New Sundress Pattern - Ava

Here is a sneak peek of my new pattern - Ava. It's a sundress in sizes 1 through 4. After several changes and adjustments, the design is finally complete. I am waiting on fabric to make another for the instructions and hope to be done in a week or so. Then I will be sending it out for testing.

This is going to be a fun easy pattern and great for those hot summer days. I added the large bow in the back as what we call in the South - lagnaippe. It will also be a great canvas for embroidery or applique on the front. I haven't had a chance to use my embroidery machine much and look forward to using it with this pattern.

Annette Reversible Sundress - Customer Creation

Here is a customer creation from Cathy using the Annette Reversible Sundress pattern. I saw this fabric by Fabric Finders at All Brands and thought it was so very cute. The bunny applique really adds to the look. What a cute Easter dress for a special little girl.

Thanks Cathy for sharing these pictures.

Tana Tutu Dress

I having fun with my embroidery machine. Here is the Tana Tutu Dress with "Tutu Cute" embroidered on the front. I'm still learning so the font probably wasn't the best choice. I think I needed something a little thicker to show up better but it was fun and I was satisfied with the results.

Adopted Grandchildren on Easter

This is one of my "adopted" grandchildren on Easter in a pillowcase dress I made for her. She and her family went to the beach for Easter.

Here is her sister, the Mermaid.
We had a quiet Easter. My mom, dad and children came over and I cooked for everyone. We had a crawfish pasta dish with lots of cheese, butter and rotel tomatoes. We all love the recipe but it has lots of calories.

JoAnn Dress Nov Available on YCMT

JoAnn Dress Pattern is now available on YCMT.

Here is what the tester for YCMT said:

"This is a great easy pattern. Our little girl loved the dress and we have 3 more ready to go. All in about 1 1/2 hours."

"A simple yet fun dress that is versatile. Can be made using a simple fabric to a wild print and still look great. The simple styling also makes it good for embroideries. Pattern is well written and steps are thoroughly explained."


(Also available in my Esty Shop).

JoAnn Pattern - Tester Pictures

Here are the pictures and some comments from the testers of the JoAnn Pattern. Thanks Joy and Melissa for helping me test this pattern. There are two options for the front and it just happened that each chose a different style.


Melissa said:
The dress was so easy to make and I thought it turned out really cute. I think it only took me about 1.5 hours to make.


This is Melissa's neice wearing the dress she made. What a cutie!

Joy said:
This is a GREAT pattern!! The fact that it takes only 3/4" of fabric & lining and goes together so quickly is sure to make it a favorite for moms!!

Joy designs embroidery applique designs and added the beautiful flowers along the hem. She sells her designs on Applique for Kids. She has this dress in her design gallery.

Dee Dee Pleated Dress Customer Creation

I've been out of town for a few days in Baltimore. My daughter was at a Recreation convention presenting the Ascension Parish Inclusive League Program (APIL) and I met her there for a few days. It was great to get away and I really enjoyed spending time with her. I'll post a little about the trip later.

What a treat when I got this email today from a customer who used the Dee Dee Pattern. Here is what she said.

"My daughter was a flower girl last weekend. The bride demanded "a white sundress with a brown ribbon in the middle". Around that time you announced the Dee Dee dress pattern."

Thanks Dani for sharing these pictures. Your daughter is beautiful.

Sunny Wrap Dress - Tigers

Here is my latest project made from the Sunny Wrap Dress Pattern. This one was made non reversible with the tiger print by Fabric Finders and lined with a purple and white check also by Fabric Finders. This one was made as a gift for a little LSU Tiger Fan.

I covered a large button for the back closure placing one of the tigers in the center.

Dee Dee Pattern Customer Creation

I received my very first customer creation using the Dee Dee Pattern. It was made by a military mom stationed overseas for her precious little girl. She is one of the many customers I "met" through sewing and blogging.

Here is what she said,
"By the way, the dress was super easy to put together. With the help of your pleat pattern and a small ruler for my perfectionist side, I was able to do the pleats without any problems. I can't tell you how amazed I was that the dress went together so easy and took less then 1 yard of fabric. The only other dresses that my daughter has with less then 1 yard of fabric are pillowcase dresses and the Dee Dee pleated dress looks much better then those."

Here are some pictures of her precious daughter in the dress she made.

Thanks so much Jen for sharing these pictures. You made my day.

Dee Dee Pattern Now Available on YCMT

The Dee Dee Pleated Dress Pattern is now available on YCMT.

Dee Dee Pleated Dress Pattern

My new pattern is ready and available on Etsy, soon to be available on YCMT.


Dee Dee Pleated Dress is an easy pattern that has pleats on the front and back and ties on the sides. The ties can be adjusted to make the perfect fit. The tie is sewn on to hold the pleats in place and is a great place for some decorative stitching or a small embroidery design. Add an extra button to the straps to adjust for growth. Included are instructions and patterns for sizes 1 through 6 along with lots of pictures to illustrate every step.

One of the testers, Bani, is from Germany and suggested I add metric measurements to the pattern for European customers. I added the metric to this pattern and will include the conversion in all of my patterns. Eventually I will revise the previous patterns to include metric measurements also. Thank you Bani for such a great suggestion.


Here is Bani's creation for the testing process. She does beautiful embroidery and applique and added it to the front and back ties as well as along the hem as you can see.

My second tester, Coleen, added an apron to the front of her dress. Even though they used the same pattern, you can see how these changes and the different fabric choices make each dress a unique creation.



