31 Days of Creating 2021 - Day 16

 

“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” 

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 

Happy Saturday!!! How was your day? What brought you joy? It was a gorgeous fall day here!!! 🍂 The air was crisp and the sky was blue!!! That created a sense of joy right there!!! But I also got a bunch of little chores done which felt very satisfying. I even started creating a tutorial for flannel burp cloths that I’ve wanted to do for awhile now. It was a delightful day! I hope yours was too!!! 

🌸🧵💕 

~ Cindy

Easter Sewing Round-Up....

Oh Friends!!!  It is almost Easter!!!  And we know that Easter is an extra special time for people who enjoy sewing!!! :)  I have stitched a bunch of precious little Easter outfits over the years.  I thought I would show a few here and add a few links if you want to dig a bit deeper on this blog.

First though, Easter is late this year!  Do you know why?  Do you know how it's determined when Easter is every year?  I didn't know until about 15 years ago when I actually looked it up.  Easter is the first Sunday, after the first Full Moon, after the Spring Equinox.  Pretty cool!!!

Ok....so above is one of my absolute favorite little boy Easter outfits!!!  This was made with a Creations by Michie pattern #102.  Here is the link to the blog post about it.

And here is a close-up of the adorable little chick made with the mother of pearl buttons.  So cute!!!

This was a super fun dress to make.  And I really liked working with the rick rack to create the flower.  You can read all about it here and here.  And you can read the tutorial about creating the tucked hem here.  I love this technique!!!

This precious dress was not created for Easter but it would be perfect!!!  Here's the link for more information and more pictures.  This dress was fun to make because I pleated the collar fabric together with the dress fabric and left off the sleeves.  So fun!!!

Here's a sweet little bubble that stitches up super quick!  I made this as a baby gift for a family at our church at the time.  Here's the link.  This bubble is fully lined and stitches up fast!  And it could easily be made for a precious little boy or girl depending upon the colors you use.

Here's another adorable little boy outfit.  Little boys can be hard to sew for...but they don't have to be.  :)  I loved sewing for my two boys over the years!!!  You can read more about this outfit  here and here. 

Oh my heart!!!  Another one of my favorites!!  I have so many favorites!!!  :)  I loved this dress as it was great for a little girl who did not want a bishop dress that year.  It was so classic and beautiful!!! It was made from a Maja's Heirloom pattern called Larkin.  You can read about it here and see more pictures.

I have plenty more on the blog and I'll dig through some more if I can over the next week or so.  But I'll leave you with this dress for now because it is such a quick and fun sew.  This is made from the Children's Corner Lillian pattern.  I cannot tell you how many of these dresses I have made over the years.  I love this pattern!!!  It is fully lined and stitches up fast.  Plus it is really a blank slate and you can do SO much with it!!!  I love it!!  This one has some rick rack around it and a rick rack flower in the center.  You can read more about it here and here.  

I hope you enjoy this flashback of some of the Easter outfits I've stitched over the years.  There are plenty more.  I will try to highlight some more soon.  Until then......Happy Stitching Friends!!!

xoxo,

Cindy

Free Directions for Smocked Christmas Ornament...

I hope you are enjoying the sights and sounds of this Christmas season!!! My favorite is hearing all four of my children playing Christmas songs on the piano!!!

This week I am working on my Christmas shopping and addressing Christmas cards to share with friends and family.  I also still have four pairs of pj pants to make for my little ones.  That has been a tradition of ours for many years.  I should do a round-up of past Christmas pjs that are here on the blog. (I have years and years of content on this blog concerning all types of sewing, tips, tricks, techniques, etc.  There's a search bar on the right side that you can use to search the entire blog.)

Anyway, although I don't have many gifts wrapped and under the tree yet....I do have this sweet smocked ornament on the tree.  I made this ornament many years ago and I still love it.  

I have basic directions for making the ornament that I shared with my local smocking guild years ago, and I'm happy to share it with you too.  Just drop me an email and I will send it to you.  I do not have the pattern for the cute little tree though.  It was in the Sew Beautiful Holiday 1988 issue.  However,  I tried to get a close-up picture so you can probably re-create it easily if you'd like.

Happy Stitching!

xoxo,

Cindy

Flower Pot Pin Cushion......

I had a commenter ask yesterday about the pin cushion in yesterday's post. Yes, I did make this fun little pin cushion. About two years ago our local Smocking Guild was hosting Claudia Newton for a day workshop. I really wanted to make some sort of sewing favor to give all of our attendees. This is what I came up after a bit of daydreaming. I was VERY pregnant at the time and what should have taken a few hours to make took a week or so. But I am so glad I did make them. I use mine ALL the time. A while back I had thought about creating a tutorial to make them. But I never got around to it. Maybe one day I will. But they are very simple to create.

I made twenty-some of these in two different color ways and let the ladies choose which one they wanted. I thought they looked so bright and happy. Well, actually I still think that. I think that is one reason why I still use mine on a daily basis....it makes me smile when I look at it! And isn't it nice to have another reason to smile? I believe so!!!

A Tucked Hem Tutorial...

(This jumper has a 3" hem and a 1" tuck)

I had several people email me about how I made the tuck on Elisabeth's last jumper. Actually this is one of my most favorite techniques. And it is SO easy!!!!

(This dress has a 4" hem and a 1" tuck - it's my favorite combination)

I also incorporated it into Elisabeth's Easter dress last year. Do you see it? On this dress it would have stood out more if I had had enough purple rick rack to go around the tuck...but I am still happy with the way it turned out.

(This jumper has a 5" hem and a 1" tuck)

And here is a jumper I just finished this week. My Elisabeth has a bad cough this week so I haven't had the heart to ask her to try on clothes for me. Hopefully this weekend she'll be back to normal and we'll get pictures. Until then....let me show you how easy it is to create a tucked hem.

First you need to decide on your desired hem amount and your desired tuck size. For this jumper I decided I wanted a 5" hem and a 1" tuck. (I am hoping it will last her several years so I can drop the length in a year or so.)

To determine how much fabric to allow for the hem and tuck - add the desired hem (mine is 5") and three times the tuck size (mine is 1" times three which translates to 3"). I ultimately allowed 8" for my hem.

To get started on your fabric, take your desired hem amount (mine was 5") and add one tuck amount (mine was 1"). So I turned the bottom edge of my jumper up 6 " with wrong sides together. Pin and press as you go working along the entire bottom edge.

This is the same step here...I just moved the ruler and relocated the pins so it would be easier to do the next step. You can see the raw edge of my fabric on the left side.

Now again using your ruler, do the exact same thing. I turned my fabric up another 6" because remember I ultimately wanted a 5" hem and a 1" tuck. But whatever your first measurement was...do the exact same thing again. And please use your ruler. I always *think* I can do this without a ruler....but it really helps to have it completely straight and on grain. That way your tuck will hang better in the end. And don't forget to pin and press as you go too.

Now carry this to your sewing machine. Prepare your machine to stitch a straight stitch. And then stitch your tuck. Again I wanted a 1" tuck so I stitched 1" from the edge of the fabric. Straight stitch all the way around removing pins as you go, of course. As a side note....when I was in high school I remember that I never removed pins as I went. I always stitched over them. But machines are much more temperamental these days and a silly stunt like that might land your machine in the repair shop...or worse! So remove pins as you go.

After you stitch all the way around head back to the ironing board and press the tuck and hem down. Now wasn't that easy? And are you ready for the bonus???

This is the inside of the tucked hem. No exposed hand stitches to get caught on your little one's toes or shoes. Everything is very tailored looking on the inside and outside. Just a nice little bonus if you ask me....and all you had to do was make one line of stitching!!! And as your child grows you can take the stitching out and lengthen the dress/jumper. Try this on one of your next jumpers, skirts, etc and see what you think. And if you have any questions let me know and I'll do my best to answer them! Happy Stitching Friends!!!

Buttonholes......Part 2

Continuing on.....Let me start by saying - I can't tell you exactly how to make actual buttonholes on your sewing machine (unless yours is identical to mine). Different machines have different buttonhole feet, rules, requirements, etc. So if you are unsure, pull out your manual so you can learn exactly how best to use your machine. Your manual is your friend....cheesy, I know....but oh, so true!!!

And again, this may not be applicable to your machine...but it is on mine. The bobbin case on my machine requires different threading when doing buttonholes. It really isn't a requirement as the machine will make fine buttonholes without this step. But it makes even better buttonholes with this step. On my bobbin case there is this metal finger with a hole in it. The thread comes off the bobbin and is inserted through the finger and then placed in the bobbin compartment of the machine. This gives the final buttonhole a more rounded appearance on the top of the fabric.

Even though I am always ready to be finished with the buttonholes before I even start....I always make a test buttonhole first. This checks to make sure I have everything set up properly and gives me an opportunity to check and make sure the buttonhole is truly the correct size for the button. I use the same fabric and number of layers for the test buttonhole that was used for the garment. And I really do take one of the buttons and fit it through the buttonhole. Really.

Another thing I do, although you can't see it in any of these pictures.....I always use some sort of stabilizer. You can use the stabilizer that you buy in the stores....OR you can be bad like me and just use plain paper or even a paper towel. Honestly, I always have scrap paper by my sewing machine and generally, I just grab a piece of it and "float" it under my fabric which is under my buttonhole foot and on top of the feed dogs. You can pin it if it doesn't want to stay put...but just remember to keep the pins away from any of the sewing action. Yes, I realize that paper can dull my needle quicker....but I really think adding the stabilizer is worth it because a buttonhole made with it will be so much better and generally won't "tunnel" or look all wonky.

Ok, now we are really ready to begin...using the Wonder Tape as a guide for the placement of the buttonhole presser foot, we will start stitching. This tape is such a wonderful tool because it really helps place the buttonholes so they are all consistently placed from the edge. I place the back edge of my presser foot right up against the front edge of the Wonder Tape. The Wonder Tape is completely hidden under my presser foot or I would have shown you a picture.

So, I am going to go ahead and make all of my buttonholes......five of them on this top. I try my best to make all of them at one sitting, if possible.

Here is the finished buttonhole and you can see the placement tape.

Here I have removed the tape.

Now you need to open the buttonholes so they are functional. I just use my scissors but you must be careful. I fold the buttonhole in half and making sure my scissors are only on the fabric inside the buttonhole I make a small clip.

Then I unfold the fabric and further open the buttonholes. I place the tips of my scissors into the buttonhole and carefully snip into the corners. You can also place a straight pin at each edge to keep you from cutting too far into the corner of the buttonhole. I forgot to demonstrate that here for you. I also don't use Fray Check on my buttonholes...but I know that some do.

Next we need to mark the placement for the buttons. Over the years the best way I have found to do this is to layer the back facings of the shirt. In the above picture the back edge facings are directly on top of each other with right sides of the shirt together. (Can you see that my buttonholes ran off of my facing....not good!!! But that is why I make prototypes....so I can correct these things in the next versions.) After stacking the facings I use a blue water soluble marker and poke through each buttonhole to the other side of the shirt where the buttons will be.

Then you'll have a wonderful mark all ready for your button. Works perfect every time!!!

Next, I re-use each piece of Wonder Tape to hold each button while I secure it on with the sewing machine. I posted about that here awhile ago.

And ta-da....that is it. I know this seems like it took me forever....but in actuality......the whole deal from starting up until I am tying off the threads from my buttons only takes me 30 minutes or less. But just remember, I have been doing this for awhile and this is my process. If you are trying to follow any directions that are not familiar to you it will take you longer until it becomes your norm. So don't get discouraged!!!

Hopefully I can get a finished picture of the top on Elisabeth later today.

I hope that you found this buttonhole tutorial helpful. And like I mentioned at the beginning, my way isn't the only way or even the "right" way I am sure. But it has worked for me over all these years....and if it helps you out in any way....even better!!!! If you have any thoughts or questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

However, I do ask that you not copy my information. Using the knowledge for your personal sewing is one thing....but please do not steal my information and then turn around and try to profit from it. If you like what you see here, feel free to refer people to my blog. I really do enjoy blogging....but I have been burned by some thoughtless and unsavory people along the way. If that continues it will limit my future ability to offer helpful tips and techniques. So I appreciate your respect and common courtesy. Thank you!!! Now....get busy stitching!!!!

Buttonholes......Part 1

Let me start by saying buttonholes are not so difficult that it requires a multi-part lesson. However, in order for me to put this together with four little ones under foot...including a baby...it quickly became apparent I would have to break it down into smaller portions for my benefit.

Everyone seems to have their favorite way of making buttonholes (and for some - avoiding buttonholes) and I am no exception. Fortunately, to my knowledge, there is no 100% correct way. I am sure my way isn't perfect for everyone but it has evolved over 30+ years of sewing for myself and others. I have learned tricks and tips here and there through trial and error and now I will share them with you.

The top in the picture above is designed to button up the back. So I first check to make sure the left and right sides are equal so that the buttons/buttonholes will look right once completed. Fortunately, they do look even...so I continue on. If they did not, I would head back to the sewing machine with my seam ripper and make both sides even by adjusting the hem.

Also I should mention that I will apply my buttonholes to the right side of the top back and then sew the buttons to the left side. People seem to feel pretty strongly about which side they apply buttonholes. You can make that decision for yourself. I mentioned my thoughts here several years ago.

Next, I pull out my Simflex sewing gauge and decide how many buttonholes I desire. At first I thought I wanted four buttonholes....but the distance would have been 3 1/2" in between buttonholes so I decided to increase the buttonhole number to five to decrease the spacing. I usually put my top buttonhole approx. 1/2" down from the top edge. In the case of this top, I want to center the buttonhole on the contrasting band and it just so happens that is at the 1/2" mark anyway. After I determine the spacing, I either make a small dot with a blue water soluble marker or place a pin at the exact spot. In this case, I used the pins.

If you don't have a Simflex, and I did not for many years, then I mark the top buttonhole about 1/2" down from the top edge and then I mark the desired placement of the bottom buttonhole. Then after deciding how many buttonholes you want in between, just divide to determine the placement of the remaining buttonholes.

Just a closer picture of the pins. The pins are equally spaced on this top even though the pictures may make you think otherwise.

Then I pull out my Wonder Tape and cut one small piece per buttonhole. Any thin 1/4" wide tape would work. I use the Wonder Tape because I have it and therefore it is easy. Plus I will be able to re-use it when I sew on the buttons.

I place the edge of the tape along the edge of the fabric where I want the buttonhole to be. This tape will help me make each buttonhole the same distance from the finished edge.

When I am working on this alone I do all this prep work while sitting at my sewing machine. And I only cut one piece of Wonder Tape and use it the entire time. For example, I will measure and make the placement with pins/marker....and then I use a small piece of tape for the first buttonhole. After I make the buttonhole I lift up the tape and move it to make the next buttonhole, and so on and so forth. Does that make sense? Basically this tape is expensive and it can be lifted and reused if you are careful.

Next I further mark the buttonhole placement before I remove the pins. I take a pen and draw an arrow on the tape pointing exactly where the buttonhole should be based on the pin marking. Now you can remove the pins.

Ok, I know this sounds like it must take forever....but I promise you.....had I not been taking pictures I would have had this entire shirt marked up to this point in less than 2 minutes. Like I said before, I usually do all of this while sitting at the sewing machine. Are you all still with me?

Stay tuned because I will be back soon to finish.....until then....Happy Stitching!!!

Gearing Up.....

I am gathering my supplies. I hope to complete the buttonhole tutorial in the next day or so. I did find and purchase some buttons that I believe will work well with the sweet little shirt. Now just to get busy.

A Spring Top.....

I've been working on a few Spring ideas for Elisabeth. I found this fabric at my local heirloom shop and fell in love with it. I got three coordinating pieces and they are all from Nashville Cotton Company. I love their fabrics!!! Anyway, I wanted to make a square neck top with raglan sleeves. To my knowledge there isn't a pattern available for a top like this....so I decided to draft one....I'm crazy like that! It isn't quite as easy as one would think. But I do love a good challenge. This is my first one and I like it!!! I did draft another last night with minor changes.

I haven't put buttons on this one yet and so I was thinking about taking you all along for the ride when I do. It seems like so many people fear buttons and buttonholes. I don't fear them but I have learned a few tricks over the years...and I thought I'd share them. Give me a few days to get some actual buttons to use and to work up a tutorial....then stop back by. I'll be waiting for you!!! Until then....happy stitching!!!!

Checkered Chain Stitch Tutorial......

I mentioned a few days ago that I was going to show how to do this unique chain stitch. Some call it a "checkered chain stitch" and some call it a "magic chain stitch." Whatever you call it, I think it is pretty clever. You use two different colors of floss but yet one needle....and a checkered chain stitch is born.




I first saw this mentioned in a class brochure..but with no directions. I decided then and there that I would figure it out. I sat down one afternoon before Ean was born and experimented for a few minutes. I found out it is actually very easy. Now I'm going to share it with you.

First hoop your fabric. Then decide what two colors of floss you are going to use. I recommend two strands of each color....therefore there are 4 strands total. (In the photo above I used 2 blue strands and 2 yellow strands). Thread all four strands through the needle at the same time. Knot the thread and bring it up to the top of your fabric.

You will alternate the colored chain by alternating the working floss for each chain loop. In the photo above, the yellow floss is the working floss. The blue floss is left idle. Wrap the yellow floss around the needle as in a traditional chain stitch.

Gently pull the needle through the fabric to create the first chain stitch. Pull each color of floss separately to avoid tangles.

For the next stitch use the blue floss as the working floss and leave the yellow floss idle.

Continue alternating the colors in this manner.

And remember to pull the threads separately and gently after each stitch is taken. Also, you can determine how big or small you want your chain stitches to be. I made big ones for the sake of demonstration purposes.....you will probably want small ones if you are working on a project.

Once you take a break and look at your work....you'll see it is pretty neat. If you want even more fun...you can use three colors and alternate them the same way. The options are endless. I'd love to see any projects you make using this clever stitch.

***This tutorial assumes you already know how to make a standard chain stitch....and therefore only focuses on how to alternate the colors. If you need help with learning to make a standard chain stitch you can either see if you can figure it out by my photos or you can do a search for "hand embroidery chain stitch" on the net. I don't mind answering any questions if you have them though.***

She's A Clever One....

The other day a dear friend from Smocking Guild called and we were chatting for a few minutes. By the time I hung up the phone Emily came up to me and told me she had a surprise. I truly was surprised when she produced a completely finished fabric flower on a ponytail holder. She said she pulled up my tutorial and made the entire flower in just a handful of minutes. I was impressed!!!

This child definitely has drive and motivation. And the neat thing (besides what a great job she did) was how proud she was of herself!!! She never ceases to amaze me!!!

Sewing Darts....Quick and Easy!

Before I had children, I worked outside of the home and I actually used to make a lot of my skirts, dresses, tops, etc. And if you sew any ladies clothing you know you will be sewing some darts. I find darts to be relatively rare in children's clothing though, so I have not made many lately. However, these halloween costumes have eight darts per dress. So....fortunately I had my past dart-experience to fall back on when I realized I'd have to make sixteen darts total!! Ack!!!



You may have figured me out by now...I do not like fiddly things. And transferring markings from the pattern to my fabric....fiddly in my book! I will cut little snips into the fabric with my scissors for every mark that I can get away with. The rest I usually just guess at. But here is my approach for darts. I have been doing this for many years...and it always works for basic darts.









I put the pattern piece on top of the fabric piece and cut little snips into the fabric at the "legs" of the dart (that would be two snips...one for each "leg"). Then I stick a straight pin through the end of the dart and straight through the fabric. While the pin is still through the fabric I mark the spot that it enters the fabric with a water-soluble marker, chalk, etc. Above I used a water-soluble marker. Now you are ready to head to the machine.






I fold the fabric aligning the little snips (dart legs) together and make sure the marking for the tip of the dart falls right on the fold.

Pull out a little extra thread from your machine before you begin. Then place your presser foot right at the beginning of the snips and take a few little stitches.

Then raise your presser foot WITH THE NEEDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION so your fabric stays put. Then pull the loose thread tails towards the front of the machine and position them so they touch the mark that indicates the tip of the dart.

Put your presser foot back down and stitch along the line that is created by the thread tails...while holding the tails still on the dart tip.

Within seconds your dart will be finished and probably perfectly positioned without spending your time transferring all those markings. It is quick and simple and that makes me happy!!!

***Sorry about the white fabric and the bad photos....but this is the actual fabric piece I am using to make the costume.***