Pattern Review: Almost One Size Truly Scrumptious Pant

First: let me challenge you to say that pattern name 10 times fast!  5 times?  Twice?!?!?!  Ha!

When Chrissy from Muse of the Morning asked for bloggers interested in doing reviews of her patterns I browsed her selection - and was intrigued by these pants.

Here's why (from the pattern listing):
"Children from approximately 6 mos up to 7 years old can wear them! There is ONE pattern piece, which is cut at the appropriate length."

Oh reeeeeallly!?

So here's what I found out when I gave them a go! {please keep in mind I was given this pattern for free in order to participate in this blog tour / review - but my opinions are honest and not influenced by that monetary savings!}

The Pattern
Sizes: "Baby Bloomers" (looks like about a 6-12 month size) through 7
Options: Basic Pants, Basic Bloomers, Patchy Pants, Strippy Pants (strips of fabric..... c'mon!), optional ruffles on the bum
Pattern Pieces: ONE if you're making the basic pants; 2-3 if you're making the patchy / strippy option.  For EVERY size.  Really, truly.  They all have the same width / rise - - - with length cutting lines for each size
Time to sew: I'd say under an hour for the patchy / strippy pants; 30-45 minutes for the basic pants (and that includes taping the pattern together.... and distracting the kiddos with "really cool" toys so you can get back behind the sewing machine)

What I Made
I cut out four pairs of pants - two pars of basic pants, and two pairs of strippy pants.  One of each style in both 2T and 4T.  As for what I sewed..... here's a little glimpse into the life of a work-at-home, handmade business owning mama.....

The truth is - - - my children do not understand deadlines.  Or "mommy NEEDS to work".... or.... "please-do-not-body-slam-your-brother-into-the-floor, I just have ONE more hem to finish up."

So I had the best of intentions when signing up for this tour - I was going to rock it.  I was going to finally make pants {lots of them, obviously!} from the LARGE selection of fabrics I have been storing up for my kiddos.

But life comes up.... and my plan to get this done WAY ahead of time - well, I failed.  Then it was Monday morning, and despite telling my kiddos (and myself) that I had a deadline to meet - - the sun came out and obviously we had to play outside.  So the Wednesday morning deadline was getting closer and closer by the second and I WASN'T SEWING.

But... the moral of this story?!  These pants are FAST to sew up!  Even the strippy ones!  I cut them out Monday afternoon, ironed all the pieces, then didn't get a chance to sew them up until Tuesday morning (after breakfast was consumed and the kiddos seemed to be happily playing for at least a few minutes).  I put the pedal to the carpet and my machines kept up with my "must sew all the things - FAST" pace.

Then I bribed the kiddos with a picnic lunch outside if they would pleeeeeeeease allow me to take a few pictures.  We got a few.... and I KNOW they love their pants because despite the 80 degree temperature outside I could NOT get them to take them off and swap 'em out for shorts.  So they played in them - enjoyed our picnic in them - and smiled the whole time!

After sewing up the two pairs of strippy pants - and getting them on my boys, I can say that I love that this pant has so many options - all that can be pretty simply incorporated into the base construction / design.  It's great that I can print the pattern ONCE, cut it out at the biggest size, and then fold the pant leg up at the line for the size I'm making!

I did feel like the rise of the pant was a bit long on my 1.5 year old (size 2T), and the legs are definitely a bit wide on him.  Not so much that it's an issue.... just not as "trim" of a look as I'd prefer.  For the basic pants I think I may trim down the legs a little bit!

The pattern pieces printed well - and I loved the use of a variety of symbols at each page overlap.  Between the page numbers and the symbols, you should have NO problem getting this taped together!  The instructions were very clear - and construction was a breeze.  I actually put 1" elastic into my boys' pants because they are pretty skinny and the 3/8" that the pattern calls for often doesn't feel like "enough" (in other items I've sewn) - really just a personal preference thing, but thanks to serging (rather than turning the raw edge under) I had the flexibility to do this and not alter the fit from the pattern as written.

This pattern does not have a cutting chart for the elastic.  For many that probably isn't an issue - but for people like me who are most often sewing for customers / kiddos that they don't have in front of them and ready to measure - this means needing to reference another pattern's cutting chart or a table online.  Not a BIG deal - - - but just something to keep in mind!

