The Train To Crazy

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320 posts categorized “Sewing ”

December 02, 2013

New Pattern! The Belinda Dress is now for sale!

Today I released a new sewing pattern at GoToPatterns! The Belinda Dress is one of my favorites so far! It's what I call "casual comfort". My 5 year old has been wearing all of her Belinda Dresses non-stop, even to bed. That's a win! And even better? It's ON SALE today only!

I designed this pattern as part of the Designer's Challenge. It's a fun challenge I put out to other designers to create something unique to the market, or at least a challenge to them. We've got lots of designers participating and there have been some great releases so far.

Belinda-Dress-2

They love the pockets. Love, love the pockets.

Continue reading “New Pattern! The Belinda Dress is now for sale!” »

December 02, 2013 in Belinda Drses, Girl’s Fashion, Go To Patterns, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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November 29, 2013

Elementary Style

Making and sewing DIY clothes and accessories for school aged kids can be tricky. Most are no longer interested in frilly dresses with novelty prints. Chosing fabric and patterns can be tough and sometimes you sew for hours only to have a less than enthusiastic recipient. You can see my Top 10 Tips for Chosing Fabric for Children's Clothing but it isn't just about fabric. The patterns make a HUGE difference. And don't forget accessories!

I'm hoping to showcase some Elementary Styles over the next few months to help you choose patterns that work well and are appropriate for children, yet grown up enough for children in school.

Holly-trousers-style

My girls are saving money right now to help send kids to school in Africa where my brother lives. They each earned money for this photo shoot. It was COLD outside!

Continue reading “Elementary Style” »

November 29, 2013 in elementary style, Fabric, Fashion, Go To Patterns, Holly Trousers, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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November 19, 2013

Easy Name Placecards Tutorial

I've never been one for a setting a fancy table but there is something so cute about name placecards at a table. I made these a few weeks ago and my children use them every night for dinner. It took me 10 mintues to make these but they'll be enjoyed thoroughly until we make a new set. This easy name placecard tutorial is sewn but you don't have to sew it! This can be a no sew tutorial if you don't have a sewing machine!

Easy Name Place Tags tutorial

Supplies:

  • Phoomph (by Coats & Clark, find it in any craft or fabric store or online)
  • Fabric scraps
  • Paper with printed or handwritten names

Continue reading “Easy Name Placecards Tutorial” »

November 19, 2013 in No Sew, Sewing , Tutorials | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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November 13, 2013

Go Green for the holidays! Fabric Gift Bag pattern & tutorial

A-pattern-you'll-use-forever

Fabric gift bags are quick and easy to make. These "Go To" Gift Bags are unlined (one less step!) but have french seams so the inside looks clean and professional! There is a small, medium, and large size gift bag pattern and tutorial as well as a wine bag pattern and tutorial and felt gift card tutorial. Sewing your gift wrap!!

Keep reading to see how you can get this PDF pattern for free!

Continue reading “Go Green for the holidays! Fabric Gift Bag pattern & tutorial” »

November 13, 2013 in Go To Gift Bags, Go To Patterns, Sewing , Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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November 08, 2013

Choosing Fabric for Children’s Clothing

Choosing fabric for children's clothing can be tricky. The fabrics available in many local stores lend themselves well to quilting and home decor but often not clothing, especially for children. Left with few option, most home sewists turn to quilting cotton. This can work great for structured dresses or ruffly skirts but not for other garments, especially pants and tops.

Top 10 tips for choosing the right fabric for children's clothing

Continue reading “Choosing Fabric for Children’s Clothing” »

November 08, 2013 in Fabric, Go To Patterns, Holly Trousers, Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls, sewing tips & tricks, Tree Climber Trousers, Winter Wonderland | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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October 31, 2013

Last minute dog costume

So, I felt bad I hadn't made one costume this year. Last year's costumes were still exciting for the kids and I've been very busy working on the next release from Pattern Anthology. But today I couldn't help myself. I made a superhero cape for our dog. It was easy and quick and you still have time to make one if you live in the west.

