Category: Stitchin’ Pretties

Love Notions – Resolution Bottoms

Don’t mind me, I am just over here celebrating another great Love Notions pattern being updated to more inclusive sizing. The Resolution bottoms come with several style options so you can have the proper comfy pants for all occasions. Sizing now includes thru 59.5 inch hip. Thank you Love Notions for working on being more inclusive!

I didn’t think I needed another knit pant pattern, but it turns out I was wrong. *GASP* I really love the fit of these. I made a mock up prior to cutting my Liverpool fabric. I needed to make a bit of a length adjustment which is not unusual for me. Otherwise, my pants are exactly as drafted. My inseam is 27 inches which means I always have to adjust the length of pants. This pattern includes 5 different fit options. So now your toughest choice will be which one to make first.

Plain leggings

Moto leggings

Bootcut yoga pants

Straight cut yoga pants

Joggers

I started with making the straight leg yoga pant with the contoured waistband. Plus the large pockets because why wouldn’t you add pockets? I wanted some comfy black pants which looked dressy, but are super comfortable. I am a huge fan of secret pajamas and this is 100% on point! My fabric is a solid black Liverpool that I picked up at Hobby Lobby not too long ago. I lucked out and there was just over two yard of fabric on the bolt which is perfect for a pair of pants with large pockets.

As I am typing this up, I am washing fabric from my next pair. I have a glorious Brushed Jacquard print from Stitchin’ Pretties in the washer. I am about to sew up the coziest joggers ever and can’t wait to put them on. This will be my first time working with Jacquard and I can’t wait to tell you all about it and show them off.

If you would like to pick up the Resolution Bottoms while there are on sale for $5, you will have to move quickly! The sale ends at midnight! Here is the link.

The top I am wearing is also a Love Notions pattern. This is the Forte and I made it last April. I took it in a little to fit my body now and it looks great with my new pants! If you want to read about this Forte top along with the 3 others I shared at the same time, you can hop over to the Love Notions blog and check out my fabric comparisons. Just click the link so see them all.

Why does my face look like that though? LOL At least my clothes are cute!

Love Notions 40% off sale and BabyLock Giveaway!

Have you all seen the excitement over at Love Notions? The entire website (with the exception of the Arlington) is 40% off! This is a HUGE sale folks! This will be their last sitewide sale of the year and a rare sale at that! I hope you have a few minutes to go check out the site, but let me show you a few favorites.

Please consider my afflink to do your shopping. This costs you nothing, but I receive a small commission from the designer.

Now let’s talk about the Babylock giveaway! If you are the winner, you can choose between a Babylock Brillant or a Babylock Victory. All you need to do is comment on THIS Youtube video for an entry from my site!

Here is a link to all the rules.

Afflink here. https://www.lovenotions.com/?affiliates=429

Love Notions Arlington Sweater

Hi Friends! It sure feels good to be back in some pattern tests and sewing up some wonderful clothing. I knew the minute I saw Tami post her idea for the Arlington Sweater, I needed it in my life. So let me show you why.

This pattern features three neckline options. With the choice between mock, turtle, and cowl you can pick your favorite or give in and make all three. You could also just calculate your own regular neckband and be good to go! I do love options. There are three length options as well ranging from high hip to just above knee length dress. While this pattern doesn’t include a tunic cut line, I plan to make one by just adding a few inches to the length of the top cut line. Honestly, it is a super quick fix if you are like me and prefer tunic length things. Here is the entire options chart.

  • 3 lengths: banded shirt, hip length shirt and above knee dress
  • 3 necklines: turtleneck, mock-neck and cowl
  • 5 sleeve options: short & long puff sleeves, long sleeve, bishop and elbow length sleeve
  • Full bust option
  • Sizing through 5x
  • Sway back stitch line included

I made two different dresses during test, but both are made from brushed poly. This pattern is designed to work with a variety of knit fabrics, so dig deep into those totes and find something lovely. You can use knits with 40% stretch so that can be a French Terry, Jersey blend, or sweater knits. Keep in mind a drapier fabric will create a lovely cowl or turtle neck, but a mock collar won’t stand up really well.

