Oliver + S Summer Picnic Blouse and Shorts: Modern Yardage Fabric Giveaway

So now that I have finished my last four patterns, I am in back-to-school sewing mode for my girls. We start back in the middle of next week, can you believe it? I wanted to share this little outfit that I made for Matilda who will be in her second year of preschool this year. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post because I have an incredible fabric giveaway for your as well!

I have so many patterns in my stash that I have been just dying to try. I have had this Oliver + S Summer Picnic Shorts and Blouse pattern in my collection for about three years now. And seeing as though the version of this pattern that I have only goes up to size 4T, I figured I better get this sewn (since Matilda is currently wearing size 4).

Matilda's favorite color is blue. So when April (owner) from Modern Yardage asked me if I would like to sew some projects with their fabrics, I knew that 'Poppy Hop' by Cindy Lindgren for Modern Yardage in the Turquoise color-way would be perfect for this little outfit.

You might not have heard of Modern Yardage before, but they are a fantastic fabric manufacturer and to be honest, they are new to me as well. But I would like to tell you some things about them that set them apart from some other manufacturers in the quilting cotton fabric market.

All fabric designs available from Modern Yardage are available in three different scales. Seriously, this blew my mind. To me, one of the MOST important parts of designing a children's outfit with patterned fabric is scale. Many times I'll have pieces I want to put together, but if the scale isn't right for the piece then I just can't put those designs together. So you can choose just the right scale for each part of your garment.

All designs are printed on 100% pre-shrunk cotton (yes, I said PRE-SHRUNK) and for garment sewists, this is an amazing feature. No pre-washing....yay! The fabric is slightly heavier than traditional quilting cotton and has a wonderful feel (or hand). The fabrics are printed with environmentally-friendly, water-based textile pigments and they do not use any harsh acids or chemicals. Again, perfect for garments.

Finally, the fabrics are printed on demand. So when I got the three prints I selected for this garment, they were all printed out on one continuous piece of fabric. The fabric design is 44" wide, but is printed on 58" wide fabric, meaning the extra 14" has maybe a new craft project idea, a message from a designer, a coupon for your next sale........you never know.......it's always a surprise.

Here is little miss thing wearing her new blue outfit. I really should show you all the faces she gave me during this photo shoot........she was working it.

I didn't alter the pattern at all, which is kind of strange for me. But it's such a great design, I didn't want to detract from the look with too many embellishments. And the fabric was pretty busy as well. The only thing I added was some white piping in the seam on the blouse in the front and the back and then the two little white buttons.

I always add a 'The Cottage Mama' label to everything I make for the kids. If you are looking for garment labels, you can read more about mine here.

I thought the fit was absolutely perfect. Matilda is spot on in a size 4 commercial clothing and I don't think these pieces could have fit any better. The only thing I would do differently is that I don't think I will finish the back elastic waistband the same as the pattern calls for next time. I wasn't a big fan of being able to see some of the elastic on the inside of the shorts, but it was a great technique if you wanted to use adjustable waist elastic.

Oliver + S instructions are so easy to understand and follow. They come with black and white illustrations that are very clear. I'd say this pattern would be great for an intermediate or confident beginner.

And here is one more shot of Miss Matilda. Just so you know.......80% of my pictures of her end up with her in this position. Apparently she thinks this is her best pose. Silly girl.

So how about some fabric?

Would you like to win 5 YARDS of fabric of your choice from Modern Yardage?

If so, please enter in the rafflecopter below. Giveaway open until Sunday, August 11 at midnight (CST).

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Daphne Wrap Dress and Top Pattern from The Cottage Mama: Now Available!

And here it is........the final pattern in The Cottage Mama summer collection of sewing patterns. The Daphne Wrap Dress and Top (size 6 month - size 10) is now available in PDF and will be available in paper around the end of June!

