow down my choices.  Some of my favorites were the royal blue polka dot, the red/blue plaid and of course the main floral prints.  In the end, I chose the Notting Hill Main Songbird and the Notting Hill Diamonds Raspberry to coordinate.

I always have a basic idea of what I might sew, but sometimes I need to see the fabric in person to solidify my plans.  When I saw the gorgeous English roses on the main print, they reminded me of the Briar Embroidery pattern by Peony Patterns.  While I stitched that out on white, I decided I'd sew up the Poppy Pattern by Peony Patterns.  It's sweet and feminine and totally perfect for these gorgeous fabrics.

Before I could get it all cut out, Natasha (of Peony Patterns) added a Pocket Pattern and I couldn't turn down the chance to give my daughter "snack holes".  (Better be a mess-free snack with this fabric!).  Plus, when someone compliments her dress, she can now say "Thanks, it has pockets!" Hehehe.

I also tried the double-sided ruffle on the Peony Patterns website so the Notting Hill Diamonds would peek out of the bottom of the ruffle too instead of a hem.

Riley Blake cottons always sew up so nicely.  I know the dresses I sew will also last though all the washes.  I've sewn these fabrics for years and even by the time they've been handed down, they still look brand new.  

Notting Hill releases this month -- check with your favorite quilt shop to order your yardage!!  It really is a sweet line and will be so pretty for Spring/Easter.

We had a somewhat warm-ish day the other day and we rushed out to take advantage and shoot outdoors.  In my haste, I failed to really look at the details of the photos until later.  Somehow, one of the ruffles was laying super funny in nearly every picture.  I nearly cried.  The photos were so pretty in the light.  I grabbed the two that turned out and had my daughter reshoot (unfortunately it was gray and cold then).  Here's to warmer days ahead!