Super Lucy Cape (1 of 1)
Just some felt and a belt buckle. Couldn't be easier! No finishing edges! I'll have to take some photos of it on her for you.

Have a happy Halloween!

October 31, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for dogs | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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October 18, 2013

Skipper Top Tour

When Abby asked me join the Skipper Top Tour I jumped at the chance to say yes! I have loved every version of this pattern that I've seen and Abby is just the best. I got to meet her in person last year at Fabric Weekend and I can tell you she is hilarious and so kind!

The Skipper Top is a super quick sew. I used a knit fabric from the Michael Levine Loft (I bought it during Fabric Weekend) and it was a remnant so I have no idea what it is. If I made my best guess I'd say it is a silk jersey. It's a lovely fabric. The piece I got was just enough for this shirt.


I did the version with the neck, sleeve and waist bands. That's the absolute easiest way to finish a knit shirt. I love the way it finishes this shirt.

Continue reading “Skipper Top Tour” »

October 18, 2013 in Reviews: Books, Patterns and Places, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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October 10, 2013

How to make a Fancy Ladybug Costume

A couple years ago I made my daughter a Ladybug Princess costume. The really wanted to dress up to be a ladybug but didn't have the clothes. We contemplated our options and then I made a new dress, of course. I used a sewing pattern for a dress and created a quick tutorial for the wings.


The dress is from Simplicity 1991. It is a very easy pattern though there are a bunch of skirt pieces so it takes a bit of time to come together. The red fabric is costume satin. The black sequin fabric is also costume fabric. Both are available readily at Halloween time.

The wings are super quick. made from this butterfly wings tutorial.


This dress is so fun and would work for many different types of costumes. I think it would make a great pirate costume or even Tinkerbelle costume.

See lots of costume tutorials and ideas here:

Continue reading “How to make a Fancy Ladybug Costume” »

October 10, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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October 08, 2013

75+ DIY Halloween Costume Tutorials Roundup

As the 3rd Annual Handmade Costume Series wraps up I thought it would be fun to look back at all the tutorials we've shared. If you need to know how to make a Halloween or dress up costume of any kind this is the place to look! From ninjas costumes to princess costumes and everything in between (ipod's, anyone?) they're all here! We've got mermaids and chefs, dragons, elephants, woodland creatures, hedgehogs, peacocks, fish, gnomes and dwarves, vikings, ewoks, R2D2, Rapunzel, Belle, Tinkerbelle, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy, Jessie, The Lorax, Fairies, Nacho Libre, Stick Men, Upsidedown men, witches, cats, legos, Wall-E, ladybugs and much more!

75+ fantastic Halloween or dress up costume tutorials #DIY #costume #tutorial #halloween
The TOP 10 Most Popular Costume Tutorials:

  • Quick & Easy Ladybug Wings
  • Peacock Tutu
  • Princess Belle (Beauty & the Beast)
  • Tinkerbelle/Pinkerbelle
  • Dino Tail
  • No Sew Cape
  • Rapunzel
  • Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head
  • Iridescent Fairy Wings
  • Modern Madeline

Continue reading “75+ DIY Halloween Costume Tutorials Roundup” »

October 08, 2013 in handmade dress up series, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls, Tutorials | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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October 07, 2013

Sewing gifts for kids: Pajama Eaters

I prefer to make gifts for my kids for Christmas. I usually make pajamas, clothes and a toy. Last year I made each of my kids a Pajama Eater to go with their new pajamas. I used the pattern by Sew Fearless and loved it. I didn't make any of them exactly like the pattern. I should have because my "cat" doesn't look too cat-tish because I ran out of time and didn't put on the ears or whiskers.

I made 4. Here are the 3 I could actually find when it came time for photos. It's not that the 4th is unloved and tossed aside. I think it was actually in the cardboard fort in my 7 year old's room but I didn't go inside it.

