Category / DIYs & Tutorials

Sew Gifts for Everyone on Your List
by Millie Green

Sew Gifts for Everyone on Your List

Do you make most of your holiday gifts?  Have you wanted to start this tradition?  If you haven’t, this is a great year to sew gifts for everyone on your list.Sew Gifts for Everyone on Your List

I have been sewing and/or making most every gift I give for many years now.  So I know from experience that it is easy to get stuck for ideas, especially for certain recipients.  But I have learned that with time and thought, it is possible to sew gifts for everyone on your list.

The most important tip I have learned in making holiday gifts over the years is to get started early.   With an early start you can complete your gifts in plenty of time to enjoy your holidays.   Starting in December can make for a stressful season!  Learn from my mistakes and get started now, or you could wind up as I have- sewing late into the night on Christmas Eve.

For babies, try a stuffed ball with ribbon tags for grabbing.

For babies, try a stuffed ball with ribbon tags for grabbing.

You can sew gifts that everyone will love.  Here are some ideas to consider for everyone on your list:

For Kids

Quilts – here are some tips for sewing fun, quick quilts.

Soft Toys –  dolls, stuffed animals, robots, monsters. For babies, try a stuffed ball with ribbon tags for grabbing.

This rainbow book of colors is one of my favorite gifts ever.

This rainbow book of colors is one of my favorite gifts ever.

These are a lot of fun, both to make and to play with.

These are a lot of fun, both to make and to play with.

Soft Books – These are a lot of fun, both to make and to play with.  This rainbow book of colors is one of my favorite gifts ever.

Bags – make a tote bag with divided pockets for crayons and include a coloring book.  Or whip up a precious little purse to match a sweet girl’s personality.  I’ve even made a Star Wars backpack from an outgrown favorite T-shirt.

ou could sew a sack lunch, complete with felt brown paper bag; pretty cupcakes and donuts; even a whole roast turkey!

Felt Food – these are both easy and lots of fun to make.  You could sew a sack lunch, complete with felt brown paper bag; pretty cupcakes and donuts; even a whole roast turkey!  There are a ton of free patterns and tutorials for felt foods available online, but these are easy to make up off the top of your head, too.Crayon, Marker, or Colored Pencil Rolls- make a great gift for kids on-the-go.

Crayon, Marker or Colored Pencil Rolls – make a great gift for kids on-the-go.

Doll Clothes and Accessories – Sew something new for her favorite dolly.  Make a dress or two, a carrying bag with a front pocket designed as the doll’s bed, or a doll quilt.

For Anyone

Lap Quilts.Zip Bags – These are useful for everyone.  Ladies can use them for cosmetics, men will appreciate them for holding shaving and toiletry supplies for travel. Children can use them as crayon or pencil bags, or for containing sets such as legos to-go.  They also make great first aid kits for the car or travel.

Lap Quilts – Be inspired by your recipient’s favorite colors or personality and sew them something special for snuggling.

Pillowcases – You can sew a pillowcase from any yard of cotton fabric.  Choose a beautiful print or fun novelty fabrics.These are always appreciated and a great way to use fat quarters from your stash. Embellish with ruffles, pockets and/or appliqué.

For Ladies

Half Aprons – These are always appreciated and a great way to use fat quarters from your stash.  Embellish with ruffles, pockets and/or appliqué.

Needlebooks –  These are a fun little project for playing with patchwork and make useful and treasured gifts.

Folklore Bag

Folklore Bag

Purses – What lady wouldn’t like a pretty new handbag?  My favorite purse pattern is the Folklore Bag from the book One-Yard Wonders.  I like to add special details like an attached clip for easily finding keys.

Cloth Napkins – Holiday themed sets from novelty fabrics make a lovely gift. This is my go-to for teacher gifts.

Cloth napkins.

Cloth napkins.

For Men

Barbeque Apron – Here’s another fun place to use novelty fabric.  He’s sure to appreciate one emblazoned with his favorite ball team’s logo, or choose a funky fabric with vintage cars, guitars, or hot dogs.

Handkerchiefs – I use the embroidery feature on my machine along the edges.  My machine has an alphabet, so I like to sew “Bless You” on these too.

Throw Pillows – with football fabrics or something else he’ll appreciate.  Be sure they match the couch or décor in his man-cave!

Over-the-Visor CD Pockets for the Car – include a mix cd for extra fun.

