Spotlight on Winter Wear Designs

One of our favorite things here at Sew Cool is to match up pattern designers who design for tweens and those who sew for tweens.  And today we get to do that by having a designer spotlight on Winter Wear Designs.  Suzanne designs for all ages and sizes so her patterns have a great size range but also a great style range.  She has great patterns for boys and girls so no matter who you are sewing for, I am sure you will find a good pattern at Winter Wear Designs.  Over the holidays we interviewed Suzanne and here is what she has to say about Winter Wear and designing for tweens.  (at the end of the post we have a special discount for our readers)

How would you describe the Winter Wear brand?  What makes it unique?

The Winter Wear brand is classic, wearable, and all about the details.  When it comes to my kids, I want them to be these cute adorable little models.... and then I remember that they have to actually WEAR the clothing... it needs to fit well and be stylish and yet they need to be able to keep it on for longer than the 20 minutes of a photoshoot.  For this reason, I really think about the details of how my garments are finished and that makes all the difference in the final look and feel.

When it comes to my women's patterns, I am very body conscious.  All of my women's patterns talk about body shape and how to adjust and alter to best flatter the body God gave you.  For tweens who are starting to develop and change in shape, this can be especially useful.  I want all of my customers to feel great when they put on a garment that they have sewn for themselves, it might take some time figuring out your body, but when you start sewing clothes you LOVE it is an amazing transformation.

None of my patterns are really hard to sew, but the details can be a bit time consuming.  I promise though - they are worth it!

How long have you been designing patterns?

I have been running Winter Wear Designs for  a year and a half, but I have been designing since I was in college.  I worked as a teaching assistant in the costume shop for my theatre department in college.  I was able to take classes in design, drafting, and draping, and I designed and constructed 3 main stage shows.  

What made you decide to be a pattern designer? 

Robin Hill...... Hahahahah, no but seriously.  She saw all the things that I was creating for my kids and kept asking me about it.  Finally she lined up my writing a full review of Lauren Dahl's Pattern Workshop for Pattern Revolution by taking the class.  I think she knew that if I branched into the digital ends of design (which really didn't exist when I was in school) that there would be no stopping me.  And she was right ;o)

What is your inspiration?

I'd love to give a lofty answer about art and the fresh breeze of sea salt off the ocean, but I live in Central PA and my current art immersion is scrubbing my kids' crayola masterpieces off the wall (but hey, we graduated from the poo-caso stage).  I am inspired by what I want... I want to dress my kids in really expensive clothes that I could never afford off the runways, I want to have new and current clothing for myself that fits me right - and sadly that rarely happens for me with store bought.  I want clothes to make women smile and keep kids running and playing.  These wants inspire me constantly, and I'll never have time to get on paper all the things I WANT to design.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of designing pdf patterns?

Math - I really and not great at math, and that can get me in trouble with basic elements in the pattern design process.  Beyond that, just finding the time.  With three littles underfoot, I deal with a lot of interruptions that can slow down the process.

So many designers shy away from the larger children’s sizes; what motivated you to size up to 14yr?

Well, with a 3 year old who wears a size 6x and a 4 year old who is between a 7/8, it just made sense.  As I was starting to draft patterns I constantly saw parents of older children begging for bigger sizes, and then one day I saw a sweet mom asking how to grade up a pattern for her 7 year old who needed a size 12.  This was still a little girl who needed cute clothes that would fit her properly.  I will be that mom in just a few years, so I just decided there and then that all my patterns would go up to a 14.  I'm currently looking at expanding that to a 16 for future patterns, but haven't decided yet.  All of my patterns come with suggestions for combining sizes to get a perfect fit.

You have a few patterns for women that start at size 00; would those work for a tween?

Yep!!!  My women's patterns are designed for curves, but with young girls developing at younger ages, many tween moms are finding themselves with curves that children's patterns aren't designed for.  Moving up to small women's sizes will actually be more flattering and comfortable for these budding figures.

Thank you Suzanne for taking the time to share about your process and your patterns!  She has also been kind enough to provide a 20% off code on patterns at Winter Wear Designs.  Just use the  code: TWEEN20.

