Kids' Choice

If there's one thing that children love, it's having a say. It starts at such a young age, when that sense of preference hits them (or hits us!).  My sewing world has changed quite drastically in the past few months since my little girl has suddenly decided that she wants to have some input in the clothing she wears.  Fabric shopping trips have changed from her being an observer, to her expressing her specific tastes.  It's been very rewarding to watch her acquire this newfound independence.  My boy on the other hand, has always been quite content with mommy's selections, although if it's blue and has elephants on it, he has some stronger opinions!

THE IDEA:
That's where the idea for Kids' Choice came from.  Teaming up with l'oiseau, my favourite place for beautiful, high quality fabrics and trims, we are issuing a challenge: sew something for your kids, but let them choose the fabric, the outfit, and the accessories!  Maybe you do this all the time, maybe not. Either way, it's going to be fun to share all the kid-inspired outfits!

THE SPONSOR:
If there's one place online that I can go to for the best quality fabrics, it's l'oiseau.  Whether its jersey knits, wovens, patterns, or super fun trims, I always shop with confidence knowing that what arrives in the mail, is exactly what I'm hoping for and often exceeds my expectations.  What is different about their products, is that they are unique and specially selected, some not even available anywhere else in North America!  And their customer service is second to none.  Special thanks to l'oiseau for generously sponsoring this event.

Here's a little peek at what I made with goodies from my last shopping 'trip' to l'oiseau...

Fabric: Wild Roses, Turquoise: Jersey Knit, Stenzo, Sprinkles: Jersey Knit, Stenzo

Iron-On Transfers: Hearts from l'oiseau

Rib Knit: Ottobre 

Patterns: Ottobre 01/14

THE DETAILS:
From May 1-9, you can link up your projects here at E & E and share all your creations.  Enter as many times as you like, even it's an outfit you've made before.  Then, on May 11, three submissions will be chosen at random to win the ultimate Mother's Day gift: a shopping spree at l'oiseau of $50 each!  At a later date, coordinated by the winners and myself, they will show us what they made with their winnings here at E&E.  How fun will that be?!

So, the only rule here is that the kids get to choose.  That's it!

If you plan to participate, grab a button, and help spread the word.  This is going to be so fun!

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<a href="../2014/04/kids-choice/" title="Elegance & Elephants"><img src="../albums/gg498/EleganceandElephants/kidschoice_zpsbec6ec52.jpg" alt="Elegance & Elephants" style="border:none;"/></a></div>

this post contains affiliate links

Spring Showers Jacket Pattern

$9

• 47 page PDF document 
• full colour photographs and diagrams
• numbered, step-by-step instructions
• prints on both standard 8.5X11" and A4 paper
• includes both imperial and metric measurements
• full-size pattern pages 
• pattern sizes are colour coordinated and have individual line styles, so you can print in black and white OR colour.
• clear instructions for printing only the size(s) you need using PDF layers
• 3/8 (1cm) seam allowances included
• no serger needed 
• sizes 2/3 years to 12 years included
• link to pattern instantly delivered to your Paypal account e-mail once payment processed

View testers photos HERE.

$9

Spring Showers Jacket Testers

A huge thank you to all the wonderful testers who gave me excellent feedback on the newest E&E Pattern: the Spring Showers Jacket.  The final product just wouldn't be the same without their valuable suggestions.  It's always a treat to see what they make and I'm excited to share some of their photos with you.

 Size 2/3

 Renee (Nearest the Pin)

 Amy (Friends Stitched Together)

Size 4/5

Evie (Pendle Stitches)

 Janice

Julie (Our Chez Nous)

Shannon (The Finished Garment)

 Maria (Creative Needle and Threads Blog)

Size 6/7

Terra (Mama Says Sew)

Marelet (Mjia Mae Design Studios)

Size 8/9

Alida (Alida Makes)

Teresa (Dandelion Drift)

Amanda

Size 10/11

Rachel

Tone (Bless By Tone)

Size 12

Terri (Sew Straight & Gather

Sabra (sew a straight line)

Thanks again to each and every one of you! 

Watch for the release of the Spring Showers Jacket later today.

Flickr Group Features

It was so delightful to look through the E & E Flickr Group and see what patterns you've been working on.  Thank you so much for sharing what you've made and keep them coming!  You inspire me to keep designing and releasing new patterns.

Here are just a few of the lovely creations made by you...

Daisies and Dresses

Home Sewn Heart

Nutta!

Call Ajaire

Caroline Flynn

It's Mie

Froo and Boo 

etcetera or whatever

Rock the Stitch

Back tomorrow with the new Spring Showers Jacket pattern release.  I look forward to seeing this one pop up in the Flickr group soon!

DIY Babies at iCandy Handmade

Today I'm over at iCandy Handmade for Jen and Autie's DIY Babies series sharing a little round up of my favourite patterns for little ones.  It's all cuteness over there...come check it out!

And there's also a HUGE giveaway, too, so if you want to enter to win, here it is!

Straight Lines and Angles

Straight Lines and Angles is a series being hosted by Jess from If Only They Would Nap, and I'm honoured to be a part of the wonderful line-up of guests sharing their geometric infused designs.  Michael Miller Technicolor Triplet Kryptonite has been sitting in my stash for awhile, and I knew it was the perfect choice for the dress I wanted to make.  And because I wanted to really highlight this fabric, my initial thoughts were to design a dress with a princess seam to keep the pattern of the triangles intact.

With some experimentation, I made a partial princess seam, with a gathered panel all around the rest of the dress.  There are some glimpses of the pink kona cotton I used for the facings which add some contrast, too.  I'm kind of excited about the possibilities for pairing different combinations of fabrics with this design.  A few more of these dresses may pop up in Anja's wardrobe this season!

For the closure in the back, I debated whether to use an invisible zipper (my current favourite), but then decided to go with a partially exposed regular zipper to incorporate a 'straight line' as part of the design.

Thank you Jess, for hosting this great series!  Follow along for more inspiration, tutorials, and designs, all with cool & trendy geometrics.  And also, there's a giveaway with amazing prizes up for grabs...enter below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway