This is one of my favorite projects for Catober. I think it's so simple and cute! I used a Kaliedoscope Top made with this wool blend from Michael Levine. It actually matches The Dreamer Top I made for the IT GIRL lookbook, same fabric and all! (Which consequently, is probably about the size of this one now, after my model's husband washed and dried it, oops!) To make the cat face on this sweater, I used yarn and basic felt and needle felted it to the sweater. Needle felting is a technique that uses needles to break up and mash the fibers ...Continue Reading
CATOBER! how to make a tshirt dress
(She's mad because we took away Grumpy Cat^ :( ) Tshirt dresses are a super fast way to make a cute dress and a great project if you have a cute quilting cotton fabric that you want to use. For this one I used a pink graphic tee (with a cat of course) and some bright citron yellow cotton. H&M is always stocking the most adorable cat tees. I picked this one up with the intention of making it into this tshirt dress, a simple half store-bought and half homemade play dress. It took about half an hour! You'll see ...Continue Reading
DIY Lace Overlay Tee
We at Pattern Anthology thought it might be fun to do a little pattern hack blog hop between our blogs featuring the 8 days a week collection. There are so many simple ways to customize the patterns! My hack is a simple lace overlay on the front of my tee. I love the colorblocked tee look where 2 different fabrics are used for the front and the back. I made this shirt in all black knit fabric with stretch lace on the front and sleeve bands. It gives it a little something extra and is really simple to do! For the lace overlay, I simply cut ...Continue Reading
the NEPTUNE TEE! more details and why it’s called that!
△ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ THE NEPTUNE TEE! △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ Today I thought I'd tell you all the details of the Neptune Tee! Since this was my contribution to the 8 Days a Week bundle, I know lots about it! I had such a fun time designing this shirt. It started out entirely different than it is now. I love it when that happens! Sometimes I have one idea that transforms into another, like patternmaking magic. UPDATE: the Neptune Tee is now available HERE! I was planning to make just a basic slouchy tee (which I did, see ...Continue Reading
Boat Shoe Embellishment Tutorial
Written by Jessica of The Ladyette. I've had a pair of boat shoes for several years. I wore them out in college and then even when they looked like they were on their last life line, I just couldn't bear to throw them out. So naturally, that means they need some sprucing up. A little embellishment. Some polka dot fabric, metallic ribbon, and an afternoon later these boat shoes had a second life. Boat Shoe Embellishment Tutorial Supplies Needed: a pair of boat shoes, scrap fabric, Mod Podge, a sponge brush, ...Continue Reading
cotton + steel velcro wallet tutorial
I finally got my hands on some of the Cotton + Steel spring line! I had to sit and stare at it for a few days before deciding what to do with it, but this is the first project! I made velcro wallet cases that can be used for lots of different things. I made these as little gel pen cases. I love how fun these prints were to work with! I based them all on mustard yellow felt and used a pop of bright blue bias tape to finish them off! These cute little velcro wallets would make a great gift, or a fun way to give a gift card! Want to ...Continue Reading
Bandana Bib Tutorial
Written by Vivian of Vivileen My little man is teething and constantly covered in slobber. I hate putting him in a bib every day because they cover up his cute clothes. Instead of putting him in a bib that covered his clothes I decided to make some drool bibs that were part of his outfit. These bandana bibs are really cute and great for soaking up teething baby drool! Bandana Bib Tutorial Materials: -two 12 by 12 in squares of fabric (at least one of the fabrics should be absorbent, like flannel or terrycloth) -snaps or sew ...Continue Reading
uncommon sewing supplies // frixion erasable pens for sewing
I really enjoyed all the comments on Part 1 of this series! I am planning to do a follow-up post later this week on where to buy "cute" icing spatulas, hah! Since so many of you asked, I don't quite remember where I got mine since it was quite a few years ago, but I did find some really great ones that I'll share with you soon! I'm so happy to spread the sewing tip love and here is another tip you have to know about! FriXion Erasable Pens are useful in sewing because the ink disappears when you apply heat to it! So you can write all over ...Continue Reading
Find Joy in the Ordinary Screenprinted Tote Tutorial
Written by Vivian of Vivileen I've been loving graphic tees (and totes), especially when they incorporate bold black and white designs, so I decided to make one myself! I used this screen printing tutorial from Kate. Since I purchased the materials for screen printing I've been obsessed! I've made onesies, tee shirts, and totes and have a lot more planned. For full instructions on how screen printing take a look at her tutorial. So you can make your own tote I provided a Silhouette Cameo cut file. I also made a matching ...Continue Reading
uncommon sewing supplies // cake froster
There are a few sewing supplies I use often that aren't really sewing supplies at all! I thought I would share a few of them with you over the next few weeks because they are so helpful! The first up is probably the most surprising, a cake froster! I guess these are actually called "Icing Spatulas". This is a handy tool I use when ironing. I have my own dedicated cake froster for my sewing room, it just sits right on my ironing board. It's helpful when you're pressing something that has a straight edge. You can stick the spatula right in ...Continue Reading
new pattern! The EVERYDAY MAXI dress!
I'm so excited to release my newest women's pattern today: the EVERYDAY MAXI dress! I've been scheming up this one for a while! A loose-but-not-too-loose knit maxi with sleeves! The short sleeves hug your bicep and the long skirt sweeps the floor! The perfect romantic dress for a date night or long summer day! Transitions perfectly from day to night! Optional pockets included! The waistline is gathered and raised. This pattern can easily be shortened to any length you want! It actually started as a knee-length smock dress that I made for ...Continue Reading
