Little Lizard King- Winnie Pinnie Blog Tour

Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie

Good morning, LLKers!! I'm excited to join you on the second day of the Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie Blog Tour!! While the Winnie Pinnie PDF sewing pattern is perfect just the way it is, I thought it would be fun to add a long, crossover waist sash to the mix.... I love a nicely tied sash and since I live in the South, I'm just going to go along with the Southern saying of, "...the bigger the bow, the closer to heaven...!" ;-P

Join me and I'll show you how I created my fun take on the Winnie Pinnie!

First things first... 

For my Winnie Pinnie, I sewed up a size six, simple skirt (because, seriously- that gorgeous FABRIC....!!!). Speaking of fabric, I used the Art Gallery "Mother's Garden in Rich" from the Lavish collection for the main fabric. Also, I used the full width of fabric for each skirt piece.... because, well, THAT GORGEOUS FABRIC....!! The pretty pink batik lining/bow fabric was found locally at Mary Jo's Cloth Store (Shout out to my sew sisters for helping me find *just* the perfect coordinate during Girl's Day Out! ;). 

Main Bodice Fabric

Bodice Lining

Create the Sashes:

First, I cut out two long strips 4" wide by 44" long (So, basically, selvage to selvage because I like to keep things simple... you're welcome ;-).

4"W x 44"L

(Shown folded in half because it was super hard to photograph such a long piece!)

Wrong sides together, using a 1/2" seam allowance, I sewed up the long end of each sash piece. I ended up with two strips of 2" wide by 44" long. Also, I did form a point at the end of each sash.

I turned each sash piece right sides out. Then, I topstitched along both long ends and the pointed short end.

Topstiched Sash piece

Next, I basted the completed sashes to the front main bodice piece, 5/8" above the bottom of the bodice. *Please note that the long tail of the sashes are facing toward the middle of the bodice.*

Basted Sashes 5/8" from the bottom of the bodice piece.

Then, at the step where you complete the sides of the bodice, I made sure that my sash was sandwiched between the front and back bodice sides. From there, I completed the dress as instructed.

Sash Sandwich!

To Tie the Bow:

To create the crossover bow, I first pulled the sashes to the back of my model (while dress was on my model). Next, cross the sashes in the back. 

Cross Sashes in the Back

(Side note- Just look at that pretty, perfectly matching button!)

Then, pull the sashes to the front and tie in a bow. I chose to tie the bow slightly to the side (but you can choose to tie it wherever you like).

Tie a Pretty bow in the Front.

Voila! The Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie with a crossover sash! Happy Sewing!

Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie- FRONT

Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie- Back

Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie

Now, go ahead and check out these other talented sew sisters and their Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie creations!

The Winnie Pinnie Blog Tour Calendar

Monday, July 25th- Kick off post with Little Lizard King (Sale Begins)

Tuesday, July 26th- Heather | All Things Katy | and Megan | The Northern Belle |

Wednesday, July 27th- Melissa | Made by Melli | and Jane |Not Sew Plain Jane |

Thursday, July 28th- Sara | Irish Eyes are Sewing | and Kari | Little Lizard King |

Friday, July 29th- Jennifer | Jelly Lou Creations | and Cassie | Two Sweet Peas and Me |

Saturday, July 30th- Dearly Loved Photography | and Valerie | Elegantine |

Monday, August 1- Raedene | Little Lizard King | (End of Sale)

The Little Lizard King Winnie Pinnie PDF sewing pattern will be on sale until Aug 1st midnight EST. The coupon code for 20% off the Winnie Pinnie is "WPTour." 

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Happy Sewing!

Sewing Pattern Testing- Little Lizard King- Janie Lou, I LOVE you!

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress

Cassie of Little Lizard King is at it again.... this time with the Janie Lou Dress!! This dress is described as an, ".... A-line skirted top or a full gathered dress with a chevron bodice inset (optional), side sashes (optional) and a tabbed button closure along with elbow length sleeves with cuffs." This dress is definitely a labor of love, but boy, oh, boy do I LOVE the sweet details!

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress- Front

First, let's talk pattern details;

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress is sized for 12m-12y.

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress features an optional pintuck bodice inset (along with a plain bodice inset).

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress includes step-by-step instructions for the pintuck bodice inset. Be sure to pay close attention to both the words and the pictures- trust me, it will walk you through it!

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress- Pintuck Bodice Detail

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress features a fun, decorative sleeve cuff.

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress features a button back closure.

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress PDF sewing pattern includes a fabric chart, sizing chart and and cutting chart.

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress PDF sewing pattern is a layered pattern (aka, just print the size that you need/want). This is one of my FAVORITE features in a sewing pattern!!

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress PDF sewing pattern features step-by-step photographs to help you sew through the pattern.

