Women's Bundle Up Take 2!

It's Bundle Up time again!!!  The Bundle Up sale consists of ELEVEN brand spanking new patterns that are perfect for the rest of Me Made May and all that self care sewing you've been meaning to do.  

With the Bundle Up you can pick and choose which patterns you actually want and get some rocking good prices!  You have to buy at least 6 patterns to be able to bundle up but the more you buy...the more you save!!!  

PRICING DETAILS

•$4.50 each for 6-7 ($27-31.50 total)
•$4.25 each for 8-9 ($34-38.25 total)
•$4.00 each for 10 or more ($40- $44 total)

 I got the pleasure of sewing up Greenstyle's Jillian Tank and Love Notions Bluezette dress.  (Be sure and stop back later this week when I'll be sharing my take on Terra's Treasures Pier 7 top which is also in the Bundle too!)

First, let's talk about this Bluezette.  I made one of the most simple versions but this pattern has sooo many options you could probably make a dozen or more and never have two alike!  Three different sleeve options (tank, cap, and this 1/2 length), 5 different skirt options (maxi, tulip, half circle, high low, knee length), and two different bodice types (fitted and more full so it looks like it's been tucked in) make this one of the most versatile patterns I've seen in a long time.

I choose the fitted bodice with the knee length skirt and the 1/2 sleeves.  I'm already itching to make another one with a circle skirt.  The bodice is a comfy knit and the instructions for lining or doing facings are incredibly clear and easy to follow.  One thing I LOVED about this pattern was the fact that it has hyperlinks between different options!  It makes jumping from one spot to other as simple as clicking your mouse button.   It comes in sizes XS to XXXL and has no trim pages, layers so you can print only the size you want, and lots of ideas and inspiration for great dresses!

Next up is Greenstyle's Jillian tank. Here's what the pattern description says - "The Jillian comes with so many options! An outer, layer tank, an inner tank, a bandeau, and a sports bra are all included in one great pattern. The outer tank can be made with a dressy chiffon and layered over the inner tank for a night out. Or, you can make it sporty by using your favorite performance knit for your trip to the gym or out for a walk."

I used a lightweight burnout knit for my outer tank.  The binding instructions push this over the top making it incredibly professional looking.  You can also use a lightweight flow-y woven fabric for the outer tank.   

The inner tank can have a build in sports bra and there are instructions for making your own binding for the straps and using 1" FOE.  I chose to go the FOE route and omitted the built in bra and this tank was incredibly quick sew up!  The fit is great and the back is super cute!  I see a lot more of these in my future!  Once you have the pattern cut you can probably whip up both the inner and outer tank both in under an hour!

If you want to check out some more reviews be sure and stop by all the other bloggers on the tour!  

Greenstyle Focus on Fall Blog Tour

To me, fall style is all about comfort and being cozy, because of that Greenstyle Creations Focus on Fall Blog Tour got me super excited.  I was thrilled when I heard I got to be a part of it and even MORE thrilled when I learned that Riley Blake would be providing fabric for us to work with!  

I love Greenstyle's patterns because they're so wearable.  They usually very much basic wardrobe staples that can be altered and changed and used again and again.  We got to pick three children's patterns (but they have fantastic adult patterns as well!) to work with.  

First up is the Easy Options tee.  It comes in sizes 3T - 12 years and has 3 different sleeve options and 3 different hem options.  I upcycled a Lego Star Wars shirt.  Originally I had planned to use this to make a shirt for Zeke (who is wearing it in these pictures) but once I started cutting it out I realized that the long sleeves had a slight bell shape to them so I cut it in Kessa's size instead.  Now, as you can see in the pictures, it's a very slight bell and it would be easy to take out and make straight if you wanted a more boyish look.  This is the only time he'll be wearing it...honestly having him model it just make pictures faster which is what we were going for because the kids wanted to get back to their Monopoly game.  lol

I did notice that the Easy Options Tee had a larger neck/neck hole than most of my t-shirt patterns.  I think this probably stuck out to me because I recently saw someone asking for shirts with larger head holes because their child had a large noggin.  ;)  

Next up, Miss Kessa is sporting a Regan Tee and Dress in a thin lavender/navy blue striped knit.  This dress was SOO fast to make and she loves it.  It can be done in shirt or dress length and has several sleeve options as well.  It goes from size 5-14 and is a great staple for your older girls!  In fact, we took these pictures, then the yoga pants, and then she changed back into this dress.  

