Super Simple Tie Headband Pattern & Tutorial

Add a splash of color and a dash of fun to your outfit with these Super Simple Tie Headbands! Since they tie in a bow on top of the head, this style headband is easily adjusted and fits most children and adults. 

The Super Simple Tie Headband makes a perfect party favor gift for girls, great stocking stuffers, and an ideal item to sell at craft fairs. A half yard of Ann Kelle's Remix knit fabric can make up to 9 headbands! Now that's a great deal. 

Keep reading to get the Super Simple Tie Headband Pattern and Tutorial and start sewing your own headbands today! 

Nora Dress by Children's Corner Store

Here's an adorable dress I sewed for Ella months ago--the Nora Dress Pattern from Children's Corner Store. While I tested this pattern in record time, I'm embarassed to say it has taken me wa-a-a-a-ay too long to finally share it on the blog! The Nora Dress is a drop-waist knit dress with short sleeves, but this exclusive tissue pattern also offers an A-line dress version and long sleeve options. 

The Children's Corner Store has a long reputation for outstanding tissue paper patterns that feature heirloom and smocking designs, but recently, the owners have been working to add new, trendier styles to their pattern offerings while maintaining the same high quality that their loyal customer-base expects. The Nora Dress Pattern does not disappoint!

sewVery Simple All-Purpose Headband Tutorial

Now that I have grown my hair back out long, I'm finding that I wear it up in a ponytail fairly often or need to keep the front out of my face, especially when I go for a walk, sew, or do a lot of chores around the house. I have such thick, frizzy hair, that I desperately needed something to keep those kinky curls contained and under some control. Of course, the simplest solution was to sew up a few wide, knit headbands for me to keep it all under control!

These headbands were such a cinch to sew and are great for everyday casual wear or a workout, so naturally, I took a few pictures and created the sewVery Simple All-Purpose Headband Tutorial so you can sew some, too. 

You are going to love these so much that you'll make one to match all your new knit shirts and dresses since the all-purpose headbands don't take much fabric to create. I've even given you the cutting dimensions to make them for your little girl, too. My daughter loves wearing hers to gymnastics class or when she is running around outside playing. 

How to Add Ruching to a T-Shirt Hem

Recently, I sewed Ella a new casual, summer outfit using the Vintage V-Neck pattern by Blank Slate Patterns (affiliate links) and the free Sycamore Shorts pattern by Sew Like My Mom. Both patterns were quick to sew and the end results made Ella (and me) very happy!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I am a Contributor to the blog, Melly Sews, and was provided the shirt pattern and compensated for writing a post about the pattern. I was also provided some fabrics for use in a project of my choosing. All opinions stated in this post are honest and my own.

Since summer is upon us, Ella really needed some new t-shirts. Personally, I'm not always a fan of a basic, boxy tee on girls, so I was excited to discover the Vintage V-Neck pattern.

Gymnastics Outfit with Thread Faction Patterns

If you are looking for some new, fun, modern, simple knit patterns to sew for spring and summer, then you definitely need to check out the latest pattern collection from Thread Faction Studios. In celebration of their latest designs, I'm participating in the Thread Faction SS2016 Blog Tour and sharing how I put together three patterns to make this terrific gymnastics outfit for my daughter.

Disclosure: The patterns and some fabric used in this post were provided to me free of charge in exchange for participation in the blog tour. All statements made in the post are my honest opinions.

Keep reading for more information on these patterns as well as how you can win some fabulous prizes!

Tips for Recycling Knit Shirts

For some time now, I've been holding on to a stack of long-sleeved knit turtleneck tees, mockneck tees, and fing guage sweaters that belonged to either me, my mom, or my husband--all with the intentions of someday recycling these shirts into refashioned tops for Ella. Why buy new, expensive knit fabrics when each of these old, gently worn shirts has all the fabric I need to sew my daughter a new top?

Today I'm here to give you some tips for how to recycle a gently used adult knit shirt into a new child's shirt using the Tee x 3 Pattern from Blank Slate Patterns (affiliate link).

The first Tee x 3 I sewed Ella used only the front, back, and sleeve pieces of the pattern. I saved myself time sewing by reusing elements of the existing adult sized turtleneck shirt I recycled. Here's how!

This post contains affiliate links. Although I was provided the pattern at no cost in exchange for my review, all opinions given are my own.

