G+G Summer Blog Tour

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Welcome to my stop on  Day 2 of the Festival Fever Blog Tour!

I’m so happy to be able to join this amazing group of ladies to celebrate the Summer, and Festival Season featuring  G+G amazing patterns.
Be sure to check the G+G blog and Facebook Group to not miss out on some awesome prizes 😉

I’m not much of a Music Festival goer anymore but do love the open-air events and festivals that happen here in town.

My ideal outfit to attend those would be something that makes me feel happy, free and comfortable.
A pattern that checks all those boxes is the With Love dress!  I love the one I’ve made a while ago and wear it a LOT.

A woven With Love has been on my to sew list since then but I just never got around to it, so this was the perfect opportunity!

As you can see, I made some mods to it.

  • Cut two fronts for a wider neckline and instead of using a neckband I serged the edges and folded over once, creating an off the shoulder look;
  • Cut the skirt with an A-line to make it a bit “flowier”(just traced a diagonal line starting at a couple of inches below the waistline from original pattern piece);
  • Made a slight high-low hem, because I’m obsessed with them 😉 ;
  • Added pockets (!), for this I used the pocket piece from the Riot Skirt.

That’s it.

I didn’t need to size up for being woven, but the fabric I used does have a bit of horizontal stretch to it. I’m not sure what the type of fabric is called… I bought it in Brazil and can’t remember it anymore (oops!).

Honestly speaking, this wasn’t my original plan, but I’m thrilled about the way it turned out! Even my 11yo son said: Wow, mom! That’s a pretty dress!<3

The original plan is still on top of my list, though (I just didn’t have enough yardage for it). The bodice will be the same as this one, but I want to make a half circle maxi skirt for it. What do you think? It looks amazing in my mind’s eye!

Next week my daughter will be dancing at an open-air event in town and this proud Momma will be wearing this dress for sure! 😉 And if I don’t manage to make the other dress in time, I’ll be rocking it to the Foodtruck Festival as well, because: elastic waistband! 😀 😛

WITH LOVE DRESS – G+G Patterns

So, what’s YOUR Festival vibe?

xxx
Livia

*this post contains affiliate links

Caught the fever? Check out all the amazing looks in the Festival Fever line up!

Monday, June 18 
Confessions of the Pink Obsessed | Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing
Our Play Palace | Wild & Wanderful | Bellephant

Tuesday, June 19
Threadistry | Cross Stitches | Middle River Studio

Liviality | Threads of Magic

Wednesday, June 20
Seams Sew Lo | So Sara Sews | Tenille’s Threads
My Crazy Crafty Beautiful Life | Aurora Design

Thursday, June 21
Middle River Studio | The Needle and the Belle
Sweet Mama Life | Sewing Scientist

Friday, June 22
Sewing Ambi | 52 Week Sewing Challenge
Needles to Say | My Sewing Roots

So Today I Did a Thing

And special thanks to our tour sponsors!
Boho Fabrics | Sincerely Rylee | Wandering Willow Design | Aurora Designs

Romp On Blog Tour

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Welcome to my stop in the Romp On Blog Tour by Winter Wear Designs!

Are you enjoying all the lovely creations so far?
I know that my to sew list keeps growing… these ladies just keep inspiring me!

It’s a good thing, then, that I crossed one item off this huge never ending list for this tour 😀

The Riviera Romper:

 

It turned out so cute and fun, I love it! Perfect for hot summer days!

I really like Rompers!
No struggle choosing an outfit, only one piece to wear,  it looks put together and I don’t have to worry about my top getting untucked or if my underwear is showing when I sit down (the struggle is real with a big booty!).

The Riviera Romper is designed for lightweight knits and wovens, and  comes with plenty of options to make all the rompers:

I choose to do the Tank Romper with Contrast strap and Shorts.

I made the top using a geometric CL and a stretch viscose for the shorts. It’s all SO comfortable!
The pattern instructs to size down if you’re between sizes and that’s what I did. I made the top a straight size L and the shorts I graded from size L to size XXL.