Continue reading “Sewing gifts for kids: Pajama Eaters” »

October 07, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls, Sewing for kids, Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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October 04, 2013

Sally Dress Tour (girls dress pattern)

Last month Shannon from luvinthemommyhood and Very Shannon asked me to join the Sally Dress Tour. I was so excited to discover that there are no zippers or buttons on this dress! The girls dress pattern was so quick to sew.

But then I made a mistake and cut the skirt too long. So I took the skirt off and when I reattached the skirt I caught the bodice in the serger and cut a hole in it. WHAT?!? Tell me you've done that.

So I needed to patch the hole. I couldn't think of any ideas I loved. I really didn't want to do an appliqué, bow or a bib. So I came up with this.

Sally Dress Pattern by Very Shannon

And I love it!
Sally Dress- big pockets, square neck. Love the pleats!

Continue reading “Sally Dress Tour (girls dress pattern)” »

October 04, 2013 in Reviews: Books, Patterns and Places, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBack (0)

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August 12, 2013

FINAL day to buy the Alphabet Collection!

Buy the Alphabet Collection and get 10% off the next Pattern Anthology collection coming in November!

Today is the last day of this fantastic SALE. (BUY HERE)

We have been so excited about the overwhelmingly reviews this collection has received. In case you haven't seen them yet, here are the 4 patterns included in the collection:

4 awesome unixex patterns! Need!

Continue reading “FINAL day to buy the Alphabet Collection!” »

August 12, 2013 in Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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August 10, 2013

Sewing school clothes

It's been an AMAZING Alphabet Collection tour so far and I'm excited to be the next stop. It's hard to follow after fur coats, insanely awesome hand dying, cute toggles, mustache shirts, bonnetbus fabric, eyelet, zipper piping, patch pockets, stripe bandage pants, adorable photo shoots, and amazing brother/sister outfits. Seriously. They make me all wish I had more hours in the day so I could sew cool things like they do!

However, I'm pretty much in love with this outfit I created. I sewed it for my daughter who never chooses pink or frilly. She marches to the beat of her own drum and she couldnt' be happier with this outfit.

Alphabet photo shoot (1 of 25)

Alphabet-photo-shoot-3

Alphabet-photo-shoot-(8-of-25)
I was planning to make the button fly version of the W pants but when I asked my daughter she said she preferred elastic waist. I was a little dissappointed but I'd prefer she love them. I went off-book a bit and made a faux fly. I like the look a better than the flat seam front but that's just personal preference.

Continue reading “Sewing school clothes” »

August 10, 2013 in Fabric, Fashion, Go To Patterns, Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls, Study Hall Jacket | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack (0)

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July 29, 2013

Unisex sewing patterns that you’ll love

Last year Pattern Anthology was born when 4 friends, who happen to design sewing patterns, decided it would be fun to collaborate. So we worked tirelessly on the first collection. We had so much fun collaborating that we decided to do a second collection. This time it is a completely unisex, four piece collection for boys and girls. We've expanded the size offering to include 18 months through 8 years and we think you will LOVE what we've designed. So, without further ado, the Alphabet Collection.

Alphabet collection unisex sewing patterns for kids

So, what do you think?? For 2 weeks only, the Alphabet Collection will be sold at a DEEP discount as a collection. Following the sale the patterns will be sold individually at full price. UPDATE: The collection is now on sale individually! Shop HERE.

Want to know a bit more about each of the pieces? I designed the Study Hall Jacket. It's the first jacket I designed and now that I've made 6 of them I think I love making jackets!

Continue reading “Unisex sewing patterns that you’ll love” »

July 29, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls, Sewing for kids | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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June 26, 2013

The Best, Easy Knit Maxi Skirt Tutorial

Last month I whipped up a quick maxi skirt for Fabric Weekend and Skirt Week. I never ended up entering Skirt Week and then never shared the skirt here. Mostly I'm not thrilled posting my own picture but I got over that so here you go! The best way to make a maxi skirt.

