Linky Party Wrap

We're not sure what happened this month. You are either A) All very busy, B) Not sewing for your tween or C) We just got lost in the shuffle. Whatever it is, we hope you'll stop by next month (We are always going to do the first Wednesday of the month and go for 2 weeks) and share what you have been making for you tween. Also, it would be great to pass on the word, because we all get so much more when we share, right? I certainly am more inspired by what I see others sewing.

With that being said, we had a few great outfits linked so make sure you check them out!

Amy's daughter from over at Sews n Bows is totally rocking this maxi skirt. I just love her styling flare!

And Kristi shared a great outfit,(sorry, I couldn't get the picture posted), but also mentioned a book that is now on my "To Buy" list. Has anyone else heard of 'Sewing Clothes Kids Love'? Sounds like it might be just the thing for sewing with tweens!

And that is a wrap! Make sure you stop by next month and share what you have been making!

Pattern Review: Elegance and Elephant's Fedora

Today I will be reviewing Elegance and Elephant's Fedora Hat.

Elegance and Elephants is a new Indie pattern shop started by Heidi who is an avid sewist and blogger.  She makes beautiful clothes with classic lines so it is wonderful that she is now sharing her designs through a pattern shop.

my first fedora

Sizes available:  The hat comes in sizes XS to XL.  Now, you must be careful and not assume that your pre-teen wears an XL.  Heads are funny and the size of the head does not necessarily correspond with the size or age of the child.  What you must do is measure your child.  The size range of the E&E fedora are 16.75 inches to 21 inches.  My oldest daughter has a 21 inch head and the XL version of the hat was too small. 

cute, but small

My son has son has a 20 inch head and it fit perfect.  (I also have a 2 year old girl that has a 22 inch head; so you can see that the size does not necessarily correspond to the age of the child.)

my son in his version

I pattern tested this hat and when you do that, you really hesitate to say anything negative about the product online, because you don't want to come off the testing list.  But, since it is such a wonderful hat (see the rest of the review) and because I must be honest in a review, I feel that I must say that the hat runs a bit small.  I hesitated even blogging about it here on Sew Cool because I am unsure how many tweens have 20 inch heads. But just in case, here you all go!

Special materials required:  The hat has an outer fabric, a lining, twill tape, and a heavy interfacing to give it shape.  Other than that, you just need the usual sewing supplies.

inside view

Skill level required:  This project is a bit more difficult because of the shape of the hat and the stiffness of the interfacing.  E&E states it is a 2 1/2 of 4 levels of difficulty and that seems about right.  It is for someone with some experience but you don't need to be an expert.

my upgraded version

Did I deviate from the pattern?  If you love the shape but your child's head is too big, you can do what I did; grade it up.  I graded the pattern larger by a 1/4 inch and that seemed to work well for my girl's head.  It still turned out super cute.

we decided on a flower to embellish it

The Good:  It is a beautiful hat that works well for boys and girls.  It has classic styling that can be embellished to fit any style or attitude.

The Bad:  It is sized for younger kids.  I would love to see an XXL in the range.

Overall, I rate this pattern bolts.

Simplicity 3813 view A

Today I will be reviewing a pattern I have sewn a few times in the past.  The pictures I have included are from my most recent version, but I have sewn this a couple times before I started blogging for both my daughter and her cousin.

The Review:

The pattern: Simplicity 3813; view A

Pattern source: You may purchase this pattern at nearly every major sewing store or buy it online.

Sizes available:  This is truly a tween pattern; it is sized from 8-16.  It also comes in plus sizes!  In addition, I have found that the pants work well on a girl with rounder hips.  Here I am reviewing only the jacket, but I have sewn the pants (view F) twice.  Once for my niece, years ago, and once for my daughter.  Abi, my daughter, does not really have hips, but her cousin does and the pants fit her much better than Abi.

Special materials required:  You will need a separating zipper for this jacket and it is recommended only for knits.

Skill level required:  The jacket is very easy.  The instructions are clear and the pieces are simple.  The pants are a bit more difficult but still doable for an advanced beginner.

