Ellie and Mac – Cuddle Tunic

This is a fun one! I love this fabric and the pattern that I used with it. First, let’s talk about this fabric. Of course it came from Stitchin’ Pretties. The owner, Laura shared it in the Facebook group and I immediately received a text from my mom that said as soon as it is on the website she needs me to order it. Umm Ok, Calm Down Momma Mia. She asked twice more if it was on the website before it finally released. 🙂 So I ordered Freida, the epic paint splatters on the charcoal background. I also ordered Francis which is on a lighter blue background. These fabrics are French Terry which is a dream to sew with. I love the weight of it too. Not bulky or overly hot. It breathes well and it is cozy. The royal blue was from my stash and is scuba which snagged way to easily even on my cutting mat.

Happy Birthday Momma Mia!

The pattern I used this time around was the Cuddle Tunic from Ellie and Mac. I really liked the style of this shirt and the way it looked when color blocked. I wanted Momma Mia to have a fun long sleeve shirt with a giant pocket for her Birthday, so this one fit the bill perfectly. I paired it with some royal blue scuba fabric I had on hand. I wanted this one to have a little bit of weight to it so it would be warm for winter. I made the tunic length with regular long sleeves. I added the cowl neck to this pattern too. I sewed an XXL for the entire pattern.

Options for the Cuddle Tunic

Short, long, and bishop sleeve options

Bubble, loose-fit style

Tunic & Dress length

Large front pocket

Momma Mia’s Birthday outfit wouldn’t be complete without matching pants.

I sewed up the Good Vibes Joggers. I hadn’t sewn this pattern before either. I read through the directions and fit chart. Momma Mia has one of those shapes that drop several sizes between natural waist and hips which makes things a little difficult to fit, so this was really a test run. This round I sewed the XXL front waist graded to a large. The back was a straight large. Note to self: the front waist/belly area is a little large so next time, maybe a large front and medium back. The length is ok, but maybe I will remove 3/4 inch of length from the hip to knee area which will help with the baggy knees and eliminate the saggy ankle area. Since this was a test run, I didn’t add pockets or the contrast stripe. I used the elastic waist and the ankle cuffed pants length.

The pattern includes these options.

Zipper welt pocket option

Side stripe option

No trim pattern pages

Five length options noted in description

Two waistband options

Pattern Afflinks cost you nothing to use, but I receive a small commission for sharing my feelings on the pattern.

The Cuddle Tunic On Sale for $4.97

The Good Vibe Joggers On Sale for $4.97

Fabric

Stitchin’ Pretties where the fabric is quickly shipping and the customer service is awesome! They still have the buy 2 yards get one free deal happening!

Lucy – Perfect Scrap Buster

I have been looking for some projects that would be perfect for using up some of my large fabric scraps. Today I am using the Lucy pattern from 5oo4 patterns. I picked this pattern because I have an assortment of long semi narrow lengths of fabric which should work well for anything with princes seams. Next photo… the scrap pile! These scraps were left over from this dress hack. I added a solid burgundy 1 yard cut to the pile.

This lovely pattern features princess seams in top, tunic, and 2 dress lengths. I sewed the scoop neck version of the tunic. I didn’t adjust for height which worked out well since I couldn’t locate any comfy pants to wear with and actually match this tunic. I made the 4x FBA graded to the 5x pattern.

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All the options included with the Lucy Pattern.

The Women’s Lucy Top and Dress includes:

• Women’s sizes XXS – 5XL
• Princess seams
• Jewel or scoop neck options
• Sleeveless, cap sleeve, short sleeve, elbow sleeve, three-quarter length sleeve, or long sleeves.
• Top, Tunic, Mini Dress and Knee Dress length options
• Optional Lace Up back

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This pattern came together super easily. I used my serger for everything but the hemming which is always nice. You can always use a zig zag stitch in your regular machine though. My sewing machine is out of the shop and I am not sure it is completely fixed. Still fighting with it at times. Ugg

To pick up the Lucy pattern, please click my affiliate link. https://5outof4.com/product/lucy-top-and-dress/?affiliates=216

Ellie and Mac – Wrapped in Love

Hi friends in Blog land,

Hope you are doing well and not stressing about the holidays. I think this year has had plenty of stress, so we need to take this time to relax, enjoy life, and wrap ourselves in love! I couldn’t think of a better dress pattern to use for this purpose than one literally called Wrapped In Love.

