by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 4, 2013
Oh how I wish this bag was mine! But, at least I know it has a good home. My sister-in-law mentioned that she liked my tote bag back in the summer. So I thought I would make her one for her birthday.
The randomness of choosing the fabrics myself didn’t sit well with me. I’m always nervous to choose something for someone because of the amount of work that goes into making it. I think if it was a less “visible” gift (ie. Not used outdoors with actual people around!) I would have not had so much trouble. Since she was/is hopefully going to be able to use it a lot I sent her a few fabric options within her colour choices of gray and turquoise.
I’m so glad she chose these – they are gorgeous! I may have “accidentally” ordered a 1/2 metre too much in the gray pinwheels… That said, the turquoise houndstooth is hands-down my favorite. Here’s a close up shot of the print – it is actually made up of tiny lines so it looks woven.
As I was making this one I started to regret using the white thread, since it showed a lot in the top-stitching, I had to be super-careful to make sure I was sewing straight! Thankfully when I was done I loved the effect! I don’t think it would look nearly so stylish without the contrasting thread. I also really like the solid base and outer pockets. It is a lot less busy than the previous bags I made. I think if I make another one I will do the same thing. I switched up the pockets on this one as well, and added elastic only at the ends. I use the end pockets on mine for holding the kids’ water bottles. I also added a magnetic closure to the front instead of Velcro – which makes it look a lot more professional.
The pattern for the tote is one that I made using Abby from Sew Much Ado’s Diaper Bag tutorial. I love her design and added a coloured base and some outer pockets to it. So far I’ve made 4 of these and each one has gotten a ton of use. Abby kindly allowed me to post my changes to her bag. You can find the instructions for the tote here, complete with cutting layouts and yardage.
What do you think? Do you have a favorite tote-worthy fabric? How about a favorite tote pattern? I’d love to hear what you think! (Oh, and if you need a Christmas gift idea – this is a good one!)
Fabric Notes: Free Spirit Designer Solid in Manatee, Mama Said Sew Pinwheel in Cream/Mist, Avignon Houndstooth in Blue all from Fabric Spot
by Sherri Sylvester | Nov 8, 2013
When Warp & Weft introduced their Sewing Society I was excited to find three new Canadian bloggers that I hadn’t heard of yet! One of them was Cynthia Frenette, whom I’ve been following ever since. She writes cynthia f – a highly addictive blog – trust me I know! Aside from that she is a quilter, illustrator, designer and artist in general. If that is not enough, she keeps Made In Magazine going and has designed fabric for Robert Kaufman. And I’m sure there is more I don’t know!
As I was saying, her blog is addictive, and one day I stumbled on the post of her latest project – a pouch pattern – that asked for pattern testers. I’m super happy to have volunteered and gotten to make it! Aside from raving about how great this pouch is (truly!), I can honestly say it has great directions. I was excited to read through the well-thought out instructions and find they were very easy to follow.
The clear window gives this pouch the great feature of having two “fronts”! You can choose an amazing fabric for the back quilted panel and the lining – because it shows through the window. Score! I was excited to use my Fabric Spot Tsuru bundle for both pouches. Which is a good thing, because I only had one snap hook to use for the handle, and now I can swap it based on whichever I’m using at the time!
I love the size, it is even large enough to fit a regular sheet of paper – so you are able to carry printed pattern sheets and your sewing supplies at the same time! I really would like to make a few more of these to fill with “kid stuff”. It would help keep them occupied when we visit my family via plane in December. And it is easy for them to see what is inside – key to not digging through your bag too much in an enclosed space!
The pattern is almost available and I will most definitely tell you when it is so you can make 17 of these for yourself (or as a great Christmas gift!). Hope you have a happy Friday and a great weekend. See you on Monday!
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 28, 2013
I’m working on a big project, likely too late to finish it for tomorrow – but I’m giving it a shot! That said, today’s project is a quick one! I needed a business card holder to carry around Creativ Festival on Saturday and this tutorial popped up when I went looking. It is so CUTE and super fast. Perfect!
I am not sure if you could call this a review or not, because the instructions for this tutorial are so short they aren’t even numbered! It is called “Business Card Holder” (makes sense!) by Jodi Nelson from Pleasant Home. The tutorial itself is a Craftsy tutorial – but it is a free download if you are willing to sign up for a Craftsy account.
The directions are super clear, and it requires a tiny amount of fabric – perfect for scraps! I dug into my tiny “Type” stash (by Julia Rothman for Windham Fabrics) from Needlework, that I picked up in July of this year. I’ve been waiting to use this one, and it is so perfect for a business card holder. I was also happy to find the perfect button in my stash – a little clear so I didn’t cover up the typewriter too much!
