*This post contains affiliate links to support my fabric habit.*

I have a cat on my lap and all is right in the world. <3

Today was a good sewing day, I completed three tops, two of which are part of an upcoming blog tour hosted by myself and Tibeca of Sewing by Ti and which will be ending with an epic fabric giveaway, so keep an eye out for that starting early February. :D

Today's project is actually a pattern I've owned for awhile. Normally I receive a free pattern a month to sew up from Go To Patterns, but this is a pattern I bought before I was an ambassador for the Go To Pattern brand. Like the other patterns I've sewn from her shop, this did not disappoint. This pattern in specific is different from the others I've sewn from GTP, because this is designed by the owner of the shop, Andrea Pannell herself!

This top has an option for a collar, but I opted out of that design feature. I loved the simple sweater with the cute puff sleeves. With my fabric choice I was feeling pretty "80's" so I tried to rock it and throw on some bright pink lips. 

What I really loved about the Parisian Top is that is a real "no fuss" sew. Everything is very straight-forward. I think it makes a terrific beginner's project because it's suitable for thicker knits (easy to sew) and it's a simple construction. One thing I will mention is it calls for 2 yards of knit, but for the size small I only used a little less than 1.5 yards. (Even with the collar cut out.)

This is my first experience with a Go To Pattern's name brand pattern. (Not to be confusing but GTP sells many other designers in the shop, but this one is brand name GTP.) I can't rave about this enough - the pattern is laid out SUPER user friendly. All the instructions are laid out in a manor that's easy to read, the pages aren't cluttered, lines are clean, and drawings are specific. It just looks "nice" and I was very pleased to follow the directions without scrolling up and down to find what I was looking for. She even offers a "tips" page with cute bubbles of knit sewing tips.

I seam matched around the body but one line got caught in the curve. Ehhhhh :C and I forgot to seam match on the waistband. Lesssssssons. -_-

 If there was one thing I would change, I would add some width to the arm bands. I double checked my pieces and although they are cut right, they are very tight on my arms. I will probably unpick and add a few centimeters to the width of the arm band so it's more comfortable. 

Oh? My smile? Yeah I was pretending my cat was telling me a joke. That's how I get my "natural" faces. HA ;)

Details:
Parisian Top: $12 from Go To Patterns
Fabric: Interlock from Joanns, $15/yard on sale for 40% off for 2 yards = $18.00
Thread: $.50

Estimated Total = $30.50 (But I have almost a yard of fabric left over.)

Size: S
Fabric amount: Purchased 2 yards, have almost 1 yard left over.

*This post contains affiliate links to support my fabric habit.*

It's 2016 and I can't believe it! You'd think after 23 years I could "believe" a new year, but I just can't. Every year flies by quicker and quicker. This year has brought a ton of changes! I left in November for a month-long family trip to Guatemala and returned only to move dead across the county. So I now reside in Washington if any of you northwestern lasses want to have a sewing meetup. :)

So - Confession time. This ISN'T actually my first sew of 2016. I sewed something else that I'm currently wearing right now! But the pictures and details are being saved for a blog series that debuted in February. It's super exciting if you sew for yourself and you'll definitely want to come back and check it out! However, even though this is my SECOND sew, it's still so cute and fun that it deserved it's own post! 

 For this month's ambassador program I chose a baby pattern. (Mostly because I'm expecting... 

To not have a baby for another long while.) Though my sister-in-law is pregnant. Very much pregnant. In fact, it's going to be my second nephew after four nieces! So everyone in the family is pretty excited to buy (or sew) some cute boy clothing. :) 

This pattern is "Lullaby Line Baby Gown" from Peek-a-Boo Patterns and I got it through Go To Patterns site. Go To Patterns is a site where they pre-review patterns for quality before they offer them for sale. In this way they insure that you're getting a great pattern for your money. So far, I have loved all of the garments that I've sewn using Go To Patterns! 

I wanted to sew a gown because I heard they are super convenient for babies. You know. Diapers and such - Plus, this gown featured those cute and useful fold over mitts that protect the baby's face from their talons fingernails. (The back of the mitts it juuust peeking out from the top of the sleeve.)

(Now reviewing my sewing, I can't imagine my reasoning behind doing a white zigzag. Guess to match the neckline top stitching? Let's hope baby V isn't too fashion-conscious)

The bottom of the gown is elasticized which makes for easy changing, easy dressing, and also cinches a little to help keep the chilly winter air off babe's legs.

The neckline features the cute and useful "envelope-fold" neck detail . Useful in case of a blowout. (My god, is there a more disgusting term? I hate the word blowout almost as much as I hate dealing with a baby blowout. Let's terminate this conversation.)

I loved how quick and easy this gown came together. Such a cute baby gift, I know the parents will love it. Especially with the airplane detail, my brother is active duty Air Force and his wife is an Air Force Veteran, so they have flown a lot. :D 

Details:

Pattern: Lullaby Line Baby Gown $7.95 at Go To Patterns

Fabric: Interlock from Summit Fabrics and More on FB $10/yard for 5/8 yard = $6.25

Notions: Thread $.50

Elastic $.50

Total estimated cost: $7.25

I received the Lullaby Line Baby Gown pattern from Go To Patterns for free as part of the Brand Ambassador program. All opinions on this pattern and Go To Patterns are my own. I do receive a small commission if you purchase from the Go To Patterns site that I've linked, it helps me buy more fabric, needles, and coffee.