Peach Patterns

:: Simply Sweet Dress :: in Liberty patchwork

I recently made Miss Wink this version of the "Simply Sweet" Top & Blouse pattern, modified to dress length and with a lined, sweetheart style neckline.

Our faithful doggie, Rooster, insisted on being a part of this photoshoot.  He refused to scoot when told and is actually pretty good at posing for the camera as you can see here:

I also varied this one by using rectangular strips joined together to make up the front and back dress pieces.  I'm not normally into patchwork style clothes but with Liberty, well, all is forgiven!

    

I got the strips from Calico & Ivy in Balmain which I'm sad to hear is closing and am now sorry I didn't support more.  It's such a beautiful space and I actually got my inspiration for this dress from a little baby-sized Liberty dress which was on display there.

         

I'll do a post soon with more specifics on how I modified the pattern....

"Petal Power Sundress Pattern" :: in the shop

Am pleased to report this pattern is now available in my etsy and craftumi shops at 25% off until the end of January (enter code PETAL2 at etsy checkout - no need to enter a code at craftumi).  

The pattern is a revamp of the original "Petal Power Sundress" and I'm so happy with the new look.  I hope you love it as much as I do.

You can see more photos of the dress in this post.

     

Thank you so much to the wonderful sewing test volunteers who helped me wrap up the pattern instructions and who also created some really lovely sundresses for their own little girls:

Jen of leaandlars

Janice of socalsewingmom (Janice has also recently launched a fabulous online shop which you will want to check out)

Fran of lovelylittlesweetpeas

Christy of littlebettysews

Debbie of oursideofthemountain

"Petal Power Sundress" in Reprodepot fabric

I just had to go back and get more, didn't I? After stockpiling some of the blues and greens I returned quite promptly to get some of the reds.  I gather from your comments that lots of you love this fabric too.  Frustratingly though, it seems that not all Spotlights have it in stock.  

Also, thankyou to Sheridan, for pointing out that the fabric is indeed the work of "Reprodepot" founder Djerba Goldfinger.  Apart from a few passing mentions on the Spotlight blog/facebook page I can't seem to find any other background info at this stage.  Maybe you know more?

After a little think I just knew that a sundress was the right way to go for this fabric.  And so I decided this was the perfect opportunity to revamp my "Petal Power Sundress" pattern which I've been meaning to do for some time.

The squared off yoke has been changed for one with a more sophisticated rounded neckline and all-in- one ties. The skirt now consists of two tiers rather than one.  (I'll release this version of the pattern after some further work and a bit of testing.)

I've made two sundresses: one blue/green for Cee Cee and the red/green one pictured here for Miss Wink.  Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, each has said that they like the other's dress better.

This was going to be a sneak-peek as I wanted to get the girls out for a photo-shoot wearing their new sundresses but, in the meantime, here it is in full:

Just a bit of topstitching and it's good to go.

Hope you're having a happy week....Drop in to say hi if you've got a moment.

"Simply Sweet Blouse" in Lisette fabric

This is a "Simply Sweet Blouse" I made some time ago as a pattern testing sample but didn't get around to blogging.

I was immediately drawn to this Lisette print in super-soft lawn and thought it would be a perfect blouse fabric.  I teamed it with some FreeSpirit voile in an off-white colour (I don't recall the specific colour name) for the yoke.

Cotton Sateen Fabric rolls image from Spotlight blog: The Warped and the Weft

The instructions for this pattern are to make the ties separately and attach them after sewing on the neckline bias.  Although it seems a bit nit-picky, I tend to be able to tie a neater and closer bow with this method.

However, a few customers have told me that they've opted to simply extend the neckline bias so that it's long enough to also form the ties. That's definitely a do-able option, especially with light weight fabrics such as voile and lawn.

    

Thanks to a recent sale (gotta take advantage of those 40% off days!) I've also stashed a couple of the Lisette cotton sateen fabrics, examples of which you can see in the image above from Spotlight's blog.  Am looking forward to using those for summer sewing....

Ruffle 123!

Just a reminder that August is almost at a close and so too the 20% discount offer in Wink Designs etsy shop.  The discount applies to all single/multiple purchases of any pattern.  Just enter code "RUFFLE123" at checkout!

"Ruffle-icious Skirt" pattern

This is not really a new pattern but an existing one which has had a name change and a bit of a make-over.

The "Ruffle-icious Skirt" (formerly the "Raw Edge Ruffle Skirt") was suffering from a bit of an identity crisis.  I think the "raw edge" thing may have obscured what is really just a pattern for a fabulous little twirly, ruffle skirt that can be finished in lots of ways (not just with the frayed edges of the original prototype).

        

The pieces are super-easy to cut, consisting of a set of rectangles of varying sizes which are calculated to result in a perfectly proportioned series of ruffles.  A quilting ruler and rotary cutter help to do the job in no time.

There is also a clever little circular connecting band constructed from narrow pieces of fabric which is hidden underneath.  This hidden band joins the waistband and upper ruffle to the middle and bottom ruffle and helps you put the the skirt together more easily by reducing the number of fabric layers that need to be sewn through after gathering.

    

I've made this pattern so many times and it never disappoints.  The girls continue to love their skirts no matter whether in plain denim or multi-coloured fabric prints.  

Here is Miss Wink (above) working the camera with her matching accessories and (below) taking off on the new red toddler hot-rod acquired on her recent birthday.

     

The original directions for the frayed edges are retained in the pattern along with directions for conventional hemming as in the example in these pictures (a rolled hem would be another great design option).

Enter Code: RUFFLE123 at checkout in the shop for a 20% discount on this and all other patterns (until the end of August).

"Criss-Cross Dress": Finished garment measurements

The finished garment measurements were not originally published as part of the "Criss-Cross Reversible Dress" pattern.  I'm posting them here as a reference point for customers who are looking for these details:

      

      
As I always point out, this pattern is not a closely fitted one but is designed with some ease to allow it to be worn over tops.  Also, the hemline sits just on the knee so this should be kept in mind when planning the length!

Hope you are having a happy Tuesday!

Marina :)

"Simply Sweet Tunic Top & Blouse" pattern

The "Simply Sweet Tunic Top & Blouse" PDF pattern (in girls sizes 1 through to 8) is now listed in the shop.

In designing this pattern I was aiming to create a little tunic that has a both a cool and warm weather option and comes together easily with no need to fuss with plackets or button holes (it simply pulls over the head and has both tie and non-tie options for the front opening).

As the gathering beneath the yoke is subtle, you can even use mid-weight fabrics like a fine cord to add an extra bit of warmth for winter days.

For summer, the sleeveless top looks great in cotton, voile, lawn and other lighter weight fabrics.  It follows the design of the blouse exactly and has bias binding finishing the armholes.  In this post I'm only showing photos of the blouse (it's cold in Sydney!!) but will follow with examples of the sleeveless top soon.

                  

I know that some PDF patterns can be overwhelming with the number of pages/instructions/drawings and so I've tried to find the perfect balance here.  The pattern walks you through each step thoroughly whilst still being precise and to the point.

There is also minimal taping required.  For the blouse option there are 10 pages of pattern drawings of which 8 require taping.  For the top option there are 6 pages of pattern drawings of which 4 require taping.

           

                

Seam allowances are included throughout (they vary - so check the pattern instructions).

A huge thank you goes to my pattern testers who gave such quick and thorough feedback on the pattern: Dani, Kate, Fran & Suzy.  Designing a pattern is always a year-or-so long endeavour for me to make sure I get it "just right".  And just when my head was going round in circles from the constant sampling and re-sampling these lovely ladies gave exactly the advice I needed to wrap it all up....

             

A 20% discount applies for July by entering the code "SWEET1" at checkout.

Handmade hand-me-down style

Miss Wink enthusiastically wears most of her big sister's hand-me-downs.  I'm grateful for that, especially when it comes to the ones sewn by me - it totally makes the effort worth it when the clothes get a second wear.

This is a Wrap-Up Skirt made 3 years ago.  She's worn it alot recently as the Size 3-4 fits her now perfectly.

Kids Clothes Week Challenge (Days 3 & 4)

There was a big surge of activity yesterday when I managed to finish a blouse from the pattern that I mentioned in my last post.  I've been fiddling around with this one since last winter and really want to get it finalised.

Am counting this one as yet another muslin though as it's still not quite right - the neckline has too much gape (as you can see in the second photo).

I changed the pattern this time around to make a separate yoke with a gathered piece attached.  

The fabric is a tiny floral which, while very pretty in real life, doesn't pack much of a punch in the photos.

            

Still, even with all the reservations, I'm glad of the progress made and what a glorious autumn day to be out taking some photos in the garden.