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Pattern reviews, easy projects, tips, and sew-a-longs

12/28/2020 0 Comments

How to Organize Sewing Patterns

Sewing organization tips for patterns DIY
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. 
How to organize sewing 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:
  1. Box of envelopes
  2. Marker and washi tape
  3. Clips (optional) 
  4. Boxes or bins to fit the patterns inside
Organizing sewing patterns and PDF's

The Process

  • Go to your local office supply store and grab a box of 6x9 envelopes. They had white and manilla colors to choose from when I went. The box was about $15. It may cost more or less depending on how many are in the box. White seemed to be more expensive but, I liked the clean look of white so that's what I bought. You could order online too, I'm sure.
  • Grab all the PDF patterns you have. If they aren't printed and are still living in the eternal bliss of your computer, don't print them off. Save that for another day. 
  • Fold each pattern into a 5 x 8 size. Include every piece to that pattern in the folding process. I used a wonder clip to keep all of the pieces together and folded up. And, then I stuck them in a big pile, as you can see above. I chose to fold first, then stuff. But, you can tackle it however you'd like.
  • Grab a pattern from the pile. Write that pattern number, brand, size, etc. on the front of the envelope. 
  • Then, stuff the folded pattern pieces inside the envelope. I used a piece of washi tape to close the envelope. There were a few patterns that needed a few pieces of tape. ;)
  • Repeat until all the PDF's are in envelopes. 
How to organize PDF sewing patterns
Stuff the folded pieces inside the envelope.
How to organize your PDF patterns for sewing.
Tape the suckers closed!
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.
How to DIY your pattern organization.
PDF's all neatly inside their new envelope homes.

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. 
How to simplify and organize sewing patterns
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. 

How to organize sewing patterns and PDF patterns
The top of my shelf is the perfect spot to display sweet things that friends have given me over the years.
Organizing sewing patterns
The PDF's are neatly tucked into their envelopes and put into boxes.
Sewing room organization
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

Sew gifts quickly this season. 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

Baby gift idea to sew quickly for gifts
Gift ideas to make for a new baby
Basket of tiny baby blankets.
Gifts to make quickly to sew for Christmas
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. 
  • There are tons of free bib patterns you can find online. Or make a bandana style bib. 
  • Here's a super easy burp cloth tutorial. Hint: it's just a rectangle.
  • For an easy blanket, cut one square yard of flannel and one of cotton fabric. Sew them RST, leaving a gap for turning out. Topstitch the opening closed, and you're done. Sew easy!
  • If you have more time, you can make a fabric alphabet set, baby outfit, fabric book, or sleeper bag. You could even add an easy to sew teether, pacifier clip, or mittens. Pinterest is your friend. LOL

Makeup Bag

How to sew a quick gift for Christmas.
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!! 

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11/6/2020 0 Comments

Shop Handmade This Season

List of handmade businesses to shop from. Support handmade shops this Christmas

​We'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

Shop handmade this holiday season
Christina makes sparkly paper party goodies for any occasion. She's had her Etsy shop shop since 2015 but, has enjoyed crafting since she was a little girl. Her shop is a side hustle but, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t pour lots of time, love, and energy into it!

Christina makes personalized/custom confetti, cake toppers, party straws, drink stirrers and banners. She can make just about any decoration to fit your event needs. Just send her a message to start your custom order. :)

Find her Etsy shop here. 
Follow Christina on FB and Instagram @Celebrateandsmile 

Zamavi 

Shop handmade this holiday season
Zainab is a hand letter artist and printable designer. She creates feminine wall art with her designs. She hopes to turn your home into your very own happy place. 

Zainab offers funny and punny quotes, love notes, and simple, calming designs. 

Find her Etsy shop here. 
Follow her on Instagram @Zamaviprints

Emily Gutman Quilt Shop

Support small business this holiday season
Emily has been sewing since she was a little kid. Although she focuses mostly on making garments, quilting offers a space for her to play with colour and form. She loves anything and everything rainbow, which feeds her quilting obsession perfectly!

Emily offers quilts mostly but, also has face masks and occasional sewing patterns/kits.

Find her shop here. 
Follow her on Instagram @Emilygutman

SunRae Doll Vintage

Picture
Alisa enjoys sewing clothes from vintage patterns. She often ends up with smaller pieces of fabric that she has no idea what to do with so, she opened an Etsy shop! 

Alisa sells face masks with matching scrunchies, aprons, and plus size dresses. She also has vintage patterns, jewelry, and housewares. 

Find her Etsy shop here. Her Poshmark shop here.
Follow her on Instagram @Sunraedolls

Motley Toucan

Picture
The Motley Toucan is a shop that specializes in adorable plush animals with bright colors and patterns. Each item is handmade with love by Carianne. She creates in her spare time outside her full-time job and graduate classes. She started sewing in 2019 and loves to share her progress on each project, on Instagram. Her goal is to one day be able to offer, design, and build custom plushies!

Carianne sells plushies mostly. She also sells decorative pillows, bags, pouches, and clothing/ accessories. 

Find her shophere. 
Follow her on Instagram @Motleytoucan

Pierced Leather

Picture
Pierced Leather is a rustic earring boutique. Handcrafted genuine leather earrings with brass, copper, and wood accents. 

Karen is just a "boy mom" whose boys are now men. She wanted something creative to pass the time and supplement their income. She loves creating statement pieces that are lightweight! The bigger and lighter, the better. 

​Find her shop here. 
Follow her on Instagram @karenmathis_

Stralixa

Vintage shop
Lula is based in the ancient city of Athens, the capital of Greece. Her love for vintage clothing and vintage items in general has always been there. She loves watching films, listening to music (she's also a DJ) and a fanatic coffee drinker. She has a husband and two young children that she doesn't match at all! LOL

Stralixa vintage shop is an e-shop that Lula  runs along with two colleagues. The shop opened in August 2017 and since then, the vintage collection has grown tremendously. All the items are handpicked, one by one. Their ability to distinguish which garment should get a second chance and which shouldn't, is well known between the three of them. They all love what they do so much, and do it with passion and devotion.

Find her shop here.
Follow her on Instagram @stralixa_vintage

Sewing to the Moon

Picture
Sewing to the Moon opened on Etsy at the very end of 2016. It offers bright color items and quirky patterned fabrics. Annette adores the 1940s and 1950s, and makes her items with a nod to those eras. 

​Annette offers top knot headbands, make-up bags, keychains, fabric buckets, and funny embroidered tea towels. She also makes custom tea towels if you have something in mind. The fabrics that are used come from various shops and corners of the internet. She aims to provide quirky with a pinch of nostalgia. 

Find her Etsy shop here. Or click on the shop tab above. 
Follow her on Instagram @Sewingtothemoon
Support small business and shop women owned handmade businesses
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!!

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10/24/2020 0 Comments

Sew Custom-Fit Leggings

Sew easy leggings for yourself and kids
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.
Make the perfect fitting leggings for your mom body
Back view of my mummy leggings
Make leggings custom fit to your body
Front view of the mummy 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:

What you need to sew. Notions and more
All the pretty notions.
  • Just over a yard of knit fabric
  • Thread
  • Measuring tape
  • Stretch or ball-point needle
  • Twin needle (optional for leg hem)
  • 1 inch thick elastic for the waistband (I prefer non roll)
  • Sewing machine that can do a Zigzag stitch
  • Serger (optional)
  • Roll of tracing paper, medical paper, or freezer paper (my preferred paper for tracing)
  • Pencil and pens for tracing
  • Seam ripper because, let's be honest...
  • Tape for taping pattern pieces together
  • Printer to print out the PDF pages
  • All the other sewing notions you usually use ;)


How to sew custom fit leggings for adult or child
Tracing paper. I use medical paper or freezer paper.
How to sew leggings for women
Print and tape your PDF pattern together. Then, cut your size if you wish. I cut out the largest size according to my measurements.

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.
Make leggings to fit your body
Grade your lines if you're between sizes to get a custom fit.
How to make leggings
Be sure to transfer all your markings and follow the grainline arrows for stretch.

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 they fit too snugly, use your seam ripper to let out the seam in the snug areas.  
  • If they fit too loose, go back over those spots with the sewing machine to make them fit more snug.

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.
Make leggings that fit your body!
If you need me, I'll be hanging out in my yard in my Mummy leggings. Oh, and they glow in the dark. What!???

How to Make leggings for kids. How to sew leggings

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:

  • The tutorial
  • Elastic for the waistband
  • 1 Yard of knit fabric
  • Sewing machine or serger
  • Thread
  • Ball point needle
  • All the regular notions
  • A small child ;)
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!
Make leggings for a little kid
Little leggings for my little. Please ignore the wrinkles, they were rolled up (in a wad) inside her drawer.
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

​

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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.
Bat wing top sewing pattern free halloween costume
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. 

What you need:

  • P4P Gone Batty PDF pattern 
  • 1 5/8 yard of Knit fabric
  • Sewing machine with zigzag stitch
  • Sewing supplies and notions
  • Halloween music playing in the background (this is a must)

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    Hi 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.

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