Sew Coordinated Sewing Kit

{GUEST DESIGNER}

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June 2015 Kit

I am so excited that I was chosen to play Guest Designer this month for Sew Coordinated -- a monthly subscription sewing kit (sign up HERE) brought to you by Mama Made and Beautiful Fabrics.  As you can see, my kit was full of lots of fun and cheerful fabric that I was able to make each of my daughters the dress of their choosing and a matching headband!  I spent the better part of a day carefully laying out my pattern pieces and choosing the best layout to maximize the fabric without altering or compromising any pattern pieces.  I also divvied up the 5 included prints between the girls to best suit their personalities and coloring.  This way, they could coordinate (see what I did there?) without being identical.

... and I was literally left with mere scraps from the 3.5 yards included in my kit!

I'd say I used this kit about as well as it could be.  How about a prettier picture of the fabrics?

*NOTE: Kit is not packaged this way -- staged for photograph

Just look at these gorgeous, fun fabrics by Studio E Fabrics.  This is the Around Town by Small Factory line.  Also included in the kit are 2 buttons by La Moda, fun double-sided ribbon, thread (not photographed), and a clip-on drink holder for my sewing room!

Content details:

• 1 yard Around Town by Small Factory -- #2941-99  (Houses)
• 1 yard Around Town by Small Factory -- #2944-01 (Bicycles)
• 1/2 yard Around Town by Small Factory -- #2945-28 (Dots)
• 1/2 yard Around Town by Small Factory -- #2942-01 (Pennants)
• 1/2 yard Around Town by Small Factory -- #2943-90 (Bricks)
• 2 yards of double-sided pink/lime dot ribbon by Renaissance Ribbons
• 1 spool of coordinating Gutermann Thread 
• Clip-on drink holder

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Here's how I used it all!

My 6 year old has been begging me for a maxi dress.  I used the Annabelle Dress by Violette Fields Threads to fulfill her request.  Its chevron-pieced skirt was perfect for showcasing several prints.  Although she's 6, she's small for her age so I made her the size 4.  It's a good thing she's not any taller because the size 4 was the biggest I could squeeze out the Bicycle fabric.

I put the ribbon to good use as bodice detailing and a sash.  One of the buttons takes center stage at the top of the bodice.  I used 3 main prints in the Annabelle.  I used the Bicycle, Dots, and Pennants.  For the center of the bodice, I added a small section of the Houses.   A smidge of ric rac peeks out from her sleeves to bring the hot pink upward.  Lastly, I used a small scrap of the Pennants and a bit of hot pink FOE (fold-over-elastic) for a matching headband!

LOVE is a complete understatement for her feelings on this dress!  I chose these 3 prints for her because pink is her favorite color and being a brunette, these colors compliment her.

My 4 year old loves her twirly dresses.  I had her "go shopping" in her closet to show me what style dress she wanted me to sew.  She came back with the Bubblegum Swing Dress by Candy Castle Patterns which is an add-on to the ever-popular Bubblegum Dress.  The add-on changes the original a-line skirt to a super-twirly skirt.  Her original Bubblegum Swing is getting a bit small on her so it was time to sew up the next size.

