Wednesday 10 December 2014

E+M Patterns Girls Skirt Pattern No.18 - release and sale

Oh I just love this skirt!!! Could it be any prettier?! The beautiful scalloped overskirt:


The gorgeous BIG bow:


Plus, it's easy enough for the little ones to get on and off themselves because the waist is elasticated - just at the back, so the front of the waistband is flat.


As always, Allisons instructions are really clear and easy to follow, with helpful pictures to go with every step. She always take such care in the testing process to make sure everything is just right, and really listens to all the feedback she gets.


There are also some great tips on how to get the best results and advice on different fabrics you can use - some of the other testers used satin for really dressy versions - have a look at the gallery to see all the other beautiful examples HERE.


Little B just loves her 'Farmyard Skirt' - and it's great for playing in every day as well as for dressing up for special occasions! I love how you can showcase two really pretty fabrics with this skirt - you could go for a real contrast, or stay a bit more complimentary for two totally different looks.


The regular price will be $8, but the pattern is currently on sale at 50% off - $4 until Thursday at midnight (Eastern Time). No coupon needed.

Here are the links to get your copy of the pattern:
www.empatterns.com
www.etsy.com/shop/empatterns

And for the E+M Patterns Facebook pages:
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/empatternspage
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EMPatterns/



Wednesday 26 November 2014

1 Puddle Lane - Miss Audrey Dress pattern release and blog tour

Introducing the Miss Audrey Dress pattern by 1 Puddle Lane - and what a beautiful pattern it is!


Elegant princess seams and the choice of either a pleated or gathered skirt, invisible zip at the back and you choose whether to line or not, this dress has some great options - including in-seam pockets and cup sizing from A-DD - hooray!! So much easier to get a really great fit!


There are so many different fabrics you could use for this dress to either make it super dressy or more of a daytime dress - I went with this crinkle silky satin I have had in my fabric stash for a loooong time! It wasn't the easiest to work with, but I just love the colour and soft floatiness of it!


Testing this dress was great fun, I loved seeing all the different ways the other lovely ladies in the group styled the dress and Ann the designer was SO helpful! She went totally above and beyond to make sure everyone managed to get a perfectly fitting dress - and she plans to offer this same help to all who would like to join in with the SEW-A-LONG she has planned - you'll get step-by-step instructions for making the dress and fixing any fitting problems you may have, and best of all there will be a Facebook group where everyone can support each other and share pictures of their pretty dresses! If you're interested in joining in all the information is here, and it starts on 1st December.


So go and check out the pattern and follow the rest of the tour to see the other great versions of the dress:

Wednesday, 26th Nov
Abbie Daniels - Tigerlily Patterns

Thursday, 27th Nov
Debbie Cameron - Stitch It Now
Stacey Clements - All Sewn Up by Stacey

Friday, 28th Nov
Audrey Bottine - Pretty Precious Clothing
Lesley Fletcher - Cherub's Kiss

Saturday, 29th Nov
Natalie Williams - Sew Outnumbered
Leanne Benson - TBA

And if you haven't already, have a look at Ann's blog page for more information and pictures of the dress.

Friday 21 November 2014

Lily Bird Studio Angelique's dress and tunic - New pattern release, sale and giveaway!!

If you haven't already checked out all the wonderful patterns by Lily Bird Studio, you should go and take a look here!! There are some really stunning dresses, as well as some other great wardrobe staples. Having already bought some of Cecilia's patterns (and I have my eye on some more!) I jumped at the chance when I saw the tester call for the new Angelique's dress pattern!!


The details on this dress are just so pretty - there's an inverted pleat on the front topped off with a big bow - the pattern talks you through how to tie the perfect bow every time.


Always a favourite for Little B - pockets - and these pockets are so clever! Such a great feature of the dress - I chose to have a big contrast between my fabrics, but you could use a similar or the same fabric throughout for a more subtle look.


The back of the dress features two more inverted pleats, as well as some very clever little pleats that sit on either side of the zip - this pattern includes the best invisible zip instructions I have seen - such an easy way to do it, and I learned some new techniques too!


