Fall + Harvest Dress

Fall is here!! Hooray for my favorite season! We did a bit of decorating (which I'll share later) and visited the Harvest Barn for my preschooler's first field trip last week. So fun!

Tractor rides. Climbing on hay bales. Petting goats. Picking the perfect tiny pumpkin. Apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes. Check, check, check.

I made her this little green and brown dress especially for the occasion. It was a maternity dress that doesn't quite fit anymore, but the print has a certain harvest-y, little house on the prairie feel to it. I just cut off the bottom, added a band and reattached the sleeves. Easy peasy.

Enjoy your first fall weekend! Hoping our baby shows up to celebrate it too :)

The Strawberry Muffin Blouse + Free Pattern

Hooray!! I have a new free pattern for you today, modeled by the lovely Miss Leah!

So I really wanted to call this pattern the Strawberry Muffin Top. It kind of makes me giggle. But my husband, who is about as crass as they come, thought it was mean and that no one would want to make their little girl a muffin top. So I changed the top to blouse. Was he right?

The empire waist with the more narrow lining kind of reminds me of the way a muffin puffs over the top of the pan. And the colors are very reminiscent of a strawberry. A Strawberry Muffin. Top, blouse - hey even a dress if you lengthen the lower panel :)

The extra details on the bodice make this top extra special. What little lady doesn't get excited about a couple of ruffles and jumbo buttons?! None that I know!

The back has a pretty keyhole detail as well. And I love that no zipper or button panel are required.

The shoulders are quite simple to keep the focus on the other details, but add a nice pop of color in a contrasting fabric. Very fun to sew and I think she likes it too :)

Download the free pattern here in size 4/5T.
(And if you enjoy and appreciate the free-ness of this pattern, I would love if you'd consider becoming a follower of this blog - pretty please with cream and sugar on top?)

And view the video tutorial below.

Hugs and love, Sabrina

Candy Confection Birthday Dress + Bodice Pattern

Hello, hello! I am so happy to say that after 2 months, I finally have photos and a bodice pattern for Miss Leah's 5th birthday dress! The dress top is such a great shape for spring (a little late now, eeep!), the skirt looks like a jumbo sized stick of cotton candy and the pale pink makes it oh so girly - and perfect for this girly girl.

Ooh the layers of ruffles! I never get tired of them. The top 2 tiers are chiffon, the middle 3 are lace and the bottom layers are made of poly/satin. The different textures add so much interest, don't you think? The skirt is the width of the fabric - so no cutting or measuring required - and then gathered at the top to fit her waist.

 (In case you noticed, nail painting is never a good idea while wearing a fancy dress - we got a bright pink stain right in the front within 10 minutes of the party starting! Oops!)

This is also the first top I've ever finished with (functional) buttons and wow, is it easier than expected - and inserting a zipper. Normally I always use a pattern for the bodice but since ours are all size 4 and under, this time I had to create my own. Also much easier than expected and insured a *perfect* fit.

You can download the bodice pattern right here.

The sleeves are just a sweet and simple ruffle - a tapered length of fabric gathered all around. Since the are so small, I was able to tuck them into the lining to hide the seam completely! Hooray!

And this little lady was very happy with her dress. If only we had birthdays every week. :)

Have a beautiful day!

Sweet Sugar Plum Birthday Dress

Hey there. I've been MIA this week - but not for lack of material to post. The mornings are so busy if I don't preschedule a bunch in advance then I just never get around to it.

Anyway.... I want to share the dress I put together for my little miss' 4th birthday. She requested a purple dress this year and we picked out some very pretty pinky/purple lace from Ben Franklin. It took almost 15 yards to make a size 3T!

The shape is just a basic A-line - I taped together a bodice pattern with a skirt slip pattern and did a little snipping here and there to create the shape I was going for.  The lace is sewn right onto a good quality muslin without any ruffling - that might have been even cuter though!