Pattern Review: Flyer Jacket

On one installment of our ongoing series Would They Wear That? we looked at the trend of MOTO.  We identified several patterns that we found out there that could be modified to make a motorcycle style jacket and I finally go the chance to try one.

Name of the pattern:  This is the P51 Flyer Jacket Pattern by Terra's Treasures.

Pattern Source:  I discovered this great pattern through Pattern Revolution and one of their Bundle Up sales.  It is marketed as a boy jacket and I think it would make an awesome boy jacket!  I plan to make one for my son, but just have not yet.

Sizes available:  It comes in sizes 12/18 months to 16 and really, I think this pattern not only works for the older kids, it is best for the older kids.  What a cool thing to be able to do, sew your child a moto style jacket!

Special materials required:  This jacket is designed to be fully lined so you will need an outer and inner fabric.  Depending on heavy/warm you want to make the jacket, your fabrics can greatly vary.

Also essential is a separating jacket zipper and some other hardware to complete the look.  I used some funky snaps to attach the tabs.  Other fun details could be made with metal zippers for pockets.

Skill level required:  When I bought this pattern, I was sure it would require an intermediate or higher skill level.  But, it was really very easy ... but not quick.  There are a lot of pieces involved and cutting alone took quite a bit of time.  But the instructions were so clear, construction was not hard at all.

The welt pockets are a great touch and I modified them a bit just because of my fabric choice.

I did deviate from the pattern a little bit.  I choose a double sided fabric so I did not line the jacket. Since I did not line it, I used some gold faux leather (it is the cheep kind in the costume section) to provide some contrast on the cuffs, collar, and pockets as well as to bind the edges.

Good:  Well, my daughter told me that this was her favorite thing I ever made.  You just don't get better than that.

Abi liked the aviator style collar a lot though I liked it down better than snapped.

And I loved how well this project came together.  I was ready for a challenge and it just smoothly turned into a super cool and stylish.

Bad:  My fabric choice was rough on my machine.  It did not like how thick it was in places.  So, just be careful that there are parts that are quite thick and you may need special care in sewing some of those bits.  Especially the top-stitching.

Ugly:  Nothing

Overall pattern rating:  This pattern certainly earned 5 bolts.  

This was my first pattern from Terra's Treasures but it certainly won't be my last!

Pattern Review: Great Outdoors Vest

Name of the pattern:  The Great Outdoors Vest by Peek-a-Boo Patterns

Pattern Source:  The pattern can be bought as a pdf file on Peek-a-Boo's web site for $7.95.  (affiliate link)

Sizes available:  It comes in sizes 3 months to 12 years.

Special materials required:  This vest has the option to be fully reversible so if you want that feature, pick two fabrics suitable for being outerwear.  It looks great with a faux fur fabric or with something more light weight; lots of options here!  There is also a requirement for a separating zipper and if you are going with the reversible option, the zipper must be reversible too.  There is an option for snaps if you prefer those.

at Yellowstone Park

I wanted the hood to be more of a rain hood so I used rip-stop and plan on spraying it with a scotch guard type product.  

Skill level required:  I would say that the difficulty level of this pattern is somewhere between a beginner and intermediate.  The directions are laid out clearly and the techniques are not especially difficult.  However, the first time one does a lining or a separating zipper, it can be a little stretching ... but not too challenging.

How you came to choose the pattern:  We take our kids to National Parks all the time and my oldest has been earning patches through their Jr. Ranger program.  When she was younger, I made her a vest and sewed her patches on that.  But, she has grown a lot since that vest and earned a lot more patches.  So, I was in search of a pattern for a new vest for her and her brother who is now also earning patches.

Did you deviate from the pattern?  If yes, how?

Because I was making this vest for patches and wanted it to do double duty as a fishing vest, I did make a few changes.  I made cargo pockets and welt pockets to make it more utilitarian.  For the cargo pockets I followed the tutorial at Andrea's Notebook HERE.  I pinned the tutorial to our Tutorials We are Excited to Try board along with other great tutorials.

