The French Market Shorts Pattern for Women ~by Seamingly Smitten~ Pattern Review

I had a plan all laid out in my mind for this pattern review....it was going to be THE BEST pattern review that I had submitted to date.....I mean, hey....I have two whole weeks to get it done...the pattern looked easy...the fabric and notions were already in my studio....what could happen to get this chick side tracked from submitting the MOTHER of all pattern reviews.....

Well...what could happen...did happen!!! But that's life....and the girls and I have learned very well the last two years that we gotta roll with the punches....whatever life throws our way...we keep on trucking!!!

My original plan was to sew up a pair of these shorts for both myself AND my oldest daughter.....we were going to do a mommy daughter photo shoot with our hot little shorts....we were going to have a blast...

Then we found out that our local preforming arts center was holding auditions for Hansel and Gretel which was being put on by The Missoula Children's Theater and they both HAD to audition....and wouldn't ya know....they both got parts! I had one Walleybird, one New Camper, and a whirlwind week of back and forth to practice...late nights and early mornings....rehersing lines....costumes....dinner packing....school....homework....and the list goes on...but it was worth it to see my baby girls on the big stage! Their first play that they actually had to audition for....and they nailed it!

So...the French Market Shorts got put on the back burner for the first week...

Second week....that's plenty of time....sure...it's plenty of time unless you and every single person in your house hold is sick and you spend the week trying to get everyone well only to come down with the same crappy crap crap they had....oh well....I did find and awesome chicken noodle soup recipe that is THE BOMB...so something good came out of all this nasty sickness....yummo soup!!!

So now we are down to the wire....and if I am to be honest...I could have whipped up two pairs of these shorts in no time flat! This is a GREAT pattern....fast and great for a beginner sewist but fun for experienced sewists as well!!!

But since I am still recovering from this nastiness that seems to be going around....my eyes are puffy...my nose and upper lip are so red there isn't enough concealer to cover it up....my skin is dry and flakey....and lets face it....I am not a professional photographer nor am I a master of editing so this sick mamma stayed behind the camera and I let my kiddo strut her stuff....and boy did she love love love these shorts!!!

I know you are probably thinking...."shorts....it's too late in the season for shorts"....but it's not!!!! It's NEVER to late for shorts!!! Now I have to admit....with the heat index, it was well over 100 degrees last night when I took these pictures....and the mosquitos were ruthless...and the sweat was dripping....but we got it done...we were able to pull off a fun fall trend in the over 100 degree heat!!! Of course there was plenty of whining.....a few tears....and maybe I made a few promises of a $1.99 happy meal from McDonalds....but we got it done!!!

How cute would these be in a light weight wool with tights and a sweater and BOOTS!!!! We love love love boots!!!!

This pattern is expertly written! It was so easy to follow with enough detail for beginners but not so much detail that someone who's been sewing for any length of time gets annoyed by it! (hee hee hee)

The pages were numbered.....the pattern was color coordinated by size which for me it a HUGE bonus....for some reason my brain does not like to process black dots of different sizes so I really love the color!!! Of course this is always a personal preference!

The size range is GREAT! XS to XXXL so you really get your bang for your buck! My 9 year old is TALL...with a booty (that's an attribute that I passed along to her...we do have some junk in our trunks!)....so she is wearing womens' clothing...and I love this pattern not only for the sizing but for the fact that there are 3 different inseams (4 inches, 6 inches, and 8 inches) and hem lengths for petite, tall, and regular! You can really custom fit these shorts. I get to have short shorts and I can use the same pattern for miss fancy pants for school shorts! Woo hoo!!! (doesn't she look like she is about to murder me in this picture?!?!?!)

I also have to admit....now this is a shocker....this is my very first adult pattern! And now I'm hooked on making stuff for my oldest and myself....I really am still going to make a pair of these for me so her and I can still do our photo shoot together! 

The fit on there are spot on! The instructions include a table with measurements for the different sizes as well as a chart for the approximate yardage that you will need!

There is really nothing bad I can say about this pattern! I see lots of these French Market shorts in our future...for the little and for me!!!

Well written pattern, plenty of detail, great fit, easy and fast sew (I seriously finished these in just a little over an hour from printing the pattern to hemming them up and I was hopped up on some cold meds to boot!) and these can seriously be worn close to year round!!! This is going to be a staple to your wardrobe!!! 

Now go out and get this pattern and do a little self sewing...of course if your house is like my house you might have to make more than one pair for the other divas in your household!!! 

We love our French Market Shorts!!!

XOXOXOX

Rebecca

Sunny Dress & Top by sewVery Pattern Review

It has been almost an entire year since I have blogged....which means it has been almost an entire year since I have participated in a pattern review....why oh why for the love of everything precious can I not get it together....I used to pride myself in being "THAT" girl...the one who could juggle the entire world with her eyes closed and one hand behind her back.....but then life happens....it gets messy....and it has been very messy for...well.....about a year now....but things are looking up.....and i have committed myself to blog more often.....WAY more often...life is flying by me and I am not documenting a single thing.....and it makes me sad.....so today it starts....today I get back to blogging and today I make a commitment to myself to jump back in to doing pattern reviews because...well, let's face it....I LOVE IT!!!!

And for my first blog post in almost a year...not only am I blogging....(gasp...I know!!!!)....but I've got a fun little pattern review for you! Woo Hoo!!!!

The Pattern that is up for review is the sunny Dress & Top by sewVery and from the pictures that I will share with you, you will see that my little spawn loved loved loved it!!! Now, this said "spawn" is really coming into her own so she was very particular when it came to the fabrics and the options for this sweet little number. Oh yes....I said optionS!!!! One of the great things about this pattern is that it can be made in a shirt or dress length AND it can be made with a ruffle neck OR with no ruffle at the neck.

Although I found the ruffle at the neckline to be sweet, the "spawn" did not...so since it was her dress and she felt the need to pick the options we opted for no neck ruffle....we also went with the top length because "I like to play on the playground at recess and if you make the dress then I will not be able to wear it to school because if I wear it to school I can not, just CAN NOT play on the playground at recess and do the fun stuff on the playground at recess because then all the other kids might see my panties and I DO NOT want them to see my panties...." she went on a little longer but you get the point....no dresses because she won't get to do the "fun stuff" at the playground in fear of people seeing her panties.....

If you are looking for something that is a pretty quick sew (from start to finish) and is great for layering this is a great pattern. My littles are not allowed to wear anything sleeveless to school so this is perfect for them. Imagine it in corduroy with tights, a long sleeve shirt underneath and some boots....perfect fall and winter outfit! And this pattern comes in sizes 2T through 12 so you are for sure going to get lots of use out of this one!

The back of this dress has criss cross straps that are threaded through loops and are tied in a sweet little bow. This is great for a "grow with me" type of fit. The elastic in the back of the dress is also ensures for it to fit for longer than a typical fitted style of dress. 

The Sunny Dress & Top is a very well written pattern with the beginner in mind. The instructions are very easy to follow with lots of pictures throughout the pattern to aid with the written instructions. The pattern includes size charts and fabric requirements as well as only 8 pages for the actual pattern to tape together...huge paper and time saver right there folks!!! And if you are making a smaller size or the top length you will not even need all 8 of the pages used for the pattern. Now I am a stickler for using different colors for the different sizes on the actual pattern, this pattern however used different lines and dots for the sizes but were all in the same color. I think it might just be a personal preference, but I truly prefer different colors for the different sizes. 

