A week or so ago I went to ALT summit! If you follow me on instagram (@seekatesew) you were probably overgrammed while I was there. There was just so much pretty and fun stuff going on I couldn't help it! I made up some new business cards for the event. I had so many ideas, but in the end the simple one won out. So I made a simple business card and sewed little buttons on them. I ordered basic business cards from moo.com (best business cards ever) and lots of little black buttons from Lotsofbuttons.com. The front has a little button graphic ...Continue Reading
DIY Delicate Two-Tier Necklace
Written by Mandy Pellegrin of Fabric Paper Glue This little creation is a huge bang for the buck. Using very basic jewelry-making techniques, you can make an elegant two-tier necklace in four simple steps (and probably no more than five minutes!). And this little beauty is the perfect way to subtly dress up a plain white tee and a pair of jeans. DIY Two-Tier Necklace Supplies: about 65" of delicate gold chain, 3 small gold jump rings, 2 delicate rhinestone dangles*, 2 pairs of pliers *Some great ones are available ...Continue Reading
DIY sequin elbow patch sweater
Written by Vivian of Vivileen and Suz+Viv.I love elbow patches and almost all things sparkly, so I thought a great way to change up an old or thrifted sweater or cardigan would be to add sparkly elbow patches. The oatmeal cardigan I used for this project has been sitting in my closet neglected for quite a while. I wanted to give it some excitement with these elbow patches. Even though cardigans fit an almost 8 month baby bump I had my twin Suz model for my photos so the bump wouldn't be too distracting ;) DIY sequin elbow ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Sew-a-long Day 6: Skirt + done!
Today's task will finish the shirt! If you've been sewing along, you have 5 days under your belt with a belly shirt to show for it! Let's finish that shirt with a skirt! Follow steps 8-12 to finish the skirt or use one of the NEW add-on skirts with a circle version, circle dress version, or gathered dress version! Check out the release post here! And you're done...CONGRATULATIONS! If you missed any days or are just starting, here are the other sew-a-long posts! Sew-a-long Schedule Day 1: Find Fabric Day 2: Print ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Circle Skirt + Dresses Add-on Pattern Release // 3 new variations!
I have a big surprise today! An add-on pattern for the Penelope Peplum with THREE new skirt options is now available! This pattern provides full size pattern pieces for three new versions: the circle top, the circle dress and the gathered dress! The pattern uses the original Penelope Peplum file for most of the pieces, so you need to have that pattern to make these dresses and top. After making quite a few Penelope tops, I was craving a dress, so decided to make one with a gold striped knit I had and I LOVED it! It looks super cute ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Sew-a-long Day 5: Neckline
Today in the Penelope Peplum, finish the neckline of your top by following steps 14-20 in the pattern instructions. (This is out of order from the original directions, but the skirt will be tomorrow and then we'll be done!) Facings are a nice way to finish any neckline. I have a more in-depth tutorial on how to make and sew a facing HERE. We are almost there! If you missed any days or are just starting, here are the other sew-a-long posts! Sew-a-long Schedule Day 1: Find Fabric Day 2: Print Pattern Day 3: Cut Fabric Day 4: Bodice ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Sew-a-long Day 4: bodice + sleeves
Time to start sewing! Today's task is to complete steps 1-7 in the Penelope Peplum Pattern! You'll be sewing the bodice and sleeves together. This will be one of the most time consuming days, though even this should only take 15-30 minutes! Be sure to sew with a ball point needle and use a 3/8" seam allowance. You don't have to finish the seam allowances because knit fabric doesn't fray enough to worry about that! If you've already finished, add your photos to the flickr group and use the hashtag #penelopepeplum on instagram (tag me ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Sew-a-long Day 3: Cutting Fabric
Today's task is pretty straight forward, use your patterns to cut the pieces out in fabric! Simple as that! Tomorrow we'll be sewing the bodice and sleeves. If you need to catch up here are the previous days: Sew-a-long Schedule Day 1: Find Fabric Day 2: Print Pattern Don't forger: If you haven’t already purchased your Penelope Peplum be sure to use code PEPLUM for 15% off through January 31! (Works for the Pippa also!) ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Sew-a-long Day 2: Printing PDF Patterns
Today's sew-a-long task is super simple: print the pattern! Printing pdf patterns should be easy but you may run into troubles, so here are some good things to know before you start. Tips for printing PDF patterns: -Print at 100%, Actual Size or Do Not Scale. -DO NOT use "fit to page" "shrink to fit" or any percentage other than 100. -I don't recommend using Windows 8 to print, as it tends to mess up sizing. -To save paper, don't print the pattern instructions, just print the pages with the pattern pieces. For the Penelope Peplum, ...Continue Reading
bow boot wraps tutorial with free pattern download for Babylock
My first sewing article on Babylock's blog Totally Stitchin' is up today! Grab the free pattern download here and then click over to see the full tutorial! bow boot wrap pattern download While you're there check out my profile page to learn a little more about my sewing story. Enjoy! If you liked this, check out my removable faux fur shoe lining. ...Continue Reading
Penelope Peplum Sew-a-long Day 1: Great knit fabric sources
Good quality (and not hideous) knit fabrics have been hard to come by in recent years. My whole view changed this last year, however, when I discovered some great knit fabric sources. A good fabric can really change your whole perspective on the type of sewing you are doing. Not only are there knits available that aren't hideous, there are actually a TON of cute ones! Sometimes quality can be tricky to gauge online, but it is worth the risk when you get a great knit fabric in a cute print. To know what you are ordering, read the fabric type, ...Continue Reading
