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!!!

Modkid Easter Inspiration - Part 2

Easter is right around the corner, and if you're like me, you've waited till the last possible minute to make your kids adorable outfits or that very special handmade gift from the Easter Bunny. But, don't fret! Each and every one of these patterns can be made in one easy afternoon, so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy your family on that special day.

Does your Easter Bunny prefer to bring handmade gifts instead of store-bought toys or candy? Our Travel Art Folio is the perfect Easter gift for creative kids of all ages!

If your girl is more into jewelry and make up instead of art, she will be thrilled with our Jewelry Roll. BONUS: It can double as a school supply, art supply or sewing supply kit and at $4.99 you really cannot find a better value!

Would the Easter Bunny bring an Mod Owl as a gift? Sure! Why not? And what kid wouldn't love and adorable owl with a little pocket that holds an extra surprise? This pattern is only $4.99 and can be made with just small fabric scraps!

Now, for the Easter ensembles... how about something for the boys? The Keagan Shirt pattern comes with 4 different styles of shirts and would be perfect to match with daddy's tie or sister's dress.

And speaking of ties, nothing's faster to make than our Dapper pattern... which comes with bow ties and suspenders in both adult and child sizes... matching sets!!! Now available in PDF pattern format for only $2.99!

And of course, for the girls, here are a few of my personal favorite Easter dresses...

Cece Lapneck Dress:

Reese Party Dress:

And the Pleated Skirt (which can be made for mom and daughter!):

Hope this gives you enough inspiration to get sewing! HAPPY EASTER!!

New PDF pattern: the REESE PARTY DRESS

This is the time of the year when all mommies who sew are frantically trying to figure out what dress their girls will wear for Easter, the Daddy-Daughter Dance, the Spring Recital, or all these fun activities coming up. Well, I was right there with you! My girl, Sydney, attended her Daddy Daughter Dance last weekend and she was the Belle of the Ball in her new Reese Party Dress (there she is holding her daddy's hand).

Reese is an adorable, twirly dress, perfect for portraits, Easter lunch, Daddy-Daughter dances, weddings or any occassion where your girl wants to feel feminine and sweet. It features a unique cross-over back bodice design and front tabs that help give the dress a fitted look. A large bow in the back adds an extra touch of whimsy. Reese can be made with or without the front collar.

Our Reese PDF pattern can be found here:

• Craftsy

• Etsy

NOTE: This is a downloadable PDF pattern, NOT A PAPER PATTERN. After the instant download, your pattern can be opened with Adobe Reader and will print on standard letter-size paper (8.5" x 11"). There are 24 pages total in this document, including full-size, computer-drafted pattern pieces.

How about some amazing tester pics, eh?

Hope you love it as much as we do! I have a feeling we'll be making many more for all of Sydney's upcoming Spring activities. :)

New PDF pattern: CECE

We are delighted to announce our newest PDF sewing pattern, the CECE Lap Neck Dress and Top. We are madly in love with this design and so are all of our testers. Just take a look at what our tester, Jenny Fish (Sew Pretty Dresses), had to say about it. :)

Our Cece sewing pattern features a bias-bound lapped neckline, gathered stripwork skirt and an oversized bow belt for that extra WOW factor! It can be made as a dress or a top with three different sleeve lengths and styles. The detachable bow belt cinches the empire waist and adds a touch of whimsy. Includes instructions for making it with a stripwork or solid skirt. BONUS: Bias Tape making instructions included!!

You can find CECE here:

• Etsy
• Craftsy
• You Can Make This

Check out some of our Tester photos:

Cece comes with soooo many views! Check out all the ways you can make it!

And if you make them with a solid instead of a stripwork skirt, you can get 6 more versions out of this pattern! Jenny Fish sewed up View E with a solid skirt and check out how adorable it turned out!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to receive new release updates!

Jack & Jill Jacket

Our first PDF sewing pattern for 2014 is also our most versatile of the bunch!! Our Jack & Jill Jacket pattern is unisex, so you can make it for your boy or girl, and it ranges in size from 2T to 14! We have never had a pattern with such a wide range of sizes, but we felt this one could work well for toddlers, children and tweens alike! Check it out:

This unisex zip-up jacket features a large side wrap-around pocket, a fully-lined hood with drawstring and a lined bodice for extra warmth and comfort. Make it out of interlock or jersey for a lightweight Spring jacket or out of fleece for a heavier coat.

Never sewn with knits before? No worries! Sewing with knits is easy and fun with this step-by-step guide which includes lots of tips, photos and diagrams to guide you along. Try using Patty’s line of knit fabrics, designed for Michael Miller Fabrics, which are perfect for this pattern.

This digital pattern comes in sizes 2T (toddler) to 14 (boys or girls). See the 2nd photo for fabric requirements and sizing charts.

Click HERE to see our full Inspiration Gallery!

PDF Pattern can be found HERE.

