12/28/2020 0 Comments How to Organize Sewing Patterns
Do you get the organizing bug after the holidays? I know I do. Remember Kon Mari? Yep, my closet and dresser clothes are still organized and folded with her method. It's been a couple of years and I need to revisit my dresser. But we'll save that for another day. Today I want to share with you how I organize my patterns.
I have quite a few patterns for sewing although, not nearly as many as other sewists, I know. I have friends who have bins upon bins of sewing patterns.
In my stash, I have PDF ones, traced off ones, patterns that have been adjusted and re-adjusted again, and of course regular pattern envelopes. I keep my shop patterns and self sewing patterns intermingled. However, they get separated by category. I'm not completely crazy. Ha! Start with your PDF Patterns
Here's what you'll need:
The Process
I had a bunch of cute boxes with lids that I purchased years ago from IKEA. They kept crafty items organized inside them. 2 years ago, I took out the built-in shelves and redid our bonus room. The boxes were no longer needed. But, I didn't want to throw them away because I knew I'd use them eventually.
Fast forward to eventually. They were the perfect size for my patterns!! I tucked the lids under the boxes and my envelopes fit inside. If you have a few shoeboxes lying around that are empty, cover them with pretty paper, spray paint, or wrapping paper. Your envelopes will fit perfectly inside. Pattern Envelopes
Now that your PDF's are neatly organized, stick your other pattern envelopes inside the boxes too. I chose to organize mine by category.
My patterns used to live in a huge bin (the blue box) and I couldn't easily find what I was looking for.
Just an FYI, the organization day got uglier before it got pretty. Sorta like most organizing, right? LOL I ended up using 4 boxes. I stuck all tops in one box. Dresses and jumpers in another box. Bottoms, skirts, and pants in one box. And, everything else went inside the last box. I put the boxes on top of my Kallax shelf and can now see them all the time. If you'd like to organize all your sewing fabric next, read this post. It's been so easy to find exactly what I'm looking for. I will add more pattern envelopes as I print off or create new patterns.
I recently moved my Kallax shelf because my fabric started fading in spots! YIKES!!!! So, this is a photo of where it is now and the pattern boxes on top.
So, are you off to organize your patterns? Please tag me if you do any sewing organization. I love seeing sewing rooms/corners and all the pretty things inside them. Share this post with anyone you know who needs a little motivation too. Thanks in advance!! Happy organizing, Annette
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11/21/2020 0 Comments Handmade In A Hurry
The holidays sure came quickly, didn't they? Summer comes and goes, then, BAM! November hits, and it hits hard. If you're like me, you're on team procrastinator. Ha!! Always waiting until the last minute to make something handmade. Eeep!
Here's a list of easy-to-make gifts. There are tutorial links and free patterns although, I've created this list to get ideas flowing. Less talking and more making. Get ready, get set, start sewing! Baby Items
There's always someone who's having a baby. You can whip up a bib, burp cloth, and blanket in about 30 minutes. All you need is some fabric and a snap or velcro for the bib fastener. Read my baby items post here.
Makeup Bag![]()
Do you have a zipper and some scrap fabric? Sew a zipper pouch in less than 30 minutes. Follow this tutorial for an easy refresher on zipper installation for a makeup bag. Make them as big or little as you want.
Teens love these. Little kids love these. Everyone needs a zip bag for something. In the era of mask-wearing, sew one for everyone on your list. They would love to keep their mask inside a clean bag. Keychain
Sew a quick keychain following Melly Sews tutorial. Grab some lip balms, lotions, and hand creams to complete a gift set. This is perfect for the babysitter, pre-teen, teacher, or neighbor. Heck, even dad uses lip balm.
All you need is a scrap of fabric and a metal keyring. If you have a pack of key rings, batch sew a few of these for gifts. Lip balm holders for everyone!! 11/6/2020 0 Comments Shop Handmade This SeasonWe're all home more than usual this year so, lets make the most of it! Shop from the couch in your PJ's, while supporting small businesses. I've compiled a list of handmade shops for you, to shop from this season. Whether you need a hostess gift or holiday gift, there's something for everyone. Jewelry for mom, a toy for little Johnny, holiday party supplies, or a new mask. There are so many choices! The holiday season is here, let's get shopping. The shops below are listed in no specific order. I share the shop name, where you can find them, and what they have to offer, along with a little info about the owner. Happy reading and happier shopping! Celebrate + Smile
Zamavi
Emily Gutman Quilt Shop
SunRae Doll Vintage
Motley Toucan
Pierced Leather
Stralixa
Sewing to the Moon
Hope you have found a few gifts for loved ones in these shops. Remember, when you support handmade, they do a happy dance. We all need a little more happy in our dance right now.
Thanks for supporting handmade! Happy Holidays!!
10/24/2020 0 Comments Sew Custom-Fit Leggings
Do you love wearing leggings? Yes, no, maybe? We are 100% team leggings in this house. My girls are on the slimmer side so, I've always had a hard time finding pants to fit them, even in their baby and toddler years. Enter in the legging fad that returned from the 80s. Yay!! I don't buy my youngest daughter any other kind of pants. Heck, they are even my go-to pants (that double as acceptable Pajama pants) to wear out of the house. So, if you aren't on board with making your own leggings yet, you will be after reading this. At least, I hope you'll be on board.
