My Leave the Light On Fabric House for the Holidays

In better-late-than-never news, I finally have a moment to share one of the few holiday projects I had time to make this year.  In normal circumstances, I spend the season making a number of decor & wearables, but this year it's felt like everything has been preventing me from getting into my craft room (including getting hit with another virus this week as soon as I'd expected some down time...when will it end?!?).  So I was extra grateful to have the time a little while back to make this sweet little light up fabric house.

I used the Aunties Two Leave the Light on Pattern to make it.  Full disclosure, I actually purchased the pattern to carry in my shop.  I thought it was so cute and loved that it also came with a bonus pattern to make a mini ornament version:

There weren't a lot of "beauty shots" really showing the finished house in full and I also like to test out specialty patterns to see how they are to sew up, so I picked out some Christmas-y fabrics and set to making one for myself.

This fabric house is nice & sturdy thanks to good stabilization.

It's fully lined and opens up to put in battery powered tea lights or fairy lights:

By using template plastic or vellum paper for the windows, it gives off a soft glow:

Overall, the directions are really good.  I also liked that the designer offers some YouTube videos to show how to assembly some of the more complicated steps, like how to bind the windows.  The techniques used were easier than I expected, which was helpful since I'm not sewing as often these days:

The roof and sides are supposed to have a clapboard effect to be scrap-friendly.  The one variation I made was to only do the clapboard on the roof, since I wanted to showcase the pine tree print of the fabric on the sides.  The fabric collection I used was Comfort & Joy by Create Joy Project, which I also carry in my shop.  By using the teal color ways, I can keep my little house out long after Christmas for an extended decor season.  After putting the time into making it, I wanted to maximize its use!

I would make this again and definitely will do some of the ornaments since those are even quicker to put together.  If I can find a little time, I might try to do some to give as gifts this year.  I also could see doing another version in the future with a gingerbread motif, so I'm going to keep this pattern in my holiday sewing stash.  

I just love when goodies I find for my shop end up being great finds for my own stash too!

Melly Sews Empire Waist Maxi Dress Pattern Review

More maxi dress making over here!  Today I'm sharing my latest maxi dress make and accompanying pattern review of Melly Sews Empire Waist Maxi Dress Pattern. 

In June I shared that 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 and this is one of them.  

A few weeks ago I shared my results with the 

Seamingly Smitten Racerback Maxi Dress Pattern:

And now I'm onto Melly Sews Empire Waist Maxi Dress Pattern.  One of the big reasons I decided to try this one was that it was free.  You can't beat that price!  Another was that I've sewn some of her other patterns and they were straightforward, simple sew items that were really flattering, like this Blank Slate T-Shirt Pattern: 

So I felt confident giving this pattern a go and it did not disappoint.

The finished result is definitely flattering and comfortable.  I LOVED the colors and print of the fabric chosen for her sample, so I was hoping I could make one I liked as much with fabric I had in my stash.  My 4 way stretch knit was one I'd bought on a vacation eons ago while in Canada (because prioritizing going to fabric stores on vacation is totally normal, right?).  I'd been saving it to make myself something to wear, but hadn't found the right thing until now.

As I've mentioned in past pattern reviews I'm not any kind of affiliate, so this is an unbiased, independent review.

Pattern Review Time!

The big plus for me was this free pattern came in my size, S (4-6).  If you need bigger, you'd need to scale it up accordingly.  The original pattern tutorial (which is where the actual pdf pattern pieces can be found) was called the Striped Maxi Sundress and also featured a drawstring waist.  I skipped that bit and just ran elastic through the casing and sewed it closed.

The bodice is the only printable part of the pattern - you do have to measure out the skirt portion.  My print was non-directional so I was able to place my pieces creatively to make the entire dress from 1.5yds rather than the 3yds indicated in the how-to.   

The dress is self-lined at the bodice which was SO nice and easy to sew.  No fiddly bits on the neckline or arm areas, which made it come together really fast.  

