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!!!

Halloween 2016 - "Stranger Things" style

My family and I started watching the extremely popular show, Stranger Things, one Friday night last month and by Saturday afternoon, we had completed the series. My youngest daughter, Sydney, and I proceeded to watch it again in its entirety a couple days later because we were so hooked and wanted to catch things we may have missed the first time around... yes, it's that addictive!

So, it's no surprise to me that for this year's Halloween, Sydney wanted to be Eleven. Not only is she her favorite character in the show, but she has a very distinctive look that I knew we could replicate with a little bit of effort from both of our parts. For those of you who are not familiar with our Halloween series, here was Sydney's costume from last year, and the one from the year before that. And even her big sister, Sophie, has gotten into the Halloween action. Yes, I guess you can say we take Halloween seriously in the Young household. And it also doesn't hurt that I am a sewing pattern designer and I LOVE a good challenge!

I set out to design and sew a dress that would be as close of a replica to the original Eleven wore as I could. Upon completion, Sydney and I hit the stores to try to find all the accessories:

• White Converse high-tops: we got those at Von Maur
• White crew socks with green-yellow-green stripes: We never found those, so we got plain white ones and some tempera paints at Walmart, and Sydney painted on the stripes.
• Blonde wig: Party City
• Fake Blood: Party City
• Eggos: Walmart

Then the fun began...

In the above photo, believe it or not, we only had 1 box of Eggos to work with. So, since we wanted to replicate the scene in which Eleven is eating *all the Eggos* after she steals the boxes from the grocery store, I shot the first picture of Sydney with the box in her right arm, then she had to sit very still with her arms and legs in the same position, while I moved the box to different locations around her and ran back to my camera to reshoot the photo. Later on, I imported all the separate photos into Photoshop and merged them together. Yes, I know, in hindsight it would've been much easier to run back to the store and buy more Eggos, but, like I mentioned, I love a good challenge!

It took several shots to get her expression just right in the photo above. Either she was too angry-looking or half smiling in most of them. I told her she had to look like she was really concentrating on something. This was supposed to replicate the scene in which they are walking towards the "portal" and Eleven is messing with the compasses.

In the above photo, she is replicating the scene in which she breaks up a fight between Mike and Lucas by throwing Lucas across the junk yard with her mind powers. This was the look on Eleven's face after she realized what she did.

Just another Eggo photo because those were fun to shoot, and Sydney was really enjoying eating all the Eggos.

And lastly, we shot this one to replicate the scene in which Eleven wipes the blood off her nose after she makes Troy wet his pants with her awesome mind powers. Yes, I know, this would've been better shot at a school with bleachers behind us.

Hope you all enjoyed our newest Halloween creation. Want to steal this look? Get the PDF pattern here.

#quiltsforpulse Kid Style

A couple of months ago we told you a little bit about the #quiltsforpulse project that the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild masterminded to help bring some much needed love, support and comfort to all those affected by the June 12th Orlando Pulse massacre. My 11-year-old daughter, Sydney, took the challenge seriously and went from creating a couple of blocks to wanting to sew an entire quilt top. I supported her fully, not knowing if she would give up halfway through and I'd have to jump in and finish it for her.

Well, lo and behold, she surprised us all and actually completed a 20-block quilt top with borders and all! She even filmed a YouTube video documenting her process and trying to encourage other kids to do the same.

After the top was finished, we put out a call for help on Facebook and Instagram. We asked the community if anyone out there would be willing to quilt & bind this for us if we provided all the materials necessary and covered shipping both ways (provided the quilter was out of town). Because the sewing/quilting community is AMAZING, we had several offers, but the first offer that came through was from the awesome Melissa Kirk of @tensionissues. Within a couple of days I had cut the binding strips and Syd and I had packaged the whole kit and shipped it off to her in Sterling, IL. Melissa quilt and bound it in record time and shipped it back to us for final photography before it went down to Orlando.

