My toddler tool belt is featured over at Cuteable today! If you haven’t visited yet, Cuteable is a GREAT site that features all things cute and handmade. Check it out daily for the best items from fabulous sellers.
I’ve been a busy bee these days, sewing lots and lots of superhero capes and tool belts. These are in high demand now that the holidays and Halloween are coming up. I love sewing them, epecially knowing that they will bring a smile to a child’s face!
My lavender sachets were featured in an Etsy treasury. Love it! Thanks again, Rita.
I love viewing fall inspired treasuries. In the Southeast U.S., we don’t have a true fall. I think it’d be my favorite season, though.
Last week I didn’t feel up for sewing anything that would take longer than 3 hours. I started the week off by making a craft apron for my son. I bought some finger paints for him a few weeks ago. The package included a cheap vinyl apron. I liked the simple design, so I copied it onto a cuter, more durable material. Of course, I had to include a pocket on one side. My son needs a place to put his Hot Wheels cars as he paints, you know. This is reversible, with the same fabric (but no pocket) on the back side.
My little sister was the recipient of this eye pillow. I have been using one and love it! I figured she might appreciate one since she is in grad school, busy busy, and stressed out! To make this, cut your fabric to 9″ by 5″, and then follow the steps in the lavender sachet tutorial. Mix some flax seed, buckwheat hulls, and a pinch or two of lavender for the filling.
A while back I saw a cute, cropped, ruffly top at a store. I knew that I could make my own for only a few dollars. I used Simplicity 5582 as the basis for this top. I simply shortened the sleeves and length of the pattern, and added elastic just below the bustline. The sleeves and bottom of the top feature a rolled hem in gray thread. I wouldn’t wear a cropped top on its own, nor a white tank. They’re pretty cute together, though. The red fabric is called rayon challis (100% rayon). I love this stuff! It’s drapey, cool, and soft–perfect for this top!
These sachets are fun, quick, and easy to make! Make them as birthday, housewarming, or bridesmaid gifts.
Materials:
Four fabric scraps at least 5″ by 5″ each
Thread
1/2 cup of fresh lavender buds
Lace (optional)
Step 1: Gather your supplies. Cut two 5″ by 5″ pieces of the main fabric for the outside of the sachet. Cut two 5″ by 5″ pieces of fabric for the lining of the sachet. Feel free to also cut strips of lace as an optional embellishment. (I used two 6″ strips of vintage lace for my sachet.)
Step 2: Optional step. If you choose to use lace for your sachet, pin it to the right side of the main fabric and sew in place.
Step 3: Place one piece of the main fabric right side down. Carefully place a piece of lining fabric on top, right side up. Make sure that all of the edges line up. Pin the fabric together. Baste, using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 for the second main piece and lining piece. You should now have two pieces total: the front of the sachet and the back.
Step 5: Place the front and back of the sachet with right sides together. Pin them together and sew along three sides, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. On the fourth side, end the stitching, leaving a 2″-3″ opening to turn the fabric out. Trim or finish the seam allowances as you like. I used pinking shears.
Step 6: With a point turner (a chopstick works fine!), turn the sachet out so that the main fabric is now showing on the outside. Press the sachet.
Step 7: Topstitch about 1/4″ from the edge. Be sure to start and end the topstitching where you left the opening for turning! I like to use a walking foot and a longer stitch for this step, to create neat and straight topstitching.
Step 8: Find a small piece of paper and roll it into a makeshift funnel. Pour a half cup of fresh lavender buds through the opening in the sachet.
Step 9: Pin the opening of the sachet together. Carefully topstitch the opening shut, overlapping a bit of the stitching from step 7.
That’s it! These are easily customizable.
Make sachets from vintage fabric:
Combine small scraps to make a set of patchwork sachets:
Use fabric from a men’s shirt (with white crochet lace for a feminine touch):
Tie two sachets together with ribbon, and they are ready to be given to friends and family!
I am giving away a toddler tool belt from my shop! Please check out the details and enter at Grosgrain. These make great gifts. Good luck!
Also, thanks Kathleen of Grosgrain for featuring my medieval dress yesterday! It was a lovely surprise to see it in yesterday’s post.
…are another person’s medieval outfit.
I was so delighted when I found both the floral and the subtly striped cream curtain panels at the thrift shop. It was a major score, considering how many times I go to the thrift shop and walk out empty-handed. The moment I laid my eyes on them, they were destined to become a medieval gown, or reasonable facsimile thereof.
My original plans for this outfit had to be altered throughout the construction phase. First, I intended to use the cream striped panel as the main fabric for the corset style top. I soon realized that this wouldn’t work. The cream panel is, in fact, a shower curtain! It has a rubber-like backing on the wrong side that won’t press cleanly. Plan two was to use green linen from my stash for the main fabric. The linen, while lovely, just didn’t go well with the floral fabric that was intended for the skirt. So, the green linen became the lining fabric. At first, I was against using the floral curtain for the main fabric, but now that the whole outfit is completed, I love the look!
Anyway, I used Simplicity 5582 for the corset top and white blouse. I ended up following the pattern directions exactly for View A. These garments came together fairly quickly (once I settled in at my sewing machine and stayed focused, that is!). The skirt was not made using a pattern. I simply measured my waist and doubled that measurement for the width of the rectangular skirt panels. I also measured the length I wanted for the skirt and added two inches. One inch would serve for any straightening up that I needed to do, while the other inch would be folded over to create the elastic waist casing. The nice thing about the curtain panels is that the hem was already finished! The back of the skirt is one panel, while the front has three panels joined together. I absolutely had to add the shower curtain in the middle of the skirt front for some flair.
