Magazine Street Maxi: Mommy and Me

Posted on July 25, 2014 by snickerdoodlestew

I’ve been delving into the world of self-care sewing in 2014, which is very daunting as a curvy mama. Not only do you take a risk with the fit, you take a risk with time and fabric, as it takes … Continue reading →

Stardust Dress: Summer Edition

Posted on June 23, 2014 by snickerdoodlestew

If you’ve followed my blog much, you know that earlier this year I had the amazing opportunity to sew up patterns from the One Thimble E-Zine. These have been some of my favorite patterns to sew and they always pack a fashion punch for my trendy, mama-made clothing crew. (You can read more about the Twist Shift Dress and the Time Traveller Vest in past posts.) The 3rd edition of what is, in my opinion, one of THE best pattern e-zines out there, does not disappoint! There are items for boys and girls and a few accessories, and even a women’s dress for some self-care sewing! This time around, I sewed this beautiful Stardust Dress pattern from US designer, Laura Johnson, from Ellie Inspired.

This pattern is a simple, but classic girl’s dress that really has a great fit and you can change it up a little if you get the creative juices flowing. Stardust comes in regular and slim fit sizes and I chose the size 4 slim fit for my tiny girl. I also chose the short sleeve option for the dress (minus the elastic) because we are deep in the throws of summer temps and I didn’t want my poor girl to wilt! I wasn’t able to get a good pic of the length, but this hits my daughter about mid-calf.

This dress features:

sizes 1-16 in slim and regular fit (fits sold separately)
short or long sleeves
attached pettiskirt
button back
PDF tutorial with illustrations, photos, and printable pattern pieces
Imperial and Metric measurements
cutting instructions for rectangular pieces

It also has the prettiest back! I did change up the sash a little so that it would not have a center seam. I also used this breezy white and pink madras plaid as my main fabric, with Kona for the solid sash and white muslin and eyelet for the pettiskirt. As gorgeous as it photographed, the madras really works better on a garment that is more simply constructed. It is very, very thin and tends to warp a little as you do all the pressing and sewing that a dress like this calls for. Plus…not gonna lie…lining up all of that plaid was a pain!

Oddly enough, as much trouble as I had with this fabric, my husband said it was one of his favorite dresses EVER. And I make a LOT of dresses! I’m thinking this would even be adorable as a sleeveless dress and it wouldn’t be too big of a challenge. Head over to One Thimble and check out all of the other awesome things included in this E-zine!

Don’t forget to check back later this week for my “Fakie” Baby Pants!

I was given a copy of Issue 3 of the One Thimble PDF E-zine to use for this post. This post also contains affiliate links. I receive a portion of all Ezine sales made through my unique link. The thoughts and opinions expressed throughout are entirely mine. As is the girl. 😉

So Happy Together- The Blue Ribbon Blog Tour

Posted on May 5, 2014 by snickerdoodlestew

Raedene from Little Lizard King started talking about a blog tour last month and knew it was something I wanted to be a part of! I’ve not been a part of a blog tour before and it sounded like so much fun! I mean, what’s not to love about sewing up a great pattern in gorgeous fabrics and then getting to share it with you all? Needless to say, I jumped at the chance and started planning!

I was given a copy of the Blue Ribbon Pattern, which is anything but your basic knit top and woven skirt. This pattern has options in SPADES! You have several options for sleeves (including none!) and then options for tunic and dress lengths, with a band and/or a ruffle! Whew! I’m getting tired just listing all of that! And that might make you think that this is pattern that will take you forever, which is far from the truth! I was able to put this together in one afternoon, even with several interruptions. “Can I have a snack?” “Can I have a drink?” “Can we watch Frozen?” “When is dinner?” “WHAT is dinner?” You get the idea, right?

The inspiration behind this dress is this amazing fabric from Vanessa Christenson of V and Co. for Moda Fabrics. All of the skirt fabrics are from her Color Me Happy line, with the exception of the sash, which is from her Simply Style collection. Both are great collections and so much fun! They always make me smile and I love that the fabrics coordinate across the lines. I was able to pick these up at Among Friends Quilt Shop in Louisville, KY. I found great coordinating knits for my bodice and my ruffled capris from Mel at The Purple Seamstress on Facebook and the gorgeous jacquard ribbon is by Amy Butler from Fleuriste on Etsy.

I did have to perform a little bit of a pattern hack for this project. My daughter has a very large head and I always have a hard time getting these mama-made knit items over it. So after trying several things to try to make this work for her, I finally used the size 4 cutting line for the front of the neck and the size 3 cutting line for the back of the neck. It was perfect! No more popping seams!

What else can I say about this uber versatile pattern? It’s something a beginner can tackle and there are tons of great tips on sewing with knits. I wonder how many days you could sew this with different combinations and not repeat? I already have one planned with some Little Mermaid fabric that my daughter has been drooling over. But for today…we’ll just stick with the seriously drool-worthy V and Co.

