Super Hero Comic Book Dress – POW… SHAZZAM… OOF

Tags

Comic Dress, DC Comics, fabric, fun fabric, sew exhausted, sewing, Simplicity 4432, Super Hero Dress, vintage pattern

Oh wait... That was old school Batman. Who was MY Super Hero growing up. I adored Batman when I was a little girl. When I was a growing up we were allowed to watch ONE TV Show a day. And we had to NAP! (eye roll) My one show was Batman- on at 4:30 PM. I never missed an episode! I still adore Batman!

 

My girls have different Super Heros. (I am not sure WHAT is wrong with them.) Juliette thinks the sun and moon shines on Spider Man… Holly thinks Superman is the Bee’s Knees… and Kadi- hmmmm… She has never expressed any Super Hero Love. Although she thinks Thor is pretty nice looking. She prefers Picachu overall though I think. Haha…

But this post is all about a dress. A bunch of Super Heros.. all on one dress!

I love to sew for Holly. (My middle daughter) She wears it all. She is not afraid to wear her comic dress to college classes… In -N-Out… park day… the Dr’s office. If she feels like wearing her comic dress on it goes! And boy does she get the attention when she wears it. She is ALWAYS stopped and then people are in awe when they find out I made it.

I feel kinda bad about the awe. Frankly it is just a simple little dress! I guess in this case it’s the FABRIC that makes the dress. 🙂

 

Just look at Thor and Friends BURSTING out of her chest. 😀

I used my favorite vintage pattern for this dress. I first made this dress for Holly last October and it is still at the top of my pile to use! (You can see it here.) It is Simplicity pattern #4432. I love it and it is a perfect little summer dress pattern.

 

 

I did View 3 because we like the sleeveless look. Holly can add a cardigan for those chilly California days! Everything was just as easy last time. Except I was careful in my placement of “super heros” and comic print.

 

I lined the bodice and put a nice long zipper in the back. Lengthwise she prefers it right above her knee. Not too short and not too long in my book! Just right! I did not line the skirt of this one because the fabric was heavy enough without! OH! I used the DC Comic fabric from JoAnns. I bought it on sale (because that is the only way I buy ANYTHING) and Holly could not wait until it was finished.

 

I promise we didn’t actually PICK the neighbors lemon! We just sang “Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemons smell so sweet…” 😉

Holly has worn this A LOT! Which I love. So I immediately knew I could buy MORE fun fabric and make her more dresses. (The kids at the school she works at love when she wears a cool print dress.) Last week I blogged about her Pacman dress. And I bought some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fabric a few weeks ago to add to her collection!

 

And that is the Super Hero Dress. Took a while to hit the blog but better late then never right?!

Lots of sewing has been happening in my little space. And I have lots more to do! I think sewing is a never ending fabulous way to spend most of my spare time. 🙂

Laurie

xo

 

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Hudson Pants- Perfect Pattern Parcel #6

Tags

clothing, easy sewing projects, fabric, Hudson Pants, Indie Patterns, patterns, Perfect Pattern Parcel, sewing, True Bias

Perfect Pattern Parcel #6 is here. And if you haven’t seen it you have to head on over! It is an awesome collection of patterns that you could use to build a great wardrobe! I already made and wrote about The Odette Dress which is the bonus pattern. (If you missed it you can read about my Pac-Mac Odette here).

The Hudson Pants by True Bias have been on my “must have” list for a while so I decided to whip up a pair for my eldest daughter.

I used an olive double faced ponte I purchased from Fabric Mart Fabrics for the Hudsons. Kadi initially wasn’t sure about the weight of the fabric for these pants but when they were finished she was pleased! I made her a size 4 and they fit perfect. Right down to the length. I love when that happens!

There was no drawstring available at my local fabric store so I used that twine. But I plan on getting an olive shoelace and switching it out.

The directions were clear and concise. I love how easy the pockets were. I have seen some sewists using contrasting fabric for the pockets, waistband and ankle bands. I think I will try this next time.

In case you are not yet familiar with The Pattern Parcel here is how it works:

Here at Perfect Pattern Parcel, we believe in supporting independent pattern designers. It’s our opinion that indie patterns are just, well, better than big box patterns, and we’re pretty sure our customers think so too. So, we allow customers to show their support in naming their own price for each Parcel.  We also encourage customers to allocate part of their Parcel price to the charity Donorschoose.org in order to help classrooms in need. Pattern Parcel donates all profits after expenses from Parcel sales to the charity as well. Together we’ve raised over $12,000 for classrooms in need!

The patterns you get?

Syrah Skirt by Lauren Dahl (exclusive release!)

Bronte Top by Jennifer Lauren

Julia Cardigan by Mouse House Creations

Hudson Pant by True Bias

Zsalya Dress by Kate and Rose

See? Isn’t that a fabulous collection? You can literally make a wardrobe!

This Parcel has a BONUS PATTERN: Odette Dress by Bluegingerdoll. When you donate more than $32 you get it as well. Yahoo!