Thanks to Bani and Coleen for helping me test this pattern. I appreciate all the great comments and suggestions.

Thanks to my adorable models for the cover and to their mom for taking the pictures. Check out her blog, J Chustz Photography.

Dee Dee - New Dress Pattern Coming Soon

My new pattern will be ready for testing in the next couple of days. This one will be named Dee Dee, after my mom. It has pleats in the front and back and will be in sizes 1 through 6. Like my other patterns, it will be easy to make and very versatile. The ties and/or straps can be in a different fabric for contrast. Embroidery or a decorative stitch can be added to the front of the tie for an extra touch. The ties on the sides can be loosened or tightened to make the perfect fit.

Here is what it looks like.

If you already have one of my patterns, you can get this one for 1/2 price when available. The only thing you have to do is send me a picture of something you made with one of my patterns to feature on my blog and submit it to the I Made This Section of the YCMT website. Just let me know when you send the picture that you would like Dee Dee at half price when available.

MORE EXCITING NEWS

My patterns will be listed with a site called Banberry Place. They sell European Fabric, patterns, epatterns, embroidery and notions. Currently only the Annette Pattern is available on the site but the others will be soon. Check it out!!

Emily & Tana Dresses Customer Creations

I just got this great picture of the Tana Tutu Dress from a customer in Germany. The embroidery looks great and I love the way it is presented with the name of the dress and her name. It was made with love for a special little's girl's birthday. Thanks Bani for sharing this picture of your Tana Tutu Dress.

This is another great look from a mom who is the mother of two boys but loves making girly things. Here is what she made from the Emily Dress pattern. What a cute idea using camo and hunter's orange. Thanks Heather for sending these pictures.

Heather recently ordered Karen and Tana patterns. Here is what she said:

"I can not wait to recieve the karens capri and halter and the tutu dress. I love all your work. You have amazing items and your patterns are so easy to follow. I have sent you one of the emily dresses I have made. I hope to one day have even half the talent you have. Thanks again for your patterns can't wait to make more works of art!!!"

Don't forget to comment on my previous post to help me celebrate 1 year with YCMT and a chance to win one of my patterns.

Karen Capri Set Customer Creation

Here is a customer creation by a grandmother for her granddaughter using the Karen Capri Set pattern(available on Etsy and YCMT). It is so bright and colorful. The piping above the ruffle really adds to the look.
Here is what she said:
"I just finished the outfit and I love it...... Your clear instructions made it sooooo easy! "

Thanks Beth for sharing these pictures of your adorable outfit.

Latest Sewing Project

Here is my latest sewing project. It's a gift for a long time friend who is having her first granddaughter in September. The original pattern included a collar but I chose to leave it off. I liked the look without the collar and I find sometimes collars can get in the way on an infant.

This is the pattern I used. It also includes a bubble version for boys and girls in 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

Everything I've sewn lately has been for my epatterns so this was a nice break from that process. I really enjoy the fast and simple sewing projects for instant gratification but sometimes I like sewing something more involved.

I seem to have pleats in my head lately with the Emily Pattern (see Etsy and YCMT) and this smocked one. I have some other ideas for epatterns which include pleats that I am considering working on next. When I design epatterns, I am usually inspired by something I see then I have to have a picture of it in my head before beginning. Once I have a visual idea of what I want it to look like, I try testing it with some fabric. Sometimes it looks like I pictured it and sometimes it doesn't. It's great when it works. Then I can move on to drawing and writing the instructions. If it doesn't, then it's back to the drawing board. The entire process is enjoyable for me and so very satisfying when the finished product is complete, especially seeing what customers make.

Tester Creations - Sunny Wrap Dress

Here are the dresses the testers made from the Sunny Wrap Dress Pattern. They came out so cute.

Kati made this one which shows how great this pattern is for embroidery. She said it took a few hours to embroider all the "Under the Sea" designs but look how beautiful it looks. Check out Kati's blog. It's in German but their is a button at the top that you can press to translate to English. It isn't perfect but you can get an idea of what the posts are about.She added more along the bottom of the back. Doesn't it look great? I don't have an embroidery machine but have it on my wish list. Adding that extra touch makes such a difference in the completed outfit. This tester, Sarah, added applique to both sides of the dress. The combinations of colors and the use of the fabric from one side on the applique of the other was so creative and looks adorable.

Thanks to Sarah and Kati for helping me out with the great dresses and comments. What a blessing to have such talented and creative customers that transform my designs into beautiful outfits for their little girls.

I made the changes to the pattern and sent the finished product to YCMT today. It should be available soon on the YCMT and is currently listed in my Etsy shop.

Sunny Wrap Dress Pattern

Sunny Wrap Dress pattern is now available on Etsy and soon to be available on YCMT.

Sunny is a wrap dress pattern in girls sizes 1 through 4 that is fast and easy to make. It is a aline style with extended shoulders to form a hint of a sleeve. Included are instructions for a reversible and non reversible style. This dress is a great canvas for embroidery or applique.

Emily Dress - Tester Creation

These are some pictures from one of my customers who tested my new Emily pattern. Isn't this adorable with the parasol. The tshirt and the pants underneath really change the look. How cute!!!

Here is what she said:
I had really fun to work with this pattern - everything went so smooth, everything matched to the next piece.And how magically this tooo-wide piece with the inserted strips turned into this lovely pleated front.

It has been so much fun having customers helping with the testing and seeing these wonderful creations they make.