Love Notions – Terra Tunic Updated

I’m happy to report another Love Notions pattern has joined the updated club. <woot> This time, it is the Terra Tunic. This pattern is a surprisingly quick sew and has multiple neckline options. Bonus! It is the $5 Feature Friday pattern!! Use code Sequoia10 to save even more!

I have made two so far. One was during testing and the other was after the test was finished. I also sewed one for Momma Mia will I will share in a day or two. I love when quick patterns offer simple changes yet still look very different.

For this one, I made the basic scoop neck option with 3/4 sleeves. I wanted a lovely top that could be comfy and casual or easily dressed up. Also, I needed to add another top to my solids collection I have been working on so I have more mix and match opportunities in my closet. This pattern is perfect for filling that spot in my wardrobe. Lately, I am more focused on quality makes instead of quantity. I have so many clothes that I need them to be multi purpose.

The options that are included with this pattern are as follows.

• 6 neckline options: scoop, v-neck, funnel, asymmetrical, boat neck and v-neck hood
• 4 sleeve lengths: short, elbow, 3/4 & long
• Deep hem with side vents
• Optional welt pockets and elbow patches
• Video tutorials: welt pockets and side vents

Now let’s talk about this fabric. This is the yummiest mint brushed rib knit ever!! Side note: it is currently only $4 a yard!! Here is my afflink to pick some up! I think I have really been sewing a lot of texture so rib knit is another fun one to add to the line up. I think that the texture helps me get over my fear of solid color fabrics. 🙂

Don’t forget afflinks cost you nothing to use, but I receive a small commission from the company as a thank you. I thank you so much for using my links as it certainly helps me out.

Remember earlier when I said you can dress this one up or down, well let’s check out a few more options. In this photo, I have added my already loved Fraser Cardigan. I am so into this black and white cardigan and I wear it as soon as it comes out of the laundry. I may be wearing it as I write this… 🙂 Sorry, not sorry.

If you are ready to grab the Terra Tunic while on sale for its new update, here is a link! Plus use code Sequoia10 to save an extra 10% off.

If you need all the gorgeous mint green fabric, here is your link to it. While you are there, don’t forget to shop the new releases which includes the beautiful burn out velvet I used yesterday.

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As always this blog contains affiliate links, which is a small commission I earn when you make a purchase from my blog links. Thank you for helping to support my sewing.

Fancy Like – Sloane Edition

I am sure everyone who lives on this planet knows the Walker Hayes song, Fancy Like. I hear it everywhere these days, sing along with it on the radio, and this top has me feeling fancy too! So let’s talk about it.

I know you will be shocked to see me making another Love Notions pattern, <Insert Eye Roll> but when you find a good thing, you stick with it! 

The Love Notions Sloane has been on the blog a time or two already, but this time I went real fancy like. This fabric is called Tamed on The Fab Clique Fabric Shoppe, but I am not feeling very tame wearing it. What is more awesome than brown shimmery animal print fabric?? Brown shimmery animal print burnout velvet fabric! It is so so good, my friends! Don’t forget that when working with fabric like velvet, you have to work with the nap. Just know that you want to cut your fabric so that when brushed downward, it is smooth. I don’t have a ton of experience sewing velvet fabric and never have I sewn any burn out, but it wasn’t painful at all. 🙂 I added a few extra clips when lining up the neckband and the bodice to help with a little bit of rolling and then it was a breeze! Tamed whizzed through my serger like a champ. When it came time to add the bottom band, I actually ran a serger stitch along the bottom to hold my band layers together before serging the band to the bodice. I did this because velvet, by nature, is a little shifty and then the burn out element means that small sections are a sheer fabric.

Speaking of the burnout element here, I know someone will ask if it is see thru. The easy response here is, yes those areas are see thru. There is a sheer ‘net” filling in those gaps. I tried my top on with a teal printed bra and you could totally see that, but when I put on a skin toned bra it wasn’t noticeable. That being said, I didn’t wear a cami under this fabric and felt comfortable wearing it. As always, you do you. 🙂 This was a total win for me in the “solid color” but not solid fabric game I have been playing lately! 