How I came to choose the pattern: I bought the pattern years ago from Joann during a sale.  I have used it about 4 times, so that shows that it can be modified for current trends and is worth sewing over and over.

Did you deviate from the pattern?  If yes, how?  I did deviate from the pattern.  Because I was using such a light weight knit fabric, I added ribbed cuffs and a ribbed band at the hem.  If you used a heavier weight fabric, this would be entirely unnecessary.

Overall pattern rating:  This is a bolt pattern.  It is a multifaceted pattern with both a hoodie and different variations on a cargo pant.  Its wide range in sizes makes it good for many tweens.  Plus, it is not hard and a whole coordinating outfit is really doable in a weekend.

McCalls 6689 view C

This next pattern review is a part of the collection I sewed for Abi this fall (2013).  It is a lovely wrap dress; not a faux wrap, but the real deal.

The Review:

The pattern:  McCalls 6689; view C

Pattern source: You may purchase this pattern any major sewing store or buy it online.  

Sizes available:  This is truly a tween pattern; it is sized from 7-14.  It has significant structure to it and is made from a woven fabric.  Thus, it is important that you measure the intended wearer so that you make the right size/alterations.

 Special materials required:  You will need interfacing, a single large button, and a lot of fabric.  This dress is fully lined from the cuffs to the hem so you must buy enough fabric for all that lining.

  

view of the inside

Skill level required:  This pattern is labeled easy but probably is the most complicated McCalls pattern I have sewn.  Though there is nothing super complicated about the construction, it has many pieces and the lining requires a lot of hand sewing.  The reward for all this work is a dress that looks just as lovely from the inside as it does from the outside (if your hand stitching is better than mine).  I do not recommend this dress for someone just learning to sew.  But if you are ready to take things to the next level, it is worth the work.

How I came to choose the pattern: I bought the pattern from Joann for Abi’s 2013/14 school wardrobe.  I figured it would be a nice dress that can also be played in.  I expect I will make the top length view too. 

Did you deviate from the pattern?  If yes, how?  No.  Well at least not purposely.  After the entire thing was done, I was cleaning up my sewing area.  And there was a pattern piece neatly cut out but still pinned to the tissue.  What???? Well, the collar is supposed to have a band between it and the dress neckline.  But, mine does not because I was not going to take the whole thing a part just for a collar band.

Overall pattern rating:  This is a bolt pattern.  It is a pretty dress with classic lines and could work for many occasions depending on your fabric choices.

***UPDATE***  Since this dress is a true wrap style, I recommend that you reinforce the tie seams so as they are tightened, they do not rip.

Modest does NOT = Ugly

Have you ever walked into a store to buy clothes for your little girl and thought "Huh?  am I in the Junior's department?"

I am not ultra conservative but I think that my young pre and early-pubescent girls should not dress in a manner that would be "sexy" if they were older.  And yet, all over stores are shorts that barely cover their bum, off the shoulder shirts, and belly shirts.

And I don't get the argument that the girls are little, so it is OK, or cute.  If our girls get used to showing this much skin now, then they will continue to wear clothes so small.

Remember the controversy over the bikini top that was padded sold by Abercrombie & Fitch?  The only reason that such horrible outfits exist is that people buy it.  The only explanation I can think of why some mom would think 'enhancing' her little girl was appropriate is that she has been convinced that modest equals ugly.

I beg to differ.  When making clothes or buying for my girls (or boy for that matter), I do have rules about modesty.  The shorts have to be a few inches below their bum.  And skirts should be within two inches of the knee.  And absolutely no bellies showing.  But beyond that, I encourage creativity and self expression.  I try to follow current fashion trends and incorporate them in my children's wardrobes.  Clothes do not have to be miniscule to be cute.  In fact, with more fabric, you have more room for creative embellishments.

One of the things Sally and I want to do is highlight different ways you can embellish basic pieces in order to make an outfit fashionable.

If you have been taught that modesty means ugly, I hope we are able to change your mind and that you can also jump on the bandwagon of providing cute, and age appropriate clothing for your kids.

~ Major Moma