{Riley Blake Designs} Nicholas by J Wecker Frisch

 

*clears throat* Ahem, I interrupt your summer (or winter for my southern hemisphere friends) with an important announcement: 

It's officially 6 months until Christmas!!  

My kids countdown pretty much year-round so once we get over the "halfway mark" hump, the anticipation really starts building.  Every year, my girls get a special dress (or two or three if you're the youngest).  I'm ahead of the game this year as long as she doesn't grow too much!  Fingers crossed...

Nicholas by J Wecker Frisch for Riley Blake Designs is a new Christmas collection that is sure to get you in the giving spirit.  It is full of holiday cheer with its tiny trees, snowflakes, holly berries and holiday postcards.  I was instantly drawn to the tiny trees on black.  I grabbed the red postal stripes and green snow dot texture for coordinates.

It took me ages to decide on a pattern.  At age 11, I know I'm on borrowed time for using themed fabric.  With my daughter's input, we chose Liberty by Little Lizard King, but took the liberty (HA!) to change it up a bit.  Liberty is a dress pattern with attached bib and if you use the same contrasting fabric for the bib and sleeves, it gives the illusion of a shirt and pinafore.  I omitted the bib and sleeves to make a true pinafore and then paired it with a knit shirt underneath.

For the shirt underneath, I used the Galena Dress by Little Lizard King and my starting point and simply lengthened the bodice to shirt length and omitted the skirt.   I love the bound neckline, the slim fit, and the included bishop sleeves.

I loved the contrasting band at the bottom of the skirt and let me daughter choose whether I used the Green Snow Dot Texture or the Red Postal Stripes.   I love letting her choose the details.  I used the Red Postal Stripe for piping detail outlining the bodice. 

I used nearly every inch of the fabrics to make this.  I had just enough to still make sure my print lined up across the back buttons.

  

The true magic of this pattern comes in the FULL skirt.  There's no need for a pettiskirt underneath, but undershorts are a must.  (I made these too!  I used the Solvang pattern by Little Lizard King.) The bottom ruffle is nearly 17 feet wide!  

How early do you start preparing for Christmas?  This is the second or third year that I've been months ahead of schedule.  I'm usually procrastinating up until the very last second so I'm still trying to get used to being early. 

Nicholas is now available at your favorite quilt shop!  Pick up your yardage today!

{Project Run & Play}} Project Jet Set: Relaxing in Palm Beach

 

Welcome back to the second day of the project run & play Project Jet Set in Palm Beach!  One of our favorite things to do on vacation is spend our day at the pool.  The beach is also fun, but the pool is most relaxing.  Grab a refreshing drink and meet me back poolside as we dive into these two teen/tween approved looks.

Once again, I revisited my mood board so I could see how all the fabrics coordinated with each other.  My girls and I had the best time combing through the Raspberry Creek Fabrics to find fabrics that complimented each other and that fit each of their individual styles.  We have ordered Raspberry Creek Fabrics swim material for several seasons and we love the quality.  Our goal with today's looks was to also coordinate with their backpacks from Day 1.

The variety of the patterns (and options within) in the Project Jet Set collection made it really easy to create a capsule to suit both girls.  Today's stop features the Saltillo Swimsuit (two ways!), PB Swim Shorties, Cancun Coverup, and a second look at the Cruise Culottes and Passport to Paradise Mini Backpack.

For the tween

cancun cover up:  My girls love a good pool cover up.  The Cancun Cover Up is a great pattern because it can be sewn in both knit and woven.  (I actually had a chambray version in my line up -- more on that later.) I picked out the yummiest navy and off-white stripe modal jersey that I'm kind of mad that I couldn't keep it for myself.    The pattern recommendation was to size down in width for knit so this is one size down in width with the hip length for her height.  She wears it daily to the pool!

The pattern comes with two hood and two length options.  This is the regular hood and hip length.  I loved the construction and the included pocket.

saltillo swimsuit:  My youngest loves one piece swimsuits so I knew this pattern would be perfect for her.  She requested to leave the flounce off and I'm glad I got to see how it looks both ways.  I sewed this version up after her sisters so I constructed this one slightly different in how I added the elastic.  I've sewn a lot of swim over the past several seasons so I used my preferred method.