Again, this style also has slight bell sleeves and a sweet little curved hem on the bottom of the skirt.  I have plans for several more of these.  They'd also be a great base for some shabby fabric flowers or a fun belt!  

And finally, the Yoga Pants.  These are fantastic!  The fit is great, the length was perfect (I made my midget 8 year old the Mediums) and they just look so darn comfy!!!  I have a feeling both my girls will be wearing these a lot this fall and winter as we hunker down inside with our school work.  (And clearly they work well for their intended purpose right?!?!  lol!!!) 

I used a Star Wars font from www.fontspace.com and cut a freezer paper stencil out on my Silhouette to decorate the leg.  Everyone needs just the right outfit for playing Star Wars Monopoly right?  

(I didn't pose them...that's all natural right there!  lol!!!)

And now, for sticking with me all the way to the end I have goodies!!!  A chance to win some great prizes from Greenstyle and Whimsical Fabrics and...a coupon code!  Woot woot!  You can use the code "25discount" for 25% off your purchase from Greenstyle Creations during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

and be sure and check out all the other stops on the tour if you haven't already! Greenstyle Creations Focus on Fall Blog Tour Schedule

October 13- Kick off Post by Blogs Like A Mother
October 14- Friends Stitched Together
October 15- Handmade Boy
October 16- Becca Duval Photography
October 17- The Lady and The Gents
October 18- Snickerdoodle Stew
October 19- The Sewing Sparrow
October 20- Once Upon A Sewing Machine
October 21- Babyfish Designs
October 22- FABulous Home-Sewn
October 23- Gracious Threads
October 24- Wrap Up Post by Blogs Like A Mother

Ravenclaw!

I've talked a bit about Crafting Con already and you can see some pictures of the kids together here, but I thought it would be fun to do a post on each house/outfit that I did.  I figured we'd just go in order of my kiddos' ages which means that we'll be starting with Miss K.  She's a Ravenclaw and her outfit was the first I made.  (Also, just overlook the less than stellar smiles...she was suffering greatly with ichy and hurting bug bites. )

After the photoshoot I thought of a few more things (well, really just one) that I would have done differently, but overall I love the way it turned out!

I used the Amy Maxi skirt from Greenstyle Creations for the base of her outfit.  I spent two nights hand lettering the entire fabric I wanted to use with Harry Potter related words in somewhat of a Subway Art style.  I used a gold (because they didn't have bronze!  lol) paint pen to do all the writing.

Then, because I wanted to tone it down a bit, I put a gray layer of chiffon over it.   Also, if you give this a try you might want to remember that chiffon doesn't stretch and you might need to cut it a bit bigger.  Just sayin....  It's a good thing Kessa is skinny because I didn't think about that before I made hers and it still fits.  ;)  

The chiffon makes it really fun because you can see through it and see the words in some lights....

and in others you can sorta see it....  and then sometimes you can't see the words at all!!!  It's like....magic!  ;)  

For the top I FINALLY used the Shoreline Tank from Jocole Patterns in a lovely blue just perfect for a Ravenclaw.  Where did I find this oh so perfect knit you ask?  In my closet.  It was a 3/4 length v-neck top from Old Navy that I never wear!  Have I mentioned that I heart upcycling?  

I bought the pattern over a year ago on a half-off Wednesday and then just never made it.  Now that I have, I have plans for lots more.  I love it!  I think I'm going to need one or two too.  It's a super fast sew, even with the knit binding on the arms and chest.  Jodi does a great job of walking you through everything and I love the fit!  (This is the size 5 on my skinny almost 8 year old with a smidge of added length.)  

You can also choose to leave off the ruffles if those aren't your thing.  I'm not usually a ruffle girl but I really like them on this tank!  

And then...I cut a Ravenclaw crest from some gold sparkle heat transfer (because again, you can't get bronze!)  

I fought with my Silhouette a lot over this one and ended up cutting most of it by hand.  Thankfully I was able to save the a through w from some of the messed up cuts and didn't have to do all those tiny letters by hand!  

Be sure and come back tomorrow to see all the details of the Gryffindor outfit!