So let’s talk about the pattern now. The Love Notions Sloane top has a few options mainly color blocked parts or not. For this one, I didn’t color block. I used the solid bodice options and the bands. I made body style B which is the boxier fit because I don’t like overly fitted clothing. Fun Fact: I sewed the entire thing with my serger which was awesome since I didn’t want to hunt down some dark brown thread for my sewing machine. I made the 3x with included Full bust adjustment and long sleeves with cuffs. I did a 1 inch bicep adjustment which I have blogged about here. Friends, I love this one!

Here is a list of the pattern details.

Sloane Sweater Features:

• Meant for knit fabrics
• 2 body views: A- more fitted with curved hem & hits at mid-hip, B- boxy fit with hem band & hits at high hip.
• Optional yoke, elbow patches, hood and kangaroo pocket
• Dropped shoulder, relaxed fit
• Full Bust option

Sizes: XS-5X (See Size Charts here)

OK friends! Here are my afflinks. As a reminder it costs you nothing extra to use my links, but I receive a commission from the company for sharing my love of their product.

The Fab Fabric Clique Shoppe

Love Notions plus use code Sequoia10 to save 10% off your purchase

I have a ton of posts coming up in the next week or so so be sure you are following me on social media so you don’t miss out on any great makes or great deals.

• You can follow my blog by clicking the Follow button on the right side of my blog.
• You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
• You can follow me on YouTube by clicking here.
• You can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here.

As always this blog contains affiliate links, which is a small commission I earn when you make a purchase from my blog links. Thank you for helping to support my sewing.

Turning 40 and Feeling Fantastic

Don’t worry folks, I do have an outfit to share with you! Just hang tight and celebrate with me. I do want to warn you that some folks may not want to read ahead. If you are triggered by conversations about exercise, getting healthy, or healthy eating please skip this blog post and stop back later this week. 🙂

I actually debated about writing that warning blip, but I find myself getting super annoyed when I go to a specific website and you get all sorts of junk you don’t want. So sewing and crafting will resume after this post. 🙂

I am officially FORTY! My first reaction is a major cringe, but let’s embrace being 4-0 and living our best life! We got this!

The last couple years have kinda beat me up so now I am fighting back. I had two surgeries exactly 7 months apart. The first in 2020 and the second in early 2021. Both surgeries ended up being more involved once the surgeon was in there and therefore recovery was a little tougher. While recovering from the second surgery, I realized I didn’t want this to be my life and I needed to make some changes. I was still trying to learn to walk correctly at the time so I decided to join a gym. Dream big right?? Joined a gym in mid-June with the goal of losing 40 pounds before I turned 40. I called it #40before40. I wasn’t just hoping to lose weight, but to overall, be healthier. There have been a few ups and down and some months were better than others, but here we are at the start of year 40. The final weigh in this morning… Down 49 pounds!! Dang, I wanted it to be 50 lbs, but 49 is more than my goal so that is awesome! Even though I don’t “see” any changes in my appearance, I can tell that my body is changing and I am making clothing in smaller sizes.

I knew I wanted to celebrate my 40th with a new dress. Anytime I need a dress to make me feel cute, I turn to the Tres Belle from Ellie and Mac. I have made several versions according to the actual pattern, and I have hacked this bodice on to several skirts also. Today I am using the gathered skirt option which is included in the pattern. I am celebrating sewing a 3x (2 sizes down from my first one) without any additional bust or bicep adjusting!! I removed 3 inches from the length of the skirt because no matter how much I am at the gym, I won’t get any taller. 🙂

Tres Belle 2019-2021

So as I am starting my 40th year, I need to set new goals for myself. I plan to continue with the gym. I actually really like going now. As much as I always said I would hate it, I don’t anymore. I like to go, I am making friends there, there are some serious muscles in there. 😉 I am inspired there! I think the best thing I can do for me is focus on my overall health and get rid of a lot of toxic things in my life.

