by Sherri Sylvester | Aug 17, 2018
The coolest thing ever is showing your daughters the page in a “real live” book with your tutorial in it. They are so proud. I wish I had filmed their reactions – makes a mamma feel great!
Lucky Spool’s new book “50 Little Gifts” is a compilation of 50 simple sewable projects, perfect for gifting or swapping. And, to be honest, I’ve got a list of things to sew right away for me!
My contribution is the Cat-Eye Zipper Pouch tutorial. I love having it close by, now I won’t have to go back to my post for the instructions!
I was thrilled when Susanne Woods asked to include my tutorial. And doubly-thrilled to be in the company of contributors I’ve silently stalked followed around for forever – Anna from Noodlehead, Deborah from Whipstitch, Abby Glassenberg and Denyse Schmidt to name a few.
As I was flipping through it again this morning. I commented to my husband that I want to make so many of the projects in it – some books have a few great tutorials – this one is chock full of greatness. #notjustsayin
Wanna win a copy? Lucky Spool gave me an extra, just for me to give to you!
This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide, from today (August 17) until midnight August 24, 2018 (EST). Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, use your name and email address. There’s a “click to enter”, no social media login entry too!
BONUS: Find my giveaway post on Instagram and comment to get an extra entry!
** Edited to add the WINNER! **
From a total of 344 Rafflecopter entries and 65 Instagram entries,
and as per Random.org – the winner is entry number 29:
Kirsty M. from Australia!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for reading Thread Riding Hood. Don’t miss a post – come #alongforthreadride!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 5, 2018
Check it out! This is my awesome new sewing shirt, with an added side zipper (a new tutorial!) to make it fancy. Plus, it’s this sewing nerd’s most fun thing to do to wear my hobby. #youknowit
Today’s tutorial will show you how to add a side zipper to a garment with a side seam. (Yes – the bottom of pants too!) I used my trusty Union St tee pattern as a base for the embroidery and zipper. This will be my 5th I think!
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada. I am a Janome Artisan and have been loaned a Janome Skyline S9 sewing and embroidery combination machine as part of this program.
To sew the zipper, I used the Janome twin Dual Feed holder with the AD twin foot. My zipper was flat enough to topstitch it without using a zipper foot! This foot hooks into the AcuFeed system in the Skyline S9 to feed the top and bottom fabric layers through your machine at the same rate – creating amazingly flat and accurate seams, especially when sewing knits and quilting.
Embroidering on the Skyline S9 is an amazing bonus! I’ve wanted to put this saying on something for a long time and I was thrilled to be able to design and execute my very own embroidered sewing shirt. Guess how many other things I want to embroider this on now? #lol #embroiderallthethings #andsewonandsewforth
You might like these previous posts! 12 Tips and Tricks for Sewing with knits, Machine Embroidering, and more projects on the Janome Skyline S9.
Thanks for reading Thread Riding Hood. Don’t miss a post – come #alongforthreadride!
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How to Add a Side Zipper to any Seam!
You will need:
- Pattern and supplies for a knit garment with a side seam
- Ballpoint needle (for sewing knits)
- Zipper (in your desired length)
- Fusible Interfacing scraps
- Removable Marking Pen
- Sewing Machine and Supplies
- Optional: Serger
Prepare the garment
- Sew your garment, according to the instructions, until you reach the step requiring you to stitch the seam where you’d like to add your zipper.
- Mark where the garment’s hem will finish on the seam you’d like your zipper. My hem is 1″ deep.
- Place the bottom zipper teeth at the hem mark. With the slider open and away from the hem, mark just above the zipper stop.
- Measure from the bottom of the fabric to the top mark and add 1″. Cut 2 pieces of interfacing 1″ wide by your measured length.
- Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric on each marked edge.
Stitch the Seam
- Stitch the seam as per your instructions, stopping at the top mark. Press sewn seam allowances open or towards the back. NOTE: If serging, stop 2″ above the mark and stitch to the mark with a sewing machine. This allows the zipper area seam allowances to be pressed open.
- Draw a line on the back of your zipper just under the zipper stop. Also, mark two lines on either side about 1/4″ from the center of the zipper teeth. Place the zipper right sides together with the sewn seam (over the unsewn area) with the zipper slider away from the hem and the zipper stop along the previous zipper stop marking (shown here in blue). It is very important that the zipper teeth are well centered along the side seam!
- Sew along the marked line on the zipper from one 1/4″ marking to the area. Don’t worry that the zipper seems oddly placed, this will all work out!
- Turn the garment wrong side up and open the seam allowances. Mark two 45 degree lines from the center opening to the edges of the line you just sewed. Cut along these marks being careful not to cut through or past the stitches.