Overall, this is a wonderfully written simple pattern perfect for the beginner, but also great for experienced sewists that are looking for a fast and easy sew! The fact that this is a garment that can be worn year round is a bonus! Another bonus is that it has a HUGE range of sizes....2T through size 12. The fit seems to run a tad small, it's a little more slim fitting than other patterns that I have used, tested or reviewed. I also think that it is a little plain which is great for very busy prints but I would love to have the designer add more options like a ruffle down the front or maybe pockets on the front or on the side of the top/dress where you can use coordinating fabrics. I could have easily added those details to this dress, but for the beginner in mind I think the added "extras" with measurements and placements would be a great addition to this pattern. 

So there you have it folks! A new blog post AND a pattern review! A great simple dress and top perfect for your little! And easy pattern to follow and a fast sew! I sewed this up in a total of about 2.5 hours. That's from the time I printed the pattern until the time the dress was ready to go on the spawn! I think you will find this to be one of your go to staples in your pattern collection!

Happy Monday and welcome back Me to the world of pattern reviewing and blogging!!!

xoxoxoxo

Rebecca 

The Classic Ruffle Dress/Shirt by Dandelions n Dungarees Pattern Review

I am back again with another blog review...can you believe it?!?!? Two weeks in a row....I think I'm on a roll!!! Life doesn't stop around here for a minute so we just have to keep on keeping up with it....as tiresome as I get, I love to be able to fit in pattern reviews...just love it!!!

This time, Adilyn (the LYN in Avalyn) got to be my subject....oh wait....I mean my oh so precious and often times over animated model!! tee hee

And for the second time in a row I was able to review a pattern for a designer that I have never previously had the pleasure to come across....word on the street is this is the first children's pattern for Dandelions n' Dungarees written by Elise.

When I spied my little blue eyes on pictures that were made from this pattern I about fell out of my chair! I mean seriously....I have been searching for MONTHS to find a pattern like this! THIS pattern is what I would have wanted to use to make my girlies their "first day of school" dresses. Around these parts kids are not allowed to go sleeveless and all I kept finding were sleeveless summery type dresses....this pattern embodies every.single.thing that I love in a little girls dress!!!

How crazy cute is this dress?!?!?! I mean someone pinch me and WAKE ME UP!!!

I have searched high and low and side to side for this dress...of course this is way cuter than what I was dreaming about!!! I mean seriously...check out the button down front and the ruffles that go all the way around the neck line....and the sleeves...the adorable poofy sleeves that just SCREAM I am little girl HEAR ME ROAR!!! Oh...and did I mention the bow...ruffles AND a bow...no way!!!

Enough gushing....getting on to the actual review!

I chose to do the dress length for the review...one.... because if you couldn't tell from my above ranting and raving above I have been searching for this pattern for months...and two....we just love dresses in our neck of the woods!!! But to have the option of making it a dress or a shirt is just a bonus for this pattern!!! 

The instructions have a sewing dictionary right off the bat which is nice for one who is not fluent in the proper terms of sewology. Often times I catch myself saying that thingy...or the watchamacallit....or that blasted piece of crap that I should have invested a few more dollars in to get a better quality one....I'm sure we all have our own terminology for sewing terms....please don't let me be the ONLY one that has pet names for her supplies and for techniques like gathering (which I will not post on the blog as I try to use my manners here).

The instructions are laid out very well and there is a size guide table which is always helpful when you are sewing for someone that does not live under your roof....or maybe they do live under your roof but you like to sew when that said someone is at school so you can not be interrupted a gazillion times!  

There is also a fabric and notions requirements table, cutting instructions for the rectangle pieces so that you don't have to waste that coveted and ever so expensive printer ink on printing rectangles, and get this....on the cutting instructions there are measurements for cutting the length for the skirt and the shirt option....we do not have to use our brains to subtract to figure out the difference if you are wanting to make the shirt and not the dress....I have no idea why it chaps my hide to have to subtract...I've been doing it for more years than I want to admit to....but bless this woman for adding this small detail!!!

There was very minimal printing for the bodice and sleeve pieces and the pieces went together very well....no  having to finagle and pray that you are doing it right!

