A Geranium Dress

Today I am joining the Geranium Expansion Pack Fall Tour with a version of the Geranium dress made in rayon, my favorite kind of fabric (if you follow me you already know that because I keep repeating myself, haha). This pattern by the über-talented-sewing-superstar Made by Rae is really a.m.a.z.i.n.g. One pattern + an expansion pack = several hundreds of options!!! 

The Hally Dress

Oh, hey, I am blogging! :) (I miss blogging, I miss sewing every day...) Summer is still in full swing around here. Usually we have summery days until at least mid October. And sometimes those are the perfect summer days, with the best beach days. So, I am still sewing things for our summer wardrobe. This is my latest make. It's the Hally Casual Dress, one of the patterns available through One Thimble #16, a digital sewing magazine that was out a couple of days ago. I am joining today the official OT16 blog tour, follow along with us to get to know several new PDF patterns and be inspired!

The Prize Garden Dress

New make! I can't believe I am finally getting into the sewing groove again. Baby #4 is (finally) napping at least twice a day! (one nap is at least 1 hour, and on a good day I'm getting two naps of 1-2 hours!! Yay!!!). I don't know how long it will last but I will make the most of it while it lasts! :) I even had the time to draft this quick & easy knit dress from scratch! (Woo-hoo!)

The Tulip Top

Hi! In case you're wondering, baby #4 is almost out! (Any day now! Eeeek!) but I am full active, nesting and doing a major cleaning here at home, but I am finding some time to sew! So, today I am joining the Tulip International Blog Tour and sharing my version of the Tulip top! 

The Tulip Top & Dress is a brand new pattern by two Belgian ladies - Eva and Katrien (links below). This pattern was first launched in Dutch and I was really in love with it because of all the versions I was seeing on social media. So, when they contacted me to be one of the proofreaders for the English version I was thrilled!! After a couple of weeks of work, this beautiful pattern is finally been released in English this week! 

I Heart Japanese Patterns

Today I am joining the London Sew Social / Tuttle Publishing Blog Tour! 

If you follow me you already know that I love Japanese sewing books. They have the most lovely, interesting, simple & practical, pretty & casual, comfortable patterns. The instructions are simple, straight to the point, and make use of all the proper techniques. Yes, they just have it all! And the styling on the books is just... perfect! 

Sisters New Knit Outfits - Thread Faction SS2016

Hi! Today I am showcasing new coordinating knit outfits I made for my girls as part of the Thread Faction SS2016 tour.

Do you know Thread Faction patterns? (formerly Hatchlings patterns) 
It's a pattern company owned by the amazingly talented Liz Elliott, who lives in Australia. Believe me, you want to know these patterns! I am so (so!) impressed by their overall quality! 

Thread Faction just launched a new pattern collection. The Spring/Summer 2016 collection presents several knit girls patterns. (But you can hack a few of them into boys patterns! Just check what my friend Diana did here. Super cute, right?)

There's a mix of 7 patterns that make up for the perfect beach/Summer styles: shorts, romper, circle skirt dress, racer back tank & dress, boxy top, etc. They are all super trendy and easy to make! And the best part: Liz makes use of all the proper techniques for sewing with knits. These patterns will take you to the next level on your sewing skills! 

The Miss Polly Dress

Hi! Today I am joining the Miss Polly dress tour, a new pattern by Sewpony Vintage. I can't say enough good things about this pattern. I love it so much! Suzanne has such an eye for designing girls dresses. They are always original! And I love that they are modern patterns with a vintage style.

Playproof Dungarees and Willow Dress

One Thimble Issue 10 is out! Go check it here!

In this issue you can find 11 PDF patterns (clothes and non-clothing) plus 26 articles, tutorials and interviews! It's packed with great sewing content!

Today I am showcasing two patterns available on this issue: the Playproof Dungarees and a modified version of the Willow Dress. I am in love with both patterns! 

The Holiday Debut Tour

Christmas is just around the corner! Yay! Today I am all Christmas-y here as I join the Holiday Debut Blog Tour. This tour showcases three different patterns from three different designers that debuted this year: Holli of Hello Holli, Gabriela of Chalk and Notch and Saskia of The Wolf and The Tree. These ladies did an amazing job with their first pattern! I am in awe.

I had the chance to test the Blue Ridge dress and the Fishtail Kimono a few months ago and now I have sewn up Abby's Tights. All I can say is that I absolutely love these patterns! I can't wait to see what their next patterns are! The bar is set high, ladies! :) (No pressure intended, ha!)

The Battle of the Stitches - a 70's dress!