For my color blocked dress, I used a random 1 yard cut to make the cowl and the puff sleeves. This used almost the entire 1 yard cut so keep that in mind for when you have small cuts. I personally shop at Stitchin’ Pretties where you always get a bonus 1 yard coordinate if you order two consecutive yards. I believe that is where my polka dots came from. My black with the small floral print was from an auction destash box. My navy with the large red floral print is from The Fab Clique Fabric Shoppe and here is the link. I picked it up during one of their $4 Friday sales because I love a navy background!

The Arlington Sweater is now on sale for $9.00 as a newly released pattern. Now is your chance to save a few bucks and add this gorgeous pattern to your collection. I thank you for clicking my affiliate link.

George and Ginger – Batwing Tunic

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na Batwing! For those keeping track that is the second time I have began a post here by saying that. I hope that is now stuck in your head because it has been stuck in mine for a few days now.

Bat Wings!!

I think it’s time to kick off Fall sewing season! I love fall and I love layers. I have written about that so many times here on the blog. Plus, this fall I am planning a geocaching road trip so that warrants a new wardrobe right? Even though it is still August and nearly 100* F outside, I am already wearing long sleeves to work so I don’t freeze to death!

This is the George and Ginger Batwing tunic. While this tunic is pretty awesome on its own, it also has a cardigan included in the pattern. It is like a 2 for 1 deal! This time, I only sewed the straight hem tunic version, but that cardigan is coming up soon so stay tuned! You could also make the included hi lo hem option! I really love pattern options!!

I have to admit, I have only sewn a few Batwing tops, but I feel like this one is my favorite. I really love that it has an overly slouchy fit and I already want another one. As I was figuring out which pattern I planned to use for this fabric, I knew I wanted something I could wear with jeans or dress pants, a skirt or even over a dress to mix up the look a little bit! I have been mentally thinking of garments which will be more versatile in my wardrobe. I have a lot of single purpose garments that don’t mix and match well with what I already have and I need to fix that. Which patterns are your favorites? LMK.

I used this midweight Black French Terry from Stitchin’ Pretties. It is fantastic, Friends! I love the weight and feel of it. I kinda need it in all the colors. I had a two yard cut of this and even though the Batwing Tunic directions said I would need 2.5 yards, it worked with my 2 yard cut! Success!!! In case you have been out of the loop for a long long time, SP still has their buy 2 continuous yards and get a surprise yard of fabric free! BONUS!

I made a few minor tweaks to my pattern. I am at the tippy top of George and Ginger’s “Old School” size chart so I added a little additional width across the belly and hip area. I didn’t want it to be fitted here since that was not the intended fit. For my next one, I will also add about .5 inch additional width around the cuff so it is slightly less snug on my forearms. The best part of sewing my own clothing is that I can made these adjustments and then the fit is spot on!

When I first became a tester at George and Ginger, I know I was going to have to expand my closet colors and prints because I am a floral girl at all times, so here we go…black. LOL I think the Batwing pairs perfectly with my Snakeskin pants! I made the pants too and they were actually the first episode of Refashion your Closet on my Youtube channel. You can watch as I make them here. (Please go show me some love, Friends!) That was a really fun make and I love the concept of the series. My plans for that series has been derailed by medical issues, but stay tuned! It is back in September!

With Spooky Season approaching now (It is Septemeber 1st, after all) is the time to get your fall sewing underway. I do suggest the George and Ginger Batwing pattern for you! Are you interested in a video on assembling this top or cardigan? I think that could be fun plus some plus size styling tips all in one video. Let me know as always. You can pick up the pattern here using my affiliate link. I can’t wait to see what you make!

Batwing Tunic and Cardigan

Ellie and Mac – Tres Belle and Wrapped in Love Dress Hack

Hi Friends! Long time no chat, no blog, no sewing. Sorry life has been a little busy this summer, but I have several fun things coming up including a new Youtube video. I hope you have been enjoying summer (or winter) and have been doing a lot of fun sewing or enjoying life. I haven’t sewn much recently to be honest. I am working on a quilt block swap and I made a small zipper pouch for a swap, which reminds me I should share that. I took lots of pics while putting it together. Anyhow back to our regularly scheduled sharing.

