Over the Top Modified Ruffle Dress by Blutteryfly Baby Boutique

We’ve long admired Bee J Stanley, owner of Blutterfly Baby Boutique, because she takes Sis Boom fabric and makes endless ruffles for dresses, rompers, bloomers and more. This momma of 4 works full time with a long daily commute but still finds time to sew. Wow! Give her a follow over on Instagram and Facebook for your daily dose of sewing and color inspiration.

Over the Top Modified Ruffle Dress


Hi!! I’m Bee J Stanley, owner of Blutterfly Baby Boutique.  I am a mother of 4 beautiful children. I have a wonderful husband who supports all my sewing habits, sometimes unknowingly, OK mostly unknowingly…LOL.  I have been sewing little girl dresses now for over 2 years. I’m self-taught from using blogs, internet, YouTube and simply watching others and feel like I’m learning more every day.  I’m always willing to help new sewists with questions and hope to learn some amazing skills in return. Not that I’m the expert, but having someone help with simple things that make everything easier can really help.  I work a full-time job 50 hours a week with a 3-hour daily commute and I do all my sewing on the weekends-  I call it my “play time”. Making crazy over the top modified dresses are my new favorite creations and are so much fun, so I thought I would share a little on how I do that.  Threads and Stitches sent me some fabrics to play with and create this blog, so here we go.  I’ve never written a blog before so I hope you like it and please come share with me once you have tried this- or one of your own over the top designs! I am super excited to showcase one of the best designer fabrics in the world- Jennifer Paganelli’s Sunny Isle Collection, Sis Boom– Free spirit fabrics.  

To see a tutorial on how to make this amazing dress, head over to Thread and Stitches….

Judith’s Fancy Inspiration – Coming November

It’s cooling off here in the northeast of the US and starting to feel like fall. Our amazing and talented seamstresses, quilters and crafters have been working hard with Judith’s Fancy, due out in November, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you!


Marsha from @cutestuffinside has the girls gassed up and heading on a road trip in this darling VW van.

Anne or @acq1007, the queen of flowerpot blocks, as Jennifer has nicknamed her, did this lovely block for us using applique and embroidery.

Tanja over at @queenoffabric made this lovely bag complete with ric rac, velvet ribbon and pom poms. Just glorious!

Pineapples are the star here in this dress (with darling matching purse) by the ever talented Judy over at @hickitypickity

The start of a few happy little trees by Scott over @bluenickelstudios

Ruffles galore on this beauty by @blutterflybabyboutique


Beautiful quilt with perfect colorful fabric placement by Monique over at @sewfunbymonique

Stay tuned for more inspiration in the coming months. November can’t get here fast enough!

The Tunic Bible – the New Sewing Book You Need in Your Life

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The Tunic Bible by Sarah Gunn and Julie Star is lovely book for all my sewist out there who love to sew for themselves. The tagline is “One Pattern, Interchangeable Pieces, Ready-to-Wear Results!” That’s right, these ladies show you to make tunics from one simple pattern in various lengths from tops to maxi dresses with interchangeable sleeve, neck plackets and collars. Best of all the pattern comes in sizes XS-XXL.

Sarah and Julie recently attended QuiltCon in Savannah last week to promote the book and wore 2 gorgeous tunic dresses made in Sophia fabric from the Hotel Frederiksted line. How gorgeous are these 2 ladies?

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Here Sarah models a Ruffle Neck Maxi. Check out the close up shot to see those stunning ruffles along the neckline.

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Julie made a shorter tunic dress and piped the sleeves and placket with Terrie from Hotel Frederiksted. The green is perfect for Spring!

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Grab the Tunic Bible and your favorite JP fabric today and share with us on social media what you make – Facebook and Instagram. We love seeing what you are up to!

Sew4Home Bag and Totes Book Review

Marsha (follow her over on Instagram @cutestuffinside), lives close to us here in CT. She is a long time fan and makes the most wonderful things using Sis Boom fabric plus so much more.

