Tag Archives: sewing

Boy’s Hooded Sweatshirt by Shwin and Shwin

Posted in Sewing by

boys hoodie

The weather outside is currently a balmy 0 degrees, so it’s the perfect time to stay inside and sew. I ran across this fantastic tutorial at http://shwinandshwin.com/2014/09/boys-hooded-sweatshirt-free-pdf-pattern for a boy or girls hooded sweatshirt in a size 8 which works for both my boys. I sometimes struggle to find fun clothes patterns for boys. I can only make them so many pillowcases and jammie pants.

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This was a great tutorial and the pattern was very easy to follow. The sweatshirts went together really fast. The only thing that I will do different when I make this pattern again for my oldest son who is a size 8,  is add a couple of inches to the bottom and about an 1 inch or so on the sleeves.brayden

I love that my boys still get excited about things I make for them.

-Mandy

Valentines Day Love Pillow Tutorial

Posted in Tutorials by

love no frame

Valentines Day is only a couple days away so I thought I should get with the program and finally get my Valentines stuff out. The boys are getting excited for their school parties this week. Oh what a joy it was to have each of them write 25-30 Valentines Day cards for their friends, I find this a little stressful when a 4 year old that has to write his name 25 times.

Heres a tutorial on the envelope pillow (no zippers needed)  I made, I love how it turned out.

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Supplies:

  • 16″x16″ Pillow Form
  • 1/2 Yard Fabric ( I used Enchant Bird in Pink- Riley Blake which can be purchased www.etsy.com/shop/SewOnTheEdge)
  • 1 3/4 Yard Ric Rac
  • Coordinating Thread
  • Pins
  • Marking Pen
  • Scissors/Rotary Cutter

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Cut your fabric

1 –  17″x17″

2 – 11.5″x17″

back

Take your 11.5″x17″ pieces and fold in 1/2 ” on the each of the 17″sides and press.  Makes sure that if your pattern is directional that you do opposite sides so they line up like above. Then fold over again 1/2″ and press to hide your edges.

IMG_7781    back sew

Top stitch using a 3/8 seam allowance on both sides.

love word

Using your disappearing ink marking pen,write the word Love across the pillow. Make sure that your start and finish is 2″ away from your edges.

img_7790     love allpin

Start your ric rac by folding over the edge at the start of your word. Then follow your ink line with the ric rac pining as you go. When you get to the end, fold over the edge.

IMG_7795     IMG_7797

Slowly sew your ric rac in the middle,  making sure to back stitch at the start and finish.

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Lay your 17″x17″ square with the word Love facing up. Take one of your back pieces and line it up with the side of pillow as show in above photo. Take your other back piece and lay it over the first back piece so that your finished seams overlap. Pin all the way around pillow.

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Sew around the pillow using a 3/8″ seam. I like to curve my corners but you don’t have to.

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Clip the corners.

love no frame

Turn right side out and press. Then put it over your pillow form and enjoy.

Think of all the pillows you could make,  yours kids name,  a wedding gift with the last name of the bride and groom, or the word Lucky for St. Patricks Day!

Hope you have a great Valentines Day.

-Mandy

Grandmas Aprons

Posted in Family, Sewing by

My grandma recently went into an assisted living facility, at the time she was still living on the family farm at 91. However, she needs more help through-out her day, and the assisted living facility has been great with her care and also for her social life. Prior to her going into the living facility my mom and aunt went through her cupboards with her. This has resulted in several tables full of treasures that she wanted us grandchildren to go through and take what we wanted. Ok, lets be real honest there were some things on that table that should have been thrown away in the 70’s. But, I did manage to find a few real treasures.  I found a silver cake stand that someone had giving my grandparents on their wedding day and another silver plate that someone had given my great-grandparents on their 25th anniversary. Both were covered in tarnish, but nothing that a little time on Pinterest could not help me with.

Grandparents Silver Cake Stand

Grandparents Silver Cake Stand

But, what I was most excited about was a bag full of aprons. Aprons were stored in an old bread bag..my grandma was thrifty and eco-friendly before it was the cool thing to do.

When I got home and had time to really look at the aprons,  I was blown away at the precision and details that she had when making these aprons. I can just picture her wearing these with the ladies from church serving one of the many dinners after the church service.  Growing up, I can hardly ever remember her wearing something that she did not make. She had the mentality if she wanted something new to wear, she made it and her sewing skills are proof of that.