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress has a top length and a dress length.

-The Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress includes measurements for a regular sash, or a jumbo sash.

I sewed up a straight size six  Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress. I did the pintuck bodice inset, cuff sleeves no sashes. The fabric was bought online and is part of the Michael Miller "Children at Play" fabric line. I've been hoarding, er, saving this beautiful fabric for a very special pattern... the Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress is just PERFECT!

Let me start off by saying that the Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress is definitely a labor of love. Those pintucks took me forever...! However, that gorgeous end result... LOVE IT!! 

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress- Pintuck Bodice Detail

Another sweet detail of the Little Lizard King Janie Lou Dress is the cuff sleeve. I've never sewn such a cuff, before, but I love the attention to detail and the touch of whimsy and sweetness that it adds to the overall dress.

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress- Cuff Sleeve Detail

The button up back is also a nice (if somewhat tedious) touch to the dress. I really, really, REALLY wanted to do the jumbo sash (I'm such a sucker for big bows!) but I didn't want to hide the pretty dress design fabric. 

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress- Back

BTW, that aqua fabric with the dresses on it is titled, "Just stay little." This is so, so appropriate for my Lil' Miss! Every day, she shows us that she's growing up and spreading her wings... and not quite so little, anymore.... :( Sometimes, I do wish that she she'd just stay little.... at least for a little longer.... ;)

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress

What can I say... I really do love you, Janie Lou!! Thank you Cassie and LLK team, for allowing me to test this gorgeous pattern! Good luck with the pattern release- this is my most favorite LLK pattern (yet)!!!

Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress

***Oh, and did I mention that the Little Lizard King- Janie Lou Dress also comes with a Dolly pattern, too?!?! Dolly and Me matching dresses are ALWAYS a big win in our house...!! :-)***

***Disclosure: "I received a free pattern in order to pattern test for Little Lizard King. The opinions expressed here are my own."***

Little Lizard King- Guest Blogging ‪#‎yearinreview‬ #favoritesew

I'm guest blogging over at Little Lizard King Sewing Patterns blog. Come on over and check out their newly designed website and find out which Little Lizard King PDF sewing pattern was my #favoritesew of 2015.

Little Lizard King The Trendsetter Dress

 Little Lizard King Daddy's Girl Dress

Little Lizard King Merry Dress and Mod Dress

Sewing #YearInReview2015

Sewing #YearInReview2015

(pictured l-r, starting at the top)

Katy's 5th Birthday, LilyGiggle Poppy Bubble Tunic, Cole's Corner and Creations Katie John Skirt, Sofilantjes Summer Surprise Dress, Little Kiwi's Closet Bow Back Beauty, Cole's Corner and Creations Too Cute Tank Dress/Lakehouse Bathing Suit/All-4-One Bathing Suit, Made for Mermaids Lily Lace Dress, Audrey and Tiffany Secret Garden Dress, Made for Mermaids Emma Dress, Little Lizard King Road Trip Racerback Dress,  Little Lizard king Daddy's Girl Dress, Made for Mermaids Millie Romper, Felicity Sewing Patterns Carousel Vintage Sundress and Topper, Made for Mermaids Grace Dress, Cole's Corner and Creations Victory Cheer Uniform, Made for Mermaids Everyday Princess Collection Tinkerbell, Made for Mermaids Everyday Princess Collection Jasmine (as Belle), Made for Mermaids Molly Dress, Love Notions Li'l LDT, Made for Mermaids Hampton Romper and Dress, Made for Mermaids Sophie Dress, Little Lizard King Library Cardi, Made for Mermaids Brooklyn Dress, Heidi and Finn All In One Hooded Scarf, Peak-A-Boo Patterns Sugarplum Nightgown

I sure did a lot of sewing in 2015...! Pictured, are just 25 of the clothes (only!) that I sewed for Lil' Miss, this year. This does not include other dolly patterns that I tested and sewed, accessories, patterns I tested for myself and/or gifts that I sewed for others along the way...! Whew!

Not only have I improved my sewing skills (tremendously!) since I first started out, but I've also made some really great friends and sew sisters along the way... Sewing has become a much-needed creative outlet for myself and I'm so grateful to learn something new with each pattern that I sew. :-) Sew Much Fun!

****This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale.****

Little Lizard King- The Merry and The Mod Dresses go Zebra-licious!

Little Lizard King The Merry and the Mod Dresses

If you are active in the PDF sewing world, you have already seen the two new gorgeous releases for Little Lizard King. If not, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Little Lizard King's Merry and Mod PDF sewing patterns!

When I first sat down to start sewing these patterns, I looked through my stash of fabric. Ever since Lil' Miss started Kindergarten in the fall, we've accumulated quite a collection of zebra print/zebra character fabrics (her class mascot is the zebra). So, I decided to take the Merry and the Mod for  a walk on the wild side- Zebra style! ;-) Here goes!

