Sentence of the Day- Road Food

This past weekend, we took a super, duper, really QUICK road trip to see my maternal grandmother in PA. It was a whole lot of driving for not a whole lot of time on the ground but it was so worth it and necessary.

It was a really LOOONG car ride but Katy was a trooper. On our way home, we stopped at Sheetz for gas/restrooms/lunch. As we were driving along the highway and munching on our respective lunches, Katy pipes up from the back seat...

Katy, "This is despicable!"
Me, "What is despicable?"
Katy, "I only got one measly onion on my sandwich!!!"

Hahahahaha.... there is so much about that conversation that makes me smile... Most of all, though, Katy makes me smile!!

Sewing Pattern Testing- Cole's Corner and Creations- Celebration Dress

Cole's Corner and Creations- Celebration Dolly Dress

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress- Flower Girl Style

I had the opportunity to test a new dolly sewing pattern for Cole's Corner and Creations. Introducing, the  Celebration Dolly Dress!! This puff-sleeve, fancy dress is the perfect special occasion ensemble for all of dolly's dressier events. This includes dolly's First Holy Communion, Baptism and Flower Girl! Lots of fun!

The  Celebration Dolly Dress pdf sewing pattern is written for 15" and 18" dolls. I sewed up the 18" doll. Pattern pieces are for the bodice and sleeves, only, and there is a cutting chart for the skirt and armbands.

This is a quick sew with lots of bang for your buck. One dress takes less than 1/2 a yard of fabric (minus trims and any other additional details).

The first dress that I sewed up was the white, First Holy Communion Dress. I added lace trim to the bottom hem and a small lace overlay to the bodice. I used pre-made bias for the armbands and added a small white ribbon bow to the bodice.

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress

Cole's Corner and Creations- Celebration Dolly Dress Sleeve Detail

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress Back

The second dress that I sewed up was the pink Flower Girl dress. Lil' Miss was a flower girl for my cousin's wedding, last spring So, she was really excited to have a fancy flower girl dress for her doll, Samantha, too! I added lace trim to the bottom hem, a lace overlay at the bodice and a tulle overlay skirt.

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress- Flower Girl Style

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress- Flower Girl Sleeve Detail

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress- Flower Girl Skirt Detail

Cole's Corner and Creations-  Celebration Dolly Dress- Flower Girl Back

In conclusion, the  Celebration Dolly Dress is lots of fun to sew up! The little girls (and dolls!) in your life will love it! Thanks, Nicole, for allowing me to test this adorable pattern for you!

***Disclosure: "I received a free pattern in order to pattern test for Cole's Corner and Creations. The opinions expressed here are my own."***

Happy 6th Birthday, Katy Grace!!

Happy 6th Birthday!!

This.Girl!! 

She's SIX!! 

She's sweet and she is sassy. She is beautiful and she is smart. She is fiesty and she is kind. She makes us laugh and yes, there are times that she can make us cry (because as any parent will tell you, Love is a beautiful, messy mix of emotions!).

Katy has accomplished so much in year five! She has learned to read proficiently. She can add and subtract simple equations. Her questions get more intricate- the answers not so simple or rote. She is making friends and learning her way in the world. 

Today, I am excited for Katy! I am excited to see her reach and surpass her potential! I love her independence. I love her sense of self-accomplishment. I love that she is feeding her mind and becoming a beautiful soul. Year Six is just beginning and I can't wait to see what the future holds!

Happy, Happy Sixth Birthday, Katy!! We love you more than words can describe!!

Wordless Wednesday- One more sleep 'til she's SIX!!!!

Sew Yourself Some Love Blog Tour- Featuring Patterns for Pirates Boundless Dress and Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan

Recently, I've been having fun sewing for ME!! 

I've sewn closet-fuls of cloths for Lil' Miss- literally!! Dresses, pants, leggings, skirts, tops, pajamas, jackets and Oh.So.Many.DRESSES!!!! I love sewing for Katy and I will continue to do so as long as she'll allow me. However, sewing for myself seems like the next likely step in my sewing journey. 

I've been testing some new women's patterns and participating in some fun blog tours.  One of those fun blog tours is the Pattern Revolution "Sew Yourself Some Love" Blog Tour. Meant to promote the beauty within all of us, Pattern Revolution dedicates the whole month of February to encouraging sewists everywhere to, "...take a little bit of time (to) sew something for yourself- even just one thing!" It also reminds sewists to, "...take care of yourself so that you can better care for all the others in your life."

So.... here goes... I'm sewing myself some love, this February...!!

Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress  and Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan

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Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress 

I've sewn several Patterns for Pirates PDF sewing patterns. However, just as Lil' Miss loves her dresses, so do I! Dresses make for easy dressing- throw one on and you are instantly put-together. I wear a dress at least once a week. So, it only seemed natural to "Sew myself some love" with a dress pattern- the Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress, to be exact!

The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress is written for knit fabrics. The dress is fitted in the bodice and sleeves. The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress PDF sewing pattern includes the following features:

-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress is sized for XXS-Plus3X (A nice, large size range).
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress includes three sleeve options- short, 3/4 or long.
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress  includes four skirt lengths- mini, dress, tea and maxi length.
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress PDF sewing pattern includes pattern pieces for the bodice, sleeves, optional in-seam pocket and cutting measurements for the skirt (less to print!).
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress can be empire waist, or at-waist. (Ready-to-wear dresses that hit at the waist tend to hit me funny and not be so flattering. By sewing my own Boundless dress, I am able to control where the waist hits and make the most flattering silhouette for me :)
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress PDF sewing pattern includes a sizing chart, fabric requirement chart, cutting chart, finished length chart.
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress includes step-by-step instructions with photographs for each step.
-The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress features no-trim pattern pieces. This pattern does NOT include layered pattern pieces- can I make this post my personal request to make the Boundless dress pattern pieces layered? Pretty please with a cherry on top?! ;-) (The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress came out before the designer started doing layered pattern pieces).

Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress - Front

(pictured with the Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs)

After reviewing the sizing chart, I sewed up an empire waist, 3/4 sleeve, dress-length, size medium Boundless dress with modifications. The cozy french terry was purchased locally at Hobby Lobby (on clearance-yay!).

My Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress modifications were as follows:
-I took length off of the skirt so that the dress would fit my petite frame. I wanted the dress to hit right at the knees.
-I also took about 1" off of the bodice. In hindsight, I probably should have taken another 1/2" off in order to get a more empire fit.
-Also, because I was using fabric from my stash, I did not have enough to fully line the bodice. Instead, I used bias tape to finish the neckline (flipped to the inside so that it's not visible from the outside).
-Fabric choice matters (as it does in any pattern). In this case, the french terry fabric that I used was not super stretchy. Therefore, that affected the fit slightly.

Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress -Back

I love the ease and simplicity of the Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress. I enjoy the fact that the Boundless Dress includes two different waist options- at the waist and empire. I appreciate a pattern that includes several sleeve options and several hemlines- that way, I feel like I can make multiple dresses and none of them will be the same! The Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress was simple to sew and was a breeze to whiz through my serger.

The Boundless dress neckline is a bit lower than I typically wear (front and back bodice pieces are the same). So, next time I sew up a Boundless, I'll probably raise it a bit. However, paired with a scarf and a cozy cardi and I'm ready to go!

I had sew much fun sewing myself some love with the Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress!

Can I get a "What-what!" for those beautiful, matched stripes?!!

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Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan

Another wardrobe staple that I wear almost daily in the cooler months is a warm, comfy cardi. I've been wanting to try out Canadian designer, Jalie Patterns, for some time, now. So, when I saw that Jalie Patterns has the Cocoon Cardigan... well, it just seemed like the perfect match!

The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan, "...is a dolman sleeved, loose-fitting front open cardigan.". The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan PDF sewing pattern includes the following features:

-The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan is sized for girl's 2- women size 22. That means that with just one pattern, I can make myself AND my daughter matching Cocoon Cardigans!
-The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan is written in both French and English. (the designer behind Jalie is French Canadian. This makes the tutorial a bit cumbersome and a little confusing to follow, but it sure hits a wide market!).
-The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan PDF sewing pattern includes a sizing chart, a pattern layout diagram and fabric requirement chart.
-The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan PDF sewing pattern includes numbered step-by-step instructions with English on the left and French on the right. Shaded diagrams accompany the instructions.

After reviewing the sizing chart, I chose to sew up a size 8 Cocoon Cardigan. The gray sweater knit was purchased locally off the clearance table at Hobby Lobby (for less than $3/yard- score!).

While I sewed The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan as instructed, I felt like it was REALLY long for my 5'-0" height. There is a shorten/lengthen line included in the pattern and I'll be sure to use that with my next Cocoon Cardigan that I sew up (and there WILL be a next time!). Also, while the Cocoon Cardigan is meant to be over-sized, I felt like the size 8 was a little too over-sized. Next time, I think I'll size down a bit, on top of shortening.

Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan- Hem Detail

I love working with cozy sweater knits and I have been wanting to try out a cocoon cardigan pattern. The Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan was a great introduction! I love that there are no sleeves to set in but my most favorite part of the pattern is the fact that there are NO HEMS to sew!! Sleeves and front/bottom are all banded- that means just serge on your banding and you're good to go!! Yay! (Plus, it looks great worn over my Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress, don't you think? ;)

I had sew much fun sewing myself some love with the Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan!

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Sew Yourself Some Love

So- or should I say, "sew"?- do you feel inspired...? I hope that you do! Join us through the whole blog tour and don't miss a day!!! Now, go ahead and SEW YOURSELF SOME LOVE!!!!

Feb 1     Sew Thrifty

Feb 2     Feather's Flights

Feb 3     The Wholesome Mama

Feb 4     Sprouting Jube Jube        

             Sugarplum Cuties

Feb 5     Shaffer Sisters

Feb 8     Mabey She Made It

Feb 9     Rebel and Malice

Feb 10   If Only They Would Nap

Feb 11   Sugarplum Cuties

Feb 12   Hibbadoray

Feb 15   Bee Quilted Beauties       

             Mabel Madison

Feb 16   Sew Starly

Feb 17   All Things Katy            

             Handmade Boy

Feb 18   Friends Stitched Together

             Lady And The Gents

Feb 19   Sew Happily Ever After

             Sew Like My Mom

I want to say a special thanks to the brains behind Pattern Revolution for putting together the "Sew Yourself Some Love" blog tour. Thank you for coordinating patterns, posts, designers and bloggers. Most of all, thank you for inspiring, encouraging and creating! I truly enjoyed taking the time to sew myself some clothing that I will proudly wear! Thank you!

***Disclosure: While I received both the Patterns for Pirates Boundless dress and Jalie Patterns Cocoon Cardigan for free (from the designers), the opinions expressed here are my own.***

Sentence of the Day- Down South

One of Katy's sight words this week is the word, "state." As I was quizzing her on the word, she was struggling,

So, in an effort to assist her, I gave her this hint, "North Carolina is (a)...."

Without missing a beat, Katy immediately exclaimed, "The South!"

Hahaha- I'll give you partial credit on that one, Lil' Miss!

Savings...

Katy spelled the word,"Fish" by sounding it out, all by herself.

Apparently, Lil' Miss is saving... for a pet fish. 

Hopefully, once she achieves her goal, she'll be able to keep it alive longer than I could as a child....