OK, there may be other great ways to make a maxi skirt but I think this is the most flattering and easiest. It doesn't gather too much fabric at your waist or hips and gives you a nice flowy look without weighing you down. I wrote out a quick tutorial to show you how to draft if for your own measurements. I think even a beginner could do this. Knit fabric can be a bit tricky to work with so if you're a beginner look for something that doesn't roll on the edges when cut. Other than that, I think you can do this!

DIY-summer-maxi-skirt-tutorial

Tank Top: Target
Maxi Skirt Fabric: found at the Michael Levine Loft last year

Tools & Supplies:

  1. Knit fabric – You will create your pattern to determine how much you need.
  2. 1 inch knit elastic – Do not buy No-Roll elastic for this skirt because you will be sewing on the elastic.
  3. A measuring tape to take your own measurements
  4. Fabric scissors or a rotary cutter and cutting mat
  5. Coodinating thread
  6. Sewing machine or serger
  7. Ballpoint needle for your sewing machine or serger
  8. Pins
  9. Optional: large pattern paper (or use measurements to create the pattern directly on the fabric. read all the steps first so you don't cut the fabric before the pattern is complete!)

Continue reading “The Best, Easy Knit Maxi Skirt Tutorial” »

June 26, 2013 in Fabric Weekend, Fashion, Home & Fashion, Sewing , Sewing for Girls, Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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May 29, 2013

Fabric Weekend 2013

A few years ago I was talking with some blogging friends and randomly mentioned how fun it would be to have a weekend of fabric shopping with friends from around the country. I kept saying I'd organize it but life was busy. However, a whole weekend of shopping and relaxing just couldn't be put off any longer. So I emailed a few friends. A few became about 22! And Fabric Weekend was born!

Fabric Weekend 2013I'll tell you what I'm telling everyone: this is a pilot program. If it goes well this may become a new "thing". Would you love a weekend of fabric shopping?

We are SO happy to have some fabulous sponsors on board for the inagural voyage of Fabric Weekend!

Michael levine logoMichael Levine is a staple in the Los Angeles Fabric District. Between their main store, the upholstery fabric store and the Loft where you can buy fabric by the pound, you will always walk away with bags of fabric you can't wait to use. Thankfully they have a great online store as well. Their on-line brand is lowpricefabric.com and you'll love it. If you ever wonder where I got a great knit fabric, look there because that's probably where I got it.

Joann logo

Thank you to Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Storesfor sponsoring Fabric Weekend 2013. Even in a fabric heaven like Los Angeles you still know you can find exactly what you need at Jo-Anns. I'm sure you know what I mean but Jo-Ann must have some sort of giant magnet that always seems to suck me inside. And it's nearly impossible to walk away with just what you came for. 50% off buttons? Oh, I'd better buy 50! Am I right?

I can't wait to share more about this fun weekend with you! If you're on instagram you can follow me there. There MAY be a little giveaway involved!

May 29, 2013 in Fabric, Fabric Shopping SoCal, Fabric Weekend, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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April 22, 2013

A new home, a new bag for me and features for you!

I'm so sorry I didn't get last week's features up on Saturday! I've been working around the clock for a couple weeks getting Go To Patterns settled into a new comfy home and I'm happy to say it is finally here!! Woohoo!! I couldn't love it more. I still have a few kinks to work out but wow oh wow I love it. Please go look and let me know what you think!! We now accept Paypal and each listing has a full size chart and licensing information available. Plus you can search by designer, size, type, skill level or season!

I also made myself a little something last week. A new Rebecca Bag! I LOVE it! I'm sharing all about it over at Eat, Sleep, Make for their fun new series, Made It For Me.

Made It For Me Banner

Fun handbag with leather corners #sewing by thetraintocrazy.com

See more details at Eat Sleep Make!

Continue reading “A new home, a new bag for me and features for you!” »

April 22, 2013 in features, Go To Patterns, Sewing , Sewing for women, Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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April 18, 2013

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count! Just add your blog link or flickr photo link to the inlinkz form below. It's super easy and we love seeing what you made!

