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Category: Tutorials

PAB Pattern Favorites for the Fourth of July Sale!

From patterns to fabric to digital designs, all of us at the Sew and Tell Project have enjoyed shopping and sewing with Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop!

We put together this special post today with some of our favorite patterns in case you decide to stock up during the Fourth of July Sale!

To take advantage of the sale visit Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop and place your order! All sewing patterns are buy 4, get 1 free! No code necessary! Continue Reading

Love Notions Sloane Blog Tour

Brrr! Baby, it’s cold outside so I’m keeping this post short and sweet! Did you see my post last month about the new girls’ Sloane sweater? This beautiful pattern was originally just in ladies’ sizing so I couldn’t leave my own closet bare when I saw how cute my daughter looked in hers! You can buy the Sloane bundle for both ladies’ and girls’ here.

For the blog tour, I opted to make something that is just my fit and style these days. I live in the upper Upper Midwest (like almost to Canada, yo). I sewed up View A with the optional yoke. I added 3″ to length both to account for the usual 2″ I add for my 5’10” height and also because I like my tops to run a little long to accommodate all the chasing and bending I do all day as a “go-everywhere-but-home” homeschool mom. Continue Reading

Beautiful Bike Fabric for a Sweet Spring Dress!

Spring is in the air!

The birds are chirping and the grass is starting to perk up a bit after being beneath a blanket of snow for nearly 5 months. One of our family’s favorite things to do during the warmer months is go on family bike rides. I think there is something so timeless about cycling as a family activity.

K’s Closet Apparel is going to start sharing some of it’s beautiful fabric which is now open for pre-order. I was lucky enough to receive a 1 yard strike-off to work with of the beautiful Blue Bikes print. The preorder for this round of fabrics is open until 4/14. I love so many prints, so be sure to check them all out! I especially have my eye on those turtles and camping themed print! Continue Reading

My Hexie Quilt Work Flow

It feels very odd to be writing another post on a “work-in-progress.”  Usually my posts are a big reveal.

But maybe the reveal for me is that it’s okay to slow down a bit with my crafting. I am still sewing for my kids and myself. In fact, I have several garments in progress or completed that I can’t share yet.

I don’t talk about it much (or at all) on the blog, but my first foray into “I craft more than socially acceptable” was actually in the knitting and crocheting world. Continue Reading

Beautiful in Blithe – with tote tutorial!

Love Notions Celebration: Time to Cartwheel!

Hi Love Notions fans! I am so excited to be on the final day of the Love Notions Spectacular Blog Tour! I am honored to be blogging alongside some of my favorite ladies in the sewing blog land and I’ve enjoyed seeing the new ideas they are sharing with us! The mini-hack I am sharing with you today is so simple, but I hope it inspires you to look at the Cartwheel Collection at Love Notions! The Cartwheel Collection was actually one of my first PDF pattern purchases, and in a household with three girls it is a big hit! The Collection contains tee, dress, skirt, capri, shorts, and tunic. It is a great set for someone new to knits who wants to have a quick, simple, and cute sewing project! Last April, I tested the Summer Caye shorts and pants on my sweet little daughter (can you believe how much this kid has changed over the last 6 months?!). Since I used a plain tencel twill for the shorts, I really wanted a handmade shirt to complete the look. This was the first time I made a full-coverage back Cartwheel Tee! I have since made several and wanted to share the so simple and quick way I set up my pattern to do it. First, print your pattern. I love that Love Notions offers layered printing. I only have a black and white laser printer so it is so easy to just the print the sizes I am using! Cut out the Cartwheel Collection Tee/Dress Back Top piece. Next, find your Tee Back piece. You will need to flip your back piece so the text side is down and match it along the armscye on the Tee Back piece. There will be a small gap between your pattern pieces on the edge that is cut on the fold. Use a ruler to draw a line connecting the two pieces so the fold line is straight and even. Your modified pattern piece is ready!  You will cut out the rest of your pattern pieces as directed and start following the pattern tutorial at Step 3 on p. 6 of the Cartwheel Collection. I have now made several of these full-coverage back Cartwheel tees because they fit my daughter well, and they are very quick. This coral tee is my most recent one that I paired with the newly released Skater Skirt with sewn in Leggins’ (free!). Make sure you join the Love Notions Fan Group on Facebook to get the coupon codes to access the new skater skirt for free! This entire outfit took me less than two hours to sew! I am so thrilled with the new skater skirt (which includes instructions for sewing in the free Leggins’ pattern). I love that the Cartwheel Tee can complete just about any look so make sure you do some shopping at Love Notions during the big 50% off sale and create your own stylish combination for your kid, or check out the Love Notions women’s patterns and sew something special for yourself! Love Notions

would like to thank all of the amazing bloggers on the tour. Please be sure to stop by and see what awesomeness was created! And don’t forget the guest bloggers participating each day on the Love Notions Blog! Continue Reading

Kitty Cat Halloween Treat Bag

Halloween is just around the corner, and I’ve got a Kitty Cat Treat Bag for you today, with a super easy tutorial to make your own!

This bag can be made by a beginner, although it does involve sewing a strap and several curves. Don’t worry, you can do it! You’ll need about half a yard of your base fabric; that will be enough to cut your bag pieces, lining, and strap. You’ll also need some scraps to make the appliques for the front. I’ve made a spooky Halloween cat, but this shape easily lends itself to a Jack-o-Lantern or pumpkin, too! While you can just pin the applique pieces down, I highly recommend using some sort of double stick interfacing or tape to hold the pieces in place while you stitch. In addition, you’ll need pins, a sewing machine, thread (I used a contrasting color), about a half yard of lightweight interfacing, tailor’s chalk or a washaway marking pen, a flexible measureing tape, and two round templates (one with a diameter of 12-ish inches, and the other about 8 inches). Continue Reading

Project Run & Play Week 4: Signature Style

The Sew and Tell Project team is absolutely thrilled to have won Week 3 with Emily’s amazing Zorro ensemble and make it to the 4th and final round of Project Run & Play. We have loved connecting with the other contestants, challenging ourselves, and working to bring great new ideas and inspiration to our little corner of blog land. Make sure you visit Project Run & Play right now to vote! Voting closes on Thursday October 6th at 8 PM MST. Continue Reading

Coco Cay Tankini + a Swim Skirt Add-on Tutorial

Today I am delighted to share with you my contribution to the Swimsuit Sewing Challenge 2016!  I was hesitant at first, having never worked with swimsuit fabric, but I studied Eleri’s tips for sewing swimsuits and I’m SO glad I jumped in and gave it a try – I just found my new favorite thing to sew!  Finding swimsuits that fit my daughter and suit her style is difficult – but now we can work together to create comfortable, well-fitting swimsuits that work well for her active lifestyle.  No more trying to pick favorites from the catalogs, guessing at sizes, and hoping everything fits when the package arrives!  Fabric shopping is much more fun, right? Continue Reading

Sew Americana: Sewing Independently

Independence.

noun 1. Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent. 2. freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others. 3. Archaic. a competency.

I’m so excited to be linking up with so many talented bloggers this week during the Sew Americana Blog Tour hosted by Wild and Wanderful! I love celebrating Independence Day with our family. We celebrate it small-town America style with parades, candy, and lots and lots of explosives. You will also see that Alisha and I share very similar tastes as we both used the same panel for our days on the tour. Make sure you check out Alisha’s darling boys from earlier in the week hereThe 4th of July panels, cotton lycra solids, and firework print were all ordered from Peek-a-Boo Fabric Shop. My look was created with Riley Blake white and navy stripes purchased from the Fabric Fairy. Continue Reading