Apron Tutorial

I've been meaning to do a "Sew-Along" tutorial for awhile.  Some of my YouTube subscribers had requested it, so here it is!

Angela Kane

My newest obsession on YouTube:  Angela Kane

I've already learned 4-5 things from her -- mainly about basting and reducing bulk in seams.  I find this amazing as I've been sewing for 40+ years.

You'll also love the way she speaks and instructs.  She's very concise.

Enjoy!

xoxoxox

New Video Tutorial

Here's a great gift idea for Christmas -- easy scarf.  It only takes about half an hour to do.

Enjoy!

Thrifty Scarf

Purse Organizer Tutorial

So sorry I've been M-I-A!  Not much time for sewing between all these classes I'm taking (19 credit hours, including Geology and Major American Writers!).  I am wishing I had more time to spend down in my sewing room --

HOWEVER . . . I did have some time a few weeks ago to put together this tutorial.  Have a look -- it's a quick project!



Here are the detailed directions:

Purse Organizer

Materials Needed:

Sewing Machine

Pins - thread - ruler
scissors
marking tool, like chalk
sticky back velcro or hook and loop tape
1/4 yd fabric for the base, something sturdy like denim or canvas
1/4 yd fabric for the pockets, like cotton
1/4 yd interfacing

Cut the pieces:
For the base, cut 30 x 14 inches.
For the pockets, cut 30 x 10 inches
For the interfacing, cut same size as pocket piece, 30 x 10 inches

1.  Take the base piece and lay it out.  Fold the pocket piece in half lengthwise and lay on top.
2.  Lay out all the items you want to store in the organizer.  Mark the lines for each thing.
3.  Take your pocket piece and fuse the interfacing piece to it with your iron.  Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the interfacing.
4.  Fold the pocket piece in half lengthwise again.  Lay it onto the unfolded base piece, and match the long raw edges together.  Pin together.
5.  Sew a basting stitch (longest stitch length on your machine) along the bottom edge, to hold the two pieces together.  Use about a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  You can also just match up the edge of your presser foot with the edge of the fabric.
6.  Sew along your marking lines.  Be sure to backstitch at the end of each pocket line at the top.
7.  Fold each end under 1/2 inch.  Press these toward the inside (wrong side) of the fabric.
8.  Fold the whole thing in half lengthwise, matching right sides together.
9.  Stitch along the bottom edge, using about a 5/8 inch seam allowance.
10.  Turn the whole thing inside out.  Press with your iron to get the seams flat.
12.  Lay out the velcro on one end.  Use either the fuzzy side or the loopy side.  Cut two pieces the width of the organizer (about 6-7 inches), and space them about 2 inches apart.
13.  Turn the organizer over, go to the other end, and lay out the other pieces of the velcro.  Space about 2 inches apart.
14.  Try it out.  Make sure you can attach it into a circle.
15.  Sew the velcro down, and topstitch the ends.
16.  Done!

This is adjustable to the size of your purse -- that's why you use two pieces of velcro at each end.

Back with more tutorials soon!

xoxoxox

p.s.  If that link doesn't work above, just go here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-uDs9cYKg

New Tutorials in the Works!

I have two projects on which I'm currently working: a tutorial for a peasant nightgown, and a tutorial for copying a purse/bag from Target.  I've done the video for each one, but as I'm a sewer and not a video producer, it takes a little time.  I think I need to recruit one of my genius-at-video-stuff daughters to edit.  If only I could draw them away from episode after episode of the past seasons of Gray's Anatomy . . .

The nightgown tutorial is closer to being finished.  I've used vintage sheets for fabric, because hey, what better fabric to use for a nightgown than a worn, soft sheet?

Here's a quick glance at the finished products --
   

The Peasant Nightgown

     

     

Let me just say here that I'd model these for you -- but I'm a Pastor's wife.  So the Pastor and my daughters are really the only ones who see me in my jammers.  I can tell you this:  I've been sleeping in the lighter print one, and I never want to take it off!

                                                                                                     

The Target Tote

      

I changed this one up a bit to make it even better.  It's really cute.

So I'll keep you posted!

xoxoxox

Cool Flip Flops

Check out Gianny's cool DIY flip-flops.  How this girl does this with those nails -- well, let's just say that I have my acrylics cut short for a reason!  But she's a genius with using pliers to push a needle through the rubber of the shoe.  End result?  Gorgeous!