The shorts are a loose and flowy fit, which I really like.
Because the stretch viscose is pretty flowy and not too thick I omitted the pockets, since anything I put in them would weigh the shorts down. I also didn’t leave the little opening on the side seams.

These were the only mods I made.

How charming is this back detail?
Not only charming but super functional… without it, my booty would never go through the neckline! lol This is a wiggle free romper, btw… bathroom trips are no problem whatsoever (even if you’re in a hurry 😉 ).

I love me some geometric prints!

Both my fabrics come from Stof-inc.com, I’m so fortunate to have such a great brick and mortar store so close to home!

If you’re ready to get your Romp On, head to Winter Wear Designs and check out the amazing options!
And if you need an extra incentive… There’s a 20% off discount for every romper patterns (use code: ROMPON)!

RIVIERA ROMPER

And don’t forget to check out the other blogs on the tour for some amazing inspiration!!!

xxx
Livia

*this post contains affiliate links

Don’t miss any of the spectacular rompers
 on the Romp On Tour!!!
 
5/28
5/29
5/30
Liviality (you’re here)
 
5/31
 
6/1

New Pattern, New Obsession!

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The Lollapalooza Top!!!

I could not be any more excited about a pattern! I’m totally, utterly and obsessively in LOVE with this brand new George + Ginger release!

I love the off shoulder look, how it’s flowy but flattering, that sleeve… oh that sleeve, I wanna marry it! lol

It’s so pretty!

This first top, I made as per pattern, only adding length to both the top and bottom parts (2″ each) because of my height.
The fabric is, I believe, a viscose. It’s so nice and soft to wear, but it does wrinkle like crazy… but that’s ok, my love for the top and the print outweighs my hatred for ironing! 😛

The Lollapalooza Top is pretty straightforward to make, the only part that might get a bit “tricky” is creating the elastic casing around the shoulders because of the curves. But if you take your time and give it some love and attention, it all works out great! 😉

For my second top, I used a lightweight cotton and it has a different drape to it. It’s a bit stiffer. Still love it though…
This one I left the bottom part a bit longer… But to be honest, I think I prefer the original length it’s supposed to have (I ought to know by now that Kristi knows her stuff! 😉 ), so I’ll be cutting the extra length off.

I made size 14 and graded it to size 18. For G+G patterns I usually grade to size 20 at the hips, but because it’s drafted to hit the hip bone, I went by that measurement.

What is also great about this top is that the shoulder elastic stays put! No need to keep readjusting it. Nothing more annoying than having to fuss with your outfit throughout the day, amirite?
I wore mine (the striped one)  on a day out/city trip with my kids and between carrying bags, (literally) running around, wrangling the kids, going on a boat ride and running some more, I didn’t have to adjust that shoulder elastic even once! FANTASTIC!

After making these tops I started to think how amazing it would be to have it as a dress as well, a long flowy dress.
Well… as I mentioned before, this top is pretty straightforward to make. That encouraged me to try and hack it! 😀

My initial idea was to just elongate the bottom part to maxi length, leaving a side split till about knee length so I could easily move around in it. I still love the idea, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that it might not be the best silhouette for my body shape. I was afraid that it might be too much fabric all around and it wouldn’t be too flattering on me.

Then it hit me!

The Bonnaroo Skirt!!!!
It has the same boho flowy vibe as the top and would be the the perfect match for it!

I went for the ruffled hi-lo option and, to me, it’s perfection! I’m so happy with this dress!!!!

Ok, so how did I go about it?
The Bonnaroo skirt is gathered at the waist, but I didn’t want the extra fabric on this one, so I trimmed the pattern pieces (back and front) down to the width of the original bottom part of the top. Because a chunk of it was removed I had to make a couple of adjustments:

  • redraw the hi-lo curve on the front panel (I used the original curve, just had to reshape it a bit)
  • lessen the number of ruffle pieces used on it, I used 2 1/2 out of the original 4.

That’s it.
I assembled the skirt and then attached it to the top following the instructions.

