Ruffles ruffles ruffles | Rosie's Ruffled Legging pattern

Rosie's Ruffled Leggings. Can a sewing pattern designer have a favorite design? Well, let me answer that question by a bit of history trivia.
Did you know that Charles Dickens, one of the most prominent authors of all time, had a favorite book? It was 'David Copperfield'. Charles said that he favored the book so much because it most resembled his own life, and it was a pleasure to write it/read it/constantly work on it. He also said that it was incredibly hard to draft the first time. I.Get.It.

Let me discuss my favorite leggings pattern. I realize that it's not a novel that will stand the test of time like the Dickens book. But let me tell you... it's amazing. And it was difficult to put together.

Here's my story.
I needed to have some ruffles. I have four little ladies who live with me, and they ALL (even miss 13) love ruffles. I needed a pattern that would be suitable for babies and for big girls so that they could all have some ruffles.

Ruffles. Yes, I needed ruffles. A lot of them. I wanted ruffled leggings that would stand out among the 1,000 other leggings patterns that were available. I wanted to design leggings that would make my girls gladly say, "My mom made them for me.", with their dear faces.

Side note: I swear; I do things for my kids that I never thought that I would. I love to make them laugh, and I love to talk with them. Most of all, I love to hear their honoring words. In my world, "My mom made these leggings", is honoring <3. Enough of the gushy. Lets see these beauties!

Before we begin, Rosie's Ruffled Leggings pattern is available
Here for Newborn-36 Month size leggings
Here for 3T-16
It is on sale for a short time (through 12/13/17), so get it now!

Most of the pics in this post are from my fabulous testers who helped me with this design. I am thankful for each one.

This was the very first pair of leggings that I made. I literally sewed it as I was taking photos for the pattern. It's absolutely perfect. I love the fullness of the ruffles in the ankles and in the rear. I love that it's festive for the holiday season too!
Those pumpkins were from our garden this year. I didn't even count how many there were. I'm sure there were at least 25. We had the most prolific compost pile that I've ever had! Ha! Literally almost all of the pumpkins grew out of it.

Why is it that the most smiling, sweet babies, refuse to look or smile at the camera? I JUST MADE YOU THE CUTEST THING EVER, but she acts all shy when I pull the camera out. Silly baby Joy.

As you may not know, I am fairly new to the "testing" world. I didn't realize that there was an entire 'universe' of women who tested patterns and helped make them amazing. It's become my absolute favorite thing. 

Having done mostly baby patterns, I had a design drawn up for these leggings in no time. It was fairly close to the design that I ended up with too. Oh how I love babies.

Baby designs are completely different than large children or adult sizes. I think it is because their legs are a different proportion to their body size. Because their shape is a certain size, a designer still needs to make an account for diaper bulk. Above all of these things, I needed to remember to make this design to accommodate the extreme body shape differences during the precious growth phases.

Cloth diapers or disposable diapers make a difference too! I wanted a design that would accommodate both without looking bulky on one or too tight on another.

Walking babies are typically smaller in the waist and body mass than babies that aren't walking yet. All of this needs to be taken into account when making a design. I love it. Each line in the pattern makes me excited to see it on a little one. <3

During this design process, I had a wonderful tester who has started helping me behind the scenes, her baby is the one below. Look at how perfect those ruffles are!  I just love that I can see this little one in my designs too!

Are you ready for the hardest part of my design process? I'll totally share my struggle with you.....

I am not very familiar with older children shapes. 

This test was hard. Really hard. I was tested to my max in what I "thought" that I knew. 

Mid-testing, I decided to take a break from this design. I needed to work on my size chart and get the basics right before continuing down design lane. It was a hard choice, but the best decision. It cost me about 4 days worth of time, but I am so thankful.

My friend (also a designer) and I put our heads together and she helped me to draw up the size chart how I wanted it. That started everything down the RIGHT direction. Soon, the leggings pattern was ready to test again!

After only a couple edits, my entire tester team was pleased with the results.

I mean, can you believe how amazing they fit?

Each size is fitted, yet not "too" tight. In my world, that's perfect for little or big girls.

Look at how great these ruffles look too! 

Something that I love about this design is that it is so versatile. I like that you can put multiple ruffles or ONE ruffle at the bottom hem of the ankle, or choose to have no ruffles at all.

Length. Length is important. I wanted something that was ankle length, but that would STAY at ankle length. There's nothing worse than sitting down and half of your leg showing, and I feel that way the MOST about the clothes that I make for my kids. So you'll notice that there is plenty of length in the leg to keep those sweeties covered up.

 Matching outfits are an absolute must, now that I have the big girl pattern with the baby pattern. There is a bundle available in each listing so that you can get both for a discounted price!

I mean seriously, who doesn't want to dress their kids in matching outfits?!

Our friends at Simply Ti were kind enough to provide fabric, and fabric recommendations for testing, and we loved it!

Thank you for being a valued customer and reader. I appreciate all of your comments, feedback and support. Designing is what I love, but more importantly, it is how I stay home with my little ones, and I am so thankful that I get to enjoy that process.

