A Scout Tee

Some of you may have already seen a sneak peek of my Grainline Studio Scout Tee on Instagram i recently made for myself, but i thought it deserved its own blog post because i'm in love and this fabric is ace. I have worn my Scout Tee 3 times now and its awesome.  I stumbled across Grainline Studio a while ago and have had the scout tee on my sewing list for ages, but never got around to it or had any me time sewing lately.

Sometimes i overlook the simplicity of designs because they are that, simple, but i am finding that i need to remind myself that they are usually THE BEST sewing pattern designs out there.The scout tee is one of these simple design i speak of. It is a perfect platform for being able to go a little bit crazy with your fabric choice or if your not crazy inclined the Tee is perfect to be sewn up a thousand times in solid colors to get you through the warmer seasons. It is the perfect  handmade t-shirt to add to your wardrobe.

Now, I know i could have easily drafted my own T-shirt pattern, but i simply didn't want too, i wanted to support ( And you should too!)  another Indie pattern designer even if it was only a small amount. I'm proud to be a part of this sewing community and also grateful to be alongside some pretty cool designer chicks, who are doing such great things within our little sewing world, Go Indie!

This cotton fabric, which i might just add is amazing but big sad face i only really had enough for a small project like this, it would be perfect for a dress. Its a cotton voile nice and light and super comfy perfect for the upcoming scorching Aussie summers that burn a ginger like me to a crisp in 1 second flat.. thank god for sunscreen :)

The t-shirt is a pretty loose cut and i did find that it wasn't really making my top half look all that good, a little bit on the ole boxy side. I wanted a slight bit of definition without adding darts and while still keeping it as a loose and comfy Tee. So i  just simply added a small inverted pleat at the neckline just to give my boobies and the Tee a little bit of shape, its only subtle but it seemed to do the trick. And its easy to do because the scoop neckline is quite wide.

Hey!

Look...

It totally loves being tucked into  my Chambray Peggy skirt!

This is the Peggy skirt i used to release the pattern to the world, luckily Michelle my lovely model is the same size as me, so all my samples were made up in my size! Win!
 I still made Michelle her very own  Peggy skirt cause i'm nice like that.

I love this Chambray fabric, it is so soft and comfy - only one bad point it creases like crazy at even the slightest movement and ends up looking like i have been sleeping on the street, bad chambray.

I finished the neckline off with some bright pink bias binding for some added fun and the armholes i got a bit lazy and finished them off simply by creating a small hem and stitching it down.
Lazy sewing, YEAH!

This last couple of weeks here in Melbourne we have been having a shit cold snap, it feels like Winter all over again, it's meant to be Spring....I say bring on summer!
Me thinks this definitely will be my summer uniform.

I plan on making a shit load more of these Tee's  for little ole me, its a great basics pattern and i highly recommend this pattern to a  beginner sewer,  hands down easy peasy.

Tell, me have you tried the Scout tee? Do you love it as much as i do?

I will also be announcing the date of the Peggy skirt sew along, i'm thinking starting it next Monday,  thoughts?


Abby
xxx

The Peggy skirt pattern winner!

 

 
Here we are again with another winner announcement for the photo caption contest. This contest was so much fun for me, you gals are a funny bunch! I had a blast reading each  and very one of your comments here on the blog, Instagram and on Twitter.. Awesome stuff.

So the comment that make me laugh the most and had me sniggering at my desk at my day job was....

SewBusyLizzy and her comment:

"I wonder if she's going to pour herself into that cuppa....." 

Hahahahaha still making me laugh while it write this post :)



Thanks everyone for taking the time to enter the contest it was great fun.. for me anyway! I definitely there will another of its kind in the future.

Also the Peggy skirt sew-along will be announced in the coming days so hang around for that one.

 SewBusyLizzy get contact with me at abby@bluegingerdoll.com for your Peggy skirt pattern, Woo!

Abby
xxx

Me, myself & Peggy...

I thought it about time to take some photos of one of the many Peggy skirts i made for myself. This polka dot Peggy was actually one of the very first samples of the Peggy skirt View A with the button tabs that i made it up to test the actual design of the skirt to see  whether i liked it, if it would work, is it comfortable and most importantly does it look good on the old bod! 

The last two patterns, Billie Jean and Mae i modeled the patterns myself which was a lot of fun and definitely an experience in getting over being really self conscious in front of the camera.. Ok i'm still kinda awkward and uncomfortable, but i'm working on it and no doubt i will do some modelling again for future patterns. But for the Peggy skirt i was so grateful when my gorgeous friend Michelle kindly accepted my invitation to model the Peggy skirt for me and freshen shit up a bit, it occurred to me you may possibly be sick of seeing my face! And what a fine job she did, she's one good looking chick, yeah? 