Sew4Home Totes and Bags by Marsha of Cute Stuff Inside

One of my favorite new books for bags and totes is this book by Sew4Home.

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I first made the Easy Wave Top Shoulder Bag and I have to say, I love this bag. Following the excellent directions from the book, this bag went together super easy. It’s roomy with two pockets and has a great strap that feels secure. I made this purse out of 2-1/2″ squares from Jennifer Paganelli’s Hotel Frederiksted line of fabric. I chose 15 different fabrics from this line and sewed each square together with a 1/4″ seam in horizontal rows of 6 squares each. I made a total of 16 rows for the purse body and sewed them altogether, top to bottom, to create my fabric.

Following the directions in the book, I fused my batting to the quilt fabric and then proceeded to machine quilted in a cross-hatch pattern diagonally across all the squares. I did have to draft a curved shape for the top of this bag, but following the instructions and diagram, it was a piece of cake, even with my limited drawing skills. For the lining of this purse I chose Hotel Frederiksted Krysta, in white.

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After completing the body of the purse, I decided to go ahead and finish off the top with a bias binding. This was just an extra step I took to finish off the quilt look I was going for. I chose Terrie from Hotel Frederiksted, lighter blue, for the finishing touch. This fabric makes a great binding and I have used it on lots of projects. In keeping with the theme of this bag, I chose to make a strap from additional squares. Making two long strips of 24 squares (one strip for each side of the strap), I fused batting to each side and again, machine quilted through each square. Then, wrong sides together, I basted the layers together and applied binding all around, and continued with the instructions for attaching to the purse. The instructions also suggest putting a label on the front of your bag. I love this touch. I took a Sis Boom label, applied it to a square a felt with a pinked edge and added it to the front of the purse as a finishing touch. Love It! The best part of all, is that this purse is just the right size for a laptop, and since it can be carried cross-over style, it makes for perfect hands-free carrying!

The second bag I made from the book is the Boho Shoulder Bag. I made it for my daughter, Frannie, and she loves it. Christie in blue, also from the Hotel Frederiksted line of fabric, was the perfect choice for this purse. Although the directions for this purse suggest using two different fabrics for the body, my daughter Frannie requested just one, and the look came out just the way she wanted.

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We added Patrice in Pink for the lining of the bag and strap so just enough of it peeks out while carrying to complete a young, hip look. I found the red with white polka-dot foldover elastic on Amazon. It really looks great against the blue fabric, makes everything pop! As expected, the instructions for this purse are perfect and it went together so easily. I love that there are no pattern pieces, just measure and cut! The strap is adjustable with a D ring which means you can wear it short or carry it long across your body. Fits a laptop and the outer pockets are great for tucking in your phone or keys. Another great, easy to sew bag!

Introducing Sunny Isle

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Sunny Isle, due out in May, is the next collection from Sis Boom and we couldn’t be more excited. Sunny Isle can be any island, maybe your favorite that conjures up relaxation and well-being. The sand, water, pool, flip-flops, the striped umbrellas – it all adds to our experience of heaven on earth. Islands are those places that give us momentary pause and helps us shift our priorities and give us new perspective. An island, like our fabrics, give you that ability to unwind. Fabrics elicit the emotion of happiness and help us escape to far-away places. Sunny Isles is the happy place you dream of…wind-blown hair, lots of suntan oil, sand in bathing suits and buckets of sea urchins collected. These are the days that made up my childhood and the place I call home. I love this collection, the red which I tend to shy away from has that classic vintage feel. Let me know your thoughts, I’m listening.

I’d like to introduce you to some of the special people I named this collection after. They are old friends and new friends, family and people who help make sure my vision is perfect before it’s printed out on fabric and shipped to all my fans around the world.

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Alberto, from the FreeSpirit corporate offices, is my very talented friend who makes certain that my designs look their best and achieve the look I am after before they leave North Carolina enroute to Korea for printing.

Kat is a very special niece.