Blank Slate Patterns Perfect Polo Shirt

I had such a great time trying out and sharing my thoughts on the fashionable and functional patterns from Blank Slate Patterns last year, and I'm proud to announce that I am continuing on as member of the Blank Slate Patterns Sewing Team! My most recent project is the ever popular Blank Slate Patterns Perfect Polo Shirt Pattern. (affiliate link)

Ella recently started back to school, and as I have mentioned before in this post on her Blank Slate Patterns Schoolday Skirt, her clothing has to meet standard school attire requirements. Polo style shirts are definitely on the list, and since her store-bought polos from last year no longer fit, it was time for me to try my hand at sewing one! Thanks to the Blank Slate Patterns Perfect Polo, I've got another great staple pattern to add to my collection. (affiliate link)

Lulu Dress Pattern

This post is way, way, way overdue! About a year ago, Jessica from Craftiness is Not Optional came out with the Lulu Dress and Top Pattern, and I promised to make one and blog about it! I met half the promise since I sewed the dress immediately, but then one thing after another came up and I never took any photos of Ella wearing her Lulu dress. To make matters worse, I finally did take photos last September, but then I never wrote the post--until NOW!

So, so sorry, Jess, for the delay in sharing the news about your wonderful pattern. Ella wears her Lulu dress often and her wearing it today is what reminded me that it was way past time for me to share it.

Springtail Sundress Pattern

It's been a l-o-o-o-ng time since I've done any pattern testing, but when Rachael at Imagine Gnats posted a picture of a fresh summer dress pattern she was working on, I jumped at the chance to volunteer to try it out. I was thrilled when she asked me to give her Springtail Sundress Pattern a test run that I ended up making more than once since I liked it so much!

Christmas Skater Dress

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! Sorry I haven't been very active on the blog lately. I have a quick project to share with you today--a Christmas Skater Dress I made for Ella!

I've been needing to make Ella another Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo forever, so when Modes4U sent me a half yard cut of both the green knit and the woven Cosmo Christmas print, I had a "make it work" moment! You see, Ella has gone up to a size 7, and the skirt of the Skater Dress requires more than a half yard of fabric to cut out the width of the skirt correctly. I decided to make the skirt not as full and make the half yard of fabric work. It turned out fine, in my opinion!

The Betty Skirt

If you are looking for a great, versatile girl's skirt pattern, then look no further! The Betty Skirt Pattern by the Shaffer Sisters is it!

I absolutely love patterns that offer you options or more than one piece to sew. With the Betty Skirt Pattern, you get 4 skirts--gathered, large pleats, small pleats, and gathered with placket--all in one pattern! What a great value.

And the best part of all, these skirts are easy to sew and the fit is fantastic! I'm pretty sure the Betty Skirt Pattern is now my go-to pattern for school skirts for Ella.

The Everyday Tank

I've been absent from the blog lately due to vacation and being busy with my kids' school activities, but I've been sewing and have a few new projects to share with you this week! To kick things off, I'm participating in the Serger Pepper Everyday Tank Pattern Tour! 

I know what you might be thinking. Another tank shirt pattern? But the Serger Pepper Everyday Tank pattern is no plain ol' boring tank. It's got options and lots of fun style! 

ModKid Lexi Peplum Top

If you're like me, you are drawn to patterns that have a stand-out feature or unusual detail.  Seems peek-a-boo backs are one of the popular trends for this Spring and Summer, and the large circular cut-out detail is definitely what caught my attention with the ModKid Lexi Peplum Top Pattern that I recently sewed for Ella.

Sew-a-bration of Womanhood

Today I'm participating in a the Sew-a-bration of Womanhood blog series hosted by the Shaffer Sisters and Call Ajaire.  All month long, these lovely ladies will be featuring a variety of women bloggers and showcasing their projects created for themselves or for a special woman in their lives.

For me, I decided to sew myself a little something.  Specifically, I made myself a new t-shirt using the Shoreline Boatneck pattern from Blank Slate Patterns.

I was provided with a copy of the Shoreline Boatneck pattern by the designer, but all opinions about this pattern are my own. Also, I am an affiliate of Blank Slate Patterns, so if you click any link associated with the pattern or Blank Slate Patterns and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.  

Selvage Designs Soleil Dress

I've discovered a unique, new Spring and Summer dress pattern:  the Soleil Dress by Selvage Designs. The moment I saw the sample version of Lauren Dahl's design, I knew I had to have this pattern!  