Looking at the aprons takes me back to days when I would go to her house to make a sewing project for 4-H. At the time, it was more of a chore and I am sure that I was not the best student. I was to busy with my friends to want to sew. Now that I am older,  I can look back and appreciate the sewing skills that she taught me. There are days when I sit down at my sewing machine and think about her and some of the projects that we made. Those are memories that I will forever cherish, and I hope that someday I can have a fraction of the skills she had with a needle and thread.

After much thought to what I was going to do with the aprons, I finally decided that that they would look great over my kitchen sink as my new curtains. Right now I have them on a tension rod, I am trying to not make to many holes in the walls since we are going to put our house up for sale this spring/summer. I love that I get to see them every time I walk into the kitchen.

Grandma's Aprons

Do you have sewing memories for your mom or grandma?Or special things they have sewn for you?

-Mandy

Got 99 Problems and the Sewings Not Going to Get Done

Posted in Patterns, Uncategorized by

This year like most years I set myself up some pretty high expectations on all the gifts that I am going to make for my family and friends. I spends hours prusing through Pintrest trying to find the perfect gift to make …that’s my justifcation for all the time I get sucked in on Pintrest.  Of course this planning is all done in the summer and early fall, so I have plenty of time, I will just make a couple gifts a month and when Christmas gets here I will be done.

I just realized that tomorrow is Thanksgiving and well my plan to be organized and on top of Chirstmas gifts went out the window. So here I am looking at ads and trying to reevaluate my Christmas gift list, you will not catch me Black Friday shopping… that is not for me, I like to do all my shopping online.  However, I can’t not make just a few gifts, so you will find me late at night at my sewing machine after the kids are in bed probably questioning my sanity.  So with that being said here are the projects that I am going to take on before Santa arrives.

I was so excited when April Rhodes released her Popover Poncho  . What a perfect gift for some women in my life. I am a huge fan of April Rhodes patterns, they are great for everyone from the new sewer to the experianced. She has fantastic direction, that are much less intimidating than some of the name brand patterns.

Popover Poncho - April Rhodes

Popover Poncho – April Rhodes

For the boys teachers this year I am making the Snappy Manicure Wallet from Noodle-Head, this is a free pattern on her site. I only have to make 7 of them before school lets out for Christmas break. Piece of cake..right.

Snappy Manicure Wallet - Noodle-Head

Snappy Manicure Wallet – Noodle-Head

What are your plans for Chirstmas gifts, any projects you are working on?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.  My family has had a blessed year and we have a lot to be thankful for.

–Mandy

 

Hippity Hop Easter’s On It’s Way – Fabric Easter Basket Tutorial

Posted in Tutorials by

We have our fingers crossed winter is on its way out and spring is on its way. The kids have been asking me to get out our Easter decorations, so today seemed like a good day to do it and it just happened to be snowing again.  We were thinking if we decorated for spring, it has to come soon! The boys needed new Easter baskets and I wanted them big enough that the Easter Bunny could leave lots of books and puzzles along with a little bit of candy.  I thought I would share with you a tutorial on how to make these simple baskets

Fabric Easter Baskets

Supplies you will need for 1 basket

2 coordinating pieces of fabric 1/2 yard each or 3 fat quarters

 1/2 yard stiff interfacing- I used Pellon 71 F

Coordinating thread

Scissors/Rotary Cutter

 Marking Pen/Ruler

Iron

Use a 3/8th Seam

Cut fabric

Step 1: Cut your Fabric and Interfacing

 Cut each of your fabrics 17 x 20 inches

   Cut your interfacing 17 x 19 inches and 1.5 x 16 inches

Cut the fabric that you want as your handle 4 x 16 inches

sew sides

Step 2: Fold your outside fabric in half and pin the sides, then sew using a 3/8 inch seam.

flatten corner

Step 3: At the bottom take your corner and flatten out so it looks like above photo and then measure down 3.5 inches. Use your marking pen to draw a line across the bottom and pin. Repeat on the other side.

sew corners

Step 4: Sew on the line that you made. Repeat on the other side.

cut corners

Step 5: Cut  both  corners off about a 1/2 inch from the stitch you just created.  Now you can turn it right side out it should resemble a box.

apply interfacing

Step 6: Iron your interfacing to your lining piece of fabric leaving 1/2 inch from each of the tops. After you have the interfacing applied repeat Steps 2-5 for the lining.

fold handle

Step 7: Take your handle piece and fold it in have with right sides together. Then apply your piece of interfacing to one side.

turn handle

Step 8: Turn your handle.

top stitch handles

Step 9: Top stitch your handle down both sides.

pin handle to bag

Step 10. Pin your handle to your basket. I pinned it on both the end seams, but you could also pin it from side to side.

pin right sides

Step 11: With right sides together pin around the top. Make sure that you mark 3 or 4 inches where you will not sew, so you can turn your basket right side out.

sew top together

Step 12. Sew around the top. Remember to leave 3 to 4 inches open.

turn basket

Step 13: Turn your basket right side out.  Pin your opening closed. I usually iron the top to make the next step easier. You are almost done!

top stitch

Step 14: Top stitch around your basket, making sure that you are closing the opening.

done

Step 15:  The final step I do is take a iron and iron my corners to make them crisp.

