It’s hard to believe that today is the last day of November and Christmas is right around the corner. I have officially kicked off the holiday season by decorating the house, shopping for patterns (several companies participated in Black Friday\Cyber Monday sales), grabbing some great fabrics (Gorgeous Fabrics has a moving sale and there were several pieces I couldn’t resist), and grabbing a few holiday themed embroidery patterns…. now to just get down to business! I have several projects currently in the works, but have discovered that I work better one project at a time instead of attempting several at once. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have one of them finished to show off my progress.

In the mean time, if you’re looking for some great stocking stuffers (or teacher gift) ideas, be sure to stop by Patterns for Pirates. They have kicked off their 2021 freebies (there is a new one each day) with a fingerless gloves pattern and a scrunchie crown tutorial, but will have more as the week goes on (I’m sure I’ll highlight a few on this week’s Linky Thursday as well).

The day after Thanksgiving means it’s time for shopping! No Black Friday would be complete without a new release from Jalie. This year they’ve created another wonderful pattern (their Galaxie 3 carry on is one of my most used bags of all time), the VEGA convertible bag. This pattern (and video tutorial) shows you how to create a spacious bag that can be used as a backpack, tote, or messenger. It also has a front and side pockets (great for water bottles), zippered pocket, interior pouches, and key leash so nothing gets lost.

I had the opportunity to test this pattern out pre-release and LOVE it! I used Zor-elle’s Winter Skulls & Moth’s Canvas (as well as their skull zipper pulls, zipper tape, d-rings, and clasps) for the exterior and a purple canvas from Joann as an accent, straps, and handle.

You can grab this pattern for the next 4 days at 50% off using the code GALAXIE5.

After many failed attempts at trying to post yesterday (you may have noticed that the site was down for awhile too – apparently lots of places had issues), I gave up and decided to try again today…. because I had to show you my new Thanksgiving romper!

I had mentioned last week that I was inspired to make one after seeing ads for some online – because who doesn’t want to wear something themed AND comfortable on a holiday centered around food? So, I purchased this great Thanksgiving fabric (my only wish is that the print was slightly larger) on Etsy and pulled out the Petite Stitchery & Co’s Elliot Romer to make this crazy, cozy one piece. Plus, it has pockets!

I plan on rockin’ this look all day long tomorrow and can’t wait! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone that celebrates and enjoy your food filled day!

Need a quick top for the weekend or holiday gathering? Then you’ll definitely want to check out Sonia Estep’s latest project on Patreon – the Serendipity. I made the Date Night version of this top in a festive plaid French terry from So Sew English fabrics (it is no longer in stock, but they have quite a few plaids on hand). In an effort to keep the print toned down some, I made the sleeves in a solid navy French terry – and I really loved the end result. I opted to wear this with a pair of faux leather leggings and short boots for an edgier look. Best of all? STRETCHY pants and a loose fitting top means I have more room for pie on Thanksgiving!

If you’re new to Patreon, you’ll find that there are several different options and price ranges (basic to packages that give you additional patterns, videos, and tutorials). When you join, you can pick up this pattern and those released previous months as well (in this case, there is only one other one) and cancel at any time.

We are one week away from (American) Thanksgiving! Get your table ready with these free placemat , table runner, and (quick) napkin projects.

Earlier this week, I made myself an adorable ear warmer project. Here’s one for the little ones in your life too!

Look at these cute possum plush (now try to say “possum plush 5 times real fast!).

There is something classic about a pussycat blouse – this version is free!

Enter to win a fat quarter bundle (21 fabrics!) of Heather Ross’ Trixi.

Looking for Hanukkah projects that you can make? Here’s a great little roundup of projects for the holiday.

We had SNOW over the weekend! This means it’s officially hot chocolate season! Dress up your cocoa with easy mug rugs and upcycled cozies.

I have a soft spot for gnomes – these easy ornaments look so fun to make!

I had visions of singing Christmas carols when I saw the Lennox Dress.

In my personal opinion, Thanksgiving is an underappreciated crafting\sewing opportunity. Over the years, I’ve tried to make this a more “interesting” holiday around our house and done a variety things ranging from Family Shirts (which is still one of my favorites) and Turkey Hats (these were pretty amazing too). So for this year, I’ve decided to try something different: I’m making myself a Thanksgiving Day Romper.

I was inspired to make this project after seeing these pajamralls from Shinesty – not only are they comfy to wear (I’m thinking the ultimate stretchy pants) but the print was fun too. So, I searched the internet for a fun Thanksgiving print that had a similar vibe to Shinesty’s and found this cute design from Two Dreams Fabric Shop on Etsy. Now that the fabric is here and washed, I have started cutting it out using the Elliot Romper pattern. This should be so fun!

