by Sherri Sylvester | Sep 22, 2015
I recently finished a basket of smiles, 8 in total! I’m hoping you will be inspired today to help make some smiles too.
I’m so happy to be able to help raise awareness for ConKerr Cancer under their brand new name – Ryan’s Case for Smiles! I started making pillowcases for this great cause when my Sewcial group decided to use one of our monthly meetings to make some. This time around, I found enough fabric to make 8 pillowcases in my stash, it was simple to make some more. I got to choose some cute fabrics that will make a few kids smile, and I moved yardage off of my shelves. Maybe we should call it “De-Stashing for a Good Cause”?!
Kelsey, their western coordinator, contacted me about writing this post and has kindly written this introduction to “Case for Smiles”, background for how they got started.
Ryan’s Case for Smiles (formerly ConKerr Cancer) started when Cindy Kerr’s son was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and she began making pillowcases to brighten up his hospital room and to put a smile on his face. He loved it and so she began making pillowcases for other children on the Oncology Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Photo provided by Ryan’s Case for Smiles
“I just wanted to send along a quick note of thanks. As a nurse I have the pleasure of handing out your beautiful pillowcases to my patients. I wish all of your volunteers could see the smiles of our patients and their parents and families. The color and softness of each pillowcase is as comforting for our kids as it is for us. Thank you!! Your work makes a difference to the caregivers also!” ~ via Ryan’s Case for Smiles
School groups, sewing circles, church groups, and fabric stores have all pitched in and are making pillow cases to comfort children in hospitals around the world. Thousands of Ryan’s Case for Smiles volunteers in over 120 cities dedicate themselves to brightening children’s lives through the simple act of sewing a bright, cheery pillowcase. As a result of their love and generosity, Ryan’s Case for Smiles has delivered more than 1,000,000 pillowcases in just seven years to 330 hospitals across the globe.
Photo provided by Ryan’s Case for Smiles
“I’m not sure how a little thing like a pillowcase can make such a huge difference, but the pillowcase we received from you guys is one of the very few things that is able to bring our daughter comfort while she is in the hospital for treatment. It has been a soft place to lay her head for over 200 nights at the hospital over the past 3 years. Thank you for all you guys do!” ~ via Ryan’s Case for Smiles
Ryan’s Case for Smiles has made amazing progress towards our goal of making hospital stays as pleasant as possible for chronically ill children and their parents. A simple pillowcase means so much to a child while they’re in the hospital and away from home. It helps cheer them up, gives them something soft to snuggle, reminds them of the comforts of home, helps calm their fears and brightens up their hospital room. The pillowcase project has also fostered a spirit of community and volunteer service in communities across the world.
Unfortunately there are always new little patients who need our love and support, and we must continue our efforts to help brighten patients’ lives and raise awareness about childhood cancer and other childhood illnesses.
Photo provided by Ryan’s Case for Smiles
“I don’t know what it is about the pillowcases that you make, but they add a little bit of magic to our hospital rooms. Bright, fun, cheerful, uplifting magic.” ~ via Ryan’s Case for Smiles
It’s so amazing that they have made 1,000,000 pillowcases! Want to help make the next million?!
Ryan’s Case for Smiles is always looking for donations of handmade pillowcases and new cotton fabrics to help make more pillowcases with. Information on how you can help Ryan’s Case for Smiles can be found at www.caseforsmiles.org
How easy is it really?!
From experience, making a pillowcase is very simple. A few cuts and three straight lines of sewing – two if you count the corner as 1 line! I serged my raw edges, making it even faster. They have great instructions, or you can give or donate towards buying fabric if that is simpler.
There are so many ways to help out. I hope you can join us!
by Sherri Sylvester | Aug 14, 2015
I hate to admit it, but we bought this maxi skirt for my youngest at least 2 months ago. It was too long and my youngest decided instead of hemming it, we should make it into a strapless dress. I couldn’t imagine a 5 year old playing modestly in a strapless dress for very long, so it went into the alteration pile and sat… and sat, and sat…
Right. Anyhow. I just got an amazing new sewing machine (more on that soon when I can give it a proper review) and had a burst of creative energy where I actually wanted to work on my mending and hemming. I can’t remember a machine ever making me want to do that before!
So, among the projects, out came the maxi skirt… After searching a bit in my knit stash I found an old t-shirt that was a pretty close match for the light blue. The length of the straps are measured from her Annabelle maxi dress. The same place I got the idea for the how to make the straps.
Here are 5 quick steps so you can do it too!
Step 1: Cut 2 rectangles – about 5″ wide (includes 1 inch for hemming) by the length you would like + 1 inch
Step 2: Fold in and press about 1/2″ along each long edge. Stitch to hem the edges.
Step 3: Baste a line about 1/2″ from each short edge. Pull the threads to gather to your desired width.
