meadow garden party dress

March 11, 2014March 11, 201424 Comments

the spring Oliver + S patterns are here! hooray!

there are three new patterns and they’re all pretty darn cute, as you can see in their announcement post. i was actually a pattern tester for the Lullaby Layette and i’ll post about that later, but the Garden Party Dress (available on paper or digitally) is the one that really stood out to me as being perfect for Em as soon as i saw it.

isn’t it just so pretty and springy and romantic? i love it and Em does too – in fact the photoshoot went something like “hey mom let’s pretend i’m a real princess” and then her pulling out the drama like so…

meadow garden party dress

and so…

meadow garden party dress

her version of a princess is apparently quite solemn, though she hammed up a few crazy zombie faces too at the end, haha. and yeah, we have daffodils blooming in our yard. i’m sorry to those of you still buried in snow! spring is coming, we promise.

about the Garden Party Dress! it’s got a lovely gathered bodice that, to me, looked like more work to construct than it actually was – there’s quite a bit of basting and gathering, but it still came together surprisingly fast.

i made View A (dress with cap sleeves) in a size 4 and added 1.5” to the hem length because she’s still a beanpole. i’m glad i added the length – it hits her just below the knee and should last her through the summer (hopefully maybe). the pattern calls for 1.75 yards of fabric but i think i made it in 1.5 yards or less…so if you have a perfect yard and a half in your stash, you could probably make it work with careful cutting. that’s what i’m hoping anyway, because i have quite a few cuts that size!

the neckline facing and simple single button keyhole closure in the back lead to a quick, clean finish. Em chose the red button. i made an aqua thread chain out of embroidery floss (Oliver + S has a tutorial here – i just made a loop and then tied square knots around the loop string until it was reinforced into a sort of twisty friendship bracelet from my childhood type deal).

the design gives you a chance to play with fabric choice and really change the look of the dress, which is always fun. here i wanted to really play up the garden party theme and make it in a modern floral, so i chose a print from Leah Duncan’s gorgeous new line for Art Gallery Fabrics, Meadow.

i love every print in the Meadow line (and everything Leah Duncan does, really), but this simple line drawing floral stood out and seemed so sweet for spring. it’s called “Lea’s Bloom in Clearwater” and i got it at Bolt, you can find it here online. i paired it with a royal blue kona cotton for the trim. it’s always a risk picking blue for Em, but she approved and called it beautiful, so we were good to go.

it felt great to sew a dress for Em, and dresses with sleeves are a must for her school dress code, so this is a practical addition to her wardrobe.

head over to probably actually to check out Gail’s beautiful version of this dress (in another Meadow print, coincidentally!), and over to you & mie to see Cherie’s adorable layette jacket (fantastically modern fabric combo!). and if you’re still not convinced, you can find more details on this and the other new Oliver + S patterns right here.

happy spring sewing!

p.s. i was given a copy of the garden party dress with no strings attached; my opinions are my own.

a little preview

March 7, 2014March 6, 201413 Comments

hi! how has your week been? i’ve actually been grabbing some sewing time here and there (which feels great), and i have a few posts in the works, but i can’t start posting them until next week (they involve upcoming patterns and pattern tours, all very hush hush…or not so much).

sooooo thanks for your continued patience while i move at a little slower pace these days.

here’s a preview because i appreciate you stopping by – more next week! 😉

sneak peek // skirt as top

P.S. the A Modern Thread Pinterest board is shaping up nicely and our awesome giveaway is open until Sunday the 9th, so be sure to throw your hat in the ring!

giveaway: a modern thread

March 2, 2014March 6, 20144 Comments

Happy Sunday! Just popping in to share something fun.

I’m a pretty big fan of Pinterest, and even more so right now – there’s always new inspiration to browse when I’m nursing the baby at 1am, or 4am, or whenever! So today I’m sharing a cool new thing I was asked to be a part of. Twenty sewing bloggers (myself included) have joined forces to create a group Pinterest board called A Modern Thread. We’ll all be pinning our best sewing projects and tutorials, so you can finds tons of fantastic sewing inspiration all in one place.

We’d love for you to check out the board, and we’re offering a huge giveaway as incentive, with $600 worth of prizes! Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect to see if you follow A Modern Thread:

If you sew, or want to learn to sew, this board is a great resource. You’ll find new ideas daily – all sewing focused! On the board you’ll find ideas for sewing clothes, accessories, bags, and home decor, as well as beginner sewing lessons and more. If keeping up with 20 sewing bloggers at once sounds like something you’d be interested in, click the button below to follow along!