I met Lauren in person last year at Sewing Summit.  At first I thought she was Rae of Made by Rae!  I'm pretty sure I never told her that!  By the second class we had together (and I think we took a lot of the same classes), we finally introducing ourselves, and I learned her true identity!  I had seen her name all over Facebook in the weeks leading up to Sewing Summit, plus, I have a few friends who had used her services for grading and digitizing their pdf patterns.  I knew she was very talented!

Nessie Top(s)

I've been meaning to share with you the Nessie Top from Craftiness is Not Optional forever!  It is one of my absolute favorite of all time top patterns for girls.

Weeks (really months) ago, Jess asked me to test out the Nessie Top pattern.  I've tested her other patterns--the June Bug Dress and the Olivia Top--so I knew this one would be just as great.

The Nessie Top was so quick and easy to sew together, plus the fit is loose and comfortable which is perfect for my active little girl.  I think that is one reason why I have not blogged about these tops until now!  Every time Ella wears them, she is too busy running, playing, climbing, jumping, and avoiding the camera!

The Nessie Top pattern is for knits and is so versatile!  It offers a stylish hi-low hem along with three sleeve lengths and three bodice options:  basic, color-blocked, and a peter pan collar.  I made a fourth option (of sorts) by adding a stretch lace as an overlay to the entire front of the shirt.

I made this particular version using an ivory ponte roma and a heart design stretch lace both from Joann's.  This top was sewn back in January, and I meant to blog about it before Valentine's Day! Oops!

And in case you missed it yesterday, here is Ella wearing the Nessie Top with her Triangle Pants--another pattern test but for See Kate Sew.  Read all about the Triangle Pants HERE.

This ivory heart Nessie Top paired with her Triangle Pants, boots, and this faux fur vest I made her (I promise I'll blog about the vest very soon) is my absolute favorite outfit for Ella this season. She is so stylish!

Ok.  Back to the Nessie Top.

Another thing I did a little differently for this version of the Nessie Top is that I used Fold Over Elastic (FOE) to bind the neck and the sleeves.  This was my second attempt at using FOE, but since then, I've gone crazy over FOE and may have ordered over 50 yards of it online recently! So, expect to see it in a lot more projects here in the coming weeks!

I told you she really likes this shirt!  See how worn it is starting to look?

Here is the first Nessie Top I made using a woven fabric for the peter pan collar and ponte roma knit for the shirt.  Again, this top gets worn a lot!  This fabric is so soft, has a little bit of stretch, and is thicker than normal interlock knit.

And here is the color-blocked, 3/4 sleeve version of the Nessie Top that I made during testing.  The top is pique knit while the heart fabric is a cotton interlock knit.  This one is worn often, too!

Well, as you can see, the Nessie Top pattern is getting used over and over here.  With the beautiful sunshine teasing us that warmer weather is on its way, I think I might just need to whip up a few of these in short sleeves.  The hardest part is deciding on which fabrics to use!

Be sure to go visit Craftiness Is Not Optional and check out all her great patterns (including the Nessie Top) and tutorials!

I'd also like to invite you to stop by The Daily Sew on Facebook.  I'm the guest curator there today, where I'll be sharing a few sewing and crafting tutorials as well as some other fun sewing pictures and tips!

Thanks for stopping by, and have fun sewing!

The Belinda Dress

I'm finally getting around to sharing with you the other favorite dress that Ella and I adore right now--the Belinda Dress pdf pattern by Go To Patterns.

Disclaimer:  The pattern designer provided me with a free copy of the pattern in exchange for my honest review.  All comments in this post are my own opinions.

Go To Patterns released this new design a few weeks ago, and I loved the look of it immediately! The Belinda Dress pattern is written for knit fabrics and is pretty simple to make.  In fact, the only time I used my sewing machine and not my serger was to attach the fold over elastic and to baste the fabric for gathering!  Total time to put it all together was roughly a couple of hours, and the fit is spot on perfect for Ella who is wearing a size 6 now!

First of all, the pattern is one of the most professional packages I've seen lately.  The designer uses excellent photos to accompany the clearly written step-by-step instructions for sewing the dress. And the pattern pieces are simple to print out and put together.

For Ella's black Belinda Dress, I used a ponte roma knit fabric from Joann Fabric and Craft Stores. Instead of binding the neckline and pockets with a knit band as shown in the pattern, I decided to add a little color to the basic black dress by using some fun florescent orange and black chevron fold over elastic.

I think I was channeling my youth from the 1980's with the use of the highlighter yellow tights and the funky blue/green headband--that's one of the reasons I like this outfit so much though!  And in case you are wondering, I did not make the headband!  We picked it up at Gymboree.

