We packed most of our things onto a trailer without knowing when we would get it all back and I was worried about being apart from my machines for too long. When I was asked to join this blog tour, I knew I needed to find a way to keep one of them with me. So, I actually carried my regular machine onto the airplane with me!

I’m so glad I made the decision to keep one machine with me because the holiday season always puts me in a creative mood. While days are shorter and our schedules are full to the brim, I enjoy when I take time out of the hustle-and-bustle to get behind my machines for a little personal time. Even if this is to stitch together gifts or something for my family, I relish in the quiet time alone.

Since I’ll be sewing wovens for the foreseeable future, the Robert Kauffman Mammoth flannel was an easy fabric choice for me. I adore the Robert Kauffman flannels to begin with, but my red-loving boy especially loved this one. While the red and white plaid works perfectly for a traditional Christmas look, I think all the flannel options in the shop would make amazing holiday pjs.

One of my favorite woven patterns for my kids is the Holiday Pajamas by Sew A Little Seam. It is surprisingly quick and the construction of the facing and collar give it a nice, polished finish. The piping is my favorite detail though. I actually love sewing with piping. It adds that professional detail without much extra work. Another favorite detail I love to use when sewing with plaids is to turn cuffs, pockets and yokes on the bias. It adds interest and helps you avoid pattern matching on those smaller pieces. This pattern also comes in women’s sizing and I really think I need a pair to match him.

I hope this holiday season, you find time to slow down and do something you love. Thank you to the RCF girls for inviting me to join in the fun this week! Happy Holidays!

Make sure to visit the Raspberry Creek Blog this week for lots of holiday inspiration and enter the daily giveaways each day on Raspberry Creek’s Instagram.

Today’s makers include myself, Anshu of Meowrantine Sews, Anna of Kainara Stitches, Katie of Made by Kates, and Tami of SewSophieLynn. You can also join in the fun by tagging your instagram makes with #rcfholiday21. It is so much fun to browse the hashtag. RCF really does have the most talented sewists!

I began sewing a long time ago, but the hobby really took off when I found the online sewing community. The biggest player in that was Raspberry Creek and their amazing Facebook group. Back then, they had just a small lobby for picking up and they sold strictly on Etsy.

I still remember the first cuts of fabric I purchased from RCF; a few yards of a striped palm print on board short fabric, a grey shark fin and a darling large tropical leaf print both on jersey. After lots of research in the group on how to use the boardshort fabric, I was introduced to the Linden Shorts by Sew a Little Seam with the free board short add-on pack . This was one of the first pdf patterns I ever used, and to be honest, it was a bit of an undertaking for my skill level. The easy-to-follow instructions led me through the whole pattern though, and I finished 2 pairs in 3 days! Now, years later, I have used this children’s pattern for numerous pairs of board shorts, chambray shorts, simple pull-on woven shorts and even a couple cozy French Terry knit pairs.

In preparation for the new custom printing, I was given the opportunity to choose from the entire Raspberry Creek library and have any design printed on some of almost 20 different bases. The choices seemed endless, but as a throwback to my first RCF orders, I decided on another palm leaf print on two different substrates. I wanted to show the versatility of the print as well as the Linden Shorts pattern.

This pair for my 4-year-old is made with the squishy RCF French Terry. You can find a simple hack to use knits, rather than than a woven fabric, on the Sew a Little Seam blog here. I used the slant pockets and an easy rolled hem.  I cut the full elastic waistband the same length as if I were using woven (as described in the tutorial) so the fabric stays flat rather than gathered. Before sewing the waistband, I added my favorite eyelets to the front center for a cute braided drawstring.

I have had great success with the Dritz 2-part Eyelet Kit. I always grab the pack of 72 sets because with 3 boys in the house, I make a lot of “cozy pants” and hoodies. I like this set because it comes with a small plastic disc that stabilizes the eyelet even when used on very thin fabrics. (Don’t forget to enter the giveaway in the RCF Facebook group to win a set of your own plus all the other favorite notions from the tour.)

When attaching the eyelets, I always add one or two layers of woven interfacing to the wrong side of my fabric. I cut down interfacing scraps to 1″ squares and keep a small container of them with my eyelets. I then cut a slightly smaller hole than the post of the front eyelet piece and work the fabric down around it. I like it to just barely fit so it is nice and snug. Then, place the eyelet right side down onto the circle anvil, add your plastic ring to the wrong side followed by the washer (back piece of eyelet) with the dome side up. Place your tool into the center of the back eyelet and use a straight, solid strike two or three times with a heavy hammer. I then slightly tilt the tool in different directions making sure it forces the sides down as well.

I am a sucker for Mommy & Me outfits, so I chose the same palm print as my son but had it printed on a fabulous Essex Cotton/Linen blend. This linen was absolutely fantastic to sew with. It had very little fraying as I constructed each pattern piece, lots of structure and it held a press perfectly.

I’ve loved the kids version so much, I was excited to finally try out the Women’s Linden pattern for my first time. I love how this linen paired with the pattern! The structure of this fabric is perfect for a pair of shorts. I chose to add the back darts for shaping and dressed them up a bit by omitting back pockets and using a hook and eye front closure.

Many thanks to Raspberry Creek for allowing me to participate in the 2020-21 Promo Team. It has truly been an honor to have a front row seat to all the changes the company has seen and I can’t wait to see what is to come next!

Make sure to visit all the participating blogs this week (Linked below) and enter the daily giveaways in the RCF Facebook group!

Made By Kates, Kainara Stitches, I Sew Best After Midnight

Sew Mary Mac, Tessa Does for Love Notions, Sew Love You

All My Spare Time, Pins and Pinot, Crafty Professor

Sew Hard of Hearing, Replicate then Deviate, Sew Sophie Lynn

Genwin Design Co., Shwin Designs, That’s Sew Kari