For Furry Friends

Gift wrap.Dog or Cat Bed – You can make these as a simple stuffed rectangle or square, or go fancier with patchwork or other design details.

Stuffed Toys – catnip stuffed mouse or felt or fleece “bones.”

Matching Collar and Leash – I buy ugly collars from the dollar store for the hardware, then I make nicer, new collars with nylon webbing covered with embroidered ribbon.  These make a super nice gift for pet parents.

Make this the year that you sew gifts for everyone on your list and they will thank you for it!  And don’t forget the gift wrap; use holiday fabric and whip up gift bags to fit any size gift. These re-usable wrappers are zero-waste and your recipients will be happy to use them again next year.

Halloween Costume Pattern Round-Up
by Sarah Woodard

Halloween Costume Pattern Round-Up

Halloween is just around the corner. Plan ahead & avoid holiday headaches.

Halloween is just around the corner. Plan ahead & avoid holiday headaches.

Fall is in the air which means it’s only a matter of time before kids (and some adults) meander neighborhoods in search of candy. Halloween is loads of fun for everyone. I used to love to make my costumes as a kid and I bet your children would love a unique, made-by-you (maybe even with their help) costume too. Here are some of my favorite Halloween Costume ideas for 2016.

Wall-E Costume

I loved this movie and I know a lot of your kids probably did too. The title robot is so cute! I’m also a huge fan of reusing materials whenever possible. This awesome costume on Instructables uses old boxes and some other easily obtained

materials to make the cutest Wall-E costume ever!

Black Umbrella Bat

Bats are such an iconic part of Halloween. There are tons of bat costume ideas out there on the web, but I really love this one from Evil Mad Scientist. It’s fast and easy to make, requires few materials, and has huge wings and ears. Grab a black umbrella you don’t mind cutting up and a black top (sweatshirt for those in colder climates) and you’re ready to start.

Bag of Groceries

No one else on the block is going to have this costume, I bet. Take a look next time you hit the grocery store for some inspiration. This idea from Costume Works is sure to be a hit and it costs less than $5 to make. All you need is some brown bags, a box and save some of those food packages from your normal shopping trip to use as items in the grocery bag costume.

Sheep or Lamb

Baaa! This costume is great for kids and adults of all sizes and the directions are in Spanish and English. You’ll need a few supplies, but once you have them, it’s a quick 10 step process to becoming the cutest sheep on the trick-or-treat patrol. Add a little face paint to complete the look and make sure to say “baa!” at each house!

Monarch Butterfly

Butterflies are always popular. Buggy and Buddy provide great instructions to make kids’ size wings, but you can resize them for any measurements to make a monarch butterfly costume for everyone in the family. Or switch up the colors and be any butterfly you wish.

Kid and Baby Doll

Does your daughter love to dress up like a princess? Does she bring her “baby” everywhere? These costumes by Simplicity are right up her alley. In one pattern envelope you get three princess pattern choices and the matching one for the doll. They’re easy to make and absolutely adorable.

Classic Characters

Childhood is full of classic stories from Little Red Riding Hood to Robin Hood and everything in between. The devil and the joker are always popular too. This set of five classic costumes from Butterick guarantees you’ll be able to make a sweet costume for your kid in just one hour!

What other costumes have you made?

Types of Pillow Closures
by Charlotte Kaufman

Types of Pillow Closures

There are several methods of finishing the back, or ends of a pillow, depending on what kind of cover you are making.

There are several methods of finishing the back, or ends of a pillow, depending on what kind of cover you are making.

Sewing your own pillow covers is a quick way to bring a personal touch to your home. There are several methods of finishing the back, or ends of a pillow, depending on what kind of cover you are making. Knowing the best way to close a pillow can mean the difference between a project that looks just okay to a project that looks professionally magnificent.

Envelope closure.

Envelope closure.

1. Envelope Closure

An envelope close looks just like it sounds. Your pillow backing will have two panels of fabric that overlap, leaving an envelope style closure in which you slip your pillow form.

You can also embellish envelope closes with ties and buttons to add interest and whimsy.

You can also embellish envelope closes with ties and buttons to add interest and whimsy.

This style is excellent if you aren’t ready to take on zippers, if you know you will frequently be washing the cover, or you want to use a method that is quick and still looks beautiful. You can also embellish envelope closes with ties and buttons to add interest and whimsy.

Zipper closure.

Zipper closure.

2. Zipper Closure

With a zipper close you can either finish your cover with an invisible zipper or use an exposed zipper. I like to use zippers for pillows that are not standard sizes, like this custom Ghostbuster pillow I made for a friend’s son.