Choose a price of $32 or greater for Parcel #6 and you will automatically also be sent the Bonus Pattern! That’s only $5 a pattern. The Bonus Pattern for this Parcel is the Odette Dress by Bluegingerdoll. Vintage inspired silhouette is had two flattering necklines and a gorgeous skirt. The Odette Dress pattern goes from a size 4 through a 24!

 This is such a great cause! Just imagine, you are giving to a great cause AND getting some great patterns.

If you would like to see more Pattern Parcel makes be sure to follow their FB page and Instagram.

Black and White and Red All Over- The Giselle Dress… FROCTOBER 2014

I fell in love with this pattern months ago and promised myself I would buy it and make it. It was just so pretty and feminine with a cool bohemian/ country girl vibe. (Is there such a thing?) When The Monthly Stitch announced Frocktober AND were doing a week long Sew-Along and feature of the Kate & Rose Giselle pattern I knew I was going to be fulfilling that promise! So, let’s talk about the Giselle.

There are 2 versions of the dress you can choose from. View A is above and has 3/4 sleeves. View B is a sleevelss maxi! I love me a maxi and WILL make one of these for myself. But the dress I was making was for Holly (who has been SPOILED in the dress department the last month or so), and she liked the shorter one. Although you will see I made some changes and sort of blended the two together!

 

 

I used a black and white floral print dress cotton I had bought in Los Angeles in the Fabric District. Can’t remember the shop but I know it was a SUPER deal. It turned out to be one of those pieces of fabric you wish you’d gotten more of. The weight is perfect- not too see through. It didn’t wrinkle too much during the pre-wash phase. And it was 54″ wide so plenty of space to work with. I actually bought it for ME ME ME but I was having trouble finding exactly the fabric I wanted for this dress. I was looking at the waistline pieces (there are 2 versions) and the lines of View A called out to me and said “PIPING.” Yes, I swear I heard the angels sing… and a lightbulb went off above my head… and I remembered the black and white fabric and knew red piping would make a most excellent addition. I would have piped the neck but the remaining packages of red at JoAnns were a different dye lot and I did not want to ruin the fabulous dress by using a slightly lighter red piping!

I am so in love with this dress and pattern. PDF’s are not my favorite thing in the world but I have been getting a little practice lately and this one ended up going together pretty easily. As you have probably noticed we wanted a “spinny” skirt as we call them around here.

I cut a front and a back the width of the fabric. The Maxi has a second ruffle so I borrowed from that look and made a short ruffle to add on. I think that makes it “double spinny” right? 😉

 

Sorry about the blurriness. I was checking out the new BURST feature on my phone camera. My bodice has lining also. I just have a thing about lining bodices. Especially if I am working with a white base. The directions call for bias tape around the sleeves and neckline. I had to think the whole lining thing through before starting because of the extra pieces but it worked beautifully.

 

The Giselle dress also does not have a zipper. Hip Hip Hooray! It is a just loose enough to get over your head and there is a pretty tie back to give the dress nice shape.

 

This dress was a big hit at my house. I have an open stairwell and whenever I finish a project I hang it under the stairs. The next morning when #1 walked by she asked, “who is that dress for? I love it!” Ummm… that is for Holly. Several hours later daughter #3 came down (she likes to sleep until noon) and said, “Who  is that dress for? I want one!” Ummmm… that is for Holly. I guess Holly is a lucky little girl! But frankly, as I tell them, she WEARS what I make her! Sewing for someone who WEARS what you make is a joy! But I will be making more. They will all be a little different- Less skirt and no ruffle on Juliette’s. 3/4 sleeve for Kadi. Maxi for ME ME ME! Seriously a great dress! And Kate & Rose have more delights for you to check out! 

 

Thank you Monthly Stitch for getting the ball rolling on this one. Me and my girls all need MOAR DRESSES!

Happy Sewing!

Laurie xo

Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde Meet Odette- Perfect Pattern Parcel #6

Tags

BlueGinger Doll Patterns, Odette, Pac-Man, PacMan dress, sew exhausted, sewing

Did you know that the video game Pac-Man debuted 30 years ago. WOW! 30 years! It makes it even worse that I remember when the game came out! Guess this means I am getting past the Spring Chicken phase!?

Did you know that Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde were originally named Fickle, Chaser, Ambusher and Stupid?

OK OK… enough with the Pac-Man trivia. That isn’t why I am here! (Although it’s pretty interesting stuff right?!) I am here because I was asked to be a “stop” on the Perfect Pattern Parcel Tour. I love being a part of something that is for a worthy cause. And the Pattern Parcel definitely has one!

You guys seriously do not want to miss out on this collection. There are some fabulous patterns here by some great designers. Pattern Parcel #6 includes the Syrah Skirt by Lauren Dahl (exclusive release!), Bronte Top by Jennifer Lauren, Julia Cardigan by Mouse House Creations, Hudson Pant by True Bias and Zsalya Dress by Kate and Rose. And the BONUS pattern: The Odette Dress by Bluegingerdoll.

