Sew Spoiled

The skater dress has been a staple in women's apparel for a long time. That is why I decided to make one for my staple handmade wardrobe.  This dress can slip and slide into any season. Either warm or cold the skater dress is versatile and looks great. That is why I decided to buy the  Out and About Dress pattern from Sew Caroline . I used Ponte de Roma Navy fabric to create the Out and About dress . It is the perfect weight for this type of dress. This pattern has pockets, 3/4 sleeves and a scoop neck line. Since, I am petite I had to cut the skirt 4" shorter and move the pocket up. I did not adjust the waist line but if I make this pattern again, I might raise the waist line up. Currently in the Carolinas the temperature keeps going up and down. Any given day might start in the 30's and go to 70 degrees by the afternoon. Layering is the only way to stay comfortable. I need to make a few more of these in different colors. In high heels, sandals or boots you can ...

One of my favorite things to wear is a skirt. It can be dressed down casually or off to a dinner date with a quick change of accessories. One of the quickest ways to make your look more dressy is to tuck in your shirt and wear a belt. That is why I have created this little tutorial on how to make your own belt loops. Sometimes you create a pair of pants, shorts, or skirt, and it does not come with belt loops. Here is how you can create your own. 1.) Cut five pieces of fabric measuring 3" X 2". 2.) Fold and press each piece wrong sides together 1/4" along the short edge side. Then press and fold each piece in half, wrong sides together, long ways. Finally, fold and press each long raw edge toward the center crease. 3.) Sew the loop tab 1/8" around the edges. 4.) Place the first loop at the back center seam. Measure around the waist line and evenly pin the other loops in place. 5.) Sew the belt loops at the top and bottom to secure them to the garment....

Wow! I was completely surprised to see on my detailed royalty report I had another Simplicity number for the Tailgate Teammate Tote, "It's So Easy, It's Simplicity #1190". It looks like they rebranded the tote and now are selling these two pattern designs together.  I am still a newbie and my only problem with this is, one they did not let me know ahead of time and there is no "Sew Spoiled Logo" on the cover.  If you are a pattern designer and you are wanting to work with a major pattern company you might want to know a few things first. Your pattern design is usually contracted for two years. If you sell a lot, then you might be asked to go on another 2 year contract. Or they might produce your pattern on a new number to refresh the branded look, seen here. The percentage you make as a newbie is usually under 10%, don't go under 5%. That means you have to sell well over 10,000 to make a $1,000 profit. However, they do sell your pattern arou...

My daughter received these adorable sewing kits for her American Doll. Simplicity has created some every cute dresses and accessories for her doll. We traced the patterns so we would be able to make more dresses. As you can see in the next picture the fabric is printed on with the template of the dress in outlined in black. I let Miss K set to work. She was able to cut everything out herself.  After cutting everything out, I helped with ironing the dress and setting up the sewing machine. Miss K began sewing. We worked on straight stitching and tacking the ends. This dress has curved arm holes so I helped her with stitching in a curve. Everything was simple to put together. Doesn't Grace look great! My daughter added a belt to draw in the waist line. This is definitely a dress pattern we will make again!  The pockets are real little pockets! We made the purse too! We are looking forward to making more beautiful clothes for her American Girl Doll. The next Sim...

Once I find a pattern I like, it is common for me to make many items from the same design. The first time is usually a test run and I find out new techniques. The second try is almost always better! I can make it faster and can zip through the process. This knitting pattern is called the Everyday Cardigan  Lisa Clarke. I adore the button band however this time my button band wants to turn in. It might be because of the type of yarn I used, Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. It is very economical only costing $5 per skein . I also only needed 3 skeins. This is very cost-effective, however, my first Everyday Cardigan which was made out of wool did a better job laying flat after blocking. Red Heart Super Saver Yarn is an all-purpose medium worsted weight yarn that is ideal for afghans, sweaters, and accessories. It is machine wash warm, tumble dry low, do not use bleach, do not iron, dry cleanable. It is 100% acrylic, Dye-Lot. #0512 Turquie.  

I love embroidery! You would think that it would get old being able to monogram anything to my hearts content. You might think all of my clothes, pillows, towels, etc. are monogrammed. I monogram mostly for others. Today is a selfish sewing day and I am going to monogram this t-shirt. It is a cute shirt that has a message on the back but no lapel design, so I am going to monogram the front. I have these dots that help with the placement of the design. They are called target stickers  I received them in the Perfect Placement Kit  I received for Christmas as a gift. Honestly, at first I thought I would never use the kit at all but it has been an extremely helpful tool! The kit comes with... 11 Perfect Placement templates for linens 4 Perfect Placement plastic templates for wearables 30 Target Stickers a CD tutorial guide I have found that when embroidering a knit shirt you need to use heavier stabilizer. I used Pellon 808 or 809. There are probably better choices ...

Peekaboo Mitts pattern by Abi Gregorio  is a wonderful knitting project that takes just a little bit of time and scrap yarn. I used the magic loop method  to make these peekaboo mittens. This is a good first project to learn how to use this method of knitting. Instead of double pointed needles,  I use the one long circular needle. I use this method on sleeves, socks and now mittens. This yarn looks like candy to me! Perfect for my 9 year old. I made a pair for myself too in stormy grey. I enjoyed being able to make something quickly, usually I am slow when it comes to knitting. These make great gifts for anyone. If you need to make a larger size choose a heavier weight yarn.  Well, I am off to make some more mittens! Enjoy!