Hi there, Amy here. On instagram we asked you what your absolute must-have sewing books, tools and fun extras for your sewing practice and boy oh boy, did you let us know! We put together a lot of your suggestions as well as a few of our own favourite gifts for the sewist, or maker […]
So Christmas is around the corner, yay!! And if you’re anything like me, you probably have so many ideas for what you want to make people as their gifts. But, and this is a big but, do you actually have the time to do all the projects you are imagining? Or maybe you do have the time right now, but you’re still waiting for your fabric to arrive? Or maybe you do have the time and the fabric, but you’re lacking the motivation to get started? I feel you, trust me.. I do.
It is December! Yes, it is already the end of 2013 and 2014 is just weeks away. And the end of the year is certainly the season to be jolly – and for giving lots of gifts! And what better gif…
Having problems lining up or evenly spacing your border designs or rows of decorative stitching? Stitch building just got a whole lot easier to do! The Janome Border Guide Foot helps you to easily …
Perfect gifts for sewing enthusiasts, from high-quality sewing kits to innovative sewing machines and stylish sewing accessories.
For the remainder of the year, I wanted to feature some Fancy Shmancy gift ideas for your loved ones during the holiday season! Jon and I are about to start our Christmas shopping soon, so we've been gathering ideas about what to get our family. I LOVE buying gifts for people, wrapping them up all pretty, and seeing their faces when they open them. It's seriously one of my favorite parts of Christmas. :) Holiday Gift Guide #1 1. Personalized Paper Dolls by Jordan Grace Owens - $25.00 2. Doily Clutch by Krust - $40.00 3. Holiday Mixed Paper Book by Elisejoy - $25.00 4. Wooden Sunglasses by Tumbleweeds Shop - $65.00 - $105.00 5. Vintage Kelly Green Heals size 7 by Oh So Lovely Vintage - $27.00 6. Sock Monkey Wrist Warmers by Sheepish Knit Crochet - $27.00 7. Large Floral Chalkboard Tags by Kates Paper Goods - $18.00
Prevent tangles, knots, and frays when hand sewing with thread conditioner. Learn how to use thread conditioner plus our favorites!
Let's do this thing!
Here’s your gift guide to all things sewing! Pass this list along to your friends and family who aren’t quite sure what to get someone who loves to sew! This gift guide includes gifts f…
Perfect gifts for sewing enthusiasts, from high-quality sewing kits to innovative sewing machines and stylish sewing accessories.
Sewing Gift Guide Notions and Tools for Every Seamstress If you're looking to find the perfect gift for the seamstress in your life I have just the right thing for you! I've rounded up some
Sew stuffed elephant from sock by using this ultimate sewing pattern and tutorial. Easy to sew with guide from pictures and instructions. Great as handmade gift
Gifts for Her 2023 - Check out our latest gift ideas for that special lady in your life this season in our Gifts for Her Holiday Guide! Make sure to check back
Have needle, will sew.
Sewing is one of the favorite hobbies of many people in the world. It helps you to unleash the creativity in your mind. Many people even sew for relaxation.
Holidays are my alllll time favourite time of year! And although I’m talking about gifts today, gifts are honestly the last on my list as to why the holidays are my favourite season. At the top is …
Quilty Gift Guide - 12 gift ideas for quilters for this holiday season.