Oh, almost forgot to mention:
The length of the dress: I’m 5’10” and the patterns are drafted for 5’6″, I added 2″ to the top length but didn’t add any to the skirt because the Bonnaroo is pretty long and I wanted it a bit shorter. Just something to keep in mind if you want to make one and liked this length. 😉

If you’d like to see more photos of each piece, I’ll be adding them individually to the Portfolio area:

Lollapalooza Top – Striped Floral
Lollapalooza Top – White
Lollapalooza+Bonnaroo Dress

For the Patterns go to the George + Ginger website

LOLLAPALOOZA TOP

BONNAROO SKIRT

 

xxx
Livia

*this post contains affiliate links

Getting Ready for Summer Blog Tour

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Temperatures are rising, everything is green, the sun is faithfully showing up every day…
It’s time to start the Summertime sewing and this Ellie and Mac Blog Tour is the perfect way to kick it off!! 😀

The Tee Dress has been in my to-sew list for quite a while and no better time than the present, right?

This dress is such a great wardrobe staple!
With three sleeve options (short, 3/4 and long) it can be made and worn all year round.

For my first Tee Dress I decided to use a floral mesh that I bought a couple of months ago because it was pretty and pretty fabric must be bought, right?

I figure that a Tee Dress in mesh would work out great as a swimsuit cover-up, for those times I go to the pool or the beach just to lounge or hang out, without having any intention of actually getting in the water 😉  And I must say that after it was done and I tried it on, I did a happy dance singing: I’m a genius, I’m a genius! lol

I.freaking.love.this.dress!!!

 

The only modification I did was to cut two backs because I wanted it with a higher neckline. The dress is size XL, graded 2XL at the hips.

This mesh isn’t so “in your face” see through and I really like the effect it gives. Especially in the skirt portion where it’s looser and there’s more fabric, it’s a kind of “now you see it now you don’t” situation. 😉

I like this dress so much that I cannot limit it only to the few occasions that I actually wear a swimsuit. I considered making another Tee Dress to wear underneath it, but I wanted to keep some of the transparency and the light flow of it.

I don’t have a proper slip to wear underneath (note to self: make a slip) so I dug a never used I.have.no.idea.why.I.bought.it tube dress out of the closed and voila!  Perfect match!

Soooo happy with it!
This is proof to my husband that impulsive fabric shopping is a good thing! 😛

The dress is very beginner friendly, simple and fast to make. If you’re a beginner I wouldn’t suggest using a flimsy lightweight mesh for your first one though, it was a bit finicky to work with.

I’d say my  summertime sewing started off on the right foot! 🙂
What about you? What are you doing to get your wardrobe ready for summer?

WOMEN’S TEE DRESS – Ellie and Mac

Please visit all the wonderful bloggers on the Get Ready for Summer Sewing Patterns Blog Tour for some incredible inspirations.

  1. May 7th: Seams Sew Lo
  2. May 8th: Tenille’s Thread
  3. May 9th: Seams Sew Lo
  4. May 10th: The Sewing Goatherd
  5. May 11th: Aurora Designs Fabrics
  6. May 14th: Our Play Place
  7. May 15th: Momma Can Make It
  8. May 16th: Aurora Designs Fabric
  9. May 17th: QuiltsbyJoann
  10. May 18th: Liviality (you’re here 😉 )
  11. May 19th: Momma You Can Make It
  12. May 21st: Margarita on the Ross
  13. May 22nd: Sewing Blue
  14. May 23rd: Kathy’s Kwilts and More
  15. May 24th: Momma Newey’s Makes
  16. May 25th: Jot Designs USA
  17. May 28th: The Scatty Sewer
  18. May 29th: Granma Texas Sews
  19. May 30th: Fee Bricolo
  20. May 31st: My Sewing Roots

And don’t forget to enter the $50 store credit giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xxx
Livia

 

*this post contains affiliate links

 

 

Women’s Mairin by SALS

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Yay!
Sew a Little Seam’s Mairin Swimsuit for Women is here and it’s AMAZING!

I mean… can we take a minute to admire in awe the photo below? Can you believe the amount of options this pattern has?
How fantastic is that?

