by Sherri Sylvester | May 3, 2018
Hey there, it’s finally getting warmer outside! We’ve been listening to the birds (with the windows open!), walking to school and searching out our local convenience store for slushies. Ahhh…. feels good!
To celebrate, I’ve teamed up with A Material Girl, a Canadian online fabric shop, to bring you and your kids a brand new pattern tutorial – the Simple Springtime Skirt in 3 kids’ sizes. (P.S. A Material Girl is also offering a discount and giving away fabric to you lovely readers. Enter for your chance to win below!)
This post is sponsored by A Material Girl Fabrics and they have provided the fabric for this post. As always, I only work with sponsors that I love. Enjoy the tutorial!
Before we start, I’d be remiss not to let you know about this new-to-me shop. It’s just around the corner from me in Milton, Ontario. Owner Nicole started her shop in 2014 and noticed that her customers loved having access to organic fabrics. (Yay!)
Branching out from there, she also sells knit prints, woven character fabrics, double gauze and so much more by the yard. As a bonus, all A Material Girl shipments within Canada are only $5.75 and she can make arrangements to ship to the US as well.
The knit organic Birch Fabrics bows I used for this tutorial washed up buttery soft and so easy to stitch. And my youngest was over the moon excited when she got to choose the magic rainbow shine fabric by Alexander Henry.
4 Prizes:
A Material Girl is giving away the fabric you need to make a Springtime Skirt. Four lovely readers will win their choice of 1 yard of fabric, enough to make a skirt for their favorite kid and 1/2 yard extra just for fun! You can find your favorites in advance in their shop.
These giveaways are open to everyone, internationally, from today until Thursday, May 10th, at midnight EST. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter – and if you don’t have Facebook to sign in with, just use your name and email address. There’s a “click to enter”, non-social media login entry too!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Recieve 10% off at A Material Girl using the discount code: STUCKINTHE80s
A Material Girl is also offering a month-long 10% discount! Valid from today until June 3, 2018.
How to Sew a Simple Springtime Skirt
This tutorial comes in 3 sizes, for an average fit on ages 6/7, 8/9 and 10/12. It can be made in both knit or woven fabrics and requires only a 1/2 yard of fabric. The elastic waist pulls on for easy dressing and (I’m told, lol) that also makes them so comfy! Plus, a nice sized hem allows the fabric to lay flat and look great.
Of course, it’s also called “Simple” because it only requires 10 steps and a couple of hours to finish. Your kids will love their quick spring wardrobe pick-me-up!
Size Chart:
Fit the skirt to your child based on their hip measurement. When in doubt, choose the larger measurement.
Size 6/7 fits a 22 1/2 waist and 26 1/2 hip, finished length is 14 1/2″
Size 8/9 fits a 23 1/2 waist and 29″ hip, finished length is 14 1/2″
Size 10/12 fits a 24 1/2 waist and 31″ hip, finished length is 16 1/2″
Helpful Links:
For tips and tricks for sewing knits please see these posts:
You will need:
- 1/2 yard woven or knit fabric
- under 1 yard of 1 1/2″ or 1 3/4″ wide elastic
- fabric matching thread
- elastic matching thread
- removable fabric marker
- ruler
- sewing machine
- your usual sewing supplies
- optional: Stretchy Fusible Seam Tape for knits (Knit-N-Stable Tape)
- optional: serger for sewing knit fabric and finishing edges
Cut Your Fabric and Elastic:
Cut your fabric as indicated below according to the size you need. The elastic can be cut to your child’s waist measurement or you can follow the size below.
NOTE: These measurements are slightly different for knit and woven fabrics to allow for the extra ease and hem depth needed in a woven skirt – be sure to choose the right one!
Size 6/7 Knit Cut 2: 14 1/2″ wide x 14 1/2″ high, cut 1 length of elastic 22 1/2″
Size 6/7 Woven Cut 2: 15 1/2″ wide x 15″ high, cut 1 length of elastic 22 1/2″
Size 8/9 Knit Cut 2: 15 1/2″ wide x 15 1/2″ high, cut 1 length of elastic 23 1/2″
Size 8/9 Woven Cut 2: 16 1/5″ wide x 16″ high, cut 1 length of elastic 23 1/2″
Size 10/12 Knit Cut 2: 16 1/2″ wide x 16 1/2″ high, cut 1 length of elastic 24 1/2″
Size 10/12 Woven Cut 2: 16 1/2″ wide x 17″ high, cut 1 length of elastic 24 1/2″
Cut the Skirt Shape:
- Layer skirt front and back matching raw edges and one-way up fabric. fold panels in half, matching the raw edges. You will have 4 layers on the top right and a fold at the top left.