Finish the Zipper
- Press each interfaced seam back 1/2″. Fuse or glue them down if desired.
- Fold the excess zipper tape on each side of the bottom of the zipper to the wrong side at a 45-degree angle (left in photo), and then fold it up and out of the way (right in photo). Baste each side in place.
- Lay the shirt right side up on a flat surface. Pull the zipper down from the wrong side of the shirt until the zipper slider near the shirt hem. Align each folded side seam evenly on top of the zipper tape. Glue or pin in place.
- Topstitch around the zipper about 1/8″ away from the folded edges. Start at the bottom of one side seam and stitch around to the other side seam, pivoting at each corner.
Finish the garment
- Finish the shirt as per the instructions. When hemming, make sure the hemline and stitching match on both sides of the zipper for a professional finish.
Congratulations, you’ve sewn a Side Zipper!
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Sewing Machine: Janome Skyline S9 (on loan from Janome Canada as part of their Artisan program)
Knit Fabric: Heather Grey – 10 oz Cotton/Spandex Jersey Knit from Fabric Snob
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 1, 2018
Last summer my kids went to sleep away camp for the first time. I was a bit nervous leaving them for an entire week, since they were 6 and 9 years old, so – being a sewist mom – I decided to make them a project.
Each of my girls received a personalized pillowcase with a glow-in-the-dark secret message. Every night when they went to sleep, the glowing message would say goodnight and that mom and dad love them. Made me feel much better!
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada. I am a Janome Artisan and have been loaned a Janome Skyline S9 sewing and embroidery combination machine as part of this program.
Today’s tutorial shows you how to incorporate a glow-in-the-dark message using a sewing machine with an alphabet function. (P.S. If you don’t have one, consider using the glowing thread to hand-embroider a message instead!) I added some embroidery as well since the Janome Skyline S9 can do that too!
There are so many uses for these pillowcases. Make one for….
- a unique gift for your grandkids
- a child in the hospital
- your hubby while you are away traveling on business
- a child who is scared of the dark
- a fun surprise!
My lovely blog sponsor, Country Clothesline, provided the fabrics for this pillowcase. They have a gorgeous selection of fresh and pretty fabrics in her shop – think picnics and country gardens. My kids are debating who gets to use this pillowcase first as we speak! (Find links to the fabrics at the bottom of this post.)
Make your own DIY Secret Message Pillowcase
You will need:
- A good burrito pillowcase tutorial – try this link from Janome Life.
- Glow-in-the-dark Embroidery thread
- Materials as per your tutorial
- Optional: Embroidery machine and supplies
Cutting Instructions:
It is best to follow your chosen tutorial, but, as a gauge – here are the measurements I used to cut fabric for my pillowcase. Each of these is cut across the width of the fabric from selvage to selvage – generally, this is about 42″-44″.
- 11″ band
- 2″ wide accent strip (will be folded in half)
- 27″ main fabric
STEP 1: Make the Accent Strip with Your Secret Message
Fold the accent strip in half and press. Add a 1″ wide piece of stabilizer to one half of it. This will be where you will place your glow-in-the-dark message.
Program the message into your machine. The Skyline S9 allows you to check your work, do it if you can to make sure there aren’t any spelling mistakes.
Measure the height of your text and draw a baseline with a removable marking device. Check which way the text will face as you stitch and align the baseline so the text is right side up above the fold of the accent strip. If you are centering the text on the strip, allow for a 1/4″ seam allowance at the top of the accent strip.
IMPORTANT: Press your accent strip well before you embroider on it! You CAN NOT press the glow-in-the-dark embroidery thread with the same heat you use to press the cotton fabric because it will melt. (Don’t ask me how I know, blergh.)
Use the baseline as a guide and stitch the message, starting about 1″ into the strip to allow for the pillowcase seam allowance. Continue repeating your message until you reach about 1″ from the other end of the strip.
Remove the spacing threads between the letters if desired.
Re-fold the strip. (Do not press on high heat! Test your “synthetic” setting and use a press cloth if you really want to iron it.)
STEP 2: Embroider the Pillowcase
When centering embroidery, make sure to take seam allowances and folds into account. Embroidery centered on the top front band will appear on 1/4 of the band fabric. (see photo)
Place stabilizer underneath and hoop your project.
I used two rose designs included with the Janome AcuDesign app and changed the colours to use similar colours to the fabric so I could envision the final product.
The AcuSetter app allowed me to send the design placements over WIFI to the Skyline S9, so the rose and the two vine sections would match up.
Embroider the pillowcase band as desired.
Step 3: Finish Making the Pillowcase
Follow your desired tutorial to finish the pillowcase. Insert the accent strip between the main and band fabric with the lettering facing the band fabric when sewing them together.