I also sewed on Velcro strips (the soft fuzzy side) to the vest and used a sticky back Velcro (the hook side) on the patches.  This allows Abi to attach her patches and take them off for washing.  But it also made it so I had a lot of left over soft sticky back and hook sew on Velcro.  Eventually I will have a project needing that combo ... at least I hope.

I did not want it to be reversible and so I just needed to line it.  I used the same instructions in the pattern but simply did not use a reversible zipper and did not put pockets on the inside.

Because I want this vest to last a couple of years, I lengthened it significantly from the pattern and did not make it as narrow as her measurements would call for.

Good:  The vest comes with a ton of different options:

- A hood, collar or collar with detachable hood 

- Patch or In-Seam Pockets 
- Zipper or Snap Closure
 - Puffy/Quilted or Standard 
- Zipper Guard to protect little chins

I especially liked the touch of the zipper guard.  I don't know how necessary it is with my older kids, but it certainly gave the vest a more polished look.  The fit was excellent too.

The Great Outdoors Vest is an excellent option for your boys.  I made one for my son, who is not a tween yet, and he loves it!  And the pattern comes with a full tutorial and color photos in an easy to print PDF.

Abi earning her patch (and me taking a photo in terrible light)

Bad:  With all the add-ons and already existing details, this vest took forever to sew.  I know this could be a quick pattern, but the more you add in the details, the more time you need to expect to spend on the vest.  But, my kids insist the time was well spent.

Overall pattern rating:  4  out of 5 bolts  

Moto Jacket by Jennuine Design

I've had the fun chance to participate in a bunch of tests over the last couple of weeks...it keeps me sewing when I don't really have anything else on my table to get done. 

The Moto Jacket by Jennuine Designs is another one of those fun tests that I was able to do.  When I say fun, I mean fun pattern and fun person to test for.  This jacket is a very versatile pattern.

Pattern: Moto Jacket by Jennuine Designs goes up to size 12.  It's a motorcycle style jacket that is tighter in the sleeves than a normal jacket...for wearing over t-shirts not sweaters.

Supplies: Up to 1 1/2 yards of fabric for main (something durable and you can even use leather), 3/4yard for sleeves (great for upcycling sweaters, but any thicker knit would work) and 7/8 yard for lining as well as a separating zipper.

For both of the jackets that I made, I actually used a heavier weight home decor fabric for the main fabric, flannel for the lining and jegging knit for the sleeve, collar and welts. Not too heavy and hopefully perfect for the Fall temperatures.

Difficulty: I would say a perfect pattern for an adventurous advanced beginner or intermediate seamstress.  There are zippers and welt pockets involved, but the instructions are clear and will walk you through each process thoroughly. Besides those 2 things, the pattern is actually really easy.

Good: Very trendy and versatile pattern...perfect for girls and boys and perfect for the Moto trend that's hit the runways as of late. Also a very well written pattern that is easy to follow and walks you through some more difficult steps.

Bad: The Moto Jacket only goes up to size 12, so it doesn't cover all of the tween sizes. 

Ugly: There really isn't anything ugly about this pattern. 

This was a really fun pattern to see through the testing process as it was more involved/more detailed than anything I've ever tested before. This is one great pattern that lends itself to a lot of variation and interpretation. While it doesn't fall in a necessity category, it would be a fun addition to any wardrobe!

I give the Moto Jacket 4 Lightening Bolts!

Disclaimer: I received the pattern for free as part of the testing process, but all opinions are entirely my own.

If you want to seem my other version (which I really love how it turned out!), check out my other blog here. (I really love how this picture turned out too...but I may be biased)

Would They Wear That...Boys in Capris?

So this time around, we have a male/boy fashion trend version of "Would they wear THAT?"

Capris....what do you think? Will your male tween go for them?

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There seem to be a couple different trends within a trend though.  There is the classic twill version, like the ones above. Kind of like a good pair of khaki pants cut off.

Then there is the more fitted 'skinny' look, as seen below.

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There is the cargo pants look, which I personally think is the easiest for men/boys to pull off.

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And finally, the more harem style look...

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So what do you think, will your male tween wear capris...please tell us what you think!