Daphne Wrap Dress and Top

SIZE 6 MONTH - SIZE 10

DESCRIPTION:

The Daphne Wrap Dress and Top is the perfect casual wardrobe essential for your little one. It is a semi-fitted, A-line, wrap dress that is fully lined, wraps around back and is secured with two buttons in back and two buttons in the front. View A can be made as a dress or top and has a pieced front with a curved yoke and an adorable ruffle or piping added into the seam. Optional piping trims the entire dress for amazing attention to detail. View B, the Daphne pocket dress, has a solid dress front with a sweet kangaroo style pocket. And View C, is the solid dress variation, which can easily be made reversible with the addition of more buttons or snaps on the lining. View C can also be cut as a top for perfect pairing with pants or capris.

All design variations are fully lined with contrasting fabric for total comfort for your little one. This is great pattern for confident beginner sewers and offers many ways to get creative with your design!

Here is my sweet Savannah Rose wearing the new Daphne Dress (View A) that I made for her. This piece is perfect for spring and summer and will transition beautifully into fall and winter by layering it with long sleeves and tights or leggings.

The Daphne Wrap Dress and Top Pattern has so many different possibilities. You can make it as a dress or top. You can do a solid front, or a pieced front with ruffle or piping or do a solid front with a kangaroo pocket. The pattern also includes tips and tricks on how to use piping throughout the entire garment. Piping is entirely optional, but it's a sweet little way to add some interest and detail!

This pattern is a really quick sew. I think you will be surprised how quickly it comes together!

Here is my little Matilda sporting her new summer play outfit. You can pair the Daphne Wrap Dress and Top with the new Skip and Play Pants and Capris Pattern (Size 6 month - size 10) from The Cottage Mama. This version was made using piping around the top of the garment and an additional loopy trim around the hem. The capris are made from woven cotton and seersucker.

The front yoke on View A of the Daphne Wrap Dress and Top offers a great spot for embellishment. Here is a version from Katie Romagosa (Leave You In Stitches) where she added a machine embroidered monogram. You can also see how adorable this dress is layered with long sleeves!

The Daphne pattern also has a kangaroo style pocket (View B).  This is another fun variation that gives the dress an entirely different look! The two above are from Katie Romagosa (Leave You In Stitches) and Ellen Balzer (Ellzabelle).

This little cutie is wearing the Daphne Wrap Top with the Skip and Play Pants and Capris. This outfit was designed by Tanya Coffey (Sidewalk Chalk Designs).

And finally, I'll leave you with this little cutie from Crystal from Stitched by Crystal. This sweetie just melts my heart. She is absolutely precious in her Daphne Wrap Dress!

If you would like to purchase your own copy of the Daphne Wrap Dress and Top Pattern (Size 6 month - size 10), you can find it HERE.

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Skip and Play Pants and Capris Pattern from The Cottage Mama: Now Available!

I am pleased to announce the third pattern from The Cottage Mama Summer Collection, the Skip and Play Pants and Capris (Size 6 month - size 10)!

These are the first pair of pants and capris offered from The Cottage Mama. You can layer these under dresses and jumpers or pair them with a little t-shirt and cardigan. However, your little lady decides to wear them, they will surely get noticed!

Skip and Play Pants and Capris

SIZE 6 MONTH - SIZE 10

DESCRIPTION: The Skip and Play Pants and Capris are the perfect wardrobe essential for your darling little one. The pants and capris feature a flat front waistband with elastic in the back, several contrasting cuff options and a sweet ruffle in the waistband for added whimsy and detail. View A, the double wrap cuff variation, features a bottom cuff with a wrap around top cuff that can be trimmed out with a button on each side. View B is a ruffle cuff variation that mimics view A; however an adorable ruffle replaces the wrap around cuff. And View C, the basic variation, eliminates the ruffle in the waistband and is perfect for an older girl who might prefer a more mature style pant or capri. No matter what variation you choose this pattern will take your child through all seasons.

