Sew Baby Gifts

Sewing Project - Baby Gifts

Sewing Friends:

Do you have babies or are you expecting to have a baby on your gift list this year?

If you want to sew a quick and easy baby gift for holiday gift giving, see this series of sewing videos on How to Sew A Baby Blanket.

Take it a step further and learn How To Make A Baby Quilt in this sewing video.

How about sewing a baby sling? Here are the instructions to sew a baby sling.

Check out this site for instructions on how to use your baby carrier.

Go to Sewing and Improvising Baby Carriers for a long list of links to baby slings, pouches, and carriers of all sorts. Some of these are really good ideas and don't even require sewing. Anyone can make these with a little fabric.

One of my favorite sewing books for baby items is: Kwik Sew's Sewing for Baby

Here are some other baby sewing books that you might like:

Nursery Decor: Projects for Decorating Your Baby's Room

Everything for Baby: Projects to Make Yourself

Baby Gifts: Simple Heirlooms to Make and Give

Baby Couture

Sew & Go Baby: A Collection of Practical Baby Gear Projects/With Pattern

Amy Butler's Sew Baby hc

The Crafty Mamas: Book of 50 Fast, Fabulous and Foolproof Projects for Baby Gear

Handmade Baby Gifts

Baby Wraps: Quick, Cuddly Quilts

Sew a gift for your special baby this year. If you have no babies of your own, sew something and give it to a charity. There are many babies who could use these gifts. This is fun sewing.

Get your creative juices flowing, use up some of your stash and sew some love! It just makes sense!

To Your Sewing Success,
Marian

1st Step To Sewing Success Sewing Courses
Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog
Sewing Success Sewing Blog

Sewing Project - Baby Gifts

See more about sewing

Keywords: sewing, sewing tips, sewing techniques, sewing projects, how to sew, sewing courses, sew

Feed Shark

Link

Free Sewing Pattern - Pajama Pants

Sewing Patterns

Sewing Friends:

Last post, I shared with you how to make nightgowns from t-shirts for Christmas gifts for kids. I made a few of these niteys for some special little girls. They are really cute!

I also made a few pajama pants using an old one-seam pants pattern I have. I added appliques to t-shirt, camisoles or sweatshirt tops to wear with the pj's.

Kids of all ages love these cuddly jammies. They are so quick and easy to sew. Choose some fun flannel, fleece or cotton print depicting their favorite sport, hobby or interest.

Today, I got the latest issue of Sew News - December 2007. It includes instructions to make pj pants. The best part is that Sew News has the sewing pattern for pajama pants online for you to download absolutely free. The pattern is for shorts, but the article explains how to lengthen the legs to make full length pajama pants.

Be careful of the size. The small size fits up to a 36 inch waist. The medium/large size fits up to a 44 inch waist.

The pj pants are fun and fast to sew. They can be baggy so you don't have to worry about perfect fit. Put in drawstring elastic waists if you aren't sure of size.

The leg length doesn't really matter either. Make them short, capri, long or whatever you want. Mix and match fabrics for more fun. Add bands of contrasting fabric to the bottom of the legs or how about some ruffles?

Try it! Sew some for Christmas gifts this year.

It just makes sense!

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

1st Step To Sewing Success Sewing Courses
Sewing Success Sewing Blog
Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog

Sewing Patterns

See more about sewing

Keywords: sewing, sewing tips, sewing techniques, sewing projects, how to sew, sewing courses, sew

Feed Shark

Link

Sew An Instant, Easy Nightgown for Kids

Sewing Project - Nightgowns

Sewing Friends:

If you are looking for an ideal Christmas gift, try this. Sew a quick and easy nightgown for kids.

Purchase or use an old, larger than the child normally wears, tee shirt. Add some Christmas flannel or cotton print and you have a kids instant Christmas nitey.


Here are the instructions:

• Preshrink the tee shirt and fabric.


• Measure the bottom of the tee shirt. Depending on how full you want your ruffle, multiply the width of the tee shirt by 1-1/2 or 2 times the width of the tee shirt hem.


• Determine the length you want the ruffle to finish. Add about 1 inch to that measurement for a seam allowance and machine stitched hem. My ruffle is 6 inches finished. The fitted tee shirt I chose was long and the nightgown is for a little girl.


• Seam the ruffle if necessary to go around the bottom of the shirt.


• Gather the ruffle to fit the tee shirt. I used the serger to gather my ruffle and sew it to the bottom of the tee shirt at the same time. Use whatever gathering technique you prefer.


• Machine stitch the hem of the ruffle.


• Choose an applique motif from a scrap of fabric. Press the scrap to some fusible web. Center the design motif and cut it out. Fuse it to the center front of the tee shirt.


• Add some ruffle eyelet trim around the motif or applique stitch around it if desired. Add a small flannel fabric bow if desired.

Voila! Easy, instant nightgown!

Kids love having a special nightgown to wear on Christmas Eve while they wait for Santa.

Sew these quick and easy nightgowns any time of year. They are so comfy and girls really like them.