I haven't touched my sewing machine in 2 weeks. I know for some of you that's unthinkable. I've been doing some behind the scenes work on the pattern shop and all those changes should be live next week. Fingers crossed! We've been working around the clock to get it completed and I'm ready to move on to the next project!

This week there were some fun Casual Lady sightings! Kirsten from Kojo Designs made this simple and adorable version. Of course, everything she does is amazing. Cute belt! Go see the rest of her photos.

Casual lady
Speaking of amazing, Stefanie from Girl, Inspired also made a Casual Lady. Love this one. It looks fantastic in this print. And THANK YOU to both of you ladies for sharing this cause and helping raise money for She's Worth It. Mwah!

Continue reading “Make It Wear It Thursday” »

April 18, 2013 in Go To Patterns, Go To Patterns- the Casual Lady pattern, Make it, Wear it, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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April 13, 2013

Featuring You

Thank you for linking up to Make It Wear It! I love featuring you! Here are just a few of the nearly 100 amazing things linked up this week! From sewing to knitting and refashioning there was SO much. It was hard to choose!

hamiltonchicklets knitted this amazing "gramps" sweater. That yarn is amazing.

Sweeter Thank Cupcakes made an amazing twister shoulder detail in this girlie shirt.

Continue reading “Featuring You” »

April 13, 2013 in features, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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April 07, 2013

Skater Dress Tour

One really fun part of the online sewing community is getting the chance to sew up other people's patterns and tell you about them. It's no surprise to anyone that I love to sew knit dresses. My friend, Amanda, recently came out with a great knit dress pattern. I love the shape. Easy wear bodice and a fun skirt that can twirl. I was am so happy to be joining the pattern tour! I give you The Skater Dress.


Super cute, right?? The Skater Dress pattern comes in sizes 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. With just 4 sizes to choose from you can't go wrong! I used size 3/4 and my daughter is usally a solid size 4. The bodice fit perfectly! I shortened the dress about 3-4" to fall right at knee length for her.


I actually didn't cut the excess off the dress I just hemmed it up. That way I'll be able to let it down as she grows. Awesome.


I found this houndstooth knit at the Michael Levine Loft in January. They have great knits. I get a lot of my fabrics there. This one would look great for this dress.


When most people think of a skater dress I'm pretty sure they think ice skating. But here in the OC it's just skateboarding that comes to mind. She bought this skateboard with her Christmas money. Got to start them young!

Make sure you stop by Kitschy Coo and check out Amanda's blog and shop. Besides great patterns, she also sells AWESOME knits. She's in the UK so if you're there you're in for a treat. Of course, you can buy them from anywhere if you want to pay the shipping. You won't find knits like these anywhere else.

Linking to Flamingo Toes, Sew Chatty, Sew Country Chick, Girl Inspired

April 07, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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April 05, 2013

the Anywhere Dress (SALE ALERT)

My most recent sewing pattern was born from my desire to make a dress that was QUICK, no fuss and easy for beginners. The Anywhere Dress pattern for girls fits that bill. No gathers, ribbing, stretching or elastic. No zippers, buttons or extra pieces. This is just a simple, knit dress for girls with four sleeve options to suit every seasonal need.


The neckline is fully faced. If you don't know what that is, you'll be glad to learn! I just press mine well and don't even topstitch or understitch.

A fun fabric print makes the dress more exciting but even a simple solid is adorable.

Continue reading “the Anywhere Dress (SALE ALERT)” »

April 05, 2013 in Go To Patterns, Sewing , Sewing for Girls, the Anywhere Dress pattern | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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April 02, 2013

the Casual Lady top and dress pattern for women

Ok! I can finally share a little about what I've been working on! I released two patterns this weekend. One is for sale and the other is FREE! The Casual Lady top and dress sewing pattern is for sale! But here's the catch, I created it to support She's Worth It. I thought a sewing pattern was the perfect way to raise money for a sewing collective project. If you don't know anything about She's Worth It you can read more here. Who doesn't want a great fitting shirt AND to help a great cause?

