Elegance & Elephants' Flora Dress

Welcome to those who are visiting my blog for the first time and welcome back if you've been here before. I'm thrilled to be part of Elegance and Elephant's Flora Dress & Tunic Blog Tour!

I really love the way this Flora Dress turned out. I realize that this sounds like I'm virtually high five-ing myself a little but let me explain. I've been excited to sew this up for a while now, ever since I started seeing Heidi's versions on Instagram, and was probably even more so when I saw the tester photos. Then, as my date for this tour got closer, I started getting a little nervous because I wanted to do something different and truly spectacular to show why-you-need-this-pattern.

But guess what? It's time to exhale. The beauty of this very versatile pattern is that you don't actually have to do something different or spectacular to wind up with something absolutely amazing. You can choose your own sewing adventure by choosing your fabric (my favorite part), selecting one of the three views and what sleeve length makes sense to you and then let it be. There are no buttons, zippers or other intimidating closures to procrastinate and the fit is relaxed and easy.

I started by choosing this cotton fabric that I have been hoarding in my stash. The color seemed perfect for falling leaves and the print seemed like it would appeal to my ten year old daughter. I decided on view A because I didn't want to break up the floral any more than absolutely necessary and short sleeves because I live in Southern California where short sleeves make sense most of the year.

Instead of lining the dress strictly as written, I opted to use the same pattern pieces for the lining as for the exterior bodice and skirt, cutting the skirt an inch shorter. I also added in-seam pockets because (1) skirt pockets almost always seem like a good idea and (2) they're a final chance to throw another print into the mix - surprise!

My daughter absolutely loves this dress. When I asked her if she'd like another one she said, "Yes, but in a different fabric and color so it won't be exactly the same." Got it.

So, I hope you decide to make your own different and truly spectacular version of the Flora Dress & Tunic! The PDF pattern is available in the Elegance and Elephants' shop AND until December 8, 2017 (4pm PST), Heidi is offering a 10% discount when you enter the code FTD10 at checkout. Happy sewing!

Photography by Jessica Peterson

Elegance & Elephants Mira Blog Tour

Bonjour! Welcome to those who are visiting my blog for the very first time. I hope you enjoy reading about my sewing and crafting adventures. Today, I'm thrilled to participate in my first ever blog tour for Elegance & Elephants' Mira Dress Pattern. I'm a longtime fan of Heidi's patterns and was so thrilled that she allowed me to try out this dress and share my opinions with you. If you'd like to purchase your own Mira Dress Pattern, the coupon code "MIRATOUR" has been set up for the week, and it will be for 10% off your entire order from Elegance and Elephants shop. This code will expire on Monday, March 27 at 11:59PM PST.

In my house, Halloween costumes make an enthusiastic debut for parties and trick or treating and then get worn again and again throughout the year (more about that here and here). This time, I decided to make a dress just for dress-up . . . in March. I was inspired by the new Beauty and the Beast movie and can't wait to see it with my girls. Belle is one of my very favorite princesses . . . so let's talk about this dress!

The sleeveless Mira dress includes three different views, each with a lined bodice, invisible zipper,  squared neckline and full, gathered skirt. Two of those views have a center panel in the front, gathered or plain, that to me seemed perfect for all sorts of princess-y variations. In these pictures, my daughter is layering her dress over a shirt that we already owned, but it can be worn without as a sleeveless dress version. She is also wearing a petticoat slip, that we've had for ages, to add a little extra volume to the skirt.

I made the center panel out of a pretty red/orange cotton floral and pieced together a sort of corset-y, wrap look that would be comfortable on a little girl. Because this is a dress-up dress, I didn't want a lot of parts or pieces that would need to be put on separately. The faux laces on the bodice are stitched down, all except for the bow at the end which I may decide to tack down later. The bows on the straps are removable but not essential to the costume - it can be worn without them.

With the same goal of easy wear, the apron, towel and pouch at the skirt are all attached to the dress. Hooray! No need to tie them on every. single. time. And while I'm complaining about dress-up pitfalls, can I brag that this dress has no fussy satin, delicate/scratchy tulle or hook-and-loop closures to snag on other items in the wash? I added some stripe-y in-seam pockets because I just love pockets. Long live pockets!

Invisible zips are so pretty and Heidi's directions and many, many pictures demystify the whole process. Much of my sewing takes place at the end of the day so I appreciate easy, step-by-step instructions.

My eldest daughter loves this twirly, comfortable dress and plans to proudly wear it to the movie theater . . . So, please excuse me now, it seems I need to get started on a second dress for my youngest daughter. Happy sewing!

The Festivity Dress, aka The Pinecone Dress

I was lucky enough to test Elegance & Elephant's Festivity Dress before it's release last November. This pattern offers two styles: a fit and flare silhouette with twirly, flouncy skirt and a simpler, faster A-line option. Since I wanted this dress to be Evelyn's holiday dress, I opted for the fuller fit and flare dress but I actually think that the A-line option might be really handy for larger or directional prints when you don't want to worry about those pretty, but pesky, princess seams breaking it up. Plus, a time-saving A-line dress might just be the difference between making one holiday dress or two (ahem). 

