Lennon Sew Along Information

So, while at Disney last week, the Norris family wasn't the only one to meet Peter Pan. The Lennon did too...

I know, corny right? But hey it is early in the morning and I am still working on getting my brain back from vacation. :)

Here at BG, my goal is to show you many different variations and spins you can put on your patterns to help diversify your little one's closest while keeping the cost down. I also feel it helps to broaden your skill sets. To be honest - I actually learned more about collars when drafting this one than I ever thought I would know! See, we have to keep our brains sharp, right? Especially when they are still on vacation!

So, I am super excited to start a sew along to show you how to add a Peter Pan collar to your Lennon dress or blouse. I will also do a tutorial on how to make the Lennon sleeveless so that you can get some wear out of it this summer. While making the sleeveless dress, I will also show you how to line it completely and sandwich an invisible zipper between the two layers with a gathered skirt. This dress will be just as beautiful on the inside as out! 

The fun all starts this Tuesday, March 17th. Which also happens to be St. Patrick's day. We should all feel lucky then. :) Speaking of luck and good fortune, let me fill you in on 2 sales going on for this sew along.

1. The Lennon pattern is on sale RIGHT now for $7.00. That's more than 20% off. Awesome, right? This way, in case you don't already have the pattern you can grab it in my Etsy store for a discounted price. And just think, if you buy it discounted and then learn more ways to use it, talk about some major bang for your buck! Here is a link to grab it in my Etsy store. The sale will last until midnight EST on Monday 3/16. 
2. Looking for just the right fabric? How about fabric on sale? Ummm...yes please! My dear friend Hilary at HBFabrics is offering a discount for the sew along! I just went through her shop and picked out a few I thought would be perfect for the Lennon! Here are two I thought would make ADORABLE sleeveless Lennon blouses.

Pair those with a chambray Lottie skirt (releasing soon, yay!) and talk about being stylish this summer!! I cannot even stand to think of the cuteness of the pink gingham with the denim skirt!

And these are some great combos for the dress. This Dear Stella is just SCREAMING to be a sweet little nautical-inspired dress with collar. I was thinking the chevron for the skirt, a sweet ivory for the dress part and the adorable Carolina Chambray in strawberry for the collar. OH MY WORD!

And this, gosh...I've had my eye on this print for a while. It may be time to dive in. Imagine this with a blue collar and then splash it up with a red ribbon around the waist. Okay, that's it. I need to fabric shop now. 

So, now through 3/17 (see, the luck continues) use the code BGSEWALONG20 to earn an additional 20% off your order at HBFabrics on Etsy. And don't fret on time, say your fabric doesn't come in time, NO worries. I always keep my sew alongs linked on the blog so you can reference them whenever you need to!

So, while a pattern sale and fabric sale are almost too much excitement to contain in one day...I have ONE more piece of excitement. And this one is FREE! Drumroll....I have already drafted the collar for you. And I will include a link for download on the first day of the sew along. Fantastic right!! So no need to stress about drafting a collar. :)

Now for those ready to plan and shop. Click here for a list of materials needed for the Lennon. Now, if you are planning on making your Lennon sleeveless, you need not worry about the facing for this but you will need a lining. To construct the dress sleeveless, you will basically cut 2 sets of the bodice, so that you have a main fabric front and back pieces and then lining front and back pieces. For the blouse, you will do the same, but I will show you how to cut the lining - it will end about 3/4 of the way down your blouse. Just make sure to account for that fabric. For the collar, most of the times you can cut this from scrap pieces, but if you like to be formal - make sure to have 3/8 of a yard. Clear as mud, right? Also, on the dress for the pattern it doesn't matter the zipper length as it is cut off, but for the sleeveless version we are sandwiching that zipper and will use it all, so make sure to grab a zipper that is longer than the bodice, but shorter than the dress. Again, clear as mud I am sure. Ha!

Okay, I just threw a ton of info your way, and if your brain is still on the struggle bus this morning like mine is...let's break it down for you. Here's a little calendar:

• now through 3/17 : pick up your copy of the Lennon ON SALE in the brownie-goose etsy shop and use the code BGSEWALONG20 for 20% off your order at HBFabrics on etsy.

• Tuesday 3/17 - Friday 3/20 : the sew along begins right here on the BG blog! Remember, if you cannot sew along this week, no worries! I will keep the sew along up and linked under the sew along tab. i will post each day a series of steps to construct our collared Lennons. Since this is just a sew along, many times i will reference the pattern. For example, I may say, finish construction as indicated on page 15 of tutorial. So, the pattern is kinda a must-have. :)

• Friday 3/20-Sunday 3/29 : I will start an album on the brownie-goose lovers group on Facebook. This is where you will upload your creations to be entered into a giveaway. You can make as many as you want to enter, but only the photos in the album will be entered to win. Make sure you put your photos in the right spot! This gives everyone a chance to participate over 2 weeks!

• Monday 3/30: I will choose 2 winners at random for 2 brownie-goose patterns of choice AND a $25 gift certificate to Etsy. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Alrighty then, who is excited!? I am, but I also must get to work!!! It's an exciting week at BG with a sew along and hopefully a brand new pattern release. Must grab more coffee!

Thanks ladies - and holler at me brownie goose@hotmail.com with any questions!

Xoxo - Amy