Have you heard that the 70's fashion & style are back? It's all about flare, flounces and bo-ho. Today I am sharing with you a girl's dress I made using a vintage pattern from the 70's for the Battle of the Stitches, a sewing challenge hosted by Olu, who blogs over Needle & Ted.  This battle started between Olu and Toya, who blogs over Made by Toya, and this time two guests joined it - me and Nina, from Fliegfederfrei. Make sure to stop by over their blogs to see what everyone made! 

Today is the round three of this battle, and the theme is "a stitch back in time". The challenge was to make something (girls or women clothes) using a vintage pattern or inspired by some vintage era's fashion.

The Josie dress

 

Christmas season is in the house! Well, I mean, kind of, since we haven't put our tree up yet... :) But when it comes to sewing it's all Christmas outfits and gifts around here. Have you started your Christmas sewing yet?

Today I am joining the Merry Modkid Tour, hosted by lovely Courtney who blogs over Sweeter than Cupcakes for Modkid. On this tour we are showcasing patterns by Patty Young, the pattern maker behind Modkid. Although I have a few of her patterns I have to confess this is my first time sewing one up! And I can tell you that it won't be the last! I loved making this dress.

Happy 15th Anniversary Ottobre design!

Happy Birthday Ottobre Design!

Just in case you missed the announcement, 15 Portuguese sewing bloggers joined to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Ottobre Design, a pattern magazine specializing in children's and youth fashion, designed in Finland. 
And what time frame did we choose to have this tour? In October (what else?) :) , and starting on the... 15th, of course. :) 

Back in the Spring of 2014 I was perusing all the craft and sewing magazines on my news stand, which always takes me some good 30-45 minutes... and a huge amount of money... (Sewing magazine addict, anyone? Raise your hand!) 
As I was saying, I was looking through the magazines when I spotted Ottobre's magazine! I might have squealed!... I couldn't believe that Ottobre was finally selling in my country... 

A Summer/Fall transition mini capsule wardrobe for a first grader

I made a mini collection for the first time! It is a capsule wardrobe for my first grader. I can't believe this little monkey of mine started Primary School this week! Eeeek! She is so, so excited! Every day when she comes home she asks "Today I haven't learned to read yet. When will Miss L. teach us how to read?". She will be an avid reader, I can tell you.

I have made seven different pieces that can mix-and-match between themselves to create several different outfits.

Six of those were made (printed, cut and sewn) two days ago in less than 24 hours... Yeah, you read that right. I am that sewing addict (aka crazy). 

Life really got in the way these two last weeks. Between last week of Summer holidays with activities, shopping for school and parents-teacher meetings in all three schools, and the beginning of school on Monday with a new routine (that we are still adapting to...)
So, on Tuesday I finally took hands on this and between pick-ups, cooking meals, cleaning the kitchen between meals, feeding the kids, bathing the kids and doing homework with them, I managed to sew six things. Everything is understitched, topstitched, edgestitched, all seams are finished and all stripes are matching. In all honesty I don't know how I was able to do it all! Well, maybe the fact that I only slept for 4 and half hours that night helped a bit... I am lucky to live well with 6 hours of sleep, so it wasn't that bad. Gladly I am only this crazy once or twice a year. :)

The Dear Prudence dress

You wouldn't tell by these photos that this sweet, adorable, totally heart melting threenager just spent her day... whining, and crying, and screaming... For no reason.  Really. I can't take anymore of it... Today. Tomorrow will be another day. And hopefully a little less whining, a little less loud crying and she will learn other ways of expressing and dealing with her frustrations. (Keep dreaming, right? :) ) 

She is usually in such a good mood. Always happy, always smiling, always singing. But lately although she is still in her usual self she is becoming a whiner... I am really hoping this is just a phase... I guess she could be missing pre-school, her sweet teacher and her friends? And all the daily routine? School is closed and won't be open until mid September so... Young lady, I really hope you get a grip and just learn to relax and enjoy your 84 days of Summer holidays... Because this mom here needs to relax and enjoy her Summer time with the three of you 24/7. :) 

One thing she is enjoying tremendously these days is all the sewing I am doing for her. Every single thing I make makes her eyes sparkle and gets her in a good mood for hours. :) So, you know to whom I will be doing all.the.sewing this Summer! :) 

The Henry dress

Hi everyone! Today I am sharing a dress pattern that I was lucky to test. It is the Henry dress, a pattern by Brooklyn Pattern Company.  

When Erin posted a testing call I immediately signed in! You all know how much I love to test sewing patterns but actually I am responding to testing calls less and less these days. Nonetheless, I made an exception for this one. :) 

There has been a (huge) boom of indie PDF patterns since last year (it's all Lauren's fault :) ) and there are days where I can easily spot half a dozen testing calls for new patterns. If only the days would have 72 hours... Yes 72, because 48 wouldn't still be enough... :) 

Anyway, there was a time (that started on February 2014) when I would apply to any and every testing call and I would be genuinely thrilled to work in all of them. I do love to test patterns! But nowadays other projects (sewing and blogging related) have knocked on my door and I need time for them. 