I'm really enjoy the  little kick i still get when i am wearing one of my pattern designs out and about... I really  don't think this is will ever get old, this pattern designing gig, i love it and  i think i may have just found my passion :) But in saying this i also  think it is  important to show the patterns i design actually on me, the designer. As i said i am very, very  proud of each design and i want to show them off to you and their versatility in fabric or wear etc, i also want you to see there is nothing hidden in the pattern designs and lastly and most probably the main point is  i want to show you how they look on a average gal, like me. 

Because sometimes there is an illusion created, i think, with fashion design especially be it a  pattern design or clothing that it can  sometimes  lack any kind of  authenticity or realness  and basically looks downright  fake  when shown on a professional model, who would look amazing in a hessian bag amirite? And yeah the photos look amazing in the end  and totally should be in a magazine but what about the real world? What would it look like on a girl that isn't a size 0? Or has more junk in their trunk? Big boobs? Has some tum tum area? Or is the total opposite of these things? You get my point. I don't want to do this with Bluegingerdoll, not from the very beginning, EVER . I wanted  to to show  some kind of realness  and authenticity with my pattern designs and it is as real as its going to get when on me, because i am that girl i just described above with the  junk in the trunk, tum tum area the whole list.  So here i am, in all my realness and  not a professional model ( obviously and  neither is Michelle) just a  girl who is just proud of her pattern designs and wants to show them off and is just trying to have a go at something she loves doing while keeping shit real, rant over, now  enjoy:

Oh yeah i finally got new hair... only took me a million years.. I'm one of those people that inst really a fan of going to the hairdressers for some reason i akin  it to the the dislike of dentists some folks have.

 With my samples i tend to  choose pretty standard fabrics and as cheap as possible. Doing this means  i can still  re work ( pull apart and use the fabric for something else)  if i have too or still wear it as a 'wearable muslin' that will slide into my wardrobe rotation, that's if i decide that its a shit design idea and its not going to work. The many samples i make for each pattern design tend to get A LOT of changes made to them so obviously no point using that rare vintage fabric that i have as well. Hence the choice of this discounted polka dot cotton fabric that i have like a millions yards of laying around, but totally still looks cute though and is very versatile in my wardrobe. 

In case you haven't noticed the Peggy skirt has way cool pockets... See I'm being helpful and pointing them out :)

This particular Peggy skirt i made a tad shorter, so it would sit just above the knee and its still totally cute. The original Peggy skirt version shows it sitting below the knee which  is still very much a flattering length, but just to show you short or longer the Peggy skirt will still look super cute!

****Don't forget to enter the competition to win yourself a copy of the Peggy skirt, check it out here, ends this Friday.***

Abby
x

Let's chat - The Bluegingerdoll community forum is now up and running!!

Hey guess what?

I created a brand new and fancy forum for us to chat! Yeah Woo!

So why did i set up a forum, you ask? I love this small but ever growing and supportive Bluegingerdoll sewing community that has come alive in the last couple of months. If you had told me this time last year that i would be chatting to some pretty cool sewing peeps all over the world about the coolest shit ever  i would have laughed in your face and told you that you were ready for the asylum. So i want to keep this fun little community going and make it stronger and more awesome then ever... cause you gals are ace!

Creating a forum for Bluegingerdoll has been in the back of my  brain for quite sometime,  it was just one of those things that just keep jumping into the 'too hard basket', don't know why cause once i got around to doing it... i mumbled this to myself  'Wow good one Abby so not hard at all..... mental note to self burn that too hard basket shit'.

The forum is for having awesome chats about Bluegingerdoll patterns, share your sewing tips and experiences on sewing up the patterns with others, get into the nitty gritty of  fit & pattern adjustments if that's your thing, ask that burning question you have been meaning to ask or show off that incredible fabric you found that you just to rub in everyone else s faces cause its so gorgeous and it can never be found anywhere else in the world!  Y'know you have some and you sooo want to do it! Hell... you can even talk about your newest pair of shoes that you brought to wear with your Billie Jean wiggle dress Ok.... you probably get the idea?! Right?!

Simply, i would love this forum to be a place where you can find some sewing help for Bluegingerdoll patterns, meet some new sewing friends, have bit of a giggle, share the progress of your sewing projects, or maybe learn some new sewing skills. A safe place for all to join and feel comfortable in asking any question, oh and share where the best fabric in the world can be purchased from!

