This may be an obvious post for some, but for the very beginning seamstress, this information will save you! I think most of us have come home with a knit fabric and ruined it by sending it through the sewing machine with a regular needle. Fabric determines the needle you should use. Get it right and sewing through anything will be a breeze! I have 4 kinds of needles in my collection. I always buy Schmetz if it is an option. I like the little cases they come in and I have found their quality is excellent.Universal- My normal needles, for normal ...Continue Reading
vintage sheet turned a-line paper bag skirt. tutorial.
Man, my skirt names are so creative. I'm outdoing myself here. I love wearing sheets. The old kind. They are so pretty and lightweight and carefree! Not to mention using the pre-made hem makes this project so fast! And you get some extra pretty detailing built-in, that can only be found on a sheet! I'm going to show you how to make a vintage sheet into a new skirt! I used a full sheet, but you can use a bigger one or regular fabric. Materials: Full size vintage sheet (or a new sheet will work, too!) elastic, 2" smaller than your waist ...Continue Reading
boxy fox plush pattern + tutorial
The sewing room is currently full of foxes! I'm not sure why, but they are so fun to make! I had to make a third forest friend for the hedgehog and the owl, so this fleecy fox plush pattern was born. Today I'll show you how to make your own boxy fox with fleece! Fleece is such a nice fabric to work with when the weather gets cool. It is also just enough amount of stretch to make these foxes the perfect plumpness. With just the right amount of quirky.This tutorial, like all the tutorials you'll find ...Continue Reading
sewing 101: alternate fabric sources
Alternative to the fabric store, that is.Fabric stores are great. But they are also dangerous places for us crafty women. Not to mention lines are sometimes ridiculous and fabric quality is not always top notch. You better believe I have a favorite + perfect + overpriced local fabric store. But...we need to eat. Sometimes. So today I am going to share with you some of my other favorite places to find fabric. These are cheaper and/or just better alternatives for some projects!go look in... Purging your closet might be on your to-do list ...Continue Reading
little button pouch tutorial
Button pouch. Can you see me/my arms in the background? Hi. If you were little me growing up, you could never have enough pouches. I always wondered at the irony of spending money on something to put my money in, like a wallet. But I still felt like I needed the wallet, bag or pouch. It would make me a better collector. I like bags. I also had lots of collections that needed storing. My strangest collection was a collection of bread clips. I always wanted one with my birthday on it. They were going to be some big art project eventually. I ...Continue Reading
rick rack owl PDF pattern
I'm on a patternmaking frenzy! After making dinosaurs for Little C's first birthday party, I decided to make most of his Christmas presents. Buying things for kids is so fun. But making things for kids is so much MORE fun! And more special, I think. And he's only 1 so he doesn't have a huge commercialized Christmas list yet. I'm embracing this. So anyways, that's why there has been a flood of toys patterns lately. One more in the works! It's only September but Christmas is coming!! (yay!) This little pattern is the rick rack owl! A friendly ...Continue Reading
rawr dinosaur plushie pdf pattern! + new big cartel shop
I made a few dinosaurs for Little C's birthday party. They were great decoration and now they are fun to play with. I turned it into a pattern so the world can be full of handmade dino plushies! These dinosaurs are an abstract species that I imagined up. (In case you were wondering what kind of dinosaur it is supposed to be. Sorta a mix.) They say "rawr" wherever they go. They can be made in any colors and have kid-friendly felt eyes and wavy spikes! Despite their mellow looks, these dinos are full of enthusiasm! RAWR! Pattern ...Continue Reading
vintage hexies: a hexagon tutorial!
I've been meaning to make a hexagon quilt forever. It's one of my lifelong dreams. All my sewing idols have done it. They are so pretty and would be such a neat keepsake. I really want a full size one to drape over my bed.But every time I think about making one I think about how stinkin' long it is going to take to cut out all those hexagons. Forever. Or maybe longer. go! baby to the rescue!! Accuquilt asked me if I wanted to review their Go Baby fabric cutting machine. Did you know such a thing existed? It cuts fabric into quilting shapes and ...Continue Reading
pleat week guest! – delia from delia creates
Today we have our last pleat week guest. Delia from Delia Creates is here! A few of her projects that are on my to-do list are this pink tinted lip balm, this ear warmers tutorial (come soon cold weather!), and this bread. All of Delia's designs and tutorials impress me and today's post is no exception!............. Hello See Kate Sew readers! I am so happy to be here for pleat weeks. I have loved seeing all the beautiful projects that have been shared and feel honored to be apart of the guest posting panel. When I was thinking of a pleated ...Continue Reading
for the fall: pleated silk collar
I know you're probably looking at this and thinking "Hello, it's 90 degrees outside!" But, I promise, fall is just around the corner! I love collars way more than scarves. I think they are so cute and are more of a part of an outfit than a removeable accessory. Like, a scarf I might take off when I get inside a building, but I like to leave collars on. Like a huge necklace. So here's something for your fall wardrobe: the pleated collar. This silk is pretty special. I got it at Mood in New York. Like, the most famous fabric store, ever. Which ...Continue Reading
pleat week guest! – tori from apostrophy designs
Tori from Apostrophy Designs is here today with an awesome pleated pillow! Tori's blog is full of colorful projects. A few of my favorites are the perfect corner blanket tutorial and this string lantern. I also got a kick out of her recent post about reusing plastic bags for a fun summer activity. ............ When Kate first asked me to be apart of Pleat Weeks, I was nervous because when I think of pleats I think of crisp and perfection. I know I am not always the perfect seamstress so I decided to use the imperfection to my advantage ...Continue Reading