Happy sewing!

The Cowl Neck Pullover

It's getting really cold here in Michigan. And we happen to live in the snowbelt, so it's even colder than normal michigan temperatures. My littles have a plethora of summer clothes in their drawers still, but I needed to get something a bit warmer, for fall and winter wearing.
That's when the Cowl Neck Pullover Pattern was created!

The most exciting thing about this pattern is that it was my first pattern that I have had meticulously tested. It was such a fun process and I learned so much!

In the process of testing, I've been learning about new fabrics that are making their way into sewing rooms, and turning out to be favorites. I'm also finding that many fabrics that I thought were the best options, are just a fraction of what's available! I still think that a favorite option of mine is to recycle t-shirts or sweaters into my baby wear....But mostly because I like to be thrifty. :)

This photo was taken from one of my sweet testers!

Enough about fabric choices, let me tell you about this Baby Shirt Pattern!

When I first started in the designing process, I knew that I wanted something wide enough that you can layer a onesie in, but fitted enough on the sleeves that it didn't hang/drape like a sweatshirt. 

My heart was set on a boy shirt design. You know there aren't enough boy patterns out there!

However, when I originally had my testers on it, they thought it was more of a feminine cut. I was so bummed! It looked great on Elijah, but I could totally see what they were saying.

We decided to do something amazing - and that was when we created a "masculine" AND "feminine" cut to this shirt. That way it is most flattering for boys OR girls. :) 

Masculine cut pullover pattern

Feminine cut pullover pattern

Lets talk about the Cowl. It's Warm. It's cute. It fits perfect over the head. It makes the shirt look so posh and trendy. I love it so.much.
Since I had "BOYS" on my mind when I was creating this shirt, I wanted to make sure that it was a trendy looking cowl that would look great on boys. Nothing floppy that would get in the way while playing legos....but something that would add the warmth and cute factor that this shirt needed. 

I also had the mindset that many boys have larger heads than girls, so I wanted it to easily slip on and off. This design is p.e.r.f.e.c.t. 

 The pocket. Oh the pocket. When I was making my test shirt, I told Elijah what I was doing. I said, "mommy is making you a 'pocket shirt' that you can put things in." He literally stood by me the entire time I sewed this shirt for him. The whole process took me about 20 minutes, and he stood there, using his 2 year old vocabulary to tell me how much he loved pockets, and what kind of things he would be putting in his pocket.
Boys. Love. Pockets. Enough said.

Look how much room Elijah has to put stuff in that pocket!

Look at this great tester photo - He loves his pocket too!

The sizing of this shirt is fantastic. It's sized Newborn to 36 months. Each size fits perfectly. The sleeves are perfectly fitted, but there's room enough in the body to have an under shirt to keep littles extra warm. I have also included an added bonus of a "tiny" size. Look at how tiny the smallest one is! It is perfect for a doll to have a matching shirt!

 Overall, this Cowl Pullover is a new favorite of mine that I am so excited to share with you. It sews up really quick and fits great. I hope that you love it as much as I do.

Trading in my Husqvarna for a Brother cs-6000i sewing machine

Why I'm trading in my Husqvarna sewing machine for a brother cs 6000i. 

This is the post that I've been dying to write about why I'm kicking out my expensive Husqvarna sewing machine for a cheap Brother sewing machine.

Before I begin, I must say that brother is NOT paying me to write this post. I have purchased this machine on my own after loads of research and want to share my experience. 
If you use any affiliate links that I have included, you are helping me stay home with my sweet little ones - thank you in advance. :)

Back in 2008 I sold a sewing business, and I decided that with some of the proceeds I would buy a coveted Husqvarna sewing machine. I couldn't wait to see what the hype was about, and how amazing it must sew.

After using it for a while, I found that I had the same issues as my old machine, and learned that I simply wasn't caring for my machines properly. Such as changing needles to the correct size for my fabrics, constant cleaning, and using the right presser feet for the job.

Because it was such an expensive brand, I chose to buy one on black friday. Although I only spent $500 on a $1000 machine, it was still the lowest version of any Husqvarnas that I could afford. I only had 8 stitch options and the machine came without any bells and whistles.

Husqvarna is in the top 3 category of sewing machines. It's heavy duty, there are fantastic options on the expensive models, and it's a lot like sewing with a cadillac. That is, if you buy the expensive version.

After using the machine for 8 years, I finally confided in my husband that I didn't care for it. I almost felt like it was blasphemous to get something else! He was very supportive and got me thinking about my options. Although I could spend the money on an expensive brand, he encouraged me to look at the brands that most people are buying.

View of front controls on Brother cs 6000i

When I researched the things that I wanted a sewing machine to do, I decided very quickly that I wanted to do tutorials for my customers. So I knew I needed to buy one that they would be familiar with. I also realized that I don't need an industrial strength sewing machine anymore....and my customers would not typically have one either.

Thread Cutter on Brother cs 6000i

That's when I discovered my Brother cs-6000i. It's perfect. It has the most reviews of every sewing machine that I could find. It was top sold in 2016 and 2017. Top rated on amazon, walmart, and all of the big stores that sold it. At the time of my purchase, I found a total (conservative) of about 8000 reviews. That means alot to me!