If you're not interested in making leggings for yourself, scroll to the bottom. I share a tutorial I use for making little kid leggings.
If you've been dying to make leggings that actually fit your body, look no further. Grab this FREE pattern to get started. You'll be cozy and cute in no time. Lately, simple patterns have been more my jam. Take all your measurements and write them down on paper.
I measured my waist, hip, knee, calve, thigh, and ankle widths. The sizing put me into a size Large waist, Medium hips, and narrowed down to an X-Small in the ankle department. I love my weird body. Buying leggings from the store is never fun because they are baggy in all the wrong places. You might be the exact opposite. We're going to make these leg prisons according to your own measurements. Wooo!! My original plan was to follow a tutorial and draft my own pair. Well, my brain couldn't do all the math. So, in the end, I found this pattern that worked perfectly for me! Let's get started. What You Need:
Pattern Set-up
Click here for the FREE pattern. You will add to cart but, it is a free PDF. After you "purchase" you will be able to print out the pattern.
Match the lines and arrows, then tape everything together to form your pattern. Figure out where your measurements lie in the legging pattern size range. You might have to grade between sizes. Grading is easy and doesn't take any extra time. You simply blend the sizes to fit your unique body shape. You can use a highlighter or other light colored marker to grade your sizing, directly onto the pattern. Or, Take your tracing paper and lay it over the pattern. Trace your new pattern size. Doing this saves the PDF for future use or if you decide to make a smaller or larger size for a friend. I suggest making a muslin before cutting into your beloved fabric. If you have stretch fabric you're not in love with, use that. you want to get the length correct too. If you're taller or shorter, you will need to make adjustments accordingly. Sewing the Leggings
Sew each inner seam with right sides together. You can use your sewing machine or serger for this.
Then, take one leg and turn it right side out. Place your arm back through and feed the leg through the other leg, making sure right sides are touching. Straighten the leg, matching the seams together. You're going to sew the large "U" shape crotch seam from one side to the other. Use pins or clips to keep the layers from shifting around. You can use the sewing machine or serger for this as well. After the crotch seam is sewn, pull out the legs. If done correctly, it should look like a pair of pants. If not, grab that seam ripper because something went wrong. Uh-oh! Perfecting the length
Try them on. They should fit nicely.
If the length is too long, you can shorten them at the ankle hems. If you want them to have a lower rise, shorten the waist. If you need more length, add those inches to the pattern. All you have to do is sew the hems at the ankles and put in your elastic waistband. Comfy and super simple. Hopefully, you found the PDF pattern easy to print out, tape together, and use. I will be making more leggings for myself soon. I LOOOVE leggings!! And, now they will fit my funky shaped bottom half of my body. Hahaha!!! Will you be making leggings for yourself? If not, keep reading. I include a tutorial for making leggings for a little one. Leggings for Littles
Maybe leggings still aren't your cup of tea. But, they are great for kids.
Followthis fun tutorial on how to make a pair for a child. My youngest daughter wears leggings every day. They are the only leg prisons she allows in her dresser. When we go camping, she may or may not wear the one pair of jeans we keep in our RV for her. Yep, she's that committed. Ha! What You Need:
You use a pair of leggings that already fit or are too short. You trace off the pattern based on that pair of leggings. Add length if needed. Sewing them is the same as the adult pair I made. Easy-peasy. I've made quite a few pairs for my daughter. She loves them. Mom-win!
So, that's it. Go make some new leggings for yourself and everyone around you. Hooray for comfy pants!!
Check out my Bat wing top here. It's fun and makes a quick costume! Oh, and it's perfect for those chilly October evenings. Thanks for hanging out today, Annette 9/26/2020 0 Comments Bat Wing Top
Halloween is almost here! Can you believe it?
I mean, it's finally October, which is Halloween month. We start decorating around mid-September and my whole house gets transformed into a "haunted mansion". Halloween is my most favorite holiday ever!! After Thanksgiving of course, because... mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Yum! Any-who, I want to share a fun top that you can make in a jiffy. You can wear it at home or around town, to the office, or trick or treating with your little ones. I recently made it and had to share it! It's too dang cute to keep it a secret.
Quick, grab the FREE Gone Batty top from Patterns for Pirates here. Then, click here for the sewingtutorial. It's the cutest!! Talk about a last-minute costume that's appropriate for work and/or school. You can wear it as an everyday top as well. It comes in one size fits most, so no fussy fitting issues to worry about. All the wins with this one! Yes, please!!
I've had a long history of bats through caving experiences and I've grown to love them most of all. Bats are my favorite Halloween creature. When I saw this pattern last year (why did I wait so long??) I had to have it. Umm... a shirt with bat wings, yes please! Bonus, you could even sew white topstitching thread to make it a spiderweb instead, if you wanted. Oooohhh maybe that'll be next year's project.
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AuthorHi there, I'm Annette and I love eating and sewing. I usually have a cup of coffee or tea with me, but not next to my machine because I'd probably spill it. I am the reason we can't have nice things. Archives
December 2020
CategoriesAll Beginner Sewists Butterick Pattern Fabric Storage Garment Sewing Gertie Patterns Holiday Sewing Machine Cleaning Me Made May Sewing Hack Sewing Machine Sewing Organization Sewing Swimwear Sewing Thoughts Simplicity Patterns Vintage Notions Vintage Patterns Vintage Sewing |
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