The seam allowance is also included in this pattern! Yay...no guessing!!!! I love guessing when there is a prize at stake...but I despise guessing when you are talking about possibly ruining fabric that I have been hiding.....waiting to use it on THAT perfect dress!!!

And that bow...that super cute bow on the front of the dress....it comes off!!! It's attached with a snap!!! So after your precious wears the dress and maybe gets it a little dirty pop the bow off so you don't have to worry about trying to figure out how to get it all pretty and perfect when she wears it again!

There are so many good things about this pattern....I just love the style of this dress....have you picked up on that? I think not only do I love it because I have been looking for it forever...but because it is trendy...it is unique....it has so many sweet design elements and most of all is because it is girly...I want my baby to look like a baby as long as I can keep her that way....they grown up so fast...this dress is sophisticated in a way that she feels like a big girl but still looks like my baby girl....

Now....for the few minor hiccups with this pattern.....

The difficulty level of this pattern is listed as "early intermediate" but I would be more apt to say that it is a little more advanced than that. Not because there is anything that is super difficult....but because the instructions at certain points are a little on the vague side and I would love to see more pictures that are a little bigger and maybe better quality.

There are no page numbers at the bottom of the pages....I no longer worry too much about little hands mixing them up but I print remotely and so many times I walk into my studio and the floor is littered with literally hundreds of pages of different patterns.....page numbers are a blessing to me!! But again...it's not a deal breaker for this pattern!

I also love my pattern size cutting lines to be in color....it just is easier on the eyes...sometimes looking at all the different sized dots/dashes cutting lines makes my eyes cross and second guess myself....which is never good because then I end up second guessing myself the rest of the day...it's an endless cycle really!!!

This truly is an amazing pattern and the design of the dress is to die for!!! It's classic yet unique which makes it a winner in my book!!! I can't wait to see what else is going to be released for children over at Dandelions n' Dungarees...because I know I am going to HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!

Happy Hump Day from the three of us at Avalyn Apparel! I hope that yours was a little less hectic than ours was!!!

xoxoxoxo

~Rebecca~

The Breeann Top by Modkid Patterns Review

It's been a hot minute since I have been able to blog....life is finally (and I hope I am right when I say this) getting back on track, so hopefully blogging will become a more frequent occurrence at Avalyn Apparel!

So....since life is getting back on track I decided it was high time for me to get another pattern review under my belt! I love being able to review patterns....not only do I get to add a new pattern to the collection, I often times get the opportunity to delve into the unknown...to create from pattern designers that I have never used before....

This pattern review was a special treat for us here at Avalyn Apparel! This was our first time reviewing a pattern in tween sizes and to say it was a hit would be THE understatement of the year! My oldest, who is only 8 but wears a size 16 in girls because she is awesomely tall, fell in love with this design as soon as she laid eyes on it! Not only was I FINALLY going to make her something....it was something that she adored....she's actually wearing it to school tomorrow!!! (This makes my heart so happy!)

Before I get into the review I want to first say...please excuse our pictures....it was sweltering hot outside....we were melting the moment we stepped out....not only was it hot...we were targeted by a million mosquitoes...I swear we both had at least ten bites within the first few minutes....it's like every mosquito in a ten mile radius decided to have dinner on us...literally! What came to mind while shooting these pictures was that commercial where all of the mosquitoes form up into an arrow...ready...aim...fire....too bad we didn't have one of those super awesome repellent thingys hooked to us to repel those buggers away!!! Anyone else ready for fall???

Enough jibber jabber....on to the review!

This review is for the Breeann top from Modkid designed by Patty Young.  This pattern is for a hooded knit top that has a cute kangaroo pocket, a super cute hood, and two different sleeve options...(who doesn't love options)....we went for the more fitted sleeve look...the next one I make (and yes...I see MANY of these in the near future) will have the flutter sleeves! I think it will be PERFECT for cooler weather with a long sleeve shirt under it! Versatility is my middle name...ok...it isn't but it should have been! Anything to make life easier...right?!?!?!?

