Amuse Boho $3 Thursday!

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 larissaegibbsLeave a 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!

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

If you’d like to know more about the WinterWear Designs Amuse Tour you can visit their blog and visit all the other participants below!

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

Bring on the Blouse (and the self love)!

March 1, 2018March 2, 2018 larissaegibbs4 Comments

*Denotes Affiliate link

The ‘Bring on the Blouse Blog Tour’ is a celebration of the Omega* and Classic Shell Patterns*. These are both patterns designed for woven apparel fabrics and they are divine in rayon blends and other drapey woven fabrications. So strap in because this week will be filled with inspiration for both patterns. Don’t own these beauties??? Save 20% and grab the Omega* for just $7.95 this week during the tour. And get the Classic Shell* for just $5!!!

I have been sewing consistently for quite a few years now, and for myself for the past 3 or 4 years. I started out with simple things like skirts. Mostly things that didn’t need too many alterations to fit okay. Then I started making dresses and tops, not because I planned on wearing them often, but because it was what was being tested by my favorite designers, or they needed a review for a new pattern. I love the designs, they just weren’t practical for my daily life. They were also ill fitting because I didn’t know HOW to tailor them to MY body. They were wearable, cute, and exactly what the pattern told me to make. Where did they end up? They all went to hang in the “handmade” section of my closet. I couldn’t toss or donate because “I made that!” I even moved then from out apartment to our new house, and lovely rehung them in my closet. All the while, knowing that I would likely never wear most of it.

Then, Suzanne and I started talking patterns…A LOT! During these talks, we realized we both had a lot in our closets that just wasn’t practical to our daily lives. This gave me the push to clear out my stuff. It also made my sewing mission this year to sew items that I not only love, but that are tailor fit for me! Enter Winter Wear Designs Wardrobe Essentials Collection! The Classic Shell was one of the first releases in this awesome collection!

It is made for woven apparel fabrics, but I didn’t have any in my gigantic stash of fabrics that was love-so I couldn’t sew one…or could I?!?!

YES! I made a few alterations and made one out of knit! it is so comfortable and I know it will be worn a lot! I used a waffle knit that I received in a mystery box from Sincerely Riley. I added a fun trim to the hem for a little pop.

The only alterations I did to this one were to size down and a narrow shoulder adjustment (directions are in the patterns!). I chose to size down in the knit, just because I knew I would want more negative ease than the woven and that the knit would likely stretch a but while wearing.

On to my other two tops! I made both a woven and a knit Omega. The woven was again from a mystery box from Sincerely Riley. I made it towards the end of last year, but it never got blogged or really shared much, as the holiday season took over! It is a well loved shirt in my rotation of “wear every week” shirts! I didn’t make any alterations to the woven version, but the next ones will have the narrow shoulder adjustment for a more tailored fit.

For the knit, I did a lace overlay on the front yoke, along with a narrow shoulder adjustment. This Art Gallery fabric, that I have been hoarding, was bought from Whimsical fabrics a couple years ago! After sewing it, I put it on and had these weird “wings” in the armpit area. I ended up turning it right side out and pinning it to fit how I wanted, then took it back to the sewing machine and tool off a triangle of fabric starting at the sleeve seam and tapering down into the side seam. It fits so much better!

So, do you sew a tailored wardrobe or do you just “sew to sew”? I am working hard to make sure that I check my measurements every month (I take new ones for the kids, why not myself?), learning about more personal alterations, learning how I like my clothes to fit, and learning to SEW myself some Self Love. I hope this inspires you to sew clothes that you love and that fit you well, whether you need s FBA/SBA, narrow shoulder adjustment, or just need to lengthen or shorten something to fit YOU!

To kick your sewing off right, Boho Fabrics has teamed up with me to give away an awesome prize bundle. We’ve got a mystery bundle of fabric from Boho paired up with two sets of the Classic Shell and Omega patterns (one for you and one for a friend – because it is always more fun to share the love!) This prize is open to everyone!!!! International entrants will need to pay shipping for fabric.
ENTER HERE

Happy Sewing!

Check out each stop on the tour:

2/26 Winter Wear Designs

2/27 With Love in Every Stitch

2/27 Sewing With D

2/27 Kate Will Knit

2/28 Sew With Ilse

2/28 Custom Made by Laura

2/28 So Today I Did A Thing

3/1 Mabey She Made It

3/1 Connected By A Thread
3/1 Liviality

3/2 MNW Sews

3/2 Jot Designs

3/2 Lisa Dawson at Winter Wear Designs

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.