Over the past few years I have sewn dozens of Ellie and Mac patterns. I love that they are pretty, tend to be fairly quick and fit me well. I printed and taped this pattern before I realized I have actually made the skirt before. #seamstressproblems I hacked the skirt and combined it with the Be Breezy to make a small capsule and I loved the outcome. I actually wrote the hack for the Ellie and Mac Blog. Here is the link there. Below is one photo of that set. Click the link to check out the entire set!

For this dress, I made a few small changes. I omitted the bodice lining. I know it gives a cleaner neckline finish, but honestly I hate wasting all that fabric. I also scooped the neckline 2.5 inches lower, then cut a neckband. Easy Peasy! I smoothed out the back curve and cut the back bodice on the fold. I made the sleeves slightly roomier as the regular pattern is very slim. I actually wanted these to come out larger, but alas they aren’t as poofy as I dreamed. Once I had the bodice assembled with the sleeves, I put it on. I marked on my arm (yea with a purple ink pen that was holding my hair up #protip) where the cuff would hit. I then measured the circumference of my arm at that point and subtracted 1/2 inch. This would ensure my sleeve cuff was tight enough to be snug, but not cut off my circulation. I shorted the skirt length by 2.5 inches.

Because pockets are everything!

So what do you think about this fabric? This oh so glorious fabric?? I am in awe of it really, the colors, the weight, the cool slinky feeling of it. This is DTY from Sly Fox Fabrics and it is gorgeous. GORGEOUS, folks! I actually don’t have enough words to say how much I love it. When it was offered up in to the promo team, I signed up IMMEDIATELY! I needed this fabric in my life! I was grateful to be chosen to sew it up, then ordered 2 additional yards because it HAD TO BE A MAXI DRESS! I am still living in dresses since my surgery. My body still isn’t super happy about wearing jeans. Thankfully, I have a pretty well stocked closet!

Maxi dress for the win!

This fabric is called Azalea in Navy and the Sly Fox Website lists several coordinates for it and they are all lovely! Here is the link to head over to order this print yourself! SFF has free shipping on orders over $150. #Selflovecomesinfabricshipments.

Wrapped in Love is currently on sale for $4.97! So worth every single penny!

Here is my afflink. This costs your nothing extra, but I do receive a small commission from the designer for “Sharing my Love.”

Fabric is DTY from Sly Fox Fabric and is Gorgeous remember. It is called Azalea in Navy!

Here is direct link to it.

On a side note, my sewing machine is back from the repair shop and seems to be doing ok. A good cleaning and a new type of needle and it is happy again. Let’s hope this continues! I have several projects coming your way this week including a new Youtube video which is kicking off a new series on my channel. I hope you have all subscribed to get notified!

SequoiaLynn Sews on Youtube <–give me a click 🙂

More Pattern Hacking with Love Notions

So I know I just had a blog post with a similar title, but this one is a bit different. I tried out several different options when I wanted to work out a fall style hack for my Love Notions Summer Basic. For this hack I wanted to have attached sleeves and it was super easy to do. I looked through the Love Notions site and quickly picked out the Sunday Romper.

The Sunday Romper has a dolman style sleeve which means there isn’t a shoulder seam. The body of the shirt and the sleeves are a continuous pattern piece. Typically if you want to have long sleeves on a Dolman, that is a separate piece to add length. Psst: I will show you tell you how to do it!

The first step of this hack is to print your pattern for the bodice of the Sunday Romper and the Skirt of the Summer Basic. I know the Sunday Romper comes with its own skirt, but the Summer Basic has more flare at the hem. In my size there was only about a 1.5 inch of difference between the bodice and the skirt width. I just added 1.5 inches to the center of the skirt and rolled with it.

