You may have thought I was joking when I said in my post here that I have been testing up a storm lately. It was all true and to prove it I have two more patterns to show you that I recently tested from the amazing Kate of See Kate Sew. I have a been a huge fan of Kates ever since sewing up the Recess Raglan from the Sew Fab Bundle last fall. I was instantly hooked and made one of my favourite pieces of clothing for Sophie from that pattern, check it out here.
Fabric shopping with kids is always so much fun. Kids have a vision for fabric that I may never have had, as example Sophie picked out the fabric in this dress and the end result was so great. She still gets compliments from strangers every time she wears it. I can’t take too much credit for it since I only did the sewing.
Recently we went shopping for some swimsuit fabric and Sophie insisted on getting shiny gold fabric to make Ben a swimsuit. So when the test call went out for Peek-a-boo Patterns new pattern Monaco Swim Trunks (affiliate link), I knew Ben would rock that pattern in gold. Now all Benny needs is a gold chain and aviators and his look will be complete.
I have been very busy testing patterns: Girls dresses, boys swim shorts and women’s shirts and dresses. My favourite part of testing is when the patterns start to release and I get to share what I made with the pattern. Today I am sharing with you my version of the Sweet Simple Dress by Allison of Freshly Completed.
More and more I let Sophie pick the fabric for clothes I am making her. I would rather spend the time making something that she is likely to actually wear than have to fight her into it. When this testing pattern came along, I brought Sophie into my sewing room and let her pick the fabric. Once the dress was made it seemed like she should be in Hawaii at a Luau instead of a traffic circle in Seattle.
The always amazing Amy of Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop (affiliate link) released her newest pattern today, the Seaside Scallop Shorts. I was lucky enough to test this great pattern, and you can tell Sophie was pretty happy about getting some new shorts.
These shorts have some really great details that not only give it style but also make it even more wearable for your little ones. The waistband is a flat front with an elastic back which is especially great for skinny mini’s like my kids who never seem to keep their pants up. You can add a fun accent fabric for the pocket lining as well which is a great way to add a bit of fun to the shorts.
Have you heard of the new pattern collection Willow & Co.? Its a collective of 7 amazing designers that all created new patterns for this upcoming Spring/Summer line Wanderlust. The collection is being released April 22nd but as a bit of a sneak peek I am joining others in the blog tour to show you one of the patterns being released, the Aster Cardigan by Vanessa of LBG Studios.
Yesterday life happened and so Kids Clothes Week day 2 did not. We are in an especially busy phase of life with our kiddos right now so sometimes sewing doesn’t happen. Thankfully nap time happened today so I was able to whip up a couple of t-shirts for Sophie while they slept.
Since Benny got a few new shirts on Day 1 I thought it was only fair that Sophie got some new shirts this week too. One of the patterns that was on my to do list for this week was the Celestial Tee from Figgy Studios that I got as part of the Perfect Pattern Parcel #2.
I love when designers reach out over social media to gather volunteers for testing their new or revamped patterns. Many of these designers get hundreds of responses to the tester call so when I submit my name I don’t get too excited because I know there are so many other people.
When it comes to picking the right fabric for a pattern sometimes the process is easy and other times you begin to question whether your vision is going to work in reality. My recent test of the Schoolboy Vest by Sew Much Ado in Sophie’s size was exactly one of those times where I started to doubt the awesomeness that I had envisioned.
Sophie has pretty clear wishes when it comes to the fabric for clothes I will be making her. No surprise that has resulted in most of her clothes being either pink or with pink in them. Because I can only sew so many pink things I decided to try and branch out and incorporate at least one of her other loves, flowers.
Oh for the love of Bimaa, what an amazing pattern! Why did it take me so long to sew one of these.
When I laid eyes on this after what felt like 10 minutes of sewing I knew I was in for one of the best things I have ever sewn.
I will be honest at this point it was looking really professional, unlike some of my other projects. My stripes were matched up along the sides and my seams were finished inside thanks to my amazing serger. How did I possibly go this many years without a serger?
As I am working my way through my patterns to test them out and see which ones I like and which ones are not going to be a part of my shop, I came across one of the newest patterns by Amy of Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop.
Let me just say that she has done it again and released another amazing free pattern. She has so many great patterns available but I love that she creates a new pattern every year to offer free to all of her fans. All you have to do is subscribe to her newsletter and you can download the pattern. Seriously, go check it out you will not be disappointed with the quality of pattern she is offering.
