The most useful pattern ever

 What is your most useful pattern? The one you use time and again, in endless variations?  For me, it is Jocole's Shoreline tank pattern.  I literally love this pattern!

This is what a classic Shoreline tank looks like.  It is a tank top, made from knit fabric, with ruffles across the front. It can be made for newborns on up to size 14 girls and also comes in women's sizes. And you can make it for your doll.

This pattern is useful because you can make the top with or without the ruffle. You can make the straps from the same fabric or fold over elastic. And you can extend the pattern yourself to make it into a dress of any length. 

 I have sewn this tank into a dress. 

And I have made it full length, as well, but apparently I didn't save pictures of that until now.  Today, I made two Shoreline tank night gowns, both full length. Both are for my tween, who loves comfortable and not fussy things. So, for her, this is the perfect summer nightgown.

This green floral fabric is by Fresh Produce and I got it at Banberry Place Fabrics, my fave store for knits.  It has a bit of stretch, just enough for this pattern.

This red dot is by Riley Blake and I got it from a friend. It is super duper soft and very stretchy, so I made the straps a smidge shorter to account for the stretch. 

These are both size 14.

Click here to read more about Jodi, the designer at Jocole.

I have also heard of mamas taking Shoreline tank and cutting it shorter and attaching a skirt, to make a dress. I plan to do this really soon and will definitely share with you all. For now, I have some shoreline tank dress nightgowns to make for my other daughter!

And tell me, please, what is your most useful pattern ever? The one you sew the most?

Note: I love Jodi Jean to bits and we are friends on Facebook but she has never paid me to write one word about her. Everything in this post is 100% my opinion and clicking on any links will not earn me a cent. But, go buy some Jocole patterns anyway!

Breeze Top Pattern Tour - My turn

Today, I am part of the Breeze Top Pattern Tour!  Fun stuff here. It can be very hard to be the other of a tween or young teen, because of the vast amount of clothing choices that make us cringe. They are too short or don't cover enough or have inappropriate slogans or cost a fortune or are made by slave labor. Or all of the above! And they are not little kids anymore so they don't want to dress like their younger siblings. What's a sewing mama  to do? Well, Shannon, at little kids grow and Peaches and Peanuts Patterns, has designed this cute little top to help give us options. 

Here is the Breeze Top. It is a stylish, sleeveless top with a gently draping skirt.  It has a razor back yoke and can be made in both knit or woven.  I made mine with cotton lycra knit bodice and polyester ruffle knit skirt.  This is a size 14 taken in a smidge at the back for a custom fit. The fabrics were found at Joann's, which was a total surprise.  Knit choices at Joann's can be hit and miss but we made a hit here.  My 11 year old LOVES this top. It is comfortable and because it the bodice is double sided, effectively enclosing all seams, she has nothing itchy against her skin. This is very important for this girl.  Great job, Shannon.

This is a fun pattern and it is not hard to sew.  Because seams are mostly enclosed, it is comfortable to wear.  Knits are easier to sew than you think so don't be afraid. The directions are clear and well done and graphics are simple to follow.  Buy this pattern! You won't be sorry. 

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I almost forgot. The Breeze Top pattern will be 25% off next week with the code "BREEZETOUR" on  the  Etsy site. (EXP. June 27th 11:59pm)

Site:

Etsy:https://www.etsy.com/shop/PeachesPeanuts


And there will be a giveaway!
Be sure to visit Shannon's blog at little kids grow and Peaches and Peanuts Patterns.
The giveaway will be live all week.  Good luck!!!

And check out the rest of the blogs all week long for more Breeze Tops. 

Jennifer Paganelli Beauty Queen Twirly Skirt

Today, I am guest blogging over at Sew McCool showing you how to ruffle knit fabrics. 

However, I also want to share with you all this skirt I  made for my oldest daughter out of Jennifer Paganelli's lovely new fabric line, Beauty Queen. I am very lucky to be considered one of Jennifer's "lovelies" and she sent me this fabric as a preview of her line.  There were no strings attached with the gift but how could I not sew something up quickly and share about it when Beauty Queen has finally arrived in stores!  Thank you kindly Jennifer for sharing your lovely fabric with me!

I used my twirly skirt tutorial to create this skirt. This is a size 14 and I decided to add a three inch ruffle to the bottom for an extra pop of color.  Otherwise, this is the twirly skirt seen in my tutorial. I used Jennifer's Valerie in Yellow and Katie Stripe in Midnight to make this fun skirt. My daughter loves it and said the fabrics are beautiful.  Her little sister said this makes her look like a college girl.  That comment was too cute not to share. 

