Summer Surprise Anniversary Tour and Giveaway

In the previous months you have seen me sewing multiple Sofilantjes' patterns. I sewed these skirts, coat and these dresses. Sofilantjes is run by Anne Jacobs and she started selling patterns exactly a year ago. Here she writes why she started drafting patterns, it is a very moving story with fortunately a happy ending, Anne's husband heard he is cancer free a few weeks ago! Back to the one year anniversary, Anne is holding a big party and when I say big, think enormous. This week 24 bloggers are showing off versions of her first pattern, the Summer Surprise dress, tunic or top and everyday there is a new giveaway! At the end of this post you can read more about the other bloggers and today's giveaway. Now let's focus on my contribution to the tour.

We were invited to hack the pattern and you probably know I love that. I flipped the jersey dress pattern to woven, flared out the skirt (because woven dresses need a bit more for playability), closed the back bow and added bow pockets. I expected that if I kept the bow piece in knit fabric, the woven dress wouldn't need any extra closure method. It worked out exactly as I planned, the dress fits over her head.  I am very pleased with how it looks so I wrote a small tutorial.

 
The bow on the original design looks cute, especially the ones I have seen passing on our tour's Facebook page (so make sure you check out all the other bloggers this week), but I wanted to show the versatility of this pattern, and make a slightly adjusted bow. When I saw this bow I knew how I wanted to change the design.

I determined the right dress size (woven dresses are wider than knit dresses) by looking at the width of a woven bodice that fits my youngest well. I put the woven bodice piece on the Summer Surprise pattern and picked the one where the width, just below the arm holes, matched. I picked the length that fits my daughters size, but flared out the skirt part a bit.

The main fabric is from Cloud 9 which I bought at Modes4u. Because the main fabric is woven the little box pleat at the front is nicely sharp. The white knit is from a white shirt. I actually sewed a wide bias instead of a double folded knit jersey strip, but it mimics the binding from the original design. I also added a strip to the bottom.

Instead of adding a folded strip to the entire neckline, I added a wide bias from upper bow mark to upper bow mark (which finished the front of the dress). I took the width of the bow piece as it was drawn in the pattern and added another seam allowance to it (twice, one on each side). The original bow piece was 13 wide and mine 15 cm. I used the bottom of a seamed shirt to cut a 15 cm times 15 cm square (if your piece isn't hemmed yet make the piece a bit higher). 

I folded the bottom pieces together and serged almost to the end. The middle bow piece will have to be able to go through the small hole, not a bit hole is needed.

Open it, now you have a sort of triangle piece with a rectangle above it. 

I pinned the fabric to the hole in the back (no picture, my apologies) and serged the seam together. The end of the bias and the beginning of the bow overlap. I sewed the top of the bow to the seam by hand (first I did it with my sewing machine but the stitching was to pronounced). I added the middle strip to turn it into a bow.

For the pockets I used the same 15 cm times 15 cm pieces (already hemmed). I drew the shape of the back hole on the side of the dress (with washable marker).

I pinned the bow one seam allowance around the line and sewed close to the side of the fabric.

Adding the middle stripe was again the last step, I determined the tightness such that it doesn't distort the fabric.

The fit of the dress is great and I think it looks super cute!

To make sure everybody can take part in the festivities the pattern is on sale with a 25% discount. Use the code “Anniversary”. The Summer Surprise pattern got an update and if you bought the pattern in the past you can now easily download the new version from your account. I you got the pattern another way, like on Etsy or in a giveaway please email Sofilantjes.

Besides a discount for everybody, a few can win great prizes, there is a new giveaway each day of the tour!

In today's giveaway you can win 8 patterns!
-E+M Patterns, winner's choice
-Izzy & Ivy, winner's choice
-Mandy K Designs, winner's choice
-Paisley Roots, Saffron Twirl
-Rose & Lee Designs, winner's choice
-Aivilo Charlotte, winner's choice
-Funktional Threads, winner's choice
-Sofilantjes, winner's choice 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Rafflecopter is open for 48 hours. Tomorrow and the days after it, there will be a new prizes (in other rafflecopters) and you can find those rafflecopters on the blogs that are planned to post later this week.

The links to the other blogs in this tour are:

The Craftiness in Me - Van Je Veel - Boutique Birdie - Tory Frail Designs - Wining Wife - Keep Calm and Carrion - Moon Star - Circle Meets Line - Amazing Adventures with Buba and Bug - Manning the Machine - Sugarplum Cuties - House of Estrela - Create 3.5 - Handcrafted by RED - Lulu & Celeste - Rebel & Malice - Two Novembers - From a Box - Sprouting JubeJube - Maryall Made - Phat Quarters - Knot Sew Normal - Sew Happily Ever After - All Things Katy

Each day this week you can find an overview of that day's bloggers with spoiler pictures on Sprouting JubeJub. Check out the blog every day for a lot of eye candy and to win those great prizes! This blog tour is sponsored by these amazing sponsors!

You made it to the end of a long post so now the bloopers.

I really wanted a nice picture where she would put both her hands in her pockets. With the first shoot she was of course refusing to do it (like she was not showing me her back). But then when I put her on the floor she did it, I quickly made a picture but only her face is sharp. It became a great spoiler pick, but not what I was planning.

The next day we tried again and when her sister was showing the look what I wanted (I had an efficient shoot, taking pictures of another dress as well) then she did this.. soo close...

I love to hear what you think of my creations. Feel free to leave a comment in the language you prefer (although Google translate might have to assist me if you choose something different than English, German, Dutch or Hungarian).