Winter Wear Designs Amuse Boho Reblog

November 20, 2018November 20, 2018 larissaegibbs1 Comment

I do participate in affiliate programs, so if you click a link in my post, I may receive a small percentage of the sales! These help cover my costs for materials and the occasional cup of coffee!

I am re-sharing some of my favorite makes this week! This was the Amuse Boho top and Dress. I need to make her a new one as she has outgrown this one already!

I have been on a sewing hiatus for about a year now! Sometimes, life just takes over and boy did it! In the last year, we have welcomed our third child, moved to a new city, and bought a house. These put my sewing into boxes for months. Then, I couldn’t find the motivation (or time) to work on unpacking it all with my 4 yr old and a newborn at home. Then, Jody started asking about what new patterns Suzanne was releasing, as she missed testing them (we have tested many of her ladies patterns!). Then Suzanne announced the homecoming tour for this pattern, and I knew Jody would love it! This was the motivation I needed!

As usual, I let her chose her own fabrics. She once again did not disappoint! this fabric fits her perfectly. I spent about an hour one night taping the pattern together and cutting fabric. The following day, it took me about another 45-60 minutes to sew up the dress. She opted for a straight hem, mini length dress, with short sleeves. Thankfully, she is on the shorter side, so it hits a bit more above the knee than mini length on her.

She chose a stretch lace for the yoke, and I did two layers. Next time, I will use a solid for the inner layer, as even with two layers, the lace was still pretty see through. The main fabric is a knit that I had in my stash. I opted for a quick knit neckband. She loves her new dress and even wore it to school yesterday. Random kids would walk by and tell her that they liked her dress, so I am calling this one a win!

We also wanted to see what it looked like on an adult, and our neighbor happened to come over while we were doing pictures. the length is more mini on her for sure!

This pattern has:

Scoop Neck
Front Yoke
Optional Back Yoke
Short Sleeve or 3/4 Sleeve with elastic hem.
Dress: Mini, above knee, or knee length with either straight or shirttail hem.
Top or Tunic length with Shirt tail Hem

You can get your pattern here: https://www.winterweardesigns.com/products/amuse-boho-top-and-dress-for-women-size-xs-xxxl?aff=28

Poolside Blog Tour with Winter Wear Designs

July 18, 2018July 18, 2018 larissaegibbs1 Comment

Everyone knows how much my teen loves Winter Wear Designs *patterns! Whenever she realizes that she needs any clothes, she always asks me before anything else “Mom, does Suzanne have a pattern for ______?” If the answer is no, she either sketches up a pic of what she wants and shares it with Suzanne and myself, or we look at patterns that can be modified to fit the bill.

A few years ago, we were at a fabric store (hancock’s, I think) and she picked out this fabric with the purpose of a swim cover up. I of course have lagged and never made it! I had yet to find a pattern that I was in love with. When Suzanne announced the poolside tour, I knew it was time to redeem myself and make her that cover up! We looked through patterns, chatted with Suzanne, and still nothing was really exciting me. Then we were at Great America (theme park/water park nearby) last week and it dawned on me as she was wearing her swimsuit top under a tee. They require a shirt over swimsuits for all the rides (water or not), but nobody likes to walk around in a wet tee!

I printed, cut, and sewed the tidewater tee* in less than an hour! She loves it and it is perfect for over her bikini top! It also makes her dad happy that she is covered! I did size up for a looser fit (at least I thought I did, she has asked for more tidewaters that she can wear to school in the fall and this fit is pretty dang good on her! Also, because the fabric is a lacy/open weave, I only cut one back yoke.

And of course, no photo shoot is complete with this one if she doesn’t get a few goofy poses in!

Don’t forget to hit all the stops on the tour to see what they sewed up for at the pool!

Before you do though….

Have you entered to win the GRAND PRIZE giveaway sponsored by Boho Fabrics??? The entry is super simple over in the WWD Face Book Group, so head HERE and enter to win patterns from me and a $50 gift card from Boho Fabrics!!!

