Sew and Tell with the Metropolitan Pants

 

When I think of the Metropolitan Pants from Terra's Treasures, three words come to mind:  fun, funky pockets!  Now, if your style is a bit more conservative, and it's a solid colored pair of pants you're after, these will fit the bill just fine- just use the same fabric for the pockets as for the pants!  I, personally, am really digging the colorful contrast and think it's a great way to give a pair of kid's pants some spunk! 

 

I think you'll be impressed by everything these pants have to offer!  First off, the price is very reasonable (and even more so since we've got them for 25% off right now!).  Plus, you're getting a lot for your money.  This pattern works well for both boys and girls and can be made as capris if that's the look you're after.  The size range is from 0-6 months all the way to a size 10 (all sizes for each pattern piece are nested and color-coded), so you could just about make a pair for every kid in your house ;)  The welt pockets in the back are phenomenal, and the pattern's directions for how to make them are very detailed and include a lot of helpful photographs.  There are also functional pockets in the front, a flat-front waist band, and an elastic waistband in the back to ensure a good fit.  You'll end up with a very well-made pair of pants that will look great for school, church, or play-time!  Dress them up or down depending on your fabric choices.

 

Elisa wrote an excellent review of these and made her kids some pretty spiffy pants!  Let's take a look!

 

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Hi!  I'm Elisa from CharmingDoodle.com and am excited to be part of Sew and Tell.  I made two pairs of Terra's Treasure Metropolitan Pants, one for a boy, and one for a girl.  This is such a CUTE pattern and an easy sew.  I highly recommend it!

I have four kids (2 boys, 2 girls) and have only been sewing for about a year.  When I discovered the world of PDF patterns, I fell in love!  I'm always on the lookout for new patterns, and if a pattern can work for both my boys AND my girls...well, it's worth getting.

 

My two oldest are in 1st Grade and Kindergarten this year, and they have to wear school uniforms.  Their shirts have the school's logo, and their pants/skirts/shorts can only be black, navy, or khaki.  But the pants can have embellishments if they're small, so I chose to give this pattern a try and add orange pockets (at my son's request) and flowered pockets to my girl's pants to make them a little less 'uniform-y.'  The contrast fabric is the perfect punch to a pair of pants for them both.

 

Let's talk about the sewing details:

 

Overall, these pants are very easy and quick to sew.  Any adventurous beginner can sew these, and expert sewers can have fun adding unique details to this pattern.  From the time I cut out the pieces to the time I was finished sewing (I made both pairs at the same time) it was about 2 hours.  One pair would be even faster!

 

The big challenge in sewing the pants is figuring out what size to make.  There's no size chart with the pattern.  I made a size 7 for my son but they are tight at the waist so next time I would make an 8.  My daughter wears a 5/6 and I made a 6.  It fits her well and there is even some room to grow.  So if in doubt or if your child is between sizes in ready-to-wear, I'd make these in the bigger size.

 

 

There are only a few pattern pieces to cut out, and it's a bit confusing at first to determine which ones should be the contrast fabric for the pockets (if you make them with contrast fabric...you could just make them solid and they'd be cute too).  If you want to use contrast fabric, you'll cut out the pieces shown in the second cutting layout diagram with your contrast fabric, and the other three pattern pieces shown from your main fabric.
 

I admit that I was a bit intimidated at first by the look of the welt pockets.  I've only sewn welt pockets one other time, but it didn't take long to get the hang of them.  The instructions in the pattern are very clear, and if you read it carefully and look at the pictures provided, you'll be a pro at welt pockets in no time.

 

 

 I finished my son's pants first and after they were done I wished I had topstitched them with orange down the sides of the pants.  But I didn't want to pick them apart to do that...so I left them as is and decided to topstitch my daughter's in pink before I finished sewing the legs together.  It was an easy detail you can add to give the pants some personality.

I also made another pattern change to my daughter's.  After making my son's pants, I saw that the waist of these pants sits pretty high.  I actually cut them down over an inch for my daughter. To do that, I just cut the front pieces shorter at the front waist and then made the pocket piece deeper so you'd still see the pretty contrast fabric.  I did not cut the back piece down, instead I just folded it down more than the pattern calls for, and my elastic casing was bigger.

 

 

 I plan on making these pants again in the future and will probably try to add a zip fly to them.  The shape is really nice, and the length is great, so I think there's an endless amount of possibilities for these pants.

