Willow & Co Tester Tour Ash Jumpsuit

The final pattern I tested for the brand spanking new company Willow & Co was the Ash Jumpsuit designed by petit à petit and family.

 This is a great pattern that is full of options! You can choose to make your jumpsuit one piece or separate top and bottoms. My daughter isn't a fan of one pieces, so I went with two.

 Other options are a contrasting facing around the neck, arms and back or plain, a band at the bottom of the shirt, elastic at the bottom of the shirt, and............

Pockets! We had to go with pockets!

 

 Like usual, I made two versions during testing. This version has some fun decorative stitching

along the bottom of the shirt above the band. I wish I would have taken a better shot of it, but oh well.

The baltik pink outfit is a size 8 and it JUST fits. I failed to measure before sewing, big NO NO, and my little model had made a HUGE growth spurt in the two months since her last measurements were taken. So the second set, the white and floral is a size 10 and fits much better. Of course she has worn both sets, and mixed and matched to my horror, several times already. They washed up beautifully and I am happy to report that the neckline didn't need any ironing after washing. My luck!!

 

The pattern was really easy to follow, despite all the different options. And I am thrilled with the results. I want to make her a few more because she has worn these so much already. Must be a hit!

That wraps up all the pattern testing I was so lucky to help Willow & Co with for the upcoming release of their debute line Wanderlust. The release date is tomorrow, Tuesday April 22nd.

You won't want to miss this amazing glamping theme collection that is full of fun inspiring pieces for both boys and girls!

Willow & Co. Tester Tour The Mulberry Tunic

Are you ready to hear about another one of the fabulous patterns being offered
by the amazing new company Willow & Co?

It's the Mulberry Tunic designed by Kid Approved. And guess what, it can be made for BOYS! This pattern is really beautiful with lots of great detailing.

 I made two different tunics for my son. A color blocked version.

 

And a linen one with a hood.

 

The details are so nice! Beautiful topstitching and a fun little tab with a cuff sleeve.

The sleeve cuff is done in a really cool way that I hadn't done before. I really like how it turned out!

And it has inseam pockets! Boys can't get enough pockets! I have already found rocks in them. ;)

He is fishing M&Ms out of his pocket. Little bribes for good posing. ;)

The tabs are a great place to throw a fun little accent button. It's so hard to use cute buttons without making something look cheesy and babyish for little boys. I think this is just the right touch.

The new Wanderlust line comes out April 22nd so make sure you watch out for it! Patterns will be available to purchase individually or as an entire collection. You won't be disappointed at all! It has a glamping theme that has the perfect balance of style and comfort! How fun!!

Be on the look out for the other pattern I tested, the Ash Jumpsuit by petit à petit and family later in the week.

Willow & Co Tester Tour Clover Shorts & Persimmon Dress and Top

I was so incredibly lucky to be chosen to test not one, but four different patterns for the rocking new pattern company Willow & Co. You guys will be soooo happy with what this company has to offer! Their intro collection is called Wanderlust and it is so cool. It is a collection with patterns for both boys and girls with a glamping theme. How cool is that! Total style and comfort in one!!

I tested three girl patterns and one boy pattern. I am going to do my

first review with two of the girl patterns I tested,

the Clover Shorts and the Persimmon Dress and Top designed by Mouse House Creations.

First up, the Clover Shorts. These super cute shorts have a pleated front and button tab belt loops to hold a super cute wide sash. Front pockets are perfect for all the little treasures that little girls collect during the day. Because come on, girls shove everything they find in their pockets, too! I once dug crab apples out of this girl's coat pockets, yuck!

There is plenty of room in the booty for playing on the playground, or going for a hike, or that random cartwheel. Anybody else have a daughter who will just cartwheel in the cereal isle of the grocery store?

This pattern is super versitile and can be made classic and clean or trendy and funky depending on the fabric you choose!

I paired it with the Persimmon Dress and Top. Obviously I made the top length, but I have plans for a dress also! With ruffles! There is a fun option to have side ruffles that I can't wait to sew for her. While my fabric choice is kinda poor to show the details, there are inverted pleats in the bodice and a center accent panel. This was really easy to sew up, don't be intimidated by the pleats!

The arm holes are finished off with bias tape. I made mine, but you are certainly welcome to use store bought. I highly recommend making your own though! It is much softer and lays so much nicer. It's really easy to do! Here is a great tutorial on how by Dana at Dana Made It.

Because of the pleating at the top, the tunic fans out nicely making it nice and comfy and cool. Some day summer will be here and I can imaging this top getting lots of wear. It would be adorable now with a cardigan. And the shorts are darling with tights underneath!