It's also nice in that it gets the all-important neckline right.  It's not too low and lies flat at the chest:

The instructions are really clear and there are lots of photos, so if even you're a new to sewing or just to sewing with knits you'll be fine.  Melissa also has a helpful YouTube channel, Melly Sews, where she shares a lot of tips & help for apparel sewing, modifying patterns and sewing with knit fabric.  

Now I've got another beautiful, bargain priced, summer dress and another go-to maxi dress pattern for future seasons. 

My Pattern Review Score?  

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?  

Being A Sewing Maniac aka 11th Hour Baby Dress Pattern Hack

 

Today's sewing project proved that I am a sewing maniac.  As if you didn't already know!  There have been a number of things over the years, fabric hoarding, getting insanely excited about sewing gear notions & patterns and well, this blog, that all pointed in that direction....but this latest one confirmed it for me.  My littlest one's first birthday outfit:

 

A sweet little dirndl-style knit dress covered in cute colorful ponies and coordinating French terry leggings.

 

 

I got the brainstorm to do it the day before her family party.  I realized she didn't have a little dress she could crawl around in for the big day.  The few winter dresses she wore at Christmas are a bit longer so they get caught on her knees and impair her mobility.  This one is just the right length to keep her moving:

 

So there I was, cake & food were all set, house was decently tidy, present wrapped and I had NOTHING planned for her to wear less than 24hrs later.  

 

So I did what a sewing maniac does - I quickly found old fabrics in my stash that serendipitously went together, spent 10 minutes sifting through my patterns to find something that could work with her size and my amounts of fabric, decided I'd have to modify one's style a bit and then sewed everything up (while homeschooling two big kids, wrestling with two small ones throughout the day).  No birthday stress for the first time EVER so why not tack a potentially massive stress inducing last minute sewing project on?!?  Crazy lady behavior, that's what it is.   

 

I used Ottobre Design's Muksis Top/Dress pattern (issue 1/2009) and their Lola Leggings pattern (issue 3/2009).  I'd used both years before, but never paired together.  Here's one of the Muksis tops I'd made over 10 years ago, for my oldest daughter.  My littlest lady also wore this outfit, but got too small a few months ago.

 

 

I really like the pattern's fit, but for this one I wanted more to the dress than just an A-line shape.  So I decided to turn it into a build-on-it bodice by cutting across the pattern two inches below the armscye and straightening the sides (since they normal flare).  I cut a skirt section that was a few inches more than double the bodice width and made it 11 inches long.

 

 

 

The top has a lap shoulder design so I followed the pattern directions to attach the neck bindings and overlapped the shoulders. 

 

 

The French terry I was using for the leggins was very stretchy and lightweight so it was ideal as my binding & cuff fabric. Especially since the very reason this adorable pony print was still in my stash after a number of years was that I'd been dreading to sew with it.  It was an interlock knit from JoAnn's which means fairly cheap in price and quality.  Even though the fabric weight is good, it sometimes stretches when you don't want it to, thread gets caught, binding can be tricky to stitch, etc.  I've been sewing with knits for a LONG time and have tried almost every trick and have concluded their knit is just okay, so you have to expect it to give you a hard time.

 

After I attached the sleeves and sewed the sides it was time for the skirt portion.

 

I sewed up the side seams and then did my easy technique for gathering along the top:
 

 

Along the top raw edge I basted a wide zigzag stitch, capturing some thin crochet yarn between the stitches.  I always do a separate piece for the front & the back sides so there are two raw ends at each seam. 

 

Then it's super easy to pull those ends and create gathers that are easy to even out and adjust. Then all that was left was to pin the skirt to the bodice, stitch them together and do the skirt hem.  The Lola leggings were really simple since each leg was a single piece - just stitched up the inside leg seams, crotch seam, waistband and leg hems & done!

 

 

And by some miracle everything turned out exactly right, which almost never happens (especially when rushing to hit an insane deadline).  

 

I just love how it turned out and she's already worn in several times.  I line dry these sorts of outfits to keep them from shrinking or piling too.  Which works well since the cuffs turn down and the loose fit mean the dress can be worn a long time - even as a tunic top a year from now.  Maybe that means I've got next year's birthday outfit covered already....;)