If part of your New Year’s sewing resolution included outlining your projects to keep your organized, then Mood has the calendar for you. The first two months also include sketching croquis, inspirations, and fabric inventory (I’m sure it’s not nearly long enough for me, LOL).

New Years Eve is tomorrow and if you’re still looking for a great “black tie” style, this tutorial will teach you how to make your own bow tie.

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve visited the Tula Pink website. While I don’t think I have it in me to make a very large quilt, this small version is very interesting (and her Cruiser pillowcase cover always turns out fantastic).

Loungewear in your future? This easy long sleeved top will be a great addition to your wardrobe. Pair it up with this free jogger pattern and you have yourself a great set!

Since I’m not a quilter, I never really know how to use those fun jelly rolls that I see in stores. So this cool basket weave pillow is a great idea on how to test them out!

I’m not sure if this Flower Doll is cute or creepy, but either way I’d like to sew one up just to see how it turns out.

This glasses case probably would have been a great stocking stuffer, but since Christmas is over, you can selfishly sew one up in time for spring!

I’m starting to feel the urge to stitch up some bags…. I’m thinking my first one of the year may be a duffle. This weekender bag is calling my name, but a more traditional shape like the Reign and the Saturday Bag are pretty cute too.

Looking to build your stash? Enter to win a whole bundle of sewing goodies!

It’s getting cold outside! Learn how to stitch your little ones a Decker Beanie.

Between the Christmas holiday and our daughter visiting us from out of town, you may have noticed a “dry spell” around here. It’s been a wonderful break – I’ve done a ton of cooking (and baking), we’ve eaten lots of food, played games, watched movies, and laughed a lot, but done zero sewing (I have purchased a pattern or two, bought some fabric, and mentally planned out what I might sew in the new year, though) – and it’s all good! With Taylor being so far away, we don’t get a lot of opportunities like this and it’s been a great visit.

With that said, I am hoping to sneak away and stitch up another Sav’s Sweatshirt (this time a cropped version). I managed to pick up a heavier weight material and am anxious to see how it changes the finished look from my previous version. I also hope to try out a few of those patterns that I’ve picked up this week too (this may have also included a purse pattern and some fun leather & hardware coming from Emmaline Bags.

If your holiday plans include spending time outdoors, you may want to stitch up a few of these rice filled microwave hand warmers.

Feeling ambitious? There’s till (some) time to sew pj pants for the family! You can grab all the sizes here.

Even if you don’t make these quilted slippers in time for Christmas, they would make a great gift for anytime (or the perfect selfish sew).

Look stylish and stay warm with this cute turtleneck top.

If your holiday plans include a potluck gathering, you’ll definitely want to check out this insulated casserole carrier tutorial.

This fabric bucket is great for gift giving, but perfect for the new year’s clean ups too.

Embroidery machine in your future (or already have one)? Enter to win this Hatch Embroidery Composer.

Needing some last minute stocking stuffers? Here’s a list of 8 quick projects you can make in no time.

I adore these little Danish star ornaments. What a great scrap buster!

It wouldn’t be the week of Christmas without that last push to finish holiday gifts and get them out the door in time. This weekend I checked a number of items off my list including pressing a number of screen printed tees, some fun little pocketed potholders, a few embroidered towels, and a slew of Christmas ornaments:

• 

• 

For those that are interested, the pocketed potholders are made with a screen printed design and then pressed. I found the cute spatulas at Target and stuffed them inside the pocket and used the plaid tree as a dangle off of it (the pocket is large enough for a bag of cookie dough mix too).

Speaking of the trees. I made more of the Little Debbie Christmas Cake design, but this time used a solid backing – which turned out so much better, IMHO. In fact, I liked the end result so much, I used the same design (sans sprinkles and icing garland) to make the plaid version. Instead of vinyl, I used cork for the base and fussy cut the fabric so that the deer head was centered inside. I like the “rustic” vibe that it gives off…. now I’m wishing I would have made one for my tree too!

Quite awhile ago I did some embroidery work with sherpa fleece. As a result I swore it off for forever. Well, that lasted about 6 months because here I am today embroidering (with the same) sherpa fleece.

It was totally worth all the extra work because this kitchen towel & matching ornaments (both from Nosey Pepper Patterns) are adorable. Not only did I use a sherpa for the beard, but I tried out a shiny metallic vinyl for the nose and a very glittery “diamond” style vinyl for ornament – all of which posed their own challenges. I had intended on making a few more of these, but after I was finished, I called it good…. maybe I’ll go back to some Little Debbie Christmas Cakes instead.

Needing some last minute Christmas pajamas? This free pattern is made for adults and comes in both knit AND woven styles.

Learn how to sew up these adorable Christmas cookies and enter to win a presser foot tree.

This long sleeve t-shirt makes a great wardrobe staple.

Still looking for some quick stocking stuffers to sew? How about this easy shower cap, some fabric headbands, or this mesh soap bag (which is great for guys too).

Have you seen the ads for the the Oodie (wearable hooded blankets) yet? I’ve been so tempted to get one, but this pattern make it easy to sew while this version is slightly larger and has a front pocket.

This sherpa blanket is perfect for sipping hot chocolate and watching movies by a fire!

A new twist on the classic infinity scarf – a fun braid!

Everyone loves a great tote. This one is so stylish, it’ll make a great holiday gift.

These rustic bear ornaments would make a great addition to any holiday tree.