There is also an option to have cute pockets on the front that I opted out of because they would be lost in this print. Next dress however will have pockets! Again, poor fabric choice allows it to be seen, but there is also an accent panel that goes down the front of the shirt. Loads of opportunity for some fun funky styles with that feature!

Oh, did I mention that you can choose to do a small facing or fully line the dress? Because you can!

This pattern would be great for some sheer fabric that needs a lining layer.

These are both pretty easy and quick sews that yield clean, professional results! The release date for the Clover Shorts and the Persimmon Dress and Top and the other seven patterns are scheduled for April 22nd and will be available for purchase at the Willow & Co website. They will be available to purchase individually or as a bundle. Horray! Who doesn't love a bundle!!??

The other patterns I tested were the Mulberry Tunic by Kid Approved.

And the Ash Jumpsuit by petit à petit and family.

I will be doing a separate post for each of those patterns, so stay tuned!!

Caped Awesomeness

My little man here is falling in love more and more every day with super heroes.

His favorite, Batman, hands down.

He even has an awesome Batman room to prove it.

So I knew that a shirt with a cape built in had to happen.

And while it isn't Batman, he still loves it!

Want to make your super hero lover a caped shirt, too? It's easy!

Go grab your favorite t shirt pattern. My happens to be Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop's Boardwalk Henley and Hoodie right now. Seriously, LOVE this shirt! 

Take the back of the shirt pattern and place it over the fabric you will be using for your cape. My cape is knit. This is important! If you are making a knit t shirt, your cape must also be knit so the neck band will stretch so you can get the shirt over your super hero's head. You can't go fight the bad guys if you can't get your shirt over your head!

Trace your pattern piece onto your cape fabric. Notice that I am working on the fold. I traced just the back of the neck and the shoulder seam. Then, mark a point about an inch in from the outside of the shoulder. This is where the edge of your cape will stop along the shoulder seam. You can decide for yourself how much of the shoulder you want your cape to take up. I wanted a good flow to it, but didn't want it to restrict his play.

Then decide how long you want your cape to be. You don't want it so long that it will get caught on things or get shut in doors. My cape is about 10 inches long for my size 4T son. It's a bit longer than the hood of a hoodie. Again, for safety reasons, don't make it long! Shorter is better here!

After you determine your length, use a straight edge and draw a line from the outer point you marked on the shoulder seam, to the bottom of your cape. See, it looks like a cape, right! Well, half a cape since my fabric is still folded, but you get the idea.

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Now, cut that bad boy out! You are then going to make a cape sandwich! Yum! Place the back piece of your t shirt down, right side up. Then place your cape on top of it, right side up. Line up the shoulder and neck pieces. You can baste these together if you like. If you're a rebel like I am, you can sew everything together in one step. Place the front piece of your shirt on top of your cape, right side down. It will look like this. 

See my front is upside down, then my blue cape and then just the very edge of the back of my shirt is peaking out from the bottom of the stack. Sew the shoulder seams together.. Now, just continue on sewing your shirt as your pattern states! If you basted your cape to the back of your shirt, this is easy. Just treat the cape and back as one piece. If you didn't baste, you rebel!, just make sure to keep the cape on the back of your shirt when attaching the neck binding. Also be sure to watch out for little cape pieces sticking out when you sew on your sleeves and sew up your side seams!

See how easy that was! Now, being knit, we didn't finish off any edges of the cape. You are more than welcome to do this if you like, but it really isn't necessary since knit doesn't fray.

Horray for knit!!!

Now, go watch your little super hero save the day in his snazzy new shirt!!

 

 Serious super hero face.

 

Hooray for capes!!!

Hooray for cool boy sewing!!!

Okay, so a disclaimer. Be smart. Don't make a super long cape that can get caught in doors, or on branches while climbing trees, or in any other situation that escapes my imagination. Don't make a cape that is long and can get caught in your child's bike tire. Maybe don't let him ride a bike while wearing his super cool cape.

Keep your cape short to keep your child safe.

I'm not responsible for capes causing weird accidents to your child. You are responsible for the safety of your child. :)

Beyond a tee shirt

I am so loving this pattern by Peek-a-Boo Patterns for my son this spring.

 It's the Boardwalk Henley and Hoodie and it is sooo stylish! And crazy simple to make!

You can make a henley like above.

Or you can do a hoodie!

 

Seriously, it's so easy to make! It also has options for long sleeve, or you can girl it up (ya know, if you are sewing for a girl) with a gathered body or a dress! So many options!! 

The placket is very easy to do and with the option of doing snaps,

there is no fear of messing up a button hole.

And whether you choose the henley or the hoodie, the directions are super clear and easy to follow

making this shirt a very quick project.

With the blocking, you can get a large variety of styles and looks.

I even made one with a special twist! You will have to check back to see what we did

to this super version of the boardwalk. ;)

 

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