As I was putting my sister-in-law’s baby shower present together (bibs, burp rags, blanket, and onesie), I decided something was missing… so I whipped up a hat! I just adore seeing newborn babies in those top knot style hats and since I had fabric on hand that worked very well with my ‘theme’ (it’s a Guns ‘n Roses Sweet Child ‘O Mine baby package since this little guy’s middle name will be Axl) I went for it. Best of all, I was able to whip this item up in about 15 minutes! I think I need to sew baby goods more often!
Featured Posts
Shorten Your Own Zippers My Marie Jacket hit a bit of a snag, when I realized that I needed a 17″ zipper and that I couldn’t easily shorten it. I had purchased a long 22″ zip and didn’t care to wait for a customized size to arrive in the mail (nor pay the almost $15 price tag for it) [...]
Win A Singer Sewing Machine! What’s the one thing you’ve been wanting for the New Year? How about a NEW SINGER ONE™ Sewing Machine? You don’t have to want any longer because here’s you chance to win one! As you may have noticed by my recent swap(s), some of my favorite clothes and accessories are made in the winter months [...]
Coastal Cuiser With the decorations down, house cleaned, and laundry washed & folded, I was finally able to sit down in the sewing room and work on my first project of 2013: the Coastal Cruiser. This project took a bit more time that what I anticipated – I didn’t account for all the cutting and ‘quilting’ of [...]
Pizza Roll Pillow What’s the best part about sewing? Being able to make just about anything you can dream up! My daughter had an idea for a Christmas gift for her boyfriend, a pizza roll pillow (apparently, he eats a lot of pizza rolls), but never found anything remotely similar to what she was looking for…. so she [...]
Wild Woman Just in time for the weekend, my ‘wildwoman’ tunic is finished! I was a bit concerned how wide the neckline would turn out, but went ahead and sewed it ‘as is’ and was presently surprised that it didn’t slide off my shoulders as many people had stated on Pattern Review (I may have had a [...]
Recent Posts
Category : General
Share This Post!
Hot off the sewing machine is my second raglan tee by Jalie – this one is exactly like last weeks with one exception: The neck binding is twice as large as the original. Taylor liked the look of this one better and it stays on her shoulders nicely without it shifting around. It’s also much easier to sew since I wasn’t panicked about slicing into a thinner neckline with my serger.
I’m anxious to try out the tunic length tank pattern now – I wonder if I have any fabric in my stash to give it a whirl this week?
Share This Post!
After much anticipation (waiting for pattern releases, waiting for my delayed fabric to arrive, etc.), I was finally able to make my first Jalie raglan top…. and the wait was well worth it! The top went together without a hitch – I love the new color coding pattern sizing that Jalie has implemented (tracing was even easier) and the sizing is once again, spot on. If I had to make a complaint, it would be the neck: The binding for the neckline is very small which makes it a bit more difficult to work with, plus if you pull on the shirt, it has a tendency to want to ‘flip over’ to the wrong side. If you are a beginner sewing with knits, I would definitely suggest adding a bit of width to the binding to make it easier to sew. However, with that said, I have to admit, it does look more ready-to-wear with the thinner neckline. I also has have to throw in that the fabric I purchased for these tops is fabulous! It’s the perfect t-shirt weight (light, but not thin, with excellent stretch and recovery) – now I’m wishing that I had bought more.
Over all, the raglan tee is another fabulous pattern from Jalie! Taylor has asked for a blue version for her – so you can guess what is next on my sewing table. I’m going to try doubling the width of the binding on her version (partly for comparison, but also because she didn’t want as much of her chest exposed).
Project Details:
Pattern: Jalie 3245
Fabric:
Cotton jerseys from Girl Charlie Fabrics
Materials & Cost:
Pattern……..$12.99
Fabric………$13.00
Notions……..stash
Total……….$25.99
Share This Post!
Category : Linky Thursday
The best thing about this skirt isn’t just the fabric, it’s the fact that it has pockets too!
Go hands-free when you make Sew4Home’s scrap-busting belt pouch for your phone!
Looking for an interesting quilt block for your next throw? This broken herringbone design definitely makes a statement!
It may be labeled as a wedding dress, but I can definitely see this dress working for prom or even just a night on the town (I love it).
It only takes a few measurements and 3 seams to make this caftan.
Be comfy and look fashionable with this free Scoop Top pattern & tutorial.
If you love clutches, you won’t want to miss this tutorial for a scalloped edge design – it’s too cute! But if bigger bags are your thing, you’ll love the Tatanne.
Turn a button-down shirt and some lace into a new blocked top.
Having a Cinco de Mayo get together? These pinata place cards are adorable and a great way to decorate your table.
Learn how draft a pattern to make a custom wrap dress.
Channel spring with this colorful rainbow skirt for girls (make this in the right colors and it would work for a Cinco de Mayo event as well!).
Looking for a gift to give to mom this Mother’s Day? Why not whip up a cute & flirty apron?
Martha Stewart says that nothing makes a meal more elegant than cloth napkins. Learn how to dress up your table by making your own.
This snappy toddler top is so cute, I wish it came in my size.
Share This Post!
