introducing…the villager blouse & tunic

november is probably one of my favorite months.  it holds so much for me to be thankful for.  it’s the month of my wedding anniversary, my husbands birthday and thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year.  so i’m introducing my newest pattern and if you read through to the end you’ll find a ‘thankful’ sale!!!

it’s been “in the works” and “almost ready” for quite some time now, but the villager blouse & tunic is ready to make it’s debut!

what began as a collaboration with elizabeth last fall before i took over sole ownership of snapdragon studios is finally complete.  after several neckline changes, sleeve changes, length changes…there just wasn’t anything left that needed to be changed!

raglan sleeves, 2 collar options, 2 lengths, full button back…it’s a super simple sew and can easily be completed in a short afternoon.  so far I’ve made it in voile, cotton, chambray, knit and rayon and i’ve loved each and every one.  and even though the pattern is fresh off the press, i’m already planning my sleeve hack so i can enjoy it this winter….maybe flannel??  i’ll keep you posted.

the full button back may look daunting to those of us who hate dislike making buttonholes…BUT…lucky us, the buttonholes are optional!  the top slips easily overhead without them, so we can simply stitch those buttons in place and it looks like we’ve spent hours.  i think this is the one and only sample i made that i actually stitched buttonholes in.

the sleeves offer a great little pleat detail along with a 1/4″ bias binding, giving it a vintage feel.

the split collar may be my favorite.  the split can go on either side and offers up a great spot for those vintage brooches.  i love collecting old pins, but rarely find the right place to use them.  problem solved…this collar was made for this starburst beauty.

my sister reluctantly exuberantly agreed to don both versions and allow amy to photograph her…and michele and christine both joined in, changing in a public foyer while college students passed by.  thanks guys!!  you all look stupendous!

the villager is available now in my etsy store in both print and pdf versions.  please note that print patterns will begin shipping on 12/1/16.

and here comes the good part!!!  the SALE!!  all patterns are on sale…25% off all purchases, including the villager until 12/10/16.  just use the coupon code THANKFUL.  my way of saying thank you for your amazing support this year.

i am truly thankful.

in the nick of time

last spring elizabeth and i sat down to plan our schedule for the year.  which designs we would be completing, which new ones to focus on, and when we thought they would be completed and ready to release.  we foolishly optimistically thought we could finish four designs and have them all released by early summer.  does “indian summer” count??  as weeks and months flew by the release date hopped around on the calendar, but i was determined to have them done before quilt market (which means our distributor will be able to share them with buyers!!).  mission accomplished!!  and just in the nick of time!

our two newest patterns….the cider house jacket

the cider house jacket is unlined, BUT…we finished off the seams with a hong kong seam finish, which makes the inside of this jacket absolutely as beautiful as the outside!

that’s by far my favorite detail on this jacket!!  it isn’t necessary, but it’s easy, doesn’t take much time and what a difference it makes to the final garment!  my second favorite detail is the back shaping, which extends down into the peplum.  very soon i’ll be sharing the version i made last week and a nifty little detail that really shows off that back seamline.

and the heigh-ho laptop sleeve.

i’m not a fan of most commercial laptop sleeves…the neoprene leaves me cold.  and that’s how the heigh-ho came to be. it’s padded to protect, has a cool document pocket (doc pock??) on the back that will hold file folders, writing tablets, or magazines and on the front is an expandable pocket to hold flash drives, business cards, whatever you need to get the work done.  a place for your pen and it’s like you have a portable office!!

instructions are included for sizing the sleeve to fit different laptops…AND…we’ve included instructions for a matching wrap to wrangle those power cords.

you’ll see lots more of these two in the coming weeks as there are lots of pictures to share.  they are both now available in our etsy shop!!

kim

in print!

six boxes of goodness arrived on friday.  covers and instruction pages for the two newest patterns along with pattern pages for the bag.  tissue patterns for the cardigan are due to arrive by tuesday and i’ve got to admit…i really love cutting open those boxes!!  even though i know exactly what’s in them and have looked at every word and every stitch for months.  there’s something very empowering about seeing them in print!  of course, that also means finding room to store them, but heck, what’s a few more boxes, right?

i got right to it, putting them into their protective sleeves and they’re ready to ship!

so….just in case you haven’t had enough of these two new designs, i have just a few more pics to share.

the “on the run bag” in it’s natural habitat.

leather and suede version.

the lemon squeeze cardigan in wool and sheer goodness.

both patterns are now in our etsy shop, available as pdf’s and print!  i can’t wait to see what you make with them!

kim

when life hands you lemons…squeeze!! introducing the lemon squeeze cardigan

i’m really excited about this next pattern, and i can’t wait to share it with you!!  i think this might be one of my favorite designs.  it flatters everyone, can be formal or casual, lends itself beautifully to many fabrics and can be worn year round.  win-win-win!!

and here it is….the Lemon Squeeze Cardigan

oohhh…aahhhh!!

and that very same version that looks so classy on the cover looks just as great with a casual outfit.

from a wedding to a beach cover-up!

this is such a quick and easy cardigan, we’re talking less than an afternoon from start to finish!  even quicker if you use serger!!  from lace we move to wool…i love that i can wear this long into the fall and avoid that bulky winter coat for as long as possible.