Additionally, I will continue to eat better and make good choices. Still working on being a faster hiker and overall just enjoying life more. I also need to focus on drinking water. This is a huge struggle for me, but several times a month dehydration really kicks my butt! I would also like to lose another 75 lbs. Again, Dream Big! I have an entire year this time! I can do it! I would love to take these same photos next year in a much smaller fun dress! I think the best part of the journey is finding out just how awesome I can be. If I am really honest, I can tell you that some days aren’t great. Some days I want to quit. Some days I look at myself and hate everything about me. Some days are better and I realize I am doing ok. Just keep working towards the better days, my friends. We are going to get through this.

In addition to a lot of early mornings in the gym, I have focused on healthy eating. It is hard! I love pizza and pasta and cheese and…This could be a long list so I will stop. I have refocused on healthy portions and making better choices. It helps. If I want something like pizza, I will totally eat it and adjust the rest of my daily calories or make a healthy pizza. I have been using My Fitness Pal in a mostly inconsistent way to log food. My goal for the next month is to track daily and track everything. Even the not so good choices. If you wanna be encouraging friends on the app just send me a message and we can link up. I say encouraging because I am not into self hate, making myself or anyone feel bad for their choices, or restricting foods for the sake of a diet. It is not my jam and not good for my mental well being.

Are you ready for all the pattern deets? There are a lot of them which is why I love this pattern.

Wrap front bodice style

Tank, short, 3/4, long sleeve options

3/4 and full circle skirt options in mid-thigh and knee-length styles

Gathered skirt option in tunic-length, mid-thigh length, knee-length, and maxi-length styles

Optional sash

Here is my affiliate links my friends!

Tres Belle Pattern

I picked up my fabric in a $3 sale bin at Hobby Lobby. 🙂

A New Annabeth

One of my favorite sweatshirt patterns is the Annabeth from 5 out of 4. I have made several and I wear one of them nearly every time I go to walk in the woods. Like so many of my favorite tops, they are worn out, colors faded and now just too big. I decided I deserved a new one. Let’s do this!

I have used French Terry for most of the Annabeths I have made myself or for my mom, but this one is Waffle knit. This is a new fabric for me to sew and I have been curious to try it out. This rich chocolate color is called Farrah. The website also calls it Cappuccino, but I think we should call it delicious. It is such a lovely rich brown color and I love it so much already. This will quickly become a closet staple. I seem to be sewing a lot of browns lately, maybe I am in fashion and don’t even know. I just love all the shades of brown right now.

Let’s talk about sewing this waffle knit. It has enough weight to be a nice fabric, it didn’t curl or fray when I cut, and it went through my serger without issues. It is a poly, rayon, lycra blend with 4 way stretch so it will work for loads of knit garments. #sewhappy I even had enough spools of matching threads that my seams are actually brown. 🙂 If you want to grab some for yourself, here is the link.

FARRAH–BRUSHED WAFFLE KNIT–CAPPUCCINO

Let’s get back to my pattern deets. I will give you all the pattern details next, but I have made the tunic length with long sleeves which I shorted by 1 inch. I added regular cuffs and the neckband. I did the solid bodice instead of the color blocked bodice. I sewed the 3x with the included FBA and graded out to a 4x. 

Here are all the pattern details for you. 

The Women’s Annabeth Top and Tunic Sweatshirt includes:

• Raglan style sleeves
• Solid or color-blocked options
• Hidden front pocket or kangaroo pocket
• Short or long sleeves that can be hemmed or finished with a band
• Regular sweatshirt top length or tunic length with a lower hem in the back
• Hem is finished with a band
• Standard cuffs or a NEW thumbhole cuff option
• Crewneck or cross over hood
• Regular bodice or full bust adjustment (FBA) bodice
• Sizes XXS – 5X (see the last image for yardage and size chart)
• See the awesome video of all of our tester’s designs here!

If you would like to check out a few of the other Annabeth’s I have made, here are your photos and links.

You can click here to pick up the Annabeth pattern.

Love this waffle knit? You can grab it here.