I probably don't need to say this, so i apologize if this is so bleedingly obvious, but i feel i have to just in case someone people aren't grown ups yet and  don't know how to play nice with others:

No meanies, haters or for that matter any kind of negativity in the forum thanks! Any whiff of this kind of crap in the forum, you'll be on booted out ASAP, ok? :) Think safe, happy and fun place.
Ok i said it, i feel better now.

You can find the forum link on the website, here.

So feel free to join up and introduce yourself and start chatting! I very much look forward to speaking to you all .. cause at the moment I'm a  'scott no friends'  So come save me! :) 

I have started a new thread today already, cause i'm keen as mustard, check it here and let's get the convo going.


See ya there!

Abby
x

WIN A COPY OF THE PEGGY SKIRT!

**** Apparently the caption photo didn't come through  for a few of you, so here is the blog post again with the caption photo!!***

One of my favorite things when a new pattern is released is having a little competition to giveaway  a copy to one lucky duck. This time around i have my newest pattern, The Peggy skirt up for grabs!!!

I try and make each competition of little different each time, cause its all about having fun.
 So this time round its photo caption time!! I love these type of comp's, hilarious.

What better photo to use for the competition then the below. Two  gorgeous iconic 50's  sirens in an absolute stinger of a photo.

To enter all you need to do is:

Tell me what you think is going on in this photo by next Friday the 25th AEST by either commenting on this blog post, or on Twitter, or on the Facebook post or on the Instagram pic.

It's simple.. make me laugh my face off with your wit and you win!

Winner will be drawn Sunday 27th and announced here on the blog.

Good luck!

Abby
xxxx

WIN A COPY OF THE PEGGY SKIRT PATTERN!

One of my favorite things when a new pattern is released is having a little competition to giveaway  a copy to one lucky duck. This time around i have my newest pattern, The Peggy skirt up for grabs!!!

I try and make each competition of little different each time, cause its all about having fun.
 So this time round its photo caption time!! I love these type of comp's, hilarious.

What better photo to use for the competition then the below. Two  gorgeous iconic 50's  sirens in an absolute stinger of a photo.

To enter all you need to do is:

Tell me what you think is going on in this photo by next Friday the 25th AEST by either commenting on this blog post, or on Twitter, or on the Facebook post or on the Instagram pic.

It's simple.. make me laugh my face off with your wit and you win!

Winner will be drawn Sunday 27th and announced here on the blog.

Good luck!

Abby
xxxx

FREE 1950's PIN UP HEAD SCARF DOWNLOADABLE PDF PATTERN!!!

 























 Remember the tutorial i did on how to sew up your very own Pin up headscarf? Well it has been  sooo popular with you gals  and i have also  been asked a million times if a pattern could be created to make it even easier to create a head scarf. So i went and did it... I created a PDF pattern for you to download for FREE! Yup FREE!




 

The pattern comes with super clear instructions and images, basically the whole kit and kaboodle  so you can  sew up your own head scarf in no time at all! 




 


















 




 

 They are a great stash buster idea and can easily get rid of all those bits of scrap fabric you cant bring yourself to throw out. Even better they are great to fix up those bad hair days. An awesome little handmade gift as well for your vintage loving friend.


You can download the head scarf  pattern here and it will be emailed to you ASAP! 
Its a nice and small PDF pattern 4 pages in total!


Hope your enjoy the pattern! Have a great week everyone ;)


Abby
xxxx

Mae by Paunnet...

 

 Here on the blog today for your viewing and reading pleasure is the lovely Anna from her blog Paunnet. Anna was kind enough to take some time out and answer a few questions for me about her gorgeous Mae blouse. And yes Anna did win second place in the Mae sew-along contest and no wonder her Mae blouse is fab!!

So without further ado, here is the lovely Anna:

 

 

*What type of fabric did you use? What inspired your choice of fabric?

I used some Liberty Tana Lawn in "Emilia's flowers". Last year I found a local seller that has Liberty remnants at a very low price, so whenever I can, I visit them and I stock up on these beautiful fabrics. I chose this because the tiny print and the weight of the fabric seemed perfect for a Mae blouse.

 
* Did your  Mae blouse  live up to the image you had in your mind?

It really did! The neckline is cute and interesting, the overall shape is flattering and I'm a sucker for buttoned backs!

*How did you decide to reflect your personal style in the pattern?

I'd say through choice of fabric and buttons, they are a perfect reflections of my own style.

 *Tell us a bit about your making process, any tweaks you made? 

I cut a size 10 for shoulders and bust, grading up to a 12 at the waist and hips and didn't need any alteration. I French-seamed everything I could for extra fanciness and added a strip of interfacing to the button placket to reinforce the fabric.

