Round up: sundresses

Though school is just around the corner, I know it is still warm in many areas of the U.S. and will be for the foreseeable future.    And since it is still warm and there is plenty of time for enjoying the sun, I thought it would be fun to do a roundup of pretty sundresses.  Most of the summer my children are riding bikes, camping, and generally getting dirty.  But there are those occasions when it is nice to clean the dirt off their knees and put the girls in a dress.

So, here are some fun options for church, summer weddings, and the more civilized family gatherings.

The Fawn Lily Tunic & Dress has a nice modern vibe and goes up to size 12.  It is from the new designer collaboration at Willow & Co Patterns.

I really like the simplicity of the Go To Shift Dress.  It also goes up to size 12.

The Caroline Party Dress is a little more fancy but has cap sleeves and would be a great summer dress for those more formal occasions.

Burdastyle has a beautiful long dress with wonderful detailing on the bodice with the deceptively simple name Long Capped Sleeve dress.

Do any of you use vintage patterns for your kids.  I think this shift dress would be so adorable and easily made modern for your tween.

Do you have a favorite sundress pattern? 

Pattern Review: McCalls 6548 view B

I wanted my kids to wear something special as they said goodbye to me before I left for Afghanistan.  I decided to make them coordinating outfits and embroider a seahorse on the front of their shirts.  You see, my unit’s patch has a seahorse prominently displayed (The history of the seahorse is linked to engineer amphibious roots in WWII.) in the center.

This picture was taken shortly before I left for Afghanistan.  That is my amazing husband on the left.

I did not want the outfit to really look like the patch, but having a large seahorse done up with red, white, and blue sent the message pretty clearly.

The skirt I made was from a tutorial by MADE.  It is a fabulous tutorial and I make all my circle skirts using her instructions.

The pattern was view B McCalls M6548.  I have been pretty unhappy with McCalls lately but this pattern is a WINNER! I used it for my son for view B also and for Abi view A.  I like the t-shirt best of the two shirts.

Sizes available:  This pattern comes in sizes 3 through 14.  And since it is unisex, it is extremely versatile for sewing for a family.  I frankly have a different raglan t-shirt that is my favorite from another pattern designer, but it does not come in a size higher than 8.  So, this is a good second choice if you have a tween.

Special materials required:  View B calls for knit fabric.  I finished the neck edge with the same knit as the body but you may choose to use ribbing or fold over elastic (something I tried with my son’s version and it looked great!)

Skill level required:  This shirt is most certainly a beginner level top.

Good:  The instructions are clear and the pattern is basic.  This is the type of top that you could do a million times with different fabric and for different children.  It is just a great go-to t-shirt pattern.

Bad:  I don’t know if it is bad … but it does run wide.  I took it in a couple sizes in the width for my daughter and it is still fairly loose.  But, if you have a plus size child, this negative is certainly a positive.

Overall pattern rating:  I give this pattern   (4) bolts.

A Great Summer Skirt

You know you've found a great pattern when your tween wants to wear it all of the time. That is the case with this newly released pattern from EYMM. It's called the Calla Lily Skirt/Skort and it is by far one of the easiest sews ever! I had the privilege to test it and really loved the end result. 

 It comes in two styles: high/low and fish tail and 3 waist band options.

You'll need knit fabric (the skirt is all one piece so the amount will depend on how long you have to make it) with a good drape...although I had the orange fabric with a tiny bit of stretch but was really a woven that had a flowy drape and it worked out really well too.

 The waist band can be a yoga style just out of knit fabric (something with lycra or spandex works the best) or you can use 2" elastic. 

 Really I only have good things to say about this pattern, except for the frugal side of me says I would not like paying almost $10 for such an easy pattern. If you want to justify it, you get the sizes from newborn to 18 teen (and there is a women's version as well).

If you are looking for a great summer skirt pattern though, I would say go for it! It's an easy, trendy pattern that I'm sure will get a lot of wear and use. And since there are so many great knit options out there now, it could be a very versatile pattern. 

I give this one 5 lightening bolts!

Disclaimer: This pattern was given to me for testing purposes and all opinions are my own.

Pattern Review: McCalls's M 6689 view E

I have previously reviewed M6689 using view C as a dress (HERE) and now I thought I would do a review of the pants; view E.  I sewed them as shorts, but the only modification I made was the length.