The instructions are really easy to follow in this pattern, and the images are so clear and helpful for each step - which I found great, because I'm very visual when following patterns. 


The pattern also comes with a tunic option, and it's perfect for layering up for the colder weather - just pop a long sleeve tee and some leggings on underneath - and it looks so cute!


This time I made up my own simple little bow out of the contrast fabric, because I didn't have any ribbon that matched!! There is also an option to add piping between the bodice and skirt, which would really accentuate the beautiful lines of the high waist.


Have a look at Cecilia's blog for more tester pictures, showing lots of different ways to style the dress/tunic and there's a GIVEAWAY, so pop on over to enter!!! (If you scroll through all the pretty pictures the Rafflecopter is at the bottom of the post)


The new pattern comes in sizes 1-10 years and you can buy it for 40% off the regular price of $8.50 if you use the code NEWPATTERN - but be quick, it's only valid for 2 days (until midnight on Saturday 22nd). You can find the pattern here.


And if you have a smaller little girl you sew for, the pattern was already previously available in sizes Newborn - 24 months and is available here.


Tuesday 18 November 2014

E+M Patterns Dress Pattern No.17 release and sale

Released today is the latest pattern from E+M Patterns - a great winter staple for the cold weather that is setting in!! I was very pleased to be able to test another one of Allisons lovely patterns!


I decided this would make a perfect little Christmas dress, and I had this lovely soft fluffy jersey fabric I thought would be perfect! It's so warm a snuggly - especially the big cowl neck. There is also the option to do a plain banded neck.


For this dress I chose to do an elastic waistband, but you could also have a shirred waist, or belt loops with a belt of your choice.


There are three different hemline options - straight, hi-lo or shirt hem - for this dress I chose to do a straight hem. You can also pick between 3/4 or full length cuffed sleeves.


Oh, and the other great thing about this dress - it has hidden in-seam pockets!! Little B does love pockets!!


For my second dress I went with a plain minty green interlock - again very soft and cosy - great for this chilly weather!


This time I chose the belted option and used some bright pink grosgrain ribbon to add some detail, and I went with the hi-lo hem - which looks so cute!


As always Allisons instructions are so clear and easy to follow, and with so many options this really is a fantastic pattern!


The regular price will be $8, but it's ON SALE for $4 (50% off - no code needed) until Thursday!!

The pattern is available on the E+M Patterns website, as well as Etsy and Craftsy

Friday 7 November 2014

Made By Jacks Mum Starry Night PJs pattern release

I'm really excited about this pattern release!! My little boy is a bit of an awkward size for bottoms, he's very long and slim, so all his shop bought trousers are either super loose on him and slide down, or by the time they fit his waist the trousers are more like shorts!! So when I saw Made By Jacks Mum was after some testers for her awesome PJs set I jumped at it!!

The pattern includes an envelope neck top and and footed pants - the pants come with two size options - fluffy fit for cloth users and trim fit for disposables or underwear. Both styles of pant have a soft, elastic free waistband for maximum comfort.


With the top you have free reign to get creative with an appliqué if you want to - my fabric was just plain solid colours so I decided I definitely needed something to jazz it up!! I used some of my fabric offcuts and made a little robot to go on the front!


With the trousers, Sarah the designer has given some great detailed instructions for altering the pattern to create the perfect fit for every shape and size - whether it be big feet, long legs, small waist - you will get a great fit every time!! Perfect for my little boy - his trousers fit perfectly, and no slipping down!


There are also some additional instructions to really customise your PJs - there are two different methods for adding elastic to the ankle (so little feet don't slip out of position), and instructions on how to add a cuff to the bottom of the top and wrist cuffs.


This pattern can be made up in various fabrics - it works best with stretchy fabrics like jersey, but you could also use woven fabrics - they would be lovely in flannel. Sarah gives some great advice for beginners with stretch fabrics and how to adjust if you want to use woven.


The pattern comes in size small newborn/prem. up to age 4, and with all the useful hints and tips would definitely be suitable for enthusiastic beginners.


For 3 days only you can get 30% off ALL the patterns in the Etsy shop.
Just use the code: toinfinity and pick yourself up some bargains!