 

* What thoughts do you have about the project?

I really like it, especially worn with jeans! It looks cuter when it's tucked in a high-waisted skirt, but it's a bit uncomfortable to wear (it moves around too much for my taste when I raise my arms). It's perfect to make a lazy day outfit way cuter and a little bit vintage!

*Are you planning any future Mae Blouses?

 

Not at the moment, I have so many new patterns I want to try, like the Peggy skirt! But never say never...

 

Thank you Anna for sharing your thoughts on the Mae blouse!! 

Most of you may already be following Anna's blog Paunnet and be totally inspired by everything she sews up but if not you must check out her blog ASAP and prepared to have your mind blown, everything is sooo beautiful!!!

If you have sewn up a Bluegingerdoll pattern and would love to share it with the world here on the blog, then feel free to get in contact with me! I would love to see more and more of your Blugingerdoll creations.

I have some cool stuff coming up on the blog this week so keep your eyes on the blog as well. 

Oh i just wanted to say a huge thanks the massive support you gals have shown for the Peggy skirt, it's has been off the hook since its release and i cant get them sent out to you folks fast enough....It has been a crazy awesome blur and i have loved everything minute of it, so THANK YOU  i know you're going to love sewing Peggy up!

Hope your weekend was awesome folks!

Abby

xx

New Billie Jean Envelope packaging & some bargains....

***Thank you all 3 x copies of the Billie Jean pattern in the old packaging have now been sold!***

So i have finally had time to update the Billie Jean envelope packaging so it matches the Peggy and Mae pattern packaging designs. So why am i telling you this? I know its not the most exciting post, but just bear with me while i self indulge a little cause I'm mighty proud of this packaging that i have created, I MEAN I LOVE IT! The whole gang looks COOL now! And i just wanted to share you with the new happenings around the Bluegingerdoll head quarters.

When i first released the Billie Jean pattern i wasnt too keen on the envelope design that eventually came back from the printer, i wasnt feeling it. After months of designing and trying to create pattern packaging that i felt really reflected Bluegingerdoll and would also compliment the patterns i was designing, i eventually came up with these envelopes and this design. I finally felt this new pattern packaging  exactly reflected what Bluegingerdoll was about, cute,pretty and a little bit vintage inspired but still very functional, just like the pattern designs.

The new and improved Bluegingerdoll gang!

OK, thanks for letting me be a little bit self indulgent there! As they out with the old and in with the new, this is the real reason for this blog post. I currently  have 3 copies of the Billie Jean sewing pattern in the old packaging that needs to go! All the information is EXACTLY THE SAME on both the pattern sheet and the instructions its just the envelope design that's different.  Sooo i'm popping these 3 x Billie Jean   pattern copies up on the website today at a discounted price. Its first in best dressed folks, if you want a copy,  then i suggest you be quick.  I  do  want them gone  as soon as possible and onto their new sewing homes!

 So if you have been eye balling  the Billie Jean pattern and don't mind about the envelope packaging  then this is your chance to pick it up at a bargain price!!! :)

So what do you think of the new Billie Jean envelope design?

Abby
x

A Sew Classic Billie Jean....

 

  





















 It's such a fabulous feeling to see my patterns seeing them popping all the place and being sewn up by some really, really  talented seamstress!  I love each and everyone of your  individual take on each pattern, the new ways you gals wear and style them, the different fabric choices.. I get such a kick out of  its AWESOME! Its such  inspiration to me to keep on doing what I'm doing...So i was excited to see this Billie Jean wiggle dress pop on the blogosphere  recently, i just had to share it with you.. cause I'm good like that ;)

Kristin from Sew Classic chose the Billie Jean wiggle dress as her  entry into the copy cat challenge over on the I Heart fabric blog, in which she was replicating the Marnie dress from the show 'The Hour'.

From the look of Kristin's  photos i think she did a damn fine job of copying the dress. Kristin's fabric is cotton, can you believe it?! It looks like lace.. Nope COTTON! 
Kristin also took advantage of raising the neckline of the Billie Jean from this tutorial i previously did on how to do this.

So cast your eyes over all the photos and get ready to be inspired by  a most fabulous Billie Jean wiggle dress!

Kristin's Billie Jean is definitely a wiggle dress in all its glory! Check out all the pics and find out more details on Kristin's blog  as well as  read about the alterations she made to the dress.

So have you sewn up a Billie Jean wiggle dress? Why not share it?! Feel free to upload them to the Flickr Group whenever you please.

Abby
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