Since I was hoping for a fall winter look, I used the lower sleeve cuff from the La Bella Donna pattern to lengthen! Just make sure your Dolman sleeve is the same width as your sleeve extension. Instant Long Sleeves!

Cut your pattern pieces in your favorite fabric! I used Darcey from Stitchin’ Pretties. This is an Alpaca Sweater knit and it is the softest fabric ever. I think I just sat wrapped up in it the entire time I planning this dress. The website notes this should be hand washed and dried flat or on low. I didn’t see those directions and washed in cold and dried for 50mins on normal heat. I didn’t notice anything weird, but I suggest following directions. Don’t forget this fabric is included in the buy 2 yards get 1 bonus yard free. 🙂 I love love love this deal!

All The Links – Afflinks for patterns

Fabric – https://stitchinpretties.com/collections/sweater-knit/products/darcey-alpaca-sweater-knit

Summer Basic – https://www.lovenotions.com/product/summer-basics-tank-dress?affiliates=429

La Bella Donna – https://www.lovenotions.com/product/ladies-la-bella-donna-top-tunic/?affiliates=429

Sunday Romper – https://www.lovenotions.com/product/sunday-romper-ladies/?affiliates=429

Love Notions – Compose Robe

At what level do you truly become an adult? In my opinion, it is when you decide you need a bathrobe. I do realize that some people always had a bathrobe, but not me. I am a t-shirt and shorts kinda gal around the house, but now a robe. This is the Compose Robe from Love Notions. When the call came for testers, I jumped on this one. It was a cute style, looked easy to make, and I got a great deal on this big fluffy fleece fabric. I decided to sew up the longer length with a hood since I had plenty of fabric. I was all in with this one. 

Compose Robe Features:

• Meant for knit and woven fabrics
• Two lengths: knee and calf
• Hood and band options
• Full bust option
• Patch pockets
• Bonus Compose Hair Wrap pdf pattern included

Sizes: XS-5X

So first off, I removed two inches from the overall length of the robe and the band pattern pieces. I also did my typical 1.5 inch bicep adjustment even though this pattern has plenty of ease built in. I wanted to maintain the roomy feel the pattern already had. If you aren’t sure about doing a bicep adjustment, I have a video up on my YouTube channel to help you. Click here.

I sewed the 4x with the full bust piece graded to a 5x at the waist. I am so glad when the pattern included the FBA. Honestly, I look for patterns that specifically have this as an option. It saves me from doing it myself and I really get a better fit when I use the pattern pieces.

My first version is made with super plush fleece. It is warm and extra soft. I loved this colorful plaid print as soon as I saw it. I knew I would need a little extra fabric so I could at least match the plaid lines on the front. I didn’t worry about the side seams. Even though this is such a thick fabric, it sewed up pretty easily…itchy nose aside. I used my serger and sewing machine. I didn’t make any adjustments other than slowing down. I could have loosened up the tension for my top stitching on the belt tie part to help smooth it out. I decided to make the hooded version first and used the longer length. Good Decision! This is going to me amazing in January would it is freezing cold and my dogs insist on going outside to play. I really appreciate the hanging look at the center back neckline too. 

This pattern is a prime example of how using different fabrics can be a total game changer. My second robe is an entirely different look, but the pattern is the same. I used the shorter knee length and did the banded finish without the hood. I still did the 2 inch height adjustment, the bicep adjustment and added the pockets. 

This time…Stretch Velvet! Holy Moly! What a huge difference from my super cozy fleece version! I feel fun and flirty in this one. If you have never sewn stretch velvet let me warm you. This fibers fall off the entire time and your work area will look like it is covered in fine glitter. Yep, Super fun times! I cut and assembled this while wearing a mask and suggest you man want to as well. 

Over all this pattern sews together very easily and I 100% recommend you give it a try. You can shop with my afflink below. This costs you nothing extra, but I do make a small commission when you use my link. This helps me buy the fabric I use.🙂

The Compose Robe can be found here.

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