- Mark 1/2″ in from the top raw edge (not the fold!).
- Draw a straight line from the bottom edge of the skirt to the mark at the top raw edge of the skirt.
- Cut along the line.
Sew the Skirt:
NOTE: If you are using a woven fabric, finish all raw edges together using a serger, zigzag pinking shears.
Step 1: Mark the Skirt Front and Back
On the right side of the fabric, mark the center of each skirt panel and draw a line 1/2″ down from the top of both skirt front and back with a removable marker.
Step 2: Pin and Stitch the Side Seams
Place the skirt front and back right sides together, matching raw side edges. Pin and stitch with a 3/8″ seam allowance.
Step 3: Press the Seam
Press the side seams towards the back of the skirt.
Step 4: Prepare the hem (use either the knit or woven instructions)
Prepare a woven fabric: Fold the bottom skirt edge 1/2″ to the wrong side. Then 1″ again and press well.
Prepare a knit fabric: Fold and press 1″ once towards the wrong side (If you are using Stretchy Fusible Seam Tape, apply it before folding.)
Step 5: Pin and Stitch the Hem
Pin your hem on the right side of the fabric, matching side seams. Stitch close to the top edge of the hem fold with the right side of the fabric up on your machine. Note: Use a stretch stitch or a twin needle if you are hemming a knit skirt.
Step 6: Finish the Woven Fabric Edge
Woven fabric only: Finish the edges of the top of the skirt using pinking shears, a zig-zag stitch or a serger.
Step 7: Prepare the Elastic Waistband
Place the elastic right sides together, matching the unfinished ends. Stitch with 3/8″ seam. Press the seam allowance open. Stitch the seam allowance down in a box shape using matching thread.
Step 8: Mark the Waistband
Mark the center front of the elastic by folding at the seam. Refold the matching center front and back to find and mark the side seams. Now the elastic is marked in quarters.
Step 9: Pin the Waistband
Line up the bottom wrong side of your elastic with the marked line on the top, right side of your skirt. Match and pin the elastic and skirt quarters with the elastic seam at the center-back of the skirt. Pin “sideways” all the way around, stretching the elastic to fit the fabric.
Step 10: Stitch the Waistband
Stitch the elastic to the skirt 1/4″ up from the bottom of the elastic with a zig-zag stitch in matching thread. Stretch the elastic to fit the skirt as you go.
Congratulations, you’ve made a Simple Springtime Skirt!
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Woven Fabric: Magic Rainbow Shine in Sky from Monkey’s Bizness by De Leon Design Group for Alexander Henry Fabrics from A Material Girl
Knit Fabric: Organic Blue Bows from Wonderland by Emily Isabella for Birch Fabrics from A Material Girl
Elastic: Dritz Metallic Waistband Elastic, Gold
Sewing Machine: Janome Skyline S9 (on loan from Janome Canada as part of their Artisan program)
by Sherri Sylvester | Apr 13, 2018
Last September I thought I’d up my jeans game. I have a pair that was getting very ripped and torn. Though I love this style, I don’t love that my pasty-white (and honestly, under-moisturized, #sorrynotsorrry) skin shows through so much.
Move forward about seven months (eep!) and I finally got back around to the project this week. Thankfully it is also very slowly becoming spring here in Toronto, and wearing these pants is becoming more viable by the day due to the climb in temperature!
This post is sponsored by Janome Canada.
I recently discovered a thing called water-soluble stabilizer, and since Janome Canada was nice enough to loan me a Skyline S9 with embroidery capabilities (part of their Artisan program, in fall of 2016) I was in a position to use it to produce fun embroidered lace. Perfect to cover up, but not cover up, that skin!
It has become trendy – and I think, necessary – to mend and re-use clothing more often than purchasing new, and this is a great way to do it. I wrote about using visible mending to spruce up my favorite jeans a few years ago. And I’ve been trying to be more careful with my garment projects, so I produce things I’ll actually wear – in fabrics that will last over time.
How to Visibly Mend and Embellish your Ripped Jeans
My main focus here was to use the fun water-soluble stabilizer and a Janome Skyline S9 embroidery machine to show you what it can do. (#spoileralert) It can do a lot!
Hold on… if you don’t have an embroidery machine… you can still fix up your jeans! I’ve also added fabric, lace and hand embroidery to embellish the jeans even more… You can also reference my quick how-to jeans visible mending overview for more ideas.
How to make Embroidered Lace in 6 Steps:
Step 1: Press your Pants!
