Hey everyone!
Hope you are all doing well heading into this Halloween season. I'm up to my ears in orders, which will be a great way for me to take pictures and explain each step in more detail. First things first, I wanted to talk about material.
The reason I haven't included fabric requirements in my pattern (yet) is because I will need to do it for both 60" bolts and 44" bolts.
I prefer to use gabardine for my cloaks because it has a great weight to it. You can also use cotton, but it will be a little bit see-through, especially when light hits it, and it won't be drawn to the ground as much because it hasn't got the same weight to it. I would also recommend suitings or wool blends unless your child has sensitive skin.
A quick materials list for Tuesday:
- Material (I'll get the fabric requirements posted on Sunday)
- Measuring tape
- Straight pins
- Seam ripper
- Sewing machine
- Universal needle
- Matching thread
- PDF pattern, printed out and taped together
- Scissors (one for your paper and one for your fabric)
- Optional: bias tape (in the tutorial I'll be using a bias strip of the material)
Recommended:
- Cup of coffee
- Camera (in case you get stuck, or want to show off your cloak when you're finished)
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Coming October 14th - a 3 day warrior cloak sew along!
For kids everywhere, Halloween is just around the corner.
If you are a little intimidated by the prospect of sewing your own costume, it'll be okay! I promise. DIY costumes might seem intimidating, but this one is fairly easy and I'll walk you through it. If you're going with a Star Wars theme, I'm going to be hosting a sew along (even if you're just making the costume for dress up and not Halloween, please join us!)
You can get the cloak pattern for free on Craftsy. It is completely customizable, and we will be covering measurements on the first day. My program deleted the fabric requirements so if you want to wait to download the pattern until I have those back up, that'll work just fine.
Mark your calendars - October 14th, we will get started!
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/sewing/clothing/warrior-cloak/113360
https://www.etsy.com/listing/204389086/warrior-costume-cloak-pattern-and?
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Winners Announcement!
Camo bunny is excited to ship to his new home with....
Callie Tilkins
$12 credit to Sew Charming by Becky goes to....
Brittany Dawn Harper
Congratulations ladies!
Please contact me ASAP to claim your prize.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Sewing yourself up for Success - part 1 (Tools)
Okay scouts, you should know this one... in order to be successful you must first... be prepared!
This is very true for sewing. If you don't have the things you need, you'll be frustrated, rushed and stressed. Trust me, I've been there. Rushing leads to cutting corners, sometimes literally. Yes - I have cut projects where I didn't mean to. Shoot, I even cut my measuring tape in half when I didn't clean my cutting surface. I learned the hard way. Trust me, its not fun.
So, what do you need?
Fabric. Pre-washed. ALWAYS pre-wash. Nothing stinks more than making a masterpiece just to throw it into the washer and dryer and it no longer fits. 44" of cotton (regular width) shrinks 2" during the washing and drying process.
Color Catcher. Your reds and blues very well may bleed. I always suggest a Tide color catcher going in the wash with new vibrant fabrics. It will save (or, should) the rest of your load of laundry.
Fabric scissors. Yes, you need scissors for fabric. And only fabric. Cutting paper with fabric scissors dulls them. My husband knows I will cut him if he uses my fabric scissors for anything. That is, I would cut him if I didn't shoot angry lasers out of my eyes to kill him first.
Seam ripper. This undoes all the oopsies. My favorite is a Dritz seam ripper that has rubber watchamacallits on the end that actually 'sweeps' away all the tiny little pieces of thread that appear as you rip a seam.
Sewing machine. And manual. I won't be able to give you step by step instructions for how to thread your machine or what bobbin to use or which stitches your machine has - thats why you need your manual. If you don't have one, you can probably download one from the manufacturer's website. All you'll need is your model number.
Thread. It always looks best if you have it to match your fabric, but you don't have to. You can absolutely get by with the simple black or white thread. All of my sewing threads are Coats and Clark. (Be sure you have thread in the bobbin also)
Marking pen. I like the blue kind that disappears in water. There are chalks and pencils that will work also. The only one I don't recommend is the purple one that should disappear with exposure to the air, because one time it didn't disappear.
Measuring tape or ruler. I really strongly suggest getting a firm ruler. I have the 3" x 18" kind they sell by the rotary cutters. You can use a tape, but you'll have to be extra careful that its not bending when you are using it.
Needles. For different materials, you need different needles. For sewing cotton (which I suggest you use to begin), you can use a universal needle.
Pins. These are different than needles. You need pins to keep your fabric together in the right place until you sew it together. I suggest getting the kind with a plastic ball on the end if you plan on sewing a lot. If you have just plain metal pins, they will scratch your skin and if you pin enough, you'll end up with a hole in your thumb. Been there, done that. You can get WonderClips instead, but sometimes those are difficult to maneuver around.
Pin cushion or magnetic pin holder. Seriously, you need one. Otherwise the pins will end up in your carpet.
Seam guide. No idea what its called, but for younger sewists (each of my daughters has one) or those who tend to wander, this is a great tool for making sure your stitches are straight. It won't work on everything (like curves), but its a great tool! It magnetically attaches to the plate and you can adjust it so that your seam allowance should be spot on.
This is very true for sewing. If you don't have the things you need, you'll be frustrated, rushed and stressed. Trust me, I've been there. Rushing leads to cutting corners, sometimes literally. Yes - I have cut projects where I didn't mean to. Shoot, I even cut my measuring tape in half when I didn't clean my cutting surface. I learned the hard way. Trust me, its not fun.
So, what do you need?
Fabric. Pre-washed. ALWAYS pre-wash. Nothing stinks more than making a masterpiece just to throw it into the washer and dryer and it no longer fits. 44" of cotton (regular width) shrinks 2" during the washing and drying process.
Color Catcher. Your reds and blues very well may bleed. I always suggest a Tide color catcher going in the wash with new vibrant fabrics. It will save (or, should) the rest of your load of laundry.
Fabric scissors. Yes, you need scissors for fabric. And only fabric. Cutting paper with fabric scissors dulls them. My husband knows I will cut him if he uses my fabric scissors for anything. That is, I would cut him if I didn't shoot angry lasers out of my eyes to kill him first.
Seam ripper. This undoes all the oopsies. My favorite is a Dritz seam ripper that has rubber watchamacallits on the end that actually 'sweeps' away all the tiny little pieces of thread that appear as you rip a seam.
Sewing machine. And manual. I won't be able to give you step by step instructions for how to thread your machine or what bobbin to use or which stitches your machine has - thats why you need your manual. If you don't have one, you can probably download one from the manufacturer's website. All you'll need is your model number.
Thread. It always looks best if you have it to match your fabric, but you don't have to. You can absolutely get by with the simple black or white thread. All of my sewing threads are Coats and Clark. (Be sure you have thread in the bobbin also)
Marking pen. I like the blue kind that disappears in water. There are chalks and pencils that will work also. The only one I don't recommend is the purple one that should disappear with exposure to the air, because one time it didn't disappear.
Measuring tape or ruler. I really strongly suggest getting a firm ruler. I have the 3" x 18" kind they sell by the rotary cutters. You can use a tape, but you'll have to be extra careful that its not bending when you are using it.
Needles. For different materials, you need different needles. For sewing cotton (which I suggest you use to begin), you can use a universal needle.
Pins. These are different than needles. You need pins to keep your fabric together in the right place until you sew it together. I suggest getting the kind with a plastic ball on the end if you plan on sewing a lot. If you have just plain metal pins, they will scratch your skin and if you pin enough, you'll end up with a hole in your thumb. Been there, done that. You can get WonderClips instead, but sometimes those are difficult to maneuver around.
Pin cushion or magnetic pin holder. Seriously, you need one. Otherwise the pins will end up in your carpet.
Seam guide. No idea what its called, but for younger sewists (each of my daughters has one) or those who tend to wander, this is a great tool for making sure your stitches are straight. It won't work on everything (like curves), but its a great tool! It magnetically attaches to the plate and you can adjust it so that your seam allowance should be spot on.
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