Friday 29 August 2014

Teeny Kini Pattern Release

I was recently very lucky to test the Teeny Kini by Dandelions n Dungarees - and it is the cutest little swimsuit ever!!
I love the little flounces at the bottom of the tankini top, so sweet and girly

There is an option to do a skirted or plain bottom and a bikini top instead of a tankini top - gotta love options!

The instructions are really clear, and there are lots of tips for anyone who is knew to working with stretchy knit fabrics

If you're quick you can still get this pattern at the bargain sale price - here

And if you want to see some of the alternative options in action (and some proper little cuties!!) have a look here

Sunday 24 August 2014

E+M Patterns FREE Leggings

I recently helped test the free (yes - FREE!!) pattern from E+M Patterns for 3/4 length leggings - these are perfect for the British autumn weather that seems to have already set in (What happened to summer??!)






Although I love sewing beautiful girly dresses for Little B, day to day she lives in leggings and t-shirts, so I think these will be her most worn mummy made items by far!

This pair are sewn up in a super funky spandex -
and I LOVE them - sort of wish I had a pair for myself!! 

The pattern has been written really well and is so easy to follow - Allison has put the same amount of effort, care and attention into this free pattern as she does all of her other wonderful patterns - which having sewn quite a few of them, I can assure you are brilliant!



Clear written and photographic instructions mean this pattern is soooo quick to sew up - we already have 4 pairs, with more on the horizon - I don't think we'll ever need to get shop bought leggings again!

Find the free pattern here and a great tutorial for adding a cute ruched detail here.





Sunday 17 August 2014

Fresh Stitch Patterns grand opening

I was recently very lucky to take part in a pattern testing for the grand opening of Fresh Stitch Patterns - Kylie the designer has created some really beautiful designs and her instructions are very easy to follow.


The first pattern I tested was the Playgroup Dress - this dress has such lovely lines, and I love how you can create your own style depending on the fabrics you use


The hem line is enclosed by the contrast band at the bottom, making a really neat finish

Little B loves twirling in this dress!

The second pattern I tested was the On The Move Bloomers - so cute for wearing under a dress or tunic, but also look fab on their own!

These were so quick to sew up and again the instructions were great and really easy to follow 

Litte B enjoyed some jumping on the bed to test these out!!


And finally I tested the Wattle Brush Dress - this has such a cute bubble hemline - I have sewn bubble hems before and not been entirely happy with them, but Kylie has used a different method in her pattern to any I have seen before, and not only is it easier, it's also much more effective!

The dress is fully lined which makes for a really neat finish inside and out, and there is a quickie method for anyone in a hurry to finish, and a slightly longer method that gives a real professional finish.




The dress was a hit with Little B!

So, head on over to the Etsy shop - https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/Freshstitchpatterns?ref=si_shop - if you're quick you can just catch the end of the grand opening sale - all patterns are $1.50 with the code 'grandopen' - this is SUCH a bargain for some beautiful patterns and will not be repeated!!!

My First Blog Post!

Hello! So this is my first blog post - I am going to take this opportunity to both introduce myself and practice how to actually use this page!!


My name is Stacey and one of my main passions in life, other than my wonderful family, is sewing - mostly for my 5 month old little boy and nearly 3 year old girl - and because I love it so much, it is what I intend to blog about mostly :)


I am hoping that having a page to record all my projects on might encourage me to sew up some of my ever growing fabric stash, and maybe stop me from shopping online for any more fabric.... Or possibly not!!!


I have also recently started taking part in lots of pattern testing, helping various designers of PDF sewing patterns around the world to perfect their work before it goes out for sale - it's great fun and I would love to have somewhere to write some reviews :)


Here are some of the recent things I have sewn -