Press the area on your jeans that you’d like to fill to flatten any stray threads. Use a ruler and measure the general size of the hole. This is the size your embroidery needs to be. (TIP: Try the jeans on if they are stretchy, to ensure you have the hole the correct size.)
Step 2: Choose your Embroidery Design
My final design was part of a much larger file that came with the Janome Skyline S9. You will need a “Water Soluble Lace” specific file or the threads will not hold together when you remove the stabilizer.
I used Janome’s AcuDesign app to edit the file and make it a bit smaller. It was so easy to edit it! Though it did take a while to delete all the unnecessary points.
Geeky aside: I sent the file back to the Skyline S9 over the my WIFI connection. So easy! And it makes my techie brain happy.
Step 3: Prep your Stabilizer
My Solvy stabilizer said to press a few sheets together between a press cloth to make a thick enough stabilizer. Follow your water soluble stabilizer manufacturer’s directions. Make the piece large enough to fit in your machine’s embroidery hoop!
Step 4: Choose your Thread
I chose to make this entire embroidery file in cream coloured thread. Make up a bobbin and thread your machine.
TIP: The bobbin and thread should be the same colour, since the back may show on the final lace!
Step 5: Embroider
I positioned my file using the uber-easy and accurate AcuSetter app on my loaned iPad mini. It is free and makes it so simple to put your embroidery where you want it. (More on how to use the AcuSetter app here.) In this case, I moved the design to the side so I could embroider a few more things in the valuable left-over space.
Start the machine and embroider your lace.
Step 6: Wash out the Stabilizer
Wash the stabilizer out of your lace with some warm water and lay it flat to dry. You can see a video of me removing the stabilizer on Instagram.
As a side note, more playing around with the water-soluble stabilizer led me to make these butterflies for my littles. The embroidery file is included with the Skyline S9 – and the girls love them.
How to Embellish Your Jeans in 4 Steps:
Step 1: Gather your supplies
Gather your supplies. I wanted these jeans to have a neutral colour scheme – so I selected lots of cream from my stash. You could use coloured fabric of course, including all of your favorite hoarded scraps.
- ripped jeans
- embroidered lace
- pretty fabric scraps (prewashed/preshrunk)
- hand-sewing needle and thread
- sewing machine and your usual sewing supplies
Step 2: Put your jeans on!
If your jeans are stretchy, you will need to pin the fabric on while the jeans are stretched and on your body. That way they’ll fit when you are finished. #nobrainer
Step 3: Pin on the Fabric and Embroidery
With your jeans ON, pin the embroidered lace over and/or under the appropriate rip(s).
Measure, cut and pin additional pieces of fabric that fit over the other ripped portions of your jeans. Place them under the holes, flatten them out and pin them on carefully – watch out for your skin! (P.S. If this seems like a terrible idea, ie: OUCH!, pin the fabric on flat, then try the jeans on to make sure they still fit.)
TIP: If you are using a woven fabric, it is a good idea to take a second to zig-zag, overlock or use pinking shears on the edges so they will not fray. I finished these edges using the Overedge foot M and an overcasting stitch on the Skyline S9.
Step 4: Stitch on the Embellishments
Hand-stitching: Chose a thread that matches or contrasts your jeans and stitch away – with the jeans off! You can use a thicker thread or even embroidery floss. Be creative! I chose to secure the embroidered with invisible thread to make sure the stitches couldn’t be seen.
Machine Stitching: I removed the extension table and inserted my pant leg onto the free arm. Then I chose a decorative stitch (Quilt Stitch #11) and moved the pants around to stitch it. The ruler stitch is a fun nod to sewing! You could do many stitches across the entire patch and back again. Or just use a matching thread and straight stitch.
Hand Embroidery:
Use embroidery floss to cover stains or small rips. I decided a nice set of daisies was a great embellishment to cover a small paint stain on these jeans.
I hope you love the result as much as I do! It’s fun to wear something unique that you love and put time into.
by Sherri Sylvester | Jan 11, 2018
I was thrilled a few years ago to find a fantastic sketchy knit with drawings of Disney Frozen’s Anna and Elsa in my local Canadian online fabric shop, Funky Monkey Fabrics. “Frozen Fever” is still going strong in our house and the youngest, very blond child, has claimed to be Elsa. Our newly pronounced tween, while interest is slightly waning, is still very OK with being Anna.
Canadian online fabric shop Funky Monkey Fabrics sponsored this post and provided the Anna and Elsa Disney Frozen Sketch knit fabric for these hoodies.