My collection would not be complete if I left out the little ones!!! Here are some gift ideas I saw that might make a good last minute gift for the half-pint in your life! Some take more time than others, but these are things that would work for birthdays too if you don't have time this week. Roll-up Kitchen Playmat {tutorial} This would even make a good gift for Grandma! A kitchen she can pull out when the kids come over, then put away in a tiny closet until the next visit. Folding PVC chairs Cute chairs that wouldn't be too much money or work, but get great response from you kiddos. Fort Kit Charming! I LOVE imaginative play kits :0) This is super cute and ready to be played with for hours. It would be enjoyed for hours on Christmas day. I can see the fort being set up, all the presents drug inside and kids giggling and playing for hours. On my list! Tutu Using Crocheted Headband What a great way to make a tutu!!! It is so adjustable and easy to make. LOve! ABC Book This book is cute and could be given as a kit, rather than finished. With the book put together, an outing can be planned to go take photos of alphabet items. That is a gift that keeps being fun even after the wrapping hits the curb! Color Matching Cards I have seen a lot of paint chip activities, but as a clothes pin junkie, I am totally making this one! Great gift for preschool-aged friends with very little prep time or cost!!! Felt Mr. Potato Head Activity I don't have time to make this for Christmas, but I can see Emmers loving the potato head family in felt. She is crazy about the original version and this one is even more portable. Marshmallow Guns Years I have been wanting to make these. Here is a great tutorial. PVC is very cheep. The connectors my husband says are expensive {they are like $.50 each-I have a different idea of what is "expensive"} These guns can be made for a couple dollars and enjoyed for years. My aunt made these for all the grandkids, then made bigger ones for all the parents and had a mega marshmallow WAR on Christmas day a few years ago. Sounded totally fun. Gotta DO! Tire See-Saw How cute is that!?! I can make this! I have an endless supply of old tires out at the tire dump I take pictures at. This see-saw promises hours of fun in the back yard. We need a little more of that around here. StarWars Peggies Princess Peggies I am totally making these dollies. They are so cute! I am going to give the boy and the girl versions a try. I am not sure I can make mine look this good, but I am headed to Hobby Lobby on Thursday to pick up some wooden pegs. I will keep you posted. TeePee Bag w/CowBoys and Indians This idea is a winner to me for the mere reason it includes STORAGE! Brilliant!!! I also love any toy that inspires kids imaginations and mimics play like way back when I was a kid. I wish my baby boy were still little enough to sit around all afternoon playing with little army guys or tiny plastic cowboys and Indians...*sigh* Why did my little boy have to grow up. Make this for yours while he is still young enough to play with it! Rocket Man Rocket/Dress-up Fun addition to any dress-up collection. Marble Maze {LoveIt!!!} This right here is probably {in my mind} the most brilliant thing in this whole post. You can bet I will be making these. It is a maze made by sewing lines in the fabric, then a marble is sewn inside. You push the marble around the maze with your fingers getting it from one end to the other. What a fabulous quiet activity for the church bag or for children that need an isolated, concentrated activity or simply need to be kept busy to sit still. Love IT! SleepOver/RoadTrip PillowCase So cute. If I were a grandma, I would make these for all the grandkids...and one for me. We are nuts about having pillows with us while traveling. I never once put it up at my head, but use it as a desk for working while we travel. A nice little pocket sewn on there and a handle for easy carrying would be fabulous. Car Caddy {Tutorial} I have long been in love with these car rolls. Whoever invented the first one was a genius. Thanks for letting the rest of us copy you :0) Now if I could only find a little boy to make one for... Felt Car Map {Of your city!} I would make him one of these too. I love it when people make these car maps personalized to their particular city or town. The local diner, bank, and grocery all shown with name. Super fun. Washcloth Puppets Love the idea of wash puppets for baby. These can be whipped up for pennies and in less than an hour for basic ones. Nice last minute craft fix. Felt {Paper} Dolls These are going to take me too long for this week, but a great idea. Paper dolls that are not paper at all! Make them out of felt and fabric for a much longer-lasting toy. These babies will be around for your kids and then your grandbabies. Cute Crayon-Holding Apron Super cute apron. This would be great for at church or the restaurant where there isn't table space for the crayon roll. Everything is held by the apron so you don't have to worry about crayons rolling all over the place. Matching Apron for Barbie Travel HopScotch Another fun activity that is totally portable and store-able. Great idea and affordable too. Kids can make other kids... Monster Book Marks These monsters will make your monsters look forward to turning pages in their favorite books. They make great little gifts for friends and don't take too much time to make. Marshmallow Shooters How fun is that!?! Your kids can put together a shooter kit in no time and their friends will be totally excited to play with it for hours. I can see my son's friends really enjoying this one. I Spy Bottle I don't know if anyone on the planet has a supply of extra charms, buttons, and do-dads like I do {part of clippie madness} but I am certain you could find enough thing-a-ma-jigs at the bottom of the toy box and in the junk drawer to make one of these I Spy Bottles. The kids will have a blast looking for items to include. AngryBirds Game Yep, you need to make the Angry Birds game. You know you do. Any kid would love a game kit. Painted Tic-Tac-Toe Personalized Soap super cute idea. This would be great for Teachers {maybe with alcohol gel...or would that work. Someone try it and let me know :0}, Grandparents, or even friends. Have the kids create a work of art, then color copy it onto a transparency and insert it into the bottle. Easy. Paper Blocks These paper blocks are fun and easy to make, then completely customizable by decorating the side as with markers or what-not. Great for anyone, really. Storing those toys that take over your already bulging playrooms... Peek-a-boo toy bags Great! Love that you can see what is in each bag. Fabulous idea. Lego Storage Mats I am liking this mat. Open, spread out all the legos, build, then pull the string and the whole disaster is cleaned up. Brilliant! OK, hoping to come back with at least one more list before Christmas. One about creative gift wrapping maybe. We shall see. Good luck on your last minute prep and Merry Christmas!!!
