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!

Triangle Pants

A few weeks ago, I tested See Kate Sew's latest pattern:  the Triangle Pants pattern.  When she first asked if I wanted to test a pattern for her, I agreed sight unseen.  Coming from Kate, I knew it would be great!  (Hey, that rhymes!)

Most of the pictures you see in this post are from the day I made the Triangle Pants and took some quick photos to show Kate the fit, so please don't think that Ella has worn this shirt tucked in with these pants out in public!  

First, the details.  

For Ella's pair of Triangle Pants, I made the size 5 but used the size 6 length. Always check the sizing chart of a new pattern carefully, because there can be slight differences between designers and even patterns from the same designer in regards to fit.  Ella is roughly 46" tall and definitely needed the extra length.

Next, I used a remnant piece of stretch suiting (or it might be a stretch denim) that I bought a long time ago.  I think I had 3/4 of a yard, and it worked out perfectly!  The pockets are a stretch denim while the waistband and ankle bands are made using ribbed knit--all purchased at Joann's.

These pants make me smile!  I just can't help it!  They are so outside the norm of what I would choose to sew or even dress my daughter in, but you know what?  I absolutely love them!

Ella has worn them once to twice a week since this day, and each time she does, someone compliments her on them.  She says they are so comfortable, too, because of the knit waistband and ankle cuffs.

Per the pattern instructions, the Triangle Pants can be made with knit or woven fabrics, but in my opinion, using a woven with a bit of spandex will make these slim fitting pants wear better.

The Triangle Pants literally took me only an hour to sew together.  I'm dying to make her another pair but without the pockets.  Maybe I'll do that after I finish writing this post!

These triangular shaped pockets are definitely hip and modern (something that I'm not so much), and it was fun stepping outside my normal style comfort zone to make them.  These pants have a slightly higher waist and a more relaxed inseam than other skinny jeans/pants I've made, but those design elements contribute to the comfort of the pants making them ideal for active little children.

Plus, the tapered leg and knit band at the bottom make them perfect for wearing with boots!  Come back tomorrow when I will reveal the top half of what has become one of my favorite outfits for Ella to wear!

If you are now as in love with the Triangle Pants pattern as I am, then please go check them out more at See Kate Sew.  You might just decide to purchase your own copy of the Triangle Pants pattern plus a few other unique designs.  

Have fun sewing and see you tomorrow!

Oh, and tomorrow I'll also be the guest curator over at The Daily Sew on Facebook.  I'd love for you to stop by and say hello!  I'll be sharing some fun tutorials and sewing tips while I'm there!

Secret Santa Gift Swap

I got together with a few friends for a Secret Santa Gift Swap recently, and this is what arrived in the mail for me!

Stacey from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! sent me this amazing gift filled with all the things I like!  She sent pretty fabric by Anna Maria Horner with a matching purple zipper...

and this fabulous leather--yes, I said leather--clutch that she made using See Kate Sew's Tutorial.

She even threw a little treat inside the bag for my children--lots of lollipops!  I would have shared a picture of those, but the kids quickly confiscated them!

Thank you so much, Stacey!  I look forward to using the clutch and to making something wonderful with the beautiful fabrics and zipper.

Oh, and just a little side note.  Stacey just released her first ever pdf pattern for sale TODAY--the Bond Top Pattern! Congratulations!  Be sure to show her some support and check it out!

Check back tomorrow to see what I sent my Secret Santa recipient.  I liked it so much that I made one for myself, too!

Are you participating in any fun holiday gift swaps?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!  Happy holidays!

Pattern Anthology Winter Wonderland Tour

I find it extremely difficult to define my daughter's style (and my own for that matter).  She's not boxed into one look but definitely likes variety--one day it's a fancy dress with ruffles, the next day it's an old pair of sweats paired with a t-shirt, purse, and jewelry!  But no matter what it is, Ella always makes sure the outfit has a feminine touch.

Her outfit for the Pattern Anthology Winter Wonderland Pattern Collection blog tour is no exception!

With cooler weather fast approaching, I decided to swap out the summer clothes in Ella's closet and replace them with winter clothes.  The problem is that she had outgrown almost all her pants and jeans from last year.  Lucky for me (and for Ella, too, I guess), I had just signed up to make a pair of Tree Climber Trousers and a Sweet Bonnie Top for the Pattern Anthology tour.  She'd have at least one new outfit for fall and winter soon.

Sometimes the most difficult part of a sewing project is choosing the fabrics, but not this one!  I immediately knew I wanted to use the hot pink, white, and silver striped knit that had been lying around waiting for that perfect project.  Every time I open my box of knits, Ella begs me to make her something with it, and this time I got to say yes!  She was thrilled.  

This led me to remember some teal stretch corduroy with silver specs in it that I bought a couple of months ago.  When I finally found it, it looked great paired with the pink fabric for the Sweet Bonnie Top, but I wanted to tie the two pieces together more using the silver accent.  Since I had no silver fabric in my stash, this meant it was time to go shopping!

