What I'm Watching: It's Sew Easy

The other day, my husband said that when we first met, I was never without a book in my hand. I think he meant it as a compliment. But before you say "aww..." the context of this conversation was that NOW...I'm never without my iPad. Ha! And no, I don't read books on it. Magazines, yes, but books belong on paper. Sorry ereaders. You have no place in my world.

Call it ironic, then, that this week's review is not about a book. Sewing education isn't limited to books, and a few months back I discovered the TV show, It's Sew Easy, on PBS.

I set up the DVR to record it and every few weeks I dive in and watch a couple episodes at a time. The topics range from quilting to apparel sewing to home dec. There are many contributors to the show, all experts in their fields and people that even little ole beginner me has heard of (Angela Wolf, Gretchen Hirsch, Deepika Prakash, etc.). I'm behind in my viewing, so right now I'm watching Series 300 episodes. I just watched a great one (302) about fit, altering a man's shirt, and bra-making. Seriously, the 10 minutes Peggy Sagers spent on fit (condensing every issue to "LCD"--length, circumference, and diameter) was so worth it, and it gave me an easy way to get my head around fit without feeling overwhelmed.

The episodes are available for purchase on DVD, or the most recent one can be watched for free on their website. The show is sponsored by Brother, which is convenient for me, because both my machines are made by Brother. If they do a demonstration, the presser feet and dynamics are familiar to me. Of course, they're nicer versions than mine, so I also end up drooling a little while watching!

Much like watching Project Runway, every now and then I enjoy a visual demonstration of sewing to help inspire me. Have you ever watched It's Sew Easy? What do you think of it?

Sewing Project: Badminton Dress

I'm not participating in the Fabric Stash contest over at Pattern Review, but it seems I've been working my way through old fabric these days anyhow. I ordered fabric and a pattern for a Badminton Dress almost a year ago, and it's taken me until now to get it done.

The fabric I ordered is also one from the Oliver+S arena. It's cotton and it's from The Ladies Stitching Club line. I got mine from Fabric.com.

I have a hard time matching prints, so it helped me that someone else had already coordinated these! The dress looks exactly as I envisioned it, which is weird for me. The picture I form in my mind rarely turns out just how I thought. Maybe my mind is getting smarter?

It's wonderful, adorable, looks expensive, I love it! Here's the sad part. I made this as a special Father's Day dress for AB, and it's way too big. I'm having a lot of issues fitting her lately. You'd think it'd be easy to fit a child, but I think it's easier making clothes for myself! My body has been the same since 1998 (that's not such a good thing). I thought for sure that during AB's last doctor's visit that they'd tell me she was in some crazy percentile for height, but no dice. She's 16 months old...and none of her 18 month RTW clothes are long enough. The 18 month sewing patterns are too big. What's the deal?? There's almost no point in figuring it out because once I do, she'll grow some more. She was being super not helpful while I tried to take photos yesterday, so here's a crappy example of how loose/baggy it is around the shoulders and chest:

I think she has the chest of a 12 month old, the length of a 2T, and the head size of a 5 year old. And yet she looks normal...weird. And yes, I should have known all this information ahead of time by checking the measurements on the envelope. I knew it would be about an inch too big, and I thought that would be okay. But I didn't account for scale, and an inch on a baby vs. on ME makes a big difference. Now I know.

But enough of that. I adore Oliver+S patterns, plain and simple. Coming off my frustrating experience with my Sewaholic Thurlows, it was a pleasant change to go to the overly detailed and helpful O+S Badminton Dress. The yoke/shoulders of this dress aren't complicated, but you do have to be precise. The instructions warned me when I should be careful with my stitching (because it would show on the outside) and encouraged me to keep going when the dress looked like a big mess.

And if wonderful instructions weren't enough, the unique details on their patterns should sell you immediately. The scalloped hem is adorable, and the ribbon casing on the front is nice too (ribbon is from Hart's Fabrics, also ordered a zillion years ago specifically for this design--and what do you know, it's in stock!). The other thing I liked about this pattern is that there are only two seams to finish (each side seam).

For Father's Day, I thought about whipping up a blouse version in a smaller size, but ultimately decided on another CKC Peasant Dress (I finally learned the real name of the pattern!) and I'll blog about it soon. I think you'll understand why it's special when you see it. I see more Badminton blouses and dresses in my future, it's hard to resist that cute ruffle on the sleeve (it's only an oval folded in half! brilliant!).