I bought this Pac-Man fabric online from Michael Levines in Los Angeles. I knew it would make another fun dress for Holly. When I saw that Odette was part of Pattern Parcel #6 I decided to make a fun Odette! And yes, I think I accomplished one! It is such a perfect pattern for Holly’s tiny shape. I think it would be a great pattern for my not so tiny shape too!

The pdf pattern had a LOT of pieces and at first I almost put it all back in the folder but I decided to forge on. Once I started it wasn’t so bad. I am getting more used to something I refused to do 2 years ago when I first realized there was such a thing. Once you start doing them you realize it ain’t so bad at all! I use glue and my paper cutter which cuts the time in half!

I have never made a BlueGingerDoll pattern before but I love the style of so many of the designs. That Betsy skirt and Ava Jacket. Swoon…

I looked all over for Pac-Man buttons. But there weren’t any to be found so I went with yellow. Pac-Man yellow! I used blue as my insert for a little contrast. And those buttons really work! I made fabulous button holes if I do say so myself!

There are pockets in The Odette- whenever I make Holly a dress with pockets she dances around for a bit! I really should add them to all her dresses!

She started having a lot of fun with this “shoot.” I use the term loosely because I am no photographer!

Here is how the Pattern Parcel works:

Here at Perfect Pattern Parcel, we believe in supporting independent pattern designers. It’s our opinion that indie patterns are just, well, better than big box patterns, and we’re pretty sure our customers think so too. So, we allow customers to show their support in naming their own price for each Parcel.  We also encourage customers to allocate part of their Parcel price to the charity Donorschoose.org in order to help classrooms in need. Pattern Parcel donates all profits after expenses from Parcel sales to the charity as well. Together we’ve raised over $12,000 for classrooms in need!

And the lovely Odette?

She is the Bonus Pattern:

Choose a price of $32 or greater for Parcel #6 and you will automatically also be sent the Bonus Pattern! That’s only $5 a pattern. The Bonus Pattern for this Parcel is the Odette Dress by Bluegingerdoll. Vintage inspired silhouette is had two flattering necklines and a gorgeous skirt. The Odette Dress pattern goes from a size 4 through a 24!

I have to show you the back of the dress right? Well, I guess I could have lined up the “maze.” But it’s a beautiful zipper job and the waistband is perfectly matched up. That makes me happy! I also love the vintage feel the Odette has.

Don’t miss out on this great collection! Get yourself on over to The Perfect Pattern Parcel and make your donation!

And I will leave you with some more Odette pictures to drool over.

Laurie xo

The Sandpoint Tee… A Must Have! (And a discount!)

Tags

easy sewing projects, Indie, Indie Patterns, patterns, Sandpoint Tee, sew, sew exhausted, sewing

Sandpoint Tee

 

Last month I got the opportunity to test the Sandpoint Tee. The Sandpoint is the creation of Helena Ashbridge of GrayDay Patterns. Back in August, The Monthly Stitch hosted Indie Month and included a contest. The winner would get help getting their pattern released! I loved Helena’s tee. It was simple yet stylish. And the back – va va voom! She took a simple tee and made it sexy!

 

 

I used a burnout cotton knit for both versions I made. When you make yours be sure to choose a knit that will drape nicely. 🙂 The pattern is simple- a front and back piece, neck binding, sleeve bindings and the back band that not only helps keep the tee from sliding down your shoulders but adds a nice little designer touch. On the first version I made (the green one) I sewed the band underneath along the shoulder seam. Then I realized it was supposed to be on TOP of the shoulder seam which opens things up for a whole variety of neat versions. (Contrasting color would be neat!)

There are 2 different necklines to choose from. One is a round neck and a v-neck. I made the v-neck both times. One tip- just follow the directions! My mind had a little trouble grasping what Helena meant, but if you follow the picture diagram and just do it you will find you made a beautiful v-neck!

 

 

The green one is mine… But Juliette is notorious for appropriating other peoples clothes (to the dismay of her big sister) and she looks cuter than me so she got the pictures taken… Plus it disappeared off Dolores (my dress form) for approximately a week! I had to demand she bring it back. And then I made her one of her own. (She looks great in orange doesn’t she?)

 

I promised my other 2 girls one too. Kadi already has her fabric picked out! Holly will take whatever I make! I will definitely be making more of the Sandpoint Tee. Like I said, it is more than just a basic tee. It is pretty! And stylish! I would like a black one. And I have a fabulous silk cotton knit that drapes gorgeously!

The Sandpoint is a great tee for beginners as well. Helena walks you through each step and includes clear diagrams! It is being released TODAY! So get on over to GrayDay Patterns and make one, or two, or five of your own! Oh, And Helena is offering a 20% discount from now until 10-26! The discount code is “firstweek.”

 

Congrats to Helena on winning Project Indie with The Monthly Stitch… and congrats on your first pattern! I am looking forward to see what is next up for GrayDay Patterns. 🙂

Laurie

xoxox

Ps. Here is a gallery of photos for your viewing pleasure! 😀