My newest dress is amazing and I am in love with it already. I bet it won’t even shock you that it is a pattern hack from Ellie and Mac. I used the two patterns to create this look. I have used each of the patterns several times, but apparently not together. I am so glad that I was able to remedy that situation because I am thrilled with the outcome. I used the Tres Belle bodice which I have used multiple times. Most recently, I used it on a guest blog post for Ellie and Mac. This is one of the few cross front patterns that I really love which is why I keep coming back to it. This one has enough coverage without having “too much” coverage. It is all about balance and I am trying to understand the rules. 🙂 The only adjustment I made was my typical bicep adjustment. 

For my skirt portion, I used the Wrapped in Love pattern and only cut the skirt. I have used this pattern a few times as well. I love that the maxi length isn’t overly wide and I can wear it without tripping up the stairs. This is criteria for what makes the perfect skirt in my book. 


I normally don’t go for fabric that has a lot of white areas, but there was no way I could resist this print though! If you have read this blog much at all, you know I wer all the florals! This fabric is available from Stitchin’ Pretties and it is called Lydia. Here is the link.  I really love ITY because it feels cool even when it is hot outside. It seems like it is becoming my favorite choice for warm weather. Don’t forget when you shop at Stitchin’ Pretties all the regular priced fabrics are buy two yards get a bonus coordinate for free. So choose wisely and buy all the pretty things!

Here are my affiliate links my friends!

Tres Belle Pattern

Wrapped in Love Dress

Lydia ITY Fabric

5oo4 – Maria Tank and Dress

Hi Friends! Another last minute post about a great pattern! This is the Maria Tank for 5oo4. Such a fun Cross Over Tank top pattern. I have several tank tops I love, but this twisty style is something new and interesting! This is the perfect summer top and it is easy to dress up or down. I paired my new tank with comfy black capris and heels and was all about beating the summer heat.

The Maria Tank and Dress includes:

  • Sizing is based on our women’s size chart from XXS-5XL
  • Knit fabric with at least 25% horizontal stretch
  • Regular or FBA (full bust adjustment) front bodice.
  • High or Low Scoop necklines
  • Top, tunic, dress or maxi lengths
  • Unique gathered twist cross back

I am wearing the low scoop neck in tunic length. I decided to use bands instead of binding on this version. I actually am not awesome at sewing bindings so anytime I have the option of bands, I am on it. My bands are made from brushed poly so I took about 2 inches off the total length of them to account for the stretch. Don’t worry, there is a formula in the directions walking you through this personal adjustment. Just Do It! It will make such a huge difference in the total look of your cross back!

This adorable panda print has been hanging out in my stash for at least a year. I picked it up at Stitchin’ Pretties. It is so soft, cool to the touch and smooth textured. Don’t forget about their buy two yards, get one free deal! Load your cart up!! Maria is designed for light weight knit fabrics with at least 25% horizontal stretch.

Tonight is your last chance to take advantage of the Maria release sale pricing! It is currently on sale for $9.60.

Maria Top and Dress

This blog contains afflinks.

Love Notions -Whistler Updated

The Whistler Pattern is the coolest kid on the block and now I have two! First off, this isn’t a new pattern, but it is now available in the full size range offered from Love Notions. This pattern is XXS through 5X and includes a FBA. I have been admiring this one from on far, just waiting for it to come in the new size range! This pattern is intended for stable knits. This means heavier knits like Sweatshirt knits, Ponte, and Liverpool are perfect!! The Whistler was just re-released and you need it!  I love that this pattern has the option to either use a hood or have a shawl style detail at the neckline! I absolutely love that the pockets are placed vertically in the front of the bodice instead of the sides. I think this will be really nice when I am outside hiking because nothing will fall out of my pockets. (Spoiler Alert- IT IS PERFECT! I have now tried it out! Nothing falls out.)

First let’s talk about the design. This is a pull over style in the top, tunic or dress lengths. I love the versatility. I made 2 tunic lengths as I knew I would be wearing this when I am geocaching and hiking. I have now tried it out on two adventures and it is perfection! You can elect to make the pattern with a hood or the beautiful shawl option. Both designs have a button accent. You can make this functional or not. Mine is just sewn on, why make a buttonhole when you don’t need to? Dig deep into your button stash because you only need 1 large or 2 medium buttons for this look!