 

And oh, the compliments my kids have gotten.  It's pretty unique to have orange welt pockets for a boy, and I'm often asked where I bought them.  Little do they know that anyone can make these great pants with Terra's Treasure Metropolitan Pants pattern.  Hope you get it and whip some up too.

 

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How sweet are those two?  And didn't those pants turn out great!?!  I adore the flower print used for the pockets on her daughter's pants.  If your kids have to wear school uniforms, this might be a great option for you.  The school year has only just begun, and you've got plenty of time to sew up a few pairs to last throughout the year.  And at 25% off, you can count this as back- to- school savings :) 

 

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Pair it Up!!

 

Let's take a look at a few other of our Back To School Favorites!

 

 

First up is the Classic Polo from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop.  This is definitely one of those patterns you need in your collection!  It can be made for both boys and girls, with shorts sleeves or long sleeves, and has an optional chest pocket.  It can be made in sizes 3m- 12 years.  Love the way this one comes together!

 

 

 I think it's the plaid fabric, but this dress just SCREAMS back to school to me!  This is the Colette Dress from Petite Kids Boutique.  It is available in sizes 12m- 6 years.  You can make it with sweet little puff sleeves or sleeveless and with or with a sash.  The back has a button closure, and it features a full, twirly skirt.  Add the sash and puff sleeves along with some fancy fabric, and you've turned your school dress into a creation she can wear to church, for pictures, or any other special occasion.  Very versatile!

 

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 Hope all of your children (or grandchildren, nieces, nephews...) are off to a great school year!  Don't forget to head over to the website and purchase your Metropolitan Pants for 25% off for the next few days.  And if you are already planning to make your little one's Halloween costume, or if I just now made you think that's a pretty good idea, take a look at our Handmade Halloween Costume Contest!  We're giving away over $300 in prizes!  It's going to tons of fun, and we'd love for you to join us!  Find the details by clicking on the banner below :)

 

 

 Go sew something magical!

 

 



Take a look at where we link up our blog posts! 

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!

 



Take a look at where we link up our blog posts! 

1st Annual Handmade Halloween Costume Contest!

 

Halloween costumes that are ill-fitting, too expensive, look cheap, and uncomfortable are a thing of the past!  Join us this year for the 1st Annual Handmade Halloween Contest hosted by Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops!  Sewists (or sewers, seamstresses, sewing enthusiasts, people who sew...) will battle with seam rippers, tape measures, scissors, and thread to be graced with the title "Handmade Halloween Super Star" and win some great prizes from some great folks!

 

To Enter:

1.  Choose a pattern or patterns from our website and construct a Halloween costume for yourself, your child, your grandchild, your niece/nephew... whoever you would like to sew for!  You only have to use this pattern as the basis of your costume.  Feel free to add accessories, wigs, or use store-bought components (or even pieces you made using patterns that aren't on the site), as long as the majority of the costume is sewn by you from patterns we have available.  Patterns do not have to be purchased from our site (though we would love you if you did).  You can purchase the pattern directly from the designer, or it can be a pattern that you've had in your stash for awhile, either way is fine as long as it is a pattern that we currently have available on our website!

 

2.  Sew up your costume before October 20, 2013.  **** UPDATE****  You now have until October 30th to submit your entries!!  This will be the last day to enter.  Please do not submit photos of costumes that you have made in previous years or that you did not sew yourself.  Those entries will be disqualified.  Also, please do not make any major modifications to the pattern being used.  We need to be able to recognize with pattern for judging purposes.  Feel free to embellish until your heart is content!  Please keep in mind that the costumes need to family friendly.

 

3.  Submit 3 or more high-quality photographs of the costume being modeled.  Email them to me by clicking on the link here.  Be sure to include your name, email address, which patterns you used, and what the costume is (a brief description).  One entry per person, however, if you've made several costumes, you can photograph them all together and submit them as one entry.  If you can make a collage of all the photos, you can submit one collage instead of 3-4 separate photos.  Picmonkey.com is a great (and free!) way to easily make collages and download them to your computer. 

We're sorry to all of our International friends, but this contest is only open to US Residents.   

 

Judging:

All entries will be judged on three areas:

 

1.  Originality and Creativity

2.  Sewmanship (Is that a real word?) and Quality

3.  The "wow" factor!  Razzle-dazzle us, ladies! 

Once photos are submitted, we will post them here on the blog, and also upload them to our Facebook page into a contest album. 