Honestly, I’m not sure what else I could say about the pattern! There is nothing wrong with the directions, the business cards fit 15 per side, just as she says they will. These would make cute gift card holders and would be useful to store all of the random cards in your wallet too.
I will be back this week with a Creativ Festival review (and stash addition photo bomb!), Halloween costumes and maybe more. Thanks for coming over today, stay tuned!
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 18, 2013
Hi! We’re talking about customizing your patterns again today. There are so many things you can do if you know how… so – here’s another tutorial this week (previous one here) on how to help make any pattern into your own creation!
Adding gathers to a shoulder seam can do a few things. First – it will add extra width to the top or the whole bodice – especially nice if you have a fabric with a great drape, or if you need a bit of extra wiggle room in the width of your pattern. Second – it adds a nice feminine touch and a bit of visual interest to the shirt – especially if it is a straight-forward simple pattern.
Wanna try it?
You will need:
- bodice pattern piece – must include shoulder area (I used the Skipper Top from Sew Much Ado – pattern review here)
- paper the length of the bodice
- pen
- ruler or straight edge
Here we go:
(1) Determine how much of the neckline on your pattern piece will be taken up with the seam allowance and/or neckline finish – mark this on your pattern piece. This pattern, for example, has a hemmed neckline and a neckband finish. Since I was using the neckband 1/2″ from the seam allowance would be removed from the visible shoulder area.
(2) Determine where to put the extra width for the gathers.
- (2a,b) Because I used a dolman sleeve top it is not immediately obvious where the gathers should be placed because the sleeve has no shoulder indication. I measured my daughter and found about 2″ of room before her shoulder started. I decided to leave 1″ between my seam allowance mark from Step (1) and where the gathers would start.
- OR If you are starting with a set in sleeve pattern this is a much easier process. Because you know where the shoulder starts, draw a mark at the centre of the shoulder seam area.
(3) Determine how you would like the final shirt to fit.
- Do you need extra width in the top of the shirt only, or also through to the bottom of the bodice (say, to cover a toddler belly!)? For my daughter’s shirt I picked a size width that would cover her belly and added the extra width only to the top 2/3 of the pattern. I ended up cutting a size 5 width, with a size 4 everywhere else.
- Top only (Track A): (3a) Pick and mark a spot about 2/3 of the way down the bodice along the centre line – Draw a line from your Step (2) mark to this new mark. ** The area above this mark will have added width – so be careful with your choice! Do not place your mark too high or the fit of your sleeve and/or neckline will be off due to the extra width that only occurs around the top of the shirt.
- Through the whole shirt (Track B): (3b) If you like you can add width all of the way through the shirt by drawing your line from your Step (2) mark to the hem, parallel to the centre fold line. ** Be careful, the width you add will be doubled – once on each side of the shirt!
(4) Cut the line you just drew.
- Track A: (4a) If you followed Track A cut the line ALMOST to the edge of the centre seam. Leave a little “hinge” of paper.
- Track B: (4b) If you are following Track B you can cut your line all the way down the pattern.
(5) Determine how long you want the gathers to be. I decided to add in 1 3/4″ of extra space – though, I think looking back I should have only added 1″ because the added width distorted the top a bit much.
- Track A: (5a) Spread the top of the paper by the amount of gathering space you want to add. Tape another piece of paper underneath the entire area you just opened up.
- Track B: (5b) Spread the pattern pieces apart by the amount of gathering space you want to add. Tape them to another piece of paper the length of the pattern piece, matching up the hemline. Make sure they are evenly spaced all of the way along.
(6) Cut away the extra and even out your pattern lines.
- Track A: (6a,b) Draw a line from neckline point to sleeve point along the shoulder/sleeve seam.Cut along the line to remove the excess paper. Add in paper to straighten the bodice centre line. Tape the paper in and draw a line from neckline centre to hemline centre. Cut along this line.
- Track B: (6c,d) Draw a line from neckline point to sleeve point along the shoulder/sleeve seam. Draw a line along the hemline from side to side. Cut along these new lines to remove the excess paper and straighten your pattern lines.
- NOTE: If you have curved lines (say, at a hemline) eyeball a curve instead of straightening the pattern line.
YAY! You now have your new pattern piece!
(7) Cut out your pattern pieces as per the pattern instructions. * You may need more yardage if you are adding a lot of extra width.
(8) Line up your new pattern piece with the shoulder seam of your fabric. Now you will mark the area you will need to gather. (8a) Mark 1 edge even with one edge of your added width, I chose the right side. (8b) The gathers will need more space than the width you added, so mark 1/2″ to 1″ extra on the other side of your extra width, I added 1/2″ extra. Mark the other shoulder seam in the same way* If you do not have the room and are making a set in sleeve with a skinny shoulder seam, you can gather the whole shoulder seam. Or, distribute the extra amount by adding 1/4″ – 1/2″ on either side of the extra width instead of on one side only.
