Thank you all for joining me in Ruth’s First Birthday Bash!! I had so much fun celebrating with you all. A special thanks to all the amazing and talented designers that participated. I couldn’t have done it without you!!!

The giveaway ends August 31st so get your entries in now! Follow this link to a Rafflecopter giveaway!! I will announce the winner here on Monday afternoon/evening. We are currently enjoying Ruth’s birthday weekend camping. I am even going to let Ruth try her first s’more! I wonder how she will like it. Let’s take a quick look back over the year and the patterns that one lucky winner will receive as their own little birthday gift!

1month: Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

2months: Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants 3months: Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top 4months: Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans 5months: Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and Sleepshirt 6months: Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero 7months: Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic 8months: FooFoo Threads Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top 9months: MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket 10months: Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top 11months: Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress 1year: Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress Now that you remember what all the patterns are, head on over a Rafflecopter giveaway and enter! Good luck!!

She’s SEW One!!!! Well technically not until 9:16pm but who’s counting? Honestly this year has just flown by. I am trying to prepare myself for time just going faster. It’s inevitable so I hear. But for today, let’s get back to the subject at hand…Ruth! We have several people celebrating with us today too! I can’t wait to introduce you to a couple others that helped celebrate Ruth’s day. Are you dying to know who everyone is yet? Ok ok, let me tell you. We have Elizabeth from Fairytale Designs, Kelly from Green Jazz Face, and Kelly from Kelly’s Sweet Rewards!

Before we talk the technical stuff I want to wish my baby girl a very happy first birthday! I can’t imagine my life without you. You were an unexpected gift that I cherish everyday. You fill mine, your brothers, your Grammy’s and everyone in your life days with smiles, smiles that light up an entire room. You love to know how things work and you are one who loves to analyze with a quizzical brow prior to trying things out. Your ease with life flows like a river that will one day cut its own path, even in rock, and lead you to wherever your heart desires. I look forward to continuing to watch you grow into a lively girl, young lady, and one day an independent woman. Your journey is just beginning. It will have its ups and downs like any journey does, but I promise I will be there to love, support, help and encourage you every step of the way. I love you my dear daughter!!

I couldn’t wait to do Ruth’s 1st birthday photoshoot. But first came the hard part…deciding what dress to make. I knew I wanted something fun yet princess like with a full bottom. I finally decided on the Arianna Dress by Fairytale Designs. When Elizabeth agreed to be a part of the giveaway too I was so excited to dive right in. This dress comes in sizes 0-3mo- 8yrs and even includes the doll size. It features a sweetheart neckline, slightly gathers straps, a scalloped circle overskirt, and circle underskirt. It buttons in the back but you don’t have to do any buttonholes on this one!! There are also four different hem finishes in the pattern. I choose the bias finish for mine. I just love the fact that this pattern has a circle skirt, especially the scalloped overskirt. Now for Ruth’s dress I left off the underskirt and instead put a no sew tutu underneath to give it a very full princess look. I just love it!!!!

Did you notice that banner in the photos? It was custom made by Kelly at Green Jazz Face (or Wedding Banner Love as she is renaming her shop). I found out about her shop a while back as a fellow photographer friend uses her banners all the time. I love how they added a special touch to the photos and knew one day I just had to get one for my photoshoots. This was the perfect occasion for one! Really any occasion is as she makes them for any and all occasions. These are very durable banners as they are made with chipboard and then mod podged for security. Ruth was playing with it at the end of the photoshoot and even though she waved it around and walked on it, she didn’t hurt it one bit. They really make a great addition to any photoshoot and are customizable! I foresee more in my future!!