The 10 photos with the most likes during our open voting period (starting on October 20th, 2013) will progress to the next round.  From there, we will allow our panel of judges composed of some of our favorite pattern designers to cast a vote for their favorite.  Once we tally up the top 5 costumes from that vote, Krista, Dianne, and I (The Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops team) will determine the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.  ****UPDATE****  On October 30th, a group of designers and the FF&L team will each choose our top 3 favorites, and a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner will be tallied from those results.
 

 The contest will run from September 2nd- October 20th.  **** UPDATE****  You now have until October 30th to submit entries!!  We'll have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner.  Winners will be announced on Halloween! 

 

Prizes:

 

And what will the winners be getting you might wonder?? 

We've got an awesome collection of prizes from some great vendors! 

For our 1st Place Winner:

A $50 Plum Box from Pick Your Plum

 

A $20 Gift Certificate to Purpleseamstress Fabric

 

45mm Splash rotary cutter ($17.99 MSRP) and a 2/pk of 45mm blades ($15.49 MSRP) from OLFA

 

 $25 Gift Certificate to Modern Yardage

A $30 Gift Certificate to Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops

 

For our 2nd Place Winner:

 

A $25 gift certificate from 5BucksaYard.com

 

$20 Gift Certitificate to Fat Quarter Shop
 

A 3-pack of patterns from Wonderfully Made 4 You

A $20 Gift Certificate to Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops

 

For our 3rd Place Winner:

A Fat Quarter Bundle from Riley Blake Fabrics

A $10 Gift Certificate to Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops
 

 Those are some pretty nifty prizes, if I do say so myself!  We are going to have some happy people on Halloween!  Go visit our sponsors and show them some love! 

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If you need a Trick-or-Treat bag, we've got this fantastic pattern from Hadley Grace Designs you could use!

 

 

And these applique embellishments from Angel Lea Designs would be the perfect way to add some Halloween flair for Trick-or-Treating!

 

 

We are soooo excited to see what everyone creates!  When you have your entries ready, send them here!  If you have a costume in mind and are looking for the perfect pattern to bring your idea to life, send us an email, and maybe we can help!  Put your thinking caps on and start sewing, ladies! 

 

Have fun, and sew something magical!!
 

Take a look at where we link up our blog posts! 

Sew and Tell with the Nova Top and Dress

 

Hi sewing friends!  In case you haven't heard, Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops is back and better than ever!  We had to go offline to take care of some much needed behind the scenes upgrades, but we've reopened with lots of cool features and an awesome mobile site for shopping away from home!  Check out the new website! 

 

If that weren't reason enough to celebrate, here's one more...  our Sew and Tell Review today is The Nova Top and Dress from Popolok Design!  You're going to want to make sure you take advantage of the 25% off discount on this one!  I love this little peplum top with a sweetheart neckline!  The Nova is a gorgeous, sassy, versatile, and blow-your-mind-it's-written-so-well pattern.  It can be made as a sleeveless peplum top or sleeveless peplum dress, and both styles can be made with a cap sleeve.  That's 4 ways to sew up this pattern- SCORE!!!  It comes in sizes 1-8 in girls.  There's an incredibly detailed finished measurement chart included that will help you choose the perfect size for you little one!  The bodice is fully lined and features an invisible zipper.  DON'T let that scare you!!  She gives incredible directions on how to install the zipper, and I just installed my first invisible zipper a mere few days ago in a different pattern, and it was a piece of cake!

 

And I wasn't kidding when I said it was an unbelievably detailed pattern.  The pattern pieces and tutorial come in separate files so you can quickly print the pieces without having to search through the pattern for them.  She tells you step by step how to print out the pattern pieces, which are all nested and color coded to cut down on paper and ink usage.  The tutorial itself contains lots of helpful photos and the directions are clear and easy to understand.  Alviana (the fabulous designer) thought of EVERYTHING, and I promise you this is an excellent, well-written pattern.  I can't say enough good things about it, so I'm going to let Stephanie take it from here...

 

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Hello!  I'm Stephanie.  I'm a SAHM to my two minions.  I'm lucky enough to have a boy and a girl to sew for.  I grew up watching my mom sew quilts, but to be honest she wasn't patient enough to teach me to sew as a little girl.  I actually didn't learn to sew until 2011, when my daughter was a year old and had picked out a cute bird/birdhouse fabric on a trip to Joann's that had originally started out as a scrapbook paper hunt.  I bought a yard of the fabric, went home and didn't know what to do with it.  I watched a ton of Youtube videos and made my very first dress.  I was hooked!  I would say I'm now an advanced beginner - intermediate sewer, somewhere in between. 

