Lugu Fabrics Blog Tour

Hi everyone! I’m Brianne and I’m so excited to be a part of Jessica Swift’s blog tour for her amazing Lugu Fabric with Art Gallery Fabrics. This is my first blog tour and I’m so honored to be among the amazing quilters and sewists sharing their work. When I first saw the fabric designs, I was drawn to their bright colors and whimsical designs. I knew I wanted to work with woven and knit fabric (because, selfishly, I had heard great things about Art Gallery Fabrics knits…they did not disappoint!) to sew a dressier outfit and an everyday play look for my 2 year old daughter.

First up, let’s talk about the woven look. Upon looking at the Lugu collection I loved how the moths and flowers coordinated. I decided I wanted to use both Efflorescent Opulent and Odyssey Dewdrop for my daughter. I couldn’t decide between a dress or a pinafore, and after some consultation with Loni, decided on a pinafore with a paper pieced butterfly. We had both been thinking about foundation paper piecing – you may have seen her (5!) paper pieced moth looks. For the piecing, I used the Butterfly Charm Blocks (Cricket) by Lillyella. I started learning to sew by quilting (and am now primarily an apparel sewist) so it was fun re-learning to paper piece for this project. For the pinny I used the Melbourne Romper pattern by JillyAtlanta and swapped the shorts out for a skirt. (She has a similar pattern, Macy). I used another JillyAtlanta pattern for the blouse, the Penny Blouse. I just loved the soft flutter sleeves, and the v-back is an added detail. An advantage of a pinafore and blouse, is I know the blouse will get more wear with leggings or shorts. To tie the outfit together, I made the free small Sydney Sailor bow by Made for Mermaids.

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My daughter is a total trooper for indulging my vision for photographs during our “springish” weather. You can’t see all the brown at the beach! We put on pants, a jacket and hat to play at the park after the photos were taken.

And, yes mom…she’s not wearing socks (or shoes!) and was still smiling!

As much as I love dresses, my daughter is more often dressed in leggings and tops. The Girl’s Waterfall Raglan by Chalk and Notch seemed like the perfect pattern to highlight the knit Owls (Sova Sunshine). I paired the top with the Love Notions Leggin’s (free pattern) in AGF Pure Solids Turquoise for the perfect play outfit. The munchkin and I attend a weekly class at the Nature Center where they have many Owls as bird ambassadors in their care. It was a little chilly for our visit, but we made sure to check out the owls while we were there.

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  Horned Owl

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I may have mentioned before that this was my first time working with Art Gallery Fabrics Knit. It is so very soft and feels like Brushed Poly, but is 95% cotton and 5% spandex. The colors are beautifully bright and after having washed the fabric a few times, there hasn’t been any fading! I now fully understand why these knits are favorites in the sewing community.

Thank you so much Jessica for including me in your Lugu Fabrics Blog tour! I had so much fun playing with your beautiful designs. Go check out Jessica’s post here so you can see all of the amazing creations along the tour through the end of April. Also, you can follow the tour on Instagram with the hashtags #AGFLugu and #LuguFabricsBlogTour.

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Long time, no blog…

Dear readers (husband),

It’s been a while. Nearly three years, in fact. Three years ago, I decided that I wanted to blog as a way to share my photography. Shortly after starting this blog, I became pregnant with my second child, and this blog fell by the wayside.

Much has happened in those three years: my daughter was born, my son started part time preschool, my family relocated to SE Connecticut for my husband’s work, and I found a passion for sewing.

I learned to sew as a child in 4H. I believe my first article of clothing was a reversible vest that was shown at the county fair. While I enjoyed sewing, sewing clothing was not something I found useful. I didn’t want to be the already awkward middle/high school student in “homemade” clothing. The quality and accessibility of fabrics was nothing like we have today, and I did not have a flair for design. I remember my mother telling me she sewed for herself in college and I thought that was pretty ridiculous. But staring into my newborn daughter’s eyes made me imagine beautiful dresses that I could create for her. I am sorry to say that these thoughts didn’t come to my mine after having a son, but he has gotten plenty of sewing love over the last few years.

So let’s call this blog a re-brand… This blog will feature my favorite sewing and photography (which often goes hand in hand). To start it off, I’ll share some of my favorites from the past 3 years.

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Best of March

I’m a month late, but better late than never.  The month started with a visit from Grandma.  We had a fun time checking out the giant light-up bunnies.

S’s obsession with bubbles has only grown.  He got a bubble machine for Easter which has been a huge hit!

We also traveled down to Norfolk to visit some good friends.  Had a wonderful time at the Children’s Museum.

 

Cherry blossoms bloomed in the middle of the month.  We faced the crouds and managed to make it to the tidal basin for a picnic dinner.

Here are a few more favorites from the month.  Yes, there was more snow!

Best of February

I feel like February flew by.  Spring may be right around the corner, but the weather can’t quite make up its mind right now.  The mix of freezing days and warms ones has been a bit confusing.  We did enjoy a few more inches of snow that melted the next day.  S was able to try out his new sled.  As the end of February approached, we took a trip to West Point, NY to visit some friends.  Along with splashing in puddles, S has become obsessed with walking around in my shoes.  Here are my favorites from the month.

So much love!!

New obsession with walking in my shoes.