 

Zippers are especially well suited for large pillows like these floor cushions.

Zippers are especially well suited for large pillows like these floor cushions.

Zippers are especially well suited for large pillows like these floor cushions.

3. Drawstring Closure

 

Drawstring closures are common on tube pillows. There is nothing tricky about a drawstring close on a pillowcase. If you have made a pair of pajama pants or a tote bag with a drawstring close, you can create a pillowcase that closes the same.

4. Pillowcases for bedding – to add a hidden flap or not?

 

A pillowcase for bedding classically closes one of two ways. The first is with an open end. If you go this route, make sure to allow for enough room at the end to fully cover the inner pillow form.

A second option is to add a hidden flap on the open end.

A second option is to add a hidden flap on the open end.

A second option is to add a hidden flap on the open end. This flap allows you to tuck the pillow form inside and keep it from showing.

This flap allows you to tuck the pillow form inside and keep it from showing.

This flap allows you to tuck the pillow form inside and keep it from showing.

Do you have a favorite method for pillow case closures? I think my favorite may be drawstring but envelope comes a close second. Tell us yours!

Charlotte Kaufman is a writer and sewist in Mammoth Lakes, California. She specializes in marine and home interiors and continues to fall more and more in love with quilting. You can follow her at charlottekaufman.com.
by Connie Smith

The Deconstruction (And Reconstruction) of Hello Kitty

Let’s same I’m thrifty, shall we? I like shopping at the Goodwill, and I’ve been known to make my way over to the clearance section in the clothes department of a non-Goodwill store. It’s a theme that’s pretty easy to spot if you look through my posts from the past. I reuse material, and updating my sewing supplies is something that I found reason to put on my 2017 goals list because I haven’t invested too much into it. I can be a bit of penny-pincher if the situation calls for it, so it’s no real shock that so much of my sewing experience involves reusing and repurposing.

Today, I offer you yet another example of that reusing and repurposing.

The bottom half in particular caught my interest.

The bottom half in particular caught my interest.

You see, I have a niece who had this Hello Kitty dress. Personally, I don’t get the interest in Hello Kitty—I’m more of a Tinker Bell kind of girl—but after the dress ended up getting ripped, my thoughts got to rolling about what could be done with the material that was left over. The bottom half in particular caught my interest. Even if I don’t particularly care for Hello Kitty myself, the material was colorful enough and in good enough shape, if you overlooked the rip, that it seemed a waste to just toss it out. My niece, after all, deserves her Hello Kitty attire!

In the end, the answer seemed simple. If the bottom half of the dress was salvageable, then a skirt was the perfect option! The white material underneath it was still in decently good shape, so I could use that like it’d been used for the dress itself. All I needed to do was plan, cut, figure, and reassemble.

Cutting was relatively easy when it came to the bottom half because I didn’t worry too much about getting straight edges. If I needed straight edges, I could do a touch-up job later. As it turned out, I wouldn’t I have to because the material was designed in a way that there wasn’t one side that specifically needed to be on the top or the bottom. See how Hello Kitty is in two different directions in the earlier picture? I could just use the more raggedy-edged side to fold over the elastic I would eventually use, and no one would see it anyway. The bottom part of the dress could be the actual line that was company-given by design.

The raggedy edges where the tear had been, I felt, could use hemming, so I saw to that. I wasn’t sure if I actually needed both sides to be hemmed, but since I was figuring it out as I went along, it seemed better to be safe than sorry! Once both sides were hemmed, I was ready to pin the Hello Kitty material onto the underlying fabric.

I opted to tack the end of the colored material to the section of Hello Kitty material beneath it.

I opted to tack the end of the colored material to the section of Hello Kitty material beneath it.

So I did! But as I’d already noticed, there was a bit of a design issue that would require an executive decision. You see, this Hello Kitty material was asymmetrical, meaning if I pinned it evenly at the top of the white material, the bottom of the Hello Kitty piece wouldn’t be even. My options then included either hemming the bottom for a symmetric look, or embracing the quirkiness of the not-so-symmetric hem.

In the end, I decided to go with the easier but more distinguishable option of letting the hem be asymmetric. I also made another executive decision to not cut off the extra side-to-side material once the white material had been completely covered. Instead, I opted to tack the end of the colored material to the section of Hello Kitty material beneath it, so the final result would seem more like a wrap-around skirt.