Did you do any Father's Day sewing? Am I the only one who can't fit my own child?!?

Yesterday I signed up for Beginner Serging on Craftsy, and I'm so excited! My serger thread also came in the mail. Kismet. Did you know that there's a leaderboard of top free sewing patterns on Craftsy? Me neither! My serger and I may have to sew our way through them! Patterns are free with registration, so get cracking :)

Mend It Monday: cami straps

Duuuuuuude. It finally happened to me. For a year, I've been reading sewing blogs and I've seen beautiful clothing and bloggers who say "I don't know what this gorgeous amazing fabric is...I got it from a garage sale for a nickel." Last summer I had a newborn and didn't think that toting her to garage sales was a great idea. I've been patiently impatiently stalking Craigslist garage sale ads and striking out left and right. But Friday, I hit the motherload! The historical society for my county was having an enormous rummage sale. I showed up an hour after they opened and they already had police there directing parking. No joke. And then on my way out some guy tried to give me two free coffeemakers. Thanks no thanks...I didn't tell him I already HAVE two coffeemakers...and an espresso machine...and a french press. If we're ever in a zombie apocalypse we've at least got coffee covered.

I didn't even get to see everything at the sale because it was so crowded, but it was fun to see their vintage linens, old sewing machines, and even some kind of knitting machine. I quit shopping when my arms were full.

I got all these trims for $2.50. Most of them are old (I won't say "vintage" because who the heck knows) and just plain pretty. Not to mention how fun the packaging is:

I also got a bunch of fabric for around $4 (I haven't totaled it yet but one piece was at least 10 yards alone).

And rounding off my haul were some dainty embroidered pillowcases. It was hard to photograph them and show the detail so I'll save those for another day.

Of course I love buying fabric, but the trims are my favorite. I don't use trim enough, mostly because I never have it on hand, but it's something I want to incorporate into my sewing this year. It's come in handy already, because I used one of the elastics to fix a camisole.

I've almost worn this thing to death, but it still has some life in it. Or it would, if one of the straps wasn't broken.

It literally just stretched out until it gave out. Sad. I'm kind of hard on my clothes. Anyway, this was a quick fix with this cute pink elastic:

Yes, it had that sort of stiff "I'm old" elastic feel to it, but I was confident of its ability to hold up a tiny jersey camisole. And look what it's made of!

Rubber and rayon? Is that weird to anyone else? Anyway, I cut off the old straps, leaving behind the bit where they were sewn to the cami so I knew where to sew my elastic without having to mark or pin. (If you don't have your own stash of vintage trims you can nab some elastic from Amazon here).

I measured the non-broken strap and then cut two lengths of elastic that size, plus a bit extra in order to sew it onto the cami. With about five minutes worth of work, it was good as new! Okay, the straps were as good as new.

Since I sewed it right on, the stitches show on the right side. Ask me if I care. I'll give you two guesses but you'll only need one.

Bonus: elastic straps might be the best accidental idea I've ever had. Aside from the broken strap, I haven't been able to wear this cami since I had AB and have been nursing. No problems now!

So spill: what's your megaload garage/estate/rummage sale story? Or have you been gifted with someone else's stash? I love these stories so share! And did everyone have a good Father's Day? I can't resist one photo of AB, playing in some water at my grandparents' house:

How I fund my sewing

Bonus Saturday post! If you've read along at all, then you've probably heard me use the phrase "saving my pennies" a few times. I'm a stay-at-home mom and my husband and I believe strongly in using cash for all our purchases. It's no secret that sewing is a costly hobby. Let's just admit it. You're buying fabric, thread, patterns, supplies...the list goes on and on. So how do I manage?

Last summer I was reading a blog and the author mentioned a site called Swagbucks. She said she used it on and off and was able to make a little side money with it. I decided to take a chance and see if it was legit. Over 1 million Facebook likes was enough to convince me that it was "real". Today is my one year anniversary with Swagbucks, and I can say that it definitely is! I use it every day and earn enough each month to pay for my sewing expenses. I'm not sure what I would do without it!

What exactly do you DO on Swagbucks? The primary focus is on taking surveys and using their search engine, but there are tons of other ways to earn. You earn a virtual currency called Swagbucks, and when you've saved up enough Swagbucks, you can order stuff from the Swag Store. I always order gift cards. They offer gift cards from all kinds of places, but the most popular ones are Amazon and PayPal. Yes, PayPal straight to your account! (Make sure if you sign up to Swagbucks that you use the same email address that you use with PayPal.)