Even if you follow me already, you’ll need to click through to Pinterest and hit the follow button to follow this new board:

And if you’d like to get to know the bloggers involved a little better, have fun checking out their individual blogs: Alida Makes | Caila Made | Crazy Little Projects | girl. Inspired.| It’s Always Autumn | {LBG Studio} | Lexi Made | Melissa Esplin | Melly Sews | Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop | Polka Dot Chair | Running With Scissors | See Kate Sew | Sew a Straight Line | Sew Country Chick | Skirt as Top | Shwin and Shwin | Simple Simon and Co | The Sewing Loft | The Sewing Rabbit

Once you’re following A Modern Thread, come back and enter our amazing giveaway, with a combined prize package worth almost $600! We’ll choose 5 winners, so there’s more chances for everyone to win, and the only requirement for entry is following A Modern Thread on Pinterest, so there’s no jumping through a bunch of hoops to enter! Check out the amazing prizes (enter by clicking the graphic below or the link at end of post):

Winner #1 will receive the Grand Prize, which is a $200 gift card to Amazon and a $50 gift certificate to the Ribbon Retreat. One lucky winner will receive a $200 gift card to Amazon.com, which is enough to purchase a brand new SEWING MACHINE or even a SERGER! A new machine can make sewing so much more enjoyable – no more pulling your hair out when you can’t get the tension right or the bobbin thread keeps bunching up. And if you already have a great sewing machine, you’ll definitely want to use the money for a serger – they make sewing knits a breeze! The grand prize winner will also receive a $50 gift certificate to The Ribbon Retreat, an online ribbon, notions, and fabric store. They carry a great selection of quilting cottons and just about any sort of ribbon or trim you could imagine, plus pre made fabric flowers, gems, and all sorts of other cute stuff. Find more from The Ribbon Retreat on Facebook or pinterest.

Winner #2 will receive a $50 gift certificate to Fabric.com & a 5-pack of patterns from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. Fabric.com is an online fabric store with an enormous selection and prices that are well below retail. They offer free shipping on orders over $35 AND free shipping on any returns. It can be hard to tell if you’ll like a fabric when ordering online, but ordering from fabric.com is worry-free. Find more from Fabric.com on Facebook and pinterest. Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop is full of gorgeous, modern sewing patterns for kids. You’ll find patterns for everything from jackets, pants, and tops to swimsuits, baby necessities, and even doll clothes. The winner will get her choice of 5 patterns, a $40 value! Find more from Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop on Facebook.

Winner #3 will receive a $50 gift certificate to Modern Yardage & a 3-pack of patterns from Blank Slate Patterns. Modern Yardage is an online fabric store with a brand new premise: they print their own fabric on demand on pre-shrunk cotton poplin, meaning they can offer the most current trends in fabric color and design. Additionally, any of their gorgeous patterns can be scaled small, medium, or large, so you can get the print you want in the perfect size. Find more from Modern Yardage on Facebook and pinterest. Blank Slate Patterns offers modern sewing patterns for women, girls, and boys. With looks ranging from casual hoodies and classic tees to pretty dresses and the perfect blazer pattern, you’re sure to find patterns you can’t wait to sew. The winner will get her choice of 3 patterns, a $27 value! Find more from Blank Slate Patterns on Facebook.

Winner #4 will receive a $50 fabric bundle from Riley Blake and the full line of patterns from Polka Dot Chair. Riley Blake Designs offers fabric lines with vintage sensibilities and modern flair. Their colorful fabrics include cottons, flannels, sparkle cottons, organic cotton, knits, dreamy, and laminates, as well as coordinated notions (buttons, ric rac, ribbon, lace, etc.). Find more from Riley Blake Designs on Facebook and pinterest. Polka Dot Chair is a modern DIY and sewing blog, offering 7 different patterns, including an adorable nesting dolls zip pouch pattern and patterns for handbags, shoulder bags, a retro travel bag, and more. Winner will receive a copy of each pattern in the collection, a $50 value! Find all the patterns in the Pattern Shop.

Winner #5 will receive a $50 gift certificate to The Ribbon Retreat, two patterns from LBG Studio, one pattern from Shwin and Shwin, and the Euro Swim Trunks pattern from Running with Scissors. LBG Studio is a sewing, craft, and photography blog offering stunning photos and inspiring tutorials. Winner will receive both the Leather Accent Foldover Pouch Pattern and the 2-in-1 Convertible Clutch Pattern, a $16 value. Find both patterns here. Shwin and Shwin is a sewing blog offering a large assortment of modern sewing patterns for both boys and girls in addition to a wide range of tutorials and nearly 20 free patterns. Winner will receive her choice of patterns, a $9 value. Find them all here. Running with Scissors is a sewing blog with an extensive library of fantastic tutorials and 5 patterns including the Simple Blouse Pattern for women and the Woodland Animal Sewing Pattern for children. Winner will receive the Euro Swim Trunks Pattern for boys, a $6 value. Whew! I told you this giveaway was big, right?

Be sure you follow A Modern Thread on pinterest, then use the rafflecopter link below to enter to win! Must reside in the United States and be 18 years of age or older. Please click through to rafflecopter to enter. Five winners will be chosen at random, and winners will have 24 hours to reply once notified to claim their prizes, otherwise alternates will be chosen. Giveaway ends Sunday, March 9th, at 11:59 pm MST.

: : :