Sew Cool for the Tween Scene

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Pattern Review: High Five Hoodie

My daughter and I (Major Moma) were having an afternoon together and I managed to talk her into stopping off at the fabric store. Since it was supposed to be a fun afternoon together, I let her pick out some fabrics for projects for her. This is one of the pieces of clothing that came out of that trip.

She picked out some Real Tree camo sweatshirt fleece. Being that we live in Alaska right now, camo is the equivalent to the LBD.

Name of the pattern: I bought the High Five Hoodie by Peek-a-boo Patterns just for this project, but it won't be the last time I use it. (We are part of the affiliate program for Peek-a-boo Patterns so we receive a small amount of $ if you click through the link and buy a pattern.)

Sizes available: The High Five Hoodie has a wide range of sizes: 3 mo to 12 years.

Special materials required: The fabrics to choose are fleece, sweatshirt fabric, or heavy and semi stable knit. You will also need a jacket weight separating zipper. If you want to make it more heavy duty, you can line it.

Skill level required: The pattern instructions are very straight forward and there is nothing complicated with this pattern. I definitely would recommend it to a confident beginner and if you are intermediate, or more adventurous, go ahead and line it and make some embellished modifications.

Good: This a perfect pattern for a tween. I know it is not fancy, but the tweens I know love to have a great hoodie. And this pattern is so easy to sew up, you can make any number of custom hoodies for your tweens. And I love this jacket for all seasons. It can be an extra layer in the winter and later be a light jacket for cooler days or evenings.

Bad: Nothing. A great pattern for everyday wearing.

Overall pattern rating: 5 Bolts!!

affiliate link

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Would They Wear That--Overalls...Get the Look.

So the question was, 'Would they wear overalls?'
Surprisingly (that said with a little bit of sarcasm...because it seems most tweens don't want to be wearing overalls), there aren't that many tween overall patterns out there.
Here's what we came up with:

There's the Peek-a-Boo Okey Dokey Overalls that go up to size 12 (affiliate link)

This look is similar to overalls...but a little more trendy. The straps tie in the back, so probably more appropriate for girls. It's the Rayna Tween Romper by Create Kids Couture

Rayna's Tween Retro Romper PDF Pattern sizes 7/8 to 15/16 girls

Rayna's Tween Retro Romper by Create Kids Couture

And then here are 2 paper patterns. The first is more of a romper look as well:

simplicity 1355

And here's a great looking burda pattern that goes up to about a US size 14.

Burda 9464

So there you go, if you want to sew overalls up for your tween you have a few options. Please share if you do make some!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Bluezette Dress by Love Notions

I was lucky to be chosen to test this new dress:

Bluezette Dress by Love Notions

It is a dress that is perfect for a tween...trendy looking and can be dressed up or down and can be made with a mixture of fabrics. It also has 3 sleeve options and 3 skirt options...that makes quite a lot of options to mix and match. I did the elbow sleeves with the high/low skirt.

The size range is great too...from 2T-16, so one that will definitely grow with them.

Materials Required: The only thing needed is the fabric. The top needs to be knit/stretch, but the bottom can be anything light weight. I used some of the nice knit I got as part of my winnings. It came from Nosh fabrics and was divine to work with. The bottom was some kind of crepe like fabric that I had laying around. The bodice is lined and there is an underskirt as well, which I just used plain white jersey for both.

I would say that it is for an advanced beginner...the bodice assembly is a little different, but the instructions are great.

Good: Easy sew that is costumizable . The fact that the top is knit is perfect for a tween's changing body. And it's a pattern that would really let their personality show through, depending on which fabric they chose.

Bad: I think the 'look' needs a belt or something at the waist because the line looks visually off some how...maybe the whole design 3/5ths rule??? Not really that big of a deal and is probably just me...

Ugly: Nothing.

I give this one a 4 bolt rating!

And right now you can get a 20% off discount by using code word 'bluezette' at checkout over at Love Notions. You should go check out the site if you wondering about how this dress works for tweens...she's got some great pictures up, including the cover one.

Disclaimer: The opinions given are my own and I did not receive any compensation for this review.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Lumber jack shirt review

Today we have a great review for you that would work for a boy or girl, summer or winter, dressy or casual...really a great pattern all around.

It's the Lumberjack Shirt by Patterns for Pirates for which I sewed up the lined, hooded option. Major Mama sewed up the collared version and shared it with us for the Valentine's Day post (some pictures included here too)

We got the pattern as part of the Boys Bundle Up Sale a while back and I put it on my to-sew pile for a nice lined winter shirt for my girl's. You can now purchase it separately over at Patterns for Pirates.

It comes 3 months to 14...so it's got a wide range.

You'll need buttons and interfacing in addition to the yardage required

I would say that this pattern would be a little bit of a challenge for the advanced beginner seamstress that wants to push herself to the next level...especially the lined option. The instructions are great and easy to follow though.

The only part of the pattern I deviated from is to not use interfacing...which worked fine with the lined version because there was enough layers of fabric to give it stability.

I also changed how I finished the hood biased tape. I sewed it down flat onto the shirt instead of the called for just enclosing the raw seam.

Good: Great versatile pattern that works great for boys and girls, easy to follow instructions that result in a nice looking button up shirt.

Bad: I feel like it ran a little small in the shoulders and arm length, but maybe it was just the bulk of a lined shirt. The hood however, was very small.

Ugly: Not really anything ugly.

Overall rating: 4 Bolts!

Just a couple more photos of the finished details:

Friday, February 20, 2015

Extraordinary Girl Tour

We were asked to be a part of a blog tour of the Extraordinary Girl top pattern by Filles a Maman and when we saw the top, we immediately said YES. There are a lot of great bloggers that have already shared their version of this top, so please go check out what they have done.

And since we both wanted to sew the top...you get a couple of different versions just from us!

And at the end of this post, there is a huge giveaway that you can enter!

The top has a fun neckline of overlapping shoulders and lots of opportunities for color blocking. It also is available for purchase in adult and child sizes. (separate pattern for each...but there is an option to bundle for a discount)

Name of the pattern: Extraordinary Girl

Pattern Source: You can find this pattern at Filles a Maman website that is in French and English.

Sizes available: The children's pattern comes in sizes 12 months to 14 years. The woman's pattern is available up to XXL. You can buy them separately or you can bundle the 2 for a discounted price.

Special materials required: This pattern requires knit fabrics with at least a 40% stretch but is not recommended for knits with more than 70% stretch. The pattern instructions tell you how to test the stretch of your fabric.

Skill level required: Beginner! If you are looking to try sewing knits for the first time, this is a great pattern for you because it is super simple and you do not have to do a circular ribbing at the neck.

How you came to choose the pattern: We picked this pattern because of the blog tour, but I am so glad we got invited. I love Filles a Maman patterns as they are simple and right on trend.

We each made slight modifications to the pattern to fit our girlss style.

On Abi's top, I did deviate from the pattern slightly. I added a slim band of purple on the sleeves to finish them.

For Sophia's I added a lace overlay, which was basically cutting out and sewing 2 of the top insert pieces together.

Good: The good about the pattern is that it is so easy and it is stylish for a girl or woman. I loved wearing mine and we did not feel too matchy-matchy as we went about our day's activities. (We went to the local nature center and learned about the science of snowflakes.) The boat neck and the high/low hem also makes it a great variation to the standard T-shirt.

Bad: With the overlap shoulder, Abi's cami straps did show. I did not have that problem, so it may be just the way her skinny shoulders are built.

Ugly: none.

Overall pattern rating: 4 bolts

The fellow bloggers on tour are:

Monday Feb. 16th

Call Ajaire - The Crazy Tailor - From a Box - Sew Out of Control

Tuesday Feb. 17th

Lulu & Celeste - Keep Calm and Carrion - Sprouting JubeJube - Sofilantjes

Wednesday Feb. 18th

Sew Starly - Rebekah Sews - Rebel & Malice - Isn't That Sew

Thursday Feb. 19th

Thread Riding Hood - House of Estrela - Project Destash

Friday Feb, 20th