Once that step was finished, the top looked something like this.

Once that step was finished, the top looked something like this.

Once I’d made those decisions, sewn the raggedy edges where the tear had been on the dress, sewed all layers of material at the top, and tacked the material for that wrap-around look, all I had to do was add in the elastic. The process involved a one-section-at-a-time strategy of folding the top portion of material over the elastic, sewing so that the material overlapped the entire width of elastic, then moving to the next section—bit by bit, and at times pushing and pulling the elastic and/or fabric so that the entire top portion of the skirt was encasing that tiny piece of elastic. Once that step was finished, the top looked something like this.

And there you have it!

And there you have it!

And with that step completed, the skirt was done!

And there you have it! A Hello Kitty skirt from the remnants of a Hello Kitty dress! I still have the top portion of the dress that could be used for something, but who knows? Maybe it’ll become a part of a project, and maybe it won’t 🙂

What do you guys think??? Like? Hate? Something in between? Let me know!

Cashmere Wall Art
by Stacey Martinez

Cashmere Wall Art

Blank Canvas

Cashmere wall art.

Cashmere wall art.

I really dislike drab walls. I’m always looking for cheap, out of the box ways to splash up my walls. I’ve never attempted any type of fabric wall hanging before, so I thought, “Throw caution to the wind and dress up that naked wall!”

I was given some really awesome cashmere materials in vibrant colors. Sadly, the pieces weren’t big enough to make a nice blouse or skirt out of. I’ve been searching for a great creative way to showcase this amazing material. This wall art turned out to be the perfect display piece.

**Tip: Wash all new materials prior to use to avoid shrinkage resulting from later washes.

**ProTip: Iron cut pieces before sewing and in between each step. This helps in the sewing process as well as setting the stitches to lessen unraveling with age. Often the end results tend to look more professional as well.

Level: Beginner

Time to Complete: 1 – 2 hours

Sewn By Machine: 1/4 in. straight stitch

Materials

  • 9 – 16″ W strips, varying lengths
  • 5 – 20″ L strips, varying widths
    • **I made 1″, 2″ and 3″ strips. I didn’t want a basic uniform checkerboard pattern and varying the strip size helped add some uniqueness to the finished design.
  • 1 – 14″ W x 18″ L Canvas Frame
  • 1 – 14″ W x 18″ L Cardboard for back of wall hanging

I measured an extra 1″ on all sides of the frame. I’d rather it be a little big than too small. It can be quickly cut down to fit the frame if too big.

Let’s Get Started

  1. Cut out strips and iron.
  2. Iron the 1/4″ seam on all four sides of the strips. Since this material is 100% cashmere, it doesn’t hold well when pinned, moved quite a lot during sewing. The pins were also falling out the second I moved my material to the sewing machine. I found ironing each seam on a wool heat setting helped secure the seam without using pins.

    Fabric strip seams.

    Fabric strip seams.

  3. Sew around all four sides of all fabric strips using the 1/4″ ironed seam.
  4. Arrange the fabric strips in lines down and across. I arranged them, then put the frame over it to help visualize. It took me several times to find an arrangement I was happy with.
  5. Once you have the strips set up the way you want them, put them under and over each other to create a more defined checkerboard look.
  6. Start sewing the fabric strips together. I pinned the various short strips to the first long strip. It took awhile to sew each individual strip onto the longer one but it paid off in the next step.
  7. Sew on the remaining long strips. Remember to keep the over/under pattern. This step went much easier. Since the smaller strips were already attached to the first and in order, all I had to do was sew around the 4 sides of the long strip. The smaller strips were all sewn on in one, quick easy step.

    Piecing together.

    Piecing together.

  8. Take the fabric piece to the frame. Place on the cardboard back piece. Cut the fabric on all sides about 1/4″ past the cardboard edge.

    Fit to the frame.

    Fit to the frame.

  9. Sew around the piece using the extra 1/4″ seam you just measured out.
  10. Attach fabric artwork to back of the cardboard. I used staples around the edges.
  11. Place into frame. I decided not to use the glass for the frame. I felt the way the fabric flowed without being pinned down by the glass really added some splashy appeal.
  12. Hang on your wall, plop into a chair, sip a cup of tea and enjoy the vibrant new addition to the room!

Stacey’s Stitches

Hi all! I’m Stacey Martinez 🙂
I love to design imaginative custom items for my active, crazy family. Bright colors and beautiful fabrics sing “Stacey, Stitch Me!” Let your imagination inspires you to breathe personality into every stitch!