All in all - I love how these strippy pants turned out and I'm excited to get the basics sewn up as well.  The boys love them, too!  This was the perfect pattern for that busy but AWESOME OSU Beavers fabric - I definitely wouldn't want a whole pair of pants from it.... but the strippy accent is GREAT!

If you made it through all of that... you should be rewarded, right!? :)

Well you're in luck!

If you click over to the first day of the tour you'll find a giveaway!  Chrissy is giving away TEN patterns of the winners' choice - wow!

Also, she has an active coupon code to celebrate the blog tour!  Head over to the Muse of the Morning Pattern Shop and enjoy 30% off any (or all!?) of her patterns through May 17th using the coupon code BLOGTOUR30.  Wowza!

Thanks again to Chrissy for asking me to participate in this blog tour / review - it was fun!

Giveaway Day!

Who DOESN'T love a giveaway?!

Today is Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day and of course I will join in!

If you're new here - or an established follower - welcome!  My name is Kim and I'm the mama behind Eggo in the Oven - a custom sewing business I started over 3 years ago.  I spend most of my time chasing after my two boys - but I squeeze in business sewing time and occasionally find time to sew "fun" / "just because" stuff, too!  This blog is another way for me to share my passion for sewing.... and fabric!

Up for grabs is this adorable charm pack - "Flirt" by Sandy Gervais for Moda - - - love love love the aquas, shads of coraly red, and greys.  I'll also throw in a a few surprise cuts from my stash that coordinate.

How to enter:

Leave a comment on this post - let me know what YOUR favorite color combo is (aquas / reds / greys is one of my faves)

For a second entry:

Leave another comment if you are a follower - or have become one!  

VERY IMPORTANT: Please make sure you are NOT a no-reply blogger - or leave some way for me to contact you.  I'm going to feel bad if I have to draw another name because I can't get in touch with you!  For more info, click HERE

What a way to brighten up a Monday, right?!

Even my kiddos were excited about the giveaway :)

Giveaway closes at 5pm PST this Friday May 16th.  Winner will be chosen at random from the comments - please make sure you leave a way to contact you if you are a no-reply blogger!  Giveaway is open to everyone - USA and International.  Winner will be emailed by 5/18 - and your prize will be mailed by 5/20.

Good luck!

WIP Wednesday 5/7

My customers have been picking out some FUN fabrics / themes lately {check out this Alice quilt I finished up over the weekend for a customer}!  

This week I'm working on a gift set that includes a mini quilt, some burp cloths, bibs, and a onesie.  It has a superhero theme and I just love the bright & fun fabrics I'm getting to work with.

Here's a peek at the mini quilt - a simple, double-sided quilt made from this comic book print on one side.....

..... and these fun superhero words on the other!

I've got it quilted (some straight-line quilting outlining many of the comics) - and I just need to bind it.  Then on to the rest of the gift set!

What a great gift - and I'm having fun working with such awesome prints.

I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - excited to see what everyone else is working on!

Sew-a-Bration of Womanhood - a top (and scarf) for ME!

It was with excitement (and a little bit of trepidation) that I recently responded to a call for bloggers to participate in the Sew-A-Bration of Womanhood hosted by two fabulous blogs: the Shaffer Sisters and Call Ajare.  

My body has changed a BUNCH over the years - getting married, having two kiddos, moving our family a few times.... I am no longer the woman I was in college or high school - and my body is no longer the same.  But that is NOT a bad thing - I have to remind myself of this on a regular basis.

Truly embracing our imperfections - in our work, our life, ourselves - is something that I think most women find to be challenging.  But when we do?  The power of that acceptance and the confidence it brings can and will create change!

Recently I challenged myself to make some changes - changes I'm very proud of that are helping to make my outward image reflect what's inside.

So this blog series - centered around celebrating womanhood and bodies of all shapes and sizes - could not have come at a better time.

Inspired by a few friends who do a GREAT job sewing clothes for themselves I decided this was the perfect opportunity to give it a go!

I picked out the Greenstyle Lacy Slope Tank because I loved the versions I saw during their recent blog hop and thought it looked like something that was a) simple enough for me to wear everyday b) simple enough for me to attempt as my first adult clothing item c) had enough style and shape that it would look professional

Here's a bit of honesty:  My body shape..... I'd say it's a "round hourglass" (is that even a shape?  did I just make that up?) - My "girls".... they're big.  Two pregnancies have created some nice curvy hips..... and my belly is my "problem" area - always fluffier than I'd like.