I tried the keyhole neckline again - such an amazing alternative to sewing in zippers! The button closure was covered with a bit of scrap fabric that was that same shade of purple. For the dress lining I used an old ribbed sweater so it would be extra cozy and warm inside.

The sleeves are my favorite part of this dress!! I wanted the shoulders to be very poufy but the sleeves to be slim. I cut down a pattern for regular sleeves but still had to make a 1" seam to create the very slim silhouette. They could have been just a touch longer but it probably would have bothered her and gotten into her food - still a messy eater - so we compromised.

And one more look at the front view :) I don't like taking photos inside with the flash but it has been so cold here there is just no going out without the heavy artillerary for even a few moments. We picked out some black sparkly tights to go with and she has been asking to wear both every single day this week and has thanked me about a million times. I am just so glad that she loves it. Every little gal needs to feel her very best on her special day.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to post my new skirt tomorrow. Night!

Halloween Costume: Little Mermaid

Yesterday I finished up the final kiddie costume! Saved the hardest one for last since I never did find a pattern that was just right. The green sequin material and netting came from Joann's and the purple is from a thifted wrap top and tank. Pattern was made from measuring her clothes.

We couldn't do the sea shell top because it will just be too cold so I sewed in a tank top covered with a sheer top. It's just disassembled from the wrap top and sewn together in a smaller size. Left an opening on the outside of the sleeves and added in a couple fins there. Ariel doesn't have those, I was told, but she did accept it when the costume was finished.

There are fins on the sleeves and also on the hips. I put a wire stem in each one to help them stand up a little.

And the tail. It was so hard to make this look realistic and easy to walk in. We settled in the middle and added some extra ruffle detail to make up for the lack of authenticity. There is about 2 yards wide of tulle ruffled together to help it poof out. Hmm, maybe I could just sew an extra triangle of fabric in between the fins? That might look much better.

Added a fin in the back as well.

My little gypsy fish. We're off for the first round of trick-or-treating tonight at the zoo. What are you planning to be or will you dress up at all?

Halloween Costumes - Pretty, Pretty Princess

First Halloween costume finished. Actually make that two. I've been sewing like a mad woman this last week trying to get all the kids' costumes together and only one left and still a full week ahead of me! Phew.

All the kids have stuck with the same idea for what costume they wanted since summertime, which is quite a feat if you ask me. Leah wanted to be a princess, plain and simple, so we went with a pretty, girly version with sort of a Renaissance feel.

I think the hat really makes it. It was so simple to make with just two triangles of felt, a sheer scarf and a bit of ribbon to keep it on her head.

For the dress, I used Simplicity 2463 and 2460 for the sleeves. Had really wanted to add those long flowy sleeves but there just wasn't enough material in the dress I upcycled.

These sleeves are super cute though. The same one's I used for her 4th birthday dress.

Also added some trim to the middle section to give the look of a corset. Along the front neckline and sleeves I added some pintucked material from a thrifted silk top. And rather than gathering the skirt along the top, I added pleats.

Ooh and the skirt is my favorite part! It was just cut from the bottom of the thrifted dress so no need for hemming or anything! I turned the vent to the front so there would be a mountain of tulle piling out. There is also a large gathering right in the rear so she has a big booty bump like all the gowns in Cinderella. KWIM?

On the inside, I pinned up sections all around and just stitched a little pinch to give it this look that I'm not really sure is called - drapyness? If there is time, I'd be great to go back in and hand sew little flowers or beads at all the pinches. Am crossing my fingers for that.

And the before of the material. It was a pretty Vera Wang bridesmaids dress that I picked up for $1. Tags still attached. A shame really, I almost hated to cut into it, but it was the perfect shade of pale pink.

Check back tomorrow for a peek at the black Spiderman :)

Olivia's Party Dress

Last month a sweet girl I know emailed to ask if I could create a special dress for her little sweetie's 2nd birthday. The theme is Olivia the Pig so she wanted black/red and white and something classic but simple. She sent me a photo of a Jenni Bowlin paper pack she was using for the invitations and luckily I tracked down a print very similar in this etsy shop.