The straps can be worn several ways.  I initially chose the crisscross straps, but during her fitting, she wanted the straps to come to center back.  I happily obliged -- it's such a simple fix and it's more comfortable for her to wear it that way.

passport to paradise mini backpack:  Having her own bag to carry her items in to the pool is great.  She has easy access and can store whatever she wants!  She put her sunglasses & case as well as her goggles inside.  I love that it teaches her responsibility to keep track of her own items.

For the teen

cruise culottes:  My original plan for her cover up was the Cancun Cover Up in the chambray I used for her sister's Too Wild Dress.  She, however, has her own ideas and wanted to pair her culottes with her suit and I loved how it looked paired together! I'm so glad she injects her own ideas in our projects.  She has a great sense of style and I'm always taking notes.

saltillo swimsuit (modified):  I can't get over how cute this turned out!  When I was trying to figure out a top to pair with her swim shorties that still fit her teen style, I thought the Saltillo would make the cutest tankini top.  I simply cut the bottom portion of the pattern off where it dips inward for the waist.  I constructed the top as instructed in the pattern, but I knew I'd want the bottom elastic to be enclosed inside the seam.  I left a small portion of one side seam of the lining open so I could turn it out after adding in the elastic, making it hidden.

pb swim shorties:  Oh my word, I don't think I could love a little pair of swim shorties more.  I've always loved ruched detailing in patterns so that was a must for me!  The construction is simple and the seams inside are completely enclosed.  I cannot wait to sew her more!

The Saltillo Swimsuit has several strap options and as soon as she saw the halter option, she had to have it!  The PB Swim Shorties look so amazing in stripes and there's no center seam to worry about matching up the stripes there!

passport to paradise mini backpack:  We're back with another look at her light yellow twill mini backpack.  I didn't know a backpack could bring so much joy to my teenager, but she literally brings this EVERYWHERE.   So many times before, she'd carry just her phone in her hand and I was always so worried she'd set it down somewhere and lose it.  Now she won't have to worry about leaving it anywhere.

This backpack is the perfect size for my teen to carry a book, sunscreen and her phone.  She can put some cash in the zippered wallet in case she needs to buy a snack or two.

I hope you loved a peek at our vacation as much as we loved sharing all the details with you!  Now, it's time to sit back and enjoy the sunshine!! Happy Summer y'all!

If you were inspired by today's looks,

head over to the shop to pick up your patterns!

{Project Run & Play} Project Jet Set: Hello, Palm Beach!

“Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.

On behalf of Project Run & Play Air, we'd like to welcome you to sunny Palm Beach.  The current temperature is a balmy 80°, enjoy your stay."

Hello, and welcome to my stop on the Project Run & Play Project Jet Set Collection Blog Tour!  I have been working behind the scenes for a while now and I'm so excited to share it all with you!  I think this is my favorite collection yet (and I have sewn quite a few).  Our stop is inspired by Palm Beach, Florida.  

Confession: I've never actually been to Palm Beach (we usually visit Orlando or Siesta Key when we vacation in Florida), but my fabric choices were leaning to a preppy tropical and I'm imagining Palm Beach to fit the description.

I am a visual planner so before I order any fabrics, I grab the swatches and see how they all look together.  To shop for my fabrics, I headed to Raspberry Creek Fabrics.  I'm a huge fan of theirs.  Not only do they have a huge selection of various bases, I also love their fabric designs and knew something would catch my eye to give my collection direction.  All of their CLUB designs include the main colors in the title so you can easily search for matching fabrics, taking out any guesswork as to whether it'll match.  Raspberry Creek Fabrics was completely generous and sponsored my looks --- a huge thank you to RCF!!  

Today's stop will focus on our "sightseeing" outfits -- inevitably we venture into the town we are visiting to walk around and visit the various shops.  We pick up souvenirs to remember our trip and splurge on treats.  The patterns featured are Cruise Culottes, Rimini Romper (as a top), Too Wild Dress, and the Passport to Paradise Mini Backpacks.

Teen Look

cruise culottes: This fun pattern gives you the feel of shorts/pants with the look of a skirt.  The drape of your fabric can completely change the look of your culottes.  I chose a nice, flowy stretch crepe in this gorgeous tropical floral print that inspired the rest of my purchases.  I lobbied hard for the full length tiered pant, but was obviously denied.  During photos, she did admit that maybe pants length would have also been fun. The shorts length, however, is definitely more fitting with our vacation destination.  