This pattern is for knits. Are you scared of sewing with knits? Don't worry, I think most people are when they first start venturing out of the norm of wovens but Patty makes it SO easy!!! Because of all of the added information that is included in this pattern it is suitable for a beginner! Anyone who knows how to use a sewing machine and knows the basic functions of it and can read will be able to complete this pattern with ease!

Patty includes many things that so many other patterns that call for knits do not include which leaves you running to your computer to google or you tube the many questions that can come up when sewing with knits! Patty includes a section titled "Things To Know Before Sewing With Knits" which is very helpful to for people who are not very knowledgeable when it comes to the different types of knits. There is also an entire page of the instructions that is dedicated to different types of hemming options for knits which is great for sewists that do not have a serger!

Things that I loved about this pattern....what didn't I love about it?!?!?! This pattern was by far the easiest to print and tape together that I have ever used! Everything lined up perfectly...there was no guessing or trimming or having to be McGyver and figure out how to get all the pieces to line up as they should!

I loved that the instructions were detailed and to the point. Sometimes instructions get so chatty that it makes trying to get through a pattern way more time consuming than it should be! I have had instructions before where I get to reading them and forget that I am sitting at my sewing machine to sew...seriously....as funny as some of the commentary can be....it is often distracting.

I love that the pages are numbered! As simple and maybe even as silly as that sounds, it is a blessing to see that little number at the bottom of the page....it's like a wave of relief rushes over me when I spy with my little eye that number!

I love and I mean I REALLY love that each pattern piece states the designer, how many to cut, the code for the size cutting guide, the seam allowance and the direction of the stretch (so important in knit patterns)!!!

I loved that Patty also included where to cut notches on the actual pattern pieces. It makes it SO easy to get everything lined up...takes the measuring or guess work out of getting everything lined up perfectly! I have used many different patterns from many different designers and very few include this on the pattern pieces! I don't know Patty, but I LOVE her for this!!!!

It was an added bonus that this pattern includes a size chart which not only includes US sizing but European sizing as well!!!

There is only one thing that I would recommend and that would be to color code those marvelous dotted size lines on the pattern pieces....I print all patterns in color and it is so much easier to follow a dotted line in a specific color as opposed to different sized dotted lines all in black. This one tiny minor detail will not in any way shape or form deter me from buying any Modkid patterns....after this one I am HOOKED!

So a little recap! Patty Young is amazing! 

This pattern is well written and designed!

It is a quick and easy sew for even the novice of sewists! This took me about an hour and a half start to finish....printing, cutting, taping, and constructing the actual top. Very easy to accomplish during nap time for those of you who are lucky enough to have little ones that nap or after they go to bed in the evening.

It is trendy and perfect for your tween....because anyone who has a tween knows how hard it is to find trendy things in a store....seriously....if I would have worn stuff they have in stores today when I was a tween my parents would have probably been arrested!

We here at Avalyn Apparel love this design and we are now super fans of Modkid! We plan on making many more of these...I am actually hoping to have it be my daughters first sewing product! How fun would it be for the first thing that she sews is something as awesome as this!!!

I hope that you have had a wonderful hump day!!! Be on the look out, I have another review coming up next week....all I can say is swoon!!!!

xoxoxo

~Rebecca~

Fall Modeling Shoot

Happy Monday!!!

Avalyn Apparel is teaming up with Melissa g Photography in search for models for a fall photo shoot! 

Our model search is only open for a few more days so get your entry in! Please email all pictures to melissagphoto@gmail.com.

Specific dates have not yet been determined but the shoot will be held at the end of August!

This photo shoot is a great opportunity to check out my fall designs, get some great pictures, and be able to buy the very first pieces of my fall line at discounted prices!

Want to see what Melissa and I have been working on? Keep scrolling down! See something you like and would like to order please feel free to email me at avalynapparel@yahoo.com!

As always, if you see anything that you would like to order please feel free to contact me! 

