I have the pleasure of being one of the stops on Perfect Pattern Parcel #2 blog tour today. I cannot tell you how much I am loving all of these patterns that are included.

All together these patterns make a complete wardrobe for my little ones and that is exactly what my two little girls need right now. They are both hitting growth spurts as the time. You can see above that the parcel includes the following patterns: Click on the links below to read more about each pattern

Hanami Top or Dress by Straight Grain
Hosh Pants by LoubeeClothing
Celestial Tee by Figgy’s
September Tunic & Dress by Too Sweets Patterns
Caroline Party Dress by Mouse House Creations

BONUS pattern:
Prefontaine Shorts by Made With Moxie

I made a total of 6 items from the parcel and would have made more if I didn’t get sick. The first dress I made was the September Tunic & Dress by Too Sweets Patterns. It was a super easy pattern to follow and a pretty quick project to sew up.  The pattern comes in a dress or tunic length and has the cutest little flare sleeves. Instead of using button on the back I opted to use snaps instead.

Next is the Hanami Top or Dress by Straight Grain. This dress comes with lots of different sleeve options, two types of back closures as well as different lengths. I chose to make the dress length with the zipper closure. Next time I will make the cross back option as I think it is too cute! This is just a sweet dress that my little girl is begging me to finish the hem on. Everyday she comes downstairs and asks me if she can wear it yet.

Then I made two Celestial Tee by Figgy’s. I did make the tee’s a size too big but looking at them now I wish I didn’t. I love to make clothes that allow for growth but lets face it creme on my girls…is not going to last very long. I will be lucky if these tees last more then a few weeks.  Good thing they are fast and easy to sew! For the front I added a layer of lace over the knit fabric. These shirts are adorable and I love how the back is longer then the front.  My daughter is also wearing a pair of Hosh Pants by LoubeeClothing. Unfortunately I did not get a good picture of the pants and ignore the fact that the pants look weird at the crotch. I didn’t feel well enough to insert the elastic yet, but my girls are still trying to wear these pants. That shows you that they really like them. They don’t even fit properly and they still want to wear them all the time.

This is the second tee that I made but this time without the lace. I also made another pair of hosh pants but cut them to a capri length. These are so cute and will be perfect for spring.  The one pattern that I did not make this time was the Caroline Party Dress by Mouse House Creations but I have made this dress 5 times already and can say that I  just love this pattern! I am hoping to feel better soon because I was planning on making the girls Easter dresses with it. I am also looking forward to sewing up the Prefontaine Shorts by Made With Moxie.

And don’t forget to print off a few paper dolls to match your little girl’s looks. My girls are going crazy over these little dolls right now, can you blame them?!

Perfect Pattern Parcel #2 ends in a few days so make sure you get before its gone. This is such a great deal for so many great patterns!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog tour. There have been some pretty amazing looks by some pretty talented ladies!

P comme Plimplim
CailaMade
While she was sleeping
YoSaMi
stitched together
Sew Like My Mom
Marina Bebe
lexi.made
sewVery
Call Ajaire
I Married Superman
Girl like the sea
Stitched
Compagnie M.
Buzzmills
floating world
fake it while you make it
Sewing Mama RaeAnna
Our Chez Nous
NeurosesGalore
Behind the Hedgerow
Needle and Ted
Kadiddlehopper
2 little hooligans
Max-California.com
Siestas & Sewing
So Cal Sewing Mom
lauren dahl
La gang à Nat
Frances Suzanne
Radiant Home Studio
Modern Handmade
A Jennuine Life
It’s Always Autumn
lea & lars
I Seam Stressed
So, Zo… What do you know?
Andrea’s Notebook
Steph Skardal
Nutta!
Sewpony
Made With Moxie
imagine gnats
Inder Loves Folk Art
Pienkel

As you all know I am recovering from abdominal surgery and laying on the couch and relaxing is something I find impossible to do. So yesterday I spent a little time crafting on the couch.  Have you seen these cute paper dolls that Rachel of Imagine Gnats made to match the Perfect Pattern Parcel #2 looks? They are so ridiculously cute! Anyways, I thought it would be fun to make my girls some paper dolls to match the outfits that I made them from the perfect pattern parcel. Lets just say I have made two little girls pretty happy with these.

I am so lucky to be part of the blog tour for Perfect Pattern Parcel #2. I cannot tell you how much I love these patterns. I mean obviously I love them if I have made 6 items.

Patterns and Designers:
Hanami Top or Dress by Straight Grain
Hosh Pants by LoubeeClothing
Celestial Tee by Figgy’s
September Tunic & Dress by Too Sweets Patterns
Caroline Party Dress by Mouse House Creations

BONUS pattern:
Prefontaine Shorts by Made With Moxie

Since I have made the Caroline Dress 5 times already I decided to give the other patterns a try first. I can honestly say I love all of these patterns. They are the exact styles my girls love to wear, plus they were fairly quick sews. I love being able to make my girls clothes but don’t want to spend a ton of time on every little thing I make them. This is such a well rounded bundle of patterns…and way cheap too!

Here is a little peek of what I made.

 Hurry…The parcel ends soon!

Lastly I wanted to share this little first aid pouch that I made to go along with this diaper bag. I used this pattern here from purseNmore on etsy.

It was a pretty quick project that again, took longer to cut out then actually sew.

I think it makes the perfect little addition to any diaper bag! I know that we never leave home without band-aids…or Benadryl!

I finally made a Cargo Duffle by Noodlehead.

I had been wanting to make one ever since I saw it.