I loved the pattern as a dress and I am sure I would like the view as a top since it really is the same but shorter.  But I was not as happy with the pants.  They did come together well and the fly zipper did not use my favorite construction techniques (I am a complete fan of the way Burdastyle constructs their zippers) but it turned out fine. 

But, as I have found frequently with the McCalls pants patterns, there was way too much ease.  I slimmed them down two sizes.  And by this I mean my daughter by height wears a size 12 but I cut the width of a size 8 in order to tailor it to her.  Normally, this is enough to not make a good fit.

I did use some different fabrics and decorative stitches to jazz up these standard jean shorts.

I give these shorts only (3) bolts.  The fly is pretty nice and the pattern was straight forward, but the fit really was not that great.  And, look at how these pants look when she pulled them up; the high waist is not in line with today's trends.

Breeze Top Blog Tour

You know you have a great pattern when your daughter's friend asks you for the same thing. I had the honor to test Shannon, of Little Kids Grow, new pattern the Breeze Top/Tunic. When Sophia's best friend (they've known each other since they were 9 months old!!) saw it she asked if she could have one too. It is a great, summery top with lots of character and is simple to sew up, so it's easy to see why she would want one. It's also got lots of style with a razorback yoke and high/low hem, just what these 2 style loving tweens thought were cool.
(Scroll down for the give-a-way and discount code)

Like I said I think that means it is a good pattern that a tween is asking for it.  I gave her the measurements for the fabric and she picked out her own.  Her's are both knit from JoAnn's and I love what she picked out...it is "so" her.

For Sophia's I wanted to try a knit on top and woven on the bottom.  And it worked out great as well...although Sophia says she prefers the all knit one the best because of the way it hangs. I've made 6 of these now, 1 all woven, 2 all knit, 1 knit/woven and 2 knit and terry cloth. You can see the 2 I tested on the 'cover' of the pattern and you can check out the terry cloth ones over at Daisy Chain Creations tomorrow.

Once the shirts were made, we got the 2 together for a little photo shoot. Sophia is wearing her's with layers, which is another great thing about this pattern...it should layer well with things like turtle necks too making it wearable all year long.

Both girls both wanted the non-banded look because they like the "flowiness" of it, but it does come with the option to put a band, perhaps contrasting, around the bottom.

These 2 were so silly...but you can see the shirts well. I think I made her friends a little too large, but didn't have the luxury of trying it on as I sewed. I sized up to a 12 for her because she was on the edge of the 2 sizes and has been growing like a weed lately. I figured she'd grow into it if it was too large.

And just so you know that it is a comfy, easy to play in shirt...here are some action shots:)

So you should really go and check out some more versions and then go buy it yourself! Shannon is offering a discount right now as well of 25% off. Just type in "BREEZETOUR"

"/> a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own, but I was given the pattern to test and try out as part of the tour.

Mimi Dress Blog Tour

Over here at Sew Cool for the Tween Scene, we were so excited to see this new pattern, the Mimi Dress and Shirt released by Filles a Maman!  Why were we so excited, you may ask...well it's because it happens to be a great tween pattern(it goes up to size 14!).  There are loads of options sure to satisfy any picky tween. It calls to be made out of knit, which is perfect for the ever changing and hard to fit tween bodies. And most of all it's a stylish, yet easy to sew pattern! Throw in that the pattern is well written and comes together beautifully and you have a winner in our books!

Thank you Filles a Maman for letting us be a part of your tour!

 As for my version...well here it is, although I did add a few changes.  The biggest change was that I made 2 dresses in 1 by making it reversible.  The actual pattern has a collar facing, which looks great on all of the pictures I've seen. I had plans on doing one, but when I realized the brown and white striped fabric, although a dream to touch because it was so soft, was terribly see through, I knew I'd either have to make a lining or my girl would need a slip (she's outgrown the one she has).

This got me thinking of what I could do and that is when I came up with the idea of instead of lining it, I would simply make it reversible. This really meant that I followed the instructions for the collar facing, but did it rather with a whole dress.

 For an added touch, instead of finishing the hems of the sleeves and bottom of the white side of the dress, I ruffled them by stretching the fabric while zigzagging over it (I think this is called lettuce edge hem). I finished the brown/white striped side with a simple hem and this allowed the ruffle to peek out from underneath...a detail my daughter loved. 

