Winner & In the Works!

Hello!

First of all...we have a winner!

Congratulations to Jenn!  Random.org has selected you as the winner of the three-pack of patterns!   Send us an email just to confirm the three patterns you would like!

We also though we would let you know what we have in the works!  

We are almost done with a super fun, completely reversible wrap dress with little capped sleeves that we have called Iris and a sweet, pleated front dress we named Elizabeth.  Also a new adorable, ruffled Apron set for mom, daughter and doll!  We are seriously excited about this pattern and think it will make a fun holiday project and gift set!  

 

So in between finishing our bathroom remodel and "play fighting" with Asher and his new light saber, that is what we are working on!

Who wants some patterns?

Alright then!  We will give some away!

We just hit 4,000 sales in our Etsy Shop and 200 followers here on the blog!!!

So we wanted to say "thank you" with a THREE PACK pattern giveaway!

As usual, you must be a public follower of the blog to enter and leave a comment telling us what patterns you would choose if you win!

Giveaway will end Wednesday, August 17th at midnight PST.

Placket Tutorial

Hello!  Remember us?

It has been a busy summer!  We have been away on multiple vacations and in between those we have been working hard on four new dress patterns!

So we are long over due for a new post and thought we would start back today with a tutorial! 

Lately, we have been getting a few questions about how exactly to complete the placket that is found in the Kylie, Goldie, Raven and Isla Dress patterns.  

The word “placket” comes from the Old French plaquer, which means “to lay on,” 
During stressful sewing occasions it has been called other things, not  appropriate to put into print!  

I will simplify plackets for you so they won’t be so intimidating!

A placket is a made on a slit in a dress or shirt is intended to facilitate putting on and removing clothing, giving a nice, clean appearance to the slit made.  We are used to seeing plackets in shirts,  especially men's shirts,  above the cuff, or on skirts that have a button closure at the waistband.

1.  Cut a slit down the center back of the skirt  (some patterns have a back seam- if so then the top few inches of the back is left unsewn.  Fold down the slit so the sides form a straight line.  The placket should be double the size of slit.

2.  Put the placket face down over the turned down area and pin.

3.  This is what it will look like from the skirt side.  Sew across the top.  The seam allowance of the skirt  should be 1/2 inch at the beginning and the end, but in the middle it should be 1/8 inch.

4.  Trim the seam allowance and clip the center  of the “V” down to the seam allowance.

5.  Fold the placket over twice, hiding raw edge of placket and covering seam allowance.  Pin.

6.  Topstitch placket.  To hide stitches “stitch in the ditch” or sew right at the point where the two fabrics are attached.  Just make sure that you are catching the inside (see next photo).

7.  This is what it should look like from the inside.

8.  Fold the right side of the placket under and stitch across the top, reinforcing by going back and forth.

9.  This is what it should look like from the inside.

10.  Finished!  Now you are ready to add the waistband or bodice.

So hopefully that will help clarify the plackets section! 

Have you seen the new "Flutter Skirt" pattern? 

Thanks to Melinda from My2SugarPlums for providing the name!

Ok, back to work on our new patterns!  Hoping to have them ready to go very soon!  

Fourth of July Favorites!

Around here we love the 4th of July!  We all pack up and head to our little cabin up in the little town of Green Valley Lake.   We dress up the kids {and dads, whether they like it or not} and they walk and ride bikes in the sweet parade.  We all sit around the lake afterwards and have a BBQ and play games.
It is like a serious time warp. 

Since it also, my mom's birthday {on the 3rd}, my sister and I are planning the food and fun for the rest of the weekend.  I have been looking around for some inspiration.  I thought I would share my favorites with you!  I am dreaming if I think I will get all one of these actually done, but I can try, right?  

Source: thelongthread.com via tipnut.com

Source: marthastewart.com

Source: blog.hgtv.com

Source:  julytipjunkie.com

Source: funkyvintagekitchenblog.com

 

Source: thecraftychicks.com

So that is what we are up to for the 4th!

What are your plans?

We have a Winner!

Congrats Christy T!!

Send us an email here and tell us which 5 patterns you would like us to send you!

I am off to work like crazy to get the new Ruffled Skirt finished!  

By the way, this skirt needs a name!  

So far we have the "Happy Skirt" and the "Sassy Skirt."  
We need an adjective for this new skirt.  
Leave a comment here with your ideas.  
If we pick yours, we will send you the pattern for free
(when we finish it of course!).

100th Follower Pattern Giveaway!

Woohoo!  We have our 100th follower!  Thank you WinnieL!  

We are so thankful for all of your support and feedback as we are starting this blog that we are doing another pattern giveaway!

So how does a FIVE pack of the child patterns of your choice sound?

To enter you must be a public follower of our blog and leave a comment telling us one of the patterns you would pick, who you would make it for, what fabric you would use and who you would make it for!

That's it!

Giveaway will close Friday night at 12pm PST.

Thank you again for "following" us!

What we are working on Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!

Ever feel like you just need to stop and getaway?  

My husband, Peter, had the busiest teaching year EVER, so we decided that right when school got out to drop everything and just get away!   I work on an on-call basis at our Ritz-Carlton here in Laguna Niguel, which gives me a pretty fabulous employee rate, so we booked a few days up in San Francisco at the Nob Hill Ritz!!  We somehow talked my mom and dad into coming along with us and they even agreed to watch the kids for one of the nights so we could have a date night! 

We packed into our mini-van.

{my parents sat in the WAY back - it was like a total role reversal!}

Thankfully, our kids are actually really great in the car!

We were total tourists the entire weekend!  

Maverick's - Peter got to show us the spot he dares to surf once in a while!

We almost blew away at the Golden Gate Bridge Lookout Spot!

Relaxed at The Beach Chalet with live music & lots of dogs so Harper was a happy girl!

Rode the Carousel!

Met "Captain Hook" - Asher is currently totally into Peter Pan!

 Got to spend lots of fun time with Captain!

 Played in a windmill!

 It was so nice to have Peter around for the whole weekend!

Asher LOVED the cable cars! 

{Gogo & Captain even bought him one - and yes, I said "Gogo & Captain"}

Despite the 14 hour trip home (we took Highway 1), we had a wonderful time!

 The Nob Hill Ritz is dreamy and the city is absolutely magical! 

But now it is time to get back to work!

This Wednesday, we are working hard to get the new ruffled skirt FINALLY finished!  We also have a one-shoulder, ruffle dress in the works, a new wrap dress with capped sleeves and a pleated bodice dress with a fun "twist" for the closure!

The Kylie Doll Dress and Doll Ruffle Pants are coming very soon as well!

Oh and a giveaway is in the works too!