So when I picked my size, I followed the largest measurement - my chest.  After three different shirts... and many photos.... I realized this created a top that was far too big for me.  I ended up taking at least 1" off of each side seam - probably more.  I just kept checking fit and adjusting!  I also decided I wasn't loving the hi-lo look for me (love it on others, though!) - so I got creative and added an accent band to the base of the shirt after cutting it at the highest point (in the front).

The coordinating infinity scarf was a must because I love them and because we live in Washington and still only see the sun every once in a while!  {these photos were snapped quickly between a few BIG rain storms!}

I made it by cutting a piece of knit 8" x WOF.  Then I just used a french seam for the short ends - and wa-lah - cute, lightweight infinity scarf!

All in all - I'm excited to have sewn something for ME - and really do see myself wearing this top on a regular basis.  It's comfy, it's cute, and it IS pretty cool to know that I made it.  BUT..... I have a feeling it will be a while until I attempt more adult clothes sewing!  I'll stick to fun bags / kitchen towels / aprons / quilts for me!

Fabric info: All fabrics purchased at Joann Fabrics - pinky red stripe is from their Doodles line - the other two were from the knit basics / red tag clearance section.

Here's a peek at the "real" me - or the me who is so DONE taking pictures and appreciative of a hilarious husband who is telling me to "work it!"

A big thank you to Shaffer Sisters and Call Ajare for getting me to step outside my comfort zone - and in front of the camera - for this empowering blog series!

Want to see more?  Here are the blogs that will be participating in this sew-a-bration!

The Life Of A Compulsive Crafter | Serger Pepper | House of Estrela | sewVery | Our Busy Little Bunch

Modern Handmade | Golden Rippy | Sew & Tell with Mama Eggo | Shawnta Sews | Fishsticks Designs 
Ali Cat & Co | Paisley Roots | Like a mother | Giggles & Beans | Call Ajaire
Shaffer Sisters | I Married Superman | A Jennuine Life | If Only They Would Nap | Once Upon a Sewing Machine

Naptime Creations | Pattern Revolution | Two Many | Rebel & Malice | Simple Simon and Company

SewingSober | Handmade Dress Haven | Daisy Chain Creations | Swoodson Says | I'm Feelin' Crafty So Cal Sewing Mom | Keep Calm and Carrion | DandelionDrift | The Crazy Tailor | Max California 

Falafel and the Bee | Lexi Made | Winter Wonderings | Kid Approved | Scientific Seamstress
Becca DuVal | Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop | The Berry Bunch | Little Kids Grow | leighlee
Feathers Flights | That's-Sew-Kari

An Alice quilt {finish}

A customer recently contacted me about sewing up an Alice in Wonderland baby quilt.  Something simple but cute.

I found a cute border print that she loved and placed the fabric order.  We were working with a pretty tight timeline - but that's okay!  The fabric arrived Friday and by Sunday night I had a finished quilt!

I'm loving how it came together.  I used squares cut from the Alice fabric and then various fabrics with purples / pinks / lime greens in them from my stash - including a few last pieces of favorite "scraps" I just couldn't get rid of - perfect!

The quilt measures about 30" x 36" (give or take a little).  I did a very small amount of straight line quilting - about 3/8" off of each seam - to give it some texture and hold all the layers together.   It is in the mailbox to head to my customer this morning!

After a wash or two this one is going to soften up and just be the perfect little snuggly blanket!

May GOALS!

Well, as quickly as April FLEW by - we are somehow already five days into May and I think I finally have all of our calendars flipped to the new month!  Wowza!

April was crazy busy - and May promises to be just the same.  Here is a "quick" list of my goals for the month.

BOM's / QAL's
ViceVersa BOM - April and May blocks
Wishes QAL - April and May blocks
Aurifil designer of the month - April and May blocks
Project Quilting off season challenge #2 - "Can you measure up?"
{yikes.... I didn't get ANY of my blocks made in April!}

ALYOF May goal:
My May goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes is to get my fabric cut for the Avatrix Medallion quilt-a-long and the center medallion pieced together.  I need to schedule some cutting / sewing dates with my friend Kelly so we can get to work on this ASAP!