Of course no first birthday photoshoot is complete without a cake smash session. Ruth’s cake came from Kelly’s Sweet Rewards. It is a delish bakery in the next town over from me that we frequent often and not for just buying sweet treats. Nope she hosts birthday parties, classes for kids and adults, and of course her amazing cakes and other sweet treats. She created an amazing little cake just for Ruth, sewing themed of course! Now I had visions of Ruth digging into her cake and getting those magical cake smash photos. I even made sure that she had cake several days before in order to make sure she liked it, which she did. However the cake smash didn’t quite go as planned. She loved the “spool” of thread on top. But then she touched the frosting…it apparently was squishy, made her dirty, and she just wasn’t having any of that!! After she calmed down I even tried again. Nope she still felt the same about it. She was not getting dirty. So much for my magical cake smash photos. This was reality instead. She loved the cake later (who wouldn’t? Seriously delicious!) when she could eat it with a fork. Well I learned one thing; Ruth doesn’t like getting dirty or frosting covered! Little Diva! LOL

Want to know how to get your hands on pattern, banner, or cake? You can head over to Etsy to buy either the Arianna Dress pattern by Fairytale Designs or your own banner from Green Jazz Face. As for a sweet treat from Kelly’s Sweet Rewards, if you are ever in CT head on over to the Danbury area to get some of the best tasting cakes ever!!! Thank you ladies for making Ruth’s first birthday photoshoot a great success which will give us lasting memories.

Tomorrow will be the last day to enter to the giveaway for all 12 of the PDF patterns I featured in this series. Make sure you head on over to a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter to win. Tell your friends about it too!!!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress

11months! Almost a year old. I’m not ready! Ok, in reality it is so much fun seeing my sweet girl grow up. But on the other hand, losing my baby and gaining a toddler is bitter sweet. But I won’t get all mushy about it until tomorrow…So who are we celebrating with today? None other than Whimsy Couture and the Tulle Ruffle Dress! Let’s see the mischief Ruth is getting into first though!

Ruth is really stepping into toddlerhood now. Literally! She stood on her own and that quickly progressed to her first step. Within two weeks she was walking more than crawling, although she still crawls when she needs to get somewhere quickly. She now has 5 teeth. She is refusing to drink from a sippy cup much to this mommy’s dismay. Crossing my fingers she gets the hang of it soon! No real words yet. She has this laugh that almost sounds slightly evil. She also knows how to work some games on the ipod. Can’t forget about music. Ruth loves dancing and making music of her own with her little piano and xylophone!

Move over Barbie, there’s a new doll in town! When Denise first made the testing call for the Tulle Ruffle Dress I just knew that it would be perfect for the Barbie fabric I have been saving. It certainly came out just as I had imagined. This dress is a peasant style on top with a fluffy fun tulle skirt. The top is fastened with a long tie on one shoulder to tie into a pretty bow. The skirt features 3 tiers of tulle. I made mine out of two colors but you can do all one color, or even three! Go for a different look by making woven or even lace tiers instead! Included are sizes NB-12yrs. Save some paper too as the only pattern piece to print out is the armhole template! After the test the baby versions were lengthened so your final dress won’t be as short as mine. Either way I still love it!! Seriously this was baby girl’s best photo shoot by far!

Guess what? This pattern is currently on sale on Whimsy Couture’s website for only $4.00. Of course don’t forget you can enter a Rafflecopter giveaway to win all 12 patterns featured in this series!

Tomorrow baby girl turns ONE!!! You have to come back to see her never before seen 1st birthday photos! You might want to sign up for blog notifications so you don’t miss it!!!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress

10months already? Really!? This year is going super fast. The next pattern I purposely didn’t participate in the designer’s blog tour as I wanted to give my big reveal here! Today we are welcoming Jenn from Jennuine Designs! If you are current on your pattern releases then you will know that today we are taking a look at the LOL Swing Top. Ruth is first as always though!