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The Merry Dress

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress

First up, here is The Merry Dress! The Merry Dress, "...features a front boat neck bodice, full pleated skirt and a scoop back bodice with button closure. Various sleeve length options included." 

-The Merry Dress is drafted for girl's sizes 12m-12y. 

-The Merry Dress includes four sleeve lengths- cap, short, 3/4 and long sleeves.

-The Merry Dress PDF sewing pattern includes a detailed description/instructions on how to pleat (really handy!).

-The Merry Dress PDF sewing pattern is a layered pattern- meaning, only print the size that you need! (love that!)

-The Merry Dress tutorial includes a fabric requirement chart, a sizing chart, a print layout diagram and a skirt cutting chart.

-The Merry Dress tutorial features step-by-step photographs.

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress- Back detail

I sewed up a straight size six, 3/4 length sleeves Merry Dress. There is a finished measurements chart included in the pattern and this is really handy in figuring out what size to print for your little model. I especially appreciated the fact that the sizing chart included a finished arm length (very handy!). All cotton woven fabrics were bought locally at Hobby Lobby (forever ago!). Look at those cute zebras on the skirt fabric!

I made two significant modifications to my version of the Merry Dress. They are as follows:

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress- Front

-After reading some comments in the LLK Cafe Facebook Group (some members were asking how the Merry Dress would look with a gathered skirt), I decided to gather the skirt (opposed to pleating). One of the main features of the Merry dress is its pretty pleated skirt. By choosing to gather the skirt, I am deviating from the original design intent. However, I wanted to show just how pretty the Merry Dress would look any way you chose to sew it up! :-) **I cut the the skirt pieces according the pattern for size six. Then, instead of pleating, I just ran a gathering stitch along the top. This created a nice, full skirt!** I also added a row of small ric-rack to where the bodice and skirt meet- such a sweet detail!

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress- 3/4 sleeve/Button Tab Detail

-Also, I chose to do contrast button tabs at the sleeves. I found the most adorable zebra buttons at Hancock Fabrics and I knew I just HAD to incorporate them into the Merry Dress! **In order to create the button tabs, I cut a 4"w x 6"l piece of fabric for each sleeve. Then, I folded it in on itself until I ended up with a piece of fabric measuring 1"w x 6"l. I top stitched around three sides of the tab and serged the fourth (short) edge. I made a button hole 1/2" down from the top stitched (short) edge. To attach the tab to the sleeve, I found it easier to attach when the sleeve was flat. I found the center of the sleeve and measured 5" up from the hem. I attached the serged edge to the inside/wrong side of the sleeve and then looped the tab to the front of the sleeve. The button hole should be on the front side of the sleeve.**

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress- Front Neckline Detail

I just love the way the Merry dress sewed up! I appreciate the attention to detail on this pattern- from it's slightly gathered sleeves to it's single button enclosure and scoop neck in the back- LOVE! Before sewing up the Merry dress, I was concerned that the boat neck would be too wide and fall off Lil' Miss' shoulders. However, there is just enough scoop to be dramatic, yet not so much that it will cause a wardrobe malfunction. In other words, it's JUST RIGHT! *Note, be sure to follow the patterns sizing chart to get the right fit for your model. No two bodies are the same and it's perfectly acceptable- and even encouraged- to mash sizes in order to get the correct fit.*

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress- Back Boat Neckline Detail

Little Lizard King- The Merry Dress- Back Detail

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The Mod Dress

Little Lizard King- The Mod Dress

Next up, the Mod Dress!! The Mod Dress is, "...A slim A-line, vintage length dress featuring angel wing style sleeves. Various sleeve length options included as well as the option of a button-down back closure or single button closure."
-The Mod Dress is drafted for sizes 12m-12y.
-The Mod Dress includes pattern pieces for dramatic angel wing sleeves or, regular sleeves- cap, short, 3/4 or long sleeves.
-The Mod Dress PDF sewing pattern is a layered pattern- meaning, only print the size that you need! (love that!)

-The Mod Dress tutorial includes a fabric requirement chart, a sizing chart, and a print layout diagram.

-The Mod Dress tutorial features step-by-step photographs.

I sewed up a straight size six, 3/4 length regular sleeve Mod Dress in KNIT. The zebra print ponte knit fabric was purchased locally at Hancock Fabrics (regular readers of All Things Katy! might remember that I recently sewed myself up a dress in the same fabric! Now, we are twinsies!;-). Because I used knit fabric, I eliminated the need for button holes- yay! The slight stretch in the knit allows the dress to be taken on/off by slipping it over the head.

