by Sherri Sylvester | May 25, 2013
Thanks to everyone who entered the Fabric Spot Tsuru Giveaway!
Our winner, as chosen by Random.org, was:
#16: Christie who said: “And one more for good luck! Following Fabric Spot on Twitter.”
Funny thing! I met Christie at this Spring’s Creativ Festival while she was shopping at the Fabric Spot booth. She will be delighted to win this – as she says in a previous comment – “I really resisted the Tsuru print when we met at the booth! Maybe it’ll be destiny…!”
I have emailed her with additional information.
For those that didn’t win… hang tight, here’s a photo of a tiny fabric lover to help make the world right again!
by Sherri Sylvester | May 24, 2013
Before you go any further… sign up for the Fabric Spot giveaway if you haven’t already. It’s the LAST DAY to enter! The giveaway ends at 10pm tonight (May 24th). Don’t miss out on your chance to win. (It’s worth signing up, check out the yardage I won last weekend (Hooray!), it’s posted on the Thread Riding Hood Facebook page.)
Aside from stitching up a tutorial (for this coming Monday!), I’ve been reading a really great book that I bought last week. It’s not a book you would generally sit down and read cover to cover… but I am a person that generally reads manuals for everything, cover to cover – so I suppose this works!
When I first read about Dana’s book “Fabrics A to Z” on her blog, MADE, I figured I would eventually have to buy it. She’s an amazing blogger and sewer and her photographs are really well put together. She’s a big inspiration for me when I sit down to write a post for y’all! (I’m allowed to say “y’all” by the way, my parents are currently living in the Southern US!) Anyhow – her book is really great and I would recommend that you buy it. I found mine on Amazon, and for a fraction of the cost on the back, which is always nice.
So… confession… I wasn’t really sure that I really needed this book, I just wanted it because it seemed cool to own Dana’s book. And everyone knows, you have to be cool to be a blogger (ha!) so I decided to buy it. Motivation aside, it turns out I really did need this book, and still do, and will for (maybe) always? It’s an amazing compilation of information about every fabric known to man and includes really great and super helpful information for each one.
And… this leads to why it is unlikely that you might sit down and read this cover to cover… it’s a reference book. But, like I said, I like to devour information (mostly to my detriment, because I really can’t remember everything I read) so I started on page 4 and went on from there. In the first few pages I learned:
- What Bedford Cord is. And its properties, how to work with it and it’s care. Oh, and its most useful needle size, stitch length and sewing machine foot and whether to use the “with” or “without nap” layout when cutting patterns. (And there’s more info than that on every one of 150 fabrics types!)
- Canvas and Duck cloth are the same thing. (and I always thought they were different… silly me!)
- Chambray is made by weaving a coloured “warp” thread through a white “weft”. (She also explains warp and weft on page 10). And, the most common colour of Chambray is blue – just in case you were wondering!
And we’re only on page 18 (of 224). Okay, I admit it (Ack – 2 confessions in one post?!), I’m a sewing geek! I am imagining that you are reading this and wondering why I think this information is so amazing! But maybe, there are a few of you who understand?!
Anyhow, if nothing else, buy it for the information you will invariably need it for as you sew along. She’s included a notions and tools section at the end of the book – more great information on zippers, machine presser feet and elastic (
oh my!). And… exciting news from Dana – she’s got a
2nd book coming out this August. This new book is “project based” so I’m excited to see what she’s put into it. I’ll have to get it…. all the cool kids will have it! (
Have a great weekend, see you on Monday!)
by Sherri Sylvester | May 20, 2013
Here we are, the last day of Spring Shorts Week. Due to the fact that my youngest got a lot of “photo shoot” attention last week, my oldest is now telling me that she will consent to wearing shorts if I make them for her – and that is amazing! So… we might end up with a size 5 pattern piece soon, I’ll be sure to link back to it on all of the tutorials.
This skirt is very useful if you have girls that love skirts but don’t yet know how to sit properly in them. The shorts are perfect. This skirt can go to the park and to church and still be appropriate in both places! Plus, because it is knit this skirt is super comfy.
Simple Knit Skirt with (under) Shorts
Today’s installment is a bit more twirly than the others, so I won’t be providing any tips on making these for boys. I will say, though, that my daughter’s skirt turned out a bit longer than I had intended – though I still really like it! I have included the measurements that I used for this size 3 skirt – so go ahead and shorten it a few inches if you’d like and don’t have a child around to measure.
You will need:
- knit material – yardage depends on the size of your pattern piece (read through the tutorial to make sure you have enough material for the pattern piece, skirt and ruffle and the casing)
- regular sewing machine (you do not need a serger to sew knits!)
