Let's talk books. Big books, little books, tall books, small books. Whether you're new to sewing or a seasoned seamstress, it's a good idea to have a few books on the subject. This list may even spark your sewjo. These 5 are the ones I reach for most often. The internet is a great source however, if you need to refresh your memory on a specific technique, I urge you to reach for a book. Time is precious and you shouldn't spend it filtering through blogs or Youtube videos. The answer is going to be within one of these books. Each book in this list offers something different. Let's dive right in. 

This is the first sewing book I bought when I first started. Well, I think I asked for it for my birthday, but it was my first sewing book. It is the go-to sewing bible if you will. It has information on all the things. Tools, fabrics, techniques, and seam finishes, it's all in there. It is a little older so, you'll have to ignore the dated photos.
Bonus: It has patterns at the back of the book for you to make as well. Yay for patterns!

The images are clear and concise and it's a top choice for many sewists. If you're a visual learner, grab this book, you won't regret it.
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You knew I'd have to throw a Gertie book in, right? 
This is my favorite pattern book. If you've hung around here long enough, you know I'm a huge Gertie fan. HUGE! If she had a band, I'd be a groupie. No joke. I have all of her books but, this is my favorite by far. I have kids and can't always wear big, fluffy, glittery dresses to live my best life. I usually wear more casual 1940's styles. High waisted pants and a tucked in top is my go-to style.

I've made multiple patterns from this book and will continue to do so until I can't sew anymore. LOL
She shares sewing techniques and guides you through fabric choices. If you're a 1940s and 1950s fan, you need this book. It's her best!

​You can check out her old blog here. Her new blog is over here. 
Click here for a post on a few things I've made from her book. 

Need a gift for someone? Only have a yard of fabric to use? This book is your best bet. It has 101 patterns for things to make with only 1 yard of fabric! Yep, you read that correctly, only one yard of fabric.

We all have at least one yard of fabric in our stash, waiting to get used. This book has patterns for aprons, toys for kids and pets, other pet items, and even clothes!

It's a great beginner-friendly book too. I've had this for years and pull it out whenever I need a quick handmade gift idea. The holidays always creep upon us. Grab this book and start making gifts now. This might give you new ideas for everyone on your list. And, why not pick up an extra copy for your niece who recently learned to sew?

This is another pattern designer sewing book. I love Colette patterns. They are feminine without the fuss. The 5 patterns in this book are sweet and simple. She shows you how to create a scalloped hem, which you will love. The patterns are beginner-friendly as well. This book makes a wonderful gift for any sewist, new and seasoned.

Sarai has a blog that she is no longer on but, everything is archived.

She has, however, created an online sewing community and is very active in it. Seamwork, have you heard of it? It's is a great membership sewing community. It also has classes and patterns too.

If you love wearing cozy knit fabrics, you will love this book. Tilly's style blends modern with vintage to create something for everyone. If you've never sewn with stretch fabrics, she shows you how. From picking out the perfect fabric to the seam finishing. You don't even need a serger! She includes patterns for dresses, overalls, tops, and bottoms. The patterns aren't difficult and you can wear the clothing every day.

This book is also beginner-friendly. She will walk you through needle choice and stitches as well. 
I've recently made a Freya dress with star and moon fabric. It was such a fun pattern to sew! 
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Tilly Walnes also has an active blog, chock full of great information and more patterns. 

You can find all these books online and in book stores. You may even score a copy in a used bookstore. 

Each book pictured below offers different options. I love visiting the bookstore and rifling through all the sewing books. I never leave empty -handed. 

Hope this gave you some sewing inspiration. When I want to sew but, don't have a project in mind, I grab a small stack of books. Plop down on the couch with a warm beverage and just look through them. Flipping through the pretty pictures seems to get my sewjo train started. Toot-toot! 
Let me know in the comment section if you have any of these books. Or, share some of your favorites instead.


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Happy reading and happier sewing, 
Annette

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!

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

• 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. 

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.

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!!
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Happy organizing,
Annette

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! 

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

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. 
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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. 

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!! 

​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!

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!!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

• 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!

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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