WELCOME!!
Hi! I am so happy you are here!! I was super excited when the girls at Sofiona Designs asked me to be a part of their Anniversary Blog Tour! I have been wanting to start a blog for quite some time and this was just what I needed to finally dive in. So, thanks for the push Sherri and Trisha!
Sherri and Trisha
I really can’t say enough great things about these ladies. Not only are they phenomenal human beings, they are fabulous pattern designers as well. They put a ton of thought into each and every detail for every pattern they release. They listen to their testers and take the feedback seriously. I have really enjoyed testing for them and I can’t wait to see what year 2 has in store!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, Sofiona donates a portion of their profits to A21, a non-profit group that is dedicated to fighting human trafficking. Read more about it here. Also, all of the profits from the Sofiona Designs Balsam Bag go directly to A21!!
If you haven’t already, head over to the website and check out these amazing patterns! You can also head over to the Sofiona Facebook Group and join in the sewing fun!
From the moment I saw the tester call for Fireweed back in June, I was in love! I mean, really, what’s not to love about this gorgeous pattern?
hi-lo circle skirt.
Now, let the hacking commence!
Fireweed has the sweetest details so I didn’t want to change it too much. I adore the tiny flounces on the neckline, armscye and princess seams but I decided to only use the princess seam flounces and extend them all the way down into the pants pockets. I started with a quick sketch so could transfer the image from my brain to paper. Don’t judge my sketching skills!! It evolved a bit from the initial sketch but in the end, it is pretty close so how I envisioned it.
A few months back, I hacked the Raven dress into a romper. (see pictures below) I had drafted a wide leg pant then so I already had a pretty good base for the bottom portion of my Fireweed Romper but there was still quite a bit of work to do.
Originally, I had planned to take pictures of the whole process and write up a tutorial to go along with it BUT lets get real here, this was quite an undertaking and I was already a bit overwhelmed with the whole “starting a blog” thing so I decided to just keep it simple. Here is a quick outline of the changes I made. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
- Extend the length of the bodice by 1″
- Split the front waistband in 3 pieces and add seam allowance
- Draft pockets and new longer flounces
- Remove some ease from the pant, add side seam and pocket cut line
- Draft a removable hi-lo circle skirt and waistband
Because I wanted the flounces to flow seamlessly through the pockets, I had to construct the bodice much differently than normal. It was a bit labor intensive but I am happy to say that the inside looks just as gorgeous as the outside and the waist seam is fully enclosed!
Without further ado, I introduce my Fireweed Romper! Hope you love it as much as I do!
Each day this week, two bloggers will pair up to showcase one Sofiona pattern. Follow along to see your favorite Sofiona patterns sewn “as is” by one blogger and a clever “hack” by the other.
- Monday 4 November: (Starry Night): That’s Sew Venice, By Dagbjort
- Tuesday 5 November (Moss): Sew Cucio, It’s Liesel
- Wednesday 6 November (Raven): bigflynotions, Made by Kates
- Thursday 7 November (Railway): Stitched by Jennie, PACountryCrafts
- Friday 8 November (Fireweed): Wonderfully Handmade, Sewcial Science
Some of our favorite Instagrammers will also be sharing their Sofiona makes this week and they’ll be doing the same pairing up to showcase one pattern. Follow them for more inspiration:
- Monday 4 November (Arctic Fox): Tine, Sara
- Tuesday 5 November (Lynx): Meghan, Amanda
- Wednesday 6 November (Rhubarb): Ummul, Noortje
- Thursday 7 November (Aurora): Kimberley, Jenny
- Friday 8 November (Juniper): Anna, Emily
Join us in the Sofiona Designs Fan Group on Facebook for more fun and to share your favorite Sofiona makes!
Finally, a huge thank you to ALL the sponsors for joining in our Anniversary Celebration! Please participate in the Rafflecopter below for an opportunity to one of the two prize packages listed below valued at over $150 each and join us in the fan group for daily giveaways next week.
Prize Pack #1
- Minerva Crafts £100 mystery pack (you choose the colour)
- Sew Weighted Bakery ($15 CAD)
- Queen Clocks (Sewing Themed Vinyl Clock)
- Dutch Labels ($100 USD)
- Sofiona Designs ($50 CAD)
- S Renee Designs (Digital Sewing Planner)
Prize Pack #2
- JJ Labels ($30 USD)
- Shear Perfection ($50 CAD)
- Sitka Fabrics ($50 CAD)
- Sew Cute ‘n Quirky (30% off a pattern weight set)
- Sofiona Designs ($30 CAD)
- S Renee Designs (Digital Sewing Planner)
Annie Sewzalot 
I love the hack. But am not wanting to attempt that myself.
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I really love the way you extended the flounces. It definitely makes it all flow together. Great job!
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Ok, I have to ask! How is that skirt attached? It looks like it’s in the seam and yet I see pictures without. You’ve properly intrigued me. 🙂 And I have to give you a big thank you. From my heart, you have been a joy to work with and we are so happy to have you on our team.
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Awe, thanks!! It is just a separate waistband with button holes and it attaches to buttons on the romper waistband.
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Aha! LOL
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