In the meantime, while the quilt was en route back to us, we got contacted by our local newspaper, The Pantagraph. They wanted to do a story on Sydney and the quilt and they said it would appear in the front page of Friday's paper. The email came on Wednesday, and the quilt was not due back until Thursday (the day after). The reporter agreed to come by and interview Sydney sans quilt, while the photographer would come on Thursday afternoon and photograph the quilt after it arrived.

The interview went off without a hitch and the reporter left to write up her story, not before leaving me the photographer's cell number with explicit instructions to call her as soon as the quilt arrived. I went back to my computer and refreshed the tracking screen about a hundred times. Each time, it said it had arrived at our sorting facility and would be delivered that day (Thursday, August 11). Except for the one time I refreshed and all of a sudden it said it would be delivered on Friday, August 12. I literally screamed! I called the Post Office 5 times with no answer... not even a way to leave a message. I printed the tracking screen, grabbed Sydney and drove as fast as I legally could to the Post Office. The first time I showed the lady at the Claims & Inquiries office my paper, she said there was nothing she could do because the package wasn't physically there... it was at a sorting facility elsewhere that is not open to the public. Tears welled up in both mine and Syd's eyes and I tried to explain to her as calmly as I possibly could why it was so important that we got the package TODAY and not TOMORROW.

She somehow took pity on us and called the sorting facility. The woman who answered the phone didn't even ask for the tracking number, which worried me greatly. She just asked for my zip code and told me my package was on the truck and would be delivered TODAY. I went home reluctantly, and Syd and I proceeded to wait for hours for the truck to show up. Outside... in the heat... because we didn't wait to chance missing it! It was the longest and most excruciating 3.5 hours of our lives!

I called everyone I knew for comfort and just as I was getting ready to hop back in the car and go beg at the P.O. again, the truck showed up with our quilt. I almost fainted in my own driveway. I gathered myself enough to call the photographer, who said she'd be there in 20 minutes. She must've had all her gear packed in her car already with one foot out the door, because she did show up in 20 minutes and did the shoot in record time.

The story came out the next day and it was as fantastic as I could've ever wished. My little girl grazed the front page of The Pantagraph and we are all so proud of her!! Here is the story, if you'd like to read about it.

I did manage to take a few photos of my own before sending the quilt off to Orlando...

We both hope this quilt brings joy to someone who needs it. That whoever gets it knows that it was made by a child who barely understands why anyone could do something so hateful and desperately wanted to do something wonderful to counteract the horror of the situation.

#lovewins #loveislove #weloveorlando

Common Threads 2016 -- Join the fun!

Have I ever told you guys how much I adore my Baby Lock machines? Let me count the ways...
1. Symphony... an absolute dream to sew on!
2. Imagine... this serger extraordinaire was the first Baby Lock I ever owned and I never looked back!
3. Coverstitch... for those perfectly finished hems.
4. Unity... sewing, embroidery, quilting... this machine does it all!!

Now that you know what a huge fan of Bay Lock machines I am, then it will make more sense when I tell you how honored and thrilled I am to be invited to this annual event, called Common Threads, put together by Baby Lock's parent company, Tacony Corporation. This was my third year attending and let me tell ya, it gets better and better each year.

Check out this panoramic shot I captured the first day of the event. Look at all those machines!!! The attendees were just beginning to gather around. They are a mixture of the top industry professionals and the best bloggers out there, so, again, I am always so honored to be included.

We got to participate in workshops by amazing teachers, like Evy Hawkins, Lindsay Wilkes and Sarah Gallegos, listen to helpful advice from influencers and bloggers, and do lots and lots of networking.

Here is a fun embroidery project I worked on, taught by the amazing Evy Hawkins.

Heather Valentine, from The Sewing Loft, and I worked on this one together.

My sewing friends and I had so much fun sewing Little Dresses For Africa, a workshop guided by Lindsay Wilkes.

I also got to catch up with old friends, like Cindy from Riley Blake (left), and meet new ones, like Vanessa from Crafy Gemini (right).

Here is a little group pic of most of us on the last night we were there. So much fun!!