If you have boys, fuse a motif to a tee shirt and sew some quick one seam boxer shorts or long pj's to make them very happy, indeed! They don't have to fit really well. Kids love loose clothing.

Try making some long baggy pj's with appliqued tees for the college kids, too. They love to lounge in them in their dorms.

Keep it very simple and have fun!

It just makes sense!

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

Sewing Project - Nightgowns

1st Step to Sewing Success Sewing Courses
Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog
Sewing Success Sewing Blog

See more about sewing

Keywords: sewing, sewing tips, sewing techniques, sewing projects, how to sew, sewing courses, sew

Feed Shark

Link

How To Sew Padded Hangers

Sewing Project - Padded Hangers

Sewing Friends:

Are you busy sewing gifts for the holidays? Here is a quick and easy sewing project that you can make with fabric scraps and it is much appreciated. Make luxurious padded hangers.

I really like to use velvet padded hangers for my best clothes. They are so elegant and support the garments nicely. Try some!

There are a lot of links on how to make different styles and variations of padded hanger covers and padded hangers. I have listed a few for you.

In addition, I will give you instructions to make my favorite padded hanger. This is not just a cover, but a wooden hanger that is padded and covered.

If you sew something for someone, make a matching padded hanger for a really nice touch!

Here are some links to check out:

Padded Hanger Covers by Husqvarna Viking Education Director, Cathy Wilson
http://usaapp.husqvarnaviking.com/education/pdf/PaddedHangerCovers.pdf

Elegant Padded Hanger
http://www.getcreativeshow.com/seminars/padded_hanger.htm

Padded Hangers
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-05.pdf

Luxe Hangers
http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00222.asp

Here Are Instructions On How To Sew My Favorite Padded Hanger:

Supplies Need to Make One Padded Hanger

• Fabric Scraps
• Thread
• Wooden coat hanger
• Poly fiberfill
• Old pantyhose or knee highs
• About 5/8 yard of ribbon 3/4 to 1 inch wide

Fabric

Use fabric scraps left over from the garments that you make to sew a matching padded hanger. Try velvets, corduroy, cottons, double knits, prints, whatever you like. You can even mix and match fabrics.

Cutting

• Cut two pieces of fabric 3 inches wide by 9 inches long
• Cut two pieces of fabric 3 inches wide by 12 inches long
• Curve one end of all four pieces.
• Cut 2 pieces of pantyhose about 4 inches square
• Cut one piece of ribbon about 22 inches long
• Cut two pieces of poly fiberfill 9 inches wide by 14 inches long

Construction of Padded Hanger Covers

• About 1/4 inch from the edge, sew a gathering stitch around the 3 by 12 piece of fabric. This will be used for the top side of the padded hanger.
• Pull the gathers up slightly.
• Lay this piece to the 3 by 9 inch piece of fabric with the right sides together.
• Adjust gathers to fit the 9 inch piece.
• Pin in place to hold.
• With the gathered side up, stitch a thread deeper than the gathering thread and join the two layers together.
• Use short stitches to make this seam. This will cover half the hanger.
• Repeat this procedure for the other half of the hanger.
• Turn both cover sections right side out
  

Pad The Wooden Hanger

• Wrap one piece of the fiberfill loosely around half of the hanger.
• Turn about 1 inch of the end over itself
• Place one of the squares of the pantyhose over one of the ends of the padded hanger.

Put The Cover On The Hanger

• While holding the pantyhose on the padded hanger tightly, pull one of the outer hanger covers over the end of the hanger to the center with the gathers on the top of the hanger.
• Repeat for the other half of the hanger.
• With a needle and thread, hand stitch the two cut edges of the cover around the center of the hanger.

Suggestions to Cover The Hanger Hooks

1. Sew a narrow bias tubing out of the fabric to cover the hook part of the hanger. Secure the bias tubing with a few hand stitches at both ends.
2. Use aquarium tubing that you get in a pet shop and slide it over the hook. Cut off the excess.
3. Or cover the hook with ribbon. First put a line of glue on the hook and wrap the ribbon around the hook.

Finish the Hanger

• To finish the hanger, fold the 22 inches of ribbon in half.
• This makes a loop of the ribbon. Place this large loop over the hook and let it hang down below the hanger.
• Put the ends of the ribbon through this loop at the bottom.
• Pull up and tie into a pretty bow at the center.

Hope you enjoy making padded hangers. They really are quick and easy to sew. Give padded hangers as gifts this holiday season.

It just makes sense!

To Your Sewing Success,
Marian

1st Step To Sewing Success Sewing Courses
Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog
Sewing Success Sewing Blog

Sewing Project - Padded Hangers

See more about sewing

Keywords: sewing, sewing tips, sewing techniques, sewing projects, how to sew, sewing courses, sew

Feed Shark

Link

How Do I Know How Lopsided I Am?

Fitting Question

Sewing Friends:

Gee! You gals are quick! I barely got the last post out, when I was asked how I determined how lopsided I am. In other words, how do I know that I am one inch larger on the right side of my hips and one inch higher on the right side? Did I just keep guessing until I got it right? Absolutely not!

