New Pattern: Snow Pants and Snow Parka

Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop just released two new patterns: The Blizzard Buddy Snowpants and the Polar Pal Parka. I was lucky enough to test these two patterns and now Emmett will be warm and toasty this winter.

He is only 10 months old, so I might not let him play much in the snow if at all. But no matter where we go, I know he will be extremely warm! And maybe, just maybe, I will let him experience a little bit of snow.

Both patterns have great advice and information on what type of fabrics to use to make the coat waterproof and warm. The finished product is three layers, which seems intimidating but the patterns are put together in a way that makes it easy to sew a lot of layers. I was able to buy all my fabric locally at Jo-Ann, which was also a big plus. The pattern includes resources on where to buy online if you need to.

I will admit I was a little intimidated at first and wondered why in the world I had signed up to pattern test! I had never even made a coat before. Thankfully, the pattern instructions are very thorough. And although I did mess up on the coat in a couple places and made good use of my seam ripper, I really appreciate that the designer really takes this feedback into account during the testing phase and works hard to improve the instructions and fit before releasing the pattern. Because of my experience pattern testing (I have tested for Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop other times as well) and seeing firsthand the changes the designer makes during the process, I am always confident when I buy one of her patterns.

Seriously, how funny is this photo of my little guy? If this isn't an "Come on Mooooomm..." face, then I don't know what is!

Emmett is cloth diapered and even with a pair of sweatpants on, the snow pants fit great! They are designed to fit over regular clothes of course, and we achieved that just fine! The straps are adjustable and because of that, I think he will be able to wear these next year as well! We tested the 12-24 months as Emmett wears 18 months, he is a big boy! These patterns go up to size 12, so I know I will still be able to get a lot of use out of them.

The coat has lots of options for color blocking, which are optional. There are also pattern pieces included if you do not want to sew the color blocked side accent piece.

There are also options for zippered side pockets or inseam pockets. I didn't see the point in making pockets for a baby, so I skipped that step. I will probably sew the pockets when I make Kylie a coat, she needs a winter coat and I'm now confident I can now make her one that is warm enough.

Ignore the strings in this photo. I wanted to try on the coat for fit before cutting all the strings and I am way too tired to do any photo edits tonight. :)

The hood was a little small for Emmett, but the designer tweaked the smaller sizes to get a better fit after collecting feedback from the testers. The hood zips up high to help protect little faces from the snow and Emmett looks a little squished. :) But like I said, this was something the designer worked hard to improve during the test. That's why I feel confident about her patterns!

These are two separate patterns, but if you use the code "snowman" you can save $3 if you buy both! Also, if you purchase today only, they are marked down 15% so today is the day to buy if you are wanting one or both of these patterns. They can be found here and here.

*This post contains affiliate links. That is if I did it correctly, this was my first time trying to post affiliate links.*

PRP: Denim Challenge, sewing fail!

This week at Project Run and Play, the challenge was to create an outfit using denim. I almost didn't participate because I have been doing a lot of other sewing and didn't think I could squeeze anything in before the deadline. However last night, I decided to make a quick shirt since I already had some denim in my stash.

I drafted this shirt last night and sewed it up today. I wanted a pretty simple sew, but wanted to dress it up with a pop of brightly colored handmade piping and matching fabric covered buttons. I had to wait until after school to try it on her and I was so sad when I did. I hated it. The bodice was too wide, especially at the shoulders, I wasn't a fan of the poof sleeve and the buttons down the front didn't look like I envisioned they would. It was also a tad too short. I wanted it to be more tunic length, but I think what happened is that I messed up on my high low hem. I think I drew the shortest part of the hem and when I cut the fabric mistook that for the longest part of the hem. With so many things that didn't turn out right, it's safe to say I will not be trying to fix the shirt, it would be faster to just start over. 

I debated not sharing this with you at all, because I hate it so much and it is giving my anxiety to share my failures! I decided, however, to keep it real and show you my mistakes. Trust me, I make plenty of them and there are clothes I have created that have never left the sewing room. Thankfully, it hasn't stopped me yet from starting my next project. In fact, I'm itching to get back to my machine and make something I can be proud of. 

And I would like to thank Kylie for modeling the shirt for me even though she was not a fan of the poofy sleeves herself. If I had more time, I would gladly sew her another denim shirt for the challenge, maybe using Peek-a-Boo's Classic Oxford, because I know it would fit her! But it's the last evening of the challenge, and dinner has to be made, so I guess I leave you with this disaster:

Thanks for not booing me! (At least I can't hear the boos from where I'm at, so I will just assume no one is.)