Summer with Tess

My daughter got her first 2 Tess shorts last summer.

I had allready made her a third one with the scraps from the Oceana skirt during spring.

When Melissa asked het testers to check the new rebranded version of the pattern ... it was time for number 4. She wore all her Tess shorts a lot during Summer and when the sun shows her face in these last days before the Fall sets in ... out they come again :-)

For this last one, my daughter picked a quilting cotton with a subtle gray print. The selvedge says it from the Microlife Textures line by JWylie Designs for Robert Kaufman. She paired with a matching grey bias tape  and we were ready to start cutting and sewing!

Adding the bias tape takes a few extra steps, but it's worth it. I love how it emphasizes the shape of the petals.

I made some pics along the way to show you how I added bias tape. The pattern does tell you were to and when to add trim like a bit of lace or pompons. I remembered struggling a bit with bias tape and piping on my earlier versions. So I made a few pictures about how I applied it.

The pattern tells you to hem a little part of the petal in step 5. That's when I start the bias tape. 

The side seams have not been sewn yet, you just apply the bias tape to the tiny bit of hem you won't be able to reach later on. Stitch down the bias tape on the right side of the fabric first, then fold it under and stitch in the ditch to get near invisible stitching on the right side. 

If you pinned carefully the stitching in the ditch will catch the back of the tape. When you pin you should mind that the side of the tape overlaps the stitches from the first picture. Stitch the first step a few inches further than the second and you can continue to apply the tape all the way around in step 13. 

I also do the side seam in 2 parts so I can fold the bias taped hem out of the way in step 13. 

There will be a long end of bias tape hanging out of the project for a while but that's just life. Just keep in mind that it's there and you won't sew it into the pockets or on the backside etc. I like to finish one leg completely steps 5 through 13 before I start on leg number 2 because 2 strings of bias tape hanging out while you are sewing ... that's asking for a tangled mess ;-)

If you want to give the pattern a try, head over to the BSD website!

BREVIS means short

My son needed shorts ... he needed them bad. And I was not ready to face stores with him again. My son is what I call the "butt-less" type. Buying pants usually goes like this: "too wide", "too short", "ugly color" and "do you really expect me to wear that"? He's growing like crazy. His pants last one season if I'm lucky. After that they are too short. I had allready chopped off the legs of a few joggers to help him get through the first days of a heat wave, but that will only get you so far. Time to get in to sewing mode. The universe decided to lend this mom a hand and sent a pattern test for shorts my way: BREVIS by Sofilantjes. That's actually Latin for short, so what name could be better?

I showed him the picture and his response was " that looks kind of ok". That is teenage speak for: "That's great mom, you can make one for me."

I registered for the pretest and Yvette let me help. Usually it's Anne pulling the strings at Sofilantjes  but Yvette from the Droomstoffen webshop teamed up with Sofilantjes as a designer. Her first test, her first release and she was nervous. Who wouldn't be? I think she did an awesome job.

The pattern comes in 2 versions: version B hits above the knee with nice biker shorts knee pieces.
We went for version A: a tad longer without the colorblocking. 

Step two in the testing proces is hitting the fabric stash, especially for a pretest. I stumbled upon a few scraps of Wild Shadows panels and just enough black See You At Six french terry.
I had little to lose with the wolves panel, as the scrap was not wide enough for another sweater anyway. My son helped my to position the wolf just were he wanted it and he was very pleased with the results.

I got assigned to blend the 9y hip with 14y length. Remember the butt-less comment? The pocket were a tad to narrow when blended over 4 sizes in length. That's what tests are for: the blending instructions now clearly state which width to stick to in that case.

My son immediately agreed to make another pair in the full test of the pattern. He even wanted to go to the fabric store to get more black fabric. (You read that part about my son and shops right? That is nothing short of a miracle) Plain black was his plan. And then we passed Wild Shadows remnants: lions? monkeys? We picked up some of both, because you don't argue with shop-allergic teens when they suggest a fabric. You just enjoy the moment they get excited about fabric.