Dawn is a wonderful Facebook and Instagram friend. I’ve made great friends on social media over the years and it’s always fun to honor our friendship with a fabric in their name.

Garen is a quilt designer who I adore and Christie’s Quilting Boutique has her quilt kits for sale.

Claire is also a very special niece.

Jenna, who works along side Alberto at the FreeSpirit corporate offices, is incredibly talented on the CAD machine. She also helps refine the look and feel of my designs for FreeSpirit.

Amber is just a wonderful name I chose randomly from my Facebook page for all the beautiful amber souls out there. You know who you are!

I hope you have enjoyed this preview. Remember to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more sneak peeks of the fabric.

Hotel Frederiksted with Snickerdoodle Stew

Hotel Frederiksted is out and we are grateful for the positive response. This bright, cheery line with lush florals, colorful toiles and bright geometric designs combines everything you love about Jennifer Paganelli’s designs. The vibrant greens and reds are the perfect compliment to your Christmas sewing this time of year. We want to share part of Jessica of Snickerdoodle Stew’s post on Hotel Frederiksted and the Izzy and Ivy skirt she made using our fabric.

One Fabric Nation- Hotel Frederiksted
by Jessica

It’s that time again!

I’m here to tell you all about Hotel Frederiksted, the newest line from Jennifer Paganelli that ships this month from Free Spirit Fabrics! I’m not gonna lie . . . I never turn down an opportunity to sew with my favorite JPags, but this line takes the cake! I had such a hard time deciding what to do with it because I seriously loved it ALL! I finally decided on a few projects, so today I’m revealing a skirt that I made that I hope showcases these prints to their fullest.

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I’m a big fan of trims, and sometimes more is more, especially when Jennifer Paganelli prints are involved! I added a few and when I liked what I saw, I added one more for good measure. These are ribbons from Bonnie Christine and Renaissance Ribbons, paired with Cluny lace and trim from Little Red Cottage.

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I made a skirt similar to this for a birthday party my 7 year old attended, but it didn’t have the half doily on top of the apron like she wanted. I promised her I’d try it again on something for her, and I love the way it turned out. I wanted over the top, and I got it! The apron was an addition to the Izzy & Ivy Designs Addie Jo Skirt pattern. It’s a simple, yet versatile, skirt and it’s becoming my go-to for a quick project.

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Jump over to Jessica’s blog over at Snickerdoodle Stew to finish reading the blog post. Thanks for all you do Jessica.

Hotel Frederiksted is Hitting the Shelves….

We are giddy to announce Hotel Frederiksted is arriving in stores around the world. Check your favorite local quilting store or online. Sarah Scott of Piccolo Studio did this amazing quilt with bunny by Rhapsody and Thread. Here is part of her lovely blog post on using Hotel Frederiksted. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

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Sophie’s Quilt – Hotel Frederiksted

Its Fri-yay!

Not when you are a mum that makes a huge amount of difference but it is nice to feel I am celebrating with the rest of the world, even if it is just a bowl of doritos and a cup of peppermint tea lol.

Now I have a LOT of photos to show you and I mean a LOT! You know how I always bang on about wishing I could improve my photo taking skills? Well problem solved guys – I asked talented local photographer Angela Lisman to accompany me to a photo shoot for my recent quilt – the result is that you are going to see a LOT of photos because I could not choose my favourites, she really is that good!

One of my most favourite things to do in the world is work with the amazing fabrics designed by Jennifer Paganelli, the woman is a legend in matching colour and pattern and doing amazing things with both. Her latest range Hotel Frederiksted is no exception and I think it is my favourite so far. I love jewel colours and florals, throw in birds and I am in quilty heaven!

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Aren’t the pictures stunning?? Make sure you visit her blog post for the full story and lots more pictures on the Hotel Fred line.

Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook or Instagram with anything you make with Hotel Frederiksted.

ScrapBusters with Sew4Home: Rainbow Zippered Pouches in Two Sizes

Thanks to Sew4Home for another great tutorial using Sis Boom Color Brigade fabric. We are always thrilled to see our fabrics in an array of projects for home, office and fashion!