I have been so excited to be working on my fall line the past few weeks and I can't wait to see all of the model submissions! 

I hope that you all have a wonderful week and please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns!

xoxoxox

~Rebecca~

The Bubblegum Dress by Candy Castle Patterns Review

I was asked last week to review another pattern, do you think I jumped at the chance?!?!?! Why yes, yes I did! As I stated in my last blog post (which also happened to be a pattern review) I love reviewing patterns, more so than testing them....I think it goes a little past love....I think I might be ever so slightly addicted to doing pattern reviews!!

When I was contacted to review this pattern I was just told it was for a dress....no problem...both of my girls adore dresses.....I received the pattern via email and saw that it was a wrap dress...I was a little more than anxious to start creating this little wrap dress...and not the good kind of anxious....I have not had good experiences in the past with wrap dresses....wait....I've had HORRID experiences with wrap dresses...but I had a job to do so that's what I set out to do!!! 

The dress is called The Bubblegum Dress and the designer of this pattern is Candy Castle Patterns.

I started as I would with any pdf pattern and saved to my computer and then got ready to get it all printed out....before I hit the print button I noticed there were 52 pages to print....EEK....but have no fear....after looking through the pattern before actually starting to cut the fabric and sew it together I realized how amazing those 52 pages were!

 I am not a "beginner sewist" but on the same hand I have not mastered every skill there is to sewing, let's face it, I probably never will!!! When reviewing a pattern I try to view it from the standpoint of someone who might not be as advanced or as comfortable with sewing and pdf patterns as I am. It is so much easier to have lots of detailed information with some tips and tricks thrown in there than to have a pattern with instructions that sound like they were written by someone who is speaking a whole different language.

In my opinion it is easier for an advanced sewer to skim through and just use what they need than for a beginner sewer to have to try and decipher and interrupt a foreign pattern language. 

The instructions and information in this pattern were spot on! I loved that there was a description at the very beginning of this pattern that stated what kind of fabric to use and how the dress should fit on the child. I loved that there were SO many options on how you could mix and match different prints and different fabrics to get a truly unique look. I only used 2 different cotton prints as I was going for a basic look but really with this dress the possibilities are truly endless.

Another love which sounds silly is that the pages are numbered and the seam allowances are included....be still my heart! I believe I mentioned it in a previous post, but I am not a mathematician, nor do I have hopes and dreams of one day becoming one so seam allowances included in patterns for me are a MUST!!!! I will not knowingly buy a pattern if it does not include the seam allowances...no way...no how!

Another favorite thing of mine is COLOR CODED PATTERN PIECES!!! I often wonder why more pattern designers do not use the color coding system but it just makes my heart so happy when I print a pattern and see that the pattern pieces are a rainbow of colors!!! It makes it so much easier on the eyes.....when they are all black my eyes sometimes tend to go a little wonky and sometimes you might just catch me hunched over my cutting table with my face two inches from the pattern pieces trying to figure out just which line to cut for the size I am needing!!! 

At first I was not planning on using the bias tape at the neck area but after putting the dress together I found I needed some little pop of color on the bodice. I loved that this pattern had directions to make this dress so many different ways....and the way in which the instructions are written it was easy to maneuver through the pattern and skip steps that you might not need without any causing any undo confusion.

The fact that this dress goes from size 6 months to 12 years made me want to jump up and down and squeal with delight! It is very rare to find a pattern with such a wide range of sizes!!! This pattern is truly perfect for girls of all ages....it can be cute as a button for your little tot or you can make it more sophisticated for your big girl! In addition to having the GARGANTUAN range of sizes, this dress is also modest and very kid friendly! No backs or tummies hanging out...there is no need to alter any part of this dress for "additional coverage" for your little darlings. 