When we got home I saw this print did not have a french terry base, but T-shirt weight knit. The difference in weight was not that big, so I gave it a go. He loved the result. Both the Wolf and the Monkey shorts went from his body to the laundry and back all summer. They did not see the inside of the wardrobe. Definitely a winner!

This story sounds like nothing ever goes wrong with sewing over here. But let me show you that Murphy also walks into this house.
The green shorts were supposed to feature a gorilla. Those little monkeys sure aren't gorilla's, right?
Well, that's because this happened when I put the gorilla where my son wanted it. I should have known. That is one very unlucky pattern placement, right. The bird flying into the fly looking like something else coming out. I could not send my son out into the world with that on his crotch, right? Time for some seam ripping and a new leg front.

I tried to salvage the "oops-leg" by making shorts for my nephew. He's only 5, so the bird did not cause any issues. I made a picture of them twinning on our holiday in Switzerland. They do look cute together, right?

Do you want to make one (or ten) for the boys in your life? Check out the Sofilantjes page for your copy (€7 without VAT)

disclaimer: If you buy it with one of the links, I get a small affiliate commission. You don't have to pay a cent more.

Velocitas : a new hoodie by Sofilantjes

The second test in my work free week, was one for Sofilantjes Patterns: Velocitas Hoodie.
My collection of Sofilantjes patterns is quite large. This was the first designer I ever dared to fill out a tester application for. I tried a few times, but never got picked ...  until now! I was happy I got to test for Anne and my daughter was not objecting to a new hoodie.

We went to the fabric store in search of red fabric and off course we came home with another combination. Stoffen Van Leuven will do that to you ;-)
We ended up with a mintgreen "happy fleece" (or maybe i should call it fleece lined sweater fabric) sprinkled with glitter.

If the fabric has glitter, we might as well go all out on the glitter front, right? We got ribbing and cord with glitter and some silver cord stops.

A sparkling little gift bag

During a weeklong school holiday, I filled out two forms for pattern testing. One for a company that had turned me down a few times before and another one in a group I must have joined for a contest and forgot about. I did not expect to get picked by either of them and forgot about the forms. Until I found acceptance e-mails for both tests on the same day ... oops: no more chilling out!

This is the first result, the other pattern is launching tomorrow ;-)

Lauren (Sew By Pattern Pieces) is launching the #11600 Jenny Tote Bag in honor of her mother. She passed away last year due to pancreatic cancer. Half of the proceeds from this pattern will be donated to Pancare Foundation, which finances cancer research in Australia. 

The pattern is available in 4 different sizes (S/M/L/XL):
from a cute gift bag right up to a spacious beach bag..

For easy storage the bags can be rolled up and closed by 3 different fastening methods: Ties, straps with a snap and an elastic.

The smaller model offers a choice between short or long handles.  The shorter handle is meant for children. The longer version allows an adult to carry the bag on the shoulder.

I picked a small, with short handled and ties closure.

Are you sewing along? more underwear !

I joined a sew along in An's (Dutch) facebookgroup Naaien met pdfpatronen. I had allready sewn up a few panties and cami's with the new Bella Sunshine Designs patterns. I was definitely in the mood for more. My stash of scraps contains a lot more potential underwear!

My daughter got her 7th and 8th hipster, an extra cami and a bra-top this time. I got all of that from about half a yard of cotton lycra. I only had to use a plain black back panel in the second hipster.

There is a another sew along over at Bella Sunshine Designs Sewalongs starting Monday. You can put a dent in the ever growing pile of scraps we all have and you may even win some prices. Not to mention the best part: undies that fit perfectly. The sew along could not be timed better, since there is a 40% off anniversary sale on the whole BSD website now until March 1st 2019. If you missed the launch sale: here's your chance!

Awesome underwear!

After the Coraline Cami testing-weekend, I got to test the Primrose Panties pattern for Bella Sunshine Designs too.
Even more scrapbusting fun !

I picked the low rise, low cut (hipster) version, both for me and my daughter.
The pattern also features a high rise version and a higher cut legopening (briefs).

The crotch has a fully lined gusset. You can pick a more breathable fabric for that piece if needed.
The instructions show you how to "burrito-rol" that so there are no exposed seams.