Please feel free to comment with questions, suggestions, and pictures of your own creations. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

What I Do at Work All Day (Part 2)
by Vanessa Nirode

What I Do at Work All Day (Part 2)

(As promised) The Dart and Drop

Pinned side back seam.

Pinned side back seam.

I do a lot of suit alterations. Sometimes I alter up to eight suits in a single day.

Often, suit jackets fit well in the shoulders but are a bit too roomy in the body. Because of the inner canvas and the inevitable front pocket, you can’t really successfully alter the front of a suit jacket. You need to take in at the center back or side back seams. While pinning, you’ll usually notice that you need to take in the side back seam all the way into the armseye.

This presents the conundrum of:

  1. Should I also take in the sleeve so it will still fit?
  2. Do I need to get into that seam at all?
  3. Do I really need to take the sleeve out?

The answers are no, yes and yes. Do not take in the sleeve. Do take the bottom part of the sleeve out.

Men’s suit jackets are traditionally cut without an actual side seam. The place where you really want/need to take a jacket in, though, is often in that invisible side seam. The way to accomplish this is by using the dart and drop method.

The Dart

Dart pinned into side seam.

Dart pinned into side seam.

Take the lining out and the underarm sleeve apart from the side back seam to a few inches in the front of the side seam. There should be a notch in the jacket to indicate where the side seam would be if there were one. If no notch is present, lay the jacket flat on a table, buttoned up. Where the jacket naturally folds will indicate basically where that side seam is. Mark with chalk on the wrong side of the fabric in the coat body and in the sleeve.

Next, from the wrong side of the fabric, fold on the notch. At the top, measure in the amount you need to take in (as you determined by pinning your side back seam). Then draw a dart from that point down about 3 or 4 inches (or until you run into the top of the pocket). Sew the dart. You can put the same dart in the lining or you can simply do a tuck. Either is fine.

The Drop

The next step is to redraw your underarm seam. The armseye should remain the same size as it originally was. To do this, drop the underarm seam. I suspect there may be some actual formula for this but I’m more of an intuitive sewer. Dropping an inch is usually a good place to start. Use a curved ruler

to draw the new line making sure the connections are smooth. Pin your sleeve at your new side seam an inch below the original seam line. Then pin the rest. You might have to undo more of the original seam if the sleeve isn’t fitting. Do this in the back until you can easily fit the sleeve back in without any excessive easing.

Don’t Worry

Pinned underarm seam.

Pinned underarm seam.

If you end up having to undo part of the shoulder pad and sleeve header, that’s fine. Just reattach them once you have put your sleeve back in.

You can apply the same principle to jackets (or really anything) that have side seams. Unless you want to narrow the sleeve, dropping the armseye is a more accurate way to accomplish this alteration.

At this point I also want to add a little something about the idea of ‘a right way’ to do something. I don’t believe there is only one right way to do things.

Sewing jacket with side seam.

Sewing jacket with side seam.

I ran the costume building shop for Boardwalk Empire for four years. It was a shop full of talented tailors from all sorts of backgrounds and places (Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Tunisia & various U.S. states). We had a running joke about people who insist that their way of doing things is the only way (We even had a little song called, “There’s only one right way to do things. The other ways are wrong…”).

Walk Your Own Path

You need to figure out the way of doing things that works best for you while accomplishing the desired result. Sometimes someone can show you a whole new way of doing something that makes it easier for you. Sometimes not.

The tips and tricks I write about are the things I’ve learned work best for me over the years. Hopefully they will prove to be useful to someone else as well.

Missed Part 1? Check it out here!

Doggie Leggings Pillowcase
by Stacey Martinez

Doggie Leggings Pillowcase

Awesome doggie leggings!

Awesome doggie leggings!

“Mom, my doggie leggings don’t fit anymore!! I love them, Mom, don’t throw them away!” To save these precious doggies for eternity, my daughter’s distress signal turned into the Doggie Leggings Pillowcase.

Leggings are a very popular fashion trend today. I’ve seen hundreds of unique, bright designs on websites, in stores, and worn by passers-by. I’ve admired many of the designs and agreed with my daughter that creating something with them would preserve their awesomeness 🙂

Fair warning, everything except the zipper was measured, cut, and sewn by my 7 yr old daughter. The pieces aren’t straight, the stitching is all off, the corners look funny. But that’s ok, it’s awesome the way it is because she made it. It turned out to be a great learning project for her. She’s super proud of it, and so am I.