If you want to give Swagbucks a try, please use my referral link. The best way to learn how to use it is to "Like" Swagbucks on Facebook and read their wall. It's used by Swaggers all over the world and you'll figure out all kinds of tips that way. You can also comment here if you need help!

*I receive a small bonus for my referrals, but that doesn't even matter that much. I truly enjoy using Swagbucks and the bit of financial independence it gives me. I hope you will too!

Edited to add: Be smart anytime you do something online. If you don't feel comfortable giving out certain pieces of information, then don't. There are many Swagbucks offers that ask for a mailing address, telephone number, etc. but I never complete those. I also never download anything. Many people have no problems with those types of offers, but I prefer to be careful. Trust your gut!

Pinterest Project: Father's Day shadowbox

Anybody forget about Father's Day? You still have two days. Like most holidays/birthdays/anniversarys, my husband received his gift well in advance (like...a month ago) and he picked it out himself (a mountain bike). He's such a good gift-giver that he even takes care of himself. Ha! I probably should have planned better and had a sewing project to give him. Maybe like the free tie pattern and tutorial featured on Coletterie earlier this week?

ANYWAY today is Pinterest Project Friday, and in honor of Father's Day I'm going to deviate from a sewing project and show off what I did for my husband last year. It was his first Father's Day, and AB was a mere 4 months old. When I was pregnant, I was addicted to the website Project Nursery. I loved looking at all the beautiful things people were doing in their nurseries. I saw this photo and knew that I had to recreate it myself. I pinned it and let it sit there until the perfect time.

Source

A baby's homecoming outfit is special (well, at least with your first baby...I can't testify to any subsequent children!!). I bought tons of baby clothes when I was pregnant, but the outfit that AB came home in was one of the few things selected by my husband. We were both pretty sad when she outgrew it (newborns grow so quickly!) so I was happy to put it in a shadowbox and save it for always.

(Outfit made by Carter's. Crappy background painting done by me.) You still have time to run to Michael's or Jo-Ann's and get one of these shadowboxes! I used a coupon and art supplies that I already had, so this project topped out around $20. Not bad for a great memory. Are you doing any sewing or crafting for Father's Day?

Sewing Project: DIY Chevron Maxi Skirt

A few months ago, I received this dreamy yellow striped knit in a bargain box from Girl Charlee. I had nearly 5 yards, so I knew that if I had any ambitious projects to try, this fabric was what I should use! I'm not going to post a full tutorial for how to make this skirt, since Amy at Nap Time Crafters recently did one as part of Skirt Week. The hardest part is 1) knowing how much fabric you'll need and 2) mirroring your pieces properly. Once you get that part figured out, it's simple!

Originally, I desperately wanted to recreate this dress I posted about on Monday:

Source

It's the same concept, stripes at an angle all around the skirt. In my case, the concept wasn't the problem, the yardage was the issue. You lose so much usable fabric when you cut on an angle like that! I don't remember my exact calculations, but whatever they were, 5 yards wasn't going to be enough. Boo. Instead, I made two panels front and back and did a simplified version. I started with the skirt pattern pieces from New Look 6097. Remember that lovely wrap dress?

I liked the skirt a lot, it has pockets and was simple to construct. I lengthened it to the floor and added a waistband, but otherwise it's the same skirt. The pockets show on the outside, so I cut those with the stripes going horizontally. Completely by accident, it kind of looks like I was trying to match up the stripes!

For one more layer of detail, I cut the waistband with the stripes going vertically. The waistband is essentially an oversized elastic casing.

I mentioned this in my post about the Chevron Hem Skirt, but my serger is worth the price if all it did was match stripes. If you're careful when you cut, then you don't even have to pin! Just put the two layers of fabric into the serger with the first few stripes matched up, and the whole thing stays that way. I *heart* my serger (if you're in the market, keep an eye on that link, the price on Amazon has been dropping lately!). And if you have a serger but are afraid of it, then sign up for this class on Craftsy (I did!) and be afraid no more.