I used a french seam to enclose the raw edges of the pillowcase so they won’t fray.
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Thanks for reading Thread Riding Hood. Don’t miss a post – come #alongforthreadride!
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Woven Fabric: All fabrics are from Country Clothesline – Rambling Rose by Tanya Whelan for FreeSpirit, Happy Dots Pinhead (white on blue dot) from Michael Miller Fabrics, Basically Hugs (blue on white dot) by Helen Stubbings for P&B Textiles
Glow-In-The-Dark thread: Coats & Clark, 100% Polyester
Sewing Machine: Janome Skyline S9 (on loan from Janome Canada as part of their Artisan program)
by Sherri Sylvester | May 17, 2018
I love the Canadian online fabric shopping scene! Over the past few years, it has grown by leaps and bounds, providing Canadian (and US and International!) shoppers with lots of variety and choice.
Today, I’m thrilled to be able to feature Lindsey from The Fabric Snob, chat about her shop and give you a chance to win a fabric-y giveaway! Plus, she’s provided a discount code for you to use in her shop. (P.S. This is the 20th Canadian Online Fabric Store interview we’ve had here!)
“It started with the search for the perfect diaper fabric for my newborn son, which was impossible to find in Canada. I realized there was a huge gap in the Canadian market for on-trend fabrics, so The Fabric Snob was born!
We also have a brick and mortar location. We are located in a small town, Riverton, in rural Manitoba! If you are ever out our way, please stop in for a visit, we would love to have you!” ~ Lindsey, The Fabric Snob
I had a lovely time shopping at The Fabric Snob. They have a huge shop including 60+ solid knit colours plus prints, french terry, and heathered knits, quilting cottons, fleece, minky, flannels, notions and thread! Plus a low Canada and US shipping flat rate of $9.99.
My order arrived super-quick with a washing sheet and bonus fruit snacks that, yes, I did share with my kids! Plus I got a swatch sheet for their huge array of knits – so I can properly match future orders. (Almost my favorite part of the order, besides the fabric of course! #fabricnerd)
Sherri: Why did you decide to start your shop?
Lindsey: I wanted something that I could do from home while being a mom, I LOVED sewing and was a self-professed fabric snob. Plus I have always loved working with technology. An online fabric store was the perfect fit!
Sherri: What is your favorite type of sewing project?
Lindsey: Clothing! I love being able to custom fit something to my body. But I also love the challenge of quilting projects!
Sherri: What is something coming up in the near future that you are especially excited about?
Lindsey: We are hoping to expand our apparel fabrics in a big way over the next few months, and we are also in the process of getting a long-arm to start offering edge-to-edge quilting services!
Sherri: Thanks, Lindsey!
Lucky us! The Fabric Snob is offering a discount at their shop until May 31, 2018! (One-time use, discount is not applicable to EverSewn Sewing Machines.)
Use the code THR10 to get 10% off your order.
The Fabric Snob is giving away the best kind of gift – a $50 gift card to use in their shop!
This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide, from today (May 17) until midnight May 24, 2018 (EST). Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, use your name and email address. There’s a “click to enter”, no social media login entry too!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for reading Thread Riding Hood. Don’t miss a post – come #alongforthreadride!
Disclosure and Privacy Policy: Fabric Snob is a current blog sponsor. I contacted them to see if they also wanted to be interviewed. They provided fabric and a giveaway as part of our collaboration for this series. I won’t promote a shop that I do not love, and my opinions will always be my own. Thanks for reading!
by Sherri Sylvester | May 11, 2018
Last year my kids and I made Mother’s and Father’s day gifts for my parents. The youngest chose to make this pincushion for my mom and I thought it would be fun to show it to you.
My idea came from the Sewing Rabbit’s Embroidery Hoop Pin Cushion tutorial. There are a few other tutorials out there, but I like this one because it has a cork backing to stab your pins into. Plus it’s a no-sew project!
This one is a less “clean” looking than the original tutorial – and that’s because my daughter decided we HAD to leave the frilly fabric around the edges. I love that she puts her spin on our crafts, even if it’s hard for me to leave it alone and not say anything!
She picked some of my long-hoarded fabric, something my friend Cynthia Frenette designed and sent to me a while ago – appropriate for my mom who loves to sew. We also added a little tag with a tiny grommet. As a bit of an aside – gromments are amazing and look fantastic in many places that I usually don’t think to put them. And they are easy to install.
I love adding special messages, so my daughter prettied up the cardstock cover on the back with a message and we sent it off to Grandma. Grandma happens to live in Texas, so we also like that it was small and lightweight enough to put in the mail!
P.S. It was well received. 🙂
