August | 2007 | my half of the brain

Those of you who have a full bust (C or D cup rather than B cup) know the frustration of sewing patterns and finding the finished garment to be too large in the neck, shoulder, and armhole area. Rather than choosing the size to accommodate your full bust, this is what you should be doing to get a better fit….

Posted in * TUTORIALS, dress, pattern, reconstruction/modification, sewing, shirt | Leave a Comment »

stardustshoes: Sewing 101: The French Seam

30 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: stardustshoes: Sewing 101: The French Seam

Main Site: stardustshoes

Artist/Author: jojo

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: I just recently discovered this handy skill, too, and if you don’t already use it, you’ll want to add it to your repertoire!

Posted in * TUTORIALS, sewing | Leave a Comment »

Child’s Sleeveless Top Instructions

30 August, 2007

child's sleeveless top

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Child’s Sleeveless Top Instructions

Main Site: http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/

Artist/Author: n/a

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: Pants pattern and instructions available here.

Posted in * TUTORIALS, children's clothing, pants, pattern, sewing, shirt | Leave a Comment »

Fabric Covered Magnets

30 August, 2007

fabric covered magnets

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Fabric Covered Magnets

Main Site: http://www.jcarolinecreative.com

Artist/Author: n/a

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: Jessica Jones had the original idea for fabric-covered thumbtacks. (See blog tutorial here).

Posted in * TUTORIALS, fabric, magnet | Leave a Comment »

Felt Monogrammed Pillow Instructions

30 August, 2007

felt pillow

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Felt Monogrammed Pillow Instructions

Main Site: http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/

Artist/Author: n/a

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: includes link to a stencil alphabet for monogram

Posted in * TUTORIALS, felt, pillow, sewing | Leave a Comment »

Pillow Instructions and Calculator from jcarolinecreative

30 August, 2007

pillows

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Pillow Instructions and Calculator

Main Site: jcarolinecreative

Artist/Author: n/a

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: includes an online tool for calculating the size of the fabric pieces, especially helpful for the overlapped back

Posted in * TUTORIALS, pillow, sewing | Leave a Comment »

Bend-The-Rules Sewing Group on flickr + errata

27 August, 2007

Have you bought Amy Karol’s (aka angry chicken) fabulous book Bend the Rules Sewing? She has a wonderful flickr group for projects from the book and there are already 533 inspiring project photos listed! The accompanying discussion group includes a list of errata to the book. Be sure to print out the changes and slip them in your copy! I’ve got a library copy until I can afford the real thing, and I’m sending it back with the errata included.

Posted in amy karol, books/magazines, errata, flickr, pattern, sewing | Leave a Comment »

AfricanKelli » Blog Archive » A Junie Tutorial: Seatbelt Sleeves

25 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: AfricanKelli » A Junie Tutorial: Seatbelt Sleeves

Main Site: http://www.africankelli.com/

Artist/Author: Junie Moon

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Update: Junie Moon now has her own blog! — http://junie-moon.blogspot.com/

Posted in * TUTORIALS, pattern, sewing | 1 Comment »

Soft Baby Cube Tutorial

25 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Soft Baby Cube Tutorial – a photoset on Flickr

Main Site: flickr

Artist/Author: london mummy

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other:

Posted in * TUTORIALS, pattern, sewing, toy | Leave a Comment »

Dioramarama: Grocery Bag Dispenser Tutorial

25 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Dioramarama: Grocery Bag Dispenser Tutorial

Main Site: dioramarama.com

Artist/Author:

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other:

Posted in * TUTORIALS, sewing | Leave a Comment »

Easy Peasy Snap wallets

25 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Easy Peasy Snap wallets

Main Site: craftster.org

Artist/Author: CheyElizabeth

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other:

Posted in * TUTORIALS, sewing, wallet | 1 Comment »

Yarnmonster: A Drawstring Bag Tutorial

25 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Yarnmonster: A Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Main Site: Yarnmonster!

Artist/Author: Jessica

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other:

Posted in * TUTORIALS, purse, sewing, tote | Leave a Comment »

Canadian Living : Crafts : Sew a stylish metallic handbag

25 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Canadian Living : Crafts : Sew a stylish metallic handbag

Main Site: CanadianLiving.com

Artist/Author: Jocelyn Worral

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other:

This elegant industrial ventilator bag is made with a medium-weight, slightly metallic vinyl, practical for a bag and ideal for showing off the sculpted pleats. It can also be made with a soft leather or canvas, or even a heavy duchess silk satin.

Posted in * TUTORIALS, purse, sewing | Leave a Comment »

Peter Pan Collar Tutorial

24 August, 2007

Peter Pan Collar Tutorial

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Peter Pan Collar Tutorial

Main Site: wiksten-made.typepad.com

Artist/Author: Jenny Gordy

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: pattern/tutorial is for collar only. Modify an existing pattern. Says Jenny:

Welcome to the Peter Pan collar tutorial. If you have a pattern with a round neckline that just needs a little something extra, then you can whip up one of these collars and add it to the pattern in no time. Pattern making can be tedious, I must admit, but this collar is pretty easy and doesn’t take very long. Seriously, don’t worry about it, anyone could do it. So get out your pattern and let’s get started!

Posted in * TUTORIALS, dress, pattern, sewing | Leave a Comment »

Retro Doll Pajama Bag Pattern » TipNut.com

24 August, 2007

Picture of Pajama Bag - Tipnut.com

Tutorial/Pattern Included? No pattern, but thorough cutting and sewing instructions

Post: Retro Doll Pajama Bag Pattern » TipNut.com

Main Site: TipNut.com

Artist/Author: Woman’s Day Magazine–November, 1969

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: I had a pajama bag very much like this ages and ages ago… probably around the same time this pattern was published in 1969!

Posted in * TUTORIALS, children's clothing, sewing, toy | Leave a Comment »

making perfect circles or other shapes

24 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Making Perfect Circles or Other Shapes

Main Site: stitch.rip.repeat.

Artist/Author: Beth Howard

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: Beth says:

I’m always coming up with ideas for quilts that involve curves or otherwise un-patchworkable pieces. This it the best way I know to precisely attach shapes to one another without hand stitching it (which is also rewarding, just not so fast)

Also check out—

Festive Bunting/Banners
Printing Your Own Fabric

Posted in * TUTORIALS, appliqué, quilt(ing), sewing | 1 Comment »

Montessori by Hand: Child’s Smock Tutorial

24 August, 2007

Tutorial/Pattern Included? Yes

Post: Montessori by Hand: Child’s Smock Tutorial

Main Site: http://montessoribyhand.blogspot.com/

Artist/Author: Meg McElwee

Registration Required? No

Free? Yes

Other: love the fabric!

Posted in * TUTORIALS, children's clothing, pattern, sewing, smock | Leave a Comment »

Old School Acres: If the shoe fits–free baby shoes patterns

24 August, 2007

If the shoe fits, via old school acres

The majority of hits to [her] blog are from searches for baby shoe patterns. [She has] written about this topic before but [has] been adding to [her] collection since then.

Free baby shoe/shoes patterns:
1st step shoes (Japanese) for pattern click here (pdf)
Bootie Pattern to Sew (pdf)
3-seam baby footies
Fleece Chinese slippers
Fleece booties
Tacky baby shoes
Soft-sole leather baby shoes
10-minute bootie pattern and instructions (very similar to the pattern I used for these)
30-minute bootie pattern
Heather Bailey’s Bitty Booties

Pattern Bee vintage felt shoes