Instagram Friday

Welcome to Instagram Friday!

A glimpse into life beyond the sewing and crafting...

 Do you go to the fabric store at the worst times ever? Even though I am home all week, and I know I could go to Joann fabric when it is likely dead, I almost always end up there on Saturday morning. (you know because I love drawing a number at the cut counter that is at least 30 numbers off from what is being called and I have anxious kids in the cart) This Saturday morning I at least had a "cool" kid with me, I love when she decides she wants to wear her sunglasses all the time no matter what. (oh and I spy a little baby bump do you?)

 Jude loves the drawing apps, only his drawing has become quite abstract... what is this he is drawing? None other than a submarine with an octopus on top...

 The little dude went off to kindergarten this week. He loves it. I love it. It is the best thing that ever happened to us, at least for three hours a day :)

 Kindergarten means time to work on projects that have been floating around in my head with no time to get them done. First up were some baby projects... (hint hint it's a new pattern hopefully to be tested soon)

Then there was the jacket... it is so close, this was my 4th attempt and hopefully final to getting the details down the way I wanted them... (also may be out to test soon)

So it was a great week, oh and I have a super fun announcement later this weekend! See you then

The Lucy Top {New Pattern}

The Lucy Top Pattern is here! 

I have been hard at work on my next patterns. As always I worked with some great pattern testers and the Lucy Top is finally here! If you follow along on Facebook which by the way is how we find our fabulous testers. Spots fill up pretty quick, but you get sneak peeks of new patterns and the opportunity to help test. The Lucy top is quite possibly one of my favorites. I was really wanting something that was really easy to wear, while having a modern flair.

 The Lucy tunic is also reversible, which is a great perk. Two shirts in one! Both chic and stylish. The wide boat neck, neckline is one of my favorite styles. I just love how it lays. (shown here paired with the Lovely Rita's)

 I love the wrap front style as well. No worries if button holes trip you up the pattern includes an alternative to the button hole.

 The top has a cute A line flow about it that lays so nicely. And of course there are pockets! Some inseam pockets (also reversible) for keeping treasures in.

 Cute little pleated short sleeves finish off the look which is perfect for warmer weather and a great layering piece for cooler weather. With so many different combinations of fabrics to choose from it makes such a great addition to any wardrobe.

Pattern is available in the shop in sizes 12 months-6 years. 

Looking to stock up? We just added Pattern Bundle prices!
Buy 2 patterns for $12  Use the code: BUY2
Buy 3 patterns for $15  Use the code: BUY3
Buy 4 Patterns for $20  Use the code: BUY4
Buy 5 Patterns for $25  Use the code: BUY5

One week only! Codes end on 9/6/12
**Update codes are now good forever!**

Codes can only be used in the Big Cartel Shop.

Link Party #31 (and a winner)

Welcome to this week's Link party!

On time even! what up? So you guys were seriously sharing some amazing things last week! I had such a hard time narrowing it down to three. I was going to just share more then I realized it was going to be almost all of them, so I went back to three but seriously, such great projects and I love seeing all of them! 

Before we jump into that, I have been a slacker and I forgot to announce the winner for the Southern Fabric giveaway! 

The winner is:

Amys Crafty Shenanigans (great name BTW)

Congrats Amy! You will get an email from me later today!

Now onto the party! Here are my favorites from last week:

 Eat Sleep Make (another sister blog gotta love that) Shared this tutorial for inspire boards. I need about 10 of these in my craft area. They are beautiful and functional and what great wall art.

 Fil a l'agulla shared another adorable remix for the June bug dress. I am loving the chic style and cute fabric. Her first remix was also adorable!

The Brown Abode shared this genius idea for mess free finger paint. How did I not think of this? My kids beg me to finger paint and I always say no because the very idea of the mess makes my skin crawl. (it is so dang messy) This is so smart, and I now see finger painting in my kids future. :)


               I can't wait to see what you guys share this week!

New to link parties? That's totally fine here's what you have to do:

Find a entry on your blog that you want to link up.

It can be ANYTHING (unless it's an ad or something let's keep it spam free)

Say it is a great new project you just made and have been dying to share it with the crafting world. 

the link should look something like this:

http://(your blog adress/website)/(the post you want to link).html

Linking to the post is the easiest way for people to get back to that post.

Then click where it says "click here to enter" 

follow the steps to link your post and create a title, and select your picture.

Keep in mind the picture will be small thumbnail so pick a picture that shows it off the best. 

Lastly if you were so kind to add our button to your page or post, or where every you store your link party things that would be super cool. You don't have to use the button to link up, it's just there for you if you can't live without it. 

cool? cool. Let's get the party started!

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Instagram Friday!

Welcome to Instagram Friday! A little glimpse into life beyond sewing and crafting. 

 Our latest Kiwi Crate came this past week, I can not say enough good things about Kiwi Crates We LOVE them, Jude especially looks forward to them every month and both kids love the activities. It keeps them happily entertained for an afternoon and always gives them something to play with for a long time. This month it was robots, they really move, and the kids had races all afternoon. They learn a lot while they play with them. Like I said, we LOVE Kiwi Crates

 I had a little meltdown and could not stand the heat, I almost shaved my head (Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite anyone?) Instead I pulled it back into a pony tail and chopped off a foot of hair. It feels nice. Especially since my hair drying time is much shorter, and that is good because it is too hot to be drying hair :)

 Abbey earned a trip to Toys R Us to "play with the toys" I told her she could pick out something small to take home. (small meaning a dollar) She spent 30 min convincing me that the calico critters are really small, and that she just HAD to have more. I have to admit they are really cute, and her please is my weakness...

 School started this week but Kindergarten just has assessment tests, so Jude went in for his (he will start real school on Tuesday) He did really well for the assessment, and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for him to start school, it's been a LONG summer, fun, but LONG.

 I did a little sewing for the baby... more on this will come next month, with a free pattern and all.

 I was sick of looking at chipped polish on my toes so I gave myself likely the last self painted pedicure. Why is bending over a pregnant belly the hardest thing ever?

We (well I) have been struggling a lot with behavior issues lately from the little man of the house. You know the typical, not listening, seeing how much you can make your sister scream, not listening, talking back, and did I mention not listening? Well pregnant mom has umm... no patience left... Yep I start the day with a pretty short supply it seems and it is gone by 9:00 a.m most days. So we started a new plan with Jude. Each morning he writes a list of activities he would like to do when his Dad comes home from work. It helps improve his writing and reading skills to make the list. The list has to include a free thing, like going to the park and then it can include a cost activity as well. When his dad comes home we discuss his behavior for the day and decide together (with Jude) what activity he has earned if any for the day. He earned bowling last night. It is helping with his behavior, but I would say it is a work in progress.

The Pear Picking Tunic

 One of the perks of our backyard are the great fruit trees we inherited. Apricot, Cherry, Apple, and Pear. My kids love snacking on the fresh fruit (so do the dogs) It is our favorite time of year right now, pear picking time! So awhile back I made a top when I was playing around with shirring, remember how I just got over the fear of shirring? Well, I made a top, and then it sat for while until I finally got around to taking pictures of it. I figured what better time than for a little pear picking in the backyard?

 The plaid screams fall to me which is just around the corner (even though our days are still in the 90's I know cooler weather is coming) The neck was a little larger than I had intended, but it still looks cute, all nice and ruffled.

 While this could totally be a dress, my non-dress girl likes to wear pants, which makes it a cute tunic that she will get lots of wear out of as she grows a bit. So if you would like to make one yourself you will see how easy it is.

 You need to very simple "pattern pieces" The top is kind of like a peasant top, only its easier, no crazy measuring. So Abbey's chest measurement is 20 inches, so I cut out two rectangles that are 20 inches wide. (this did make for a pretty wide neck if I did it again I would have made it 15 inches wide)Then for length I made my rectangle 22 inches long, which was a guess but it was perfect, so for the bodice I had two rectangles that were 20 inches X 22 inches. (folded width wise in the picture) Then for the sleeve I cut two rectangles that were 14 X 8 inches (folded width wise in the picture)

 Then with all 4 rectangles folded width wise I stacked them all on top of each other so that the raw edge of the fold were lined up. Then to cut the arm curve, I measured from abbey's shoulder to her underarm, then I added an inch for ease, and seam allowance and hemming. That is how low I cut down on the left side then I just cut a curve simply eyeballing it. As long as it looks like the picture you should be good to go. The top is VERY forgiving for any imperfections.

