The All Spice Dress from ~Paisley Roots~ Pattern Review

Up for review today is The All Spice Dress by Paisley Roots. I have to admit, when I find a pattern that works year round, it is one that I feel I HAVE to add to my collection! The All Spice Dress is truly a dress for all seasons. There are so many variations to this one pattern that it will look like a new dress each time you make it!

I chose to do the long sleeve button bodice as we are very quickly approaching cooler weather with chilly mornings and evenings....and let me tell you, I AM NOT complaining about that at all!!!!

For this one dress there are four different sleeve options which include flutter, sleeveless, cap sleeve, and long sleeve. In addition to the button bodice, there are also instructions for a zipper bodice. Can you see how many times you can make this dress and it look totally different? If you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck in one pattern this is definitely the one for you!

Ok, to get into the actual instructions. There is a table of contents which is very helpful since there are so many different combinations you can do with this one pattern. In addition, when you are working through the pattern you will be directed to which page to go to for which option you are working on. This is very helpful and time saving so you so not have to scan through every page to find how to construct the specific style of dress you are wanting to construct.

Size charts, yardage chart, cutting chart, notion chart and finished measurement charts are all included which I have found more and more designers adding to patterns which is a very nice bonus. All of the pages are numbered and there were not a TON of pages to print for the actual pattern...which I must add went together beautifully! 

I found the fit of the dress to be just a bit off. I made a size 12 for my little. It was the perfect length for her falling right where it should. The sleeve length seemed a bit too long which is an easy fix if you are sewing just for your little but if you are sewing to sell it might be a bit more tricky. I think adding a cute little cuff in coordinating fabric (if you are using two different prints) would be super cute and is what we will do next time I sew this dress up. I think that the shoulder part of the bodice fit beautifully. I did find that the rest of the bodice was a bit large but I think this is the style the designer was going for. I thought it was cute, the little, she didn't care for the roominess of it....but she can be a bit on the picky side!

For the most part the pattern was written well but I do feel that there could have been better detailed pictures throughout the instructions and a bit more detailed instructions. My opinion is when adding pictures use totally different fabrics for the lining and the main prints, it makes it SO much easier to differentiate between the two and causes a lot less confusion, especially for ones that are just beginning to sew or for those of us who have so much going on in their head and may be a wee bit on the sleep deprived side they need to see a clear difference between main prints and lining prints! 

I feel that this pattern level is very advanced beginner to more on the intermediate side. I can see where a beginner would get very frustrated with the lack of detail in some parts of this pattern since there are some more advanced techniques used. Plackets, button holes, and/or a zipper can be very scary for someone just starting out and that is why I would rate this pattern for someone who is very confident in their beginner skills.

Overall this was a good pattern. I do love the fact that there are so many options and you can make the dress over and over without it feeling like the same dress and the fact that it can be worn year round with a simple sleeve change is a wonderful....because that equals more bang for your buck!!!

Happy Saturday All 

~Rebecca~
xoxoxoxo

The Emory from ~Izzy and Ivy Designs~ Pattern Review

I had the pleasure of reviewing The Emory from Izzy and Ivy Designs. I was super excited about this one because up until this point I have never sewn anything from this particular designer. And we are over the moon for this dress!!!

Not only did I love this dress, my littlest little loved it....as we were walking down the street scouting out where to take pictures, we had several cars stop and tell her how cute she was and how much they loved her dress....this girl right here is THE BEST walking advertisement EVEH!!!! She rocks everything she wears and boy...the attitude on this girl is something else!!!!

One of the reasons I loved this pattern was because of the huge size range!!! It's not only great for those of us who sell what we make....but even for those mamas (and maybe there are a few daddy's out there too) that just sew for their littles..... a large size range means you get more for your money!!! The size range on this pattern is 2-14!!! Holy moley! She will be able to wear this pattern for a few more years!!! 

In addition to the vast size range, there are so many cute details you can add to this pattern! And who doesn't love these pockets!!! We sure did!!! Pockets are such a plus for us! This little always has something that needs to be put in a pocket...and instead of me walking around with that shiny rock, barbie shoe, half piece of gum, headband, or whatever else she needs to be held...she can stick it in her own pocket!!!

I added a touch of lace at the bottom to give this little dress a shabby chic look. The instructions tell you how to do it. You don't like lace? That's cool....you can add rick rack or basically anything else you would like to it to make it your own! You can also add lace or buttons or any other frilly add-ons to the bodice. I left this bodice plain but I think our next one will be over the top!!!

The back of the bodice has a two button closure. I'm really loving the buttons my little picked out...of course she takes after her mama and has great taste.....at least I think so (hee hee). The bodice has a great fit! This is probably one of the best bodices that I have sewn as far as coverage goes. The size leaves a bit of room in case you want to layer it like we did, but it also doesn't gap at the sides so there are no baby boobies sticking out. My little tends to be a bit on the modest side and is always concerned when her dresses or shirts gap. 

