Got eggs? If you have a hobby farm or small homestead, you probably have hens. And, if you have hens, you have eggs. So. Many. Eggs.
Well, you need something to gather all those eggs with. A bucket works, a basket is cute, and in a pinch, you can use your hands and coat pockets. We've all been there. ;)

But, wouldn't it be fun and albeit easier to use an egg apron? Yes! You can live out your farm life dreams with a sweet egg-gathering apron. 

So, it's decided. You're going to make an apron for collecting those little breakfast nuggets. Besides, buckets are only made for livestock grain and treats anyway. 

• Swoon Patterns Egg Gathering Apron pattern. This is free on their website. Grab it here. 
• Sewing machine, thread, and notions
• 1/2 yard medium weight fabric 
• 1 1/4 yards contrasting fabric (I didn't use a contrasting fabric)
• 1 1/4 yards lightweight fusible interfacing 
• Chalk pen or erasable pen
• Ruler
• Clips and pins. 

I chose to use the Swoon Patterns egg gathering apron. This was the coolest egg collecting pattern I found while scouring the internet. I collect about a dozen eggs every morning and wanted an apron to hold eggs and keep them safe. It also needed to be comfortable for me to wear. 

Many patterns had pockets that were sewn in a way that didn't seem secure. If you were to bend over (to pet the cat, or clean out the coop) the eggs would fall out. Swoon Patterns created an egg apron that is pure genius! It involves a little extra sewing but, is well worth it in the end.
​I promise!

Grab the FREE pattern, print it out, and tape it all together. Decide on the size(s) you're going to make. Simply fold over the pattern for the different adult sizes. You don't have to trace off a new pattern, and it'll work perfectly. For this tutorial, I made the child size. 

Let's Get Sewing
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• First, apply your interfacing to the pieces following the pattern instructions. I used canvas as interlining because I was short on interfacing. I skipped using it on the main pieces. Secret lazy sewist tip. You're welcome. ;)

• After the pieces are cut and interfaced. You're going to make the pocket portions. Sew the long pocket panel RST (right sides together) along the long edge to form a tube. Turn out and press. Repeat with the other pocket panel.
  

My littlest sewing buddy helped make her apron. #momwin

Ginger Jeans! I made a pair and love them. These were fun to sew and I learned a few things along the way.

Living in comfy clothes seems to be the new norm. Cozy pants especially. Fleece-lined leggings, flowy lounge pants, soft cotton harem pants, and PJ's of course. Gimme all the couch surfing pants.
Jeans don't really fit into the cozy pants category but, I'm going to talk about them anyway. Jeans are something I rarely reach for when I get dressed in the morning (afternoon?). If I do wear jeans, I reach for my Calvin Klein high waisted skinny jeans. They fit my body like a leather glove. So, when my friend told me about the January Jeans sew along, I jumped on board! 

This post is a little different than my usual pattern posts. Hundreds, if not more, Ginger Jeans tutorials already exist. So, I wanted to do something different. I'm taking you through my jeans fitting journey. Beware though, it's gonna get ugly before it gets pretty.

The January Jeans sew along was hosted by some lovely ladies in the UK, on Instagram. They set up a Slack app group for all of us to post and share photos to. We had live Zoom calls every Monday and then we were put into smaller Zoom groups. It was a whole jeans journey. We helped each other with fit issues and got feedback on our own jeans.

If you've ever wanted to dabble in jeans sewing, you really need to get the fit correct. Here we go!

Let's talk books. Sewing books, that is. 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. 

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

The holidays are here and it's time to whip up those handmade gifts. Eeep! Hopefully you started sewing for the holidays back in the summer but, if you're on team procrastinator, I got you. These are all quick sewing ideas and range from baby to grandpa.

Below you will find some tutorial links and free patterns. Although, I've created this list to get you brainstorming and ideas flowing. Less talking and more making.

​Get ready, get set, sew! 

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!!