Finding the Fabric
I love the way this Springs Creative knit is designed and drawn. I get a cool-looking product, and my kids get to wear their favorite licensed character. It has been very difficult to find good quality knits at my local box stores, and the smaller shops don’t seem to carry many either. Enter a Canadian Online Shop to fix the problem!
I’ve known about Funky Monkey Fabrics for quite a while. (Check out my 2015 interview with Melissa.) Recently I’ve started looking for better quality garment fabrics than I can get at my local shops and I’ve begun ordering more from them. Each fabric I’ve received has been delivered quickly and accurately. As a bonus to living very close by to their location, my fabrics sometimes arrive even as soon as the next day!
A quick look through their online shop shows that they sell everything you’ll ever need to create your projects. I’ve personally ordered lots of knits, but also included Pellon interfacing for bag-making and Minky and Licensed Character woven fabric for the Mitered Corner Nap-time Blankets I made a few years ago. Honestly, they really stock it all – needles, cork, batting… I could go on.
Exciting News!
Funky Monkey is currently working with a new solids supplier that will allow them to always have stock readily available. So good! Look for that coming up in the next couple of months. They also have a weekly sale, so you can save on the fun stuff you need!
Since I know some of you are like me (blergh!) and will need a reminder to check out their of their sale info, go ahead and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. For all of you with amazing memories *so jealous*, you can also check the Funky Monkey online shop regularly so you don’t miss their stocking announcement.
P.S. They are planning a big expansion for later this year as well! Can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. Pun intented!
Making the Hoodies
I’ve wanted to try the Kitschy Coo Reversible Zippy Hoodie for a while now. While I was scrap-busting it turned out that the Anna and Elsa Sketch knit was just long enough for two raglan sleeves and a hood. I happened to have enough cozy blue and purple knit to offset it and some shiny knit in silver and gold to use as an accent.
The pattern was easy to change to a non-reversible hoodie. The Zippy Hoodie includes a regular sleeve, and I wanted to feature the Sketch knit with a raglan sleeve. Altering the top of the sleeve with the Hey June Greenpoint Cardigan pattern was really simple and I was thrilled when it all worked out. Whew!
I added the gold and silver to the hood and pocket edges – silver for Elsa and gold for Anna – of course! My daughter’s also love the trendy armband thumb hole, and it was fun to sort out how add that as well.
The not-so-bad fallout of writing a blog and working with online Canadian shops?
While we were planning this post last month, I happened to fall in love with a few knits from their shop – of course! I posted these gorgeous Art Gallery knits and pink French Terry on Instagram and they are now pre-washed and waiting not-so-patiently in my stash. Yay!
Honest Conclusion…
In my personal experience and opinion, Funky Monkey’s online shop really is amazing. As sewists, we put a lot of work and effort into our projects and I am regularly dismayed by the state of fabric quality and pricing in most of our local Canadian box stores.
We need a great go-to shop and Funky Monkey Fabrics really fills that void.
Their fabric stock is huge and includes thread, zippers and notions, plus they have unique fabrics I can’t find anywhere else in Canada. The fabric quality is good, their service is fast and their pricing is competitive. This makes them a great stop on the perfect supply search for your next project, I’d highly recommend them.
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 16, 2017
I swore I would never create matching clothing for our family, but then I had an opportunity to do it – and the idea was too good to pass up. So, my oldest and I can now be twinsies with matching wrap skirts. And I love them! (And so does she.) Of course, you can make it as a longer skirt for yourself as well. The panel choices are lovely!
This post is sponsored by Meerkat Shweshwe. They also provided the Yinyang Indigo Makoti Skirt kit.
My oldest is turning 10 tomorrow ~ double digits! ~ and when Céleste (from Meerkat Shweshwe) and I were talking about this post I thought a wrap skirt is a great tween option for her. It’s a little bit more grown up than an elastic waist and still fun enough that she can hang off of walls and such! Case and point…
Plus, I know the South African shweshwe fabric will hold up to any wear and tear she gives it. My youngest’s reversible pinafore (free tutorial) gets lots of wear. It’s been washed countless times and still looks like it’s brand new. Plus, this fabric is so soft that she loves wearing it! I wish you could touch it – the weave looks a bit like linen – but tighter – with the thickness of quilting cotton and beautiful drape! (Apparently my cat really likes it too!)
Anyhow – back to the Makoti Skirt Kit. Makoti means “New Bride” and a traditional custom in South Africa is that new brides wear specific clothing, including a makoti skirt, to show that they are married. The skirt kits are easy to make – honestly, I thought it would be harder to match the border print and it’s not at all. Plus it’s comfortable, drapes well and is easy to fit to any body type. Side note – you should totally snag this red one for Christmas.