 

 

I chose to review The Nova Top/Dress by Popolok Designs.  Alviana knocked it out of the park with this one.  It's a stylish top or dress that is a pretty quick sew.  It has a cute sweetheart-illusion yoke with options to add a gathered cap sleeve.  The bodice is fully lined and all seams are encased in the lining. 

I decided to sew the sleeveless top variation and completed it in one sewing day.  Minus all the breaks I took taking care of my minions it took about 3 hours from cutting the pattern pieces and fabric to the final hemming. 

 

 

The Nova Top was pretty easy to sew up.  The most difficult part for me was attaching the front yoke to the main front fabric.  I've always had a problem sewing concave and convex curves, but if you follow Alviana's instructions, you'll get it.  I think a beginner could make this if they are good at following instructions and if they have the basics of sewing down.  There are colored photos for every step of the way.  Even though there is  an invisible zipper on the back and the bodice is fully lined, I believe it would be good practice for a beginner, especially since the instructions to attach the lining and zipper are so easy to follow. 

 

 

The pattern is beautifully put together.  Alviana has little boxes spread out throughout the directions with an adorable little bird providing helpful tips.  The directions are clear, concise, and well-written.  The steps are numbered as well as the pages.  You will receive two separate PDF's, one PDF for instructions and one PDF for pattern pieces, so it's a breeze to print only the pattern pieces.  The pattern pieces were clearly labeled and numbered and the pages were easy to piece together once printed.  Just match the labeled triangles and tape. 

 

I love the way The Nova Top looks on my daughter!  I made her a size 3.  I think I could have used a size 4 in length because she's so long, but the 3 fits her perfectly width-wise, and she wears a 3 in RTW garments.  The finished top measurements match up with Alviana's measurements. 

 

I found this Riley Blake 'Promenade' Blue Main Fabric on Etsy with Southern Seams Fabrics and thought it would be just perfect for this stylish peplum top.  The necklace, I custom ordered from Jax & Jewels on Facebook.  Both shops were super quick with shipping. 

I can't wait to sew up another Nova Top for my little girl.  I love that it's a big girl style with sweet, unique features.  I've been eyeing a few other Popolok Designs patterns and think Alviana's style is different from anything I've seen, and that's why I love it. 

 

 

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Um, wow!  That's gorgeous!  I seriously have the pattern printed and ready to go on this one because after seeing Stephanie's cute little top, I have to make one, too!  I can see this working under a cardigan when it starts to get cool outside.  It would also be adorable paired with a mini skirt and leggings layered underneath.  Such a fun design!  Be sure to get it for 25% off for the next few days over on the website :)

 

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Pair it Up!

In case you were wondering what would work well with a top that has this much character to it, let me help :)  May I present to you ....

 

The Darling Jeans from Pink Fig Design are just so unique and girly!  What little girl wouldn't want to put on a pair of these jazzed up jeans?  Take a great fitting pair of store-bought jeans and use this tutorial to help you achieve extreme levels of cuteness! 

 

 

Another great pair of pants you'll be able to wear with the Nova Top (as well as a whole closet full of other tops and dresses), are the Everyday Knit Ruffle Pants from Jocole.  These were actually my first knit sewing project, and I found the pattern so quick and extremely easy to follow.  I love how they turned out!  This pattern comes in sizes NB- 5T and includes a bonus pattern for dolls. 

 

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Lots of cuteness here today, right?!?  Don't forget to head over to check out the new website!  And we are working out the final details for our 1st Annual Halloween Costume Contest!!  We're very excited to share the info with all of you, so stay tuned for that announcement!

Go sew something magical!

 



Take a look at where we link up our blog posts! 

Sew and Tell with the Casey Unitard

Hi everyone!  Welcome back for another Sew and Tell!  This week we are flippin' out over the Casey Unitard from Mountain Ash Design!  My daughter is as bouncy and energetic as they come, and I know it's only a matter of time before she wants to take gymnastics.  How cool is it that I'll be able to make her leotards one day?  And lucky for you, if you need to invest in some dance wear, swim wear, or gymnastics patterns, Mountain Ash Design has you covered!

 

The Casey Unitard is great for little tumblers of all ages.  It comes in sizes 2- 14, which is a great size range.  And there are two strap/sleeve options offered.  You can make the unitard with spaghetti straps or with a tank-style top.  Don't think you need anything fancy such as a serger to stitch up a pattern like this.  A regular sewing machine will get the job done, too!  Just take a few minutes to play around with the stretchy fabric and get your settings correct regardless of the machine you are using, especially if you are new to sewing with stretch fabrics. 