We headed to Joann's and combed the aisles in search of the perfect shade and texture of silver fabric. Finally, I came across this silver pleather.  I was a little concerned that it might not hold up well in the wash or to the rigorous play of an active little girl, but my choices for silver fabric were pretty slim, so I took a chance with it.  I tested a piece of it in the wash and it seemed to hold up just fine.

For the Sweet Bonnie Top, I used the silver fabric with no added interfacing on the collar, and I lined the back of the pocket using the knit fabric.  Check out my mad stripe matching skills at those sleeve shoulder seams! My mom taught me well!

The most challenging part of making this blouse was using the metallic thread to topstitch the collar and pocket!  I learned much later that there are specialty needles for sewing with metallic thread (still need to buy one), but I did manage to finish the entire project using a regular needle.  If you decide to give this a try with a regular needle, I'll just warn you that you might get frequent thread breaks that can be a little frustrating at times!

I love the raglan style of the Sweet Bonnie Top and the fact that it can be made using wovens or knits. Besides the peter pan style collar, the little pocket and the pleats at the sleeve cuffs, the back includes a zippered closure to help make slipping the top on and off a lot easier.  

I'm fairly new to sewing zippers into clothing (this was my second one and done the same week as my first one which I blogged about here).  It was very easy to do using the instructions and pictures in the pattern.

Next, I planned how to embellish the Tree Climber Trousers to make them perfect for Ella's style. I started by quilting the knees using the metallic thread and two layers of regular quilting cotton for backing.  In addition to working with the finicky metallic thread, I was also now working with stretch corduroy!  What was I thinking?!  

This fabric definitely required the use of my walking foot.  It was stretching and sliding/slipping all over the place until I stuck that on my machine.  Quilting the knees took a while, but the look it gives the pants was all worth it!  

I then constructed the front pockets by lining them with a coordinating quilting cotton fabric for a little peek of color.  I used the same fabric to make the inner waistband and to line the back pocket flaps.

For the back pockets, I used some double sided Wonder Tape to hold the folds until I could edgestitch since pins would have left permanent holes in the pleather.  Double sided Wonder Tape is a great product! You should definitely get some along with that sewing machine needle for metallic thread!

You might just notice that the back pockets on these pants are rather large.  In fact, I used the smaller pocket for the size 5 pants that I made Ella, and they are still that big!  Of course, you can always scale the back pocket pattern pieces down to suit your personal taste.

And since I wasn't feeling challenged enough, I decided to try my hand at inserting a zip fly for the first time EVER!  The Tree Climber Trousers pattern comes with pattern pieces and instructions for sewing a faux fly and a completely elastic waistband, but for some reason, I felt I had to do a real zippered fly!  The pattern instructions include a link to a couple of great tutorials (one by Melissa and the other by Shauna) on how to sew a zip fly and modify the waistband, so once I was completely free of any and all distractions, I was able to figure it out.  I'm so glad I did because I love, love, love the end result!

It may not be perfect--obviously it isn't since I sewed the fly shield so that the serged edge shows--but it functions and looks pretty darn good from the outside!

Now that all being said about how happy I am with the results of the zip fly, I didn't really consider that this modification would mean that all the elastic would now end up in the back waistband only and not be distributed across the front as well.  Because of this, the rear end looks a little more cinched than I think it normally would had I followed the exact details of the pattern instructions.

All I know is that I learned a few new tricks while sewing this outfit, tried out some new materials, and most importantly, made one little girl very, VERY happy!  

To learn more about Pattern Anthology and to purchase the 8 pdf pattern Winter Wonderland Collection which includes both the Sweet Bonnie Top and the Tree Climber Trousers, click HERE!

I was provided copies of these two patterns free of charge in exchange for my participation in the pattern tour, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Be sure to check in with Andrea at The Train to Crazy, Kate of See Kate Sew, Melissa of Melly Sews, and Shauna of Shwin & Shwin each weekday through November 18th for links to all the bloggers participating in the Winter Wonderland Tour!  Or click HERE to see all the outfits already revealed.  You won't want to miss it!

I'd love to hear what you think of my Winter Wonderland outfit.  Please let me know by leaving a comment!

The Bubblegum Coat Pattern

The fabulous Kate of See Kate Sew recently released an amazing collection of patterns, including the Bubblegum Coat, which I was most fortunate to test for her.

When I agreed to test this pattern for Kate, I had never before attempted to sew a coat or jacket. At first, I was intimidated by the idea of making a long-sleeved, buttoned-up, fully-lined garment, but once I read her pattern instructions, I was surprised at the simplicity of the entire design!

First of all, like all of Kate's other patterns, the illustrations and directions are clear and concise, and the level of detail is outstanding.

I used the sizing chart of the Bubblegum Coat Pattern to determine that my little girl needed the size 6. Ella is only 4 and a half, but she is tall and growing like a weed!  I knew the sleeves would be a little long, but I decided to keep the extra length so that the ends could be turned up to show off the beautiful lining fabric. As an added bonus, I'm sure Ella will be able to wear this coat next year, too!

