Scirocco Dress

Hey!  Did you buy the Sew Fab Pattern Bundle that was for sale a few months ago?  Have you tried out all the patterns in the bundle yet?  I'm slowly making my way through them, and I am determined to give pretty much every single one a try eventually.

So far, I've made the Ruby Lou Doll, the Commuter Cowl, the Alex & Anna Summer PJ's, the Modern Folksy Bunny, and now, Figgy's Scirocco Dress!  Five down and thirteen more to go!  Whew!

I actually made the Scirocco Dress right after I bought the pattern bundle, but for some reason or another, I just haven't taken the time to blog about it.  It's an amazing little dress with such a grown up feel to it.  Ella wore it for two days straight at the end of February when we were having freezing weather!  She didn't care.  She thought it was fun and different and great to spin around in!  Here's the first picture I took of her in it.  Look at that attitude!

The first time I saw this pattern, I knew I wanted it, but at the time, I think it was only available in paper form.  I was lazy and didn't want to spend that much money plus shipping on a single pattern, so I waited and waited until I saw it in pdf form for sale in the Sew Fab Pattern Bundle. I'm pretty sure all of Figgy's patterns are now for sale as pdf's, too, and at a fraction of the cost in case you missed the Sew Fab sale.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to make this dress.  I love the unique style of Figgy's patterns and not just for the garment designs, but also for the modern, clean layout and beautifully illustrated and written pattern instructions.  When you make a Figgy's pattern, you will learn something new everytime, and I mean the professional way to sew it.

I wanted to make this dress stand out, so I chose to hem the flounces with a narrow bias trim and sew red piping down the center pleats.  One friend commented that Ella reminds her of a Flamenco dancer wearing this.  Well, she sort of does!

The trickiest part of making this dress was the back bodice.  I had to read through the instructions multiple times and in fact cut out two extra pieces by accident because I thought I had done it wrong the first time!  Once I figured it all out, it was one of those ah-ha moments!

I followed the sizing chart provided in the Scirocco Pattern and based on Ella's measurements chose to make a size 4/5.  Now the only complaint I have is about the fit of the upper bodice.  I've seen several other posts where people have made this dress, and most appear to have the same issue.  The bodice puckers at the sides on the back at the waist, and the reason for this is that the bodice is too long.  If I pinch the should seams up an inch or two, the puckering is gone.  That's a note I'm adding to my pattern instructions as a reminder to shorten the shoulder seam next time I make it!

Have you tried out the Scirocco Dress Pattern by Figgy's?  If so, leave me a comment and tell me what you think of the pattern and/or a link to your blog post about it.  Now, I think it's time to go do some dancing!  Ole!

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Sew Fab e-Pattern Sale Starts Now!

Well, it's finally here!  The start of the Sew Fab e-Pattern Sale is now, and I promise that you will be as excited as I am about the line-up of wonderful pdf patterns offered in this bundle!  I took advantage of this deal, and you should, too!

So, scroll on down and read all about the sale, the designers, the patterns, and the giveaway!  I know you are going to want to purchase this deal, and it's as simple as clicking the BUY IT NOW button below.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to stop by sewVery today and for purchasing this outstanding deal through the link on my site.  I hope you'll come back throughout the week to see a thing or two that I have made using these patterns.  

Today is the 1st day of the 1st ever Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle Sale and giveaway, sponsored by The Southern Institute and Fat Quarter Shop!

Over the past eight weeks a lot of behind the scenes work has taken place to bring you this amazing bundle of ePatterns from several of the top pattern designers and bloggers in the sewing and blogging world. The result is a bundle of 18 PDF sewing patterns that you don't want to miss.

For one week only, ten pattern designers have come together to bring you 18 of their best PDF patterns, valued together at over $139.00, for the incredible price of $24.95!  That's over 80% off of the combined retail value!

Plus you can enter to win a dream of a giveaway valued at $390 from some really great shops! For less than $25.00 you will have a library of resources that you can use over and over again.  

The designers that have joined this sale are experts in their craft.  They have been sewing for a very long time and are well known in blogland and elsewhere.  Each designer has contributed one or two of their favorite patterns to create a bundle that is sure to please!  Whether you are sewing for your own family or making gifts for others, these are patterns that you will love to use. If you've never sewn with a PDF pattern before, let me tell you how great it is!  After downloading your pattern instructions and your pattern, you will print out the pattern itself, creating pattern tiles, if you will.  Simply tape the tiles together to create the full pattern!  At that point you can cut out the size that you need and pin the paper pattern directly to your fabric or you can trace the pattern size that you need onto sewing paper or tissue paper and cut it out, saving the paper pattern for later when you need to sew another size.  Pdf patterns are so convenient because you can print them out as many times as you need!

Click here to buy the bundle!

Now let me tell you a little bit about the giveaway!  

The Sew Fab Giveaway is amazing!  One lucky winner will win a bunch of amazing prizes from Craftsy, Fat Quarter Shop, fabricworm, Jennifer's Jewels Custom Labels on Etsy, Green Bee Patterns, author Deborah Moebes, Mee a Bee, Gussy Sews, I'm Feeling Crafty, and Ball and Chain on Etsy. See the end of the post for giveaway details.  This giveaway is not to be missed!

I know you're dying to know "What is included in the pattern bundle?"