Kelly always packs her patterns with options and this is no different.
We are talking wide straps, narrow straps, high neck, deep V, high scoop back, low back, bikini, one piece, ruffles… and everything in between!

You can literally make one swimsuit for each day of the summer and never repeat a combination!

I’ll start this off by answering 2 questions I had myself and that might be passing through your mind as well.

  1. I think a confident beginner can absolutely make this. The instructions are great with photos illustrating each step, and if you run into any difficulties just give a shout out for help in the SALS FB group 😉
  2. You don’t need a coverstitch to make this, it’s totally doable with only a sewing machine. A zigzag stitch or a twin needle will do just fine.

Sooooo…

Here I go, facing all my fears and insecurities to share my Mairins with you! 😉

The first one I made was a one piece. The options I chose were:

  • wide straps
  • high neck
  • low scoop back with straps
  • mid cut leg

My measurements are all over the place, so I had to make some adjustments to achieve the perfect fit:

  • bust  and wais are size 16/18
  • hips are size 24, but because of the way my measurement is distributed I graded the front panel to size 22 and back panel to size 24
  • I had to lengthen the pattern because my trunk girth is 73″

I decided to position the straps only at the lower back for no particular reason aside from aesthetics. I really like the way it turned out and am super happy with the fit of it!

My second Mairin is a 2 piece suit with the options:

  • Crop top
  • narrow straps
  • mid v neck with flounce
  • mid back halter
  • high waist bottom
  • mid cut leg

I’m 5’10” and didn’t adjust for height, so if you’re shorter the distance between the crop top and the high waisted bottom might be smaller. As for grading I did the same thing as for the one piece suit.

Oh, something important to mention is that I used swim bra cups on both suits and added a shelf bra to the front of the one piece. Instructions for shelf bra are included in the pattern. If you feel intimidated by the idea of sewing the cups, there’s no need. This was my first time doing it and  I  had no issues with it. It’s actually pretty simple! 😉

This was really fun to make and I’m dying to make a third one, even though I hardly ever go swimming and 2 bathing suits is way more than I actually need.  lol

My plan is to make a couple of solid bottoms and a bunch of different tops to mix and match.

I highly recommend the Mairin if you’re planning on making your own swimsuits this summer. It’s truly great!
If you feel a bit overwhelmed with all the options and can’t decide which one to make, go to the Sew a Little Seam facebook group. There are photo albums there with tester photos to help out with the visual.

For more photos of each of my suits, check out the Portfolio section, I’ll be adding each one there separately.

WOMEN’S MAIRIN SWIMSUIT – Sew a Little Seam

xxx
Livia

 

*this post contains affiliate links

 

 

So COOL!

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Gah! I’m so EXCITED about this one!
Wondering why?

Well, this may look like just another plain Adventure Tee, but….

Wait for it…

BAM!
It’s Glow in the Dark! How cool is that?

It’s MAGIC!!! 😀

How cute are those bats?
The kids had a blast with this shirt… He would run outside to “charge” the shirt and then they’d run to the pantry with a black light flashlight and have a dance party in there! 😀 So FUN!!!

This fabric takes the shirt to a whole nother level!!! And earns me some serious Mama points with the boy 😉
The fabric is a CL and also available in black. They also have a really cute one with rockets on it, check them all out at www.stof-inc.com.

Tshirt pattern is:

BOYS ADVENTURE V-NECK TEE – Petite Stitchery & Co

Fabric link:

GLOW IN THE DARK FABRIC – Stof-inc.com

 

xxx
Livia

 

*this post contains affiliate links

 

 

It’s Gonna be May!

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The weather is finally catching up to spring and may is around the corner, let’s celebrate it with a Petite Stitchery Blog Tour! 😀

I’m really happy and excited to be a part of this tour, have you been following it? My fellow bloggers are so talented and I’m so inspired by their makes!

Also, there’s an amazing giveaway at the end of the tour! Woot woot!

Soooooo, what am I adding to the inspirations list?
Well, for this occasion, I decided to finally tackle 2 hacks that I’ve been meaning to make since the patterns’ release. Make a  Juliet with a slightly narrower shoulder and add a criss-cross detail to it and make a Sunflower skirt.