Even better? All proceeds from Peekaboo Patterns, Blank Slate Patterns and The Sewing Loft paterns in my shop are benefitting She's Worth It! So if you've been wanting to go on a shopping spree head over here to see the patterns that are participating!

Everything on this page is being donated to She's Worth It today only.


I have to say, I LOVE this shirt. It is so comfortable and flattering. And I'm not just saying that because it's a self design. I've seen it on a lot of other testers and it looks great on everyone! You can't say that about a lot of patterns.

Continue reading “the Casual Lady top and dress pattern for women” »

April 02, 2013 in Go To Patterns, Go To Patterns- the Casual Lady pattern, Sewing , Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

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March 22, 2013

Calling All Kids

Happy Friday, everyone! Pst. You can find me over here today.

Beachy Boatneck pattern found HERE

Go To Leggings pattern found HERE

Continue reading “Calling All Kids” »

March 22, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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March 20, 2013

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

This week I've been busy sharing things I made last week. I've made 5 Beachy Boatnecks so far. The three I made for my son took only 90 minutes. And it is seriously one of my favorite patterns, ever. Then on Monday I shared a couple Carousel Tops I made my daughters. The Carousel Tops were seen in their natural habitat. Tuesday I shared a couple Boardwalk Skirts. I forgot to share this one. It is pretty much my favorite thing ever.

Kitchen skirt-5940

Kitchen-skirt
When I was making it I was a bit unsure about whether any of my girls would wear a skirt with kitchen gadgets on it. The always wise, Katy Dill, told me to attach a cute little charm to the skirt that can be hidden in a pocket. Well, I never got to the pocket but they love the key! You can find the Boardwalk Skirt pattern here.

Continue reading “Make It Wear It Thursday” »

March 20, 2013 in Fashion, Make it, Wear it, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

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March 19, 2013

Boardwalk Skirt

I'm continuing my tour through the Sun & Surf Collection. Sunday I showed off four of the Beachy Boatneck shirts I made for my son and daughter. Monday I highlighted a few of the Carousel Tops I made for my daughters. I think I forgot to mention that the pattern goes up to size 12 yrs. Today I'm showing off a couple Boardwalk Skirts I made. The Boardwalk Skirt has a wide range of sizes from 6 mo—14 yrs. If you're looking for a skirt with some flounce and twirl this is for you!

Boardwalk Skirt and Carousel Top #sewing #pattern

I love both of these. The one on the left is a Lizette lawn fabric with a crochet trimmed underlayer. The one on the right is a MoMo fabric with a ruffle trimmed underlayer.

Boardwalk-skirt sewing pattern
Boardwalk-skirt pattern
Boardwalk-skirt-4

That's the Santa Monica Cinch and Sunshine Dress on the right.

Boardwalk-skirt sewing pattern
This skirt pattern comes with an easy elastic casing waist option or an elastic back drawstring option. It is designed to be easy enough for beginners. We think it's a fantastic twirling skirt and the bottom layer has less "twirl" so your girlie's little buns will stay covered. Yay for that!

This pattern is currently only available in the Sun & Surf Collection but will be available individually when the collection sale is finished!

UPDATE: All patterns are now available individually HERE.

Happy sewing!

March 19, 2013 in Fashion, Go To Patterns, Home & Fashion, Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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March 18, 2013

Carousel Top

When I design a pattern I get so nervous to hear what people think. That's how I feel about the Carousel Top. I'm not sure why but I've been nervous about this pattern. Thankfully the reviews have been great so far!

I thought I'd share a few of the Carousel Tops I've made.

Carousel-top-5441
I love this one. The fabric is a slinky knit blend of some sort. I got it from the Michael Levine Loft so I have no idea what it is made of. She wears this as much as possible.


There it is. The Carousel Top on a carousel.






Make the neckline with a button or without.

This pattern is rated as intermediate but if you've worked with knit before don't be afraid to try this! It really isn't difficult!

