I'm still Going

I may have missed last Sunday's regularly scheduled post, but I'm not going to let that derail me!

Last Monday I was printing off a pattern and got a printer error message, so I stuck my fingers in assuming it was a paper jam. Well, I didn't know it gets really hot in there and I burned my middle and ring finger of my right hand. It's probably the most painful, long lasting burns I've ever had.  I swear it took a full 30 seconds before my brain got the pain message and by then my fingerprints were fried off. They made huge blisters and I still don't have feeling in those spots. Not happy, cause my fingers are my livelihood.

We got to watch our neighbor's dog during the day and Wyatt and Amelia were in heaven. We got to let Zeke out and play with their toys. 

 A pretty sunset I captured on my way to the Great to be 8 fireside. 

Some patterns I tested this week:

I'm thinking about starting up my MidwestVintageCo blog again and really writing up my pattern reviews. I post a lot on instagram and I like the sewing community there, but I usually have more to say than just a photo caption. 

Amelia is just the sweetest, but a crier. I'm a little worried about the waterworks happening everyday....

I can't believe she'll be 3 on Friday!

These were my goals from the last time I posted goals, so maybe 2 weeks ago?

-declutter something and get it out of the house Decluttered, yes, out of the house, no
-clean all the bathrooms 2/4
-sew: secret pattern test, paw patrol dress, valentine dress, birthday dress pattern test, paw patrol, need to get going on the other 2!
-music (I'm taking on 2 new students so I need to figure some things out) still working on it
-MealsI haven't meal planned strictly in a week, but I've managed to throw some decent dinners together pretty fast. I'm following a keto diet at the moment, so I'm back to some low carb favorites. All food has lost it's power over me, so it's just boring old fuel now. 
-2 books (I made the goal to read 100 books this year. I'm at 5. I need to pick up the pace. Do children's books count? 😉) I've read 4 more books. Two that I enjoyed so much I might write them up!

New Goals:

Keep reading

keep practicing music (I hope to have report of my mco audition the next time I post!)

Keep following diet

Keep working on house

keep blogging

Endure to the end

Oh, we might move my sewing room downstairs and move Amelia's unused furniture and stuff upstairs (she sleeps on the sofa in our bedroom anyway) and kind of do a sewing room/playroom and see if that helps me get more stuff done. Who knows. 

I got a Roomba for my birthday. Not sold on it yet, but I'll report back. 

Pattern Review: Women's Dyyni Skirt by Pienkel

I'm being brave and posting pictures of myself here!

Remember the adorable Dyyni skirts I sewed up for my baby girl and big girls?  Well, now we can all wear our Dyyni skirts!

My friend Nienke came out with the women's version. It's a really cute skirt with either elastic or yoga style waist.  It's very light and summery. 

I made the largest size the pattern includes and I could have gone down 1 or maybe 2 sizes (I have a disproportionately large waist to my hips thanks to making 5 babies) because the skirt

 was a little too full around my hips and waist. 

I used one of my vintage sheets because the cotton/poly blend has a nice drape. I love the vintage feel of the design though. It's a circle skirt formed with 6 panels. There are also the options to do a top layer and even a top layer with a pulled-up gather.  The skirt hem is done with bias tape which makes a lovely finish. 

To celebrate the release of the Women's Dyyni Skirt, there will be a discount, using code DYYNILADIESLAUNCH, you will get a storewide discount of 50% (so that works on the other two patterns and on the bundles!) valid from Friday until Wednesday. 

That's a super deal because the other skirts are cute as well!

Go get it and sew up a whole bunch of skirts for summer!

Photo creds: Maddie

Pattern Review: Seaside Notions Grand Isle Top, Dress and Maxi

Lots of pattern testing lately! Busy, fun and challenging.  One of my favorites has been the Seaside Notions Grand Isle dress.  I was assigned a size and style (maxi) which I personally love because I'm terrible at making decisions--it takes me long enough to figure out fabrics!  