Blog happenings:
1 pattern review, 2 blog hops / tours scheduled {so far}

Eggo in the Oven:
And as always.... lots of custom sewing and scheduled participation in one When You Wish Designs Auction

Personal Goals:
Today, May 5th, is the start of the Bikini Body Mommy 90 day Challenge (2.0) - and I'm SO excited (even if I can barely breathe thanks to a nasty head cold or attack of seasonal allergies!).  My goal is to stick with the challenge - completing every single day - no excuses - just like the last 90 day challenge.  I can't wait to see the changes!  I'm also 4 weeks into a 9 week training program - couch to 5k - which is helping me not hate... and even LIKE.... running!  Keeping up with that for sure!

{Linking up with A Lovely Year of Finishes May goal setting party!}

Something to cheer about!

I am so excited to share my take on the Perfect Party Dress by Tie Dye Diva with you today!

A quick reminder that I was given the baby version of this pattern (I already owned the girls version) as part of my participation in this blog hop - and this post contains affiliate links for which I will be compensated if you click through and purchase from Tie Dye Diva (thanks to Jen for the pattern, and for allowing affiliates the potential to earn a little money when we gush about her awesome patterns!).  The opinions shared here and my LOVE for Tie Dye Diva Patterns are honest and not influenced by this compensation! :)

When I saw Kathy's post about this blog hop a picture popped into my mind.  When I looked at the Perfect Party Dress (available in sizes 0-24mo (Baby's Party Dress) and 2T - 8) I saw a perfect canvas for a cheerleader-inspired dress!

We live in WA state - and are big Seahawks fans - so this was a perfect excuse to make some "12th man" (or "12th girl!?") gear!

The Baby's Party Dress and Perfect Party Dress are great as-written - - but they are also a perfect canvas for some "play"!

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To achieve a "cheerleader" look I made the following changes to the pattern (I sewed the 6-12 month size from the Baby's Party Dress):

- Change neckline to a v-neck
- Add a contrasting v-accent to the bodice
- Omitted the sash on the front
- Added ties (for a bow in the back) - for more fit customization
- Shortened the skirt by 1"
- created a "peek-a-boo" style skirt

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While this won't be a FULL tutorial for all of these changes, I did take some pictures along the way and have tips and tricks to share with you!

Changing the neckline and adding a contrast V to the bodice
To achieve a v-neckline I took my front bodice pattern piece and drew a diagonal line from the shoulder seam to just below the original neckline for two sizes smaller.  This was just what "looked right" - and after sewing it up, it is a great angle and gives the dress a v-neck without it being inappropriate for a kiddo!

I then used that line / angle to create the bodice contrast "v".  Again, I eyeballed where to draw the lines.  I drew the bottom line (closest to the bottom of the bodice) first - as I knew it needed to land high enough to not get caught in the seam allowance.  Then I drew another line between the v-neck of the bodice and the bottom accent line - and wah-lah!  I took a look at the pattern piece and could get a decent feel for how it would look / if I liked the width of the accent.

When I cut out the bodice pieces, I cut the main front (navy blue) and liner (lime green floral) first - cutting around the pattern piece set on the fold.

Next, I folded the bodice pattern on the top line of the accent v.  I then used my ruler to cut 3/8" away from the folded edge of my pattern - so that I had enough "extra" to fold over and iron for a finished edge.  Then I did the same with the bottom line - again don't forget to cut 3/8" away from the bottom edge of the v you drew!

I clipped the inside and outside of the tip of the V and ironed the 3/8" allowance toward the wrong side of the fabric - which resulted in folded / finished edges for the top and bottom of the accent.  Then I just placed it on the front bodice piece and stitched two lines - 1/8" and 1/4" from the top of the accent V; and one line about 1/8" from the bottom of the accent V.

A note about the sleeveless bodice
The baby's party dress pattern includes sleeves.  I wanted to make mine sleeveless to more closely resemble a little cheerleader outfit, so I left the sleeves off.  I followed the directions in the girls pattern for the bodice construction.
Here is a short summary of that process:
- sew the shoulder seams of both the main bodice and the lining
- put the bodice and lining right sides together and sew around each arm hole
- sew the back bodice opening, around the neckline, and back down the other side of the back bodice opening
Leave the sides open and don't sew along the bottom of either the front or the back
- Clip your curves and turn right-side out
Now you can add in your ties (optional) and sew the side seams (making sure to finish the raw edges) by putting the front and back bodice right sides together.  Topstitch around the arm holes and neck / back bodice opening.