It was a little time consuming due to all the quilting of layers but besides that a pretty easy sew.

 Since I knew I would be using this bag for an upcoming trip I decided to line the bag fully as well as add more fused fleece to the inside lining. I used this tutorial here for adapting it to a lined bag. (Thanks for the suggestion Emily.) I also made my handles are little longer then what the pattern called for. 

I just love this bag and I cannot wait to pack it. I am so ready to get out of this cold weather and head somewhere warm!

Pattern: Cargo Duffle Pattern by Noodlehead

Fabrics: Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Craft Stores

This past weekend we had a birthday party for my little guy who just turned sssssssseven. His request of course was for a snake cake.

To make the snake I made two batches of Rice Krispie treats and formed them into a snake shape.

Then I colored some cake fondant green and rolled it out into one long -thin strip and began covering the snake.

Then I added a little texture to the snake by using one of my kitchen tools.

I colored some more fondant for the eyes, tongue and polka dots.

It was actually a pretty fun cake to make and as you can imagine my son loved it!

 Have any of you worked with fondant before? I am wondering if I should purchase the tools to go along with the fondant. As you can see I always end up with little lines throughout my fondant and cannot get them out. I am wondering if the tools would help with that. I would love any suggestions!

I wanted to share a diaper clutch that I made to go along with this diaper bag.

I used this Diaper Clutch Pattern from purseandmore on etsy.

It was a pretty easy project that took more time to cut out the pieces then to actually sew. I love that it has a little zippered vinyl pocket for holding diaper cream or baby powder.

The diaper clutch is pretty roomy and will hold enough diapers and wipes for a long days outing. The only thing I changed from the pattern was with the handle. I wanted it to match the diaper so I just adjusted the size, added a clasp as well as a few rivets.

Pattern: Diaper Clutch Pattern: from purseandmore on etsy.

Fabrics: Fabric: Joel Dewberry Notting Hill Historic Tile Teal & Joel Dewberry Notting Hill Tartan Aquamarine purchased from (affiliate link) Fabric.com.

A few years ago I purchased a Huskylock S21. It was a big purchase for me and I was so excited about it. However, I ran into a lot of issues with it, which were all my doing! When I purchased my Huskylock I was given a free class but never took advantage of it. There were many reasons why and mostly had to do with having 2 little ones and a nursing baby. So there my Huskylock sat for years unused.

The more I got into sewing clothes the more I needed to learn how to use my overlock machine. So every once in awhile I would sit down and attempt to the thread the beast and every time I thought I got it figured out…the threads would break. I spent countless hours trying to thread it over and over again. I even blogged about my inability to thread it a few times. It was so frustrating! Well fast forward a few more months and I was given a free Craftsy course to try out. I chose the Sewing Fashion Knits class.

**Before I go any further let me mention that I am now an affliate of Craftsy which means that if you click on that little button on my sidebar and make a purchase, I get a few cents. It’s really not much but it is something. After blogging for 5 years I have finally decided to try and make a few bucks off my blog to help and compensate with the cost of keeping up this blog. However that will not change how I blog, what I blog about and my honesty on this blog! I would not add Craftsy as an affliate if I did not completely love their classes.**

Ok now that I got that out of the way, back to  my story. So I took the Sewing Fashion Knits class and learned so much! Surprisingly what I learned most about the class was simply by watching how important those little techniques are in sewing, especially with knits. I learned that yes, the grain of the fabric is SO important. And that you do need to transfer those pattern notches and where the gatherings are going to be. I learned so much by simply watching someone else sew. As a self-taught sew-er I had never really watched someone else sew and I realized that I was umm…a sewing hack! I honestly needed to slow down and take my time. This is so important! So after taking my first class I was so excited that I wanted to take more classes and most importantly I wanted to learn how to use my overlock machine. So I purchased the Beginner Serger Class. The class is full of content as well as a few patterns. I have learned so much already from this class and I still haven’t watched the entire course. I go back and watch it every once in awhile or when I run into any issues. Just by watching the first few classes I was finally able to properly thread my machine, as well as learn so much about adjusting the tension and how to trouble shoot when any issues arise. The course does feature three different sergers and shows you how to thread each one step by step. My huskylock S21 is not shown in the courses but I still learned the basics and that was enough to get me to where I am now.

I am actually using my Huskylock and oh how I love it!! Of course I still have so much to learn. I am still having some issues when changing between all the different settings. I just need to spend a little more time on those. But right now I am loving how quick and easy it is to sew a garment! It takes just a few minutes to make a pair of yoga pants or a simple knit dress for the girls. A serger or overlock machine opens up a whole new world of sewing!

If you are struggling with your serger or overlock I highly recommend taking the Craftsy course and it is not just because I want to make a few bucks. It is because I want you to realize how fun and amazing sergers or overlocks really are. Don’t let your machine sit for years like mine did! And just remember, their courses go on sale a lot so just keep your eyes open for a sale. Of course the best way to be informed of their sales is to register on their site to receive their emails. Luckily for all of you Craftsy is giving away one free class! And that is for any class of your choice. Craftsy offers a bunch of different classes and they are not just sewing related. Just take a peek at all of the classes they offer. I am sure you can find at least one you would love to take!

To enter the giveaway simply click on the link below and follow the instructions. If you are already a member of Craftsy you will need to sign in. If you are not a Craftsy member you will need to register first but don’t worry it is really quick and easy to do. Once signed in simply follow the instructions to enter the giveaway. Trust, it’s worth it! The winner will be chosen and emailed directly from Craftsy. Giveaway ends March 21, 2014.

 Enter to win a Craftsy class