This was my first time sewing a Seaside Notions pattern.  They are lovely.  Each of the designs is inspired by a coastal location and the pattern includes a little  info about the spot and I thought that was really neat.  They are definitely beachy and would be perfect for location photos.  Maybe we should plan a trip...

 I thought the maxi would be too long on a toddler, but it's actually adorable.  

 There was originally an elasticized waist option but during the testing, it proved to make the bodice flare out a bit too much so that option was removed (still optional and still REALLY cute).  That's one of the things that I love about the testing process.  Sometimes things don't go as planned and a good designer listens to feedback and changes accordingly.  I really appreciate that the released pattern is the best it can be and will provide consistent results.  

 So I took out the elastic and added these amazing pockets and it's just as cute and Amelia LOVES pockets.  

 See? It's love.  

 I used some of my vintage sheets for both these dresses and it's perfect for the drape and movement and to showcase the fabric.

  There's also a top and regular length dress option and I already have fabrics picked out for more.  It's a quick and easy, the pattern is easy to understand and organized and the look is stunning!

Seaside Notions has an active Facebook group where frequent sales are announced.  It's worth joining. 

There's a big spring sale right now in fact! Check them out!

Pattern Review: Honeydew Kisses Patterns Josephine Dress

 Honeydew Kisses Patterns Josephine Dress:

It's been awhile since I did any pattern testing.  It's a process I love, but lately I've just felt like sewing what I feel like. But when I saw this call for testers, I knew I wanted to do this dress.  I already own the Seraphina dress pattern (not sewn up yet) and I knew HDKP specialized in beautiful, classic, vintage designs. 

 This dress is no exception: the pleats, the underskirt, cap sleeves, the lace trimmed bodice and the way the sash slides underneath--I love it all.  And of course, the Peter Pan collar gets me every time.  

I used some hoarded fabric and I truly think it's one of the prettiest dresses I've ever made.  I have another one half-completed too!

 The pattern is easy to read and organized. The instructions are terrific, including the pleats! And there's so many different looks just by alternating fabric combinations.

The pattern releases Saturday 2/20/2016 and will be on sale for a limited time!

Baby DYNNI Skirt by Pienkel--Free Pattern

The sweetest pattern company, Pienkel, has made the cutest baby version of her fabulous DYNNI  skirt.  Of course we tested it out and I overdid the cute photos.  

But seriously, I can't help it.

The baby skirt, offered in sizes 6/9m, 9/12m, and 12/18m has all the options of the original: single layer, double layer, ruched layer, knit yoga waist, woven gathered waist.  

 Even pockets.

 Amelia just loves her skirt and it's perfectly sweet for upcoming Valentine's Day.

My older girls still wear their skirts all the time and love them. 

And the best news?  It's FREE.  Just subscribe to the Pienkel newsletter and you will be sewing up your own adorable baby skirt in no time.

Want to see more? Check out these other blog posts featuring the Free DYNNI baby skirt:

Pienkel Blog

MoonStar

Inspinration

Pattern Review: DYYNI Skirt by Pienkel

My favorite designer from a tiny island released another great skirt pattern!  This is the DYYNI skirt with so many options!  I went the simpler route and did single layer skirts for my girls. But the options include single layer, double layer, double layer with gathered ruched detail, pockets, and 2 different types of waistbands.

 Maddie's has an elastic waist and Elle's has a yoga band waist (which she said was the most comfortable thing ever).  Both my girls look great in these.  Perfect for younger girls (starts at size 2, so Amelia will soon be able to wear one too!) and goes all the way to size 16y.  So many possibilities!

 For Maddie we went with a romantic boho look with the rose colored skirt and gold accessories.  Note the side seam pockets.  Love.

 She wore it to church and of course got lots of compliments.  I love the modest midi length. She says it's trendy.  I'm glad.

And here's Giselle's. We went with a fancy black and gold dot fabric.  The skirt has 6 gores making for expert twirling.  Giselle tried it out and admitted it's fun to twirl.  I figured she was too old for that.  