NOTE: This is a downloadable PDF pattern, NOT A PAPER PATTERN. Your pattern can be opened with Adobe Reader and will print on standard letter-size paper (8.5" x 11"). There are 30 pages total in this document, including full-size pattern pieces.

AVERY Dress PDF Pattern

Emalee really hit it out of the park with this new design! This adorable dress pattern for girls sizes 2T to 10 features a fitted bodice with Peter Pan collar, a super full, twirly skirt and 3 different sleeve length variations to take her through all seasons. It also comes with a couple of extra optional embellishments to change it up every time you sew it.

MODKID's newest pattern, AVERY, can be found here:

• Etsy
• Craftsy
• You Can Make This

NOTE: This is a downloadable PDF pattern, NOT A PAPER PATTERN. Your pattern can be opened with Adobe Reader and will print on standard letter-size paper (8.5" x 11"). There are 26 pages total in this document, including full-size, computer-drafted pattern pieces.

Here are a few inspiration images to get your creative juices flowing!!

P.S. The above dresses were sewn using my newest fabric line for Jo-Ann Fabrics, Rendezvous.

Back to School goodies!

My girls' first day of school was yesterday and with it came a new milestone for our family. My oldest, Sophie (or Sophia, as she likes to be called now... sniff, sniff), started Junior High! I can't believe my baby (don't tell her I called her that) is a BIG GIRL now.

To commemorate the grand event, I shot these pictures before they left for school yesterday. The girls wore the newest MODKID knit patterns, The BREEANN Top and the MELANIE Dress (available now in our Etsy shop), which were actually named after their BFFs.

When I posted these pics on Facebook, I got tons of questions about how I did those giant numbers the girls are holding. I just made them up real quick in Illustrator and cut them onto card stock on my Silhouette Cameo machine. Since a few of you requested I made these available, I have these now live on my Silhouette store:

But, now onto the patterns...

A few weeks ago I sneaked peeked our BACK TO SCHOOL collection on Facebook, and both pattern designs were met with lots of "oooh's and ahhh's" and "when can we get these?".

Well, your wait is finally over!! We have just released the BREEANN and MELANIE patterns. And here's a little bit of info about each...

MELANIE

This adorable and comfy dress is designed to be sewn with knits, and features a sweet A-line silhouette and some oversized side pockets for all her treasures. Our pattern includes three sleeve length options so it can take your girl from the warm Summer months through the chilly Winter days.

  
BREEANN

For the tween/teen crowd, we've designed this hip hooded top that features two sleeve variations -- fitted and flutter. We paired that with an oversized kangaroo pocket and a yoga waistband, for the perfect top.

See lots more photos of both patterns in the shop listings.
Again, both patterns are available NOW in our Etsy shop.

CAROLINE Downloadable PDF Pattern

I am super excited to tell you about the newest PDF pattern in our shop! This is the Caroline and as the pattern describes...

Caroline is the perfect party dress! It features stunning pintucked detail on the front bodice and a double knotted back design that is equally as stunning. The extra full skirt with pleated hem band adds lots of twirling power and since there are no buttons or zippers to install, your Caroline dress will be finished quickly so your girl can be the belle of the ball. 

Find our Caroline PDF pattern here:

• Our Etsy Store
• Craftsy
• You Can Make This

This pattern comes in sizes 2T (toddler) to 10 (girls). There are 29 pages total in this document, including full-size pattern pieces.

We were incredibly fortunate to be able to shoot the cover and other images for this pattern at the amazing Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC Here are just a few of the images we captured that day...

 
In addition, we have received some amazing photos from our testers, so I wanted to share these with you.

These below are from Elizabeth Shepherd, who blogs at EbethDesigns. She sewed this version of our Caroline dress for her adorable 2-year-old, Brie, using silk dupioni. Isn't this amazing?

Debbie Clifton's adorable model, Addison Bently (below), is wearing a Caroline dress in size 5, made in Cool Dots Papaya  and Swell Stripe Lime from Textured Basics fabric collection.

Jenny Fish (Sew Pretty Dresses)'s adorable model, Kelsey, is wearing a Caroline dress in size 8/9, made with a mix of designer quilting cottons.

Teresa Martin (Zabree Couture)'s adorable model, Tawnie Jean, is wearing a Caroline dress in size 3T, made with silk dupioni and silk taffeta.

And lasy, but certainly not least, I am completely obsessed by this version sewn by Andrea Thomas-Lambe at Thomas Park Gifts. Her adorable model, Marley, is wearing a Caroline dress in size 6 made with Birdie Damask and Moorish Tile from Andalucia 2012. Photos below are courtesy of Sam Provenzano at Puddle Jumpers Photography.

A huge thanks to all my testers above for the pattern feedback and amazing photos! Again, you can find our Caroline PDF pattern (along with all the others) at:

• Our Etsy Store
• Craftsy
• You Can Make This

Happy sewing!!