For this dress, I chose the Houses fabric and used the Bricks as accent.  She's blonde and blue-eyed and looks fabulous in turquoises and blues.  I made a small change to the pattern and used the width of the sash from the Peppermint Swirl Dress for my wrap-around ties for a bit bigger of a statement.  For this, I chose a navy dotted swiss in my remnant box to bring out the navy of some of the rooftops and the navy in the Bricks.  I used the Sweet Grace Ruffled Headband from Snickerdoodle Stew for One Thimble (Issue 5) for her headband.  It was the perfect place to showcase her La Moda button!

~~~ Best Sisters Forever ~~~

Thank you so much, Sew Coordinated for letting me join in the fun this month!  My girls love their dresses and being sew coordinated!  I love the fact that the kit comes with plenty of fabric that neither girl gets left out.   I'm excited to see what patterns everyone else chooses to sew with their kits!

Meanwhile, I be at my {new} machine, staying hydrated now that I don't have to worry about my drink getting in the way on my sewing table.

Seriously, sign up!  You won't be disappointed!

Look below for Frequently Asked Questions!

Sew Coordinated FAQ:

*Source: Sew Coordinated Facebook page

• What is Sew Coordinated? 

Sew Coordinated is a monthly kit club! Each month, there will be a brand new kit debuting with coordinating fabrics, trims, and other goodies!These kits are guaranteed to be priced lower than if you would buy all the products separately at retail prices. I am SO excited at what I have to bring you!

• How much does it cost? 

Sew Coordinated costs $50/month shipped domestically. It will ship in a flat rate padded envelope with free delivery confirmation and insurance. If you are international, it will be $45/month + the cost of a flat rate envelope to you. If you are a member of Mama Made and Beautiful (my fabric retail shop), I am happy to include it with one of your packages!

• How does it work? 

You can purchase Sew Coordinated as a membership subscription or on a monthly basis. If you choose to purchase on a monthly basis, you do run the risk of the kits being sold out. If you purchase a subscription, you are guaranteed the kit. Subscriptions run for a 6 month time period.

• What is the cost of being a Sew Coordinated kit club member? 

To become a Sew Coordinated kit club member, you will be charged an initial $10 membership fee. You will be required to pay this fee within 24 hours. After paying the $10 fee, I will send you a link to subscribe to 6 months of Sew Coordinated. You will be automatically billed $50/month for the next 6 months starting immediately.

• Why is it worth it to become a kit club member?? 

---- You will be guaranteed to get a kit! The first few months of the kit have already been purchased and I only have what I have so if you become a kit club member, you are guaranteed to get the kit during your subscription period! Your kits will come before anyone purchasing month by month!
---- You will get an extra half yard of coordinating solid fabric in your kit every month! The total retail value of this is around $30 for a 6 month subscription!
---- You will have first dibs at all sales, extra kit offerings, and insider info!
---- Because Sew Coordinated is going to be the next big thing and you want in!! There will only be a limited number of kit club subscriptions and once they are filled, you will be added to a waiting list for a subscription!

Making Minnie Mouse - Candy Castle Princess Dress by Candy Castle Patterns

* This tutorial originally aired on Pattern Revolution on October 17th, 2013 *

When I first saw this series idea posted for Pattern Revolution, I knew I needed to sign up.  I knew I'd be using the Candy Castle Princess Dress to create one-of-a-kind Halloween costumes for my girls.  I discovered Candy Castle Patterns at the beginning of the summer with my Bubblegum Dress review.  I was lucky enough to test the Candy Castle Princess Dress pattern and made Sofia the First during testing.  For Minnie Mouse, however, I wanted to deviate from the pattern a little bit so I could share it with all of you!

First of all, this pattern has lots of options so chances are that the pattern contains what you need!  There are 4 sleeve options, a slim or regular fit bodice, hemmed or ruffled underskirt and a paneled or non-paneled skirt.  I've made 3 dresses so far!

Minnie Mouse likes to wear a sweet peter pan collar on her dresses and it wasn't an option in the pattern so I set out to draft my own!  I wanted it to end at the shoulder seam so I would not have to alter the back.

After I rounded my neckline, I drew the collar along the neckline and failed to take a picture... whoops!  Below, is my retraced collar piece.

When you cut out your pieces, cut the interfacing without the added seam allowance to reduce bulk in the seams.

Now, sew according to pattern.

Other than the peter pan collar, Minnie Mouse dresses are easily recognizable simply by choosing the right fabric.  Minnie likes either red or pink, but white polka dots are a must.  My 2 year old was very adamant that she wear the "Pink" Minnie Mouse so I used a combination of pink/large white polka, black/small white polka, and white. (The red combination would be the same combo, but substitute the pink with red and add in some bright yellow!  It really pops!)   All of my fabrics and trim came from Hobby Lobby.

Fortunately for all of you, I couldn't just stop at a simple peter pan collar addition :)  I thought and thought and thought.... and then the light bulb went on!  I decided I wanted a Minnie Mouse head cutout in the back of my daughter's dress for a bit of unexpected awesomeness on the back of her dress.  So, I set out to make this crazy idea happen (because I don't give up easily!).  I practiced on a few muslin bodices first until I got it right.  Here's how I did it (and FREE template HERE!).  In order to fit the template along with the amount of snaps needed, I lengthened the bodice 1 inch from the original pattern.  The space between her ears is the overlap of the back bodice in the original pattern - fate, I tell you!!

You will want to make sure to put 2 snaps both above the cutout and below so that everything lays correctly.

I've made this dress 1 size larger so that I can ensure it fits when her birthday rolls around since it's highly likely she'll want a Minnie Mouse birthday again!  I'm ahead of the game!