Ruthie crawls everywhere and pulls up all the time. She has stood a couple times for a second by herself but loves her tippy toes to get true balance yet. She is soooo happy lately and only cries when she is hungry, dirty, or tired. She “talks” a mile a minute but no real words. Ruth has regressed with the food and doesn’t really care for food lately although she will never say no to Mac n cheese or some banana! Lol she gets up a couple times a night still and has three teeth! She loves her big brothers so much and is regularly carried like a sack of potatoes which sometimes she loves and sometimes not! She also loves getting cuddles with Grammy when Mommy needs to do some sewing. Grammy can always get her to sleep even when she is crabby!

I guess she figures the cows are eating the grass, so why can’t she?  Silly girl!

Now let’s take a look at this fun summer top! This is such a fun and cute top. Ruth wears hers on a regular basis! The LOL Swing Top has an a-line front and racerback yoke. The bottom back is pretty close to a half circle which gives it that swing flowy feel. It comes in sizes NB-12yrs. Now my versions were made in woven as I was on a woven kick at the time, but you can make this out of woven or knit! Double the fun! The tutorial takes you through both ways. For the woven the arms and neck are enclosed with bias trim. You can even hem with the bias tape if you’d like. I know I did! Then the left shoulder closes with a button or snap. Just darling. For the knit version you use ribbing for the neck and arms. Included in the tutorial are two tables for the knit ribbing based on stretch and recovery in order to get the best fit. I made two woven versions during the testing phase and just love them both. I want one in my size!

Head on over the Jennuine Design’s pattern shop  to get your copy. Maybe you can win it instead? Don’t forget to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway!

Tomorrow is 11months and our last day till her 1st birthday! Don’t miss it!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress

9months…Ruth has now lived outside my belly the same amount of time you lived in it! Can time slow down?? Today we are celebrating with MuffinHead Patterns and the Sammy Jacket. Now don’t let the word jacket fool you. This is a versatile pattern that can be a jacket or top! Want to know more? I will give you all the details in a minute. But you know the drill first! Time for Ruth’s update!

She now weighs 16lbs 1oz (15%) and is 27 inches long (25%). Yes she is still my petite girl. Mainly she wears 3-6mo clothes or 6 mos. She still drinks her bottle and holds it herself. She loves Mac and cheese, likes chicken and she even discovered yogurt! She crawls all over and is super fast! She will pull herself up any chance she can get too. She went to her first amusement park and loved the carosel, catipllar train and swings! Mommy is still her favorite person of course!

I just recently started testing for MuffinHead Patterns when Frances started her baby line. They are just darling patterns that are super fast sews with a vintage flair. My personal favorite is the Sammy Jacket. This is a unisex top or jacket that comes in sizes NB-18mo. You can use woven or knit for it too! Included in the pattern are short and long sleeves and an optional pocket. Use snaps or buttons for different looks, or perhaps leave them off all together for another look! What I just love about this pattern is that depending on the type of fabric you use, you can really dress this up or down! For my jacket I choose a twill and no button or snap closure. I think this gave it a really clean and classy look. What do you think? Baby Jackie Oish?

Want your own copy or want to check out MuffinHead’s other great patterns? Well head on over to the Etsy shop! Don’t forget to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win this and all the other patterns featured in the Birthday Bash!!

10months tomorrow! So close to a year!!! You won’t want to miss them!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress

Are you tired of all the girl sewing lately? I know the focus has been on Ruth and while she is adorable and the clothes just as cute, perhaps you would like to see a little something different? Let’s take a little breather and take a look at my handsome men sporting their Boy Bundle up patterns! Haven’t heard of the Bundle Up (gasp!)? Then let me tell you about it first.

This sale features 12 new patterns all by well known designers. These are all brand new boy patterns this time around! Now the best part is that you can make your own bundle. Buy 6 or 8 or 12 patterns. The more you buy the more you save! And trust me you will want all of these! Don’t forget to get them soon as the sale ends 8/29!

