Have you guys heard?  Made for Mermaids is doing a sew-a-long for the Ella + Mama Ella patterns all next week!  So fun, right?  Sew-a-longs are just a little way for hundreds of people to sew the same thing, at the same time, and feel like you have sewing buddies making the same thing alongside you…as well as get a lot of inspiration, tips and hacks.

I’m here to share one of the extras that is coming next Wednesday: a flutter sleeve add-on!

The transitional periods between seasons is usually pretty hard on me.  It takes a while to get used to seeing body parts of mine that have been covered up all fall/winter long.  The weather has been warming up and I’ve been rocking shorts and ::needing:: tank tops…but let’s be serious.  I’m not really ready to expose my arms completely yet.

So before I can go lift a thousand weights and have Michelle Obama arms, I’m going to disguise my upper arms with something a little sweeter.

I am seriously in love with our peonies bushes that bloom every year.  They smell SO GOOD.  And they’re gorgeous.  Plus, they matched my top.  So I was all “OMG, I’m totally going to take pictures with them in my hands!”

And then I quickly realized that it’s super hard to look natural, holding flowers.  Enjoy these photos, because it’s the best you’re going to get from me.  #sorrynotsorry

The Ella patterns got an update last summer and I was part of the reboot tester team.  You can see my original photos HERE.  The hem that I never managed to make during testing was the tie-front top.  I have this mild obsession with knotting my tops right now…so it was perfect that Ella already includes this in the pattern.  Because I love it.

The back neckline on the Ella patterns are a lot different than any of the patterns I currently own.  I tend to gravitate toward tops that cover my back, rather than reveal them.  But this low back (actually the “high back” option on the pattern) doesn’t make me feel like I’m just exposing all of my backfat for the world to see.  Because seriously.  No one needs to see that.

Covered and still sexy skin showing?  Yes please!

PS.  Isn’t this fabric so cute?!  I’ve been shying away from chevrons ever since they were EVERYWHERE, but this is a subtle version of them.  And I love the colors.  I mean, they match my flowers….hello!

Kayla from Surge Fabric Shop surprised me with a package that included both of these double brushed polys and I was so happy that I was able to use them for the cutest top ever.  Thanks Kayla!

Some links, perhaps?

Pattern: Mama Ella by Made for Mermaids (Flutter Sleeves, available at MadeforMermaids.com this coming week!)
Fabric: Chevron DBP + Burgundy DBP from Surge Fabric Shop

**As always, you’ll find some affiliate links scattered within my post, which means I receive a small amount of compensation if you end up purchasing something I’ve recommended.  Thanks for helping to feed my sewing habits!