18 well-loved ePatterns from 10 well-known designers are instantly accessible to you by PDF download upon purchase of the Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle. Here are the patterns that you will receive (click on the links below to see more details):

Goodship Dress by One Girl Circus, Mommy & Mia Apron by Sew Much Ado, Ruby Lou Doll by Sew Much Ado, Mini Maxi Dress by Seamingly Smitten, Miss Mod Top by Seamingly Smitten, Love Your Lunch Box by Ginger Cakes, Modern Folksy Bunny by Ginger Cakes, Banyan Pants & Shorts by Figgy's, Banyan Top & Tunic by Figgy's, Go To Shift Dress by Go To Patterns, Go To Gift Bags by Go To Patterns, Sidekick Suitcase by Sew Fearless, Madeline Dress by Me Sew Crazy, Forget Me Knot Dress by Me Sew Crazy, Alex & Anna Summer PJs by Peekaboo Pattern Shop, Alex & Anna Winter PJs by Peekaboo Pattern Shop, Commuter Cowl by luvinthemommyhood, Scirocco Dress by Figgy's

The Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle is only available for one week and will never be available again!  You can purchase the bundle from February 4th at 8 a.m. EST through February 11th at 8 a.m. EST and there will be no late sales offered.  Due to the nature of the sale there will be no refunds offered.

You don't want to miss this unique opportunity to purchase a ready made collection of 18 PDF sewing patterns from 10 of the best designers out there!

 

And now for The Sew Fab Giveaway!

You are not going to believe the prizes included in this giveaway!  Can't buy the bundle?  It's okay... purchase is not required to enter.  Take a look at what you have the chance to win:

A Sewing Themed Box of Goodies from Pick Your Plum Fabulous Wristlet from Gussy Sews (not necessarily the one pictured) The latest release, Stitch Savvy, by Deborah Moebes Sterling Silver Sewing Machine necklace from Ball and Chain on Etsy $50 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop $50 Gift Certificate to fabricworm A free online class from Craftsy.com The Scoop Tote Pattern from Green Bee Patterns 60 Custom Tags from Jennifer's Jewels Red Riding Hood Little Girl's Satchel from Mee a Bee Handmade Sewing Machine Cover from I'm Feeling Crafty

YES, ONE WINNER WILL WIN ALL OF THOSE GOODIES!!!

There are lots of chances to win and no purchase required to enter the giveaway.  Just use the Rafflecopter widget and enter to win this amazing prize package that will inspire you in your sewing as well as keep you stocked with fabric for many projects to come!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Sew Fab e-Pattern Bundle Sale!

Sew Much Inspiration right at your finger tips...

only $24.95!

Get your bundle now!

Graphic design by Andrea Panell.

Figgy Ayashe Blouse & Skirt Pattern Review

A few weeks ago, I won this fabulous Figgy Ayashe pattern from Jess over at Craftiness is Not Optional.  Thanks again, Jess!

This is the first (and currently only) Figgy pattern that I own, but after making this outfit, I would love to have a few of the others--say the Zephyr, the Scirocco, and of course, the Sunki!  All in all, I found the sizing and fit true to form.  This outfit has lots of details--like a mandarin collar and rolled hem on the blouse sleeves, and belt loops, buttonholes, pockets, and pleats on the skirt--making it somewhat challenging to sew.  It's definitely not a project for a beginner!

It took me days to decide on what fabric to use for the blouse, but I finally chose to use some beautiful voile that I had been holding on to for that perfect project.  Well, I think this was the perfect project for it alright!  I used Anna Marie Horner's Little Folks Voile in Dusk for the blouse, and I am just in love with how soft the fabric is on your skin.  Even better, my daughter loves it, too!

For the skirt, I used a khaki piece of cotton rip-stop fabric that I picked up as a remnant at Joann's.  This type of fabric is typically used for making outdoor gear or hiking pants, but I thought it would be cute for this skirt.  If you aren't familiar with rip-stop fabric, it has these tiny quarter inch squares woven into it that are suppose to prevent the fabric from ripping if you get a hole in it while hiking.  The fabric is all cotton, but because of those little squares woven into it, it is a little heavier in weight than normal quilting cotton.  It was very easy to sew with and made the finished skirt look super cute, in my opinion!

Buttonholes, pleats, and pocket details!

Lots of details:  pockets, pleats, and belt loops

While I didn't have any problems with the actual sewing of the blouse and skirt, I did have some difficulty understanding a few of the steps in the blouse instructions and illustrations, in particular the steps dealing with the facing and collar.  I just made sure to go slowly and really think everything through before actually sewing it all together, because like most of you, I do not like to use my seam ripper if I don't have to!  This was also the first time I have ever sewn with voile fabric, and I found it to be a little slippery and difficult to pin. Anyone else have that problem?

Pockets are fun!

I found the skirt instructions and illustrations to be very clear and easy to understand.  In fact, the skirt came together very quickly, and I just love all the details (pockets, buttonholes, belt loops, and pleats)!  I also like the fact that the skirt back has an elastic waistband that you can let out as your child grows.

And while I've read in other reviews of this pattern that people felt the neck opening was too small to fit their child's head through, I didn't have any issues with fit.  I made both pieces using size 4/5 for my 3-year-old who is tall, and I think the fit of both the blouse and skirt was near perfect!  My daughter had absolutely no complaints about either piece and loved wearing the outfit all day, although she never could make up her mind about which shoes she wanted to wear with it (she changed shoes 3 times)!

I'll definitely be making more blouses and skirts from this Figgy Ayashe pattern.  The entire outfit is preppy and fun and adorable all at the same time!  I'm now a Figgy fan and would recommend you become one, too!