When I found out about the Boy Bundle Up I just had to get on the tour. I emailed Robin from Pattern Revolution and luckily she allowed me to participate! Then came time to pick the patterns I would feature. Now that was hard!! There are so many amazing patterns. I finally decided on Greenstyle Creations Shawl Collar Pullover and Brownie Goose Designs Butler Britches.

Let’s dive right in shall we? First up is the Shawl Collar Pullover. This one is by Greenstyle Creations. I have made many garments using Greenstyle Creations patterns. I always find them easy to follow with the end result being exactly what I want. This is no exception. I think it’s the collar that sold me on this one. I love comfy yet classy clothes. Yes, clothes that are comfy enough to play in but still polished. That is what this is: polished comfort. This will be perfect for the upcoming cold weather too. It features long sleeves with cuffs, cuffed hem, optional shoulder tabs, and includes instructions for putting a button on the collar if you so choose! This top ranges in sizes 2T-16. Yay for bigger boy sizes! This pattern is for knits, anywhere from the medium weight to heavy weight knits. I made one for each boy both out of medium weight knit. If you can’t tell from the photos, the Shawl Collar Pullover got a big thumb up!

Next up is Brownie Goose Designs Butler Britches. I have never sewn a Brownie Goose pattern so I was eager to try one. I wasn’t disappointed either. Firstly the look of these pants is just awesome for boys. It is fresh, fun, yet simple. You can create these with a flat front waistband or a continuous elastic one. Also there are two pocket options to choose from and then to make things a little more fun, you can place the pockets anywhere you choose. That’s right there are no right or wrong place to place those pockets! Brownie Goose gives you free range. Finally the cuff is the cherry on top of the sundae. They add that special touch that just gives it that unique and cool look. This one comes in sizes 6-12mo to 10. Paired together with the Shawl Collar Pullover and I have one handsome dude!!

Good luck trying to have self control during this Bundle Up sale! I know I certainly won’t. The combination of patterns could make an entire boys wardrobe. He would certainly be a happy little king then! So head on over and get all 12 patterns. You know you want to!

8months here we come! Today we are lucky to celebrate with FooFoo Threads! I just love FooFoo Threads patterns. Always well written and girly to the MAX!! I literally tracked Jocelyn down and begged to be in her tester group. Lucky for me she accepted me into her trusted group of testers and I have been loving it ever since! Now let me tell you the pattern we are looking at today. It’s the Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit Ruffle Top! But first (you guessed it!) let’s see how much Ruth has grown!

Watch out world, Ruth is mobile now! She started army crawling which quickly turned into regular crawling. This lead to getting into everything! She loves playing with the magnets on the fridge and even has opened a drawer in the bedroom! She usually gets up 2x a night for a bottle and eats 4-6oz. No purees for this girl, she prefers solid food! Her brother has recently taught her to scream. I’m sure there are mommies that share my dismay on that one! Mommy is her favorite person but her brothers make her laugh something fierce!!!

I have to say that I just love this top. Yes, I’m sure you are thinking, “Doesn’t she love everything?” Well you may be right! I fall in love with each pattern all over again just looking back at these photos and patterns! This top comes in sizes 3-6mo-10. It features a fully lined knit bodice, optional flutter sleeves (single, double, or none), a peek-a-boo style ruffle on the top of the skirt with 2-3 ruffles under, and a woven sash. Everything is knit except for the sash. Now if you want to make a woven skirt you can! There is an addendum on how to do that. There are also two other addendums on how to place a digital image on your top using transfer paper, and general info for sewing with knits! This tutorial is very thorough that even a beginner can make this beauty. It is definitely worth the time to make and one of my favorites in Ruth’s wardrobe!

As you can see I made Ruth’s top without the flutter sleeves and sash. This is paired with the Ruched Ruffled leggings also by FooFoo Threads!

Both patterns can be purchased over on Etsy. She offers tiered pricing, so the more you buy, the more you save! To enter to win a copy of the Lucky Penny simply follow a Rafflecopter giveaway link to get all your entries in!

