I had good intentions on posting Friday, but then, on a whim, decided to recreate a dress that had be in my brain all night. I had seen a (music) video on Thursday – I love the song so much that I watched it repeatedly. There’s always LOTS of costuming going on with this band and I found myself thinking about how I could re-create this actress’ dress for myself. By Friday morning, I had it plotted out in my head and was already whipping up a muslin…. and by the end of the day, I had completed the dress!

So how did I do it? Here’s a bit of the lowdown: I wound up using two patterns, Jalie 2805 (the turtleneck version) and the Lisette (3883). In hindsight, I probably could have skipped using the skirt pattern since the top is pretty much just brought down into a straight line (it’s shaped a bit, but not that much), although it did give me a good judgement as to how long I needed to make it. As for modifying the top, I essential cut the front portion of the pattern in two to create the cutout: the lower section is just above the bust while the top portion is a triangle. After creating finished edges, the front pieces are overlapped and treated as one piece. I left off the sleeves and hemmed the raw edges. I made the gloves by tracing my arm, adding a seam allowance and sewing. As a side note, it’s probably a good idea to trace your dominant arm as I found that mine is slightly larger (and fit is a bit different).

As for fabric, my initial mock-up was a bit of stretch pleather that I had leftover from a Halloween catsuit – it had a wonderful stretch and drape (not to mention a heavy shine), but unfortunately, there was not enough to make a full dress. Since I didn’t want to order fabric, I headed to the costume section of Joann. After much waffling, I decided to skip their stretch pleather (even though it has a great shine, the stretch recovery is a bit off and it feels like a cheap raincoat) and went with a black metallic stretch instead. This material had a much better stretch and recovery, but far less shine. It feels more like a fabric, but you’ll still need a Teflon foot to sew with it because it has a bit of tack like pleather.

Overall this was a fun, inspired sew! I am seriously considering wearing this to their concert this weekend, but we’ll see if I chicken out in the end.

Don’t miss my Halloween Mask tutorial over at Bernina’s WeAllSew this week! Need more quick costume ideas? This witch hat and caplet are designed to be paired together and this Vampire Cape is unisex (and even fits your favorite pooch).

Enter to win a copy of EQ8 Quilt Design Software.

If you have a Halloween tree, you’ll definitely want to whip up a few of these stenciled ornaments.

I love this cool clutch pattern – what a great way to show off your favorite fabrics.

Need a quick back? This hipster looks like a fast sew with cute results. Looking for something larger? This messenger is a great solution.

There are 68 days until Christmas – so there’s still plenty of time to make those family pajamas.

When I see cute crochet hat patterns like this, I always think I need to give this hobby a try. And wouldn’t this cowl be a perfect match too?

Running out of time to sew a full costume? This dragon uses a hoodie as a base.

Halloween doesn’t have to be scary! Check out this fun Frankenstein fleece pillow (now try to say that sentences 5 times real fast!).

This mug rug doubles as a gift card holder – what a great idea for teacher gifts!

Are you ready for another easy Halloween accessory tutorial? Today on Bernina’s WeAllSew you can check out my latest project: The Halloween Mask!

This tutorial helps you create a fabric mask that can be fully reversible and has (self-fabric) Velcro straps. The best part? It’s made with cotton material so the options are endless as to what you can make this in! Plus it fits almost everyone, even the dog.

This weekend we hit the road to take Easton to (finally) fulfill his birthday present: tickets to see Ed Sheeran. I know this is a sewing site, so I won’t go on and on, but what I will say is, “wow that man is talented”. He put on a 2 hour show, by himself, with nothing on stage besides his guitar and a looper machine. Amazing. Not to mention the fact that he filled an entire football stadium… by himself (and it was cold, too).

So I had lofty goals that when we returned last night I would get a sudden burst of energy and whip up something new for today. But alas, no. I was completely sapped of energy and didn’t even think about anything sewing related. So, today, it’s back to the grind. I plan on re-starting the project I flubbed up last week (cross your fingers that I don’t mess it up again), starting Halloween sewing, and tackling a few selfish sews too!

Halloween is just a few weeks away… which means it’s crunch time in sewing up a costume for Easton. This year he has decided on Fortnite’s Panda Team Leader.

Easton has always been one for “authenticity” in his costumes (he will make a great cosplayer some day), so he is wanting “leg armor” and “bamboo back bling” to make his outfit complete.  The first obstacle was finding a “full” panda head he could wear (this was one of his requirements)…. because I’m not even attempting to make that myself. Fortunately, I found one (and cheap too) at Walmart. Believe it or not, my next issue was finding fabric. Why is short, black fur so hard to find? I searched all over and finally settled on some Velboa plush from Fabric Emprie’s Etsy shop. The upside with this is that it doesn’t shed like a “regular” fur and has a soft backing so it’s not uncomfortable to wear. Lastly, there’s the pattern: I opted for Simplicity 2855 – it’s the closest I could get to the actual design without trying to heavily modify a onesie pattern myself (I do plan on taking in the final design to get a slimmer look, but this fabric doesn’t stretch so we’ll see how comfortable that winds up being). As for the back bling, we’re winging it. I found natural bamboo at the store and plan on having it cut down and spray painting it green to give it a similar vibe.

Now the big question. What’s the price breakdown of this outfit? I’m guessing that this will increase slightly as I still need paint and glue for the back bling, but here’s the initial breakdown:

Total Cost:

Pattern….. $1.99
Fabric……. $39.05
Notions…. $5.50
“Props”…. $37.57*

Total $84.11

*Props includes the cost of back bling materials and a giant foam pick axe.