This was only my second time to use FOE, and I love it!  Now I need to find more of that fun FOE print!

The dress pattern shows you how to make the dress with or without the large kangaroo style pockets. Since I had plenty of the ponte roma fabric, I added them, and Ella is very glad I did (although she doesn't look it in the photo below (she suddenly got embarrassed as a man walking by noticed her))! Since I purchased the fabric when it was 60% off, the total cost of this dress is under $10!  Can you believe it?

The Belinda Dress pattern has lots of gathering just to warn you in case you don't like gathering! Because the ponte roma fabric is a thicker knit, the front of the skirt took a while to gather because you have two layers of fabric to draw up if you put in the pockets.  It's not difficult--just a little time consuming!  My favorite is the gathering at the top of the sleeve that produces the sweetest feminine effect.

Well, it didn't take Ella long to get over her shyness!  In fact, she had a lot of fun playing around in her Belinda Dress!

So, what are you waiting for?!  Head over to Go To Patterns and check out the Belinda Dress pattern for yourself!  Once I buy some more knit I'll definitely be making another one!

Thanks for stopping by today, and have fun sewing!

Beachy Boatneck Shirt & Schoolday Skirt

Today I'm blogging about the Beachy Boatneck Shirt and Schoolday Skirt patterns from Blank Slate Patterns.  My friend, Melissa, from Melly Sews is the pattern designer, and when she invited me on her pattern shop tour, I couldn't say yes fast enough!

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions provided in this post are 100% my own!   When you purchase a Blank Slate Pattern through one of these links, I earn a percentage of the sale. Thanks for your support! 

Let's start with the Beachy Boatneck Shirt.  I've seen so many of these on the internet for both boys and girls, so I knew I had to give it a try.  I chose the size 6 after comparing the sizing chart to Ella's chest measurement, and I think it's a perfect fit.

Since I am pairing the shirt with the pleated Schoolday Skirt, I wanted the top to look a little more feminine.  To accomplish that, I modified the facing pattern pieces so that the bottom edge followed the curve of the neck opening, and then I chose to sew the facing on so it would be on the exterior of the shirt.

I had really wanted to use a solid color for the facing, but I didn't have any knit fabric that matched on hand! I was anxious to move forward with the sewing (no time to run to the store), so I opted to just use the same heart fabric for the facing.  I found an old baby onesie in my repurpose pile and used a piece of it to make the center cinched area on the facing.

I really like the faux collar effect the exterior facing gives this shirt.

I think you could have so much fun playing with different facing shapes.  For a boy, you could just use the facing pattern pieces as is but sew them on to flip to the exterior.  I might just have to try that sometime!

The Beachy Boatneck is a pretty straight cut top, and it's fairly long.  I think if I had added just three or four more inches to the length, Ella could have worn it as a dress!  The extra length does make it idea for tucking into pants or skirts which most kids rarely do these days.

Overall, this is a great pattern because of the simplicity of the design, the pattern pieces, and the terrific sewing instructions.  Oh, and I think the fit is spot on, too!

I paired the Beachy Boatneck Shirt with another great pattern from Blank Slate Patterns:  the Schoolday Skirt.

I purchased this pattern right after it was released a few months back, but I somehow never got around to making one!  This blog tour was the perfect opportunity for me to try it out.  I now regret waiting so long!

The Schoolday Skirt may appear intimidating with all the pleats, but it is actually quite simple to make. Melissa's instructions make sewing it together so easy!

For Ella's Schoolday Skirt, I used a lightweight denim fabric I picked up at Joann's.  This fabric is so soft and easy to work with.  I'll definitely be buying more of it for future projects.

Again, I referenced the measurement chart in the pattern and decided to go with a size 5.  Although not specified in the pattern instructions, I chose to use buttonhole elastic to make the back waistband adjustable.  Because of the way the skirt waistband is sewn together, I didn't have to make any modifications in order to do this!

Well, there you have it!  My Blank Slate Patterns outfit!  I think this definitely going to be a Fall favorite at our house, and I look forward to sewing more of both pieces!

Are you thinking about making your little one their own Beachy Boatneck Shirt or Schoolday Skirt?

Then head over to Blank Slate Patterns to purchase your copy of each pattern today!  But be prepared, you just might end up picking up two or three more patterns while you're there!  As a bonus, 50% of the profits from this week's (Oct. 6 - 12) sales at Blank Slate Patterns will be donated to the Komen Foundation for breast cancer research and services.