Level: Beginner

Time to Complete: In An Evening

Sewn By Machine: 1/4 in. straight stitch

**Tip: Wash all new materials prior to use to avoid shrinkage when you wash it.

**ProTip: Iron cut pieces before sewing and in between each step. This helps in the sewing process as well as setting the stitches to lessen unraveling with age. Often, the end results tend to look more professional.

**All measurements based on a craft pillow I already had. Measurements should be adjusted to fit the size of the pillow you are working with. I typically add an extra 1/2″ to measurements when I do a zippered pillowcase to allow for the extra bulk of the pillow.

Materials:

1 – 13″ L x 13″ W  Leggings (side 2)

1 – 5″ L x 8″ W Leggings (side 1)

2 – 4″ L x 13″ W Pink/Purple Material (side 1)

2 – 6″ L x 3″ W Pink/Purple Material (side 1)

1 Zipper, Cut to Fit After Pillowcase is Finished – measuring for zipper after pillowcase is assembled helps ensure the zipper isn’t too short

1 Zipper Foot – to use when sewing on zipper

  1. Sew top strip to top of side 2 Leggings, right sides together. Repeat for bottom strip.

    Step 1

    Step 1

  2. Sew right side strip to right side 2 Leggings, right sides together.
  3. Sew top of side strip to bottom of top strip. Make sure corner with Legging is sewed shut.

    Attaching sides.

    Attaching sides.

  4. Sew bottom of side strip to top of bottom strip. Make sure corner with Legging is sewed shut.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 for left side strip.

    Zipper foot.

    Zipper foot.

  6. Sew side 1 and side 2 right sides together on three sides only. Leave one side open for zipper.
  7. Trim corners. Turn right side out.
  8. Place open side of zipper on one open end of pillowcase and extend zipper to other end. Cut zipper about 3/8″ – 1/2″ past end of pillowcase. In this case, my zipper measured 12″. I usually buy longer zippers and keep several on hand so I can cut to fit for any project.
    Finished zipper.

    Finished zipper.

    Attaching the zipper.

    Attaching the zipper.

  9. Sew across zipper end several times to make sure the bottom of the zipper never unzips all the way.
  10. Switch to zipper foot on sewing machine.
  11. Unzip zipper.
  12. Place under side of zipper to right side of pillowcase, teeth side outside. Non-tooth side should be end to end with right side of pillowcase. Zipper will be upside down. Pin and sew.

    Naptime!

    Naptime!

  13. Do the same for the other side of the zipper. The placement will be the same, with the underside of zipper to right side of pillowcase, non-tooth side matching end of pillowcase.
  14. Stuff pillow inside the pillowcase, zip up, pop on the bed and take a nap!
Hi all! I’m Stacey Martinez 🙂
I love to design imaginative custom items for my active, crazy family. Bright colors and beautiful fabrics sing “Stacey, Stitch Me!” Let your imagination inspires you to breathe personality into every stitch!

Please leave comments, questions, helpful tips, or pictures of your pillowcase creations. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

by Sarah Woodard

Project Rescue

Oh no! What a disaster!

Oh no! What a disaster!

Oh no! What a disaster! This whole project is ruined! Sound familiar? We’ve all had at least one project we think we’ve truly mangled. Thankfully, there are ways to save it. The best method to rescue your project depends on where the mistake occurred.

Cutting – Take Two

Did you misfold the fabric and now your cut pieces are all wrong? It may not be the giant disaster you think it is. If the fabric store has more of the fabric you’re using, it’s easy enough to get more and begin again. If not, you may be able to find it online or at another store. If that fails, treat this as an opportunity to find a new perfect fabric for your project (Don’t forget to exercise restraint, as we’ve looked at before).

Seams – Take Two

Did you missew a seam or several seams? If you can use your seam ripper to remove them and sew them again, this isn’t a big deal. However, if you’re not able to do that or did more damage to the fabric trying to pull out the seams, there are other options. If the item is too big, simply sew additional seams to make it smaller. On the other hand, if it’s too small you made need a more drastic solution.

Project – Take One and a Half

If your project is basically complete and you realize it’s too small, don’t worry! You may not have to redo the entire thing. Even if you’re not a tailor, it’s possible to alter your project to the larger size you intended. Best of all – you may not even need to buy more fabric to do it!