Coraline for the both of us

Bella Sunshine Designs just launched 2 new patterns: Coraline Camisole and Primrose Panties. Both are available in girls and ladies versions. I signed up for a weekend of testing :-)

Off Beetle PJ's

Last year Flaflinko launched a great idea: How about having a month-long celebration of Belgian Designers? She called her initiative "StikBelgique", which means Belgian Stitching. This year we are having another go at this theme. We are showing you just how much talent in pattern and fabric design a tiny country like ours can hold: it's massive!

One for the road

We got a cool theme for the September edition Let's sti(c)k together: "Zak eens lekker door".

I'm very sorry but that's hard to translate as it has a lot of word play in it. We could go in a lot of different directions with this: Bags, Pockets, Repairs, Party Outfit. It all fits the theme.

I went with the most obvious choice: a bag.

Cherry Designs: a great start

At the end of March I saw posts about a cool new collection popping up all over my social media. Not only was this a new collection, it's actually the first collection from this Belgian designer.
The name did ring a bell: Cherry Designs.
The same one as the lady I did the Blueberry Bag workshop with last year?
Yes: the one and only Stephanie has pulled it off: her own fabric collection!

I fell in love at first sight with the dragonflies. There is Dragonfly on knit and Dragonflight on woven. Both are sprinkled with rose gold glitter? No doubt my daughter was going to love this.

We needed a bit more patience than expected. The launch date was delayed by a few months due to technical issues. But in July the day arrived when these beauties hit the stores.
We drove to our favorite fabric store (Van Leuven) and got the goodies.
We found matching elastic for a gathered skirt too. 

Herons: Destashing with Sofilantjes

Patricia thought of a great idea for her Summer Of Sofilantjes-week:  SOS destash.

I did not go throw my entire stash, but I did take a closer look at the knits in the closet. And what do you know: there was a nice piece of See You At Six Herons just waiting to be found in there!

I had bought the French Terry at launch for a vague plan involving a sweater/hoodie for my daughter. Mix that with the high popularity scores she's giving to her Cicero and you get a brand new Sofilantjes plan!

Her beloved Tracks-Cicero still fits, so there was no need to assemble pattern pieces or trace anything. Just being able to pull a ready-to-use pattern from an enveloppe is bliss.

Back to school? Let's add a little magic!

The first day back in school can be hard. Very hard!

Our teens are chilling in their favorite summer hideouts.
And all of a sudden that relaxing life ends.
BAM! Teachers want them to pay attention. That is a BIG shock.

Time for us, moms, to soften the blow with a nice outfit!
But what shall you choose?

Bella Sunshine Designs is having a back to school blogtour to help you out.
They have dresses, tops, leggings and shorts: everything you need!
And what's even better, there is a sitewide sale. (Scroll to the bottom for sale details.)






I picked the pattern: a sleeveless Sahara dress. 

I know my daughter loves it, because she lived in the first one I made 2 years ago. That one is getting a bit too short for school now, so it's time for a new one.

My daughter picked the fabric: magical feathers.

Parts of the fabric are covered with UV reactive paint, so when you bring it out into the sunlight, little splashes of color magically appear. 

The colors are hard to catch on a photograph. You need bright sunlight to make the colors pop, but that overexposes the white in the dress a bit. This one of about one billion attempts to get the colors on a picture.

This pattern comes with a lot of options: 

peplum top or dress?

with or without pockets?

sleeveless or short, 3/4 or long sleeves?

They all feature that gorgeous scooped back,
so I'm happy either way.

Let's Stitch Together: the summer edition

For the July challenge of Let's Stitch Together,  Marjolein at Flaflinko gave us an easy theme to work with: Summer Holiday!

My daughter needed some breezy dresses for our trip to Switzerland. I did not need to think very long about the pattern to use: a simple Nivalis it would be! I made this dress by Sofilantjes in a longsleeved fall version before, but I had not tried the summer version with cap sleeves.
We had a plan!