(Hope you don't mind her modeling this M. It was just for a few minutes and the dress just looks so much prettier on a person than a hanger :))

This was seriously the most gorgeous fabric I've ever worked with! It's a cotton/rayon blend and is the perfect sturdy weight. Easy to sew + beautiful! The pattern is a combination of Simplicity 2767 and the bodice from Simplicity 2460 and a few of my own additions.

The red material is this luscious stretch satin I found at Joann's. It is on the cuffs, neckline and sash and also the lining so it feels pretty on her skin. The lining is shorter so the hem pulls up to make a bubble shape. There is a little tulle sewn in there as well for extra poof. The wrists are elastic so she can pull them up when it's time for cake.

The best part of course being the backside! I skipped the zipper and instead added in a keyhole and button closure for a bit of elegance. The sash also buttons so she can wear it with or without.

And to pay homage to Olivia, we had to have the oversized red bow. So glad I could help to make a little girl's birthday extra special again this year!

Cherish Sweetie Toddler Dress

Our littlest niece turned one over the weekend! I made a sweet little dress as a gift to her using some Basic Grey fabric from the Blush line and a simple version of Seamingly Smitten's Catherine Claire Ruffled Halter Dress which you can find right here . The lace looks lovely with the print - Cherish Sweetie - and to me, is a perfect dress for end of summer. Top it with a light sweater and these booties and it can work into fall. So hope it fits her by then!

Hope your week is great! Thanks for stopping by!

Bubble Dress revisited

A facebook friend contacted me a while back asking if I could make a bubble dress for her little sweetie's 3rd birthday. Of course I said yes and was even more excited to find out I could select the fabric in a color scheme she liked - pink and brown. Found this vintage-y print at Joann's and fell in love even though it's not exactly pink. The brown polka dots go so well with it, don't you think? I really, really hope she likes it too!

This version is a bit dressier and I made some changes like the elastic in the bottom (the first was hard to run in), and making the bow a belt rather than just sewn to the front. There is also a zipper in the back since this material doesn't stretch - forgot that to begin with and had the bias tape sewn on before I realized no head could fit through the hole! Oops!

And one more view from the back. Heading out to drop this beauty in the mail right now.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Taking Flight - Sew Convert's Resort Top

Have you been following along with Grosgrain's free pattern month? There are so many great patterns/tutorials by some of the top DIY bloggers out there. I have several of the bookmarked for *one day* but had a chance to create The Sew Convert's Resort Top this weekend. You can get the instructions here. This is my version...

Ideally worn with slim white capris and maybe some brown platform wedges. (Have been forever searching for the perfect white pants.) This is really more loose and flowy than something I would normally wear but it'll be a perfect cover up for summer evenings and cooler days out on the boat.

Am not sure about the material. It's a kind of crumpled linen. Very lightweight. The bias trim gives it a small shot of color. This was super easy to make and doesn't require a pattern. The shape is basically a round table cloth with the neck cut out. You should totally try it out - the hardest/longest part was ironing the bias tape.

It's cloudy today and the rain has started. Think I'll go snuggle on the couch with the little ones.

PS. A huge thanks to everyone who stopped by to share congratulations on my big news from Sunday. I am still reeling with excitement! xoxoxo

Seamingly Smitten

A couple weeks back I volunteered to be a pattern tester for Seamingly Smitten's adorable little Catherine Claire Ruffled Halter dress. It's a great project for beginner sewers and is equally great for more experienced sewers too.

Here is the result:

I originally planned to make cloth napkins with this Alexander Henry fabric but I love it with this dress! The pinks ended up being a perfect match.

It is the cutest little dress for lazy summer playing and would be just as cute with a cardi and tights on cooler spring days too. I plan to make 2 more in terry cloth for swimsuit cover-ups Get the pattern (and see Jenny's adorable daughter) here.