That's where my common sense fitting method comes in. If you follow the instructions in my ebook, "Common Sense Fitting For Hard To Fit Folks Who Want Great Fitting Skirts and Pants", you can determine exactly where you differ from side to side and exactly how much that is. There is no trial and error or guessing at all. It makes sense to measure and fit this way. Try it!

It is so important to understand how much your body differs from side to side to get a good fit. Particularly, as we age, we seem to shift more due to operations, arthritis, etc., etc.

Oftentimes, folks don't even realize they are lopsided. They just know that their clothes are uncomfortable and don't fit. Consequently, these ladies usually choose very loose fitting garments to get the comfort they seek. This causes them to look more frumpy and matronly than they should look. They are unhappy with their sewing results and no longer sew for themselves. These ladies usually wear knits rather than wovens for the same reasons. Knits stretch where they have larger "bumps"!

If you are one of these ladies, please do yourself a favor and check out my Common Sense Fitting Method to learn more about your body, what you need, where you need it and how to apply that to a commercial sewing pattern.

Then, get the Wild Ginger pattern making software and input your larger measurements as your sloper. Print out patterns with your fit already in them for that side and then, after you cut out your garment, trim off what you don't need for the smaller side.

I am telling you that this is so much easier to do than fitting every pattern every time you make a garment. If you think about it, you probably only wear a few basic style garments, like pants, a top, skirt and jacket. Get those patterns to fit you and have fun sewing different fabrics and using different sewing techniques to create different looks without all the fitting frustration you suffered in the past.

Sew for yourself once again and really enjoy it! Good fit is possible! Go for it! You will look and feel so much better. It just makes sense!

To Your Sewing and Fitting Success,
Marian

1st Step To Sewing Success Sewing Courses
Sewing Success Sewing Blog
Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog

Fitting Question

See more about sewing

Keywords: sewing, sewing tips, sewing techniques, sewing projects, how to sew, sewing courses, sew

Feed Shark

Link

Wild Ginger and Me

Sewing Pattern Software

Sewing Friends:

Wow! I haven't posted anything for a while. But, that doesn't mean I am not sewing. In fact, I recently became certified as a Wild Ginger Instructor and have been sew busy learning and teaching.

I have to admit that I was very skeptical about apparell pattern making software. I didn't really believe that I could input some measurements into my computer and my printer would print out a pattern that would actually fit my crooked body. But, right now, I am wearing a pair of pretty good looking pants and I have three tops that are exactly that. And, they came from Wild Ginger.

Granted that it took a little extra work on my part, but I think I finally have it figured out. I just had to use my "common sense" fitting knowledge. And that is, you put the fabric where you need it!

As I explained in the past, the right side of my body is one inch larger than the left side and my right hip is one inch higher than my left. That simply means that my right side needs more fabric than my left. So, how do I accommodate that especially in pants?

Well, I definitely cannot use a full hip measurement because that puts my center seam off center. The right pulls it off to the right. I needed to know what half of my hip measured front to back on my larger side. From center front to center back on my right side, I measured 20 inches. I doubled that to get 40 inches to put into the computer even though my hips actually measure 39 inches. With the 40 inch hip, the computer places my center seam where it should be on my body. It just makes sense! I know that no one wants to see a larger number on their hip line, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get the results you want.

I swallowed hard when I looked at that pattern and cut out my fabric double layer using the 40 hip pattern. Then, after carefully discerning which layer is my right side and which is my left, I cut off 1/2 inch front and back on the left side of my pants to size it down to what I need on my left side. That brought me back to a 39 inch total hipline with the center seams where they should be in the center of my body. I felt better already! Then, I cut off 1 inch at the top waistline of the left side and tapered that to nothing at the center front and center back to accommodate my lower left side. Halleleujah!

I told the computer to drop my center back 1/2 inch to take care of my flat seat and added a smidge for my tummy bulge at the center front line. That did it! I have my basic pants sloper and I don't have to have a right and left pattern that I have to cut out single layer.

Hope this helps some of you. Now, I will try some different style pants and I want to try some jackets, too.

Go to Wild Ginger to check out all the different software programs that they have to offer. Check out the free demos here.

Download Wild Ginger Wild Things! to try out and discover how easy it is to use. This is free software to easily design and print patterns for Hats, Bags and Other Fun Stuff.

Wild Things! is a fully functional FREE program for drafting patterns for hats, bags, wraps, and footwear.

There are public and private Wild Ginger Community Forums where you can ask questions and discuss Wild Ginger issues, etc.

I will let you know how I progress with Wild Ginger. If any of you have any Wild Ginger tips for us, please share them.

To Your Sewing Success,
Marian

1st Step To Sewing Success Sewing Courses
Sewing Project Tips Sewing Blog
Sewing Success Sewing Blog

Sewing Pattern Software

See more about sewing

Keywords: sewing, sewing tips, sewing techniques, sewing projects, how to sew, sewing courses, sew

Feed Shark

Link