Do you ever have that moment when your fabric inspires what pattern you use? I did with this project! Even better? My envision came out perfect with this one and I couldn’t be happier! Between the amazing fabrics and a great pattern, my baby girl is really styling. She is a bright and shining star in the dreary cold of winter!

Aren’t the fabrics so beautiful? Let me let you in on a little secret with these fabrics. I know you are all probably wondering where I got them and if they are from any of the more main stream vendors. Well they aren’t! Yes, I could have bought them from a more mainstream shop but I just love the customer service at Trixie’s Fabrics. I knew I wanted to work with the unicorns but wasn’t sure on which colorway or which coordinate. When I messaged Trixie through Facebook, she has a wonderful group for her fabrics, Trixie took photos of the fabrics together so I could see what they looked like. When I was still undecided she helped me even further but letting me know which were better matches than you could see in a photo! With her help, I decided on Blue Stars on Pink Cotton Lycra Jersey and a very yummy Organic Euro Unicorn Knit in the Aqua colorway. If it wasn’t for this I would have picked an entire different combo and not gotten this amazing end result! If you like this kind of service and great fabrics I highly encourage you to head over to the group and join! If you just want to shop she also has an Etsy store!

Before picking the perfect fabric combo I knew that the unicorns and stars had to be used on a pattern I have had for awhile but still hadn’t made. I have admired Shwin & Shwin patterns for awhile and have a few of them.  They are modern too!   I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. The pattern I used was the Lucille Top by Shwin & Shwin. I just love that this is designed for color blocking, the angled look, as well as the pleats that create a puffy shoulder. This raglan shirt comes in sizes 12-18mo to 8yrs. The overall fit is great. My girl is short at only a 7% for her age so the top is more of a tunic on her. That is fine by me as I love me some skinny jeans and leggings with almost everything. Another feature this pattern comes with is a cuff option for the sleeves. I had originally added the cuffs but then cut them off. After attaching them and trying it on my girl I found the cuffs made the sleeves way to long which in turn made it lose the shape at the shoulder. They also were a little on the tight side. I much prefer it without the cuffs for sure. I will try the cuffs again in the future but definitely cut some of the sleeve off so I don’t lose the shoulder shape. Overall this pattern is very easy and cute. You do have to pay attention when pleating the shoulders so they all go the same way, but even with that it is a quick sew. I was able to sew mine up in about 1.5hrs and that is with some fussy cutting of the unicorn fabric so I could feature a unicorn on each piece.

Don’t you just love when a project comes out just as you had imagined? I sure do. That feeling of satisfaction is unlike any other. One of the greatest highs of sewing! So head on over to Trixie’s Fabrics and snag some fabric that inspires you and create a look for someone you love (which can include yourself) for your own sewing high! Happy sewing!

Winter is here. Yes, I said it although I’m not too happy about it! I do try to look on the bright side of the chilly days and even chillier nights though. That bright side is very cozy too as winter sewing entails cozy material. I have just fallen in love with flannel this season too! What better way is there to make use of flannel and sew up some holiday pjs? I have sewed many outfits, dresses, sweatshirts, etc, but I don’t sew many pjs. Not sure why to tell you the truth. Certainly something that will be changing! Today though I have a chance to introduce you to a set of pjs that are comfy, cute, and girly too!

Take a look at the Ruffled Pjs by Once Upon a Sew! These are girls’ pjs that are made out of woven fabric and come in sizes 12mo-6. This is a 2-piece set with a top and pants. With an empire bodice with flowing skirt, this pj top is perfectly sweet. The top also features a lined bodice that closes in the back with buttons, snaps, or Velcro, and has elastic at the wrists. The pants have an elastic waist and can be created with or without the contrasting cuff.

I am just in love with these! If I could fit into them I’d make myself a pair too! They look so comfy and cute to boot! I know I’m a little bias but I think my girl looks like a baby doll in her pjs. Before bed she is quite active however the Ruffled Pjs didn’t restrict her in any way. When she finally did give up the battle and surrender to sleep she looked so cozy in her new pjs. The fit is great! I made a size 12mo and they were roomy without being overly big. The pattern is very easy to follow and a beginner could certainly sew this up without any problems. It also didn’t take a huge amount of time too. For me I sewed these up in one afternoon or around 2-3hrs. I closed mine with snaps to make is quicker for dressing a squirmy toddler. I also didn’t put the extra ruffle in the bodice as I liked the look without. I will certainly be making more of these and already have more flannel! I am also tempted to make this as a regular outfit as it doesn’t need to be limited to just pjs either!

If you have a girl then you need these pjs for her! I know there are many girls out there that don’t like nightgowns but have mamas still want to sew something a little girly for them. This is the perfect solution! Get your copy on sale for $5 over on Etsy with no coupon code needed. Don’t wait for too long though as it is only on sale till December 6th. Also don’t forget to check out the Once Upon a Sewing Machine blog for all the other tour stops for more beautiful pjs!

Good night sweet girl! Mama loves you…

I know many of you have already started your holiday sewing and I know some won’t start till the last minute! I fall into that last category. Good thing these blog tours are keeping me on time this year! Are you ready for another great holiday sew? Today we are looking at a very versatile pattern by Lil Luxe Collection! I am so excited to be apart of this pattern tour. I have admired these patterns since their release and have wanted to try one. I just love the modern fashionista look they have. And yes, this is my first one I have sewed, but it won’t be my last! Today we are looking at the Rouche and Division top, holiday style.

This top is just absolutely fun! It comes in sizes 18mo-8 and can be made in knit and woven. The swing style is just so flattering on girls but the best part is the surprise in the back. The division in the title is the division in the back where you can put a contrasting or non-contrasting panel for extra swing. Do you see the rouche yet? The rouche is the rouche you can add to the long or short sleeves. Not only will you get fun style with this pattern but also a great tutorial that is clearly written and even includes instructions for a customized fit. The pattern pieces are digitally drawn and also include a layering option so you only have to print the size you need! This is definitely a pattern that a beginner could handle.

For my top I made a size 18mo. My girl is still in a 12mo size so I did need to shorten the sleeves for her. The fit is great though! Now for my panel in back I used lace. Does that really surprise you? You know how I love lace! I wanted to keep the scalloped hem on the lace so I took the hem allowance off the panel pattern piece prior to cutting. When hemming the rest of the top it then lined up perfectly! The only other change I made was topstitching the seams of the panel to the side piece. I just love this!

I know many of you have done a little Black Friday shopping but today is Cyber Monday. The means there are still sales going on! Best of all, Lil Luxe Collection patterns is still on sale! Yes, all patterns are still 50%! If you don’t read this blog till Tuesday though you need to first subscribe to my blog so you can get email alerts and then still head over to the Lil Luxe website and get the patterns for 30% off with code “blog tour”.

The fun doesn’t stop there though! There is also a giveaway. Wahoo! I just love giveaways. I won’t bother asking you if you want to know the prizes because I know you do! Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance at winning: $25 from Owl and Drum Sew very Modern, $25 from Bobbie Lou Fabric Factory , or $25 from Imagine Gnats. The fun then continues as Jess will also be starting a Monthly pattern of choice giveaway. Every month she will choose one winner from her Instagram followers. Followers must tag @jessbluxe with their Lil Luxe Collection pattern creation. A winner will be chosen every first of the month starting with January 1, 2015. Guess it’s time to sign up for an Instagram huh?

I just love sewing for the holidays! The inspiration is amazing. Don’t forget to check out all the stops on the Lil Luxe Holiday Blog Tour. I can’t wait to see everyone’s holiday version of these patterns!