We love the cap style sleeves. This dress will also work for her at school in the warmer months. They are not allowed to have exposed shoulders so the fact that this dress (when worn with nothing underneath) covers their shoulders but still gives off that summer dress feel is a bonus! So versatile....this little number can literally be worn year round!

The instructions in this pattern are very well written and overall easy to follow. This is also a great pattern for the confident beginner on up to an experienced sewist!  I have to say that I have never created a bodice the way that the instructions called for this one to be made so it did take me a few minutes for the fog to clear from my mommy brain and after reading the instructions a few times it clicked. I do feel that the way the instructions called for this bodice to be made gave the garment a very professional and nicely finished end product.

Since the only pattern pieces for this pattern are for the bodice and pockets, there was very minimal cutting and taping! So yay for that! I mean I love to sew.....but who likes to cut and tape pattern pieces together!!! Not me...that's for sure!!! Throughout the instructions there are helpful pictures and tips to guide you to make what is sure to be one of your favorite dresses!!! There is also a size chart with measurements to make sure you get the best fit for your little and a fabric requirements chart so you know how much of that precious fabric you are going to need.

We love this dress! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to try out a new to me designer! Everything about the dress I created SCREAMS my daughter! It's fun and flirty and sassy. You can use lots of different prints for it or just one. Add little details to make it over the top or leave it plain! This dress really is a blank slate and you can really let your imagination flow! This is a great pattern and I hope that you will love it as much as my little and I!!! Even my biggest little asked if it came in her size....sadly she wears adult clothing now but if she likes it then IT IS a winner!!!

Happy Monday

xoxoxoxo

~Rebecca~

MIMI ~Pattern Review~

I'm just going to warn you up front....picture overload with the MIMI dress!!!!

My littles are turning into such great models! The way it's been working lately is the little that is in front of the camera is taking direction on how to pose, what facial expressions to use, and how much attitude to give from the little that is standing behind the camera with me!

Up for review tonight is the MIMI by Filles a Maman. I have never used a Filles a Maman pattern so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm sure by now that just about everyone out there in the sewing world has used PDF patterns so we all know that every designer does things a little differently. Sometimes we find that we absolutely fall in love with a designer and other times we find that we didn't care for a particular pattern for whatever reason.

If you can't tell by the pictures my littlest little had a blast during our photo shoot and she loved the dress.....she now calls it her "softy dress" as the knit I used is so very soft and drapes so very well....and I found it on a clearance table at my local Hancocks! SCORE!!!!

The MIMI is a very versatile pattern that has options for short sleeve or long sleeve, collar or no collar and can be made as a shirt or a dress. Because the fabric I used was very light weight we opted for no collar and I also omitted the button closure at the neck. Although it was a very cute element, I kind of prefer it the way that I made it.

The pattern starts with lots of good information on what kind of fabrics are suitable for the dress, what notions you will need, a sizing chart and a chart with finished measurements, fabric requirements, and the coolest element is that you can actually print a specific size. The sizes are color coated if you print all of them but woo hoo for being able to print only the size that you need!!! YES PLEASE!!!!

We chose to make the size 12. My littlest is only 7 but what can I say, I breed the "extra large for their age" types of kids! Both of my girls are ginormous compared to other children their age....

Any how...I found the fit to be a bit slim. The length was right on, the neck and sleeves and every other part of the dress was perfect fit....I just found the width of the actual dress to be a bit slimmer than what I have found in other size 12's.

The pattern is well written and relatively easy to understand for someone who is not a beginner. I prefer pictures of the actual item being sewn throughout the pattern and although there were pictures throughout the pattern they were computer drawn pictures as opposed to the actual garment

Another detail I left off of the dress was the belt. Although it is super cute in pictures I found that it didn't stay in place very well as there were no added belt loops to hold the belt at the waist. Not to mention the fact that my littlest little did not care for the look of it....and don't you know she is the fashion expert.

Overall, this is a great pattern and has a lot of versatility to it as well as a great size range of 12 months to size 14...that's a huge bonus for this mama!!! The pattern is well written with lots of helpful information and charts throughout. The pattern states that it is for a confident beginner but in my opinion it would be more for an intermediate sewist as there are not a lot of extra details throughout the pattern to help the beginner along.

My little loves it so that's good enough for me! She loves anything soft and drapey (if that's even a word) and of course it has to be fashionable!!!

I will be making this again...next time I might try some thicker fabric, add long sleeves, and add that cute collar and button at the neck line!!!

Happy Hump Day from us to you!!!

XOXOXOXOXO

~Rebecca~