Enjoy your basket!  I am  thinking of all the ways I could use this basket around the house, maybe put two small handles on each side. It would be great for holding all my kids toys.

-Mandy

Power Rangers Hoodie Towel Tutorial

Posted in Tutorials by


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What kid does not love to get out of the bath and get wrapped up in a hoodie towel. The problem is that at our house all the hoodie towels are made for toddlers. My boys are not ready to give them up,  nothing is better than after drying off, pretending that they are their favorite action hero.  Below is a tutorial on how to make a hoodie towel that will fit those big kids too. My boys are obsessed with Power Rangers right now so when I asked what kind of towel they would like of course it was the red Power Ranger.

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Here’s what you will need to start

– 1 Bath towel

– 1 Hand towel

– Steam a Seam

– 9″x9″ White fabric

– 9″x9″ Black fabric

-White, Black and thread to match towel

-Sewing Machine, Scissors, pins

– One of the  Power Ranger Emblems – I have a link to the Blue, Green, Red, Pink and Yellow Ranger Emblems ( Not perfect, I can sew not draw..)Power ranger emblem

Step 1: Trace your pattern twice on Steam A Seam

Step 2: Iron the Steam A Seam on the wrong side of both the white and black fabric

Step 3: Cut out the white and black fabric. I cut the black fabric about 1/8 to 1/4 inch smaller than the white. Usually I just eye it.

Step 4: Peel off Steam A Seam from the black fabric and align it on top of the white.

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Step 1

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Step 3

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Step 4

Step 5 : Take your hand towel and on either of the long sides fold down 3 or 4 inches. I used 3 inches for this hoodie towel. Pin across.

Step 6: Stitch across what you just pinned.

Step 7: Take Power Ranger emblem and peal off the back paper of the white fabric. Center the emblem on the hand towel and once you have it where you want it iron it down. Once you iron it  it is permanent.

Step 8: Set your machine on zig – zag or satin stitch which ever is your preference. I used a zig-zag stitch on this towel. Change your thread to white and stitch around the white, then stitch around the black with black thread.

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Step 5

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Step 6

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Step 7

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Step 8

Step 9: With right sides together sew the back of the towel to make your hood. Make sure you change your thread color to match your towel again. I forgot to change my threads but I am going to say I did that on purpose to show you where to sew. That’s my story.

Step 10: Grab your large bath towel and find the middle on one of the long sides. I also like to make sure that I have the side with the tag folded in . On the long side where you found the middle you are going to line your hoods middle up, with right sides together. Pin down and you can either straight stitch or zig-zag. Also I sew to the left of the bulky towel edge, just makes it easier on you and your machine. I used zig-zag to give it a little more strength because I knew the wear and tear my boys will be putting them through.

Step 11: Grab your kids and throw them in the tub so they can use their new towel.

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Step 9

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Step 10

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Step 10

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Happy Kid

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What evil can happen in your house with a Power Ranger

Welcome To My Blog

Posted in Uncategorized by

Hi

Thanks for stopping by my blog which is about my journey to open a fabric store in Troy, Ohio while still working a full time job, raising two you boys and training for a half marathon. The name Sew On The Edge perfectly describes my life right now, I am alway on the edge of something is it insanity? My husband might say yes to that one. I also love fabric  and sewing and have become frustated with the selection of fabric around me. If I want to look at any other fabric than what the big craft stores sell I have to drive an hour, which never works when you have an inspiration and want to sew right away. So if I am frusterated with lack of quality fabric how many other people are too?  So why not open a store. I also know that the interent is a valueable tool which I  will definatley  be selling on when I get my shop open. But I also want people to be able to come in chat, share sewing tips, learn how to sew and be able to feel the fabric and see the true color. Thanks for stopping by and following me on my journey to opening Sew On The Edge.

It is going to be a fun journey!Image

Mandy