Amuse Boho Homecoming tour

May 10, 2017November 20, 2018 larissaegibbs2 Comments

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 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!

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

If you’d like to know more about the WinterWear Designs Amuse Tour you can visit their blog and visit all the other participants below!

BUT FIRST!! I know you love a competition…

PRIZE: 3 WWD Patterns of Choice and 4 yards of fabric from The Fab Clique Fabric Shop.How to enter:
-Sew up and share an Amuse by Friday May 26.
-Use #Amuseme when sharing in the WWDF group so that Suzanne can find your entry.
– Already sewed up an Amuse??? Make a new post and share away with the #amusemeIt’s that easy!!!!
You can make a top, tunic, or dress. You can hack it, make it in knit, smock it, whatever makes you smile. I can’t wait to see what you all make ;o)

Don’t Forget:
-Save 20% on the Amuse through Sunday May 14th with code: AMUSEME
– Grab the discounted Amuse bundle of 4 yards of fabric for just $24 from The Fab Clique Fabric Shop.

Check out all the stops on the tour:

Connected by a Thread

I Reap What I Sew

Back 40 Life

Marta Glogger (guest blogger at Winter Wear Designs)

Happily Sewn After

Tales of a Tester

Capture Craft Cook

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!

Whimsical Fabric Voile Blog tour

March 14, 2016March 18, 2016 larissaegibbs3 Comments

I’m so excited to be the first stop on the Whimsical Fabric Voile tour! I have just recently started playing with voile and venturing to use it for garments. I think what held me back so long was I really didn’t know what voile was! It is really hard to tell from a picture and a description what something feels like or what it sews like. a simple search turned up this: Voile is a soft, sheer fabric, usually made of 100% cotton or cotton blends including linen or polyester.

Doesn’t really tell you much right? Well, let me tell you about it! It is silky soft, perfect for tops that don’t need a knit. I have seen some awesome dresses for little girls, and I bet it would make a wonderful maxi skirt (ohh…might have to use the coupon to get some to try that!). For this project, I picked a beautiful light blue with flowers (found HERE). I also picked Winter Wear Designs Button up as my pattern (found HERE).

This sewed up so nice! I modified the pattern just a little. I used a smaller seam allowance as I was between sizes. I also turned my sleeves under 1/4″ and hemmed than that way rather than using bias tape (personal preference). I haven’t decided if I want to put buttons on this one or leave it this way to wear over my tank tops this summer!

Pattern Details:

Long sleeve with tab
Long sleeve with cuff and placket
3/4 sleeve plain
3/4 sleeve with tab
Short sleeve
Sleeveless
Front pockets with optional pocket flaps
Directions for sewing the shirt with french seams for really sheer fabrics

Ok, back to the voile! This was the 3rd shirt I have sewn in voile for myself, and I are starting to wish all my shirts were this soft! The fabric has a beautiful drape. My first thought was it would make a beautiful infinity scarf, but I never wear scarves! It sews very nice with a universal needle. My last shirt, I forgot that I had a microtex needle in my machine, and it kept snagging and pulling the fabric. If that happens when you start sewing yours, check your needle! I really flew through the machine like butter! If you find your machine wants to eat the fabric, try putting some tissue paper under it.

Things we all want to know:

Fabric width: 54″
100% cotton
Fabric washes beautifully but tends to wrinkle easily. This was the only downside I found, as I never iron things, but with this fabric, I need to iron it before I can wear it!

I also made the Gallery tunic by liesl+Co (found HERE). This is one of my favorites to wear! I will share more about this top on Saturday!

I hope I have inspired you to pick up some voile and give it a try!

Be sure to check out all the posts this week! So many different uses for Voile!

3/14: Larissa from Connected by a Thread
3/15: Denita from Hattielu Handmade
3/16: JaNette from Merri Poppins
3/17: Sharon from Sweet Pea & Pumpkins
3/18: Stacey from From a Box

You can shop voile fabrics on the Whimsical Fabric website and be sure to use VOILE for 10% off your voile order! Coupon expires Thursday, March 24th at midnight CST.

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!