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!

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 :-)

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. 

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.

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.

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).