 And here you can see the white side.  You can kind of see the stripes through the white, but it makes it a little more interesting to look at. By making it reversible, the button ends up on the other shoulder when you flip it around. I also added a button to each side.

 As for my picky tween, she loves the dress and says it is super comfortable and perfect for summer. She wore it to church and kept it on afterwards, which is her way of saying she loves it...usually she is fast to change out of her dresses and church clothes.  There will definitely be more of these to come.

 Thanks again Filles a Maman for sharing this wonderful pattern with us and letting us be a part of your blog tour! You should head over to see what everyone else comes up with...she has an amazing line up!

She also has a great give-a-way going on as part of the tour, so hurry and check it out! 

Also, she's offering a discount code at her etsy store...just type in MIMITOUR20.

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Swimwear Round up

I hope the last few posts about sewing swimwear motivated you.  There are really great options and ways to get creative in sewing your tween boy or girl new swim suits.  And as we all know sewing a custom item for your tween is not always less expensive than ready-to-wear (RTW).  But, it is usually the case for swimwear as they use so little fabric and swimsuits can be so expensive.

 Are you ready to go?  Well in addition to the great Peek-a-boo patterns we shared  on our previous post (HERE), there are lots of great options from both big pattern companies and indies. 

M6548

McCalls M6548 is not advertised as a swim suit pattern, but I think it easily could be sewn up as one.  The only adaption would be to sew in a liner in the shorts and reduce the ease in the shirt.  It comes in sizes up to 14, so it is a great option for the bigger kids.

Kwik Sew has a few different options in their swim/dancewear section. I really like the skirts and the mixing and matching you could do with these styles.  (links in the captions)

K3774

K3605

K3998

 And Jalie patterns has a wonderful one-piece suit that would be great for a gal who is starting to develop a figure.  It is a modest and stylish for the older girl.

Jalie 3350

Peek-a-boo pattern shop (affiliate link) has a ton of great suits and we had the pleasure of interviewing the designer behind those great suits .   You should definitely click on over and meet Amy and see why she designs such great suits for boys and girls.  Yes, you heard me, she has wonderful suits for boys too!  And many of them come in sizes up to 12.

Surfs up board shorts

Aloha Burn Blocker

vintage patterns - modern swimsuits

I have always had a hard time finding swim suits for Abi.  Even when she was little, we had a hard time finding ones that fit her long skinny torso.  And, frankly, I don't like little bikinis on children.   I know many people disagree with me and I am not judging those that buy them for their kids.  It is just my style of parenting.

After some trial and error, I learned that a tanki style is great for her.  It complies with my modesty requirements but allows for her long torso to stretch out and not be constrained.  And, when I make her suits, they fit like a glove, unlike the RTW suits.

This year I wanted to use the vintage patterns I received from my grandmother.  She passed way this winter, so these patterns are even more dear to me these days.

In order to test the fit, I used some left over scrap knit I had from previous projects and then talked to Abi about what modifications she wanted.

Then, I used some left-over swim fabric from her suit two years ago and some costume fabric to make a practice version.  The way I figured it, if it fit, she has a spare suit.  If it did not fit, I did not waste my new fabric and I did not need to go shopping again.

I combined two patterns to get the basic frame of the suit.  I used Stretch and Sew Children's one and two Piece Swim Suit Pattern no. 1275 for the bottoms.  And then I cut off the bottom from the Girls 1 Piece swim suit.

She wanted little boy shorts, but I did not have that pattern.  Or so I thought.  After I finished the practice and the final, I found Boy's Swim Trunks Pattern No. 1225 when looking for a different pattern entirely!

source

Of course I then ended up going to JoAnns to pick up some more swim fabric.  Their selection was actually pretty good and I had to keep my self from getting distracted by the pretty fabrics.  I bought enough for coordinating shorts for Abi and some blue for my son.

The shorts for Abi turned out a little bigger than planned but the ones I sewed for Eli fit her perfect.  Luckily a 1/2 yard has enough for two shorts so I will just make her another pair in the Eli size.

NOTE:  I have a serger and normally would use it.  But it was acting up so I exclusively used the 3-step zig-zag stitch.  It worked fabulous!  So, please don't think you need a fancy machine to sew swimsuit.  Also, I was able to use fold-over elastic as the binding.  Wow, that stuff is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

Have you started on your kid's suits yet?  Believe me, this could be your easiest project this year.