Pull up a lounge chair and a cold drink, and don’t miss a single stop on the Poolside Blog Tour:

7/16

Jackie Burney for Winter Wear Designs*

Meriel of Elli and Nels

Rachel of Violets and Jewels

7/17

Laura of Custom Made By Laura

Althea of So Today I Did A Thing

7/18

Michelle of Little Heart Threads

Larissa of Connected By a Thread

Lisa of Mabey She Made It

7/19

Alyssa of The Sewing Goatherd

Diane of Sewing With D

Lisa for Winter Wear Designs

7/20

Livia of Liviality

Patricia of Sew Far North

Laurie of The Bear and the Pea Atelier

All hyperlinks followed by a * may contain an affiliate link. When you use my link, it allows the designer to see where sales are coming from, and I get a small commission on all sales. These commissions allow me to continue blogging and sharing new creations with you

Top it Off Blog Tour

March 26, 2018March 26, 2018 larissaegibbs2 Comments

Here we are! Back for another Winter Wear Designs* Blog tour! One of the events that Suzanne is doing this year is revamping older patterns to include new features-like layers that have become more of an industry standard-and update the covers. With each one, she is having a blog tour! What does that mean for someone like me that already owns every single pattern? I get to sew them up again! Except in this case, I had not made one of the La Croix before, mainly because when it came out, I didn’t think it would be flattering on me. When this tour started, I figured that I would sew one up for Jody, like I usually do since the girl can wear anything and make it look good!

Then, I saw a picture of a shirt on a Facebook post in a fabric group and inspiration hit! After that, I knew it was going to be a shirt for me! As I started debating fabrics, I had to stray a bit away from the recommended fabrics in the pattern to get the look I was going for. I ended up choosing a gorgeous slinky teal sweater knit that I received in my last knit mystery box from Boho Fabrics. Then, I had to make some modifications to the construction….ALWAYS FUN!

First, I didn’t gather the sides, as I needed a flat bottom to attach a band. Yep, I used the band from the Banded Tee * and put a band around the bottom. I cut my band at 8″ rather than the 7″ to make it a bit wider, then I added a couple inches to the width as the La Croix is a bit wider than the Banded tee. I opted for a sleeveless top, that will work under one of the many cardigans that I have or need to make for this summer. I followed the pattern for all the construction, until hemming the bottom, then I added my band, same as I would on the banded tee. I made sure I had enough band to stretch to fit to pull in the bottom for a flowy bottom on my shirt.

*denoted affiliate links. If you use these links to purchase from Winter Wear Designs, I receive a small commission on the order. I only share links to products I have tried and loved, so never fear that I am just trying to sell you something! I do not see any of your personal information.

Now…On to the pictures!

A HUGE thank you to Simply By Ti Fabrics for sponsoring this blog tour and providing the fabric prize for the blog tour. Speaking of fabric prize…Do you want to win $20 GC from Simply By Ti Fabrics and 2 patterns of choice from WWD???? Be sure to jump over to the Winter Wear Designs Fun group and enter to win! Be sure to share your creations as well!

Happy Sewing!

Check out all the Stops on the Blog Tour:

3/26

Jessica of Jot Designs USA

Larissa of Connected by a Thread

3/27

Althea of So Today I Did A Thing

Laura of Custom Made by Laura

3/28

Ilse of Sew Sew Ilse

Patricia of Sew Far North

3/29

Livia of Liviality

Mari of MNW Sews

Annick of Flaxfield Sewing

3/30

Nikki of Seams Like Style

Lisa Dawson guest posting at Winter Wear Designs

Rachel of Violets and Jewels

Wendybird Dress Blog tour- Stitch Upon a Time

January 24, 2018January 25, 2018 larissaegibbs31 Comments

I was approached a couple weeks ago about a coordinating a blog tour. This was a new to me designer, as I don’t have a little girl at home anymore (mine is 15). I agreed, knowing that I may not have a model, or that I would be sewing and shipping to friends on the East coast like I usually do! Then in stepped my friends youngest! I knew she would look adorable in this dress! She didn’t disappoint either!

The Wendybird Dress by Stitch Upon a Time is an adorable knit dress with a fun panel option for some extra twirl! The girls will love to twirl in it!

I sewed a size 8 with a 10 length, which fell just above her knees. Since I could print using the layers function, I was able to print out just the 2 sizes I needed to merge for the perfect fir! I put the skirt panel on the opposite side of the directions, because I cut the pieces with my fabric facing down and the pattern pieces facing up, so if you want to have it on the same side as the directions, make sure the fabric and pattern pieces are both facing up (or down)! From printing to hemming, it took me less than an hour to sew both dresses.

Pattern Details:

13 sizes included: Newborn to size 12.
Individual layers– print only the size you need!
Also included is an A0 file for shop printing!
Four sleeve styles
Two neck options
Three skirt options
Cuff or hem sleeve options

In addition to this adorable knit dress, Jennifer is also working on the doll pattern! It should be releasing soon! I couldn’t help but sew up a matching dress! They look so sweet together!