It probably comes as no shock, but the pandemic has not helped my waistline. Like many people, I gained the “Quarantine 15” (I blame a lack of activity and my love of carbs and cheese) – enough that I’ve noticed my pants are getting a bit snug and my shirts don’t always look the same on. Now that it’s getting colder outside, I know my activity level will be even worse, so I finally pulled the trigger on something I’ve been mulling over for awhile – I bought a Peloton Bike.

Easton thought we needed one a year ago (at the height of their popularity) and I resisted, but I’ve had the chance to check out some of their classes…. and they look fun. So, last weekend, we stopped by the store and I ordered it. My bike was supposed to be here yesterday, but the drivers discovered some part of it was damaged so it should be here tomorrow. In the mean time, I’ve been playing around with a variety of yoga, cardio, and strength classes – I have been amazed at how fast a 20 or 30 minute workout goes by!

Why mention all of this? Well, chances are you’ll be seeing a bit more workout gear on here for awhile (even though no one can see me, doesn’t mean I can’t have new clothes?) – which is a great way for me to use of some of that athletic knit I’ve been stashing. Secondly, if you already own a Peloton, add me (my user name is, stacysews). If you’re thinking about getting one for yourself, be sure to use me as a referral – you’ll get $100 off (which basically covers the price of the cleats) and I’ll get some gear myself! Hopefully, you’ll also be noticing some physical changes in a few months – I’m not expecting a dramatic change in weight, but I do hope that I look a bit more toned (I’ve been doing some core classes and apparently I “need” this, LOL) and less squishy.

By the way, if you’re wondering who that guy is next to the bike – it’s Cody Rigsby. He’s a Peloton instructor and is currently on Dancing with the Stars. I tried a Beyonce dance cardio with him yesterday and it kicked my butt… a dancer I am not.

Last week I wound up getting sick (just a cold, not Covid) for the first time in well over 2 years. Needless to say, I was a big baby about it and didn’t feel much like accomplishing anything other than sitting on the couch, watching tv, and surfing the web. So now that I’m better, one of the first projects I wanted to tackle was one of those sherpa lined headbands that everyone has be stitching up:

This is a ridiculously easy project based on Her Gifted Hand’s TikTok. Not only is this fast and easy to sew, but it’s a great scrap buster too! You do have to play around with the length a bit (my first attempt was too snug for my liking), but once you get that part figured out, you can easily crank out a ton of these! Talk about a great stocking stuffer!

I stumbled across this adorable plush giraffe today – someone I know is going to need to have a baby soon so I have an excuse to make one.

If you’re looking to change up your favorite top pattern, you’ll definitely want to watch this video on basic sleeve manipulations.

It’s (almost?) soup season! Which means it’s time to post my favorite soup accessory, bowl cozys.

I love the look of clutches that have those big wrist straps across the back of the bag – like this Katherine Clutch, which was inspired by a Hermes bag.

This tutorial is really designed to show off Shiko style embroidery, but I’m all about that adorable case!

Relax this weekend with the perfect slouchy sweatshirt. Pair it up with a chunky handknit blanket (this tutorial is for beginners, too) and you’ve got the makings a great Netflix weekend!

Pajama pants for the entire family!

If you’re tired of sewing masks, this neck gaiter is a great alternative (plus is good for holding back hair too).

Infinity scarfs with secret pockets make great gifts and are perfect for stashing necessities when you’re low on pockets.

This slice of pie has 0 calories and is too cute for words.

Fingerless mittens are a great way to keep hand dexterity, but still keeping your hands warm when you don’t need to use them.

Apparently, I never posted this on Friday as I had intended! Not sure what happened, but here is what I had planned on showing you. I should probably let you know that it did not grow on me and I wound up wearing something completely different.

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this week and are planning on going out to dinner tonight to celebrate. I had wanted to wear something new for the occasion and decided on the Hollis Sweater pattern from this month’s Seamwork magazine.

I was really excited about this pattern because it has a lot of elements that I really liked: crossover design, interesting sleeves in a knit! I thought that I might make an ‘edgy’ top and decided on using this fun magazine cover (double brushed poly) print that I picked up from So Sew English. The end result, however, was nothing like what I had in my head.

For starters, the crossover section is VERY deep. You can remedy this by tacking the two front sections together where you would like them to sit, but I found that’s not where it “naturally” wants to rest on my chest so it does look a bit odd to me. However, not doing this results in lots of cleavage. My other issue is how cropped it is – I knew it was “shorter” on the model, but I don’t really care for where it hits on me. It probably doesn’t help that it’s also double brushed poly so it’s very clingy and the hem is doing weird things to my muffin top (LOL). Lastly, this print is way too busy for this pattern – which is a bummer because I really liked this print initially.

So, my overall impression of this top is that it’s not love. I may put it back on the mannequin and see if it grows on me some, but I definitely won’t be wearing it any time soon and if I attempt the Hollis again, I’m definitely making a few modifications.