Come back tomorrow for 9months!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress

7months here we come!! How time is just flying! Today I’m welcoming Laurie from Aila and Frankie. Laurie is a new designer but definitely one you will want to get to know. Ruth and I had the pleasure of testing her first pattern release the Honeyflower Dress and Tunic. We love it! She actually wore it to church yesterday too. It really is perfect for any occasion!

Let’s see what Ruth is doing before telling more about the pattern though. She now weighs 14lbs10oz and 26″! That puts her at the 12% for weight and 35% for height. She loves things that crinkle. She also got her first tooth and first cold, both of which happened at the same time. Needless to say she was pretty miserable then, but she still was an easy baby regardless. She just needed extra cuddles. This mommy was more than happy to give those!

Back to the pattern! This pattern offers a huge range of sizes from 0-3mo to 14yrs. It features a halter top with a cute ruffle down the bodice. The back is elastic so it will fit nicely. The bottom features a tulle peek-a-boo hem that is attached to the lining. Now you can leave the lining/tulle off or put another trim on the lining for a whole different look! I choose my look to be princess like! Isn’t it cute?? I just love it!! Oh and don’t let the standing photo fool you. She can’t really stand. I was just insanely fast to capture that!

Want to win this pattern? Want to win 12 patterns? Well click on this link right here: a Rafflecopter giveaway and enter to win! If you need the pattern now, well then head on over to Etsy to purchase the Honeyflower Dress and Tunic.

Don’t forget to come back to see what we are showing off at 8months!!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress

Finally getting my girl after two boys was just great! Now I get to dress her too. If you are like me, I took full advantage of this. What exactly does that mean? Dresses, ruffles, lace, ribbons, oh my! Yes she is always dressed like a girl. After awhile though I was getting a bit tired of bows or headbands being the only option when it came to putting the final touches on an outfit. I needed some cute hats! Well Whimsy Couture answered the call.

Last week they put out two hat patterns: The Bow Turban Hat and The Ruched Beanie. Both patterns are really fast sews which is always a plus in my book! Now add how cute they look and I knew these were going to be amazing! Let’s take a closer look at them shall we?

First let’s look at the Ruched Beanie. This comes in sizes NB-Ladies. Perfect for coordinating mother/daughter outfits. For this pattern you do need to know how to shirr as that is what gives the beanie that ruching. The tutorial walks you through shirring though, so if you have never taken the plunge, now is the perfect time to do so! The top of the beanie is roomy for those growing heads or lots of hair.  It stays securely on though with a band that fits snugly yet comfortably. In the tutorial Denise does walk you through on how to round off the beanie. I rounded off the one for my daughter but kept it more pointed for me. It’s just more fun that way! Comfortable yet fashionable…this is one beanie that veers away from the traditional style to make an awesome girly one!

Now my favorite of the two is the Bow Turban Hat. I absolutely LOVE this one. Perhaps it’s the vintage feel (remember I love vintage) or the comfort. Either way this is a win in my book! This one ranges in sizes 3months-Ladies. Again mother/daughter matching is a must! The tutorial walks you through how to make the turban and the bow with easy to follow steps. Hand sewing is involved in this one. Actually, you could make the whole thing with hand sewing if your machine was out of commission or if you just wanted to. Or perhaps you have a young one wanting to learn to sew?  This would also be a great first sewing project for the beginner seamstress whether young or old! Now the tutorial has you sew the bow right to the turban. I decided to add a band over the knot instead in order to be able to attach any clip I desire. Why be limited to just a bow?

Would you like to learn how to add the band too? I knew you would and that is why I created this tutorial at the end of the post just for you! Before I begin the tutorial though let me tell you how you can get your own copies of these amazing hats. Head on over to the Whimsy Couture website to pick up both the Ruched Beanie and the Bow Turban Hat. These are on sale right now for $2.50 each!!!!! With the ease of construction, range of sizes, and cuteness factor…well you just can’t go wrong!