Adding ties
I added ties to the dress to allow for a more custom fit (as my model was somewhere between 6mo and 9mo clothes) - and because who doesn't love a bow on a dress!? :)  I don't remember my exact measurements.  I want to say I cut a piece of fabric 4" x WOF, folded it over, stitched it closed with angled ends at both outside edges (near the selvage), then cut it right in the middle so that each tie would be half the width of fabric long and about 1.5" wide (1/2" seam allowance) - but I'd leave you with this tip - measure the space at the side of the bodice (where the front and back connect), subtract your seam allowance for both the arm hole and the bodice / skirt joining, and make sure your ties are skinnier than that measurement!  Mine were a little bit big, so I just added a small pleat / fold in them where they attached to the bodice so that I could make them work!

The peek-a-boo panel skirt
As I noted above, I removed 1" from the length of the skirt.  I did this because I wanted a shorter skirt (because cheerleader skirts are NOT meant to hit below the knee!) - and it worked out well because the dress was a *little bit* big on my model (my adorable Niece!!!).  I'd suggest looking at the finished lengths from the pattern and measuring your kiddo - I could likely have taken off 2" and it would have been even better!

To create the peek-a-boo panel you need a bunch of strips of fabric - I used 8 each of the main (navy) and peek (lime) fabrics.  A little tip because my math / estimation didn't end up perfect..... Make your bodice first.  Get it fully constructed and then measure it!  You want your skirt to be the same width.  So let's pretend your bodice is 24" wide when it's all finished (just throwing out a nice, round number that will make the math for this example simple-de-dimple!).

I want 8 panels to span my 24" skirt.  24/8 = 3" width for each panel.  Now add in your seam allowance (1/2" is a nice round number and allows room to serge all of those seams!).  3" + (1/2" x 2) = 4".  So for this example I would want to cut 8 pieces of each fabric (main and peek) that measure 4" wide by the length of the skirt (from the pattern.... adjusted if you want to).

Phew.... I promise that's all the math (though I have to admit, I love math - it was one of my minors in college!) :)

Now for the construction of the skirt.  Sew together the strips on the long end (the length) - main-peek-main-peek- etc. until you have them all sewn together in a big loop (is it starting to look like a big skirt?!).  I suggest serging or zig-zag stitching each seam allowance so that you don't have fraying when you wash / wear it!  I then pressed all the seam allowances toward the MAIN fabric (navy for me).

Next, hem your skirt.  I followed the directions in the pattern.

Now you need to create the "pleats" / peek-a-boo's.  mark the center of each "peek" panel up at the top (where the skirt will join with the bodice).  Bring both of the adjacent main fabric panels in to meet at the mark you drew on the "peek" fabric.  Pin (or clip) in place and iron the full length of the skirt.  The accent fabric will be hidden under the main fabric - so when you get every panel done, you will just see the main fabric.  Take this skirt over to your machine and run a basting stitch along the top (unfinished) edge to secure your pleats / peeks in place.

Now you just follow the instructions in the pattern to attach the skirt to to bodice.  Keep in mind you *shouldn't* have to gather the skirt at all (though if your math was a little off like mine was when I made my dress, I recommend adding little gathers / mini pleats in the back of the skirt if it's just a little too wide!)  I centered one of the main panels in the front of the dress then worked my way around the bodice when clipping / pinning the two pieces together.

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Clear as mud, right?!  I'm hoping to make more of these dresses in the near future - and I promise if/when I do I will take more photos of the process!  In the meantime, please don't hesitate to comment with questions if you have them!

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What do you think?  I may be biased (because she's my Niece) - but I think my little model makes the cutest cheerleader I've seen!

Want a little more incentive to pick up this pattern and PLAY!?  Jen has put both of the patterns on sale for just $6 to celebrate with us!  (regularly $7.95)  Yippee!!!  I have many of the Tie Dye Diva patterns (okay.... most of them) and love them all!

If you missed any stops along the way - here are the blogs that participated in this week's hop!
Mon. 4/28 - Kathy, Amy, Michelle
Tue. 4/29 - Tasha, Ren, Alyssa
Wed. 4/30 - Sara Beth, Shawnta, Shelly
Thu. 5/1 - Jenny, Meriel, Victoria, Nichole
Fri. 5/2 - Deanna, Zura, Kim (that's me!)

A HUGE thank-you to Kathy from Handmade Dress Haven for organizing this blog hop and inviting me to participate - and to Jen from Tie Dye Diva for being our cheerleader and an awesome pattern designer!!!