More Carousel Tops around the web:

Continue reading “Carousel Top” »

March 18, 2013 in Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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March 17, 2013

The day I made 3 Beachy Boatneck shirts in under 2 hours (plus 2 more)

Last week I started sewing up some of the great patterns from the Sun & Surf Collection. I began with the Beachy Boatneck sewing pattern. I love the 3/4 length sleeves, boatneck, curved hem and generous length. I was so excited to sew up this pattern for both my boy and my girls!

I started with one for my middle daughter (I'll share later in the week). Then I decided to make a handful for my son. I cut three out and once they were cut they only took me an hour and a half to sew all three. And that was with little distractions here and there. Pretty sure this one of my favorite patterns.

Beachy boatneck trio

This was a size 2T. It fits perfectly and it's adorable on him. The green stripe fabric on the left was some leftover I've had from this adorable green dress that was one of my first internet sensations a few years ago. It was from JoAnns. The middle fabric was from Michael Levine Loft in L.A. and the fabric on the right was from SAS Fabrics in Hawthorne.

Then I made one for my oldest daughter. She's a size 6 but she has been for a couple years. I'm hoping she's got a growth spurt coming soon so I made the size 7. She is very picky about neck holes that are too large so I made the neck opening a little smaller.

Beachy Boatneck shirt
I love this shirt. The fabric was from Michael Levine Loft.

Continue reading “The day I made 3 Beachy Boatneck shirts in under 2 hours (plus 2 more)” »

March 17, 2013 in Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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March 15, 2013

Make This Look: Designs By Sessa

For our final guest this week for Make This Look, Vanessa is here to show off the entire outfit she made! She made it all! So impressive!

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Hi! I'm Vanessa, {a sassy lady, Christian first, wife, mama to one, adopting mama, part-time fabric store employee, sewing blogger}, and I'm so glad to be here today! I'm LOVING my new hand-made outfit and I'm so excited to share it with you! I'm thankful Andrea asked me to be on her amazing blog! We are working together for She's Worth it! a campaign to stop human sex trafficking among women and young girls, and we'd love your $10 donation more than ANYTHING else! Find out more information here! It really does matter and your $10 does more than you know! The Inspiration: This fall/winter, I have been very inspired by the fur vest trend, perfect paired with leggings and a long sleeve tee. It just adds such an aspect of sass to any regular outfit! These are my pinned inspiration photos, in particular the chevron fur vest by Armani Exchange for $200!!!

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My hand-made look:
All images taken and copyrighted by PhotosOfGrace Photography (Please give credit where it's due!)

Continue reading “Make This Look: Designs By Sessa” »

March 15, 2013 in Fashion, Home & Fashion, Make This Look, Sewing , Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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March 14, 2013

Make This Look: Little Kids Grow

Today's Guest for Make This Look is the talented, Shannon from Little Kids Grow. She was inspired by a ready made dress design and used the draping method to create her own unique look. So impressive!

Good Day "Train to Crazy" Friends!

(It's 6 o'clock in the morning as I write this post. Early. Very Early. The kids are asleep, and I'm trying desperately to squeeze my wintery comfort foods body into this cute little number. Ha! Ha! Priceless.)

So here's my little secret: Most of the clothes that I make/ design for myself have never been out of my closet. Why you ask? I do like what I make, . . . usually. 🙂 It's just that most of it is just not very practical.

Continue reading “Make This Look: Little Kids Grow” »

March 14, 2013 in Fashion, Home & Fashion, Make This Look, Sewing , Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

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March 13, 2013

Make This Look: Sew Country Chick

Tolday for Make This Look, Justine is here to share an amazing dress she made. You'll love this. Perhaps some designers saw her dress first and decided to make this look! (it happens! designers follow blogs too!)
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Hi I'm Justine from Sew Country Chick. Thanks for having me visit Andrea!
And thanks to my daughter Isabelle for modeling this dress for me.
She has some serious attitude.

Continue reading “Make This Look: Sew Country Chick” »

March 13, 2013 in Fashion, Home & Fashion, Make This Look, Sewing , Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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March 12, 2013

Make This Look: Madmim

The amazing Miriam from Madmim.com is here with us today to kick off the Make This Look Series! She's taken the basic idea from a fantastic shirt and made it her own. Thanks Miriam!