If you’re still looking for a holiday dress pattern, be sure to check out the Anara Wrap Dress – it looks like it could be a showstopper.

I always make a little stocking for our oldest’s dog stuffed with fun doggie items. If you’re looking to sew soemthign special for a pooch in your life, be sure to check out this leash and (matching) collar.

I found myself needing to take a break away from my embroidery machine. After a few frustrating (vinyl) projects that just didn’t turn out the way I wanted, I felt like I needed step away and do something else for awhile. With Christmas coming up, there have been quite a few cute designs released that I have wanted to tackle, so it was time to get back at it. And you know what? That break did me some good. I had some great results (all with vinyl) and perfect backings!

My biggest issue has been that with some projects (the ones with a vinyl backing), there’s a lot of “drag” going on. So before I started this round of designs I did a number of things to try to reduce it: First off, I added tissue paper to my machine (over the needle place and top of machine) – not just little piece…. a whole lot. I tend to work with a large hoop and I was starting to wonder if the drag happens when the hoop is pushed to the furthest edge of the machine and isn’t typically covered by tissue paper. Secondly, I taped the heck out of the vinyl backing and made sure that it the tape was secured well so that it didn’t fold over while moving. Lastly, I slowed down the machine when stitching down the backside.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the results – in fact, I plan on doing some more (mostly because I’m not fond of how that stripe on the ornaments turned out and I think more earrings are in order too). But first, I need some more earring hooks and some rings to attach the designs to them.

One of my favorite bloggers, Sharon Madsen (better known as Sharon Sews) has a post up at WeAllSew that teaches you how to sew up a sweet ruffled maxi dress for 18″ dolls – perfect for those last minute Christmas Gifts!

Don’t forget your pets this holiday! I’m pretty sure they’d love this cozy pet bed.

If you’re planning on bringing a bottle of wine to a holiday celebration, be sure to gift it in one of these fun, gnome bag covers (it also doubles as a gift bag, too).

Shackets are a huge fashion trend right now – you can make your own version with the free Savannah pattern.

Love the Ugly Christmas Sweater trend? Then you’ll love this reindeer pillow project (it’s actually really cute and not ugly at all).

Let’s bring leg warmers back (I remembered having a ton in the ’80s, but these look a ton nicer)

Add some cute ornaments to your tree with these free felt templates.

The Wear Everywhere Skirt is a great wardrobe basic.

Enter to win a bundle of True Kisses fabric by Heather Bailey.

Last year my favorite projects were bowl cozies, this year it may be tortilla warmers (can you imagine these in a fun tortilla print fabric too?)

Wanting a quick change for your tree style? Then be sure to check out this faux fur tree skirt or tree collar.

If you have a loved one that uses a walker or looking to donate sewn items to a local nursing home, this Walker Caddy is definitely a great item to gift and so easy to sew too!

Inspired by the Outlander series, the Claire Wrap is designed to be worn several different ways.

It’s that time again – time to figure out what in the world I’m wearing for the holidays! This year’s winner? The Samantha – Sonia Estep Design’s Patreon pattern for December.

The Samantha is a crossover style top or dress that has standard or bishop sleeves. As much as I thought that this would make a stunning dress, I also knew that it’s darn cold out and that I’d probably much prefer a top\tunic style to wear with pants (or leggings). So, for this version I made the shirt length and standard sleeves in a floral French terry from The Styled Magnolia I’ve been hanging on to this print for awhile, just waiting for the right project… now I wish I had more of this print because it’s really gorgeous put together).

The instructions were easy to follow and everything came together nicely, making this a great for almost any level of skill. As for the fit? I really love it! It’s flattering on and the sizing seems spot on for my measurements. I did make 2 modifications, however. Firstly, I took 1″ off the length (the pattern is drafted for 5’5″ and I’m 1″ shorter than that. Taking that 1″ off hit me right at the mid hip, which I think is great for this style). Secondly, I wound up shortening the tie (that’s attached at the side of the shirt) by several inches – it was just so much longer than the wrap tie that I thought it looked odd (it may look ok if you were making the dress, but it dangled well beyond the hem on my shirt).

So there you have it, my holiday look! I had some great accessories from White House Black Market (I realized after I put this together that this is a color scheme they use a lot).. even a few pairs of shoes that match the pink. Now that that my outfit is sorted out, I should probably get to wrapping those gifts!

I don’t know who Sav is, but they inspired one of the comfiest sweatshirt patterns that I now own.

When if first saw the release of Greenstyle’s Sav’s Sweatshirt pattern, I knew I had to pick it up. Not only did it look cozy, but I’ve seen several oversized styles like this in stores and it seemed right up my wardrobe isle. For starters let me tell you that I did not follow the suggested recommended fabric for this shirt – it notes that a material with limited (or no) stretch should be used… which is perfect for all those sweatshirt fleece that you stumble across in stores, but never can use with “regular” patterns because those generally call for knits that have 30-40% stretch. For my version, I really wanted something that was lighter weight and just felt great to lounge in so I opted for a tie dye French terry from So Sew English Fabrics and the longer length.

Overall this was a VERY easy pattern to put together (aside from the fabric requirements and seam allowances, I didn’t need to refer to them) and very straightforward design. Everything went together well. As for the fit – it’s exactly as expected: oversized and very comfortable. In fact, I love it so much I could make about 100 more and live in them all winter long! Instead, I think I may just try the cropped version with a heavier sweatshirt material.