They are predicting SNOW this weekend. Snow! I may need one of these flannel and fleece blankets to stay warm.

With Halloween just a few weeks away, it’s time to start decorating! Things don’t have to be scary, especially if you make this adorable Boo-yah! Cute Ghosties Hoop Art.

Love ribbons, but never quite sure how you should incorporate them into your projects? This barrel tote is a great way to show off your favorite trims.

I love the tie front tops that I’ve made, so why shouldn’t little girls have their own version, too? What makes it better? That it’s free!

Kate Spade made fabulous bags. Now you can make one inspired by her famous bucket bag.

Enter to win a copy of My First Book of Sewing. While you’re there, be sure to check out her 12 ideas for Christmas sewing projects – because Christmas is only 75 days away!

Walk out of your sewing room with a trendy square top in just 30 minutes.

Cool weather means it’s a great time for layering. This hooded wrap coat is a great look to take off the chill.

Need a quick Halloween accessory? Be sure to check out my latest tutorial at WeAllSew for the Lil’ Devil Headband.

Speaking of Halloween, are you needing some inspiration? He’re a tutorial for a dragon costume that can be made over the weekend.

Like it or not, scrunchies have made a come back. This is a bit of a twist on the classic look.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Japanese sewing patterns. I stumbled across this site which can give you a taste of what they’re like before you dive into more expensive magazines. This Woman’s Button Smock and Gathered Long Skirt are good projects to start with. Needing help with some of the translations? This is a handy reference on common sewing terms.

If you haven’t visited WeAllSew this week, then you’ve probably missed my latest tutorial – so be sure to hop on over to check out the Lil’ Devil Halloween Headband project. This accessory is easy to sew, can fit any size headband, and can be easily altered if you’re needing an animal ear instead (or make a cone shape and make a unicorn horn instead).

This project whips up in about an hour – which makes it perfect for last minute costumes AND chances are you have almost everything you need to make this already on hand. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

My grandma once joked that she should have “Everything I touch turns to sh!t” engraved on her headstone… and sometimes I feel the same. While so many of my projects seem to turn out without a hitch, I also seem to have a stream of failures intermixed as well (they really do seem to happen in bunches).

As often as I share my successes, I like to share the losers as well… because we all have projects like those and it’s nice to know we’re not alone. Plus, you can always learn from another’s mistake. So what is my latest misstep? A huge project that was eaten by my embroidery machine. I was 5 hours into my embroidery project when I stopped babysitting my project to go to the bathroom. Of course, that’s when it decided to catch an edge of the fabric, pull it into the stitches, and just go to town. I attempted to fix it, but not only did I rip the material (it’s very delicate), but created holes in the most obvious place. Heartbreak, because this was totally my fault. I would show you the damage, but this is for an article and that would just give too much away.

The upside is that I know exactly what I’m doing the next time around (placement is key in this project) and that I was able to get more material. I’m also going to make sure that I pause the machine for any bathroom breaks.

Looking for a fun family costume? Here’s an easy “Baby Shark” themed group (and for those that haven’t been subjected to the song yet, there’s a link for that too).

These circle potholders would make the perfect housewarming or shower gift, but I’m thinking I might make some as a “selfish sew”.

Love the simplicity of Japan’s zakka style? Now you can create styles for you house if you win a copy of Zakka Home.

This grommet wrap skirt is a fun way to use notions besides bags.

Stay warm, look cute in this fun to wear cowl neck hoodie.

Keep your remotes, magazines, reading glasses handy when you make this great 5 pocket arm chair caddy for you living room.

Give fair isle a whole new look with this fabulous Star Wars themed sweater.

These linen bloomers look comfortable for little ones to play around in.

I’m still hoping to squeeze out just a bit more summer like weather so I can make this cute, long romper.

Learn how to create an adorable tooth fairy pillow inspired by the book Unlimited Squirrels: I Lost My Tooth.

This cloche hat is perfect for fall.

Know what makes this  toddler dress so fantastic? It’s reversible – so if you get a spill, bam! it’s a whole new look without bringing a change of clothes!

So you may be thinking, “Christmas already?” when you see this tutorial, but the holiday has already hit the stores in full force. Wanting to get ahead of the sewing\crafting game? Whip up a few of these mini stockings.

This dropped shoulder shirt is a great way to change up the look of traditional tees\tops…. plus it’s free!

It wouldn’t be Halloween without a few witches. Learn how to sew you own witch hat with this tutorial.

Need a quick costume or just have a unicorn lover in your house? Learn how to make a unicorn hoodie from a purchased jacket.

I’ve been working on several large embroidery pieces lately. I had really wanted to do this design on leather (I know, detailed embroidery like this doesn’t usually work that well, but I’m a rule breaker) so I started on the copper goat skin (middle). The design worked beautifully, but the skin is so shiny it really detracts from the overall design, plus it didn’t match my hardware….

My second attempt was the pink calf skin (top). In the back of my head, I sort of knew this wasn’t going to work – it’s just too supple. From a distance, it looks “ok”, but even with a small leather needle, you could see the holes and it stretched just enough that the design shifted out of alignment ever so slightly. I stopped mid stitching on this one because I thought that the roses would just rip the whole thing entirely.

My last attempt was a home decor weight cotton. It stitched out perfectly and looks great.

So what was the whole point about this post? First off, material matters – not all fabrics are alike and respond differently to the design you’re stitching out. If you can, test swatch! Secondly color matters! All of these were used with the same colors, (with the exception of the antlers on the copper version, I swapped out for a slightly darker shade after), but look quite different on their background.