Step 4: Mark the strap placement on the front and back of the skirt top and pin each strap in place along the gathered edges. The top of the skirt should overlap with the straps by about 1/2″.
Step 5: Stitch them on (indicated by the red lines below), I made 2 lines of stitching to make sure they were secure.
All finished! Yup, it’s that simple. LOVE working with knits!
Of course,my daughter was in bed because I’m doing a lot of night-working this summer, so I hung it on her dresser where she could see it when she woke up. You should have seen the grin.
Argh, why do I wait so long to make the things I plan for them?!
How about you?What is one of your favorite mending/refashioning projects?
Thanks for reading. Follow along and join me for “thread ride”!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 10, 2015
I made another First Day Top! If you’ve been around for a bit you know that’s nothing new (it’s my favorite!)… but this one is extra special. It’s made so I could take photos for the very first post I’ve written for the Craftsy Sewing Blog!
When they contacted me a few months ago I was thrilled to say yes. You’ve likely heard about their online classes or downloaded a pattern from one of your favorite makers there. When I checked out their blog I found it full of tutorials and great information. They even have Free Fabric Friday!
I’m am beyond pleased to be writing for Craftsy! I thought I should write my first post about something I had promised to all of you. A tutorial on how to exactly match your fabric pattern across a zipper opening. I’ve done this quite a few times now and it looks so professional.
Using it with an invisible zipper along with the pattern matching almost makes the seam disappear too! You can see more examples on these dresses and my Violette Field Threads Ginger as well!
And so, we come back to me making this peplum top. I bought the gorgeous floral fabric from Country Clothesline for my oldest a Creativ Festival last spring. My oldest is IN LOVE with floral fabrics and I can guarantee this will be worn so much this summer.
I have to admit, though, that it was tricky to get her to try on her sister’s Cotton + Steel Mustang Top before she’d agree to the style – now she’s hooked! These little tops are easy to wear, fast to make and use up those perfect 1/2 yards (or so) of stashed favorites.
And of course, since is is summer, face paint is allowed in the photos. Her aunt did such a cute job on this rainbow!
I love the more relaxed photo shoots we can have when there isn’t as much of a schedule. This spot is near a park, which was fun, though next time I will have to remember to bring running shoes. The slippery soled dressy sandals just don’t do a good job when you want to go up the slide “the wrong way”!
I’ll be back this Sunday with the most amazing week in Thread Riding Hood history! Want a hint? Head over to the Thread Riding Hood Facebook page to get the latest updates.
by Sherri Sylvester | Jul 2, 2015
Today I’m so pleased to be posting a project with Birds and the Bees fabric by Tamara Kate. It is her latest collection for Michael Miller and it’s just gorgeous! The multiple colours made great Fat Quarter Skirts for my girls – lots of pretty colour to match their summer t-shirts!
I had already seen (and loved) this collection while I was following Quilt Market on Instagram, so I was happy to agree to use it when I got an email from Tamara not too long ago! When I had to decide which fabrics to use for my project, though, I had a really hard time – SO many colours and patterns!
My absolute favorite is the Love Bug print – the little hearts are “interrupted” by ladybugs every so often – and there are multiple colourways. I’d love to use the uni-directional “All the Wee Beasts” or “Honey, Honey” for a super-cute quilt back too. You will be seeing these skirts a lot on Instagram this summer! (Get the tutorial below.)
You can see lots more Birds and the Bees projects on the Tamara Kate website and Tamara’s blog.
This project was inspired by my Simple Fat Quarter Skirt tutorial, and the desire to use as many different prints from Birds and The Bees as possible. I had such a hard time picking my favorites! Since the tutorial uses 2 fat quarters per skirt, I was able to use 8 different prints. When they arrived it was so fun to mix and match them into these easy skirts my girls love to wear all summer.
The Fat Quarter Skirt PDF Pattern is Now Available!
Purchasing this fully tested skirt pattern gives you access to 5 sizes, child’s 2-6, to create a skirt that is 9-11 1/2″ (23-30cm) long. Expect lots of tips and tricks throughout, a glossary of terms, recommended best practices and instructions geared towards an absolute beginner. This pattern is truly a quick sew – allow yourself just 1-3 hours to finish, including your fabric cutting time. It’s also a great stash-buster, requiring only 2 fat quarters and a length of elastic… things you probably already have in your stash! To find out more about the pattern, click here.
Purchase the Fat Quarter Skirt PDF Pattern – $8.50 CDN
Thank you for your support!
I always regretted not adding shorts to last year’s batch of skirts, so this was the perfect opportunity to make some more. (A bit longer this time, since the girls are growing!) I am grateful that Lauren from Baste + Gather made a multi-sized free pattern for Summer Shorties. This free bike shorts pattern (sizes 12m-8) works perfectly as an add-in to the original skirt tutorial I wrote last year.
This project was extra fun because my mom helped me sew the skirts! Since my parents live quite far away, it is rare that we get to sew together. She finished the outside of each skirt and I worked on inserting the shorts – teamwork at it’s best!
Step 1: Follow the directions to make a Fat Quarter Skirt up to Step 4b. Also make a pair of Summer Shorties up to step 3. (It is recommended that you read through each tutorial so you are familiar with all the steps before beginning.)
Step 2: Use pins to mark the top edge of the Shorties and the bottom edge of the skirt casing in quarters.
Step 3: Turn the skirt and the shorties inside out. Place the shorties inside the skirt, matching the backs and fronts. The wrong side of the shorties will be facing the right side of the skirt.
Step 4: Pin the top of the shorties to the bottom edge of the skirt casing at each quarter mark.
Step 5: Match and pin the top edge of the shorties, stretching to match the width of the skirt casing. Working in quarters, I used 2 or 3 pins per quarter marking.
Step 6: Serge or stitch the pinned edge with a 3/8″ seam allowance. You do not need to use a stretch stitch. Finish the edge with a zig-zag stitch if you have not used a serger.
Step 7: Turn everything right side out and fold the casing down into the skirt.
Step 8: Pin the casing to the skirt four times – again at each quarter mark – this will be the front/back shortie seam and the side skirt seams. Pin on the outside of the skirt to make sewing simpler. Pin carefully to make sure the casing will lay flat once it is sewn.
Step 9: Stretch the top of the shorties to match the width of the skirt. Pin around the bottom edge of the casing, 2 or 3 pins per quarter.
Step 10: Stitch around the skirt to make the casing, leaving a 2″ opening for the elastic. The seam allowance will be about 1 1/2″. Stretch each pinned section as you sew. Sew from the right side of the skirt. This will catch the bottom edge of the casing and possibly the top of the shorties, depending on how large and accurate your seam allowances were throughout.
Step 11: Finish the skirt top by inserting the elastic and closing the opening – Fat Quarter Skirt Steps 5 & 6. Hem the bottom of the shorties – Summer Shorties Step 5 (omit instructions for the elastic). Attach a piece of ribbon or a tag at the back, so your little one will know how to wear it.
Hooray, You’re finished! Enjoy – Go ahead and hit the playground in style.
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 30, 2015
Hello again! I just realized I’ve taken an unintentional week off. My parents are visiting with us for a few weeks and we are so excited to have them. As a result, though, I haven’t been as eager to get on the computer! I do have a super summery project tutorial coming up later this week, and today I’m posting a bit about our vacation.
Before all that I realized that I have not as yet posted the winners of the last two giveaways. Shame on me… here they are:
Seam Allowance Fabrics gave away a $30 Shop Credit to Kathy D. I hope you are enjoying it Kathy! {interview here}
Fabric Please! gave away a Thread Riding Hood Blogger Bundle to Pam P. Amazingly, we sent Pam her congratulatory email on her actual birthday! What are the odds?! {interview here} You can purchase your own Blogger Bundle from Fabric Please! and you can still get 15% off your purchases with the code THREAD15 until July 1, 2015!
We recently got back from Florida after a much needed 10 days away from our home. I find that since we are all in our home all the time – save business meetings and school – that we go a bit home-crazy every once in a while. We were so fortunate to get away, even if we did work a bit while we were there.
I love that owning our own businesses allows my husband and I work from anywhere in the world – as long as we have wifi! A chance of scenery is so good for us and we come home ready to work again.
On the last leg of the 19 hour drive home, I realized that I was surrounded by handmade. Literally! I packed in it, my kids and I were dressed in it and we stored the stuff in our bags in it too! When we got home I tried to photograph every handmade item as we unpacked. I was curious and wanted to know how much we really had with us and what we used everything for.
Since also love roundups of “things on white backgrounds” – here are the photographs. (Linked to their respective blog posts if applicable of course!) These are some of our most-used handmade items, since only the most useful things are deemed good enough to come on vacation with us! It is also fun to go through some of these older posts, the kids are so little, especially the pink and yellow Tennis Skort post below!
by Sherri Sylvester | Jun 18, 2015
I’m feeling especially patriotic today. It’s my turn to post on the Canadian Pattern Designer blog tour. I am super proud to be Canadian and connected with this group of designers. This tour is an amazing showcase of great patterns! (Discount below + lots of prizes to be won! Keep reading!)
Ula from Lulu and Celeste has organized a great bunch of bloggers over the past few months and each of us gets to showcase a different pattern from our selected Canadian Designer. I was so fortunate to get to play with Victory Patterns! Kristiann Boos is well known for her patterns and I was dying to make an Ava. I seem to keep collecting dressy tops when I am part of these blog hops – maybe that’s a sign I need to get out more?!
My general impression of the Ava pattern was that it is SO professionally put together! I happened to have about 4 pattens that I was putting together at the same time a few months ago and this pattern stood out way over and above the others. The way it is written, down to how it prints out and the directions and ease of finding what you need. I really enjoyed working with it.
I made this peplum top in voile, which I have never worked with before. It was easy to sew, I didn’t have any issues with the fabric at all. To make the top more modest (read: not see through!), I cut two layers of each pattern piece and then sewed everything pretending they were one piece. It worked really well, aside from the peplum skirt having a bit more body than I would like. It stands out from the top quite a bit and I could likely have only used one layer there.
Oh my goodness, can I say how proud I am? I survived attaching binding smoothly for the first time ever! Binding and me have a long standing mutual hate for each other, I was super afraid when I saw the neckline and sleeves were binding bound on this top. My tip is to go slow, really slow – and pin, a lot!
The neckline did give me a bit of trouble, but I found an amazing post on how to sew it on the DIY Fox. Her post about sewing the Ava Sweetheart Neckline was really helpful. I was nervous because quite a few bloggers were saying the two sides of the neckline weren’t even when they stitched it. Again – slow and steady wins the race. Mine isn’t perfect, but I only know that because I made it!
Just to add a bit to the list, the bust darts finish too high. It’s my own fault – I made them a bit wider to take in more fabric (a la small bust adjustment) and shouldn’t have added to the height. Argh. I could take them out and fix them – but I was on vacation while I was sewing it… so they stayed put, mostly because it still fit and didn’t show that much.
PATTERN REVIEW SUMMARY: Ava, by Victory Patterns, Version 3
Fabric: Black Madonna Voile, unknown “French Chic” lining fabric (both from Fabricland)
Here are a few things I love about it:
- Lots of proper notches and markings! This is a super professional pattern.
- Cutting layouts and required fabric listing is super clear for all 3 versions.
- The neckline! It’s so cute.
- The sheer (or not) upper bodice. I’ve seen amazing versions with regular woven material in the top, as well as lace – so many options!
The fit & my alterations:
- This pattern fits SO easily! This pattern fit the best (on my first muslin) out of any of the patterns I’ve made in the last few months.
- To make it fit my non-average measurements I:
- took in a bit on the sides and widen the dart. (Basically a small bust adjustment)
- extended the shoulder up to a size 10, graded back to a size 4 at the top of the bodice and graded to a size 8 at the bottom and through the peplum skirt
- Since I am long-waisted, I added 1″ to the length of the bodice.
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Things I changed from the original pattern:
- Nothing save alterations to the fit.
Things I might change next time:
- I really, really want to make one of these out of knit instead of woven – since I wear knits almost every day.
- I’d love to try the sleeveless version as well.
- I would not use a double-layer of voile in the peplum skirt, it gives it extra body which isn’t as flattering.
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There are SO MANY prizes to be won along this blog hop! Enter for your chance to win a Victory Pattern below. Find out how to win the Grand Prize here!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Victory Patterns is offering 15% off anything on their website using the discount code “CANADATOUR” from June 17 – 23, 2015. Thank you Kristiann!
Follow the Canadian Pattern Designer blog hop below. Link over to so much great Canadian information!
June 1 – 3 Gracious Threads – Interview : Creative Bug – The Wholesome Mama – stitched by crystal
June 4 – 6 Jalie – Interview: Shaffer Sisters – Call Ajaire – hibbadoray
June 8 – 10 Thread Theory – Interview: Handmade Boy – Rebel & Malice – Sew Out of Control
June 11 – 13 Audrey & Tiffany – Interview: All Things Katy! – Not Sew Fast – Conversas de Hermana
June 15 – 17 E+M Patterns – Interview: From-a-Box – Made by Sara – Climbing the Willow
June 17 – 19 Victory Patterns – Interview: Swoodson Says – Thread Riding Hood (that’s me!) – Sprouting JubeJube
June 18 – 20 FABulous Home Sewn – Interview: Create3.5 – Calm and Carrion – Stitches by Laura
June 22 – 24 Filles a Maman – Interview: Pattern Revolution – PhatQuarters – sewstarly – House of Estrela
June 24 – 26 Closet Case Files – Interview: gloria june – Rebel & Malice – Sew Far North
June 25 – 27 Elegance & Elephants – Interview: Sprouting JubeJube – AmandaRose – Mae & K
June 29 – 30 Lulu & Celeste: new makes and a round up post
July 1st Last day to enter Giveaways and Final Round up Post!
Reader Feedback: Have you made any of the Victory Patterns? How did you like it?
Thanks for reading. Follow along and join me for “thread ride”!
And what is a good post without a tiny photo bomber and her “new rock”?!
Disclaimer: I received the Ava pattern from Victory Patterns in return for this post. My opinions are always my own and I do not promote things I don’t love. Thanks for reading!