 

We've got a great review sent in to us by Kristen.  Read below to find out more about the Casey Unitard pattern!

 

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HI!  My name is Kristen.  I can be seen on Facebook mostly at KristenKreates.  I am a SAHM/WAHM to 3 amazing little ones.  I first learned to sew in elementary school when taking home economics, and we were actually taught to cook and sew.  I still remember what I learned to make that year (Snickerdoodles, an elephant pillow, and a gorilla stuffed animal.)  As I was growing up, my mom had a sewing machine but she NEVER EVER let me use it.  I may have occasionally pretended to be sick so I could stay home and play with it.  SHHH! When I got pregnant with my oldest, I picked crochet back up and made her a few sweaters, but what's a sweater without a cute dress?  And I began to sew again after she was born and haven't stopped since.  I have sewn cloth diapers and nearly any type of clothing you can think of.  I find it very therapeutic.

 

 My oldest is a long lean little one.  If I measured her width, by most patterns she would wear a size 3, but she is 8 years old.  I was easily able to trace a size 6 width and a size 8 length.  Sewing comes in handy especially for her.  She is an active little one and is taking Gymnastics this summer.  Yes, she had a leotard or few, but being a mama that sews she needed more, of course.  I noticed the Casey Unitard pattern and fell in love with the style.  Through all of my pattern altering and drafting, I had yet to come up with the perfect unitard.  Was I ever in luck when I found the Mountain Ash patterns!

 

I found the pattern to be a quick sew.  I believe from start to finish this may have taken me an hour (if that) to print, trace, cut and sew the pattern.  It probably took us more time to choose our fabrics and fold over elastic than it did to sew.  I used a red tag dance/swim wear fabric I found at Joann Fabrics and a solid dance/swim fabric for the top.  Both are a cotton/spandex fabric.  I also happened to have a perfectly matching 5/8" fold over elastic for the straps.

 

I have mixed feelings about having to open each pattern piece individually.  The laziness in me was a little annoyed having to open each one I needed, but the frugal mom in me found it very helpful that I was able to print just the pieces I needed and not any extra.  Having sewn with knits previously, including dance and swim wear, I didn't have any difficulties at all.  The pattern pieces lined up perfectly, and the finished measurements were correct.  Another frugal appreciation is the options! Ask anyone who sews, the more options the better!!  This pattern had a tank option or a thin strap option, but there are options from there!  You can make your own binding, use FOE (fold over elastic) ect.  As a personal preference, I reinforced all the seams and topstitched the top to the bottom body.  I also crossed the straps in the back for her.  Makes the pattern well worth the money spent on it.

 

I found that the instructions were clear and easy to understand, and they provided more options.  For the experienced seamstress there were what I like to call the “cliff note” instructions, just a basic written step by step of what to sew in simple, short sentences.  For those visual learners, she included pictures to match with the simple instructions!  They really did make this a pattern for any level.

 

I liked it so much that I have actually already recommended it to a friend.  My daughter loves it, and we have received nothing but positive compliments on her unitard.  We are already trying to figure out which one to get next. I give Mountain Ash an A-!

 

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 That is one busy little girl!  You can tell she is a little ball of energy!  I'm impressed with how well the unitard is staying in place in all of these photos.  You certainly don't want your little one fidgeting, tugging, and pulling constantly, and this looks to be a great fit!  Plus, how fun is the leopard print fabric she used?  I bet all the little girls in her gymnastics class went home and begged their mommas to make them one, too! 

 

If you want to add performance wear to your repertoire, browse through our collection of Mountain Ash Design patterns available on the website.  And since we know you must be excited to try the Casey out yourself, we're offering it for 25% off for the next few days!  Take advantage of this great offer, and share some photos of your finished unitards with us on our Facebook page! 

 

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Pair It Up!

Here are some great options to help your little one get to and from practice or meets in comfort and style! 

 

 

   The Yoga Girl Pants, Capris, and Shorts pattern from Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop would be perfect to slip on over a leotard before you get in the car.  Cute, comfy, easy to wear, they're great for PJ bottoms or lounging around the house, too!  These can be made in sizes 3m- 12 years.




The Summer Tunic from GreenStyleCreations makes a perfect cover-up!  Whether it be for a day at the pool, gymnastics practice, or a trip to the playground with friends, this tunic the one you want!  Love the ruffle detail around the neckline!  This one comes in sizes 18m- 12 years. 

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Alright ladies, let's get ready to tumble!  Hope you have as much fun stitching up one of these unitards as your little one will have wearing it!

Go sew something magical!

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