Almost There

Well, the sewing room has almost been reconstructed.

Things have been a bit hectic around here. I'm a full-time student, so there were finals. We were planning on putting our house on the market as of April 12 -- but by March 22 we had a signed contract! We didn't end up closing until May 8 -- but we moved the weekend of April 24.

Needless to say, it's been crazy.

But -- the sewing room being done was a gift from my girls for Mother's Day. It is fabulous! It's a lot bigger, a lot nicer, and I'll be able to both sew and do YouTube tutorials. I have a couple of ideas, so hopefully I'll be able to post those soon.

Although I'm unpacking (a HUGE process because we moved a 2500+ sq. ft. house full of 7 people's stuff!), I finally have time starting this week to really dig in. I'm looking forward to both the challenge and an actual family room that I can walk through without stepping over and around a myriad of things.

So I'll be checking in again very soon --

xoxox

Reading a Pattern Envelope

Here's a new video for you -- it's about how to read the back of a pattern envelope.

This is really helpful information if you are:

-- new to sewing

-- have no idea what all that information is or means

You can also find it on YouTube, where I have a channel with a couple of videos I've done. I am living proof that anyone with a video camera can show what horrendous video editors they are! LOL!

Enjoy!

xoxox

New Twist, Old Idea

Here's a little video I did on hemming jeans. Enjoy!

Heeeeeere's Whitney!

I found Whitney after she left a comment about the Easter dresses (see previous post). She saw my tutorial on Threadbanger -- and so she made her own!

She's really good, so I thought I'd share her with you. One thing I especially liked was her use of sidewalk chalk as a marker. Now that's just plain genius.

One thing I would have done differently was use a measuring tape to mark the hem of the skirt on the paper. At the top left corner of the paper, anchor the tape at the finished length measurement with a thumbtack or tape. The other end of your tape, (the beginning) will have a little metal end with a hole in it. So just use a pen or marker stuck thru the hole and mark your paper as you move the tape from the top of the paper down, to draw an arc from the top to the side, forming a quarter circle.



Whitney rocks!

Bulletin Board Makeover

I have needed a bulletin board in my sewing room for some time now. I kept putting off taking care of that because I wanted something just a little different than what you'd expect.

I had an old bulletin board of Barbie's that I wanted to use. And I had some posters of Renoir art that I picked up at a yard sale -- for free. And then, it hit me -- the posters and the bulletin board were the same size!

It's like it was meant to be.

So I made myself a new bulletin board using the old ratty one I had, plus a poster, plus some middy braid from the fabric store. Here's how you do it:

1. You will need an old bulletin board, a poster the same size, a staple gun, and some ribbon or braid trim. I wanted gold, to match the gold accents in the poster. So I found something called "middy braid," which is found in the bias tape section of the fabric store or your local WalMart.

(Middy braid has been traditionally used to trim any type of sailor collar, and comes in black and navy, as well as white and gold and silver)

I used about 3 packages of the middy braid. If you use ribbon, you'll need about 12-15 yards, or 4-5 spools.

Step 1: Line your poster up with the edges of your bulletin board -- poster covering the cork -- and staple the edges down. Don't worry about the staples showing. Try and staple into the wood frame. This is now the outside of your board.

Step 2. Take your braid trim or ribbon and start about 6" from one corner. Staple one edge to the wrong side of the bulletin board,

and then angle it up to form the long side of a triangle with the ribbon/trim.

Then staple it to the other side of the board, and then snip the end.

Step 3. Keep going diagonally across the board, spacing your ribbon about 4-5" apart, making lines by stapling on the wrong side of the board, until you've covered the entire board with diagonal ribbon lines.

Step 4. Now do the same thing but cross the lines you've already made. Start at the corner opposite the one you began originally, and do the same thing. You'll crisscross all your lines, stapling your ribbon to the opposite side of the board.

Step 5. Flip your board over. You're done! If you like, you can glue the cross points of the ribbon with buttons or beads. If you don't want to have pinholes in your poster, use the ribbon to hold your photos and notes. If you don't care about the poster, use tacks. I use both.

Enjoy your new piece of functional art!