Pattern Preview: Kari Mecca's "More Sewing with Whimsy" Ladies Pattern

Kari Mecca fans, listen up: the More Sewing with Whimsy companion pattern for women is here and available in the shop! We are super excited to share this new addition to the Sew Beautiful Pattern Collection. It is available in sizes 4-24 and includes both sleeved and sleeveless versions of a round yoke top, a sleeveless square yoke top and two "bottoms" patterns - one of which can be adapted for 4 different lengths, from shorts to long pants. (The pattern is also available in preteen sizes 10-16!)

If you love the look of Kari's Whimsy Stick trims, flowers and other embellishment techniques but have no children to sew for (or just want to use some whimsy on yourself!), this pattern is made for you. It reflects the signature style and design possibilities seen in the More Sewing with Whimsy book and the - but in an adult (or preteen) size.
All of the top patterns can also be made as dresses! We think they would be great for spring and summer in light cotton prints, maybe cinched at the waist with a ribbon or small belt.
Here are all of the the pattern options:



Snag your copy of the pattern in the store for $12.00. Don't forget to grab a set of Whimsy Sticks and a copy of More Sewing with Whimsy to add some Kari Mecca style to your new creations!

Frannie Pattern Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone to entered our Frannie pattern giveaway contest! We enjoyed reading all of your ideas and stories. Our two randomly selected winners are...

Amanda Swanson and Sharon Kirkpatrick!

Congratulations, ladies! Be on the lookout for an email from us so we can get a mailing address for you.

Thank you to everyone who entered, and don't forget that our Frannie patterns (Frannie, sizes 6mo - 4; and Frannie's Big Sister, sizes 5-8) are now in stock at our online store, so you can buy one of your own! Check back soon for more giveaway announcements and goodies from the SB team.

GIVEAWAY! "Frannie" and "Frannie's Big Sister" **Comments Closed**

If you've read the July/August issue of Sew Beautiful, you already know – we have purchased the ever-popular, out-of-print "Frannie" and "Frannie's Big Sister" patterns by Lyn Weeks, and we have reprinted these dresses as the newest addition to our Sew Beautiful Pattern Collection! In celebration of their arrival in our warehouse, we are offering a pattern giveaway to our readers. Two lucky entrants will receive copies of both patterns.

All you have to do to enter is reply below with your name and email address. We'd love to hear what you plan to do with your new pattern. Have you ever made a Frannie dress from Lyn Weeks's original pattern? Tell us about it!

Entries will close Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. Winners will be selected at random and announced both here and by email, so make sure you include your address. Good luck and thanks for your support of SB!

Katie's Hemstitched Blouse and Wrap Dress

What a nice surprise we got this week when reader Jean Leek Ping of Chico, CA sent us some photos of her daughter Katie (9 years old) modeling a couple of charming SB sewing projects! Pictured above is Jean's version of our "Hemstitching is Hip" blouse, featured in issue #126. SB associate editor Amelia Johanson originally introduced us to the idea of adding hemstitched box pleats to an existing blouse pattern such as Kari Mecca's Bias & Blooms Blouse. We love Jean's rendition in a sweet floral quilter's cotton, a print which she says she has also used for a baby ensemble, a smocked baby dress from The Old Fashioned Baby, and a doll outfit. The versatility of delicate cotton prints like this is just one reason to fill your stash with similar fabrics.

Jean also sent a photo of Katie modeling another Sew Beautiful project - our popular Wrap Dress pattern, which we revisited in casual prints last summer ("Reagan's Wrap Dress", issue #125). Jean picked up this fun brown and turquoise print at her local Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Store. You can find our SB Collection Wrap Dress pattern in our webstore.

Thanks for sharing your projects with us, Jean! Don't forget that you, too, can share your projects with us by emailing them to blog@sewbeautifulmag.com.

Flip-Flop Ribbon Trim

Cute, cute, cute... I'm in love with Kathy B's cool flip-flop ribbon trim. It's perfect for adding a fun touch of grosgrain ribbon to a casual summer dress made with fun prints, like this halter-style from our Summer Separates pattern:

With spring and summer quickly approaching, it's time to start thinking about adding some easy, breezy summer outfits to your little ones' wardrobes. Sewing garments yourself is fun enough straight from the patterns themselves, but adding special creative details and really makes it worth your while. For even the beginning seamstress, figuring out how to use what you know about sewing to add details to your pieces is lots of fun.

Ribbons are one of our favorite notions around here (as evidenced by our themed ribbon issue, #129), and the flip-flop ribbon trim that Kathy came up with last summer is just too cute. At the time Issue #125 was published, where we announced the new Summer Separates pattern, we offered free instructions on the flip-flop ribbon trim on our website (click here to download the instructions in PDF format). But since we recently received the new DVD collection of last season's Martha's Sewing Room, we've pulled video for you of Kathy herself teaching the technique. We hope that, combined with the printed instructions, the video helps make sense of creating this great trim on your own.

After we shared the flip-flop ribbon trim instructions on our website, SB reader Elizabeth Vickers shared a dress with us using this technique that she made for her granddaughter. I've been holding onto the photo Elizabeth sent me for six months, and finally, I have the perfect opportunity to share it with all of you:

It looks like Elizabeth has used a wider width of grosgrain ribbon in different colors to add a fun accent between her solid red fabric and multicolor polka dot fabric on the hem and sleeves.

Do you have ideas for using this technique in other ways? I wonder if it wouldn't work to use a thin-width of silk satin ribbon to make a tiny flip-flop trim; I might try it. If you do try this technique, please share it by posting a link below or sending pictures to us at blog@sewbeautifulmag.com. As always, we love to see what you're making!

SB Wrap Dress Pattern: A Valentine's Day Blouse

When SB reader Lynette Marxuach posted a picture on our Facebook page of this blouse she made for her daughter as a Valentine's Day school outfit, I just had to share it on our blog. Stitched up in a cotton print fabric from the Michael Miller Andalucia Collection by Patty Young, the sleeveless top is from our Sew Beautiful Collection Girls' Wrap pattern. 

Lynette tells us, "I live in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (a suburb of San Juan). I've been sewing for over 30 years but it wasn't till my daughter was born in 1999 that I began sewing for babies/toddlers/children/tweens. I learned to smock when she was born and ten years later it still is my favorite thing to do after she goes to sleep. I recently opened a fan page in Facebook - El ropero de Daniela (Daniela's Closet) where I display my creations and once in a while sell a piece. I've been reading/collecting Sew Beautiful Magazine for nearly all these years really enjoying the heirloom sewing tips and smocking plates."

Have you made a project from Sew Beautiful or SB Collection Patterns? Share it with us! Send your creations to blog@sewbeautifulmag.com.