Be sure to visit all the blogs for the tour!

Jan 24th: Larissa from Connected By a Thread
Jan 25th: Rebekah from Pattern Revolution
Jan 26th: Rachel Nelson from Once upon a Sewing Machine
Jan 27th: Jennifer from Stitch Upon a Time
Jan 28th: Tasha from Sewn at Seams
Jan 29th: Heather from All Things Katy
Jan 30th: Rachel from Handcrafted by Red

You can pick up your copy of the Wendybird Dress for 25% off now through Jan 31st, it is already marked down on the site! Be sure to share your version in the SUAT Facebook group! Comment below with your favorite Stitch Upon a time pattern and one lucky winner from each blog will be announced when the tour wraps up on Jan 31st!

Winter Wear Designs Day by Day Dress & Tunic

October 10, 2017 larissaegibbsLeave a comment

Winter Wear designs has been one of my favorite designers since she debuted! Most of her patterns are classic styles that won’t go out in the next few months. Some of her more popular patterns (like the Aviator Pants) she has done both the children’s version and the adults version. Over the years, I have sewn almost every pattern she has, with the exception of the last few girls patterns as I was lacking a model. Then my friend moved into my neighborhood and she has an adorable little girl! Problem solved! I jumped in on the next pattern test, and today, I get to share it with you!

The Day by Day dress….So Simple and quick to sew, but you could also add some embellishments to the bodice, add lace to the hems, or a few other hacks (stay tuned, I have a few planned already!) to dress it up for those special occasions as well!

Details:

A fun basic dress and tunic pattern that can easily transform from boho to classic depending on your choice of fabric and trim. There are two length options; knee length skirt and tunic. The knee length skirt can be made in all one fabric or tiered using one or multiple fabrics. This is a beginner pattern that is a fast and satisfying sew in the classic view. Stretch your sewing abilities and creativity to advanced beginner with the gathered or flounce sleeves, trims, and tiered skirt.

Scoop Neck
Gathered Skirt
Dress or Tunic length
Gathered or Straight sleeve
Elastic Hem or Flounce (single or double)
Simple or Tiered Skirt
Options for adding trim
Button or Snap closure in the back

***The pattern can be printed in layers and also includes an A0 format pattern file so that you can have it printed at a print shop with no taping required.***
The pattern is available HERE and it is on sale through this week for only $6.50!

My version is the classic sleeves with the tiered skirt. I’m sure I will be sewing up many more of these dresses and tunics soon! Comment below with what version you want to see next!

Cozy Up to Fall with EYMM!

October 7, 2017October 7, 2017 larissaegibbs13 Comments

Man! I have been MIA for a while! Life has a funny way of taking over sometimes! But, I think we have settled into our new normal, and it feels so good to get back behind the machines again! If you don’t follow me on Facebook or IG, we moved in September 2016 and added a baby to the mix in January 2017. A preschooler and a newborn (and a teenager) definitely keep me on my toes these days!

Anywho…on to the SEWING!! Jody has been wearing a Four Seasons Cardigan that I made during a tour a few years ago (or maybe is was during testing??) quite frequently these days. She also recently asked me to make her a few more as the weather here in CA has been chilly in the mornings while she is walking to school, and hot and muggy by the time she walks home! Perfect timing for the EYMM Cozy Up to Fall Blog Tour!

Not only did I make her a new sweater, I made her THREE, and all are out of different fabrics for different looks!

The first is a thin sweater knit I have had sitting in my staff for a while now. I love the look of the stripes, but am really bad at fussy cutting to make them line up (i didn’t do too bad this time around!), so the stripes tend to sit on the shelf until requested by a customer or my daughter! She loves that it is super light so she can wear it under a regular jacket and still look “put together”.

The second one I sewed up is a slinking floral I got in a mystery box from Sincerely Rylee a few months ago. It is so soft! I love the bright color and the larger floral print. This one has a definite 4 way stretch, so Jody loves this one the most! As you can tell by these pictures, she was not thrilled to be modeling. As she is getting older, she really doesn’t want to be in front of the camera as much!

Finally, I decided to step out of the “normal” fabric choices for this pattern and try it in a sweater fleece that I picked up at Joann Fabrics a few years ago. It is cozy and warm, but I think next time, I will made a few adjustments to the arms as she says they are a little tighter than the other two. As soon as I can find it in the boxes (yep, still haven’t unpacked all the sewing stuff yet!), I am going to add lace as a finishing for this one, as the sweater fleece feels like it needs something. She finally gave me a decent shot!

I hope I gave you some ideas on taking a pattern and stepping outside the box to try something new! As an added bonus, I am going to select 1 person from the comments to win a $10 store credit to EYMM! So be sure to leave a comment about your fall sewing!

Make sure to stop by all the amazing stops on the Cozy Up to Fall Tour!! (Keep in mind that the links below won’t work until their scheduled date, but feel free to click through and check out their other blog posts anytime.)

Oct. 3 – Tour Kick-off at EYMM

Oct. 4 – Capture, Craft, and Cook and Boutique Birdie

Oct. 5 – Sprouting JubeJube and EYMM

Oct. 6 – Pretty and Precious and House of Estrela

Oct. 7 – Analog Bytes and Connected By A Thread

Oct. 8 – Adventures With Bubba and Bug and With Love in Every Stitch and Beri Bee Designs

Oct. 9 – Five Blessings and Lulu & Celeste and Creative Counselor

Oct. 10- Tour Roundup on EYMM

During the tour, all featured patterns are on sale (save even more by buying the youth/adult bundles!) … the Four Seasons Cardigan (both women’s and girl’s), the Piko Top (both women’s and girl’s), and the Leggings Bundle (‘Get Moving’ Leggings for women and Jocelyn’s Leggings for girls). Use coupon code FALL17 to save 30% off these 6 patterns and/or 3 bundles in the EYMM shop, but only until 11:59pm on October 11, 2017.

Laela Jeyne Samantha Swing

April 9, 2016 larissaegibbs1 Comment

The Samantha Swing Dress is an ultra-stylish and on trend dress or tunic! The Women’s Samantha PDF Pattern comes in hi-lo tunic, regular tunic, hi-lo dress, and regular dress length. It also comes in two styles: Sleeved and Racerback. With the sleeved style, you can make a cap, short, elbow, or long sleeve and you can add a cowl for an awesome cold weather look. The racerback style also comes with pieces to make a built in bra, if desired! Now you won’t have to go searching for the right undergarments! This pattern can be used to make extremely flattering styles for any shape, season, and mood.

Get this pattern with the girls’ Sammy Swing Dress and Tunic for an adorable Mommy and Me look!

Included in the pattern are detailed instructions on getting the best fit for your body! Fit instructions include Full Bust Adjustments, Wide/Narrow Shoulder Adjustments, and blending between sizes.

The pattern also includes:

Clearly written instructions with color photos or technical drawings to illustrate each step.
Fitting adjustment instructions for lengthening and shortening
Detailed information on how to print with layers so you print only the size you need
Detailed fabric layout
Yardage and size charts
Tested pattern pieces for women’s sizes XS-XXL (0-22)
No trim pages for US and A4 paper

The price for the Sammy is $5.95
The price for the Samantha is $6.50
and the bundle price is $11.50
All other single patterns are also 30% off until Sunday 11:59PM EST

Both the teen and I love this dress/tunic pattern!

A Vision To Remember Apron

March 1, 2016March 1, 2016 larissaegibbs2 Comments

Before I found A Vision to Remember, I thought that rag quilts were the only option for that sewing. I also thought it could only be done with flannel! Boy was I wrong! I have made a purse and now an apron! I am already thinking about other things I can make..a pillow? towels? doll blankets? Really, the possibilities!

Bobbie asked if she could send me fabric for this project, and she picked a gorgeous line! I love this so much! It was perfect for Valentines day! We had originally planned this tour in February but once we started sewing them, decided the pattern needed some updating. Bobbi was great and quickly took the advice of the bloggers and made the changes needed to bring the pattern up to date. Now we get to share it with you!

Isn’t this fabric so pretty??? Something about pink and black together! Once cut, this pattern is so quick to come together! The front is all quilting cottons and the back is a lovely cream flannel.

The pattern has a line drawing at the end, and I used it to label my fabrics/pieces before hand to ensure I would get the look I was going for!

I’m going to be wrapping this up for a gift, so I opted to only do flat shots and not wash it (in case the recipient has sensitivities or allergies!)

I will be making more of these and playing with this pattern some more! I want to make the toddler an art smock and the teen one for art/science/messy projects!