- 3/4″ or 1″ non-roll elastic
- 8″ twill tape (ribbon) for the bow (match or contrasting your knit fabric)
- tissue paper, paper, or tear-away stabilizer
- ballpoint sewing machine needle (for sewing knits)
- pins/glue stick/scissors/matching thread/other sewing gear
- Shorts Pattern Piece – Make your own in any size: {How To} Make a Kid’s Simple Knit Shorts Pattern OR click on the following link to download the 5 page Size 3 printable pdf
Before you begin (if you are using the printable Size 3 pattern piece):
- Print out all 5 pages of the pattern piece pdf on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Do not select “fit to page” when printing, make sure you print at the original size. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size.
- Cut or fold the pages on the outer gray lines and tape/glue the pages together, matching the letters in the gray half-circles.
Here we go!
Step 1: Follow Steps 1 and 2 in the Simple Knit Shortwith Heart Knee Pads tutorial to cut your under-shorts fabric and casing. (I pieced my fabric together because my old golf shirt (!) knit fabric was not large enough to cut the entire shorts pattern piece.)
Step 2: Follow Steps 12 and 13 (1) , 13 (2) in the Simple Knit Shortwith Heart Knee Pads tutorial to stitch together your inner leg seam and side seams. You can skip Steps 13 (3) and 13 (4), we will be adding a cuff here instead.
Step 3: Follow Step 3 in the Simple Knit Shorts with Oval Knee Pads and Easy Hem tutorial to cut your cuff bands.
Step 4: Follow Steps 9-11 in the Simple Knit Shorts with Oval Knee Pads and Easy Hem tutorial to apply the cuff bands to the bottom of your leg openings.
Step 5: (1) Now you need to cut your skirt fabric. Cut the length of the skirt to suit your child. Remember that the length does not need to include the casing – but does need to include about 1″ seam allowance. The size 3 pattern users should cut the length at 8.5″ high (this leaves room for the seam allowance) by 1.5 times or double the waist measurement of your child. My fabric (for the size 3 pattern) was about 56″ wide. (2) Sew your skirt fabric down the short side(s) to make it into a tube.
Step 6: Cut your ruffle fabric. My ruffle (for a size 3) is 2 1/2″ tall and about 80 inches wide. I pieced together 3 pieces of knit with a 1/4″ straight seam and then trimmed the seam allowance. Your ruffle should be about 1/5 times the length of your skirt fabric, by however tall is needed to be proportional to the size of skirt you are making. You do not need to add a seam allowance – we will be stitching this ruffle on top of the skirt.
Step 7: Ruffling your ruffle. (1) Change your sewing machine stitch to a long straight stitch. Ruffle the ruffle fabric by sewing a line about 1/4″ away from the top edge of your ruffle. (Note: I didn’t hem the ruffle because the knit won’t fray.) Some machines will ruffle the fabric if the tension is increased – unfortunately my machine does not do that. I hold the thread as it comes off of the spool to give it added tension and that works great for me. (Though you do need to make sure you can guide the fabric through the machine with only one hand!) (2) Stitch your ruffles into a tube, trim the excess seam allowance.
Step 8: (1) Draw a line with a water soluble marking pen 1/2″ away from the edge all the way around the hem edge of your skirt fabric. (2) Make sure your ruffle length matches the bottom edge length of your skirt. Adjust the ruffles as needed to fit. (3) Line up the top edge of the ruffle with the line you just drew on the skirt. Pin all the way around.
Step 9: (1) Change your sewing machine stitch length to a medium width zig-zag stitch. (2) Stitch the ruffle to the skirt by following your ruffling seam line. (3) Take a look at the wrong side of the skirt to make sure you caught the skirt hem all the way around when you were sewing.
Step 10: (1) Ruffle the top edge of the skirt (the same way you made the ruffle in step 7) and make sure the width matches the top of your shorts. Place your shorts inside the skirt. The shorts and the skirt are both right side out. (The shorts right side is next to the skirt wrong side.) (2) Pin the skirt to the shorts evenly along the top edge. (3) Baste.
Step 11: Follow Steps 14-21 on the Simple Knit Shorts tutorial to add the casing and twill bow. Treat the top of your basted skirt and shorts as one piece when following the steps.
All done!
Thanks for hanging out with me for Spring Shorts Week! If you do make any of these I would love to see them. You can post a comment on my Facebook wall and add a photo for everyone to see! I love hearing from you. Seeing the things you’ve sewn with Thread Riding Hood tutorials makes my day!
We’ll have to see if we can do this again next year. Maybe woven next time around? What would you like to have tutorials on?
by Sherri Sylvester | May 17, 2013
*** The giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering! Find out who won here. ***
If you read yesterday’s post (well, this morning really!) right to the end, (Good for you, pat yourself on the back!) you know that the Fabric Spot Giveaway has been extended into next week. Due to technical difficulties here on Thread Riding Hood that made it impossible for people to post comments, which made it impossible for some people to enter (Ack!), Karen has decided to give you all another week to enter. Hooray!
I’ve updated the Giveaway Post with a new giveaway pic to pin and new dates. Head on over if you haven’t entered yet! And, you should really check out Fabric Spot! Here are a few comments from folks who visit Karen’s store for the first time:
- “I think I’m in fabric heaven!!” ~ Crista
- “Such lovely Fabrics!” ~ Tambra
- “Beautiful fabrics!” ~ Kathleen
- “I have a thang for orange and grey so some of those Comma prints and solids from Karen’s shop would be on my purchase list. Hey her website is easy to navigate and visually appealing.” ~ Fiona
- “Awesome selection. Looking forward to placing an order!” ~ Jennifer
- “Beautiful fabrics! Can’t wait to see Karen’s booth at the festival today!” ~ Laura
Following Fabric Spot on Facebook is amazing – she’s posting great fabrics and patterns that are coming to the shop almost every day right now! So, go ahead and enter the contest. You now have until Friday May 24th at 10pm. Also, it is your last day to use the Fabric Spot 10% off Discount Code! Check out the bottom of this post for more details.
And… Spring Shorts Week has been extended into next week as well. The last pair of shorts is coming up this Monday! (Check out Thread Riding Hood on Facebook for a sneak peek!) Have a great weekend!
by Sherri Sylvester | May 17, 2013
A very important reminder! Today (May 17th) is your last day to use your 10% discount code for Fabric Spot! Visit Fabric Spot to check out her fabrics, patterns and books. Click here (scroll to the bottom of the post) to find the discount code. (There is more exciting news about the Fabric Spot Giveaway at the end of this post!)
Now… Fourth day of Spring Shorts Week – need I say more? Here’s your tutorial!
Simple Knit Sport Shorts with a Lining
Okay… I tried not to say more… but I can’t do it! I LOVE how these shorts came out. I think they are my favorite by far, though yesterday’s are a close second and the photo shoot for tomorrow’s skirt was a blast (and involved ice-cream!) These look so professional and the lining works perfectly. They are a great length for a small child to run around in and the fancy curve on the back leg worked out really well to add some needed extra coverage!
Okay – Now you can have your tutorial!
You will need:
- Outer Knit material – yardage depends on the size of your pattern piece (read through the tutorial to make sure you have enough material for the pattern piece and the casing)
- Lining material – I used mesh similar to material that would be used for a sport jersey (yardage same as the outer knit)
- regular sewing machine (you do not need a serger to sew knits!)
- 3/4″ or 1″ non-roll elastic
- Front Bow: 8″ twill tape (ribbon) to match/contrast the shorts
- Side Stripes: twill tape (ribbon) in multiple colours (Size 3 pattern needs aprox. 20″ each of 3 colours)
- ballpoint sewing machine needle (for sewing knits)
- pins/glue stick/scissors/matching thread/other sewing gear
- Shorts Pattern Piece – Make your own in any size: {How To} Make a Kid’s Simple Knit Shorts Pattern (we will be altering the length to be shorter than the original tutorial) OR click on the following link to download the 5 page Size 3 printable pdf
Before you begin (if you are using the printable Size 3 pattern piece):
- Print out all 5 pages of the pattern piece pdf on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Do not select “fit to page” when printing, make sure you print at the original size. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size.
- Cut or fold the pages on the outer gray lines and tape/glue the pages together, matching the letters in the gray half-circles.
Tips on Sewing Simple Knit Shorts for Boys:
- tie the twill tape in a knot instead of a bow
- paint on a freezer paper “sport” number like these
- top-stitch on a fake fly like these
- use a longer length and omit the rounded curve on the back leg
Here we go!
Altering the Pattern Piece (if you made your own pattern piece this way):
These shorts are much shorter than the {How to} Make a Kid’s Simple Knit Shorts Pattern if you followed the tutorial. To alter your pattern piece and make the Sport Shorts do the following:
- Measure the new length for the inseam on your child.
- Find the distance between your current hem and the sport short hem you’d like.
- Make a new line on the pattern piece by measuring UP from the hem evenly across the pattern piece.
- If the shorts are for a girl, draw a curve on the back leg half of your pattern piece. (Download and look at the size 3 pattern piece for an example.)
Step 1: Fold your fabric in half, make sure the full width of the pattern piece fits on the fabric! Important: Check the direction of the knit that stretches the most. This direction should be parallel to the top/casing and hem of the pattern – otherwise these won’t stretch the correct direction to fit your child. Cut out your fabric. If you have made your own pattern piece make sure you remembered to add a seam allowance before cutting!
Step 2: Follow Step 2 on the
Simple Knit Shorts tutorial to measure and cut your casing. You only need a knit casing, you do not need to cut casing pieces from the mesh lining fabric.
Step 3: Locate the front on each of your main shorts pattern pieces. If your knit does not have an obvious “right side” make sure you mark the outside of your material so you have two opposite leg pieces. (1) Fold each outer knit shorts piece right sides together and match up the inseam line. Iron the fold to mark the side of the shorts. (2) Line up your twill tape on the side of the shorts to see how you want it to look. (3) Grab your glue stick and glue your twill tape onto your shorts. Use the line you just ironed to centre it on the sides.
Step 4: (1) Stitch down both sides of each twill tape piece with a straight stitch. Because the tape is not stretchy and we are sewing down the “not as stretchy” direction of the knit you don’t need to place anything behind your fabric. (However, if your knit is very stretchy you may need to place some tissue/paper/tear away stabilizer under the fabric while you stitch.) (2) Trim any excess twill tape.
Step 5: This one is easy! Tie your short piece of twill tape in a bow (you can use a lighter to – CAREFULLY! – melt the ends of the tape so it will not fray) and check to make sure you have the things in the following picture (PLUS the twill bow that I forgot to photograph!)
Step 6: Follow Step 12 of the other tutorial (link) to stitch front & back centre seams. Stitch these seams together on the knit and the mesh lining.
Step 7: (1) Turn your knit fabric Wrong Side Out and the mesh lining Right Side Out. (2) Place the mesh lining inside the knit fabric matching all seams. Match and pin the hem raw edges of the knit and mesh lining (marked in the photo). Do not pin right to the ends. Leave about 1″ of the edge unpinned (Unpinned areas are marked A and B). (3) Stitch along the hem line as marked in red on the third photo. DO NOT STITCH right to each end. Begin and end about 1″ away from the edges of your fabric.
Step 8: Stitch the other leg bottom seam. (1) Open the fabric out as shown in the photo. Note that the seams begin and end 1″ from each end.
Step 9: Stay Stitching. This helps the lining not to show at the hemline.
- Turn your shorts right side out.
- Pin the seam allowance to the mesh lining.
- Mark the beginning and end of the seam you just stitched with pins. (A) and (B)
- Stitch close to the hemline on the mesh lining. Make sure you are stitching through the seam allowance. Start at your first pin marker (A) and stop at the second pin marker (B)
- Make sure you do not accidentally stitch through the other leg’s fabric as you are sewing.
- Stay stitch the other leg.
Step 10: Closing the inseam. Now we (magically!) stitch the inseam together and finish the shorts. Hold tight through this one – you can do it! Read carefully and follow the photos.
- Fold your shorts so the inseams are together.
- Fold back the knit fabric and secure it with a pin – do this on both the back and front of the shorts knit.
- Pin the mesh lining fabric right sides together, matching the centre seam line.
- Stitch the mesh lining fabric together at the inseam with a straight stitch and a 3/8″ seam allowance.
- Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching to reduce bulk in the lining.
- Open the shorts as shown in the photo, here’s how to stitch the knit fabric together. We need to pin it right sides together. Note where the 2 green pins are. Match up these edges right sides together and pin.
- The purple pin in this photo indicates where the fabric is starting to be pinned right sides together.
- Continue pinning the fabric together, it will curve around, be patient and match up the centre seams.
- Stitch the knit fabric inseam with a 3/8″ seam allowance and a straight stitch.
- Here’s what you should have. The 1″ spaces you left in Step 7 now come in handy. Push the knit inseam into the shorts through the hole. Hooray! You did it!
Step 11: (1) Fold in the seam allowances and pin the two openings in your hemline. (2) Stitch the hemline over the opening to close the seam. This is easiest with the lining side up on your machine so you can begin and end where the stay stitching seams are.
Step 12: (1) Match up the top of your lining and knit fabric. Pin all around. (2) Baste the top of your shorts.
Step 13: Follow Steps 14-21 on the Simple Knit Shorts tutorial to add the casing and twill bow. Treat the top of your basted lining and knit fabric as one piece when following the steps.
All finished!
Okay, so the “bad thing” happened and this week didn’t go as planned! I said we’d do this every day if it worked, but unfortunately I have too much on my plate tomorrow to post the last day, so… the Last day of Spring Shorts Week will be on Made by Me this coming Monday. Come on back for the Simple Knit Ruffle Skirt with (under) Shorts Tutorial.
And… Exciting Giveaway News! (
Due to technical problems that didn’t allow some people to comment – ack, technology!) You get a whole ‘nother week to
Enter the Fabric Spot Giveaway, HOORAY! The giveaway now officially ends May 24th at 10pm. Go and enter if you haven’t – yes, right now! You might get this fabulously lovely bundle of Tsuru in your mailbox – for FREE! That’s worth entering a comment in!
Simple Knit Shorts with Heart Knee Pads (+ size 3 pattern)
