Seamingly Smitten Maxi Dress Pattern Review

In June I shared one of my summer sewing goals was to make myself some maxi dresses.  I made it into a dress making challenge for myself (and anyone who wanted to join me) by noting some maxi dress patterns I'd found and was considering trying.  

Today I'm sharing my results with one: the 

Seamingly Smitten Racerback Maxi Dress Pattern.

One of the big reasons I decided to buy this pattern was the "real women" result photos.  This pattern maker uses a big pool of testers which means lots of finished dress images.  There were so many different body shapes & ages and they all looked great in the dresses.  Seeing all the different dress variations with lengths & finishing helped a lot too.  

The key change I made was instead of doing the racerback, I re-drafted the back bodice to be a normal tank style using a curved dressmaker's ruler.  I don't own any racerback bras and hate the whole "different color undergarment straps sticking out" look.  I didn't want to have to go buy a bunch of bras just for these dresses so I altered that bit.  Everything else about this pattern was exactly what I wanted so I did that minor change and, quite frankly, LOVE it.  

I made two versions of this dress.  One was with the cotton blend knit above (which had been in my stash for eternity) and the other was with some new double brushed poly knit I started carrying in my fabric shop that I wanted to test sew.  Both dress are flattering, super comfortable and I've gotten a number of compliments on them already.  

I used Swedish tracing paper to redraw the neckline area of the back to make it 

normal tank style rather than racerback.

I also want to mention that years go Seamingly Smitten was an advertiser here, but it's been quite some time since then. This, like any other recent patterns, were my own purchases, and I'm not any kind of affiliate, so this is an unbiased, independent review.

Pattern Review Time!

I made the empire waisted, petite size S (4-6).  One thing I really like about Seamingly Smitten patterns is all the sizing & style options that are included.  This pattern covers sizes 0-26, petite, normal & tall and has empire & normal waist and even has optional pockets.  There are also circle skirt and shorter length options if you don't want a standard length maxi dress.  That much fit variation being included in the cuttable pattern saves a ton of customizing time, which is a huge plus for me.  At a 5'0",  I usually have to do a lot of modifying to get the right fit.  I also end up wasting a good amount of fabric that ends up getting cut off the bottom.  Not this time!

I also liked that the skirt portion was printable.  Yes, it takes a bit of paper to make that bit, but it's SO much faster and easier to position that on the fabric that to wrestle with yard sticks and measuring for something this big.  It also made it easier for me to reposition the bodices a bit for cutting so I was able to make one dress with just 2yds and the other with 2 1/4yds rather than the suggested 3 1/4yds, which meant big savings & no fabric wastage.

There are two finishing options for the neck and arm areas: a full lining or doing binding (with the same or coordinating fabric).  I did the lining option on both which was very fast.  I find you're less likely to run into issues doing that if you've got a really stretchy or fiddly fabric, which some stretch knits can be.  There's nothing worse that a fabric giving you trouble at the most noticeable parts of your dress like the neckline.  

My white fabric was a bit thicker and about 30% stretch.  It made the front waist sit a little higher than I'd like, so if I were using a fabric like this again, I'd probably use the normal waist length, but I still really like this one.

The instructions are really clear and there are lots of photos, so if you're a newbie sewist you won't easily get lost or confused.  The pattern instructions recommended sizing down a full size if using fabric with a 4-way stretch.  I was a little concerned that it would be snugger than I wanted so I made the double brushed poly version in the same size and still think it's the best fit for me.  The bodice actually hits in the ideal spot on this one, so I'd definitely do it the same way for future 4-way stretch/DBP versions at this weight.  

This PDF pattern is also just $4 (thank you summertime sale prices!), over in the Seamingly Smitten Etsy shop, so it's an incredibly good buy.  I've already made two and definitely plan to make more dresses with it, so that price tag is a bargain.  With a little hemming tweak you could also use the bodice portion as a basic tank or tankini top too.  

Now I've got some beautiful, bargain priced, summer dresses that weren't too time consuming to whip up and I've got a dependable pattern so I can keep making myself more for future summers. 

My Pattern Review Score?  

Updated Dynamite Dinosaur Cape + Baby & Kid's Costume Pattern Giveaway!

Halloween is coming up, so I thought now would be the perfect time to share my newly updated Baby & Kids's Dynamite Dinosaur Cape PDF Pattern and do a GIVEAWAY for a few copies of it AND some other fun costume patterns!  

I designed this cuddly fleece cape with colorful spines that go all the way down to the tail. The hood has large dinosaur eyes with choice of button, felt or safety eye details. Soft teeth around the mouth of the hood give this cape some extra "bite" - but not too much! 

The cape is also fully lined, so it's perfect for staying warm while trick-or-treating or playing outside.  Having the choice of a snap or hook & eye closure at neck keeps cape on while the little dinosaur runs and plays.  The generous kid's size fits approximately 3-7 years, so it can get multiple years of enjoyment too.  

I've now added a 12mos-2T size option so the littlest trick or treaters and dinosaur lovers can have their own capes too!