This is great pattern for confident beginner sewers and offers many ways to get creative with your design. Consider mixing and matching these pants and capris with many other designs from The Cottage Mama collection of sewing patterns!

There are two different cuff options with these pants and capris. View A is shown in the picture above.

The top waistband of the pants and capris has a sweet little ruffle; however, View C can be made without the ruffle for a slightly older girl or for those that don't care much for the ruffle look.

These are View B from the Skip and Play Pants and Capris pictured with the Miss Matilda Dress and Top pattern. This outfit was created by Melissa Myers and features a side bow embellishment in addition to the buttons on the capris.

Here is another variation of View A in the capri length paired with the Miss Matilda Dress and Top (Size 6 month - 10 years) made by Katie Romagosa from Leave You In Stitches.

FIT: The fit is probably my favorite part of these pants. They are a flat front pant and capri with elastic in the back waistband. These pants are a more slim fit through the hip. The goal was too create a more fitted pant which is  a little bit harder in the sewing pattern market today. All of the testers really loved the look. It is important to mention that when selecting the size for your little lady, you will need to pay careful attention to her waist measurement. Select the size based on waist and adjust for length. Doing so will ensure a perfectly fitting pant or capri!

To purchase the Skip and Play Pants and Capris Pattern, please click HERE.

PS: I will have more pictures of the pants and capris once the final pattern is released. They look so darn cute with the final piece in this collection!

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Miss Matilda Dress and Top Pattern: Testers

I have such an incredible group of women behind the scenes that have been helping me test all my patterns to ensure a perfect pattern for our customers. Like I mentioned last week, they are an incredibly talented group of women and I am so proud to share some of their darling creations with you.

This is Crystal's (Stitched by Crystal) little cutie wearing the Miss Matilda Dress in size 12 month. We shortened the sash a little bit since these pictures were taken so that it didn't extend beyond the hem of the dress. Crystal chose a gorgeous eyelet fabric with solid lavender accents. So perfect for this sweet little lady!

This darling little outfit was created by Katie Romagosa from Leave You In Stitches. Her Miss Matilda Top is pictured with the Skip and Play Pants and Capris (Size 6 month - 10 Years) that will be released this week as well. Katie used several different patterned fabrics and added lace detailing to the top for added interest.

Here we have our size 10 tester, Christie Jones, who sewed this darling top for her daughter, Cate. My favorite part about this dress / top is that it looks sweet on a little baby girl and classy and sophisticated on a little bit older girl.

This beautiful blue and cream colored dress is from Serena GarciaDiaz. Serena had posted a picture over on Facebook of a dress she had made using the free 'Summer Picnic Dress' and I fell in love with her work. Her photography is just beautiful and the contrasting colors in the dress really bring great attention to the ruffles and sash.

Here we have the most adorable creation from the very talented Melissa Myers. This is the Miss Matilda Top paired with another variation of the Skip and Play Pants and Capris (Size 6 month - 10 years) that will be released this week as well. Melissa did such a wonderful job pairing all these different patterned fabrics and the buttons pull it all together!

The beautiful purple and blue creation pictured above is from the love, Trisha Parker from Sweet N Sassy Girls. Trisha did a re-test on our size 7 just to make sure we had nailed down a few details with the fit and I absolutely adore what she came up with for her little girl!

And finally, I'll leave you with the very talented Hayley from Mouse House Creations. Hayley used an additional fabric and incorporated it into the sash. The white ruffles and the pink sash are the perfect accents for this beautiful blue fabric!

Whew! That's a lot of cuteness going on! I wish I could share them all with you, but I'm sure this has been enough Miss Matilda inspiration for one day. I can't say it enough.......these ladies are just incredible and I am so thankful for the time and energy they put into helping me with these patterns.

If you would like to purchase the Miss Matilda Dress and Top Pattern (Size 6 month - 10 Years), you can find the pattern HERE.


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