The most useful gift ever in the history of baby gifts. Learn how I make mine.
Stocking stuffers are hands down the BEST part about the holidays. I remember my brothers and I impatiently waiting for my mum to get up on Christmas morning so we could dive into the presents Sant…
Try this sustainable alternative to paper gift wrap.
Pinterest activity seemed to slow down there for a little while, but with the approaching holiday season, I predict that the pins will be moving fast!
Create yarn stars using the traditional God's Eye weaving technique. This is a fun craft for Christmas suitable for older kids.
Fall is here and so is national sewing month! I'm switching up from coffee to tea for a nice hot beverage change and Ruthie is in the kitchen making pumpkin bread... I have several sewing irons in the fire (so-to-speak) with a few quilts sewing in tandem and we are all ready for sewing season! Block 7 is essentially just like Block 2 and Block 5, but with different fabric placement. I will make you aware now that the layout of prints in Block 7 presents a fun challenge and having a second set of eyes to double check your work can be very helpful! After last month's sewing, you should now have a total of 24 blocks sewn and set aside. Let's now begin Block 7 with another set of four! If you are just joining us, though, order a kit below and sew along with us! Click the images below and select your quilt kit in Blue or Holiday (while supplies last). And, BONUS! All the fabric pieces are pre-cut by laser - perfect and beautiful. Pieces don't fray, they're uniform and we can sew right away! Order an Alaska Quilt Kit in your color preference (Blue or Holiday) and join us! Each block is essentially made four times (with center block exception) with varying changes in fabric placement, so please feel free to work ahead if you want to construct all the same style blocks, all in one chain-piece sitting. I will caution you, however. All four of us who were sewing this quilt erred in missing our fabric color placement at one point in time or another. (The Alex Anderson wooden seam ripper 4-in-1 tool was our best friend on multiple occasions!) Learn from our mistakes, though, and note that it is very easy to swap placement, prints, and orientation and these blocks can be quite the brain game! With this quilt being dependent upon all of these things for design accuracy, it is important to scrutinize your block construction extensively. If you have a friend sewing along with you, be block-checking buddies! Or ask your husband, friend, or neighbor to be a second set of eyes. We loved it when one of us saved the other from any "un-sewing". LET'S BEGIN! BLOCK 7 Helpful Notions for Sewing these blocks: Aurifil 50wt thread - Dove Grey or Light Sand works perfectly to blend with all fabric colors. Glass Head Ultra Fine Pins Sewline Pencil Alex Anderson's Wooden 4-in-1 sewing tool Additional Tools We Use: Sue Daley 16-inch Round Rotating Cutting Mat Rotary Cutter Scissors for trimming and snipping threads Seam Square Seam Guide (or Quarter Inch Foot of Choice) Quick Press Seam Roller Portable Iron Pressing Fleece (Wool or Alpaca) Template Set (Acrylic) for Alaska Quilt (optional - only necessary if cutting from your own fabrics) For Block 7, we continue with a kaleidoscope style center arrangement. The construction will be similar to Block 2 & 5, but with additional color / print placement that must be exact. If it helps you keep your pieces all tidy and in order, label your pieces and work sequentially around each block. Sometimes I like to stack mine up and work in little sections. The arrows on Edyta's pattern will show you how the pieces are sewn together and the direction with which the seams are pressed. Following the pressing guidelines will be very helpful for nesting seams, matching points and easier block assembly. Remember, the larger triangle seams will all be pressed in the same direction, all the way around the block...like a kaleidoscope or merry-go-round! The video below is about 27 minutes long and addresses sewing all the block styles for the entire quilt. For Block 7, which has the same concepts as she describes in Block 2, you will only need to watch it from timestamps 15:05 through 23:07. Scrolling below the video, you can also follow along with some additional sewing tips on aiming for accuracy. Sew pieces D (small corner triangle) to pieces C. You can mark them according to Edyta's instruction using the little plastic templates included with the kit. The Featherweight Accurate Seam Guide helps keep the seam edges exactly in line with one another. You can see how my left hand guides it near the presser foot. Note where the needle is and where it is going to end up at the very end of the seam.... see the little point sticking out? The needle will end up going off that point, which is exactly at the quarter inch mark according to how the pieces are laser cut. Using the Sue Dayley's rotating cutting mat accentuates the quarter inch measurements, making it easy to line up each of my pieces for pinning as I'm sewing along. The following tips with photos taken in earlier block construction can be helpful in stitching Block 7 as well. Now let's align the A & B pieces so that a perfect quarter inch seam is achieved and that they will align properly when pressed open. In the photo above, take note of the points of the two pins. This is where the pieces must match up when pinning the two pieces together. See how nicely the top piece presses open and over and how the edge aligns evenly between the two pieces? Now align the opposite side according to the pin points above. Pin, sew and press! You can trim the little tips off, if you wish. Now let's align the two larger triangle units together. Again, take note of the pin points and where they need to meet on the quarter inch measurement. If it helps, you can even draw a line at your quarter inch mark to make sure they are going to meet at the right place. Now we have four units sewn! Following the pressing guideline arrows allows for this nicely nested seam. See how the two sections will join together with the seams facing opposite directions? Pressing the large triangle seams all the same direction, as Edyta instructs, allows for the seams to nest when sewn together like this. Nested seams perfectly aligned. Block 7 is now complete... sew three more and you'll have a new set of four blocks finished! PRO TIP: To achieve flat centers where all the points come together, use a seam ripper to take out just the few stitches and little bits of thread that extend in the seam allowance. Being a Kaleidoscope block, you will need to take out both the angled and vertical stitches on both sides of the seam allowance. This will open up the seam and allow them to be pressed open and the block to lay flat. Remove only the few diagonal stitches... ... and the few vertical stitches on both sides of the seam allowance. We will see you next month for Block 8 on October 28th, 2021!
At Design My Costume, we carefully reviewed the top Brother sewing & embroidery machines over a period of four years to find out the best ones. This review is all you need to see which ones live up to their expectations; i.e., versatility and easy of switchover that Brother claims to have in all their combo machines
Teaching sewing classes for kids: a how-to guide I’m often contacted by mums who are thinking of teaching sewing classes to kids at home, at holiday camps, or teachers who want to start a lunch time or after school sewing club. Usually, they are looking for advice and some tips and tricks on how to
A PDF sewing pattern by So Treasured Shop This project is perfect for hand sewing anywhere! Whether you want to use your fabric scraps or fussy-cut some favorite fabrics, create a practical container or gift basket. Stitching these bowls is an fun and relaxing way to add a personal touch, making them ideal for customization, gifting, or even selling at craft or quilt markets. This comprehensive guide in PDF format provides step-by-step instructions, accompanied by detailed photos and master temp
Perfect gifts for sewing enthusiasts, from high-quality sewing kits to innovative sewing machines and stylish sewing accessories.
I LOVE stocking stuffers! I think I prefer them to actual gifts!! And our family is BIG on them. So big, in fact, I made each family member their own unique BAG. That’s right, not a stocking, a ful…
Summer is nearly over and just yesterday a song came over the radio that reminded me of Christmas and the holiday season... my heart had a flicker of excitement as festivities and traditions are just around the corner! What about you, are you preparing for holiday sewing yet? This Block 6, for me, was one more milestone, because it marked the four corners of the Alaska kaleidoscope. It replicates block 4, and after last month's sewing, you should now have a total of 20 blocks sewn and set aside. Let's now begin Block 6, with another set of 4! If you are just joining us, though, order a kit below, click back to Block 1 and sew along with us! Click the images below and select your quilt kit in Blue or Holiday (while supplies last). And, BONUS! All the fabric pieces are pre-cut by laser - perfect and beautiful. Pieces don't fray, they're uniform and we can sew right away! Order an Alaska Quilt Kit in your color preference (Blue or Holiday) and join us! Each block is essentially made four times (the center block being the exception) with varying changes in fabric placement, so please feel free to work ahead if you want to construct all the same style blocks, all in one chain-piece sitting. I will caution you, however. All four of us who were sewing this quilt erred in missing our fabric color placement at one point in time or another. (The Alex Anderson wooden seam ripper 4-in-1 tool was our best friend on multiple occasions!) Learn from our mistakes, though, and note that it is very easy to swap placement, prints, and orientation and these blocks can be quite the brain game! With this quilt being dependent upon all of these things for design accuracy, it is important to scrutinize your block construction extensively. If you have a friend sewing along with you, be block-checking buddies! Or ask your husband, friend, or neighbor to be a second set of eyes. We loved it when one of us saved the other from any "un-sewing". LET'S BEGIN! BLOCK 6 Helpful Notions for Sewing these blocks: Aurifil 50wt thread - Dove Grey or Light Sand works perfectly to blend with all fabric colors. Glass Head Ultra Fine Pins Sewline Pencil Alex Anderson's Wooden 4-in-1 sewing tool Additional Tools We Use: Sue Daley 16-inch Round Rotating Cutting Mat Rotary Cutter Scissors for trimming and snipping threads Seam Square Seam Guide (or Quarter Inch Foot of Choice) Quick Press Seam Roller Portable Iron Pressing Fleece (Wool or Alpaca) Template Set (Acrylic) for Alaska Quilt (optional - only necessary if cutting from your own fabrics) For Block 6, the construction will be identical to Block 4, except the color placements are different, so lay out your fabric pieces accordingly and you will begin to envision the four visual "cornerstones" of your quilt. For Block 6, the construction will form a beautiful star. The arrows on Edyta's pattern will show you how the pieces are sewn together and the direction with which the seams are pressed. Following the pressing guidelines will be very helpful for nesting seams, matching points and easier block assembly. Remember, the larger triangle seams will all be pressed in the same direction, all the way around the block...like a kaleidoscope or merry-go-round! The video below is about 24 minutes long and addresses sewing this same block, but using solid fabrics. The construction is the same as what we already sewed for Block 4, but incorporating a different color at each of the side triangle pieces. Scrolling below the video, you can also follow along with some additional sewing tips on aiming for accuracy. I like to lay out all my pieces for all the blocks and then begin the assembly line with pinning, working my way around each block layer as I sew. A few of us took a mini sewing retreat and Tammy was our early bird, ready to sew first thing in the morning. She was so adorable! When the seams come together, it is so satisfying! ADDITIONAL PIECING TIPS BELOW The Featherweight Accurate Seam Guide helps keep the seam edges exactly in line with one another. You can see how my left hand guides it near the presser foot. Chain-piecing is a great technique for working through the block sets. Note where the needle is and where it is going to end up at the very end of the seam.... see the little point sticking out? The needle will end up going off that point, which is exactly at the quarter inch mark according to how the pieces are laser cut. When the center seams match up perfectly, the quarter inch seam will end at the farthest tip.... notice the 1/4" distance between the top edge of the fabric and the tip? In the photo above, take note of the points of the two pins. This is where the pieces must match up when pinning the two pieces together. See how nicely the top piece presses open and over and how the edge aligns evenly between the two pieces? Following the pressing guideline arrows allows for this nicely nested seam. See how the two sections will join together with the seams facing opposite directions? Pressing the large triangle seams all the same direction, as Edyta instructs, allows for the seams to nest when sewn together like this. Nested seams perfectly aligned. Use the Alex Anderson's 4-in-1 Wooden Sewing Tool to "quick press" the seams. PRO TIP: To achieve flat centers where all the points come together, use a seam ripper to take out just the few stitches and little bits of thread that extend in the seam allowance. Being a Kaleidoscope block, you will need to take out both the angled and vertical stitches on both sides of the seam allowance. This will open up the seam and allow them to be pressed open and the block to lay flat. Block 6 is now complete... sew three more and you'll have a new set of four blocks finished! Remember to take time to oil your machine! You've been doing a lot of sewing thus far and this is a good time to take a quick break, clean out the lint from the bobbin hook assembly and follow along the oiling tutorial. We will see you next time on September 23rd, 2021 for Block 7.
Felt baby doll pattern and tutorial with step by step photos. Completely hand sewn, no need a sewing machine. The baby doll is 5 1/2" (14 cm) tall. Length of geese 7 1/2" (19 cm) and 9 1/2" (24 cm). With this simple PDF sewing guide, you can easily make your own 5.5" Baby Doll and Cuddle Geese that will not only be a comfort to your little ones, but also bring joy and smiles every day. The doll is made of felt and has movable legs, arms, and head. She can sit up on her own. These patterns contain detailed step-by-step instructions, including over 100 clear photos, so they are suitable for sewers with a basic knowledge of hand sewing and embroidery. Enjoy the sewing process, make yourself some new soft toys, or share your gift of sewing with someone special. The PDF tutorial includes: - Easy-to-follow instructions and pattern details for making your own 5.5" Baby Doll and geese in two sizes; - Material List; - Sewing Guide; - Over 100 photos to help guide you through the process; - Full-scale pattern details - no need to resize, just print and get to work. ............................................................................................................................... NOTE: You will need a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat Reader to bring up this PDF file. You can download the latest version for free at www.adobe.com .............................................................................................................................. Prohibited from mass production of items. Use the photos without obtaining permission is prohibited. Making the copies of patterns or modify to sell it as your own creation is prohibited. Posting the patterns on internet is prohibited. Passing the patterns to other people is prohibited.
Perfect gifts for sewing enthusiasts, from high-quality sewing kits to innovative sewing machines and stylish sewing accessories.
Hello, lovelies! Once upon a time, entirely too long ago, I promised you a tutorial on princess seams. Though weddings and holidays delayed my plans, the project still weighed on my mind, because someone needed to document the truth. All those normal princess seam FBA tutorials are helpful, unless you're a well-endowed sewist, then they're like taking advice on snow-skiing from a water-skier. The action is kind of the same, but you're working in much harsher conditions. Yeah, that's a lame metaphor. What I'm saying is: adjusting princess seams for a large bust is a weird process, but you can totally do it. I'm going to show you my method, which adds in necessary extra tweaks to the standard process, and has worked for me. There will be lots of photos, exhaustive instructions, and oddly shaped pattern pieces. It's going to be awesome, I promise. Let's do this! Stage One: Preparations First off, you're going to need a pattern! Woohoo! Eventually, you will have an awesome dress or blouse from this. For this tutorial, I picked the much-beloved Elisalex dress from By Hand London. It's the epitome of a simple, princess-seamed bodice. Once you have your pattern, measure both your full bust and your high bust, as well as your waist. To make the most of those lovely, curved seams, you're going to want to pick your size based on your high bust. This will ensure that your shoulders and upper chest fit in the correct manner, without unsightly gaping. Don't worry if your waist measurement doesn't match up, as we'll also address that during the adjustment. For me, the measurements were: a high bust of 40'', a full bust of 46'', and a waist of 34.5''. You can see why we need to adjust! If I tried to sew up the size 14, as prescribed on the chart below, the seams would burst apart. Once you have picked your proper size, trace off the corresponding bodice pieces and gather your supplies. Personally, I use Swedish Tracing Paper to trace off all of my patterns. It's super durable, but still translucent enough to trace over, and can be sewn up for a fit check. So handy! The other supplies you'll need for this adjustment are: tape, a clear ruler, pattern weights, a pencil or pen, scissors, and extra scraps of your tracing paper. Before we go any further, take a moment to draw in the seam allowances on your Side Front Bodice. This will make it much easier to visualize your cuts, for the next stage. So, take your ruler and measure 5/8'' (the standard seam allowance, unless otherwise noted on your pattern) all the way around the piece. Stage Two: Adding Fullness Now the fun part: cutting those pieces to bits! When we add fullness to a princess seam, we do the most adjustment to the Bodice Side Front piece, since that's the bit that must curve over your bubbies. For this tutorial, I've marked the side seam with a solid seam allowance and the bust seam with a dotted allowance, so that you can better visualize how this piece works. The curved, dotted bust seam will join with your Center Front Bodice, once we've adjusted it. First off, how much fullness do you need to add here? It's easy to find out! Take the difference between your two bust measurements, then divide it by two. Since we'll have two of these seams across your front, each will carry some of the adjustment load. For my measurements, this means I'll do a three-inch adjustment to my side bodice piece. Full bust (46'') - High Bust (40'') = 6'' difference 6'' ÷ 2 = 3'' added to each side See all those lines in the picture above? Those are our cutting lines, which will help us make this pattern piece larger, and which we're now going to draw onto our piece. They may look complicated, but it's a really easy process, trust me. I'll go through them step-by-step. Bust Dot: Eyeball your pattern piece and approximate where the fullest part of the bust line is. Draw a dot right there on your seam allowance. In my picture, it's that big black dot. Line One: Starting at the waist seam allowance, draw a line up to the bust dot. (Red line) Line Two: Pick a spot on your armhole 1/4 of the way in from the bust line. Draw a straight line from this point to the bust dot. (Blue line) Line Three: Pick a spot 1/3 of the way down the side seam. Draw a straight line from this point to the bust dot. (Green line) Line Four: Measure 1 inch up from your waist seam onto your bust seam allowance. Draw a horizontal line to the pattern's edge. This will be how we later lengthen the piece! (Purple line) Now, let's make our first cut! Following my red dotted line in the picture above, cut up Line One to the bust point, then continue along Line Two toward the armscye seam. Stop just before the pattern's end, so that you have a small "hinge" to move the piece. (Note: In order to avoid confusion, I've only colored your four lines on the original image above. I'll keep color-coordinating their text throughout the tutorial, however, so you can refer back to that image, if you need. They are also numbered the entire way through.) Now for cut two! Starting at the side seam, cut along Line Three, stopping just before the bust dot. This will give you another hinge point, so that we can move the pattern pieces, without breaking them. It's time to add in our fullness. Woohoo! To do this, place your pattern piece onto a large scrap of tracing paper. Using the measurement we made earlier (3'' for me), add in your necessary amount down the length of Line One. You can manipulate both "hinges," in order to keep Line One straight and evenly measured. It looks totally weird, but we're going to fix that! Tape all that craziness down! After taping your new configuration down, cut along Line Four on the seam allowance. Move this down to line up with your other part of Line Four, as shown in the picture above. With your ruler, true up the pattern lines. (Translation: Draw some new lines down to where you moved that piece, so that there's not a weird blank space on your pattern.) Stage Three: Making Up for All That Fullness So, we've now added the requisite fullness to our Bodice Side Front, but the pattern piece looks super whack-a-doodle. We have a big dart on the side seam and our armscye is at an odd angle. Luckily, we can fix all of that! This, my dears, is where having a large bust makes this process more fun. We get to do more pattern hacking than the traditional method suggests. We are scissor-wielding rebels! In order to do all this awesome hacking, cut around your new pattern piece. Place it on even more scrap paper, for these adjustments. First, let's close that dart, shall we? Draw a line from the lower dart opening (Line 3 beginning) all the way across your pattern piece through the bust dot to the other seam allowance edge. You are not going to follow Line 3, because that wouldn't get you to the bust dot. So, you're making up your own dang line, because you're awesome like that. Now, cut along this line to the bust dot. You've made another hinge! Use this hinge to close the bust dart along Line 3, making it reappear in its original state. The arrows above are demonstrating this action. Tape that dart closed and breathe a sigh of relief. Warning: If you have a large bust, this part looks ridiculous. Trust me, you're doing it correctly. Your pieces will fold and warp and do weird things, but all that matters is closing that bust dart and getting Line 3 back together. Take a look at my new piece: Didn't I tell you it looked ridiculous? Once I've closed the dart, my pattern piece doesn't even lay down! This is where that rebellious line we just drew comes in handy. Cut the rest of that line through the bust dot and side seam. (That's the dotted bit in the picture above.) Your bust seam will now open up like a lovely flower and lay down flat: This is your almost-completed pattern piece! You are so good at all the things! Huzzah! Now, an easy part. True up your new bust line, as I have done above. Basically, just draw that curve in, so that your pattern piece connects. Tape all of that down! You'll notice that your armscye still looks wonky. Let's fix that, too. (New armscye close-up) Fold the armscye corner down, until you get an approximation of the original curve. Tape it down, then true up your corner seam lines. The picture above shows this armscye fold close-up, while the one below gives you the full picture. See how it looks like your original pattern piece again? Now, we need to adjust for your waist measurement. Thanks to our bust adjustment, we've also added width to each waist side, as well. To get back to the original waist size, measure three inches (or however much fullness you've had to add) in from the side seam. If your waist measurement did not match the original pattern's, then you can either add less or more, depending on your measurement. I've actually come in 3.25 inches, so that an additional half-inch will be taken out overall. Draw a line up into the seam allowance at your desired waist point. From the side seam, beginning at Line Three, draw in a new side seam to this waist point. I've done so with the dotted line above. Once again, it looks weird. We can't cut away a straight line along the side seam, however, because that would take width away from the bust. Starting at Line Three ensures that we maintain our bust fullness, while bringing in that waist seam. Don't worry about it. Despite this angle, your side seam will still be straight, because your body is a wonderland. The only thing left to do for this seam is to measure it. Is it the same length as your original pattern piece? If not, add length to both back pieces, as well. For me, this was about a half-inch adjustment. Now, cut out your new pattern piece! You've finished adjusting the Bodice Side Front. Stage Four: Adjusting the Center Front So, your Bodice Side Front is adjusted, but that piece still has to fit with the Center Front. Thanks to our machinations, they're currently way our of sync. To fix this, measure your Bodice Side Front along the bust seam. (Following the dotted lines above.) Jot that number down! Now, measure the curved seam of your Center Bodice. Jot that number down too! Subtract your Center Bodice Length from your Bodice Side Front length. Like so: Bodice Side Front Length - Center Bodice Length = Discrepancy For me that looks like: 18'' - 12'' = 6'' I need to add six inches to my Center Bodice, so that the two will become one easily. Draw a straight line across the lower third of your Center Bodice piece, as I've done above with the dotted line above. Cut across that line. Separate your cut Center Bodice pieces by your length discrepancy (six inches for me), then fill in with scrap paper and tape it together again. You now have two new bodice front pieces! Well done, you! They may look like little monsters, but they were created with love and care. Plus, your final result will look bangin'. That's the end goal, right? On Wednesday, I'll be back with tips on fine-tuning a muslin and sewing Princess Seams. You may still have adjustments to make, based on your individual body type and new pattern pieces, so we'll cover those eventualities. Happy sewing, my dears! I do hope this was helpful. Note: Any Amazon links in this post are now affiliate links, which means I will get a tiny portion of any sale referred from this site.
They're called pew babies, church dolls, angel babies, prayer dolls, handkerchief dolls, and hanky dolls. Here's a simple handkerchief doll tutorial for you
Happy Holidays to all of you and yours! 'Tis the season for jolly times, being thankful, and giving lovely gifts to your dear ones. Stumped on what to give to your historical costuming gems? Well here are a few small, stocking-sized ideas... 1. Crochet Gloves from
A blog about all things Halloween, real haunted houses and haunted attractions in the Wise County Virginia area.
**kostenlose Anleitung + Schnittmuster; schnell und unglaublich einfach ein Filzkörbchen selbst nähen; die perfekte Last-Minute-Geschenk-Nähidee!**
New edition with CD! On a cold, clear Newfoundland night shortly after Christmas, several outlandishly costumed mummers appear, and Granny's house suddenly erupts in a burst of joking and tomfoolery, raucous singing and exuberant dancing. Granny and her two young charges are instantly caught up in the merriment. When t
Photo credit: Glasgow Photography