 Then with right sides together sew the sleeves to the bodice. (this will be done 4 times)

 Then with right sides together (front and back matched up) Sew from the sleeve to the armpit and then down the side, sew both sides. You will have a really large looking top. Next fold the top edge under twice and sew in place to "hem" the top.

 Now we will move on to the shirring. Super easy, even if you are nervous, or have never done it, seriously... it is easy, and not nearly as scary as I once thought. You can buy elastic thread anywhere you can buy sewing supplies. Then you have to wrap the thread around the bobbin by hand, which is a little annoying, but honestly it goes quick and its easy. You don't want to pull the thread tight as you wind but you don't want it too loose. Just wind it gently around the bobbin until the bobbin is full.

 Then thread the top thread as per normal and thread it in the color you want to sew in. Then drop the bobbin of elastic thread in place and pull the elastic thread up from the bottom as you would with any thread. If you are like me and it is your first time you may be surprised at how it works like a normal bobbin already. I know I know in my crazy mind I somehow was sure it would just not work for me, but it did.

 Now we will start sewing. You want to sew on the right side of the garment so the elastic thread will be on the inside.  I started my first line about an inch and a half from the top. Sew one line all the way around the top. You won't notice a tight gather but you will see that it is a little stretchy and it is sewing just like normal. (crazy right? My mind was blown and my world was opened, it was just too easy) Now for the next few lines I just use my sewing foot as my guide and follow along the first line. As you continue sewing lines the gather will get tighter, so as you sew you will want to stretch the fabric so it lays flat. (the left picture shows the normal, and the right shows it stretched as I sew) The more lines and the closer you sew them together the tighter the gather will be.

 I did about 4 rows around the neck and then another 5 rows a little closer together at the high waist. With the plaid I followed the lines in the plaid to make sure my first line was straight across the bodice, if you don't have lines then you can use a fabric marker to draw a straight line to follow as your guide to get started. Then I hemmed the sleeves and the bottom of the top.
*Tip to get the elastic to ruffle up a little tighter give it a light steam from the iron, you will see it shrink up right before your eyes.

 I made a little ribbon belt like I did for this dress, and that was just to add a little pop at the waist, but the elastic brings the waist in without the help of the belt. So loose neck and all I love the top, and so does Abbey who quickly top me it was her new favorite, even if it does lack in pink or purple, her two favorite colors at the moment.

Link Party #30

No need to check your calendars it's true, today is Wednesday, not Tuesday. Sadly my brain failed to wrap around this concept yesterday. Do you ever do that? Simply forget what day it is? Sure I got Jude off to his Kindergarten assessment just fine, thankfully, and checked off several things from my to-do list but I literally lived the day in haze, until it hit me, last night. So since I love the link party let's just party a day late! You guys shared some great projects last week, I especially loved all the "sew for you" projects, simple, and lovely projects. Here were a few of my favorites:

 Oh By Golly shared this great refashion with some triangles on the shoulder. I love how simple it is and what a fun detail. A simply great refashion.

 Skirt as Top shared her version of the Washi dress. It was a pattern test for the fabulous Rae, of made by Rae. The dress is so pretty and it does make me want the pattern... you know for when I get this baby outta me ha!

The Little Giggler shared an awesome tutorial for bleaching and dying denim. It is a great way to get your hands on a pair of colored denim which is so popular right now, especially since I have yet to find a colored pair of denim in which I like the fit of.


I can't wait to see what you guys share this week!

New to link parties? That's totally fine here's what you have to do:

Find a entry on your blog that you want to link up.

It can be ANYTHING (unless it's an ad or something let's keep it spam free)

Say it is a great new project you just made and have been dying to share it with the crafting world. 

the link should look something like this:

http://(your blog adress/website)/(the post you want to link).html

Linking to the post is the easiest way for people to get back to that post.

Then click where it says "click here to enter" 

follow the steps to link your post and create a title, and select your picture.

Keep in mind the picture will be small thumbnail so pick a picture that shows it off the best. 

Lastly if you were so kind to add our button to your page or post, or where every you store your link party things that would be super cool. You don't have to use the button to link up, it's just there for you if you can't live without it. 

cool? cool. Let's get the party started!