To finish the Minnie's look, I chose an eyelet ruffle for my ruffled underskirt to mimic her eyelet-trimmed bloomers and carried the eyelet to the bottom of her sleeve cuffs. I used the large bow template in the pattern to create two bows to place on the front scallops.

My daughter is also wearing the Pettiskirt Party by Foo Foo Threads as well as a shorter 'no-sew' tutu from last year's Halloween costume for maximum poof! I made the Minnie Mouse ears and headband last year since my daughter was also Minnie Mouse then.  I used felt for the ears and stuffed them to make them stand up.  I also stuffed the bow and hot glued them all onto a black headband and then hand-stitched them onto the headband for extra stability.

My 2 year old has been asking for her Minnie Dress for WEEKS!!  Today, she got to go out for a photo shoot and she was in Minnie Mouse heaven.  This girl dreams of Minnie Mouse every night, or so she tells me.  I'm sure she would gladly wear this daily if I let her!

Oh, remember when I mentioned at the beginning how this was the third dress I've made using this pattern?  Here are Sofia the First and Cinderella!

Cinderella was created for a very special customer.  What a lucky little girl!!

Well, that wraps it up!!  Thanks  to Pattern Revolution for having me take part in this series and also thanks to Candy Castle Patterns for a beautiful pattern!  Head over to her pattern shop and show her some love!

Candy Castle Patterns - The Soda Pop Polo - Finally Something for the Boys too!!

The Soda Pop Polo

Sizes 6m - 14 y (boys & girls)

Over the last 8 months, Candy Castle Patterns has been adding pattern after pattern to her growing pattern store.  There have been amazing dresses, sweet and playful tunics and comfy, cute bloomers - all for girls... UNTIL NOW!!  It's a happy day for all the CCP fans who also have sons - they finally have a pattern that appeals to them too!  Of course, I only have two little girls so you'll be seeing some girly versions here.

The Soda Pop Polo is a fun and versatile polo-style shirt that can be created so many ways.  There are 4 collar options: ruffled, hooded, traditional, and henley.  There are 2 sleeve lengths: short and long.  There are two pocket styles, 3 reverse appliques and the list goes on!  The main shirt part is knit, but so many of the fun add-ons can be made from your favorite wovens.

I decided, for this test, I'd make polos to match their personalities as closely as I could.  I think you'll see through pictures, that I am pretty spot-on.  My girls did help me pick out their knit - which was the first time I have let them help me.  And I think they did a great job!

First, let's start with the Ruffle Neck version.  

My 2 yr old is such a girly-girl.  She's always dancing around like a princess, her favorite toys are her dresses and fancy shoes, and often tells people in stores, "I'm so pretty" and does a little twirl for them.   Life is a song and she is definitely dancing her way through it! 

"Hello blogging world!!  Want to see me twirl?"

When my I saw this knit on Etsy at Funkalicious Fabrics, I knew it was perfect.  She has piercing blue eyes and I knew the royal blue bows would compliment those while the narrow black and white stripe knit would be the perfect contrast to her blonde hair.  Miss 2 loved it too, as I knew she would!

Close up of woven inner collar stand

I used knit for 93% of this Soda Pop Polo.  The only two places I chose to do woven were: the inside collar stand (white with black pin dots) and the royal blue reverse applique on the heart-shaped pocket.  I originally bought blue star buttons, but found these buttons in my stash that complimented the shirt so much better.

Life is more fun when you twirl your way through!

I paired the shirt with a super-frilly, all lace tutu-style skirt (thanks, Santa!) and used some of my leftover scraps to make a set of matching Licorice Bits Legwarmers (also by Candy Castle Patterns) and a super easy bow to slide onto her black headband. 

           

Licorice Bits Legwarmers

Back view

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Moving on to the Hooded version.

Of course, you don't have to have a ruffle-loving girly-girl to get some use out of this pattern!  My 4 year old, while she likes to occasionally indulge in her feminine side, is much more sporty.  She likes to dress more for comfort and practicality so the hooded version is definitely more her style. 

She loves the color pink though, and fell in love with this cute butterfly knit from One Red Blossom Fabrics.  It's such a bright and cheerful knit, sure to be perfect for the upcoming spring.

This version, I chose to use a bit more woven fabric than my other one.  I did the placket, both collar stands, hood lining and back inset all in woven - a mixture of solid pink and a bright yellow chevron.  I finished it off with heart shaped elbow patches, a heart applique under the hood, and bright yellow buttons.  I paired it with hot pink skinny jeans (also compliments of Santa), a bow from scraps for her hair and some sporty water shoes to complete the look.

Loves her hood!

Impromptu yoga session?

This is her Mission Impossible pose.

Back view, hood down

So there you have it! Two different Soda Pop Polos for two very different personalities.  I've only shown two versions of this pattern and there are so many more! This pattern can be dressed up or dressed down depending on fabrics, collar type, and extra details;  it's ALL up to you!

If you've never worked with a Candy Castle Pattern before, here's what to expect:

• All pattern pieces are nested and color-coded for each size.
• There is a diagram at the beginning of the tutorial to show you how to tape the pattern together.
• Measurement chart at the beginning of each pattern to ensure the best fit.
• Cutting charts for straight cuts given in both imperial (inches) and metric (centimeters) [where necessary].
• Step-by-step instructions with clear photos and lots of helpful tips.
• All patterns are thoroughly tested in each size.
• Extra support and help available in the Candy Castle Patterns Group on Facebook.

Visit Candy Castle Patterns and browse her Pattern Shop and while you're there, take a gander at the awesome European fabrics available in her Fabric Shop!  

Use the code SODAPOP at checkout to purchase the pattern for just $7.50 (through 2/6/14 11:59pm MST).... now, go get your SODA POP on!!

www.candycastlepatterns.com