Little Lizard King- The Mod Dress- Neckline Detail

Sewing the Mod Dress in all knit made it so quick and easy to sew! So, so, SEW fast!! I think I sewed the Mod up in less than an hour on my serger! Whew! The a-line profile is flattering on most body shapes and uses minimal fabric (when doing the regular sleeve option- the angel sleeves will definitely take more fabric). Love, love, love a quick, easy and flattering sew!! Zebra-licious!

Big, Squishy Heart LOVE (!!)

 Little Lizard King The Mod Dress

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So, whether you choose to sew up Little Lizard King's the Merry or the Mod dress (or, both!), you won't be disappointed! 

Thank you, Cassie, for sharing your talent and expertise with the sewing world with two great new patterns, the Merry and the Mod PDF sewing patterns! I had sew much fun!

***Disclosure: "I received a free pattern in order to review this pattern for Little Lizard King. The opinions expressed here are my own."***

Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardi PDF Sewing Pattern Release

Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan

School is back in session and the retailers are pushing everything pumpkins, Halloween, and- dare I say it- Christmas?!?! So, with that in mind, Happy Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING season!! Hahahahhaha.... just kidding!

Really, though, this has been our first week of cooler temperatures (aka under 80 degrees!) here in North Carolina and it's *just* starting to feel like cardigan season. The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan designed by Cassie Massolia, is the perfect layering piece for chilly morning waits at the bus stop, a quick trip to the store and even an ac-frigid work settings.

Featuring big, kangaroo pockets and constructed in comfy knit, the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan is easy and fun to sew!

Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan

The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan PDF sewing pattern features the following details;
-The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan is sized for XXS-XXL.
-The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan features layered pattern pieces (ie print only the size that you want/need).
-The Little Lizard King-Ladies Library Cardigan includes three lengths- hip, mid and boho tunic.
-The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan includes three sleeve lengths- short, 3/4 and long sleeves.
-The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan also includes an optional elbow patch, button tab sleeves and inset back detail.

Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan- Optional Inset Detail

-The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan tutorial includes notes on how to get a custom fit, a size chart, fabric requirements chart, binding cutting chart and pattern layout guide.
-The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan features step-by-step photographs and written text throughout the tutorial.

I sewed up a size medium, hip-length, 3/4 sleeve, back inset Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan. In retrospect, I probably could have gotten away with sewing a small since I was right in between sizes. The Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan is definitely a roomy fit (and oh, so comfy!). Also, the hip-length was a bit long on me. However, the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan is sized for the average 5'-5 1/2" tall woman (which I am not at five feet). Next time, next time....

Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan- Back

Personally, I would consider the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan a more intermediate pattern due to the binding technique and use of knit fabrics. *Note, the only modification that I made to my card I was the bottom hem band. Instead of double folding the binding, I just folded in half, serger RST and called it a day.* However, there are lots of tips and help along the way, if an adventurous beginner is feeling brave. I can't say that the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan took me all that long to sew. It actually took me longer to print/tape/cut out the pattern than it did to sew it. I did do a lot of switching between my regular sewing machine and serger for this pattern.

One tip that I found especially helpful in sewing up the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan is the fact that I basted (temporarily sewed together two pieces of fabric with a longer, looser stitch) the lining fabric to the main fabric for the front pocket pieces. This REALLY helped keep everything aligned properly in construction.

Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan- Kangaroo Pocket Detail

The Little Lizard King-Ladies Library Cardigan was a lot of fun to sew up! There are lots of ways to make the pattern your own and I know that I'll be making more of these in sweater knits, solids and more!

Now, for those that know me best, I'm a pretty boring dresser. Black. Grey. Brown. Neutral. Sometimes, I add a little red because it looks good with my hair, but I'm definitely not an "animal print/loud pattern" kind of girl. B.O.R.I.N.G!

Then I had my daughter. She loves it Pink! Sparkly! Shiny! Frilly! and FUN!

When I agreed to do the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan blog tour, I just knew I HAD to do a mommy and me matching cardi set. (I mean, seriously- how could I not?!!). So, what's a boring mommy and a fun, sparkly girl to do...? Compromise, of course! I get my neutral grey and black with the main body and bindings of the Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan and Lil' Miss gets sparkly fun with the sparkly animal print liner/kangaroo pockets. Everybody wins!

Speaking of mommy/daughter matching Library Cardis, I leave you with these fun pictures!

Little Lizard King- Ladies  and Girl's Library Cardigans

Little Lizard King- Ladies  and Girl's Library Cardigans

Little Lizard King- Girl's Library Cardi 

(Um, why does she look like a teenager in this picture...?!!!)

Thank you, Cassie, for allowing me to sew up the new Little Lizard King- Ladies Library Cardigan! Sew much fun!

*Mwah!*

***Disclosure: "I received a free pattern in order to review this pattern for Little Lizard King. The opinions expressed here are my own."***