The next time that I use this pattern, I will do a couple of things differently. First, I will use either cotton canvas or twill to add structure inside the corset top. I ended up using a heavy weight sew-in interfacing and while it adds structure and stability, it sits kind of funny at the darts. The interfacing doesn’t bend and mold to the feminine form quite like the other options might. Thankfully, it’s no big deal, but certainly a change I will make next go around. Another change I will make is to actually follow the suggestions in the pattern for treating bias tape. As I was sewing the bias tape around the neckline of the corset top, it began to pucker a bit. If you look very closely, you can see that it isn’t perfectly smooth. Apparently, I should have taken out the bias tape and shaped it into curves via pressing before I sewed it in place.
I’m glad that I made this outfit. Not only did I receive compliments ( <3! ), but I learned how to apply eyelets and used the new-to-me technique of sewing elastic into the middle of a sleeve using single fold bias tape as a casing. Even more importantly, I’ve joined the ranks of Scarlett O’Hara, Maria (teacher, Sound of Music), and Princess Giselle (Enchanted) by making clothing from curtains. However, I think I may have one-upped all of them by using a shower curtain, too!
For a variety of reasons, I’m going to resume writing about my sewing adventures at this (my original!) blog. I’m hoping to pretty it up a bit over the next few weeks, but I’m not the most technologically savvy, so please bear with me!
Sadly, I canceled my web hosting with the other blog before exporting this summer’s posts. Oops! I’m going to recap some of my favorite sewing projects from the summer to make up for lost blog posts.
I hosted a giveaway for this pillow. After making it, I quickly became hooked on sewing pillow slipcovers! I have several bright, fun pillow slipcovers for sale right now.
A simple and quick T-shirt applique project for my toddler son.
A cool summer skirt made with this pattern.
One of a half dozen high-waisted circle skirts that I sewed for a local children’s theater.
Nine patch quilt blocks for the Crazy Mom Quilts quilt along.
I’ve made so much more than that, but these are my favorite projects from the summer. Here’s hoping that this fall will find me just as productive in the sewing studio!
After much contemplation and research, the server was chosen, the fees paid, and the blog posts imported. You can now find me at: http://sewnbysarah.com/
It’s been a year of blogging (wow!) and I’ve loved all of the visits and comments that I’ve received from the wonderfully creative community online. I don’t want to lose any of my readers, so please bookmark (and subscribe to) my new blog.
Here’s a little bit of incentive…I’ll be participating in Sew, Mama, Sew’s Giveaway Day tomorrow. You won’t want to miss what I have sewn for one fabulous and lucky reader!
About a month ago, I mentioned that I was participating in a purse swap over at Craftster. Well, it’s all finished up!
For her:
I love this purse pattern by Wired Up Designs. Initially, I wasn’t sure how the punk skulls fabric would pair up with the vintage look of the purse design. Now that it’s done, I think it worked out well! Usually, I’m not much for skulls, but this purse is one I could see myself toting around town. Add another item to ye olde ‘To Sew List’.
I made a business card wallet, make-up pouch, and pencil pouch as well. My swap partner loves skulls, large florals, and bold prints. I couldn’t resist mixing it up a bit with some additional fabric prints!
Prepare to drool over what I just received in the mail:
My swap partner made me a lovely, roomy tote bag. The Asian floral fabric is beautiful and I love everything about the bag! This picture doesn’t do it justice. There is a lot of detail in this bag, from interior pockets to a magnetic snap closure. It’s a gloomy, rainy day, but I’ll be taking this bag out on the next sunny day we get!
The accessories are every bit as perfect as the bag itself! Immediately after snapping this photo, I placed my checkbook inside the checkbook cover she made. The tissue cozy will see lots of use come winter…unless my allergies start back up again (eek!). My favorite accessory has to be the quilted wallet on the right. It’s a stunning fold-up wallet with separate compartments for credit cards, ID, cash, and coins. I adore it and plan to fill it up with items this afternoon.
Now, I’m just hoping that tomorrow’s weather will be nicer than today’s. I’m ready to show off this bag and accessories!
I finished a couple of medieval style tunics recently. This is probably getting stale, isn’t it? It’s hard to not make these tunics when friends and family request them on a regular basis. Anyway, the latest batch:
The tunic on the left is for my husband. I made it using this lovely, soft, slightly wrinkly Irish linen. This linen ravelled like crazy while I was sewing. (The linen I referenced in my previous post didn’t ravel at all.) Now I understand why some people dislike working with linen. It can be a pain to sew at times, but well worth the frustration once you see the end result. The hand of this fabric is unbelievably wonderful. It’s soft, supple, flowing, yet also sturdy enough to last a decent length of time.
This Irish linen is a “dry clean only” fabric. Since I loathe the trip to the dry cleaner and the subsequent bill, I washed it in a delicate cycle and machine dried it on a low setting. What can I say? I live dangerously. Other than being a little wrinkled, the fabric seems to have held up fine. Only time will tell how this method of cleaning will affect the fabric, but I’m hoping for the best!
As for the tunic on the right, I made it out of a lightweight 100% cotton. Now that I’ve been sewing with linen, I far prefer it over cotton for these tunics. The linen flows better, is more sturdy, and is just as breathable as the cotton. The only downside of linen? It’s about three times the cost of the cotton fabric.
Here’s a close-up of the Irish linen. When I received it, I was displeased at first. You can see the weave of the fabric (it’s grid-like weave). I wasn’t expecting that, nor did I desire it. After a few days of looking at the fabric, I finally decided to just keep it and sew up the tunic. I’m glad I did! Now that I see it in tunic form, I love this fabric. The weave can only be seen from nearby, and is actually quite delightful. I’ll sew with this fabric again, for sure.