from a skirt to jeans, and even over a dress.

there are two sleeve options.  the full length bell sleeve (oh, so graceful) and a shorter, 3/4 length (especially nice with a heavier fabric).  it’s simple, it’s elegant, it’s flirty and flowing.

these photo samples were made with a silky rayon, lace and a wool blend….anything that drapes and flows.  i’m seeing a double gauze in my future…and i already purchased another wool suiting for fall.  can i have too many?  i think not!

the entire neck/hem/sleeve can be finished with a simple rolled hem, but I prefer adding the facings.  which, by the way, can be sewn as shown, turning to the inside OR sewn so that they create a border on the outside (think contrast fabric!).

the PDF version is available right now in our etsy shop, and the print version will be along in about 2 weeks.

it’s easy-peasy….the lemon squeeze cardigan!!

kim

thanks to our lovely, beautiful, graceful and fun models!!!  they endured one of the hottest days of the year and still look cool and fresh.  thanks taylor, mary and julie!!

presenting….the on the run bag!

finally!!  things never go quite as quickly as i feel they should, but after weeks months of waiting, testing, editing and sample making, the bag is now available!!  right now it’s only available as a downloadable pdf, but the print version will be available in the next 2 weeks or so.

so, without further ado, let me introduce you.

a classic style bag that’s quite the workhorse.  simple lines that allow you to personalize your bag with topstitching or great d-rings, with or without the button closure. “on the run” features a recessed zipper and plenty of pockets.  the pockets line both sides of the interior and can be sized to your own needs.  got a big phone?  make a bigger pocket.

one of my favorite samples is the leather/suede one i made using fabrics purchased on our trip to nyc.  it feels so “rich”

little feet help keep the bottom clean while adding just a bit more class, and the bottom is solid to keep it from sagging under the weight of everything we stash in our bags!

and since there is interfacing involved, we’ve put together an interfacing guide to help take some of the fear out of choosing and using interfacing. just click on the link, or you can find it on our “tutorial” page.  to view the entire pattern, click on over to our “patterns” page.

Interfacing Guide8.5×11

coming up next is probably one of my favorite patterns….stay tuned!!

kim

it’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s a sleeve???

what’s that you say?  you love the summer jazz dress, but fall and winter are coming and that flutter sleeve seems so summery?  you love the flutter sleeve, but you’re more of a 3/4 length kind of girl?  then you’ll be glad you stopped by today of all days!

announcing…..THE SLEEVE!!

the top photo you may have seen before….it’s a tunic i made to test the elbow sleeve when it was first drafted.  the bottom pic is a 3/4 length.  i haven’t made myself a long sleeved one yet, but it’s on the cutting table.

the great news about this sleeve?  it’s now available as a FREE download and is graded for all sizes in all three lengths.  this is only the sleeve pattern…you’ll need to purchase the dress pattern, unless you have a sleeve fetish and just want a new sleeve pattern!  (i’m sure there’s probably a support group out there for you somewhere.)  so if you, or someone you know already has the summer jazz dress pattern, just go to “our patterns” for your free sleeve pattern.  if you’ve been on the fence about purchasing….i think we just knocked you off!

we’ll have more pretty pictures to share soon as we begin to stock up our fall and winter closets.  i’m considering a lightweight flannel….now, how cozy would that be?

kim

On Gratification

I’ve been thinking lately about gratification.  Or, more specifically, about delayed gratification.

I usually think of myself as being pretty good at waiting for the good stuff to happen.  I don’t get antsy waiting for vacations to come because for me the lead-up to the vacation – the planning, the knowing it’s coming, the imagining how awesome it’s going to feel to… [soak in the ocean, walk on the beach, wander through Paris…] is just about as sweet as the real thing and it lasts longer.

Probably the most prolonged experience I’ve had in delayed gratification was while I was pregnant for Jack, but even then I was pretty content to wait.  We didn’t find out ahead of time whether he was a boy or girl and I spent many happy moments imagining what my life would be like with a son or a daughter.  Even now, when Paul and I are expecting our second, I’m excited to meet the little goober (in July – where is the time going??) but have plenty to occupy me until then.

Usually, for me, the things that are hardest to wait for are the silly little things.  The 12 minutes it takes to bake cookies.  The three minutes to steep my tea in the morning.

Right now, though, Kim and I are working on a really big project.  And I can’t wait anymore to share it.

We have three (soon to be four!) patterns in development, all of which will be ready to test in the next few weeks.  And once they’re tested and the final proofs are done, they’ll be ready to print.  And once they’re printed (or even before, if we release the PDFs before the printed copies as we’re considering) they’ll be ready to send to you.

We’ll be releasing sneak peeks in the coming weeks, and more thorough write-ups as we get feedback and images from our testers.

This has been the biggest, most exciting exercise in delayed gratification for me yet.  We began our collaboration last August, and our learning curve has been steep to say the least.  Although we’ve both been sewing for ages (it makes us sound old to say we’ve been sewing for decades, even if that’s true), this is the first time we’ve attempted to share our designs this way.  We hope that you’ll join us for the journey and that the delayed gratification will make the final product all the more sweet.