Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Lily Giggle New Zinnia for girls - Its all about the petals!


This post is cross-posted at Pattern Revolution.  Stop by here to see another reviewer's look at the New Zinnia!

I'm Gloria, and I'm a sewaholic . . . yep, I took on this review and its deadline before I got sick, and started sewing while I had the flu. But as we say here in Louisiana, on any occasion, rain or shine: "Laissez les bon temps rouler!" (Let the good times roll!)

With Mardi Gras just around the corner, I had my inspiration to try out the New Zinnia by LilyGiggle. Lucky for me, I had just straightened my fabric hoard and found Robert Kaufman's Celebrate Seuss! Tossed Characters fabric smiling at me. It is time to celebrate Seuss-style. I searched the internet for an embroidery design and found the perfect one!



And baby sister gets a coordinating tunic too, with a Mardi-Gras jester hat on the cat-in-the-hat . . . and a little fur for her curious senses.



This pattern is all about the Petals. Yep, gorgeous petals at the end of your ¾ or long sleeves. Choose A-line or Empire waist in tunic, above knee or below knee lengths in sizes 2 – 12. (I added buttons to my petals as decorations, mimicking the circles in the skirt fabric.)



First things first:
  • $9.50 USD, via PayPal, purchased here:  New Zinnia; 
  • Fabric(s):  Knit for the A-line; All Knit or Knit & Woven for the gathered Empire waist;
  • Layered Printability – choose to print only the size(s) you need; 4 – 5 pattern pieces (short sash is optional);
  • Imperial Size Measurements, Finished Garment Measurements, and Fabric Requirements are all provided in charts;
  • Woven skirt portion and Sash is cut following a Length x Width Chart (no pattern piece);
  • 3/8" Seam Allowance included in pattern;
  • Quick Sew Instructions (for those who usually skim the tutorial/instruction part);
  • No cutting chart for neckband. Instead, the designer's preferred method of determining band length & width are provided;
  • Approximately an hour and a half sew;
  • Intermediate+ sewist (neckband*)
I'm rating this pattern more suited to an Intermediate+ sewist because of the neckband: No measurements are provided. Instead, the designer provides you with photographs and a step-by-step tutorial on her preferred method of determining the size and fit. This can be a bit intimidating for a beginner.  I would prefer a cutting chart so that I can take advantage of the "quick sew" list by quickly cutting my fabric pieces and go straight to sewing.

I was glad to see the section on how to trace your pattern pieces onto freezer paper and then iron onto your fabric. I forget about this fantastic method and I'm glad it is included for those of you who haven't tried it yet.

The petals are my favorite part! In my state, I struggled to make sure the petals were trimmed perfectly, continuing to cut round and round . . . until I trimmed them too much. Sometimes folks, we need to just let it go . . . . J.

Happy Sewing!
gloria june


Now, for the photo bombs!







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