Roly Poly Pinafore Blog Tour & Giveaway! (giveaway closed)

Hello, and good Monday to you!
I'm so psyched because today I get to share with you my take on the Roly Poly Pinafore, a pattern by my friend Rachael of Imagine Gnats!

Coyote Roly!

This is my second Roly Poly Pinafore (first one here!), and I loved making this one as much as the last.

This pattern is so many things that I love - simple to sew, easy to customize, and showcases your fabric choices beautifully.  Rachael pretty much knocked this one out of the park!

the roly-poly is a pinafore-style tunic top with crossover back that fastens at the shoulder with two buttons. it features clean lines, neckline pleat, optional in-seam pockets, and is reversible. whether you layer your roly-poly with a colorful cardi and skinnies, pair with your favorite summer skirt, or use as a keep-clean smock, this tunic fits perfectly into the wardrobe of the easy, simple days of childhood.

This version is sewn in a dark blue/grey super soft chambray, and a woodland print on the inside.  Though this pinafore is totally reversible, I didn't add buttons to the inside of this one because I am so madly in love with this coyote that I can't imagine ever keeping him hidden!

To make the coyote pocket, I used this printable fabric, and an image from this Etsy seller.  I printed it out, then sewed it to some natural colored muslin with right sides together, leaving room to turn it rightside out, then top stitched it to the pinafore, leaving a long space open along the top to make it  a pocket!

Isn't he handsome?!

Here's a shot of the inside fabric!  So cute. ALL the woodland creatures ALL the time.  :D

Photoshoot day was a washout!  What a bummer!  But here's the pinafore on Emmy out in the rain:

She loves the pocket!

So would you want to sew your own Roly Poly?!  

You can win a copy, right here!  Just leave a comment on this post to enter to win, and a winner will be randomly drawn at the end of the Tour - Friday, May 31st!   Good luck!

***EDITED TO ADD: About half of the comments I've received so far are from no-reply-comment bloggers!  PLEASE, leave your email address with your comment, or go HERE to see how to unset this no-reply setting.  How else will I find you to lavish prizes and compliments upon you?!?***  

Thanks to Rachael for inviting me along on the Roly Poly Tour!  I adore this pattern!

Don't miss these other super talented contributors!

5.13 Jill Made with Moxie / Stephanie The Crafty Kitty

5.14 Stephanie NeurosesGalore / Cherie you & mie

5.15 Ari Max California / Caila Caila Made

5.16 Veronica SewVery / Tara Girl like the sea

5.17 Nancy owen's olivia / Adrianna Crafterhours

5.20 Ajaire Call ajaire / Sarah EmmylouBeeDoo

5.21 Laura Craftstorming / Jessica a little gray

5.22 Frances Miss Matatabi / Nicke kiss kiss quilt

5.23 Amy formwork design / Kat Sew Chibi

5.24 Joanne Rose & Dahlia / Amanda Kitschy Coo

5.27 Celina Petit a Petit and family / Delia Delia Creates

5.28 Christy a.Amelia handmade / Carolyn Fake It While You Make It

5.29 Bonnie Fishsticks Designs / Maria La Inglesita

5.30 Jane Buzzmills / Kate Things for Charlie

5.31 Polly Jack & GeeGee / Molly Rose & Odin

Have a great week, everyone!

The Seafarer Top by Sew Much Ado

Hey hey hey!  Happy Friday!
4th Annual Martini Night at my co-workers house tonight.  Happy Friday, indeed.

So a short while ago Abby from Sew Much Ado posted on Instagram a sneak peek of her awesome new pattern, and a call out for testers.  I jumped on that so hard (I think I was the first commenter, lol.)
I've admired Abby for a long while, and I haven't sewn anything for myself in ages, AND it's a knit top.  Win times three.

SO, here is my Seafarer Top!



Let me just point out that this fabric was impossible to photograph.  It's a different color in every picture I took.  Ehh.  It's a beautifully luscious rayon knit (similar here).  I literally wore this top the whole day after I made it and then again the next day.  Ew.  BUT SO COMFORTABLE. 

Do I like it, you ask?

Yes, yes I do.  Haha!  Look how excited Emmy and I are in our handmade wares. She's wearing one of her many Skater Dresses.

This pattern is so, so great.  It's a super-fast sew and it's much more versatile than your basic tee pattern.  It's a dolman style top with lots of options for customization. 
The version I tested has bands to finish the arms, neckline, and waist.  Love that, it creates a great finished look without the hassle of hemming.  There are other options included to finish the neckline, arms and bottom hem more traditionally, like so:

How cute is Abby.

Another awesome aspect of this pattern is the little pocket!  You can choose really any fabric you desire for the pocket.  My purple/red/pink/fuchsia knit fabric has a subtle sheen to it, so I used charmeuse for the pocket, making this top appropriate for my relatively casual office day-job.  WIN. 

  

I L.O.V.E this version:

I can't wait to make heaps more of these tops.  HEAPS.

So head on over to Sew Much Ado to get your copy of the Seafarer Top, and to check out more shots of Abby's gorgeous beach photoshoot!  

Have a great day, all!  I'll have a 'tini for ya tonight!  ;)

Fancy-Up Your Hosh Pants - Final Day!

Hello, and happy day to you!

So finally, here is the very last installment of......

It was such a fun week seeing everyone's awesome Hosh re-makes!  Today, I'll show you what I did to fancy-up MY Hosh!

BEHOLD!

GAP pants here.

Yep - I hacked GAP pants!

I am still DYING that these pants are like literally the exact same color as the GAP version.  How the?  What the?!?

I made these cuffed Hosh Pants using stretch twill from my local Joann Store.  They have had amaaaazing stretch bottom weights lately!  Three cheers for that.