The plan even came with fabric from the stash. I bought a panel for a summer dress a few months ago. But then my daughter joined me on a fabric run and we saw some UV-reactive fabric which totally blew her mind. So I just had to make the first Nivalis in this UV - reactive fabric!

I admit: it is COOL. 

When we are inside the house it's just plain white fabric with black line drawings. But when you go outside those drawings are magically colored.

And it has unicorns.
And rainbows.
I rest my case.

Unfortunately I did not have the yardage chart on me when I bought the fabric. I came up a bit short to get the whole width of the A-line. So I folded the A-line curve inward until it fit. Still breezy, but a little less volume than the original Nivalis.

She wanted to wear the dress for her last day of school. We made a few shots while testing the magic was necessary. After the school test, the dress went to the suitcase and we made more shots in Switzerland.

Nivalis cap sleeves (mini- tutorial)

I am a member of the Sofilantjes Sew & Show group on facebook.
I have seen the same kind of post pop up every summer:
It goes a bit like this:

Nivalis help needed!

Cap sleeves: it doesn't fit?

What side goes where?

HELP!

The helpful people at the group draw pictures and try to explain how the pattern works. 

But we don't have unfinished Nivalis dresses lying around just to answer those questions.

So when I finally made a cap sleeved version for an upcoming blog tour, I decided to make some pictures. My 2 cents in solving the cap sleeves mystery.

An Apple a day ...

I did not get a lot of sewing done the last few months. I made an exception for the Sunshine Sale, because the pattern had been sitting on my hard drive for ages.
I could even make this a triple win in my sewing resolutions:
1. add another pattern to my G.U.T.A. challenge
2. fabric from the stash
3. sewing something for myself

And the win for you? The Apple  is on sale today!

*the sale has ended*

Are you ready for summer?

I liked Bella Sunshine Designs before I became a tester. But since they gave me the chance to test, the love has only grown. I love to help out wherever I can. So if I see a shout out to make new pieces to promote a sale, I try to schedule it in. The Tess Tulip Shorts call came at just the right time. 

Yes you read that right: there is a sale for this pattern. (edit: This particular sale has ended)

I have never made shorts before.

Smiling Cicero

No, this blogpost is not about the Roman orator.

I'm pretty sure that serious man was not known for smiling.

It's about an terrible injustice that was done to my son.

His sister already has a Cicero cardigan.

And he asked it first!

And the fabric he picked had been in the stash over a year!

It was about time I started that project ;-)

The twinning fight

I bought the pattern Cicero by Sofilantjes last year. I even assembled the pattern pieces and got fabric. But the next step ...

A divided zipper? Never done that
A zipper in knits? Never done that
Shortening a zipper? Never done that
Zipperphobia! I chickened out.

Emmaline: my first adventure in the world of pattern testing

It was in my inbox.

An e-mail about Phase 3 testing for Bella Sunshine Designs.

I opened it and I saw this:

"Hello, lovely testers. Thank you for applying. We would like to invite you to join the group"

It took a few seconds to sink in. "Oh my god! I'm in!!!!!"

I was happy and I was scared to death. How on earth was I going to fit a test into my schedule?

"Yikes! I have to get fabric! I have no time to do this!"

I even thought about e-mailing right back saying: "I can't do this". But since I might as well be my only chance ever ... I decided to squeeze in the test (and stress about it all week).

Spring. Spring! Spriiiiiing!

She has been asking since last summer and now she finally has one.

OK, I may have already made a second version of this cute top.

My screen was filled with these Valerie Tops last summer, but I did not get to actually making one. That was mistake, because it's super easy and a fast sew. You get one top that allows several styles as my daughter is showing with my test version. My favorite style is one shoulder up and one down. The style with both shoulders covered looks a bit clownlike in this picture but that has to do with my fabric choice. You need something with a bit more drape ;-)

I drew the pattern following instructions by SewLiSi. She blogs in Dutch and was so kind to put the whole process from measurements to stitching on her blog completely free. Yes, you read that right : a free pattern for girls and women. How cool is that? The instructions are in Dutch, but the pictures and Google translate will help you out. If you have any trouble understanding them, feel free to contact me through facebook.