is like an understatement?Well, good. Because starting in ONE WEEK we're going to revel in ruffles. Ruffles rock, so we're going to rock them. For 3 weeks. With 10 guests. 3 giveaways. Ruffles. Ruffles. Ruffles.Ruffles up to your ruffle sleeve elbows. Be prepared to be: As a little teaser to our 3 weeks full of ruffle madness, have a look at my $5 Anthropologie inspired ruffle shower curtain. This was my project for the Dollar Store craft over at So You Think You're Crafty. Week two is going on now and you can GO VOTE for a thrift store ...Continue Reading
your questions about the clothing labels
Thank you so much for your sweet responses to the clothing label post!I had lots of questions about the labels so I thought I would answer them all in a post so everyone can see the responses.How long does it take to cut and iron 300 labels?I just cut and iron them in small batches when I need more. I actually got over 320 labels in a 1 yard print. I don't have the patience to do it all at once! (So the answer to this question is probably a long time!)Why do you sew them before you sew them onto a product? I have sewn these labels on things in ...Continue Reading
300 clothing labels for $20
clothing labels for the masses tutorial My most frequently asked question is about my clothing labels. Where did you get them? Did you make them? I did make them. And it was really easy. And the price was right. You can't beat $20 for this many quality clothing labels and that's a fact! I've also made lots of promises that I was going to tell you my secret and make a tutorial. It's only taken a few months :) So here it is. If you are looking to brand your product to sell, or just for fun, this is a great way to start out at a low ...Continue Reading
basic zipper pouch tutorial
let's make some zipper pouches! This is a lined basic zipper pouch tutorial that is great for beginners! They are great for everything! let's start: To begin you need four pieces each measuring 6.5" tall by 8" wide. A front, back and two lining pieces. If you're going to add a label, do that first. And you need a zipper, about 8" long. Lay your zipper face down on the front piece. Sandwich it in with the lining piece. Your front piece and lining piece will be right sides together. Pin it up. Stitch at 1/4" with a ...Continue Reading
sew sew zipper pouch
sew sew zipper pouches Basic zipper pouches with hand printed vintage sewing machine silhouettes all over. "Old-time sewers," as my husband would say, somehow make everything suddenly charming. I think one of the reasons that zipper pouches are so endearing is that they are good for anything. Everything. Buttons. Lace bows. More zippers. (Does that zipper pouch look hungry for some reason?)What do you do with zipper pouches? These are in my shop. I'll be posting a tutorial later today so you can make a bazillion ...Continue Reading
how to shorten a zipper
how to shorten a zipper I have so many zippers I don't know what to do. And most of them are pretty long, which is great! But zipper pouches call for shorter zippers so this is how you shorten them. First, decide how long you want your zipper. Then go 3/4" down from that and that is your sewing point. Make a new zipper stop by whipstitching across the zipper teeth a few times. A whipstitch is just a swoop all the way around. Now you have a new zipper stop, replacing the metal one that comes on the zipper. Cut off the excess and you're ...Continue Reading
who loves grape soda?
and ruffly dresses. Are you sick of ruffles yet? I'm not either. Here's my post from the audition of So You Think You're Crafty. (Tutorials at the bottom!) ............ I had a little sewer's block this week. So I went back to the sketchbook and drew up a dress. A faux placket lined with ruffles. Sleeves that tie in a bow. Four vintage buttons lined down the front. A bottom ruffle poking out beneath a black umbrella on a rainy day. A button closure in back. It was all of those things causing sewer's block that became this ...Continue Reading
skinny little ties for skinny little guys
baby + skinny jeans + skinny tie = perfection I can't think of a cuter outfit. Or a better use for this fabric. It's rough being this cool sometimes. Rough. The flowery one (fabric here) is for Easter Sunday. Because boys are allowed to wear pink on Easter. Click HERE for the tutorial and pattern download. ...Continue Reading
don’t be scared. [zippers part 1]
[centered zippers] I'm scared of the dark. And snakes. And I used to be scared of zippers too. After my zipper post, some of you expressed your fear of zippers. Do you ever dismiss a project because it has zipper? Or decide to alter it into an elastic waistband or a button closure? I've been guilty, too.Time to face your fear. It's really not that bad! There are lots of ways to put zippers in. Zippers in a seam, lapped zippers, invisible zippers. So we'll just start basic. I used a turquoise silk for this tutorial, so the photos look a little ...Continue Reading
[pins and tomatoes]
[how to keep your pins sharp] The classic tomato pincushion like this one helps to keep your pins sharp. The strawberry is filled with emery sand, so each time you put your pins in they are refined a little bit, smoothing out the metal and cleaning up the pins. Your pins are kept smooth and sharp, and clean! No more snagging pins. Emery is a really hard rock, that is used as an abrasive powder in lots of different ways. It's in some types of sandpaper, too. You can buy these little tomatoes for cheap on amazon. Or you can buy emery sand ...Continue Reading
CELEBRATE THE BOY! [boy fabric round-up]
Hi everyone! Welcome to my little blog, see kate sew! Around here, we love boys! When I found out that I was having a boy all I could think about were ruffles and dresses. I decorated the nursery, slipping in a few feminine touches here and there. Flower print fabric inside the dresser. It's green, gender neutral, right? Kinda. Victorian frames. Girly. Lambs. A little girly. You get the idea. It was kinda girly. But kinda gender neutral. The moment he was placed on my lap and took his first breath I realized that this kid wasn't just a ...Continue Reading