I can only imagine how lovely this will look once it is washed!

Be sure to hit all the stops this week!

3/1: Larissa from Connected by a Thread

3/2: JaNette from Merri Poppins

3/2: Patricia from Sew Far North

3/3: Melissa from Rebel & Malice

3/3: Ula from Lulu & Celeste

3/4: Denita from HattieLu Handmade

3/4: Essence from Amazing Adventures of Bubba and Bug

Whimsical Winter Wear Dress

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 larissaegibbs6 Comments

If you follow me at all, you know I love Whimsical Fabric. I have been buying my fabric from her for a while now. Twice a month, she has “Wacky Wednesday”. On these days, she has a set of fabrics from a line, usually 1 main print and 2-4 coordinates, that she posts in her group for a great deal. The catch? You must buy the bundle, no picking and choosing what fabrics you want from it. Today is a Wacky Wednesday and I LOVE the fabric she chose for today! I had the chance to purchase my bundle earlier and sew it up to share.

Late last year, I started sewing up samples of these bundles, hoping to give people some inspiration and show the fabrics in use.

Here are the ones I have done so far:

Jocole Skirts- 2 size 14 girls skirts out of a 1 yard bundle!

Sig Creations Delaney and Birdie ruffle pants- Size 3 with fabric left over from a 1 yard bundle!

And this awesome Swoon Vivian and Straight Stitch Have it All Wallet- this set used all of the main print, most of the grey (its the lining of the purse as well), and then pieces of the floral- this left me 2 full yards that I chose not to add in from the bundle.

Lets get to today’s bundle!

Today’s fabric is Milk, Sugar, & Flower by Penny Rose Fabric. Isn’t it just adorable?

As soon as I saw it, I knew it was destined to be a dress for a little girl. The problem? I dont have a little girl anymore! So I put out some feelers for models, and got a couple hits but none that would fit the bill and timeline! I realized I was going to have to send this out to someone, and time was running out! So, I started looking at my sewing friends and who would fit the bill of what I was looking for. All the sudden, I came across a picture Suzanne posted of her little girl and I knew I had found the girl for this fabric! Suzanne is the owner of Winter Wear Designs, and also works on Pattern Revolution. She is also an amazing photographer! I quickly sent her a message asking if she would be interested. Thankfully, she was as excited as I was! We tossed around dress ideas, and settled on the girls Bateau dress from Suzanne’s pattern line.

Isn’t she perfect in this fabric and dress??

This is just perfect on her! I’m so glad I had that light bulb moment and sent that message!
This was my first time sewing the girls version! I tested the ladies version and made many muslins to get the perfect fit on my teenager! So sewing this was pretty quick, since I didnt have to run back and forth between my computer and my sewing machine! To get from printing to the zipper installation probably took me 1 1 /2 hours. I then put it down for 2 days, and finished it in another hour or so before sending it out! Not bad for a dress with 4 double box pleats!

Details of the Dress pattern:

Sizes: 1-14 (Size 1 is equivalent to a size 18 months)
Side zipper – great directions on how to put it in and have it turn out well!
Boat neck
Options of a scoop back or cross strap back,
Tunic, vintage, or regular lengths
Pleated rectangle skirt or pleated circle skirt
The optional petti-skirt allows you to add additional ‘poof’ under either skirt version.

This version is a size 7 width and size 6 length with the scoop back and pleated rectangle skirt. I think I want this in my size now! (there is a Ladies Bateau dress available!)

I added on the Bateau bolero to round out the outfit, and it just works so well with this style of dress!

Details of the Bolero pattern:

Sizes: 1-14
Basic bolero
This can be basic and casual in knit or quilting cotton, or over-the-top in fur or sequins.
The front is designed to close with ribbons tied in a bow, but I love it with no closure!

Be sure to grab your bundle today! It will be on sale HERE at Noon CST! ***Fabric SOLD out*** Be sure to check out her website for more awesome fabric!

Jocole Love Tour

February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 larissaegibbs11 Comments

If you have been sewing a while, you are probably familiar with Jocole. I love her patterns! The Derby Jacket was the first pattern I bought (a couple years ago!), during her weekly sale. That was the beginning of the end! I was hooked! Now, I own every pattern of hers, and have made numerous over the years! Now, I get to share some of my favorite bloggers with you this week, and they are sharing some of their favorite Jocole patterns!

Whether you are looking for ladies patterns or girls, there is something for you! I love the Endless dress and add-ons!