MODKID Modified: Vivian Shirtdress Cut to Shirt Length

On Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, I've been sharing my progress on this sweet little Spring shirt I made for my 12-year-old, Sydney, based on MODKID's newest PDF pattern, The Vivian Shirtdress. Syd is a typical tween and lately she hasn't been wearing a lot of dresses. Even though the Vivian can technically be worn as a tunic, with skinny jeans or leggings underneath, Syd requested a shorter version to be worn with jeans and boots. She even picked the fabrics, so how could I say no?

Sydney chose two coordinating prints, the Plaid and the Paisley, from my newest fabric collection for Riley Blake, titled Primavera. Primavera means "Spring" in Spanish, and with the frigid temperatures and ice storms we've been experiencing in the Midwest lately, Spring couldn't come fast enough for us!

So, let's get started! The first thing you need to do is get the finished length measurement of the FRONT of your shirt. You can either measure your child from top of shoulder to where you want the shirt to fall, or grab one of her favorite shirts that fits her well, and measure it. To this measurement add 1" to account for the 1/2" shoulder seam and the 1/2" narrow hem. If you want to add a thicker hem to your shirt, add more length accordingly.

On the paper pattern, transfer this new length measurement to your FRONT PANEL ONLY and cut on the line. I wanted my shirt to have a slight curve at the front, but you can cut it straight, if desired.

Since the back panel of Vivian is made up of a TOP BACK and a BOTTOM BACK, we will leave the TOP "as is" and cut length only on the BOTTOM BACK PANEL. Place your new, shorter FRONT over the BOTTOM BACK panel, aligning underarm seams, as shown below. It is very important that your side seam is cut the same length front and back. However, you may decide you want a bit of a shirt tail hem (longer in the back than in the front) or the same length. Again, all this is up to you. I wanted my shirt to be slightly longer in the back, so this is how I drew my curve:

Cut the BOTTOM Back panel on the line and sew the shirt as indicated in the pattern. The beauty of this modification is that since you are omitting the side seam pockets, belt loops, and belt, this version will sew up much faster than your ShirtDress version.

I decided to add two chest pockets to my shirt (instead of just one) and since I was working with this Pretty Plaid, I went ahead and cut my fabric at a 45-degree angle for the pockets only. I love the way these turned out!

I also decided to use KAM snaps instead of buttons, and the project went together in a snap! (pun intended)

The end result is just as Sydney and I envisioned! No outside modeled pictures at the moment because it is still below freezing, but she is looking forward to wearing this adorable shirt all Spring long with a pair of jeans and her new white Chuck Taylors.

Want to grab this and any other MODKID PDF pattern at a discounted price? Here is your chance! For the next 4 days, take 25% off your entire order at the MODKID Etsy Store with code PRIMAVERA2017. Coupon Code expires at midnight EST on Saturday, January 21st. Happy shopping!!!

Back To School Flash Sale

It's that time of year when we load up on school supplies, pull out the swim suits less often, and try to get our body clocks adjusted to the early mornings ahead. To get the school wardrobe stocked, Modkid is having a Back to School Flash sale. The following coupon code is good for 25% off your entire order in the Modkid Etsy shop: BTS2015. It expires on Sunday, August 9th at midnight EST.

Ready for a little inspiration to fill all those back to school needs?!? We'll start with the accessories. The Lunch Bag is a necessity for kids of all ages. The Travel Art Folio might be just the thing for a pre-schooler. And, the Jewelry Roll is a perfect gift for sending an older student off to college.

 (Lunch Bag, Travel Art Folio, Jewelry Roll)

Finally, the only thing better than back to school shopping is back to school sewing!! A batch of new garments makes every student look forward to a new school year!!

Melanie, Lexi, Keagan

Hailey Girls, Jack & Jill, Josie

Daphne, Tandy, London

You certainly aren't limited to our suggestions! Browse the Etsy Shop and find your favorites. Just be sure to use the code BTS2015 for 25% off!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales at MODKID

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving Day, surrounded by loved ones, good food and fun games.  We had Jon's family over for Turkey Day and, after a super scrumptious meal, we ended up playing several rounds of Apples To Apples with the kids.

Now that your bellies are full and your hearts are happy, it's time to stock up on gifts for the Holidays! MODKID is running a fantastic sale at the moment, so you shouldn't miss out. Coupon code BLKFRIDAY2014 gets you 35% off your entire purchase on either our Etsy Store or on our Website. It is valid now until Midnight E.S.T. on Monday, Dec. 1st.

Let's see what sort of deals you can find...

On our Etsy store, we have just released 3 new LITE PDF patterns... something for everyone on your list! The Metro Clutch is perfect for the fashionista, the Travel Art Folio is perfect for the budding artist, and the Pleated Skirt can be made for girls, tweens, teens or women.

LITE PDF patterns retail for $6.95 each. but with the coupon code they are only $4.52!

We also have 32 other PDF titles ranging from women's clothing, to girls', tween's and accessories. Our regular PDF patterns are $8.99 $5.84 (what a steal!)

On our website you can score yourself...

My new coloring book, Playful Designs, for only $6.95 $4.92. I will even autograph it and personalize it for you!

No sewing aficionado should be caught without a set of designer pins. Each logo-embossed collector's pin tin, comes filled to the brim with 100 extra-strong, nickel-plated steel pins of assorted colors. Pins are 2.25" long with a .7mm thick shaft. Will bend but not break. Stock up for the holidays... these are perfect for stocking-stuffers, teacher gifts or your quilt guild gift exchange!

Designer Pin Tins retail for $6.95 each. but with the coupon code they are only $4.52!

How about a woven fabric scrap bag?  These oversized bags are filled to the brim with sizable studio scraps from Patty Young's woven fabric collections. You will receive an assortment of bits and pieces from all her collections inside a clear bag that measures approximately 6"w x 12"h x 4"d... perfect for appliqué projects, covering buttons or small crafts.

Scrap Bags retail for $10 each. but with the coupon code they are only $6.50!

These jacquard ribbon samplers are so adorable and perfect for gift-giving! They each include 2-yard cuts of assorted styles. Check out all of our other styles! (scroll to the bottom of the linked page to find 6 different ribbon samplers)

Ribbon Samplers retail for $14.95 each. but with the coupon code they are only $9.72!

And if it's paper sewing patterns you are looking for, we have 56 styles to choose from! We have patterns for children's clothing, tween/teens, women's clothing, doll clothing, accessories, purse, totes, quilts... you name it, we got it!

You can snag our full-size patterns for only  $12.95 $8.42 (children's and dolls) and $14.95 $9.72 (women's).

These 6 micro-minis retail for only $4.95 each, which is already a steal but with the coupon code, they are only $3.22! Hurry and get them at this incredible price before the sale is over!!

I hope this post has given you some ideas on what to get for your friends and loved ones during our annual BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY Sale. Again, in case you missed it, coupon code BLKFRIDAY2014 gets you 35% off your entire purchase on either our Etsy Store or on our Website. It is valid now until Midnight E.S.T. on Monday, Dec. 1st.

Happy Shopping!