Hey, Sewists!  Have you been following along with the rest of the Breaking Ground Blog Tour this week?  There are a lot of great makes out there.  I am back with a second new make this week.  I saw someone post their version of this pattern on Facebook and I knew I had to have it!  It is the Mama Stella Sweater from Made for Mermaids.  This company has been on my radar for a bit but my dislike of PDF patterns stopped me every time I thought about getting one.  Funny thing, this year is my year of PDF patterns.  Of the 11 garments, I have made so far this year, only 1 has been from the Big 4.  The rest have been PDF’s from indie pattern companies.

The Stella features a front scoop neckline with three different back views.  There is also an off the shoulder view.  I chose to make view B, which features the deep V back with shoulder band. Look at that deep V.  It is just so delicious!

I have to say, I am pretty pleased with Made for Mermaids patterns.   They do not use numbered sizes instead, each size is labeled with a color.  I think this is an interesting way to reinforce the idea that ‘you are more than a number on a tag’.  I like it and applaud them for it.  My biggest complaint about the sizing is that there is not a finished measurement chart anywhere.   The patterns are also drafted for a 5’5″ woman and I am 5’8″, so as is this top is too short.  The great thing is Made for Mermaids has already thought of this and included an easy mathematical formula to adjust for your personal height.  My only other complaint is that the pieces for the neckband, waistband, back strap, and cuffs do not have physical pattern pieces.  They have a chart for what measurements to cut them to, which works because they are just rectangles, but I still prefer physical pattern pieces.  Physical pieces take a lot of the room for cutting error off the table.

The sweater did sew up nice and easy with my fabric choice. I used 2 yards of this Peach and Cream Floral Hacci Sweater Knit.  I picked it up from one of the last few Girl Charlee Knitfix bundles in 2016.  I miss Knitfix so much!  I actually haven’t shopped Girl Charlee since they stopped doing Knitfix. So sad, I  got some great prints in those bundles.

I was so blindly in love with this top that I didn’t even think about what to wear under it.  Luckily for this version I have a coral tank that coordinates well with the colors in the roses.  However,  the pattern instructions feature other versions with the Made for Mermaids Bridgette Bralette underneath and now I NEED to make that pattern.  That one is next up on my patterns to purchase list, so I can make more of this deep V view and the open keyhole back view as well.  I am already trying to figure out which fabrics to use next and what other interesting banding I can do with that deep V.  Next I am thinking of doing several criss crossing straps down the V to give it a corset inspired look.

On a sidenote, being your own photographer is hard.  Somehow I had my camera settings on manual focus so it would not do anything when I set my lense to auto-focus.  I fixed it for next time, but it is too late to retake my photos now. Grrr…

Have you tried Made for Mermaids yet? Which of their patterns have you made?

While you are at it check out the other stitchers on the Breaking Ground Blog Tour and what pattern companies they are trying out this week. The Full Tour includes all these creatives… we hope you’ll visit us each day:

Monday March 12- mahlicadesigns, Sewing Vortex, Sewing A La Carte, Little Heart Threads, The Sewing Scientist

Tuesday March 13- Musings of A Seamstress, A Custom Clothier, Octaves of Color, Aurora Design Fabrics, Sew Altered Style

Wednesday March 14- Flaxfield Sewing, Chook n Duck, Tales of a Tester, Sewing By Ti, Sewing Vortex, Kathy’s Kwilts and More

Thursday March 15- Very Blissful, Manning the Machine, Sew and Tell Project, Musings of a Seamstress, Stitches by Laura

Friday March 16- Lulu & Celeste, Tenille’s Thread, Sewing A La Carte, The Bear and Pea Atelier, Aurora Design Fabrics, Sprouting Jube Jube, Kathy’s Kwilts and More

To make the tour even more fun, our Breaking Ground blog team member, Gail is offering 2 patterns of choice from her pattern shop Flosstyle to one lucky winner.

Enter Here!

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We’d love to see how you’re Breaking Ground this month. Share with us what you’re working on by using the hashtag #BreakingGround2018 across social media.

Better yet, join the Sew Alongs & Sewing Contests facebook group to sew along with the Breaking Ground theme for the entire month of March. In the group you’ll find support and encouragement for your projects and fun themed challenges.