The thing is, there is only a set amount of daily time that I allow myself to sew and blog because my three little monkeys need their mom and this household has to be vacuumed every.single.day ( I honestly believe that dust and bread crumbs and little scraps of paper are born from the floor in a spontaneous way at an outstanding rate ...), and dishes need to be done daily too (I can't turn my back on a messy kitchen...), and laundry must be taken care of... You know the freaking drill. 

The Blue Ridge Dress

Endorphins. Any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system that act as neurotransmissors and have a number of physiological functions. They activate a specific kind of body's receptors, causing an analgesic effect, reducing the sensation of pain or stress and inducing feelings of excitement and satisfaction. I think the word "endorphin" here could be fairly replaced by the word "fabric". Don't you think?

Fabric makes me have an endorphin rush. There is just something about those colors, color combos, prints, textures... all the different weights and softness... and the draping, the flow-iness of it all when it moves... and the way the light goes through some fabrics and makes it glow... The world stops and I feel like I'm watching some sort of poetry... 

I love using all kinds of apparel fabric. Baby wale corduroy, wool, tweed, linen, chiffon, charmeuse, crepe de chine, georgette, silk, shantung, twill, silk twill, satin, dupioni, taffeta, suiting, voile, cotton lawn, gauze, double gauze, broadcloth, shirting, flannel, poplin, sateen, denim, chambray, tencel, velveteen, jersey knit, French terry, iterlock, ponte di roma...

Dress Pattern N.15 - Canadian Pattern Tour

Summer vacation started last Friday, so all I can think about is Summer sewing! I am not sure how much I will be able to actually sew in the next ninety nine days. Yep, kids around here have those many days of Summer vacation. I think it is pretty cool actually! Kids need free time to play, imagine, create, to develop all those skills that come from playing freely with no tight schedule, aka long hours of boredom. :)

Of course the other side of the coin is the increased amount for grey hair on my head. Being at home for 24/7 for 99 days with three kids under 7  is... oh well, you know what it is... Amazing! Fun! Happy times! :) 

Today I am part of the Canadian Pattern Tour hosted by Ula from Lulu & Celeste blog. On this tour many sewing bloggers are showcasing PDF patterns from several Canadian indie PDF pattern designers, and I got to sew up a pattern by E+M! 

The Ishi Dress

Hi everyone! This week will be very busy blogging wise I hope you won't get bothered of seeing my makings. :) I am starting off this week with a dress that has become my favorite - it's the Ishi dress, a pattern by Straight Grain. 

Straight Grain is a blog and indie pdf patterns brand run by An, a Belgian mom of two girls. An makes the most beautiful things in her own style and color combo, go check her blog and you will see what I mean.

Oh, and yes, this girl just had a major hair cut. About 15+ inches of a long ginger curly hair is being donated to a Cancer Treatment Center. It wasn't my intention to cut it this much - I was thinking a chin-shoulder length - but the hairdresser grabbed the scissors and cut it in the back like that before I could say a thing... I was speechless!... Glad I could save it somehow, because I suggested her that she would at least leave it a bit longer at the front, and I really like it that way.

A Roaring 20's Inspired Dress

Hi! Today I am sharing two things of the many I have made in these last couple of weeks. My sewing  machine is amazing because I am giving her (yes, it's a she) no rest and she is up to the challenge! It is a pretty simple sewing machine, non computerized, only about 20 different stitches (including stretch ones), it is actually a bit ugly (it looks like a cold machine, not a pretty and friendly toy). It is the love of my life. (Did I just say that?!) After my true Love (aka sweet husband) and my three spunky kids, of course. (Ahem.)

(End of love letter to my sewing machine. :) )

Have you hear about the Mystery Challenge? It is sewing/crafting challenge where a group of people swap themes and have to create something with the theme they get from their partner. Doesn't it sound like so much fun? 

I have already joined last round when I was given the theme "Under the big top" and you can see what I have made here. This time around I was given the theme "The Roaring 20's". Actually it was "John Dillinger and the Roaring 20's" and although I first thought about making a full shirt + pants + vest + bow tie + hat for my son, when I saw a tester call for the Dress Pattern No. 19 (pattern of E+M Patterns) I immediately felt that it was it. It has a slight 20's feel to it with that elasticized waistband and squared skirt, and those bodice tucks and ties. Luckily I was chosen to test it! (Thank you Allison!)