Speaking of fabrics, the exterior is a wool fabric that I purchased nearly 20 years ago at the Piece Goods Shop (not even sure that chain still exists).  It must have been on sale because I had roughly 6 yards of it, but this project took less than 2 yards of that (it is 60" wide though).  I love the plaid and mix of fall colors!

For the lining, I used Anna Maria Horner's Loulou Thi in Summer Totem Strudel.  This fabric had all the colors used in the plaid, and because of the larger print, worked perfectly for the lining.  Oh, and did I mention that I happened to have 2 yards of it on hand already!  So no shopping for fabric was required to complete this project!

The brown buttons were rescued off a brown corduroy vest that I had purchased at Goodwill for 99 cents last year.  That was definitely worth the investment, plus I still have 4 or 5 buttons left!

The detailing of the coat is what makes it so special.  I love the cute little rounded pockets with a buttoned flap, and the subtle gathers on the front and back at the waist area add a sweet, feminine touch.

I'm already plotting the next Bubblegum Coat that I'll make Ella.  I'm considering a corduroy version or perhaps a lightweight coat made in all quilting cotton fabrics.  Oh, the possibilities!

You know you want the Bubblegum Coat Pattern, so just go buy it at See Kate Sew's Pattern Shop! You'll be glad you did!

Zig Zag Pattern Tour

If you follow Project Run & Play like I do, then during the latest round of competition, you saw See Kate Sew's chic zig zag top.  I remember thinking the day I read that post that the top was adorable and just my little Ella's style.

Well, call me lucky, because a few days later, Kate asked me to make up my own version of the Zig Zag top using her new Zig Zag Pattern and to participate in her pattern blog tour!

Justine at Sew Country Chick | Veronica at Sew Very | Sabra at Sew a Straight Line | Ashley at Cherished Bliss | Angelina at JoJo and Eloise | Summer at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Jen at The Crafting Fiend | RaeAnna at Sewing Mama RaeAnna

I immediately began to think of all the fabrics I have and what would make the perfect Zig Zag Top.  And then it hit me.  I've had several pieces of Valori Wells Nest collection for ages, and I knew the Zig Zag Pattern would be the perfect design to showcase some of it.  However, when I found the fabric, I realized that I didn't have enough of all one color to make the entire top.

Well, I started playing around with some ideas so I could use this fabric because I just couldn't image using anything else, and I did not want to go buy more fabric (I'm trying to cut back).  Instead, I decided to make it all pink on the front...

and all green on the back!

I know it's a little crazy, but I love it, and most importantly, Ella loves it!  She's worn it several times already, so I know I'll eventually make another version.

This top is so sweet with all it's charming little details--pleats in the front and back, elastic on the sleeve cuff, piping, and big buttons!  And I thought about adding in seam pockets, but opted not to since I had limited fabric.

I handmade the piping using the green fabric on the front and the pink fabric for the back.  I ran out of cording, and since I didn't have much time, I ran into Wal-mart to pick up more.  I wasn't surprised that the fabric section did not having any cording, so I headed over to the hardware section to look for narrow rope or twine.  I found a perfect 40' spool of nylon 1/8" twine/rope for under $3!  It worked perfectly and cost a lot less than had I bought it at the fabric store.

Besides participating in Kate's Envelope Clutch Sew-a-Long, this was the first clothing pattern of hers that I have tried.  I was very impressed with the amount of detail she provides in both the written instructions as well as the photographs.  Her blog fonts and photo style definitely carried over to her pattern, so it's light and fresh and so easy to follow.  I was really amazed at the simplicity of the pattern design and how quickly the entire top came together.  Making the piping took a little extra time, but I love the pop of different color on each side that it adds.  It was time well spent.

Ella normally wears a 5T, and based on the pattern sizing chart, that's what I made for the Zig Zag Top. Its a great fit, and if I made it a few inches longer, she could definitely wear it as a dress.

The beautiful light gray buttons are handmade from ceramic.  I won these in a contest last month, along with a few others in various colors and sizes.  These were just the perfect combination for this outfit.  And you know what?  I'm not scared of making buttonholes anymore!  I made these with no problems and have just learned to go slow and make sure I've run my bobbin thread through that little hole on the bobbin case.  It makes a world of difference!

To complete the look, I whipped up a pair of Go To Leggings.  I blogged about this pair a couple of weeks ago here.

I took a lot of pictures, so I am going to share some of the out-takes from that afternoon.  Apparently, the Zig Zag Top is great for running and playing football in, too!

Plus, Ella always stops to pick a beautiful flower when she sees one.  She has the sweetest heart.

This Zig Zag Top makes me happy when I look at it.  I'm not sure if it's because of the pretty colors, or the pretty little girl wearing it, or because of the fun time I had watching my children get along at the park! I am so in love with these two children!

And just so you'll know, no bribing was involved to get this picture.  I just asked them to stand next to one another.  I just wish they would act like this all the time!

So I highly recommend See Kate Sew's Zig Zag Pattern.  It's great to sew, has a unique style to it, and has the possibility to make you and your little ones so very happy!  Thanks again for having me on the pattern tour!