Tutorial for adding the band to the Bow Turban Hat:

Cut a strip of your fabric for the band. Mine is 5in x 3in and I’m making the 3-12mo hat. You may have to make your strip wider depending on how big your knot is, however I used this same size for my adult hat too. I really try to get my knot as small as possible though!

Fold strip in half RST matching the long raw edges. Sew a 3/8” seam down the raw edge.

Turn your tube and press so that the seam is in the middle.

Take one raw end and fold it down 1/4” and press. Fold another 1/4” and press again.

Turn your hat inside out. We will be attaching the strip to the inside of the hat first. Align the folded edge of the strip on top of the knot making sure it covers all the edges of the knot. You can adjust the gathers on the hat if you want in order to make sure they look even. Don’t smooth them out though! You want the gathers under the strip. Pin in place.

Sew a 1/8” seam on the top of the strip.

Turn your hat right side out and pull the strip towards the front of the hat. My strip is longer than I need as I like to adjust it at this point. Pull your strip as tight or loose as you want it and see where it hits the top of the front knot. Now measure 1/2” beyond that point and cut your strip there.

Now fold the small raw edge of the strip 1/4” and press. Fold another 1/4” and press again.

Align your folded edge right over your previous stitches. Pin in place.

Sew 1/8” from the edge. Cut your threads and you are done!

Now you can insert any clip you would like through the loop! Bow, flower, nothing…the possibilities are endless!

Half way through the year now!! Yes, that is 6months for those that aren’t quite awake to do the math yet. We have Little Kiwi’s Closet to help us celebrate today!! Ruth and I have tested many times for Little Kiwi; in fact we are testing another pattern right now. Lydia never disappoints with her patterns!

Ruth just keeps on growing and is getting stronger and stronger. She can now sit by herself! This makes her photo shoots a bit easier too. You may have noticed the appearance of earrings as she got her ears pierced. Do you notice the drool in some of the pics? She is teething but still has that gummy bear smile! Ruth still loves her bottles but is eating some foods now too. Her favorite is steamed carrots. She just loves her brothers and they can make her giggle all the time. She is just one happy baby!!

The pattern that Ruth got to test with me this month is one that you can use all year round. It also has tons of options. Can you guess which one it is from Little Kiwi‘s Closet? It’s Bella’s Bolero! This great pattern comes in sizes NB-12yrs. You can create many different looks as it includes 3 Views – curved no ties, inward curve with ties and a ballet wrap and 3 Sleeve options (puff, long and 3/4). The one on Ruth is the curved with no ties and 3/4 sleeve. Isn’t it just darling? Best part yet is this is a fast sew!!! I love instant gratification!

To buy this you can head on over here. But don’t forget you have a chance to win this pattern plus 11 other patterns if you enter a Rafflecopter giveaway. That’s right just click on that link and you can start getting your entries in!

Have you been enjoying the tour so far? Make sure you come back tomorrow for 7months!

8/19: 1mo Ladybug Bend’s Sassy Schoolgirl Top

8/20: 2mo Terra’s Treasures Monkey Pants

8/21: 3mo Sewing Mama Raeanna’s Cupcake Top

8/22: 4mo Titchy Threads Small Fry Skinny Jeans

8/23: 5mo Everything Your Mama Made Riley’s Nightgown and sleepshirt

8/24: 6mo Little Kiwi’s Closet Bella’s Bolero

8/25: 7mo Aila and Frankie’s Honeyflower Dress and Tunic

8/26: 8mo FooFoo Thread’s Lucky Penny Girl’s Knit ruffle Top

8/27: 9mo MuffinHead Pattern’s Sammy Jacket

8/28: 10mo Jennuine Design’s LOL Swing Top

8/29: 11mo Whimsy Couture’s Tulle Ruffle Dress

8/30: 1year! Fairytale Pattern Design’s Arianna Dress