Blaverry Gracie

K. has a massive wardrobe of clothes and definitely doesn't need anything new. She's so enthusiastic and appreciative whenever I do make her something that I get a lot of joy from making her new things, though :).  And I knew she would love the Gracie dress by Blaverry.

It's a quick sew and, because of the slim fit, doesn't require very much fabric.  The heart fabric is a super soft, cozy sweatshirt fabric from l'oiseau (it was a presale and is not available any more but they have lots of lovely retail fabrics and another presale event coming up).

This is a straight size 8 and the only change I made was to sew up the side seams using a 1/4" SA instead of 3/8".  The sweatshirt fabric has a bit of stretch but I didn't want it to be too tight.

As you can tell, she likes it :)

Pattern: Gracie by Blaverry given to me free of charge in exchange for this promotion
Fabric: Falling Hearts from l'oiseau, used approx 1/2 yard $8, blue cotton lycra approx. $6
Total: approx. $14

Decklyn in Denim

Decklyn was the first pattern that caught my eye when I first came across Blaverry but somehow it never made it to the top of the sewing queue.  Until now that is; I was given the pattern to promote for the "Blaverry Blasters" group and sometimes deadline can be a wonderful thing :)

Am I ever glad I had the opportunity to sew this up; my daughter has told me several times (daily) just how much she loves it. In fact last night, she told me that when she outgrows it, she'd like another one just the same.  I was afraid a jacket like this would be frivolous -- depending on the season, my girls either wear a winter coat or go out in just a t-shirt -- but that hasn't been the case at all.  J's worn it everywhere she's been in the past week, under her winter coat and in place of a cardigan or sweater. Only much more fashionable :).

According to her measurements, J. (age 10) would be about a size 8.  She doesn't like things to be too fitted and I thought it wouldn't get worn until spring (silly me!), so I traced off a size 12.  We talked about fabric options and I showed her some different ideas but she had a her heart set on denim.  No contrast, just denim with a matching navy lining, some bright topstitching and two of the fancy buttons we'd just received from a friend in Korea.  Perfect, I had all of that already in my sewing cupboard.

What I didn't have in my stash were the zippers.  My local shop didn't have the right size matching metal zips so I made do with what they did have.  I think it would look so much better if they all matched but my daughter doesn't mind.

My shop also didn't have a 16" navy metal zip so I bought an 18" and then lengthened the jacket by an inch and a half to accommodate it.  It turns out I didn't need to do that since the designer recommends folding the excess zipper at the top to fit the length of the jacket.  My daughter likes the longer length in any event so it worked out for the best.

She was very patient as I tried to get some decent pictures in some not so good light

but this is her "enough already Mom, I have stuff to do!" face :)

Pattern: Decklyn by Blaverry, free in exchange for this promotion

Fabric: stretch denim, used approx. 1m, $8

Lining: stash

Zippers: Fabricland, $7

Buttons: Gift

Total: $15

Blaverry Finn

A couple of weeks ago I received an email asking for applicants to join a marketing team for Blaverry.  I had often admired the clean lines and modern aesthetics of this pattern company and I figured my girls would love them too so I applied.  The first pattern I was given to make was the Finn Top.  It's a knit top with a three sleeve options (short, long and 3/4 length) and a waterfall peplum.

I normally consult my daughters before I make anything for them but my eldest was at a sleepover and my youngest doesn't need any clothes so I just went ahead and made it.  J.'s measurements put her in a size 8 so that's what I made, with an extra 1 1/2" added to the length of the bodice.

The pattern is a PDF and comes in layers so, if you choose, you can print off only the size you need. However, it goes up to size 16 so I printed off all the sizes.  I'm much more likely to make something a second time if I don't have to assemble the PDF again and I can definately see myself making other versions of this!  I was pleased to see that the pattern lines for the various sizes are different colours, which made tracing super easy.

The main fabric is a really lovely merino wool/tencel blend I bought through a local facebook group. The only reason I didn't hoard it all for myself was because I have 4m so plenty to make something for me too :)  The contrast sleeves are made from a scrap of French terry.  

I think it looks super cute and is a great "tween" style.  J. however feels the bodice is a bit tight and she's not sure about the peplum :(.   

So Miss 7-year-old-of-the-overflowing-closet was pleased to take it off her hands :)

The pattern is well drafted and the instructions are brief but sufficient.  There are no notches on any of the pattern pieces but I didn't have any difficulty putting it together.  I look forward to trying other Blaverry patterns!

Pattern: Finn by Blaverry (free in exchange for this promotion)
Fabric: navy merino wool/tencel from OOM ethikwear approx. $9.50
Total: $9.50