In addition to everything I mentioned above, I found this pattern to be true to size with a brilliant fit.  If you are worried about a younger child undoing it and letting the world see all her goodies you can package those thoughts up and put them away on a high shelf. The way that this dress is constructed your child will probably not even be aware that there is a tie on the side. It is not bulky or hanging in the way....and even if your little escape artist does discover the tie and pulls on it, the dress is not going to just fall open and expose everything....this dress just works in every aspect of the way!!!! There is only one thing that I altered on this pattern and that was to top stitch where the bodice meets the skirt portion of the dress. I'm all about a very polished and finished look so my OCD kicked in and I HAD to add that top stitch!!! I HAD to!!!!

So, to sum it up, this pattern rocks!!! There is so much versatility to this dress, the pattern was written very well with all levels of sewists in mind, the size range is phenomenal, the pattern pieces are color coded, and it's the best wrap dress I have ever had the pleasure to use.

The Bubblegum Dress pattern by Candy Castle Patterns gets two sewing machines up from this pattern reviewer!!! I loved making this dress. It was not only a breeze to make but it was fun to see it come together!

Happy Monday!!!! I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to their week!!!

xoxoxoxo

~Rebecca~

Fancy Pants Leggings by Titchy Threads Review

Occasionally I am asked to review and test patterns from various designers, so when asked to review a pattern from Titchy Threads I jumped at the chance.

I love reviewing patterns from new designers or designers that I have never used before...it gives me a chance to discover new and exciting designs from such very talented women! As much as I love sewing and creating there is NO.WAY.IN.H.E.DOUBLE.HOCKEY.STICKS I will EVER draft a pattern....I give it up to the people who do...before I started testing and reviewing I didn't realize how much went into drafting a pattern...I took the designers for granted...this lady is sticking to being creative through sewing....pattern drafting is definitely out of my league!

So here they are, my take on the Fancy Pants Leggings. I opted to make the full length leggings using 4 way stretch knit bought from Funkalicious Fabrics. I am not a genius when it comes to sewing with knits, in all honesty I am quite the opposite.....it's not that I fear them or anything (ok, maybe there is a little fear there), I just didn't want to hurl my sewing machine or serger through the window while making them.....who's go time for that?!?!!? (hee hee)

There are so many things that I loved about this pattern. If you click the link above for Titchy Threads some might think that this pattern is geared more towards pajama pants, which they work wonderfully for, but I think this pattern also works marvelously for just every day leggings! When in the market for patterns one of my main goals when searching is the versatility of it, how much use am I going to get out of it. This pattern ranks way up there on the versatility scale! Laura gives so many options with these. They can be made in short length or regular length and there are instructions on different waist bands and ankle finishes to achieve your desired look.

The instructions are crystal clear on this pattern from start to finish! Laura includes so much detailed information in her pattern that even a novice knit sewist like myself feels comfortable. If you have never sewn with knits or if you are looking for a pattern to sharpen your knit sewing abilities this is a great one....

A few more details, small as they are but make a world of difference, that I love about this pattern is that there is a detailed table of contents, the pattern is computer drafted (means so much to me), tips and tricks on sewing with knits are included (cue the heavenly choir), the pattern is well written and has LOTS of pictures to help guide you along your knit sewing adventure, the pages are numbered (sounds silly but so many patterns I use do not number the pages which can turn out catastrophic if the pattern gets into the hands of a certain 5 year old that loves to "help" me create!), and lastly, the finished product is so cute and the possibilities with these simple leggings are ENDLESS!!!

There is only one downfall in my opinion with this pattern, and to me it's a pretty big one. The pattern size range is 0-3 months to a size 4T. I would have loved to see (or hopefully we will see in the near future) this pattern have a much larger size range. Who doesn't love leggings? I know both of my girls do and sadly they have been out of a size 4T since they were about 3 years old.

A special thank you to the beautiful Lyla for modeling these leggings and a great big thank you to her mommy Audrey with Studio Audrey for the wonderful pictures. 

Have a fabulous Thursday! The weekend is ALMOST here!!! 

xoxoxoxo

~Rebecca~