Two easy and simple hacks that I’m oh-so-happy with!

For the Juliet, I simply removed 1/2″ from shoulder and neckline on both front and back panels while keeping the neckline height the same. I then proceeded to sew it following the instructions for the sleeveless option (using the burrito method). After the neckline and armscye were sewn, I then unpicked the few stitches needed to insert the straps and sew them in place. I chose to do it this way because my straps were pretty thin and I got more placement control by doing this.

I wanted the straps to be thin and needed them to be quite elastic so I’d still be able to pull it up over my hips, so I chose to just cut 1/2″ strips of my fabric and pull at the ends to get them to form a “string”. After sewing all straps in place I continued with the pattern instructions.

Not a huge hack, but now that I know it works, it opened up a world of possibilities! 😉

Bonus for the bodysuit still being reversible! 😉
I’m boring and used 2 shades of green instead of nice and contrasting fabrics, but I hope you can see the difference. 😛

I’m really thrilled with how it turned out, especially the back!

Ever since I made my Sunflower Dress, I’ve wanted to hack it into a skirt. This tour was the kick in the behind I needed to finally do it, so cheers for that! 🙂

I wanted the skirt to have a by-the-pool-side vibe to it, something that I could use as a swimsuit cover-up as well. So I decided to not add a waistband to it.

I simply cut the skirt, sewed back and  2 front panels together, and serged all the raw edges. I then hemmed the edges after folding the fabric over only once, using 3/8″ sa for the waist and 1/4″ for the rest of the skirt.

For the ties, I cut 2 strips of  4 x 30 inches and folded them in half lengthwise and stitched using a 3/8″ seam allowance (you know the drill 😉 ). One tie I stitched to the edge of the front panel and the other one I placed it on the opposite side seam.

The last step was to sew on a hook and eye to secure the skirt from the inside. And that’s it!

I love how this woven skirt can fit perfectly without any darts… it’s like magic!

WOMEN’S JULIET – Petite Stitchery & Co

SUNFLOWER DRESS – Petite Stitchery & Co

That’s if for me today, don’t forget to visit all the other stops of the tour for some FANTASTIC inspiration!!

(links below)

Remember the amazing giveaway I mentioned before?
Join HERE for a chance to in $50 store credit to Southern Belle Fabrics!!!

 

 

 

TOUR LINKS:

April 22nd:

Sewjourns

Kathy’s Kwilts

Naadjesendraadjes

Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing

Sewing Adventures in the Attick

Sewing Southern Belle

April 23rd:

Margarita on the Ross

Our Play Palace

The Scatty Sewer

Rebel and Malice

My Heart Will Sew On

Sewing With D

April 24th:

Sea of Estrogen

Seams Like Style

That’s Sew Amy

Mahlica Designs

Leslie J’s Sewing Shack

Miss Marah Sewn

April 25th:

Liviality (you’re here)

Lime Leaves

My Sewing Roots

Tales From a Southern Mom

Jot Designs USA

Seams Sew Lo

The Needle and The Belle

April 26th:

Candi Couture Designs

Momma Sew Savvy

Blooming Skies

Stitched By Jennie

House of Estrela

Sewing Ambi

xxx
Livia

*this post contains affiliate links

Doris Skirt Giveaway!!!

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SURPRISE!!!
A fantastic and huge GIVEAWAY!
Today 40 testers part of the @misusupatterns Doris Skirt Social Tour are giving away 1 Doris skirt pattern EACH! That’s 40 patterns in total and 40 chances to win!

How awesome is that?

Giveaway rules:
1- Go to instagram;
2 – Follow @misusupatterns and @livia.jy;
3 – Leave a comment on the giveaway video post @livia.jy
I will select the winner of one Doris skirt pattern randomly from the comments on the Doris skirt video giveaway post only. If the winner already purchased the Doris pattern, a different pattern can be chosen as the prize.
For the whole list of testers participating in this giveaway, go to @misusupatterns and check out the giveaway post.