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By Sew4Home Editor: Liz Johnson

Designed to be the perfect size to drop into a larger bag or tote, these little pouches are really too pretty to hide! They’re long and slim with a full 12” opening. We combined a bold stripe with a pretty floral and topped them off with a striking rainbow zipper. Follow our design or create your own unique combination of fabric and hardware. It’s a fun and easy project – perfect for experimenting with unusual pairings of color, texture and motifs. So dive deep into your stash pile and pull out something new and different.

Continue reading the article here….

Color Brigade Patchwork Lumbar Pillow by Sew4Home

Sew 4 Home made a sublime Patchwork Lumbar Pillow with Free-Motion Quilting in Color Brigade fabric. We are thrilled and honored with the results. If you are looking for a bright and cheerful addition to your home decor, this pillow it is!

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Patchwork Lumbar Pillow with Free-Motion Quilting
By Liz Johnson

Having grown up in the Virgin Islands, Jennifer has always embraced the world of mismatched patterns. They were a dominant part of the world around her, showing up in layers of different cloth as well as the distinctive head wraps of her homeland’s Cruzan culture. Textiles played a huge role in her early aesthetic development and are the foundation for her designs and their signature saturated colors.

As Jennifer explains it, “Built of florals, a huge Fleur de Lis, a wonderful check, two-tone wood cuts, and rhythmic lines; this collection works together effortlessly and allows the color harmonies to impart a strong island vibe.”

Read the easy-to-follow step by step instructions over at Sew4Home

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Mary Fancy Sash Dress Part Deux

Merav, of Baby Hobbes Design, is back again and shows you how she did the
reverse scoop curve on her Mary Fancy Sash Dress. The fabric used for this project is Sophia and Terrie, both in Green from the Hotel Frederiksted collection due out in November. Girl’s World patterns are only available as paper patterns in the back of the book, so make sure you grab yourself a copy off Amazon. It’s filled with 21 amazing projects for girls of all ages. As always, thanks Merav for all you do for Sis Boom. Make sure to follow Merav on Instagram and Facebook for more inspiration.

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Hey hey! I am back again, this time with the inside scoop on how to add that ‘reverse scoop’ curve to your Mary Fancy Sash pattern. Last week I shared with you my take on the pattern for my new line of separates. I am all about sewing tops, skirts and pants this fall for Hobbes B2S wardrobe, so she can mix and match mama-made goodies with store bought tops and pants.

I love this pattern for it easy-fit feel. Hobbes loves dressing herself in the morning, and this top (or dress version) just slips on over the head, without zippers or buttons to close. As previously shown, I made three easy tweaks to the pattern: turning into a tunic, lining it so I can skip the bias tape and cutting the front bodice on a curve to add a bit more volume and bounce to the top.

It’s really easy to add a curve to your bodice. Just as long as you follow these SIX easy steps.

1) Be AWARE of your fabric pattern. Check the size of your bodice. A curve bodice on a smaller pattern may mean that your LARGE center flower in your fabric may be cut off. Play around with your precious fabrics before you cut.

2) Trace (if using Mary Fancy Sash from Girls World) or print and cut your pattern according to size.

3) After tracing or cutting your bodice, place it in front of you. Sis Boom Patterns are usually graded on a half bodice, see how I laid my front bodice?

4) Locating the bottom corner of the center bodice (this will be on the side with the word fold) decide on how wide of a scoop or curve you want in the top. Remember that you need to add length to the skirt to accommodate what you removed from the top) otherwise it will be too short. For this top, I measured 1.5 inches from the bottom and marked it with a dot.

*****When curving a top, you will start at the bottom edge under the arm and create a 25-40 degree line to meet the dot on the opposite side.

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5) Draw curve your line.

6) Re-cut your pattern with the curve.

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That’s all sewing friends! It’s so simple to add a bit of curves in your dresses and tops.

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Till next time, happy sewing!
-Merav @ Baby Hobbes Design