Doubled Brushed Poly 101

  Are you ready for some fun?  With this top, I know I am.  This print is so playful that it is hard not to be happy when wearing it.  The fabric is a Floral and Polka Dot Double Brushed Poly.  There isn't much left, so grab some before it is gone. For this top, I used one of my favorite TNT patterns, the Dixie DIY - Summer Concert Tee.  This pattern ...

Read More

1 Pattern, 3 Fabrics – A comparison

Have you ever had trouble deciding which fabric to use for a pattern?  Often there are several options in the fabric recommendations section of a pattern.  All are suitable, so how to choose?  Sometimes I use personal preference, but this time I decided to make a t-shirt pattern with 3 different fabrics and share the results.  Keep in mind, all of these fabrics are recommended for this pattern, so the ...

Read More

Tips For Sewing With Jersey Knit (And A Few Free Patterns)

I love sewing with knits! They are primarily what I use for most of my projects. They're soft and comfortable which makes for great clothing in my opinion. Here are a few tips that, in my experience, are useful when it comes to sewing with Jersey knit. 1. Spray starch makes it easier to work with light weight Jersey knits.  Lightweight Jersey knits are often drapey, and consequently, a little more tricky to cut out and to ...

Read More

Baby Blue Eyes (and Dress!)

When a fabric is listed with the title “Robin’s Egg Blue” and that’s the exact color of your baby’s eyes, there’s no question as to whether or not you’re going to get that fabric!  And the icing on the cake is that this is some of the nicest jersey I’ve ever worked with.  Baby will definitely outgrow this dress before the fabric wears out, and I love it when I ...

Read More

The “I don’t know what to wear” Outfit

Hey friends! I’m Kendra, from the blog MiekoMade. I’m coming at you today to share my absolute ride-or-die, “I don’t know what to wear” outfit formula. I’ve attended a great many events with my wonderful significant other, who is absolutely terrible at discerning an expected dress code, and stressed out about what to wear for hours/days/weeks before hand. So in the interest of my sanity and relationship, I’ve figured out an ...

Read More

Sundress Season!

Summertime... and the sewin' is easy! Take a bold print knit and a tried'n'true pattern, and a few hours later, you too could have a sassy sundress! For this project, I used 2 yards of the Blue Watercolor Bohemian Stripe Liverpool knit - the colour jumped out at me and I just had to have it! Liverpool is a stable polyester knit, so it's perfect in slim dresses if you don't ...

Read More

Brushed modal jumpsuit

  I've been gravitating towards all the beautiful woven fabrics in the Cali Fabrics shop lately, but I just couldn't resist a comfy knit jumpsuit for this project. I used some of the lovely brushed modal jersey knit for this jumpsuit.  It has a beautiful drape and weight and completely opaque -- definitely a plus! This jumpsuit is a piece that percolated in my head for quite a while before I finally got ...

Read More

Not So Prickly Cactus Dress

Hey, Sewists!  I have been a busy bee sewing away this month.  I hope you have been sewing this month too.  This time around I am sharing another new summer dress.  Dresses are pretty much my summer uniform and this one fits in so well. First, let me just talk about this fabric!  I used the cactus print double brushed poly in navy.  Unfortunately, this colorway is not available, but there ...

Read More

The Most Comfortable Ginger “Jeans”

I was on a roll making the ever-popular Closet Case Ginger Jeans left and right, but I had yet to make them from something other than denim. The pattern calls for a stretch fabric since it's for skinny jeans, so I wondered what else would work. I saw this olive green heather ponte de roma fabric and thought I could give it a try. And what do you know, it worked! ...

Read More

Best Friend Travel Dresses

I love Califabric's Double Brushed Polyester! It is an unbelievably soft fabric, and has a lovely drape for a maxi dress. Califabrics has so many lovely prints which would all be suitable for a this type of dress. My best friend and I live in different cities, so we try to get together each year for some girl time. This year we choose New Orleans as our meet up, and what ...

Read More

3 Tips for Sewing for a Fashion Forward Child

Full Disclosure: I still feel some type of way writing this post, or even admitting such a thing happened, and even though I have MAJOR FEELS about it, I can't deny that is has indeed happened ...my daughter turned SIX!  And with 6 came a new sense of self awareness, independence and strong opinions. Admittedly, I'm not surprised that her already strong spirit has intensified, I just wasn't quite ready ...

Read More

Statement Sleeve Sweater for Spring

Anyone else over the cold and dreaming of spring?  Our winter here in Utah was unseasonable warm through most of January and February and I think Mother Nature is making up for it with snow storms and cold temps for the last two weeks.  I'm so ready for sunshine and blossoms! To help beat those end of winter blues, I'm doing some transitional sewing with pieces that work well layered now ...

Read More

Sparkling in the Storm

Hey Sewists, how are you doing?  I don't know about you, but I am ready for spring. Here in Chicago we just finished digging ourselves out of nearly 2 feet of snow just in time for it to warm up and melt.  Now it is raining and we are flooding. Before the snow completely melted we had an ice dam form on our roof and cause water to leak into my ...

Read More

Not-So-Prickly Cactus Pajamas

When you live in the desert, it makes sense to have cactus-inspired clothing. Even though I'm a swamp/New Orleans girl at heart, I couldn't say no to this adorable cactus double-brushed poly spandex knit! Although it bears little prickly friends, this fabric is legit the most comfortable you'll ever put on your body. Double brushed poly spandex is "brushed" on both sides to make for a super-soft texture. The good news ...

Read More

Wool Boucle in a New Silhouette

Or, as my fiance likes to call it, the "magic eye" coatigan haha You know one of the things I love most about sewing? I've all but completely stopped paying attention to fashion "guidelines" and trends! I've canceled my fashion magazine subscriptions and now, I get most of my inspiration from fabric, pattern releases, other sewists, and the odd fashion blogger. I make and wear only what I really want, regardless ...

Read More

Adding a Dusting of Pink to a Neutral Wardrobe

Hello again, friends! Has anyone else been reevaluating their wardrobe lately? Particularly now we've started a new year? I definitely have and I'm rather pleased with this latest addition. For the last year or two, I've focused a lot of my sewing efforts on basic pieces in neutral colors. It's great because I always reach for a handmade item first when dressing. But, that focus has been a stark contrast to ...

Read More

Chocolate & a FREE Reversible Beanie Pattern

Here’s a tip for all you cozy fabric lovers:  grab some of this chocolate brown french terry today! With this softer than soft chocolate french terry, I made a Tallinn Sweater by Hey June Patterns for myself.  (Oh, and I just noticed the Tallinn Sweater is the featured pattern of the month over at Hey June, so it's 15% off using the code "Tallinn15" !!)  It’s very stylish, and discreet for ...

Read More
Follow on Feedly