Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Sew and Tell with the Victorian Romance


Hi everyone!  How did you like that long weekend?  Did you get a lot of sewing done?  Me, not so much (insert very sad face here).  I've got a few things sitting on my cutting table just begging me to work on them, and this little dress is one of them!  So excited to be sharing this review of the Victorian Romance Tunic/Dress from Foofoo Threads sent in to us by one of our wonderful customers!  We'll have it for 25% off on the website for a limited time, so hurry over!

I fell in love with Foofoo Threads from the first second I saw one of Jocelyn's patterns!  If you are looking for ruffles, frills, and all sorts of girly-goodness, you'll love what she has to offer!  Her designs are the epitome of princess dresses for everyday wear.  I've sewn up a few so far and have been very impressed with the directions and the fit.  She's very detailed and provides great instructions on how to change up the look so you can create exactly the outfit that's right for your little one!  In her patterns, you'll find fabric requirements, size charts, and both photos and sketches to help you see exactly what you should be doing at each step.  You'll also find that instead of wasting your ink and paper to print out a large rectangle, she just gives you the measurements so you can use your cutting mat to get those pieces.  There is only a total of 6 pages of pattern pieces for the Victorian Romance pattern, and all sizes are neatly nested and color coded using beautiful graphics.  Everything is neatly labeled and numbered, just as it should be :) 

The Victorian Romance can be made in sizes 12m- Girls 8.  It features a sweetheart neckline, puffed sleeves, a wrap skirt adorned with ruffles, a flattering sash, and a shirred back bodice for the perfect fit!  If you've never tried shirring, let me just say that it's a piece of cake.  If your machine is giving you grief, do a Google search on how to shirr with your specific machine.  Brother's are notorious for being difficult because of the automatic tension adjustment, but you'll be able to learn some tricks to teach it who's boss ;)  I should have a tutorial on shirring posted in the next week or so.  You can use the pattern to make a dress or tunic and can choose either short or 3/4 length sleeves!   

Let's take a look at the review sent in to us by Rebecca W.
 
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I have been sewing on and off for about twenty years.  My mom taught me how to sew in her basement as I was growing up.  My daughter was born three years ago, and I sewed a few things for her, but then my husband bought me a new sewing machine, and I've been sewing nonstop ever since.  My mom and I run a sewing shop together, and you can find it on Etsy or on Facebook.

 
The Victorian Romance pattern by Foofoo Threads is fabulous!  Some of the things I love about this pattern are that it is so unique with the sweetheart neck and peek a boo skirt.  Once I added the ruffle to the skirt it made a cute dress adorable!  I was so excited when I began reading the pattern because there were options for short or 3/4 length sleeves and options of tunic or dress length.  
 
Because of all of the fabulous details in this pattern it took me about eight hours to cut and sew the dress.  (I chose the dress length and 3/4 sleeves so I would be ready for fall.) The pattern included cutting measurements for all the pieces except the sweetheart bodice, which had pattern pieces.

 
The dress calls for a sash around the waist, but I ran out of fabric.  So until my order arrives, we are sash-less.  The skirt fabric is the blue Garden Charm by Michael Miller, and the ruffles are Kiss Dots Yellow by Michael Miller.  My daughter and I love everything about this dress.  I love all of the details that make it so unique, and my daughter loves the fabulous twirl of the dress.

 I looked at the sizing chart and chose a size larger than what my daughter measured, and I'm glad I did because the bodice has a snug fit. The pattern calls for you to sew a straight seam on the back bodice over the shirring, and I think next time I will not do this so the back has a little more give to it.

 If I were to recommend this pattern to another sewist, I would suggest it to an intermediate sewer because there are lot of ruffles, a sweetheart neck, and shirring on the back of the dress.  I have a Brother sewing machine and I've found shirring difficult until I found this shirring tutorial on YouTube. 
 As you can see from my pictures this dress has amazing ruffles and a great twirl factor! I love it, and my daughter's only complaint is that there isn't any pink on the dress.
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I'm pretty sure her daughter and I could be the best of friends, ha!  I have to admit, though, that I'm really digging the blue with yellow accent ruffle.  Rebecca did a beautiful job!  I always love, LOVE seeing what you all create!  It usually motivates me to finish my (never-ending) housework so I can sit down and sew, myself  :)
 
If you'd like to give this pattern a try, we have it on sale for 25% off for the next few days!  This could be a gorgeous Christmas dress, and it's never too soon to start thinking about Christmas attire!  Do yourself a favor and pick up this pattern while it's on sale! 
 
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  Pair it Up

This week, we'll take a look at a few other clothing items that feature the gorgeous wrap-around look!
 
 
 This is the Janie Curved Skirt from Hadley Grace Designs.  It comes in a huge range of sizes from NB- size 14!  This pattern is great for beginners and would be a quick sew!  We love the overlapping ruffle border!
 
This is the Ruffled Crossover Top from Monkeysbug Patterns.  Very feminine and unique.  It can be made in sizes 2T- Girls 10.  A gorgeous summer top that could easily be layered over a long-sleeve tee for those cooler days ahead! 
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Ok ladies, don't forget to head over to the website to purchase your Victorian Romance pattern for 25% off!  We also have a costume contest you might be interested in.  You can read all about our 1st Annual Handmade Halloween Costume Contest here!  We've got three really snazzy prize packages we'll be handing out to the winners, so go pick out your patterns and let your creative juices flow!  We'd love for you ALL to participate  :)
 
 

Go sew something magical!

 

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I'll try to respond as quickly as I can! Have a fabulous day full of sewing!