Find a mini tutorial so you can make the child’s skirt after a bit of exciting news from Meerkat Shweshwe…
Meerkat Shweshwe 2 Year Discount and Giveaway!
Meerkat Shweshwe stocks more than just skirt kits. They sell precuts and yardage of authentic 3 Cats shweshwe imported directly from South Africa. Plus, you can find quilt patterns and kits as well.
They are offering a 10% discount on everything in the shop from November 17-19 using the code “2yearsold” to celebrate their 2 year anniversary!
PLUS – follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss the giveaway in December. You could win a Double Irish Chain Mini Quilt Kit in Holiday colours! (Or sign up for the newsletter through the link at the bottom of their website to be reminded!)
- Choose your skirt kit based on the length and height of the border pattern. You will need enough length above the border’s center point for an adult-sized skirt, and below it for your child-size skirt.
- Use the instructions to sew the adult skirt almost to completion. Before hemming it, mark the center of the border print, then cut the skirt apart and hem the adult skirt as indicated.
- For the child’s skirt – wrap the remaining bottom panels around your child to measure how many panels you will need in their final skirt. My daughter is a skinny size 8 and we used 5 panels. Unpick the seam to leave the 5 panels together and set the excess panels aside.
- Cutting the remaining waistband fabric into 2 or 3 evenly sized widths. (I used two 3″ wide lengths.)
- Follow the same instructions as the adult sized skirt to finish your child-size skirt. Insert elastic into the back panel if necessary for a closer fit. (See photos for steps.)
- Tada! Hope you love this as much as I do.
Please share your projects, I’d love to see them! #alongforthreadride
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 9, 2017
Never in a million years would I have matched these fabrics. Teal and red were not on my radar, but I’m glad it happened, because every time I see this dress it makes me happy.
My youngest chose the teal fabric from my sponsor Fabric Spark at the spring Creativ Festival in 2016. I was a bit at a loss of what to match it with when she decided to use it for her Easter dress this year. I had been saving the red and navy (Elizabeth Olwen print from Joann’s) to match with a royal blue, but it had the same teal – maybe they’d match? Turns out it’s a fun mix, perfect for my fun-loving little one.
The Annabelle maxi dress pattern is one of my favorites. I love the maxi length, and the chevron skirt allows for a fun mix and match of fabrics. It is a bit tedious sewing the skirt panels together, and you must be VERY careful when cutting and sewing them or the lines won’t match up. Trust me, I learned the hard way! This skirt got taken apart and re-sewn several times… That said, it’s so lovely when it’s finished!
I’ve made this dress three times in the last few years. A teal in chambray, and two in embroidered white. The bodice is so forgiving, the back can be made to fit very easily by changing the elastic length. I also love that it is easy on and off – no buttons or zippers to install!
Since I’m usually procrastinating until the last minute, I keep using patterns that have been made before. It’s simpler and they are already sized to fit. Plus I know the girls will like them, and wear them, which is super important!
Do you have a go-to pattern I should check out? Would you be interested in a post with links to my go-to patterns?
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 6, 2017
Today is the day – I’m finally posting my oldest’s Easter dress! Hooray!
The Violette dress pattern has a classic shape. The low back and wider boatneck front neckline have looked amazing in every fabric I’ve used so far. The first versions I made were full tulle versions, and (as referenced in the title) this fabric version is so much simpler!
This dress is sewn from two florals we purchased from Canadian online fabric shop Country Clothesline. My oldest picked them herself at Creativ Festival last spring and I was happy to get it off of my to-sew list only a year later! The exposed Lacie Zipper was from Border Creek Station, another lovely Canadian shop.
Since I rarely make the same thing the same way twice, I did change a few features on the dress.
- Lace ruffle underskirt
- Exposed Zipper – the original is made with a button back
And there’s usually an Ooops… Having the original (already-fitting) pattern pieces traced from the first round of these dresses seemed like a good place to start – but once it was cut the back was way too small. Not sure if I drafted the zipper incorrectly – but I had to add in two side back pieces, similar to the curves on the front – to make it fit. After a small heart-attack, it wasn’t too terrible a fix!
The ruffled lace underskirt (I’m sure there’s a proper name for that…) was made by piecing together some sample fabric pieces. They were squares ranging from 8-12 inches across or so, and the piecing is pretty much invisible unless you know it is there. They came from the same sample box my friend gave me to make these Annabelle dresses.
Speaking of Annabelle dresses – my youngest’s is coming up soon! Maybe even this week… You can get a peek in our Easter-day photo.