I decided on a 3/4 sleeve because it felt just right with this ladylike little dress but the pattern allows you to choose your own sleeve-length adventure.

I confess that I'm a "dress person." I love color and pattern and dresses are a really great canvas for both. Sewing for my kids makes it even more fun because I feel like they can pull off a wide variety of prints and styles. I'm not sure how well this silvery, glitter-flecked fabric shows in the pictures but, in person, it reminds me of a wearable vintage Christmas card: perfection.

Disclosure: I received this pattern in exchange for my feedback on my experiences as well as photos of the completed dress. However, any opinions expressed are my own and reflect my own experiences with the pattern.

Elegance & Elephants' Mori Dress

Linen and ruffles? Be still my heart! I found this beautiful, vibrant, citron linen at Carmel Fabrics in Los Angeles' Fabric District. I learned about the store when Dana Willard posted about fabric shopping years ago on  MADE EVERYDAY. Now, it's a frequent stop when I visit downtown. They have a huge variety of quality, well-priced linen which is especially nice when I'm trying to make coordinating, rather than matching, dresses for my two girls.

Evelyn loves this dress as you can see from her many, many original poses. The pattern is Elegance & Elephant's Mori Dress but I modified it a little by using a different ruffle. I lengthened the ruffle piece from Elegance & Elephants' Ruffle Top Dress and hemmed one edge of the ruffle so that it could be a single layer. 

The dress is a pull-over style, with no closures, and a tie adjusts the fit at the waist. Ribbon or bias tape is an option on the pattern but I really like the big, floppy bow look so I created a wider sash out of the linen.

I love how the dress turned out, sweet and a little bit dramatic, exactly like Evelyn.

Photography by Jessica Peterson

Bohemian Babydoll Valentine

Elegance and Elephants' Bohemian Babydoll made a great Valentine's Dress for Abby last year . . . but I never really took any pictures of it. So, with Valentine's Day approaching and before she outgrows it completely (it's kind of a tunic-y length at this point) here are some pictures of this sweet dress taken by my lovely photo pro sister-in-law.

For the top portion of the dress I used the "alternative method" to attach the lining. If you've never assembled a lined dress/top that way, I think the video tutorial is really helpful. Heidi posted about the method here but there is a handy link to the post in the pattern as well.

The Bohemian Babydoll has a loose, easy fit with no closures and a high-low hem. I lined the sleeves with a purple/lavender seersucker stripe from my stash - using the same fabric for the hem facing - and put a strappy lavender tank underneath for more coverage. A pair of purple tights from Target completed the outfit. Abby loved her heart dress so much that little sister Evelyn wanted one too.

Pattern Test: Bubble Pocket Shorts

Have you seen Elegance & Elephant's newest pattern, the Bubble Pocket shorts? They are sweet, stylish and - best of all - a breeze to put together.

 Plus, Jessica was in town when I made these so my photos are much cuter than usual. I love these grouchy Evelyn pictures. She's trying so hard not to smile, especially when proudly showing off the shorts' waistband (and her cute belly).

 You can't see me in this picture but I'm silently patting myself on the back for managing to match my stripes - hooray!  A little bit of a pain but totally worth it in the end. I fell in love with this scalloped fabric on a Joann's trip and went back later for the gray and white floral that I used on the contrasting waistband, leg cuffs and side panels.

Elegance & Elephants' First Pattern

If you're visiting from Elegance & Elephants . . . Welcome!  Kick up your feet and stay a while.  For an easy short-cut to my sewing-related posts, there is a link in the sidebar to your right >>>.  Thanks for stopping by!

Have you ever visited Elegance & Elephants? It's a beautiful sewing blog and she is launching her first pattern next week - hooray!  It's called the Ruffle Top and I had a chance to test it out the A-line dress version for Evelyn.  There are three versions included in the pattern - a tunic top, A-line dress and swing dress (full skirt, party-ready).  Plus, the sizing goes from 18 months all the way to an 8.  With my oldest daughter turning six this year, I'm starting to appreciate patterns that go beyond a 5T.

 I love that this dress doesn't look like any of the other dresses in Evelyn's closet.  The princess seaming and A-line shape on this particular version is a nice chance from the high waist/full skirt on many of her other dresses.  And can we talk about the ruffles?  I love them - so sweet but not over the top!  The A-line version calls for a tie in the back and I followed the same placement but extended the ties to a finished length of 27" so that I could tie it in the front, kind of like a faux wrap.

The fabric is a twill from last year's Little Lisette Spring Collection (Jo-Ann Fabrics).  I picked mine up on clearance a couple of months ago and I've been hoarding it ever since, just waiting for the perfect project.  I gave Evelyn a choice of two buttons and wasn't really too surprised with her choice.  The fish bowl button is quirky and fun, a little surprise on the back of the dress.

Flower v. Fishy?  The fishy won!

 

You know what they say about two-year-olds?  Busy, busy.  She almost immediately picked a flower and started counting up the petals.

 

A view from the front . . . and the back.  Because I was testing the pattern, I didn't alter the measurements at all so you can imagine how relieved (and excited) I was that it was a perfect fit.  The ties give a tailored look AND allow wiggle room if you need it.

Those sweet ruffles.