<br /><br /><a border="0" href="http://www.shwinandshwin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x393/theshwins/tuesdayparty.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

Sewing with knits 101

 Remember Sewing 101? It was a fun little series we did last year, and well since then we have though a lot about adding to it. It won't be like the series last year where it was nearly everyday for 5 weeks, but there will be some lessons here and there. Starting today with sewing with knits. It is the number one thing we get asked about. Knits make people nervous, or frustrated. I can understand both. Some fabrics can be frustrating to work with. Knits don't have to be one of them. So to start let's talk knits. If you have never worked with a knit before I recommend starting with an interlock knit. Why interlock? Interlock knits are a little heavier, they only stretch in one direction which makes them sew a little easier, and they don't roll up like many other knits. Most fabric stores carry a wide variety of interlock knits, so you have a lot to choose from. Here are some basic "tips" I have for working with knits that make it easier for me.

 1. Know your machine. Most machines come with a manual (unless you picked up an old then you can search online maybe?) Machines all have feed dogs. Feed dogs guide the fabric through as you sew, you can change the settings on your machine that change how the feed dogs bring the fabric through. You want to work with the tension settings and on a test scrap of knit so you can be sure everything is sewing smoothly. You want the feed dogs to guide the fabric through without pulling or stretching the knit, but without gathering it up. You should not have to pull or push the fabric through.

 2. Needles matter. When you are sewing with knits, any knit make sure you are sewing with a ball point needle. Made for sewing with knits, the needle sews nice and smoothly without tearing the fabric and causing a little hole, also it doesn't snag or pull the fabric. The right needle makes all the difference.

 3. Know you stitch options. This is kind of along with knowing your machine, many machines have different stitches for different purposes. I use the Bernina 1008, which is nothing super fancy but it is a fantastic sewing machine. The machine has a "stretch stitch" I have talked about it before in other posts but a stretch stitch which looks a bit like lightning bolts when sewn allows for the stitch to stretch without breaking. This is great for some seams like neck openings, hems, and side seams that need to stretch with the shirt.

 A stretch stich requires a fancy foot to do the stitch. For my machine the foot looks like this. While I like the stretch stitch and I do often use it, you don't need to have a fancy stitch and fancy foot to sew with knits. One way is to use a basic zig zag stitch. The zig zag stitch allows for some stretch. You want the stitch length to be fairly short so that your seam doesn't gap to much.

 4. Another great option for sewing with knits is a double needle. Double needle are great and most any machine fancy or simple can use a double needle. You simply install the double needle in place of a regular needle, it goes in the the same way as any regular needle.

 Then you thread your machine with two spools of thread. I typically just wind an extra bobbin of the thread I am using so I don't need two spools. You can stack the bobbin and spool together on one spool holder if you only have one, or if you have a second one like I do you can put one on each. If you are stacking them together make sure they are both going the same direction off the spool or you will have trouble. Then thread both threads together the way you normally do and thread the needles with the thread.

 5. When you are sewing hems with knits sometimes they warp or get wavy. There are a lot of ways to avoid this but the one I use most often is fusible interfacing. This is especially helpful if you are using a knit that rolls at the edge which is a pain. Fusible interfacing has stretch so match the direction of the stretch with the stretch of the hem. Then iron on a strip of interfacing. it will make the hem nice and flat and smooth and it offers a little thickness which helps in sewing.

 Then when you hem, it is nice and smooth. Especially when you use a double needle which sometimes puckers a bit.

 6. Don't be afraid to pin often. Sometimes I get a little crazy with the pins but it does help especially if you are working with a really stretchy knit. The hardest part can be setting sleeves with the curves and all. You want to be careful that when working with knits you don't stretch the fabric as you pin or sew, that way everything will lay nice and smooth. Pinning often helps to be sure everything lines up nicely without being stretched. *Tip I remove pins instead of sewing over them when sewing with knits since you don't want to dull or damage the tip of the sewing needle.

Then even with the stretchiest knit will lay nice and smooth and flat.

Now hopefully you can tackle any knit project with confidence on your side! Practice makes perfect, so never give up, every knit project I do gets better each time.

Do you have a sewing question or issue that you want a lesson on? Let us know and we will try and include it in a sewing 101!