This definitely has some twirl!!!

I added a little length to the band between the skirt and the ruffle so I had plenty of room for my yummy ribbon. I think I need to check into Trim Hoarders Anonymous. I have a feeling I’d run into many friends there. You know who you are!!!

I seriously am a sucker for a sash and a pretty bow. It’s like a present!

I didn’t notice how much of ^^this^^ pose she did until I went to edit my pics and half of them were the exact same. I think we have a winner.

A Blue Ribbon, in fact!

My review has come to a close…but we’re not done yet! The fabulous ladies at LLK are doing a GIVEAWAY at each stop of the tour!
I know, I know, it’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? A $35 gift certificate to their shop is up for grabs, so make sure you enter! I’ll be announcing the winner here and on my Facebook page on May 8th, and LLK will announce it on their page, too! The Pattern Tour lasts from May 5th-11th, so don’t miss out on some fabulous creations!

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Twist Shift Dress by Ainslee Fox for One Thimble E-zine

Posted on February 25, 2014 by snickerdoodlestew

I have several PDF patterns from Australian designers, but sadly I’ve not taken the time to sew any of them, which is truly my loss! I was given a chance to sew up some patterns by the talented Jen Kennedy from Ainslee Fox. These 2 patterns are a part of the One Thimble E-zine, which is also the brainchild of Jen. One Thimble is a PDF magazine that includes patterns, articles, and tips for seamstresses. It’s really a fun publication for sewing enthusiasts and pattern ~~hoarders~~ collectors.

The first pattern I sewed for my sweet girl is the Twist Shift Dress, which you can also buy as a stand alone pattern. I was immediately drawn to the funky, geometrical color blocking on the front which gives a kick of fun to the clean, crisp silhouette of this a-line dress.

I also knew right away that I wanted to use this pattern as an opportunity to use up some of my prized Parson Gray fabric. (Parson Gray is designed by David Butler, to whom I’ve bestowed the nickname “Mr. Amy Butler”). This fabric is earthy and has a hint of adventure. It’s definitely not your everyday girly-girl fabric, but I think it’s perfect in this dress. I’ve used this fabric on a few other occasions, and you can see it featured in my Elements Collection.

I love the simplicity of the back with the loop closure! I also learned some new techniques in the tutorial, including the back opening, a unique way to close up the armholes, and of course, the fabulous welt pockets.

This dress will definitely be made again and it’s versatile enough to be worn for school or dressier occasions, like church or a holiday. It can be layered with different types of shirts with any manner of sleeve to give you four-seasons of wear. Stay tuned until next week when I show you my version of the Time Traveller Vest from One Thimble and Ainslee Fox!

I also need to give a HUGE shout-out to Becca DuVal for help with editing! She helped me save my shots and made them even more beautiful!!!

Pattern Testing

Posted on July 11, 2012 by snickerdoodlestew

My favorite patterns to use these days are the gorgeous, boutique creations of Tiffany and Shannon at Create Kids Couture. The outfits are beautiful, the instructions and pictures are easy to follow, and each time I make one, Lydia gets lots of “oohs” and “aahs.”

When they are ready to test out a pattern, they put out an all call on Facebook and I always seem to miss out! I’m just not quick enough! But last week, all of my ~~stalking~~ patient waiting paid off. I was selected to test the pattern for Rosanna’s Corset Peasant dress!

I had a hard time choosing fabrics, but once I did, the pattern came together beautifully, if I do say so myself. Lydia was a good sport to model it for me before church Sunday morning. It was just after 8 a.m. and it was already 80-something degrees!

Hamming it up for the camera.

Front

Back

I already have another fabric combination lined up for another version of this, only with longer, 3/4 sleeves for the fall. It will be black and cream toile with ticking stripe and flowered accent fabrics. I can’t wait!

Sneak Peek: Lydia’s First Modeling Gig

Posted on December 5, 2011 by snickerdoodlestew

Yesterday we were blessed with some amazing, sunny weather here in Louisville! We got the opportunity to meet with local photographer Amber from Foxtree Photography and show off some Snickerdoodle Stew fashions! Lydia was a little shy at first (and sleepy!), but eventually she figured out that SHE was the star and gave us a little sass.

This is just a sneak peek…more to come!

Jingle Bell Frock

Photo by Foxtree Photography

Photos by Foxtree Photography

Photo by Foxtree Photography

Jump, Jive and Jingle Jumper

Photo by Foxtree Photography

Photos by Foxtree Photography

There’s still time for a few Christmas orders! Email me at snickerdoodlestew(at)gmail(dot)com and we’ll talk!

All designs, pictures and all other things fabulous (or not) are the intellectual and creative property of Snickerdoodle Stew and Jessica Stewart, unless otherwise stated. Please do not use pictures or content without consent…and a little link love.

Snickerdoodle Stew 2011