Drop in bobbin. You don't even need to thread it through!

What had me baffled when I was searching was the price tag. This machine has every bell and whistle imaginable, yet cost less than $200. I ended up ordering from Amazon and it was here in 2 days. I love prime!

Presser foot and threader

After I opened the box, I started sewing right away. I read at least 600 reviews so I knew where to start, but I still felt like there was so much I didn't know. I had no idea what any of the extra presser feet did, or how to use them. So I did what any sensible person does....I read the manual. It took me a few nights laying in bed to get through it, but I am so glad that I did!

A snapshot of the stitches. Whew! Get out the manual!

Some of the things in the manual that are extremely valuable are:

• Button holes  
• How to use the foot and how to make them easy!
• Twin needles - (I always called it a double needle)
• How to use them and settings on the machine to use them with
• Thread tension
• What the fabric looks like if the tension is wacky and which way to adjust
• Overcasting stitches
• Which ones for various types of fabric
• Basic stitches
• Which ones for various types of fabric
• How to sew a blind hem
• How to attach a button with the machine
• How to sew a zipper
• How to sew stretch fabrics and elastic
• How to attach appliques
• How to use the quilt foot
• How to use every stitch on the machine
• How to clean the machine

Here's a video of me opening the box for the first time! :) It's like Christmas...

The sewing machine came with everything that it said it would....including a new walking foot! I already had one with my old machine and I loved it. I really think everyone should have one, regardless if their machine comes with one or not. This is the one that I was using previously.

This is my favorite walking foot

Another thing that this machine has going for it, is how it's so easy to thread and start sewing immediately. Do you see the top of the machine? I love the built in diagrams that are up there! When I first brought the machine down to my sewing room, I was excited that I didn't have to take the manual out immediately just to try it out.

A snapshot of the top of the threaded machine

I have yet to use the quilting table, but I will sometime! I love the large work area and I know I will love it even more when I'm using it.

This is what the quilting table looks like attached

Overall, I think that I got a great deal. I have a new machine that purrs when it sews; a plethora of stitches that I don't know if I'll ever use; a fantastic brand that has maximum support for it's customers, a machine that I can do tutorials with easily; I didn't break the bank and I get to share it with you. :)

A snapshot of the side of the machine

If you are interested in this sewing machine, Feel free to click any of the images in this post. It will take you directly to amazon. All of the links are monetized and help me stay home with my sweet little ones. Thank you in advance!

Free Bib Pattern

Lets face it, keeping baby faces clean is a full time job. Keeping their clothes clean doesn't have to be though. OK, maybe that's not true, cleaning baby clothes is definitely a full time job; but keeping drool and food off of them can be a bit easier. That's where bibs come in.

Baby bibs are really a necessity when it comes to making supplies for our little ones. They can be pretty expensive to purchase, but when you make them yourself, they can cost next to nothing!

Lets get started.

To begin making baby bibs, you'll need to make a plan. 

Which bibs do you need to make? What phase is your baby in and going to be in soon? Take a look at the checklist below to see what you need to have in your bib arsenal.

• The Drool Bib
• 0-6 months (for when your baby is in the drooling phase)
• The Cereal Bib
• 4-8 months (for when your baby is starting baby food)
• The Shoulder Snap Bib
• 4-8 months (similar to the cereal bib, but snap is on the shoulder)
• The Dinner Bib
• 5 months - 4 years (for when your child is eating solid foods)
• The Spaghetti Bib
• 4 months - 4 years (A large bib with a snapping pocket for messy meals)

Joy is modeling the Cereal bib

How many bibs do I need to have?

This is a real question that really depends on a few factors. 

First factor is your individual baby. If your baby is a drooler, and you make drool bibs, you might get away with having only one per day. But if your baby drools excessively, you'll want to change the bib 4-5 times a day. 

Second factor is how often are you washing? If you wash your baby's clothing and bedding separately from the rest of the family's, then you might only wash it once a week. In that case, you'll need more bibs than if you wash them with the rest of the family's laundry. 

What's someone to do who doesn't have a baby yet? 

I'd start with making 3 of each type of bib. Once the baby comes, you'll get a better idea of what your needs are. When you reach the stage where you want the baby to start using bibs, you'll have a desire and time to do something at your sewing machine. Don't feel like you need to rush to get it all done before the baby arrives.

5 baby bibs that coordinate make a great baby gift!

How to make baby bibs as a gift?

Making baby bibs as a gift is easy and fun! For a gift, I usually make one of each type. That's a bundle of 5 bibs that goes from birth to 4 years old. If you make the bibs in coordinating colors and fabrics, it is a pleasure to give the gift, and even more of a pleasure to open!

So how do I make a baby bib?

I have a sewing pattern for the baby bibs here. 

If you want even more of a visual, I have free bib making class with two of my daughters while we made a few of these bibs. View the free bib video below.

Don't forget to get the printable bib sewing pattern for the template and the step by step tutorial.

Happy sewing!