Varsity Cowl

The weather here is flip-flopping a bit--some mornings it feels like fall, other days it's still definitely summer in the South.  I'm going to decide it's fall, at least for today's blog post :)

I got the chance to test this Varsity Cowl Neck Pullover a while ago (maybe two months?) for Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop.  It's made from knit and is a quick sew.

Samuel, in a rare modeling
appearance

The neckline is what makes the pattern different--it crosses in the front and is sort of drapey/cowl-like.  I just realized it's kind of like a scarf in how it wraps and covers the neck.  I think it's a great feature for keeping little necks warm.

I made these using lightweight knits.  We don't get a very long fall or winter, so I thought the kids would get more use out of something less heavy.

The neckline and wrist/waist bands are from old tees my mom gave me to upcycle.  The main fabric was from actual knit yardage, since I couldn't squeeze a long-sleeved shirt out of a women's tee (which stinks because I had my heart set on making Samuel's out of one with autumn-colored stripes!)

I realized I have all girlie knits in my stash, so poor Samuel had to make due with the blue I chose.  I used the tan in order to make it more boyish, but apparently I made it look like a Star Trek uniform.   At least neither of the kids is doomed by wearing a red shirt... (hopefully there are some geeks out there that get that).

She is such a good big sister!

You may have noticed Samuel doesn't show up as often on my blog.  I do make things for him, but not as much, because he was growing so rapidly for a while.  Plus, he is so difficult to take pictures of!  He is at that never-sit-still stage, and Danielle is at a eager-to-please-Mommy-because-it-means-chocolate-chips-and-shorter-photo-shoots stage :)  I'll be embroidering some shirts for him, and I have a pair of pants I tested for the kids, so he'll be making appearance a little more frequently, I hope.

Avita Dress

Oh my, I have been a bad blogger lately.  It's starting to feel like fall around here (at least in the mornings/evenings), so maybe I will start my annual hibernation and sew up a storm soon...

I do have some pattern testing photos to share.

accessories by Danielle

This sweet dress is the Avita Dress by Popolok Designs.  I was excited to get a chance to try this pattern out before it was released, but even more pleased to find out this pattern was created by Alviana, whose work I was familiar with on Pattern Review.

That zipper up the back? 
It could NOT be any easier to insert!

It's got a flared skirt, long sleeves, a faux, lace-up vest and a zipper up the back.  I cannot say enough how beautifully the pieces were drafted.  I wanted to cry, it was done so well.  And the fit was excellent, though you can't really tell because I made my dress too small!

I love how girlie she looks

Aggghhh!  I was so confident in my ability to print that I didn't measure the test square, and my 1-inch by 1-inch square was only 7/8-inch by 7/8-inch.  Thankfully I had added length to the skirt pieces and Danielle is slim, so she is able to squeeze into it.  I don't think it will be making it to spring though!

The faux-vest makes it
seem fairy-tale-ish :)

I can't say enough about how wonderful this pattern was.  There were so many details that make it stand out among other patterns (pdf or otherwise).  I think my two favorite features were the line drawing and the fabric/color ideas, but there are so many other things that made it high-quality--a finished measurement chart, cutting layout, clear instructions--I highly recommend this pattern!

Cupcake Dresses

I've been making a lot of little girl dresses lately. It started with the Ravens dress I made my daughter and recently included these two dresses I made for my twin nieces.

Obviously not modeled by my nieces

This is the Emma's Dress pattern from LilyBird Studios.  It's really girlie, the fit is good and I love that the sash wraps around twice.  It has a lined bodice that buttons up the back and the pleated waistline of the skirt is sewn overlapping the bodice.

Love the waistline on these dresses!

I didn't care for how the buttons were handled--there is not interfacing called for in the pattern, and one side of the back just kind of overlaps the other.  I did make one of these for Danielle first, and thought it was cute enough to make these two as well, despite the fact that I think the pattern could use a little refinement.

It's still cute

This really is a sweet dress for little girls (no pun intended, but I like that it happened!).  Next up is a set of Simplicity 2377 peasant dresses.

More Twins!

The thing about gifts for twins is that you have to make TWO of them. I'm running low on burp cloths and haven't found any I like as much of the ones I've been using, so I talked my sister into doing only one burp cloth per baby. 

"Andrea" font from 8Claws

Her husband's cousin had twin girls, and decorated the nursery with elephants.  There are sooo many cute elephant designs, so I decided to applique a pair of bibs to continue with the elephant theme.

Applique Elephant from LynniePinnie

I have to say, I still love embroidering on bibs.  (You can see some of the reasons at the bottom of this post).

It's good to be blogging again.  I have more projects to share (I've been sewing lots of little girl dresses) and have some new models to help with the pictures.  Here's Danielle hanging out with one of them: