by Sherri Sylvester | Mar 4, 2013
This tutorial has been re-launched with a FREE pattern in sizes 18m – Adult with an updated tutorial and new, larger photos. Please enjoy the free pattern and follow Thread Riding Hood on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for more inspiration! (Updated: 2017-10-01)
Get the FREE CAPE PATTERN PIECES in 4 Sizes ~ Click Here
For the sake of posterity (and cuteness!), here my two favorite original cape tutorial photographs.
You can also purchase the 18m-Adult Super Hero Cape PDF Pattern for any donation! (or click the photos to access the free version!)
The 16 page instant PDF download of this tutorial includes these extras:
- The full tutorial and pattern pieces, in a tidy and easily printed form.
- Cutting layout diagram and glossary of terms.
- Granny’s Sewing Basket – highlights Notes and Tips to make sewing this cape easier. ()
- Extra tips not included in this free tutorial.
- Check boxes, for those of you who love to get a sense of accomplishment when checking off each step!
Aside from these great features, you can choose to purchase the PDF to support this blog and help Thread Riding Hood continue in its goal to create more free content. Thank you for your support!
SUPER HERO CAPE PRINTABLE PDF PATTERN: available for any donation!
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Would you like to sew and sell the Super Hero Cape Pattern?
Please purchase a Seller’s License in my shop and receive an instant pdf download!
by Sherri Sylvester | Feb 28, 2013
Tomorrow is the day, we are having a second gathering of the “People I know that Sew” club! The consensus last time was that we would work on the same project together this time. So we are sewing the Library Tote by Noodlehead. (I have posted my version of the bag here.) Exciting news also, we have grown by 2 people since last month! Now we will have to fit 7 sewing machines around my dining room table. What fun! I am also interested to see if we can all finish the bags between snacks and sewing talk! I am hoping to be able to get a photo of our work this time around.
In other news, my “Canadian Online Fabric Stores” pinterest board is growing, hooray! We now have 18 Canadian online shops listed for you to choose from. I have received amazing help from two readers, Jennifer from South Alberta and Lindsay. Both have given me links to the new stores. Can I remind you just how much duty and shipping we pay buying fabric from the US? Now – go and try them out! It will take me into next year to order from them all one-by-one, so if you try them let me know how it went. I will do my best to secure an interview with the owners and post it here.
On a completely different note (and in case you are wondering about the photos!) Last weekend my oldest daughter participated in her Awana Grand Prix and managed to win Third Place for Speed! We (being normal parents) are super excited and super proud of her. The making of her “Pig Car” that she named “Happy” was completely her idea – and of course it involved pink paint! We have had no experience (’till now) in making a derby car, so we didn’t expect much – what a great surprise. It’s really fun seeing your children when they are so proud of themselves for things they have worked hard on. It makes all of the hard work you put into being a parent worthwhile!
by Sherri Sylvester | Feb 25, 2013
Hello again, It’s great knowing you are out there! Thanks for reading.
Today’s Made by Me Monday is actually leftover from Christmas. This gift was for my Dad. He is a teacher so he highlights and takes notes in all of his books. The standing stocking gift for him in my family is a pack of highlighters. He generally gets enough at Christmas to last all year! I’m not sure if he is using them as much now, because he has an electronic reading device. Either way, I made him this bookmark to hold highlighters,pens and his place in the book at the ready.
I think you could use these for a lot of different purposes. Gifts for Dads (or husbands) who read. Students – maybe make one for each course book! You could attach pens easily to your clipboard when going grocery shopping. (Doesn’t everyone take a clipboard with a list on it grocery shopping? Hmmm… maybe it’s just me!) You could also make it a bit wider with more pockets and use it to hold markers onto a notebook – quick entertainment for your kids when you go out.
Made by Me Monday – the Pocket Bookmark
I used a book that was 8″ x 5.5″. I’ve given some guidelines for changing the size in the materials listing. The elastic is very forgiving, so if in doubt make one smaller rather than larger so it can fit varied sizes of books.
Things you will need:
- 2 pieces – main bookmark, size: 3.5″ wide x height of book less 1″ {mine was 7″}
- 1 piece – stiff craft interfacing, size: same as the bookmark fabric less 1/2″ width and height
- 1 piece – bookmark pocket, size: 4.5″ wide x height of pen/highlighter {mine was 5.5″}
- 1 piece – medium weight fusible interfacing, size: same as the bookmark pocket
- 1 piece – 1″ wide elastic, size: height of book + 1/2″ {mine was 8.5″}
- sewing supplies, water soluble marking pen, pins, thread
Materials List
1) Fuse interfacing to the bookmark pocket on the fabric’s wrong side. Turn down the top 1/4″ and then 1/4″ again to hem, stitch.
2) Mark pocket as indicated (see photo) – first mark is 3/4″ in from the edge, second mark is 1/2″ in from the first mark. Don’t worry about the middle line, you don’t need to mark that one (oops!)
3) Fold the first line to the second line and pin each side.
4) Fuse stiff craft interfacing to the back of 1 piece of the main bookmark fabric, be sure to center it before fusing it. You should now have the pieces below.
5) Pin the pocket to the bottom of the main bookmark fabric piece that you have fused with interfacing. Mark a line down the center of the pocket with your water soluble marker. Stitch on the line to create 2 pockets. Baste around the pocket (1/4″ away from the edge) OR leave the pins until after step 7.
6) Pin your elastic to the center of the bookmark, as shown.
7) Place your 2nd main bookmark fabric piece over the stack you have just pinned together. The right side of the 2nd main bookmark fabric piece should be down, the stack that includes your elastic is up. (Everything is right sides together.) Stitch around the edges with 1/4″ seam allowance leaving a 2.5″ wide opening on one side. (see photo below) Note: The extra line in the photo is from sewing the pocket earlier – you don’t need to sew this again.
8) Clip your corners. Turn the bookmark right side out through the opening. Push out all of the corners and edges. Tuck the edges in and pin the opening shut.
9) Topstitch around the edge of the bookmark about 1/8″ away from the edge. This will also sew the opening closed.
10) Sew a few extra “quilting” lines to finish the top edge.
DONE! Send it off to your favorite human being, or use it yourself. Happy studying!
On an important side note! Dana and Rae are starting up another CELEBRATE THE BOY series today! If you don’t know about this series and you sew for boys, BOY you are in luck (ha!). This time they are going to post boy related sewing and projects for 2 weeks straight. They have archived all of the past series here (MADE) or here (Made by Rae). These archives are a wealth of knowledge and really great projects that I have turned to more than a lot to find sewn gifts and ideas for my 2 nephews. Check them out!
by Sherri Sylvester | Feb 21, 2013
Hooray, I have finished a ton more than I had done last time. I’ve been lacking motivation since the last progress post. Thankfully a friend came over to sew with me last night and I was able to finish ALL of the lettering for the front of my youngest daughter’s quilt.
The pile of lettering in the back corner of the photo has 14 characters in it. To document the time I’ve taken on this – 14 characters took me about 5 hours to make. Now I have to figure out what to do with the letter spacers, line spacers and the rest of the front of the quilt.
I have to admit, I am a bit terrified to start that part. The lettering is (thankfully) painfully straightforward. The creative part has me actually trying to decide how to make a quilt top when I haven’t really made one before! Ooops… maybe I should have made something a bit less complex for my first real quilts! Ah well – as my husband reminds me – he’s rarely seen me mess up something sewing related (though it happens – Trust me!). His confidence is about all that is keeping me going at the moment! I’m off to spend some quality time – just me and Pinterest – seeing what I can come up with.
by Sherri Sylvester | Feb 18, 2013
Once upon a time there were two little girls princesses who loved to wear dresses. Their love for frills didn’t stop at night – so nightgowns became mandatory for all of the girls in the land. Thankfully their mom found a good knit raglan sleeve nightgown tutorial at ikatbag with free pattern pieces in exactly the sizes of the two princesses! All was well and everyone slept happily ever after. The End.
The ikatbag Raglan Sleeve Nightgown
I should first explain one of my goals for this year. I want to get rid of my fabric… in a good way! I have a closet full of fabrics that I am not super fond of. I bought a lot of fabric a few years ago and have accumulated quite a bit of “not so trendy” (read: not in style and working on possibly ugly?!). One way I want to accomplish this is by making my kids some clothes out of these fabrics. I think (because sometimes I like to be optimistic) that they can be saved and still look stylish and trendy by being creative and mixing them up in quirky ways. I am hoping (because mostly I like to be pessimistic) that I am right.
The highlight of the night – being allowed to jump on the bed!
This is the first project that has used up a lot of the yardage of knits that I had waiting for something. Also, because they are nightgowns I can make them out of just about anything because they won’t be seen outside of our house. Well, except for the fact that I am posting them here. (Note to self: this could backfire on me!)
I really like ikatbag because she has posted a lot of really helpful information on drafting your own patterns and on how to make things properly – like our moms and grandmothers do it! I just happened to find this pattern in a size 3 and a size 5 which is perfect for my girls and all I had to change was to make the sleeve longer so they could be worn in the winter.
I also added a bit of shirring with elastic thread on the sides, about empire waist height under the arms to make them less of a “peasant shirt” shape. I like how the gathers pulls the front flatter and adds an interesting detail to the finished nightgown.
I have made my oldest daughter 3 nightgowns now. Two previous have been sewn from extra knit yardage and re-purposed maternity shirts. She has called each by the name of the princess with a dress who’s colour is “closest” to that of the nightgown. So far we have Belle (pink/green/yellow/brown and white stripes and flowers) and Cinderella (blue/green/white stripe and solid). This new one has been deemed worthy to be like Sleeping Beauty. Oh to be a kid again!