Category : General
Last night I finished up an upcoming project for WeAllSew – it’s sweet, soft, and is made just for the little ones in your life! I also incorporated a little embroidery, although you could certainly make this project without… I can’t wait to show it to you!
With this one in the can, I’m planning on devoting the rest of the week to a bit of sewing for myself – my fabric arrived (it was delayed because of of a pre-order) so it’s time to work on some raglans!
Share This Post!
Category : General
Last week I mentioned that I had another baby shower to go to. I decided to change things up a bit and make a different style of bib to match some burp rags that I had made. This time, I laminated matching fabric (I never did find if it was food safe or not, but the package did say that it was ‘ideal for bibs’ so I went ahead and used it) and used the Slobber Monkey pattern – with a few modifications. First I added a ‘pocket’ (to catch messes) to the front of the bib – I’m not sure how well this style actually catches chunks, but it’s a nice thought anyway. Secondly, I skipped folding the raw edges under and went with a bias binding instead. That was not the best decision I’ve made. While most of the bib was easily finished, the neck flaps were horribly tricky to sew – in fact, I wound up having to make a ‘pretty tuck’ in them so that the binding fit without looking sloppy. The bottom line with this pattern? Follow the directions and don’t change them up too much. I think next time I want a bias trimmed bib, I’ll look for something that was designed that way!
Share This Post!
Category : General
Teen Vogue lies. You see, for ages I’ve wanted some awesome sparkly shoes and I was lured by Pinterest to try this version. After following their directions (I will admit that I couldn’t find the Setacolor fabric paint, but did use a similar product), this is what I got:
They looked horrible. I had even gone over the shoes with a second coat and added so much glitter that I made a paste and it still didn’t shine like I expected. That when my daughter and I came up with an idea: Cover the shoe in Mod Podge fabric, sprinkle generously with glitter and let dry, then protect the entire surface in Mod Podge Glossy. Not only did I use a lot less product, but they turned out more like how I had envisioned. They aren’t quite as ombre as what I had hoped, but not bad once they dried (they are semi-dry in the photo, once they were completely dry, they shined up a bit more):
Share This Post!
Today’s post is an accumulation of thoughts (and updates) that I have running through my head this morning. First off, thank you all so much for your suggestions on the stripe raglan top. I decided to soak the area in hot water, gently wring it out, and dried it flat – it did work a little bit, but the larger holes are still there (you might be able to see it a little bit in the photo). So, I think I’m going to go ahead and finish it, see how I like the fit (to possibly make another one), then wear it until the holes look terrible. While I was waiting for the shirt to dry, I decided to work on another baby shower present. I used the last of my birdscloth diapers to make a few more burp cloths and have decided to give the Slobber Monkey bib a go (with a few modifications). I was thinking that I would use an iron-on vinyl so that the fabric would match the burp cloths, but then wondered if that product would be safe to use with a baby? I know it’s not necessarily food safe like most laminated cottons, but is it ok for a bib? Thoughts?
Share This Post!
Yep, I’m making one of these Friendly Tote\Backpacks… for myself – they are too cute (especially that mustache).
If this week’s Earth Day events got you rethinking your impact on the environment, why not stitch up a few reuseable grocery bags to get started.
This pouch doesn’t just protect your scissors, but it’s a great project to use up your scraps.
Love working with leather, but hate to sew it? These business card holders are a great way to use leather tools and don’t require a sewing machine.
I’m pretty sure every week I come up with a new pillow I like. This week? A pleated pintuck version.
I love that infinity dresses are still popular, even in formal wear. Learn how to make a floor length version that’s perfect for night time!
These fat quarter bags are so easy to make, you’ll want to stitch up a whole slew of them!
Need an excuse to try out some free motion embroidery? The Artsy Bag is the perfect reason to test out this technique.
Make a fun, sleeveless A-line dress that’s perfect for your 3 year old girl.
A diaper stacker is a perfect way to keep your nappies organized, but out of sight.
You know what I find irresistible? Drop bottom pjs (well, in kids at least). Learn how to make your own version here.
Bring a little interest to an ordinary stool with a ruffled slipcover.
Share This Post!
Even though it snowed again yesterday (yikes!), I am banking on summer eventually hitting us hard. So yesterday, with a bit of time to work on some projects, I started sewing the striped raglan project. I thought I was being so careful sewing in the sleeve, but after I was finished, I noticed a ‘puckered’ portion of the top – I gently removed the stitches and the photo on the right is what I got – tracks! It’s very noticeable, I’m afraid will get worse over time and I’m not really sure what I should do to ‘fix’ it. The fabric is thin so I’m afraid fiddling with it too much will just make this a wadder – any suggestions?
As I lay in bed last night I came up with a few possible solutions:
1. Tuck it back in. I think this looks messy, but it’s better that a bunch of holes.
2. Embroider a design over it. It may cover the area up some and make it less noticeable. I’m concerned that the fabric is so thin that it will only make matters worse, though. If I had to select a design, I might go with Urban Thread’s Blackthorn Spray.
3. Don’t do anything. Continue sewing, wear it anyway and if it makes holes, make a new one!
4. Chuck it and start over… this time in a ‘sturdier’ fabric.
5. ???????
Share This Post!