I made a new pair of Sabrina Slims in solid black ponte to wear with my new Whistlers. This time I made the seamed trousers since I didn’t have a pair of them yet. These pants are comfy as heck and I love them with boots and my pull over! Such an easy outfit. I have made several pair of Sabrina Slims at this point. You can check them out here.

The interested pocket design is really neat from the drafting process. There is an included video on how to put it together and makes it look so simple! I love the videos that show how to assemble potentially confusing steps! The link is in the pattern and you can just click to be taken right to it!

Whistler Sweater and Hoodie Features:

Fabrics

Purple Camo Ponte – Stitchin’ Pretties

Solid Black Ponte (Pants) – Stitchin’ Pretties

Black and White Print- Zincks

Black Crepe (Shawl and Hood)- Walmart

If you love this pattern too and want to take advantage of the re release sale, here is my afflink. You can save $3 by shopping today!

The Sabrina Slims are also available here.

Video – Sloane Sweater

Hi Gang! I shared a new video this morning over on my Youtube channel and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out!

I have sewn up several versions of the Sloane Sweater now, but this time I did a video of nearly the entire process! If you want to check it out and show me some love, here is the link.

My fabrics for this top (and the pants) are from Stitchin’ Pretties.

June is the variable sized stripes on a Liverpool base

The Pants are Black ponte (no creative name given)

Stitchin’ Pretties has continued their “Buy 2 continuous yards and get 1 bonus coordinate for free” deal! I really hope you have taken advantage of this deal!

If you are a fan on this top, it is the Slaone Sweater and you can pick it up from my afflink.

If the pants are your jam, They are the Sabrina Slims.

EAM – Go Exploring Cardigan

Hi Friends! I have been lazy about blogging lately. I sewed this one up months ago actually. Ugg I have been a bum, but trying to motivate myself. I have several really great things to share actually. So with this first picture, you will see that I am not the one wearing my lovely new cardigan…Momma Mia is. Huummm….Keep Reading.

I received this amazing stretch velvet from Stitchin’ Pretties for my monthly promo fabric and then used some pretty SP scraps I had in my bin for the accents. Floral and Stripes will always be amazing together, you will never convince me otherwise. You can find this lovely fabric listed as Jocelyn here. I thought it would make a beautiful cardigan and I wasn’t wrong. Let’s start with talking about velvet a bit.

When working with any sort of velvet you have to keep in mind it has a nap. This just means that the fabric lays one way and and you want it to all match. Usually if you brush your hand down the garment it will be smooth, if you pull your hand up along the fabric it will be rougher. Another thing with velvet, it you won’t iron it like normal cotton fabric. Again this is because of the nap. If you lay it on your ironing board and press the heck out of it, you will crush your pretty nap. If you have to iron it, you can use a velvet board or have two besties help you hold your fabric up in the iron and iron the back side. Note to readers, I didn’t iron this at all. 🙂 Also check your stretch percentage when making a a garment. This is should be a given, but sometimes I don’t do it. This is why Momma Mia now has a pretty new cardigan and I don’t. I sewed the 5x to give myself some extra wiggle room, but it was still too tight. Momma Mia is 3 sizes smaller and it fits her well. She is so happy with it.

I decided pretty quickly that I wanted to use this lush fabric for a cardigan. After looking at several, I decided to try out the Go Exploring Cardigan from Ellie and Mac. I had not made this one yet, but really liked the look of it. All of the models on the website looked super stylish. So I quickly printed and assembled my pattern. I really like that EAM patterns are pretty straight forward and I have made enough of them to have the routine down.

My pockets flapped open a bit more than I liked, so I dug into my button stash and produced these lovelies. Momma Mia sewed them on herself! Another change I would have made was actually adjusting for height. I normally don’t height adjust on anything that is shirt or cardigan because my side waist measurement is normal even though I am short. This cardigan is on the longer length so was too long for my taste. Note to self for the next time.

The Go Exploring Cardigan is now on sale for $4. Here is my afflink. Using my link doesn’t change anything for you, but I receive a small commission from the designer as a thank you.

Beautiful Stretch Velvet fabric is here.

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!

%d bloggers like this: