It All Goes Here Sewing Organizer

If you are like me and are constantly losing your important sewing notions when you most need them then this sewing project is for you!  I decided to try and be a little more organized so I would quit searching all over my sewing room for things like my seam ripper when I most need them and made myself this sewing organizer.  I used the It All Goes Here! Sewing Organizer pattern from Fishsticks Designs.

 

This pattern is from their Go Fish series, which is very simple patterns which sew up quick and are perfect for beginners.  I have also made several On the Go travel pillows from the Go Fish series.  These pillows are my go to when I need a quick birthday present for one of my kids' friends.

 

 

The sewing organizer features 8 pockets along the front of various sizes to store all your goodies.  On the left side is a loop that you can tie your small scissors to with ribbon to keep them handy for thread snips.  The right side features a handy magnetic pin catcher.  The organizer has a pocket and you slip a ceramic magnet inside.

 

 





When I first read the pattern and saw I needed a ceramic magnet I thought "where the heck am I going to find one of those?"  After a quick google search I found that Home Depot sells them.  So, I tagged along with my husband on his next Home Depot run and found these magnets in the same aisle as all the screws, nuts and bolts.  They came in a 2 pack for around $4.

 

 

This organizer was super easy to make and sewed up very quick.  I think the whole thing took around 45 minutes to make.  Now my daughter is begging me to make her one for her sewing machine.  She is 9 and might be able to make it herself with my help with the instructions.  She has already picked out her fabric for hers. 

 

 I used Heather Bailey's Lottie Da Sprig fabric for the front pocket, Heather Bailey's Lottie Da Butterfly Dot for the top of the pocket and magnet cover and Ta Dot in Lime for the mat.

 

 



EYMM Zander Jacket

My poor son usually gets neglected when it comes to sewing clothing for him.  It is so much harder to find cute patterns for boys.  So, when I saw the newest Bundle Up from Pattern Revolution with all boys patterns I knew I had to get it.  This jacket is the second thing I have made from the bundle and is probably one of my most favorite things I have ever made.  This pattern is only available though Bundle Up through tomorrow but will be available to purchase from the designer on September 10th.  The designer is Everything Your Mama Made and this is the first pattern of hers I have ever made.

 

 

When I was planning out making this jacket I intended to make a Star Wars theme and embroider Darth Vader on the back.  But, I made the mistake of taking my son with me to the fabric store and he begged me for Spiderman.  He is currently obsessed with Spiderman and wears something Spiderman just about every day.

 

 

I made this jacket with black sweatshirt fleece and lined it in Spiderman flannel.  The pattern calls for a knit lining but flannel worked just fine.  I made a size 2/3 and it is a little bit big on him since he is so tiny.  But, it will last a long time.  I appliqued Spiderman's head on the back of the jacket and it matches perfectly with the Spiderman design on the flannel.  What is so unique about this jacket is the asymmetrical zipper.  When I showed my husband he said "the zipper is crooked".  I told him it is supposed to be and he didn't get it at first but he is a man so you will have to forgive him.  You must use a separating zipper and I choose to use a sport zipper because I liked the look of the bigger zipper teeth.  The supplies for the whole jacket cost me around $20.

 

 

 

 

Hopefully he will get lots of use out of this jacket this coming Fall and Winter.  Where I live it doesn't get very cold so he can probably wear this throughout the whole "cold" season.  I am very pleased with the way this came out and now my daughters are begging me to make them both one too.  Of course they do not want Spiderman but are requesting Elsa and Anna jackets.

 





A Closer Look at Cinderella Princess Dress Kits

Cinderella has always been my favorite princess.  Today we are going to take a closer look at the Cinderella dress kits.  Princess dress kits come with everything you need to recreate your own princess dress from size 1/2 up to 8.  You receive beautiful Fairy Frost fabric from Michael Miller, elastic for the neck and sleeves and black ribbon to make a cute bow at the neckline.  You can even buy the pattern in one stop if you do not already own it.  All you need is a sewing machine and other basic supplies you already own such as scissors and thread.

Cinderella's dress uses a light blue fairy frost fabric and has white peplums and sleeves.  Fairy Frost fabric isn't just plain boring solid fabric.  It has depth, different tones and shimmer.  The quality is top notch too.  If you have never seen this fabric in person you are in for a treat!  Even the white has depth to it but it is hard to capture in photos.

 

 

 

In the pattern there are 2 options in which you can sew the peplum.  The first is using 1 layer and doing a rolled hem with your serger.  The second is using 2 layers and making a lined peplum.  You will receive enough fabric to make the lined version.  I know not everyone has a serger and I prefer the finished look of this method over the first.  The peplums are then gathered and sandwiched between the bodice and the skirt.

 

 

 

Another great thing about this dress is that there is a sash.  You can tie it as tight as you want for a better fit and allows room for growth.  This dress will not just fit for only a few months!  Made for Mermaids peasant dresses are shaped.  This means that there are full pattern pieces for the front, back and sleeves.  The front is lower than the back.  Some other peasant patterns out there are just measurements with an armhole cutout.  My opinion is the way Made for Mermaids does it is 1000000x better.  The fit is more flattering and more comfortable as well.

 

 

 

Another sweet detail is the cute little bow at the neckline.  You will receive enough ribbon to make a bow on your dress too and without buying a whole spool of ribbon to do so!

 

 

This dress would be perfect to wear to a Disney trip, Halloween, or just wear out and about.  It is cuter and more comfortable then itchy store bought princess costumes.  Another plus is that it is fully washable and dryable! 

 

The Cinderella kit can be found here:

http://www.baileygirlsfabric.com/item_495/Cinderella-Dress-DIY-Kit-sizes-12-4-or-5-8.htm

 

I am going to leave you with some more cute photos of the Cinderella dress in action.  All photos from this post were taken by Kristina Kazarian Photography www.kristinakphotography.com and www.facebook.com/kristinakazarianphotography .  She is located in Orange County, California.

 

 





New Princess Dress DIY Fabric Kits!

In preparation for my daughter's 7th birthday party I decided to make her a Snow White dress to go with the princess theme.  I decided to use the Everyday Snow White Pattern from Made For Mermaids and chose to make it with Michael Miller's Fairy Frost.  I fell in love with this fabric and thought it makes a perfect princess dress suitable for everyday use.  The dress turned out so awesome that I had an idea to put together dress kits with everything you need to recreate princess dresses with the Fairy Frost fabric.  I approached Megan from Made for Mermaids and she liked my idea as well so for the last few months I have been working hard on creating the perfect princess dresses and turning them into kits.

What is so great about Fairy Frost fabric you might ask?  Well to start it is 100% cotton making it washable and dryable.  Also, not only is it easy to work with but comfortable to wear too!  However, it doesn't just look like boring solid color cotton.  The fabric has subtitle tones to it and shimmer (sometimes glitter).  So it looks fancy while being practical at the same time.

Made for Mermaids patterns are also awesome as well.  Most are peasant dresses but what makes hers different is they are shaped (i.e the front and back are not the same cut with the back higher than the front).  I think this makes a more comfortable and better looking dress.  Her directions are excellent too, even for a beginner.  Let me tell you, I am far from a beginner but I suck at putting in zippers.  When I made the Anna dress I put the zipper in right the first time and didn't even have to use my seam ripper!

Now to get back to the kits....  They all contain everything you need (minus the sewing machine and notions like thread and scissors) to recreate the princess dresses shown in the photos for each listing.  I have taken the guess work out of which fabric colors go best for each dress.  It is hard when looking at a computer screen to know which color will be the best choice (especially since there are over 100 fairy frost colors).  I also provide the exact amount of trim and elastic you need.  What that means is you don't have to buy a whole spool of ribbon just to get the small amount you need!  Each listing lists what is included in that particular kit.  They are all made using patterns from Made for Mermaids.  So, the pattern is needed in addition to the fabric.  There are two options to buy.  If you already have the pattern needed or would rather buy it directly from Made for Mermaids then you can choose just to buy the fabric.  If you do not own the pattern you can choose to buy the fabric and the pattern together at the same time.  Then I will email you the pattern within 24 hours.

As of this date I have 5 kits.  Anna, Snow White, Cinderella, Belle and Rapunzel.  Sleeping Beauty is coming soon.  They can be found on my Etsy or website.  Right now they are on sale on the website only through this coming weekend.

Now for some pretty photos.  The following photos were taken by a photographer local to me in Orange County California.  So, if you live near me check her out.  Here is her info: Kristina Kazarian Photography www.kristinakphotography.com and www.facebook.com/kristinakazarianphotography

Wedding Pillow Cover Tutorial

I came up with this pillow cover last year when I needed to make a wedding gift for my husband's co-worker. Recently I had a request to make another one to give as a gift to an upcoming wedding. I didn't write down my math the first time so I had to figure it out all over again. So I decided this time to write a blog post on how to make it so I could refer back to it later and also share with others in case they want to make a unique wedding gift. The embroidery design can also be changed to make a pillow for any occasion.

Materials needed: Makes a cover for a 16" pillow form

~ 1/2 yard of a non-directional print or 3/4 yard of a directional print. I used Black Damask from Riley Blake in the pillow cover shown

~ White or other solid color fabric for the middle panel at least 10.5" x 8.5"

~ Embroidery or applique design of your choice. The embroidery designs I used was from Embroitique. I used the Ryan font frame and the font is the Jacob font.  I used the font frame with the finished size of  8.49" x 5.61".  I did have to add the period with my embird software because this font does not come with one.   I used the 1" size and slightly shrank the est. 2014

Step 1: Embroider your design on the solid fabric. Your finished size will be 10.5" wide by 8.5" tall. You can either cut it to size before you embroider or after. I like to hoop a larger piece so that I can hoop the fabric instead of floating it on the top of the hoop and cut it to size when I am done.

Step 2: Cut your pieces. You will need the following:

~ (1) 10.5" wide by 8.5" tall of the solid color fabric you embroidered on

~ (2) 11.5" wide by 17" tall pieces of your patterned fabric for the back of the pillow

~ (2) 4.25" wide by 8.5" tall pieces of your patterned fabric

~ (2) 17" wide by 5.25" tall pieces of your patterned fabric

If you want to change the size of the piece in the middle you just have to redo the math so that your final size will end up to be 17" x 17".  Don't forget to account for seam allowances.  I am using 1/2" seam allowances.

Step 3: USE 1/2" SEAM ALLOWANCES

With right sides together sew the 4.25" x 8.5" pieces to each side of your embroidered piece. Finish your seam (serge or zig zig)and press the seam away from the center towards your patterned fabric.

Step 4: With right sides together sew the 17" x 5.25" pieces to the top and the bottom of your embroidered piece now with sides. Finish your seam and press away from the center.

Step 5: Take your back pieces and fold in and press one long side of each back piece to the wrong side 1/2", then 1/2" again. (If you’re using a directional fabric, fold and press the left side of one back piece and the right side of the other.) Hem.

Step 6: With right sides together pin your back pieces onto your front piece, overlapping them in the middle. Sew with 1/2" seam allowance all around the square. Finish your seam, turn right side out and you are done!

Fall and Christmas Photos

A few weeks ago I got my kids pictures taken by a professional photographer in my area (Fitz Photography). I decided to make all of their outfits of course. First we did a more casual look and they all wore their cowboy/cowgirl boots. For the girls tops I used the Brownie Goose Hattie pattern and Art Gallery fabrics from the reminisce line. Art gallery fabrics are located here. My son's shirt was made with the Fishsticks camp shirt and Joel Dewberry Herringbone in Lake (now sold out)

Next I got my son's 2nd birthday photos taken. I appliqued him this Mickey Mouse shirt because I took him to Disneyland on his birthday. Isn't he just the cutest thing?

Finally, we did more formal outfits. These are actually their Christmas outfits. For the girls I used Sewing Mama Reanna's bumblebee dress pattern. This dress is this designers first pattern for sale and let me tell you it is fantastic. The directions were easy to follow and the fit was spot on. I used Riley Blake's Andrea Victoria Black Damask for the fabric. The fabric can be found here. I embroidered their monograms with a deep red thread so it would be sort of Christmasy. I also made my son a tie using this free tutorial I found through pinterest. I also embroidered his monogram in red.

Celebrating 5000 Etsy sales

Back in 2010 when I started this business with just a handful of Michael Miller fabric to sell I never dreamed that I would be where I am today. Today (October 26th) I have just hit 5000 sales on Etsy. I now also sell on my own website and carry fabrics from 10 different companies. To celebrate this milestone I am hosting a giveaway and SALE! From now until next Saturday (November 2nd) at midnight enjoy 10% off on BOTH Etsy and the website! Just simply use the coupon code Etsy5000 at checkout. And now for the giveaway. Enter below to win one of 2 prizes. The first is a $25 gift certificate to the website. The second is a 1/2 yard bundle of Riley Blake's Andrea Victoria fabric as seen in the photo.

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