You can find more of this beautiful line by clicking the SisBoom link in my side bar!

And you can buy some from my lovely friend Wei at One Red Blossom.  

She has it in stock NOW.  I already got more for me. Jennifer also sent me some Charlotte in green but I needed a bit more to finish the Sisboom Jenny tunic I am making for me. Look for that to be shared in the next week or two!  Such lovely lovely fabric. 

Sewing for the tween

Today, I am starting a new series called Sewing for the Tween.  If you have one of these tweens in your house or family, you will know that they are notoriously picky and clothing in the mall is not always appropriate for their age.  Sewing for your tween is the answer, but how do you go about doing this? Which patterns come in tween sizes? How do you choose what to sew? What about fabric? Where do you find fabrics that will sew nicely AND please your tween? How do you, personally, survive the decision-making process?  I am here to answer these, and other questions!  And I will add more posts to this series as I navigate these potentially stressful waters with my nearly 11 year old tween daughter. 

So, first of all, if you don't drink alcohol, I suggest you find some sort of tea or bubble bath to help you relax because sewing for a tween can be stressful. They change their minds a lot! They are picky and sometimes unbending.  They might know what they want, in their head, but they will have a hard time explaining it to you. Be patient. Guide your tween gently because too much will push him or her away. 

Next up, to figure out what to sew, look for clues!  I looked around and realized that this is my daughter's favorite skirt, something made by Fresh Produce several years back. It is getting a bit short so I asked her if she would like me to try her one in another color and she agreed!   Now, of course, I cannot find a pattern anywhere that matches this skirt, but it doesn't look hard so I decide to wing it!  More on that later.  We went through my fabric stash and, surprisingly, she picked out some navy blue cotton lycra fabric to use for her skirt.

My next clue about what to sew is this drawing my daughter made.  When she drew this I remembered that I had some knit fabric similar to the top.  I showed it to her and she agreed, it would make a great top.

My third recommendation is to stick to tried and true patterns but, of course, you have to start somewhere with new patterns. However, I had tested the Birdsong Patterns Tshirt pattern and knew it would work well with this child. So, that is the top pattern I chose.  If you have to start from scratch with a pattern, be sure to include your tween in the process of choosing the pattern. This can be a challenge but I highly recommend Etsy or Ebay for finding vintage patterns or pdf patterns that suit her look. 

Now, through this all, you have to walk a fine line between letting your tween choose what you will make and you letting her know what you can make! And what you will allow her to wear. Luckily for me, my tween is modest and prefers simple styles.  But don't be afraid to set limits as to styles and fabrics. You can give choices from a limited range so you will both be happy.

Now, about that skirt. Well, here is what I did. I traced the old skirt and added two inches all around.  This gave me added room for growth.  The original is a tad fitted so I knew two inches would be fine.  A half an inch or so for seam allowance gave me an extra 1.5 inches for width plus room to hem it to fit.  The original had two tiers on top of it, both laying flat, but I could not figure out how to do that by winging it. I was worried it would be too heavy for the fabric. So, I talked my tween in to letting me ruffle them the way you see here.  I also finished the hem with my rolled hem foot for the sewing machine which gave it a ruffly look.  I finished the waist last so I could measure it for length first. Now, this method won't work for a fitted skirt but for this loose skirt it worked great!

Voila! 

And it fit and she loved it. Wore it all weekend long!!  Success!!

Next up, the top.  We know this Birdsong Top Pattern fits well so she was in agreement with me making another one. The pattern comes with options and my daughter said she wanted sleeves just below her elbows.  So, this is what you see!  She tried it on and it fits perfectly and this knit is very soft and smooth. The Birdsong Pattern is very well done and guaranteed (by me) to produce a lovely tee!! You must get it!! Directions are excellent and it is practically a how-to guide for those knew to sewing knits. 

This lovely knit fabric came from Banberry Place Fabrics.  Corie has an excellent selection of fabrics and she will send you samples, for a small fee, so you can have your tween touch and feel them to make the perfect choice.

When this grey weather passes, I will get a modelled photo and share!

 Meantime, stay tuned for more sewing for the tween as I navigate this uncharted territory and attempt to sew a spring wardrobe for my soon-to-be eleven year old!