Remeasure

Figure out how much fabric your need to add to make the project fit and in which areas. For me, it’s usually the sides and/or bust area need an extra ½ inch or so (I blame patterns meant for smaller breasted women!).

No one, besides you, will ever know that it’s not exactly how it was planned to be.

Snip, Snip

Since you’re going to add more fabric, there’s no need to carefully rip out the seams. Instead, take your fabric scissors and carefully cut along the seams you need to alter, say the sides for example.

Add it up

Grab your left over fabric – the stuff that was destined to your stash pile. Making sure that it follows that pattern in your existing project, cut enough to add what you need to make your project fit, plus seam allowance on both sides.

Pinning and Sewing – Take Two

Pin the newly cut fabric additions to your project, right sides together and following the existing curves. If possible, try it on while it’s inside out to be sure it will fit better this time. Head over to your trusty sewing machine one more time and sew in the additional pieces. Viola! You’ve saved a project from the trash. No one, besides you, will ever know that it’s not exactly how it was planned to be. And what they don’t know, you don’t have to tell them, so wear it with pride.

What I Do At Work All Day (Part 2)
by Vanessa Nirode

What I Do At Work All Day (Part 1)

Just a view of my shop.

Just a view of my shop.

I’m currently the Key Tailor on a New York City based major network crime-procedural drama television show (Blindspot on NBC). I work mainly out of one of the Brooklyn studios with occasional on-set last minute fittings. Most of the work I do each day is for things that need to be ready for the actors to wear the next day on camera. What this means is that, over the years, I’ve become pretty fast at doing a variety of alterations (as well as patterning and constructing from thin air). In my industry, there are certainly a lot of excellent tailors but there aren’t all that many excellent and fast tailors. Here are a few of the tricks I’ve discovered along tQuhe way that help speed up some common alterations.

Shortening the Sleeves of a Men’s Suit Jacket (without fancy functioning buttonholes)

Topstitching on sleeve lining.

Topstitching on sleeve lining.

First, just go ahead and remove all the buttons. They’ll just be in your way. Turn the sleeve inside out and find the topstitching along the sleeve-lining seam. This is how the sleeve was originally put together. Open up that seam and turn your sleeve inside out. Take apart the mitered and straight corners but do not undo the lining from the rest of the hem. (Go ahead and release any stitching holding the actual hem up though.) Undo any fake buttonhole stitching that you need to. These should be on a chain stitch and easy to undo.

Press miter corner with point turner inside out.

Press miter corner with point turner inside out.

Measure up or down the distance you want to shorten or lengthen at your corners and redraw your miter line if you need it.

Re-stitch all corners at new hem marks. I flip everything back right side out at this time and press my corners and the new hemline. Use a handy point turner

Don’t undo original stitching at hem.

Don’t undo original stitching at hem.

and please don’t trim anything away from the mitered corner. If you press inside out first with the point turner inserted the fabric will go where it needs to. No need for trimming. One of the most annoying things is to go and alter a jacket sleeve only to find that someone has trimmed the miter corner, meaning I can’t lengthen the sleeve properly.

(Still don’t unattach the lining)

Redraw miter line.

Redraw miter line.

After pressing, turn inside out again. Then simply measure up or down (I use an old fashioned metal seam gauge) from the current stitching line the desired amount and sew along that line. If you are shortening, there is no need to undo the original stitching line. If you are lengthening, you will need to. Machine tack the seam allowances together at the seam to keep the hem up.

Sew new stitching line shortening hem.

Sew new stitching line shortening hem.

Turn everything back right side out and topstitch the seam of the sleeve lining closed, put your buttons back on and you’re done!

There are of course a few situations that will make this alteration a bit more challenging – such as functioning buttonholes or having to add fabric to the hem seam allowance because of lengthening. If I’m having a good day and nothing strange is going on inside the sleeve, I can usually do this alteration in 30 minutes.

Center Back or Side Back Alterations on a Suit Jacket

The time saving trick on this one is pretty simple. Open up the under vent seam and turn everything inside out through there. When done, just topstitch the vent closed again, no opening up the lining and sewing it back by hand.

Men’s Vest Alterations – Center Back or Side Seams

I’m a huge fan of bagging things out. Men’s vests are one of my favorite things because you can bag everything out through a mere 2 inches on one of the side seam linings. First, find the opening where the vest was bagged out originally, probably a small hand stitched couple inches on one of the inside side seams. If its not there (if the vest was bagged through the neck, make your own. Then pull the entire vest inside out through those two inches. It will fit.