I added the inseam pockets, but left off the decorative flaps.   It's always nice to have pockets, right?! To finish off the waistband for a polished look, I ran parallel rows of stitching through the elastic.  This also prevents the elastic from shifting or rolling.

rimini romper (modified):  I'm in love with this top!  When selecting fabrics and patterns, I debated between pairing the culottes with the top of the Rimini Romper or the Overlook Raglan.  In the end, I thought the Rimini Romper suited her style better and I'm so glad we went in this direction.  In the RCF shop, we found a solid Dusty Pink cotton lycra that looked to be a perfect match to the hibiscus flowers in the crepe.

I made the top of the romper, following the tutorial - mostly.  I actually left the back center seam for last which means you can avoid the burrito roll method for the armscyes. After the top was completed, I finished the bottom with a folded band that was slightly smaller than the opening of the bottom.  It's the perfect crop length.  She has worn it nearly everyday at some point in her day which means it's a clear win.  

I can't wait to try out the romper version for her too!!

passport to paradise mini backpack:  To finish off her look, I sewed up a Passport to Paradise Mini Back in a buttery soft light yellow twill.  Light yellow is her absolute favorite color so she's very excited with how this turned out.  I carefully selected all the little details -- the handmade logo and the hibiscus and flip flop zipper pulls that I'm sure were designed with this project in mind.

For this version, I used a midweight interfacing on the main pieces and left off the interfacing on the lining.  It's slightly less structured than her sister's bag so I think I could have interfaced the lining too.  The twill was fantastic to sew through, even with all the layers in some spots!

My girls are still in awe that I've designed this.  And to be honest, I am a little too!  I really don't consider myself a designer so when I received an email to participate in the collection, I assumed it was to sew up some of the pieces.  Imagine my surprise after a few weeks when they asked what pattern I was thinking of contributing.  HA!!  I was in the middle of recovering from covid when the original email came so apparently my brain was clouded.  After prototyping a few different ideas, I decided this idea was my favorite.  And now, I'm fairly certain every new outfit will need to come with a matching backpack.  Time to stock up on interfacing!

A huge thank you to Susana of Suco by Susana for working with me turning my hand-drawn pattern pieces into a printable PDF file!

Tween Look

too wild dress:  My tween still loves to wear dresses so I knew this would be the perfect choice for her.  I found a lightweight salmon pink chambray in the RCF shop that would compliment her sister's look, but wouldn't be too matchy-matchy.  She was a little skeptical about the softness of her dress when we unboxed our goodies, but I assured her that washing it first would soften it right up. 

This pattern comes with about a million options for straps and can really change the whole vibe of the dress.  The lace-up back was my favorite option!  I always sew each item custom to my daughter's measurements.  I blended 3 separate sizes (chest, waist, and height) and then held my breath that my blending method worked because I had no time to sew up muslins first.  When she tried it on for the elastic fitting, it was perfect!!  Whew!

passport to paradise mini backpack:  For this version of the Passport to Paradise Mini Backpack, I chose the Tropical Floral print that I used for the Cruise Culottes, but selected the Sueded Boardshort as the base.  I love how it pops against the chambray and the sueded boardshort has such a nice feel to it.   I used a firm interfacing for the outer pieces and a midweight interfacing for the lining pieces.  It has a nice firm structure to it.  My machine, however, had a bit of a time trying to pierce through all the layers where the tabs were added.  Boardshort has such a tight weave so I'm sure this played a big role in it.  I ended up swapping the strap tabs for stretch crepe tabs and completely eliminated the hidden tab to secure the wallet.  

I used the same hibiscus flip flop zipper pulls and placed her handmade logo in the lower right hand corner, exactly to her specifications.  All of my hardware for these bags came from Idleblooms -- full warning: that site is addicting and you'll want to buy it all. Leave some for me... haha!

. . . and that's a wrap!  We hope you enjoyed hanging out with us today.  We're off to explore Palm Beach now.   Join us on Monday - poolside - for two more fabulous teen/tween vacation looks!  See you there!

If you were inspired by today's looks,
head over to the shop to pick up your patterns!