 I don't know if you can tell very well, but the bottom is trimmed with bias tape for a smooth professional finish.  You can either leave it exposed or flipped in for even more design options.

 The inside finishes are very nice, making the inside just as lovely as the outside.  

I highly recommend this skirt.  The printing and cutting is easy, the pattern instructions are excellent and the results are, as you can see, beautiful!

For a limited time the DYYNI skirt is on sale, so get yours now!

Here's the Etsy Shop Link and the discount code is DYYNILAUNCH25.

Pattern Review: Hiekka Skirt by Pienkel

The Hiekka Skirt by Pienkel

A wonderful brand new pattern designer was in need of testers and when I saw the cute simple style, I signed right up!  Maddie had been wanting to do some modeling for me (and get new clothes!) so I checked sizes and she fit the children's 16. The pattern includes all sizes from 2y-16y.

 We headed to the store and she picked out 2 different fabrics because it's reversible! 2 for 1!

The wrap skirt is super simple to sew up--only 2 pattern pieces.  It would be a great pattern for beginners or teaching kids to sew--all of Maddie's Young Women's group would like to sew these for an activity.

 The original pattern has you make this nifty little opening for the ties.  

 She loved it so much that I sewed up a second one.  This one has shorter ties and a snap to hold it together.  I matched the snap to the fabric (I dare you to find it!) so it can be reversible too.  

 The pattern is very easy to follow, organized, and the printing went together perfectly. It's so fast--you can sew up 2 different looks in less than an hour! 

 It fits Maddie perfectly and she wears hers all the time!

I highly recommend this pattern.  It is so rewarding to sew clothing that fits perfectly and is well-liked.

  This one is a winner!

Get your pattern here: Hiekka skirt  on sale for a limited time!

Pattern Review: Ellie Inspired Starboard Suspender Set

When the pattern company, Ellie Inspired, posted a need for testers, I jumped on that ship.  I didn't see what the outfit was before I was selected, so when I saw the set, it took me a long time to get my inspiration.  I like pretty mod, simple outfits for my kids and I wasn't sure how I was going to make a traditional sailor suit look modern. I usually try to use fabrics I already have (must downsize this stash somehow) but nothing worked in my brain.  

I was in Hobby Lobby for some other fabric needs and saw this Michael Miller vintage Parisian-style (Gay Paree) print and knew right away, that would be my fabric.  The pattern set is a snap-crotch shirt with sailor collar, pleats in the back and cuffed-puff sleeves for girls and a suspender skirt (or shorts) with flat front and adjustable straps.

 This pattern set was more involved than I've done lately.  Set in sleeves and button-holes and yokes and plackets.  Nothing particularly hard, just time consuming.  It was actually a nice change to spend some quality time making a quality garment but I remember thinking it took nearly all day to sew.

 I made quite a few adjustments: shortened the skirt quite a bit (I just adore above-knee skirts on tiny people) and shortened the straps (they are almost too short--no room for growing), just sewed the skirt buttons on the front--they aren't functional, took out width in the waistband and tightened the elastic in the back by a lot.  I didn't end up going modern, I went with a vintage fit!  The set also comes with a tie pattern, but I felt that mine was busy enough and I wanted to show off the buttons.

I knew I wanted Amelia to wear her snappy red shoes for the photo shoot and I magically found this pair of knee-socks. You can't really see the print fabric too well, but there's the cutest characters romping around Paris and I knew Amelia needed a beret.

So I used Lil Blue Boo's free knit beret pattern and seriously, 5 minutes later had the most adorable hat.  Luckily Miss A likes wearing hats.

The outfit is so cute, the pictures turned out cute and of course, I think my baby is cute.  

She knew she was cute too, walking around all sassy-like.

She even made the cover for the Etsy listing!

This is part of a huge summer nautical collection that is being released this week. 

I really loved how it turned out and have plans in my mind for more!

 There is so much cute stuff so check it out here!