For the hem, I decided to try something new and attempted to blind hem it with my machine. My machine has a stitch for blind hemming on knits...but apparently that doesn't mean it's foolproof. I had the worst time trying to get my folds to neatly slide through the foot, which meant it wasn't catching the fold properly. It would have been much easier with a woven fabric, so I'll try it again some other time. After a few frustrating tries with it, I took off the blind hem foot, kept my fabric folded as if I would blind hem, and used a zig-zag stitch. A blind hem stitch is essentially the same as a zig-zag, just exaggerated.

Inside view

Outside view

It's different. It gives it some visual interest and some weight to the hem. Will I do it again on a knit? Probably not. But it's the trying that counts! How will you know what techniques you like unless you try? 

Now that this skirt is done, I'm having trouble finding colors to wear that go with it. I'm thinking it might get turned into a dress...stay tuned!

Today for Thrifty Thursday, get the Reversible Bucket Hat pattern for only $2.50! And you won't believe the cuteness of the new Anchors Aweigh Sailor Dress and Sailor Romper. Buy both and use code "ahoy" for $3 off. Check them out at Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop!

What I'm Reading: beginner serger books

Y'know that scene in The Princess Bride when Vizzini and Westley are having their battle of wits? Sometimes I feel like Vizzini. Trying to be smarter than my own good. I have made exactly 0 garments on my serger (only pieces here and there) and yet I've read 3 books on the topic. I mean, I'm glad I read the books, and I've used my serger enough to use up the thread that came with it, but while writing this post I was thinking that I might have spent too much time reading. Nobody ever said "reading makes perfect" did they?! So here's to being more like Inigo and less like Vizzini : )

For once in my life, I actually did something in the right order. There are quite a few serger books on the market, and I've got three to talk about today. Each one has pros and cons, and quite by accident I read them in an order that allowed them to build on one another. No checking on what a rolled hem was before knowing how to adjust tension. Hooray for happy accidents!

The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James is the #1 serger book on Amazon, for good reason. It's very basic, which is what you need when you don't know anything about serging (like me!). It carefully explains all the parts and has pictures of different brands of machines. It also spends a lot of time on thread and when to use what, and where. I found the section on tension the most helpful, because I've never adjusted the tension on my sewing machine and had no idea what tension was all about. I understand it a lot better now and can even apply this knowledge to my regular sewing machine.

Starting out with this book is probably your best bet. It comes with a spiral binding so you can lay it flat and keep it near your machine. You can also read it quickly because it's not too long. As a beginner's book, it's perfect, but if you're like me then you'll want to move on to more specifics once you've gotten the basics down.

Sewing with Sergers by Gail Brown and Pati Palmer is a perfect example of not judging a book by its cover. It almost resembles a pamphlet in its small, short, illustrated presentation. In a brief space, these authors fit a TON of information about garment sewing and all kinds of outside the box ideas. It's written in a fun, conversational manner that makes the projects seem easy. I noticed a few reviews on Amazon complained that there were no real pictures, just illustrations, but I didn't mind that. Simple illustrations of garments were easier for me to understand. This book builds on the previous one, because it shows how to implement the basics into wearable items. If I had to pick one book on serging to buy, it would be this one.

Serger Secrets has 5 different authors, who all contribute projects and tips. It spends a very short amount of time on basics, instead starting out with a section called "Beyond the Basics". If you want a more detailed, in-depth serging book, look no further. There are a zillion color photos showing stitch types, as well as a Garment Gallery to help you visualize what sergers can do. The bulk of the book is an alphabetical reference section covering everything from Beading to Zippers. My most favorite part of this book was about Heirloom Sewing. I had always seen that term floating around, but never knew what it meant. This book provides beautiful photos showing serging techniques with lace, pintucks, and even how to create your own fabric for those one-of-a-kind items that you'll want to hand down through the generations.

As boring as it is, your best resource for serging is always going to be your instruction manual and practice. Like everybody else, I was scared of threading, but when my lower looper thread broke in the middle of serging, I had no choice but to learn. It's not as scary as you think! There may be 4 cones of thread, but 2 of them go through needles, just like your sewing machine. It's not so hard learning how to thread 2 loopers, I promise!

And if you're more of a visual learner or are looking for direct feedback, check out the Beginner Serging class on Craftsy (affiliate link). I bought this class and it's an amazing resource for anyone who might be intimidated by their serger. There is no substitute for seeing something new done by a knowledgeable instructor.

What are your go-to titles for learning about serging? Are you a Vizzini or an Inigo?