(9a) Make two lines of basting width straight stitches within your seam allowance area. (9b) Gather the area to match the shoulder/sleeve width of your back bodice and tie off the ends of the gathering stitches to keep them in place. Continue following the pattern instructions as written using your newly gathered shoulder!
I’d love to know how your project went. Post your project on Facebook and it might end up in a “You Made It” post on the blog! I’d love to hear if you liked this tutorial or any changes you might make.
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 15, 2013
Since it is quickly becoming cooler around here these days, I am finding that a lot of my go-to kids patterns have short sleeves! Not a problem – there is an easy way to change a simple sleeve pattern so it is fall and winter appropriate.
I traced one of my daughter’s shirts when extending the sleeve of the Figgy’s Banyan Tee for my oldest.
You will need:
- long sleeve tee that fits and uses the same fabric as your pattern (woven tee – woven pattern, knit tee – knit pattern…)
- short sleeve pattern piece
- paper a bit longer than the length of the sample tee sleeve
- pen
- ruler or straight edge
Here we go:
(1) Fold your sample sleeve exactly in half. (2) Check the seam allowance amount in your pattern directions and mark it on the pattern piece. (3) If your sleeve is not cut on the fold, find the centre and lay it on the edge of your paper (4) Lay the sample long sleeve on the pattern piece with the fold along the edge of your paper. Line up the shoulder seam with the seam allowance mark on your pattern piece.
(5) Trace the sleeve edge allowing extra at the wrist for hemming. Trace a few inches up the side of the sleeve, adding in the seam allowance amount.
(6) Mark the top corner of the sleeve pattern piece with a dot (see photo).
(7) Use the straight edge to make a line from the bottom hem edge to the dot you just marked.
(8) Finish by tracing the rounded part of the sleeve around to the edge of your paper.
Proceed as detailed in your pattern instructions with your new long sleeved pattern piece. Be sure to mark your pattern piece so you don’t forget to cut it on the Fold! It is on the straight paper edge of your pattern piece. You will also need a bit more yardage than the pattern instructions suggest to fit your new sleeves.
by Sherri Sylvester | Oct 4, 2013
As I was saying on Sunday – I splurged a tad to get some Liberty of London fabric (eek!) from Bee Modern Fabrics and Yarn last month. It came home in a super-cute bio-degradable re-usable bag – made in Canada! The bag is “hiding” under my Liberty Scarf Kit in the photo above, also packaged to look as amazing as you’d want to expect for Liberty.
I have to say (at the risk of sounding like a fabric snob) that I really love my little piece of Liberty! I wasn’t sure what the fuss was about until I got to see and feel it for myself. The prints are so pretty – pretty in the truest sense of the word. The florals are very feminine, but not too over the top. And the colours are amazing – the blue and peachy coral go so well together and aren’t a colour mix you see everyday.
I hemmed my piece up a few weeks ago using the handy rolled hem instructions provided with the pack. I ended up sewing the ends together with a french seam to make a faux cowl/infinity-type scarf. It is not quite long enough to be an infinity scarf, but I really like the look of it anyhow. It’s just a bit cozier than it “should be”! Bee sells longer lengths specifically for making infinity scarves, and ones with beaded or crocheted ends as well. (By the way, I’m so irritated that I forgot to wear earrings for this little photo shoot!)
I also got a few other things (of course!) while I was there. Since Monique stocks Rowan thread, I decided to pick some up to play with. Maybe a small quilting project? I’ll have to pick up some Amy Butler fabric to make it with of course! I also picked up some Riley Blake “Hello Sunshine” by Lori Whitlock, the Spa Scallop that I used in my latest Toddler Backpack and some California Dreamin’ by Jenean Morrison for Free Spirit. Oh, and 2 metres of green Kona cotton that was on sale. I was going to get 1/2 m – but my husband liked that it was on sale and tells me I will thank him later for upping the quanity! I’m sure he is right… I’m thinking a Sally dress with the California Dreamin’…
Hmmm… oh, sorry… you’re still here… right! It’s been one of those days. The kind where you want to finish things (like butterfly backpack pattern pieces!) and you suddenly remember the 7 things you need to do that aren’t on your list for the day.
Oh, and I should mention that if you haven’t noticed around the web, the Sew Fab Fall pattern bundle is here for only a few more days (ends Oct 8)! I bought the spring version and it was amazing. This time it’s bigger! You get a bundle of 26 pdf sewing patterns for $29.95 – but it’s only available to buy for a week! That works out to just over a dollar a pattern… amazing! You can get the bundle here from Sew Much Ado, Abby’s super-cute quilt pattern is included in the pack. I bought mine on Monday of this week and have been dying to use it. Maybe something will show up on Monday’s post… we’ll see!
