Trying out a Cold-Shoulder Pattern

I am a fan of Striped Swallow Designs Patterns as I have mentioned in previous posts. This week I have been trying out a cold-shoulder pattern that I purchased from Striped Swallow Designs. It is on trend, cute, and doesn't compromise my ideas about what my little girl, tween girl and teen girl should be wearing in public.

Sizing is always tricky, the size 12 fits both my 11 year old and my 17 year old. (The 17 yr old wears women's xs and s. She's long and lean.)

I've sewn in up in a knit:

the 3rd grader adores hers. She's worn it three days in a row...

today I'm trying it out in a woven fabric, dress length for my oldest. And then I think I'm ready to try some pieces for the shop.

More Fun with Tunics

sweet spring tunic by Whigs & Tories

this fabric combo is available for custom order while supplies last. Spring fabrics by Waverly:

spring in Paris, with lavender & white at the bodice and a pretty lavender, purple and yellow print on the sleeve. Sweet, spring, light & breezy. Perfect over shorts or leggings.

Spring Tunic in Lavender listed on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/273816022/spring-tunic-with-short-sleeves-in

Striped Swallow Designs - shorts & tunics

Striped Swallow Designs sells patterns online. 

Last summer the shop tried the coachella shorts pattern. It was a good pattern and made up well.

Coachella Shorts by Whigs & Tories, Pattern by Striped Swallow Designs

Recently Whigs & Tories purchased the pattern called the "Wanderer Tunic" and tried it out in purple to create a lovely piece. But this particular model didn't like the feeling of the fabric strips at mid arm. Which is too bad, it makes the piece, but she doesn't find it comfortable. We would like to then try adding elastic to the sleeve bottom and seeing if the resulting puff made it more comfy. We will try that soon. Meanwhile. We are cutting tunic patterns and hope to have them in the shop next week. The pattern lends it self to a "hodgepodge" style fabric usage.

 

Purple Gypsy Tunic by Whigs & Tories, Pattern by Striped Swallow Designs

Because Pink & Hearts

pink and green, hearts, trim, inspiration

pink cord overalls size 18 months

Loving playing in the studio on the cold evenings. No matter that it was warm yesterday. It was brisk today and these sweet little corduroy overalls would have been perfect! We love pink at Whigs & Tories and we love hearts. So sure, Valentine's Day is coming but hearts look sweet on little girls (and big girls too!) any day of the year.

The shop is back open. Whigs & Tories Etsy
Stop by and see what we've been up to!

Get the work done first

Post by Cailin:

I'm reading an interview with Maya Anjelou from the 1980's and she is answering a question "How do you fit writing into your life?"
she answers "It is important to get the work done. The work is all there is. And when it's done then you can laugh, have a pot of beans, stroke some child's head, or skip down the street."

which I've paraphrased as "get the work done first"

so I'm "adulting" as they say in current popular culture. I'm getting paperwork ready for the accountant and paying attention to where we ended up last year and where we are going this year. Funny how adulting always makes me feel so proud of myself. I really despise it.

I did indulge myself a bit and play though:

my " lil' rock monster" adorning a long-all ready for the shop to open back up

First Year-

The fall was a challenge this year.
The owner's husband decided to re-do the basement, which includes where the owner stores the fabrics & does some of the sewing. So things have been a bit chaotic.
Add that to first year mistakes and learning curve.

So for 2016 we have some pretty pink corduroy to use to make early spring items.
We have some florals to use for spring items.
We have a bit of seersucker for late spring & summer items.

We are aiming for Hannah's Closet and maybe 2 or 3 Second Sundays. We hope to have the spring collection hit the Etsy site by the end of January. Thank you for being a part of our journey as a new business.

Happy New Year!

Cailin & Heather

Sugar Plums

We just love this fabric!

It makes us think of "The Night Before Christmas"

"and the children all snug in the beds

while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads"

We've used it for a comfy tunic

which would look perfect over leggings or jeans

It also looks like dancing peppermints

and can be found in the Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhigsandTories