Inspinration: Back to school blog tour

Our kids have one week of school holiday left, which is why I am showing you Back to School Clothes. I am participating in the Back to School Blog Tour hosted by Sprouting Jubejube and Lulu & Celeste, so at the end of this post you can see links to other Back to School posts and a give away. For the blog tour I sewed three pieces: a dress, a bolero and a rain coat.

Let's start with the outer layer: the rain coat. I used the Wild Things Coat pattern from Big Little. This brings the score to four coats that I sewed with this pattern. Earlier, I made a beaver, a Toothless, a bunny and now a simple bear. A raincoat has to close very well so I chose to use velcro. I used one long strip of velcro from top to bottom on the button strip. Besides giving extra wind protection, the velcro makes it super easy to open and close the coat.The fabric is an inexpensive table cloth and I used the same fabric for both sides, in case the water resistance would not be perfect. My daughter can't wait for it to rain!

The middle layer of the outfit is a hack of the Pearl Shrug from Gracious Threads. Layers make summer dresses perfect for fall so the Pearl Shrug is a nice staple to have in every imaginable color. I have a store bought ruffle bolero which I love, and I used the Pearl to get a similar look. I more than doubled the length of the bottom strip to create the ruffle. With hindsight, 1.8 times might also have been sufficient. I really like the stretchy bias finish of the neckline. It is the perfect way to add a nice extra pop.

The dress she is wearing is a hacked Driehoekje dress from The Eli Monster. The pattern asks for woven fabric, but I made it in jersey. I sized down to get a good fit due to the stretchiness of the fabric. I really love the triangular lines on the front. I did not want to finish the dress with a facing, so I actually made an extra triangular seam on the front (and horizontal on the back) to create a fully lined bodice for an easy finish. I also added pockets, because our kids just need them. I bought the fabric a year ago at Joyfits.

My poor girl got a mosquito bite on her eye! Her eye was swollen heavily, making the shoot a challenge. I tried to pick those pictures in which she just seemed to wink like a crazy person. I finished the clothes just before we went on holiday, and although I had three days to make pictures, that eye destroyed my chances for the perfect shoot. I hoped I could re-shoot when we got back two days ago, but seeing we have a heat streak, I did not want to put her in that many layers.

Check out the overview of today's other posts on the today's host page. Like I mentioned at the beginning, there is a great give away, one pattern from Big Little. So, you could get this coat pattern for free! Fill in the rafflecopter to participate. To celebrate the tour, there are also several discounts.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Designs by Call Ajaire: Get 20% off in their Etsy shop with code BTS2016. Code valid from August 22nd through August 27th.
E+M Patterns: Save 50% with the code backtoschool on their website or in their Etsy shop. Code valid until August 27th at 11:59pm PST.
MODKID: Get 25% off your entire purchase in their Etsy shop with code BTS2016. Code valid from August 22nd through August 27th.
Love Notions: Get 20% off all kids patterns with the code loveschool. Code valid from August 22nd through August 27th.
Sew Happily Ever After: Get the Nana’s totes pattern at 50% off with the code BACK2SCHOOL2016. Code good through August 31st.
Laela Jeyne Patterns: 30% off Any Single Pattern, No Code needed. From August 25-29th, 2016.
StitchART: 20% off with the code back2school in their Etsy shop. Valid from Aug 22nd – 28th, 2016.
Gracious Threads: Buy 3 patterns and save 15% off the purchase price! Use code SAVE15ON3. No expiry
The Eli Monster: Save 20% with the code yayforfall. Code valid until August 29th, 2016.
Filles à Maman: Get 25% off with the code BTS2016. Can be used on their website or in their Etsy shop. Code valid from August 24th through August 28th midnight EDT.
Whimsy Couture: Get 50% off, no code needed! End August 31st, 2016.
5 Out of 4 Patterns: Save 20% with code BTS2016. Valid from August 22nd-28th midnight EDT. Cannot be used on fabric.
Snuggle My Baby Patterns: Save 25% with code BTS2016. Valid until August 31st, 2016.