Vest side seams are most usually put together with one stitching line through all 4 layers (fronts and backs with linings). On the side without the opening just stitch a new line taking in (or out, though most commercial vests don’t have a lot of seam allowance to let out) the desired amount. If the amount is significant, you may need to re-stitch the arms eye curve so that everything lines up properly under the arm.

If you need to take in the center back seams, undo at the neck and bottom hem, alter as desired, the re-sew what you released.

On the side with the opening, stitch in two sections, above and below the opening. In the 2 inch gap, sew through all layers except the back inside lining.

Pull everything back through your opening, press and voila!

I just topstitch my opening from the right side of the vest, hiding the stitches in the seam line.

Check out Part 2 here!

My next post will tell you about the one of the sneakier men’s suit alteration tricks – the old dart and drop! So keep a look out for the follow up and as always – keep sewing!

DIY - Keyboard Kozy
by Stacey Martinez

DIY – Keyboard Kozy

Ick, dust! I abhor dusty, dirty keyboards at work and at home. Those keyboard sprayers to get in between keys just aren’t enough for me. Time to make a cover to protect the keyboard while adding some flair to the office space!

Keyboard Kozy

Keyboard Kozy

I love projects like this. I can create something useful while adding some personality to my space. I’m adding butterflies from different fabric I picked up here and there. I try to buy a quarter or half yard of the popular designs of the moment. Doing so helps add all sorts of different designs to my collection so I’m more likely to have what I want or need on hand. I have a decent collection of butterflies and have been waiting for the perfect project to showcase them.

Level: Beginner

Time to Complete: 1 hour

Sewn By Machine: 1/4 in. straight stitch

***Washing and ironing materials before sewing is extremely important!! Measurements are based on material already washed. If they aren’t washed before sewing, they may shrink by an inch or more when washed later on, resulting in being too small.

Materials:

  • 1 – 19″ L x 7 1/2″ W Material for top of keyboard
  • 1 – 19 ” L x 7 1/2″ W Underside material
  • 2 – 19″ L x 1 1/2″ W Material for long sides
  • 2 – 19″ L x 1 1/2″ W Underside material
  • 2 – 6 1/2″ L x 1 1/2″ W Material for short sides
  • 2 – 6 1/2″ L x 1 1/2″ W Underside material

Any material to be used as accents on the keyboard cover – I used 3 rectangular butterflies.
I used two layers, the cover and then absorbent material for the underside of the cover. In my house spills are everyday events. I’ve learned to dual layer so spills are soaked up and less likely to damage anything. The keyboard cover can also be made with just one layer leaving off the underside backing. It’s totally up to the needs of your home or office space.

One Step Hem and Attach

One Step Hem and Attach

  1. Wash and iron all material.
  2. Measure and cut material.
  3. Sew accent pieces on cover top. I did not hem them beforehand. Instead, I hemmed and attached in one step.
  4. One Step Hem and Attach (see image)
  5. I used a petal decorative stitch when attaching my accents to add a bit of flare.

    Petal Stitch

    Petal Stitch

  6. Petal Stitch (see image)
  7. Sew side pieces together at ends, right sides together. (It is possible to sew each side to the cover top individually, but I found this much quicker and easier.

    Attachment of sides

    Attachment of sides

  8. Attachment of sides (see image)
  9. Iron seams open, making attachment to cover easier.
  10. Pin and sew side rectangle to cover.
  11. Turn right side out and iron seams open.
  12. For the inside layer, repeat all above steps.
  13. Pin and sew outside cover and inside layer, right sides together. Make sure to leave a 2″ – 3″ opening to pull material right side out.

    Top Stitching

    Top Stitching

  14. Pull material right side out.
  15. Top stitch around outside of cover top, using 1/8″ edge.

    Finished Keyboard Kozy

    Finished Keyboard Kozy

  16. Top stitch around entire outside of cover, using 1/8″. Make sure to sew closed the opening left to pull material right side out.
  17. Top Stitching (see image)
  18. Place on keyboard and enjoy!
  19. Finished Keyboard Kozy (see image)

Stacey's StitchesStacey’s Stitches

Hi all! I’m Stacey Martinez 🙂
I love to design imaginative custom items for my active, crazy family. Bright
colors and beautiful fabrics sing “Stacey, Stitch Me!”
Let your imagination inspire you to breathe personality into every stitch!

**Please feel free to leave comments, questions, suggestions and pictures of your creations. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!