A huge thanks to Tacony Corporation for having me again... I had a blast and learned SO MUCH!!

But... the fun doesn't end here! Baby Lock is hosting an After Party and you're invited. Starting June 24th, you can enter to win one of the amazing “Swag Bags” filled with goodies from all of us. Trust me... you won't want to miss this! To enter, go to this link on June 24th http://babylock.com/commonthreads2016/

Tips & Tricks: Knit Neck Binding 3 Ways

Today, I'm going to shed a little light on various methods for finishing a knit neckline. With some traditional methods and some non-traditional, you have options, so choose your favorite! 

Be sure to check out our Tips for Sewing with Knits before you begin. Using a ballpoint needle and stretch thread in your bobbin are some keys to success. 

NON-TRADITIONAL BINDING

I have started with a strip of fabric that is 2" wide. A good rule of thumb for the length of all of these bands is 10% shorter than the length of the neck opening. The band needs to be slightly shorter than the neck opening to lay flat when worn. I would recommend using a little wider neck binding than I used here, 2 1/2" to 3" would be good. Press the long side in half wrong sides together.

Open up the crease, and sew the short ends right sides together.

Press the seam allowance open.

Refold the band along the center seam.

Place pins in the neckband to mark at the center front, back, and halfway between each side of the binding piece.

Turn the shirt wrong side out. Align the raw edges, and pin the neckband to the wrong side of the neckline at the marked locations starting with the neckband seam at the back. The other marked locations will be at the shoulder seams and the front center. Pin the band in between stretching it slightly to fit the neckline.

Stitch the band to the shirt with a 1/4" seam allowance and a stretch stitch. Press the neckband and seam allowance away from the shirt.

Fold the binding over the neckline edge and pin in place encasing the edge of the neckline. Do not fold the neckline edge over in the process.

Topstitch around the folded edge with a stretch stitch or twin needle. Press well.

TRADITIONAL NECK BINDING

For this method, I have started with a strip of fabric that is 2" wide. A good rule of thumb for the length of all of these bands is 10% shorter than the length of the neck opening. The band needs to be slightly shorter than the neck opening to lay flat when worn. Sew the short ends of the band right sides together and press open.

Place pins in the neckband to mark at the center front, back, and halfway between each side of the binding piece.

Pin a raw edge to the neckline right sides together at the marked locations. Here, I aligned the neckband seam with the shoulder seam. The other pins would then be at the opposite shoulder, the center front, and the center back. Continue pinning in between, stretching the band slightly to fit.

Stitch with a stretch stitch and 3/8" seam allowance.

Press the band and seam allowance up away from the shirt.

Fold the band over the edge of the neckline while tucking the raw edge to the center encasing all raw edges. Think of this the same as you would bias binding. Lots of pins helps here.

Tuck a tag in the back if desired. Topstitch from the right side along the edge with a stretch stitch or twin needle.

NECK BAND

For this method, I have started with a strip of fabric that is 2" wide. A good rule of thumb for the length of all of these bands is 10% shorter than the length of the neck opening. The band needs to be slightly shorter than the neck opening to lay flat when worn.

Press the neckband in half along the long side with wrong sides together. Open up the fold and sew the short ends right sides together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Press the seam allowance open and refold the band along the center crease.

Place pins in the neckband to mark at the center front, the center back, and halfway between these points. Pin the neckband to the right side of the neckline at the marked locations starting with the neckband seam at the shoulder seam. The other marked locations will be at the opposite shoulder seam, the center front, and the center back. Pin the band in between stretching it slightly to fit the neckline.

Stitch the neckband to the neckline with a stretch stitch or serger. Here I stitched it in place first, then finished the edge with the serger. Press the seam allowance toward the shirt and the neckband away from the shirt. Optionally, topstitch the seam allowance with a stretch stitch or twin needle.

Experiment with these methods to find your favorite!! Suggested patterns for these tips include Melanie, Breeann, Melanie Misses, Rachel, Morgan, Penny, and more!!