Switch up the colors for a different look too.  Go girly like this pink version for a sweet little dinosaur (perfect for dinos who are more sugar & spice types):

Or try just about any color combo for a unique look. This pattern makes the perfect costume for Halloween or playing dress-up because it's so easy to wear - just slip on over any coats or clothing and instant dinosaur transformation!  

In addition to the bonus baby size option, I've also included more detailed directions and extra step-by-step photos to make it even easier to make.  

You now get BOTH sizes and all the updates for the original pattern price!

I offer this pattern in my Etsy shop, The Green Hedgehog, as well as my ever-popular Space Princess Hairdo Hat and Gown Patterns:

This little hairdo hat always gets oohs and ahhs wherever it's worn:

and looks so cute with the matching belted gown:

and there's my unique Little Space Vader Hat PDF Pattern that includes three sizes for ages 0-6months, 6-24 months and 3-7 years:

I'm giving away prize packs of ALL these patterns to THREE lucky winners!  

Each random winner will receive a PDF pattern bundle of each of the following:

My Dynamite Dinosaur Cape Pattern

My Little Space Vader Hat Pattern 

My Space Princess Hairdo Hat Pattern

My Space Princess Gown Pattern

And the giveaway is open worldwide!

That's over $25's worth of patterns the kids will love!  Enter now for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming Out of Handmade Retirement & Furry Slippers for Everyone!

I've made a crazy crafting decision this fall: to come out of my self-imposed handmade retirement and start making items for my shop again.  And I'm making fun new things too!



A few years back I was cranking out loads of whimsical hats and costume-y wearables for my Etsy shop, The Green Hedgehog, on a regular basis. 

While having lots of orders was a blessing, and it was awesome to have my creations featured in great places (even on Parenting.com!), it was sucking me dry in the free time & time with my family departments, so I scaled back.  Now, after the time away and my kids getting older, I've been feeling the vibe and am making select designs again.

Fleece Hats by The Green Hedgehog

I've been working on new goodies too, like my Fluffy Furry Monster Slippers.  Some are wild and colorful for pajama-time fun:

Others are more classic furry, like my original chocolate brown Fuzzball Slippers that are ideal for fans of Wookies, brown bears and furry feet:

Or my newest ivory Frozen Fluffy Slippers, that work great for fans of the yeti, polar bears, the 70s fur boot craze or Frozen:

And since nearly everyone likes fluffy faux fur, I'm doing baby, kid and adult sizes (why should just the littlest feet get all the fun?):

They've all got a cosy fleece lining and flip up-or-down cuffs and choice of over-the shoe or non-slip sole style:

And I've still got my costume PDF patterns in the shop for those that like to sew something special for dress-up or Halloween:

Plus my popular year-round daily wear patterns:

I'm excited to be back in the saddle & working on all new designs too.  I'd love for you to check them out and stop by The Green Hedgehog social media and say hi!  

Free Pattern Finds: DIY Shortie Pajamas + Ginger Shorties Pattern

It's time for another edition of my new monthly feature: Free Pattern Finds.  It's a simple concept - I share details on free patterns I've found and add my experience trying them out. No sponsored or biased reviews, no blog tour that's really just an advertorial to buy a pattern.  These are patterns that don't cost a thing, so you can go grab 'em yourself for FREE!   

Today is actually sort of a 2 for 1 pattern freebie.  The first part is the Ginger Shorties Pattern by Sew Like My Mom.  

Pattern Details: Versatile knit shorts with a wide waistband in sizes 12months-8yrs. Simple enough for a beginner and no serger required.  I made these with some pink terry remnants I had leftover from making my own shorts:

I really love this pattern.  It's incredibly quick to sew up and uses very little fabric - such a great way to use up those precious knit scraps or make the most of pricey prints.

Those pink shorts have been put through their paces this summer with running around and being tugged on & off, yet they still look as fresh as the day I made them.  I LOVE that.

And now for the second pattern part: 

DIY Shortie Pajamas!

I combined the Ginger Shorties with my own top pattern to make the perfect DIY shortie pajama set.

Pattern Details: I modified a shirt pattern I made for these poo-themed pajamas a few months back.  I used my Lots of Looks DIY Pattern as the base shape and just did short sleeves and no hem band instead.  

In that original post I showed how to take a shirt from the closet and use it to draft a handy top (or dress or nightgown) pattern.

I used grey rib knit for the waistband on the pj shorts, but the great thing with Ginger Shorties pattern is that you can also use the main knit fabric and it works just as well.  Just one addition was I added 2 inch wide elastic to the band.  The pattern didn't call for it, but it would have been way too floppy without it on my slim waisted girl:

I finally cut into some of my ridiculous collection Ooga Booga knits to make this little set.  I didn't make them snug in the hopes they can been worn through next summer too:

I'd been saving hoarding this fabric for way too long and am glad to make it useful (she even wanted to keep wearing them after the photo shoot):

As my kids get bigger it's getting harder and harder to find cute knit pajamas that are cotton.  For some stupid reason a lot of stores switch to that horrible cheap polyester that's laden with flame retardant chemicals or charge upwards of $35 for a small selection of cotton versions like my DIY'd sets.  With this simple combo, it's fairly fast and much cheaper to do my own.  Nite-nite!

Got a freebie pattern find you love? Share it in the comments so we can all try it out!