Slightly off topic, but relevant - I always cut Emmy's Hosh Pants in a size 2t through the waist and hips, then blend out the 3t length.  She is not average (she's tall and narrow), so I have to adjust for that.  I encourage you to play with your patterns in this manner, especially this pattern - with just one main pattern piece, you can get a good fit with just a couple easy adjustments!

I added one inch to the bottom of the pattern, and a half inch to each side - from the bottom up to about knee-height, blending into the curves.  Easy peasy!

Then I tacked the cuff down with a bright coralish thread (can you even see that?  Way to not take a pic, self).

I'm really glad I made these because Emmy has a drawer full of crazy-patterned Hosh - we needed some neutrals in a bad way! And I think the cuffed look is just so stinkin' cute for Spring.

So there you have it!  My Fancy-up Your Hosh Pants GAP Hack!

Emmy ordering me back to my photog corner after daaaring to touch her hair:

Haha!

Thank you all so much for checking out my mini series!  Please go give these ladies some love, and check out any Hosh Hacks you may have missed!  I Love these gals. :)

Ari @ Max-California

Kelley @ Casa Crafty

Rachael @ Imagine Gnats

Alida @ Alida Makes

Kat @ Sew Chibi

Veronica @ Sew Very

Have a great rest of your week, everyone!

Noodlehead Super Tote

Good Monday, all!

So clearly, this isn't Day 7 of Fancy-Up Your Hosh Pants.  That'll be tomorrow!  The weather was a little crummy for pictures this weekend, and yesterday was ma'birthday!  I chose to give myself a Hosh pass, and instead finished sewing up this Super Tote for my Mama for Mother's Day!

Check THAT out, right?!

I am absolutely in love with this bag, and I won't lie - I was a little devastated giving it away.  Lol, sorry mom.  It came together pretty quick though, so I know I'll make one for ME in the near future.  I may or may not have just bought all three colorways of Anna Marie Horner's Ghost Wing linen, so that might be happening for this bag. 

The name Super Tote is just perfect.  It's a really big tote with the added benefit of many pockets to keep everything organized.  Super, right?!  

This was my first foray into making a bag of this magnitude - in size and in detail.  The details are what take this bag from basic tote, to really great looking tote.  Seriously, check out this recessed zipper!  As a person who throws things (into the car, onto the dining room table, etc...), I wholeheartedly appreciate that design feature.    

There is a large pocket on the exterior with a magnetic snap closure.  Love that - perfect for books or magazines.  And there is a great pleat detail on either side of the bag.

There is some serious Mary Poppins action going on inside this tote.  I was thisclose to taking a picture of Emmy sitting inside the thing.  So much room!

Also, there are pockets on each side of the interior that you can customize to suit your needs.  My mom knits, so I made sure to make a narrow pocket to hold needles.

For scale, a three year old modeling the Super Tote:

So big right?!  Love it.

All of the fabrics I used are from Joann's. The exterior is all home decor weight except for the solid white, which is linen (same as this dress), and the light grey interior is quilting cotton.

So there you have it!  A really Super Tote!  My mama likes it, I'm pleased to report.  :)

Have a good day all!  Check back tomorrow for MY Hosh refashion!

Fancy-Up Your Hosh Pants - Day 6!

Hello!  Happy weekend!
Today is DAY SIX of:

Can't believe how fast this little series went by!  I definitely want to do another tour... Maybe later this summer with a new pattern!

Tomorrow, the tour will wrap with a post of my own!  Can't wait to share it.  :)  

Don't forget - you have until Sunday night to save 15% on your total order with code FANCY15 in my shop!

SO who's up for some Hosh Hackery today?!  It's Veronica, from SewVery!

Veronica is unbelievably talented at the helm of a sewing machine.  She has been a pattern tester for two of my patterns, and she has wowed me over and over with her skills!  That, and she's the sweetest southern gal ever I've met.  I am proud to call Veronica a friend!


LOOK at what Veronica has done with the Hosh!

Can you EVEN!?
Head on over to SewVery for this awesome how-to!


Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Fancy-Up Your Hosh Pants - Day 5!

FRIDAY!
Ahhh, that's a great word when you have a 9-5 job.  Lol. 
  So, are y'all ready for today's installment of:

Today we have the bananas talented Kat from Sew Chibi!

Sidenote: why do all of my contributors HAVE IMPOSSIBLY ADORABLE CHILDREN. 
I am madly in love with Kat.  MADLY.  She has become such a good friend of mine, someone I can go to for anything.  Kat is a completely open-hearted soul and I adore that about her.  She also makes me laugh to the point of tears and/or peepants just about daily.  That, my friends, is Kat.  :D


And THIS is her HOSH HACK!

Head on over to Sew Chibi now!  
You'll want to stay awhile - creativity and mad sewing skills all over the place.



Happy Friday, all!!

Claimin' ma'blog.

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Fancy-Up Your Hosh Pants - Day 4!

Goooooooood Thursday!
I'm so excited to be getting closer to the weekend, because in 2 more weeks - I'm going on VACATION!  So excited.  It's been a WHILE!  We're going up to Acadia National Park, anyone ever been?!  Tell me everything.  :)

So anyway, on to DAY FOUR of:

Today I am so pumped to be sharing with you what the UBER talented Alida from Alida Makes has whipped up!  

Alida is one of the kindest people I've met.  I've been a fan of her blog for over three years (!), and she has never waivered in her approachability or her willingness to help a sista out!  If you don't already know this beauty, you will feel like you do once you visit her blog.  

Want to see what she made?!

Go forth now and check these bad boys out!!!
She even shares a measurement chart so YOU can pull this look off too!


Love to ALL,
 

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