Just a Small Town Girl!

  

Whew! How are you all surviving summer? Getting back into the triple digit heat was a bit of a shocker after our vacation, but we are doing our best to stay cool using our teeny tiny blow up pool from the Dollar Tree. Sure, we could invest in something more permanent and classy, but that would seriously cut into my fabric budget. So… cheapo pool it is! Luckily, the kids don’t seem to mind, and are happy sliding into the little pool over, and over, and over….

How is this sewing related, you ask? Well, despite their preference for running around stark naked in the backyard and basking in the sun like lizards, my kids really, really needed some new summer shorts. Especially the Princess, who has been growing like a weed. When Patterns for Pirates previewed their newest “Little Loungers” pattern, I knew I would have to jump in!

The Little Loungers pattern and women’s Linen Loungers is designed for wovens, and comes with options galore: a variety of lengths, pockets, waistband finishes, and hem treatments. To accommodate her ample cloth diapered bum, I chose the yoga waistband and sized up one size. If you’re new to sewing with wovens, check out my blog post on Wovens 101 HERE!

I just had to take these pictures to show off the yoga waistband/adorable baby belly! I love how it hugs her waist but leaves plenty of room for her hips!

I also chose the cuffed view with back pockets- I love the option to add a contrast there!

You can roll the cuff up or down, depending on your length preference, and add a button tab if desired. I prefer it longer for more sun coverage, but you can see both in my photos.

Down:

Up:

I made two pairs during testing (with more to come, I’m sure!), digging deep to reveal a linen blend from my stash (mystery origin!). I used a coordinating quilting cotton/shirting  for the cuffs, and cotton lycra for the waistband. They would also work well in rayon challis, chambray, or even board shorts material!

My first pair turned out so cute I decided to make it an outfit, and turned to the free Constance Sweater Pattern from Sew a Little Seam- those puff sleeves are just too sweet! I altered it to be a bit more fitted, and to have short, rather than long sleeves.

To finish the look, I designed and applied the “Just a Small Town Girl” cut file (read to the bottom for a special treat!). I only recently started applying vinyl to shirts, and there’s still a bit of a learning curve, but I’m really excited about the possibilities! (If you’re curious, I have this silhouette cameo, and this heat press.)

Since the first set came together so quickly, I had plenty of time for another,  so I sewed up the red gingham shorts and shirt using the Sugar Pie pattern from Patterns for Pirates. The sugar pie is simple, fast, and fits perfectly- a win in my book! (she’s mesmerized by a couple dogs in this photo, which is the only time we got her to stand still!)

I found some adorable little ladybug buttons in my stash, and added them to the pockets. Because, ladybugs.

Unfortunately, the matching tee looked too bare, so hubby and I went back to work designing another cut file, and came up with the “Lil Country Bumpkin” image. We did struggle a bit in the application with this fabric- even on an appropriate setting the letters seemed to be having difficulty adhering well. After I re-pressed it a few times it seemed to be secure, but time (and lots of washing!) will tell.

See the inspiration for the tee here:

You might notice the small tag I’ve added to my tees- I ordered these a while ago (before I thought I’d be sewing for myself!) and I always forget that I had them- but I’m loving the little handmade touch!

I’m excited to offer these original cut files to you for FREE! You can download them below in eps, png, svg, studio3 formats. Don’t forget that if you are using these to apply heat transfer vinyl, you’ll need to right click on the image in your software and click “flip horizontal” before cutting so that it can be transferred correctly (ask me how I know!).

Download Just a small town girl cut files (zip)

Download Lil Country Bumpkin cut files (zip)

You can grab your “Little Loungers” pattern HERE– there’s even a matching women’s version HERE and a bundle HERE

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Note: this post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a pattern using these links a small portion of your purchase is given to me to fund my sewing and fabric projects! Thank you!

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