*This giveaway is open worldwide for contestant 18 years and up. Giveaway ends at 9.00 AM CEST on Monday, April 16th, and is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram. By participating in this promotion you agree to a complete release of Instagram from any claims.

GOOD LUCK!

xxx
Livia

Doris Social Tour

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The Doris Skirt was my very first Misusu make and let me tell you… it’s love!
The pattern is fantastic and working with Elles was such a joy, this lady really knows her stuff!!
This is day 6 of the social tour and you’re probably already familiar with Doris, but if not, let me introduce you:Doris is Pretty.
Doris is fantastic.
Doris is unique.
What sets it apart from other slim fit knit skirts? To me, it’s the diagonal side seam and that V-shaped waistband. What I also LOVE about this skirt is how easy it is to personalize it and make it uniquely yours.
– Pockets with or without bands;
– folded or banded hem;
– back yoke or not;
– you can add piping to the side diagonal seam for an extra flair;
– mix and match fabrics to your heart’s desire! (this is a great pattern to use up all the scraps, YAY!)
Unicorns and glitter rib knit! Can’t go wrong with Unicorns and glitter, right? 😉
This skirt is made with sweatshirt fabric and pocket is punta. Worked out like a dream and she loves it! The skirt is long enough to wear it as is, but on a regular daily life, she’ll probably pair it with leggings. 🙂
The stars fabric is French Terry, and it also works wonderfully for this pattern.  I used leftover scraps from a sweater I’ve made for myself, previously. Bonus points for that! 😀
Roses in quilted knit and black rib knit.
It’s hard to decide what skirt she loves best!
I’ve only made one “model” of the skirt because miss 11yo stuck to this one and didn’t want a different one… This girl, she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to let it be known what it is! 😀
This pattern is super fast to put together and I’d say it’s adventurous beginner friendly. The only thing that accounts for the adventurous part is the V-shaped waistband, so if you’ve done a V-neck shirt before, you’ll be absolutely ok! And if you haven’t yet, instructions are fantastic and you should just go for it, you’ll be fine! 🙂
If you want to give this cute skirt a go:

And because Elles is not only talented but also super generous, at the end of the Social Tour (april 15th) there is a HUGE SURPRISE!
While you wait for it, get inspired following the tour:
Saturday April 7th
Shares on social by:
Blogposts by:
Elien from Leinemein
Guus from Stoffenfeest
Thao from Little Cumquat
  break hack
Sunday April 8th
Shares on social by:
 Ari
Blogposts by:
Qwinta from Made by Larth
Yannick from Yabelle en Co
Aukje from Sew Cucio
break hack
Monday April 9th
Shares on social by:
Blogposts by:
Lesley from Frullemieke
Marie-Paule from So Popo Sew
break hack
Tuesday April 10th
Shares on social by:
Blogposts by:
Bieke from Sew Blondes
Fanny from Fratseltjes
Rineke from Plus 2 is 5
break hack
Wednesday April 11th
Shares on social by:
break hack
Thursday April 12th
Shares on social by:
Blogposts by:
Kelly from Sew Blondes
Livia from Liviality
Break hack
Friday April 13th
Shares on social by:
Blogposts by:
Els from Lielebeesje
JoelleBreak hack
Saturday April 14th
Shares on social by:
Blogposts by:
Break hack
Sunday April 15th

SURPRISE!!

xxx
Livia

Be the Leader – Mommy&Me

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I’ve already posted both tops individually in my Portfolio page, you can check them out HERE and HERE, but we love our matching tops so much and had so much fun taking Mommy & Me photos that it deserves its own post 😉

It makes my heart happy that she still enjoys matching outfits with her Mama, even though she’s already big enough to wear women’s sizes 😀

This is an unexpected bonus I’ve had since I started sewing and pattern testing… I’m building up quite an album of pictures of my kids and me. Taking the time to take nicer photos together wasn’t something that happened as often anymore, and now we found back the fun in doing it! 🙂

And talking about fun:

I love being silly with this girl! She’s awesome! <3

BE THE LEADER TOP – Ellie and Mac

Oh, before I go I’ll leave you with this little gem:

xxx
Livia

 

*this post contains affiliate links