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Hello Peeps (I've got birds on the mind)! I'm excited to talk about recreating looks we love, and being inspired by all the design bounty that's out there. I'm a huge sucker for making designer looks on the cheap, but it's not very often that I let myself make a straight up knock off, as I usually like to take one or maybe two style elements I love and translate them into something Mimish by playing with the design, texture, color, scale and on and on and on. But every now and then I come across something that's already pretty magical, and I want to just recreate that bad boy in all it's glory. To be totally honest, this shirt wasn't one of those times. I mean I really like it, and I think I even pinned it, but it wasn't until I saw my sister Eirene knock it off that I truly saw it's Mim-potential. So this is a knock-off of a knock-off, if you follow me. The original beauty, upon investigation, has some really lovely details that are worth talking about. First of all, we can all agree it's a great print. Also the color is pretty and the boat neck is nice. But the sleeves really steal the show for me, I love how the pleats and gathers are actually sewn into the seam, it's very cool.

My $2 version: it's not like I-can't-tell-which-is-which close, but it is pretty straight forward. I used this soft buttery orange jersey, and self-drafted this tee pattern (so happy with it!) with a round neck and a-line silhouette. I like the fit of the original (and if I were really going for an exact copy I would have used my trusty Renfrew), but truth be told I'm just a bit more comfy in an a-line silhouette, and I think it's a touch more flattering on my very happenin' hips. It seems like I just can't stay away from hand-printing these days, and I once again used my reversible stamp technique, which is really a barrel O fun. I also added a nice rounded hem because I'm into them lately–they allow for more mom-bending, which heaven knows I do a lot of.mad mim_handprinted_anthropologie knockoff_04

Continue reading “Make This Look: Madmim” »

March 12, 2013 in Fashion, Home & Fashion, Make This Look, Sewing , Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)

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March 11, 2013

Sun and Surf Collection is HERE!

If you follow me on instagram or facebook you have probably seen sneak peeks of this fun new collection that I collaborated on with Kate, Shauna and Melissa.

We've been working out the details on this since last Fall. It has been so much fun putting all the details together and collaborating on our designs!

So, without further ado, may I present The Sun & Surf Collection. 8 patterns by 4 designers. UPDATE: Buy the patterns individually now HERE.

Sun-and-surf-book
We've started our website, Pattern Anthology, to showcase our collections. We hope you'll love them as much as we do!

And we're kicking off a pattern tour!

Sun & Surf at Sew a Straight Line Sun & Surf at It's Always Autumn Sun & Surf at Elsie Marley Sun & Surf at A Girl and a Glue Gun Sun & Surf at Mama Says Sew Sun & Surf at Girl, Inspired Sun & Surf at Groovybaby and Mama Sun & Surf at The Cottage Home Sun & Surf at Craftiness is Not Optional Sun & Surf at Skirtastop Sun & Surf at Straight Grain Sun & Surf at Me Sew Crazy Sun & Surf at Delia Creates Sun & Surf at Max California Image Map

Sun & Surf at Sew a Straight Line | Sun & Surf at It's Always Autumn | Sun & Surf at Elsie Marley | Sun & Surf at A Girl and a Glue Gun | Sun & Surf at Mama Says Sew | Sun & Surf at Girl, Inspired | Sun & Surf at Groovybaby and Mama | Sun & Surf at The Cottage Home | Sun & Surf at Craftiness is Not Optional | Sun & Surf at Skirtastop | Sun & Surf at Straight Grain | Sun & Surf at Me Sew Crazy | Sun & Surf at Delia Creates | Sun & Surf at Max California

March 11, 2013 in Pattern Anthology, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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March 10, 2013

The time I made “lapkins”

I needed to make napkins for an upcoming dinner and found myself only liking one fabric out of my stash for the job. This is remarkable for two reasons. First, I have a million fabrics. Second, I have a million fabrics. Though, in my defense, most of them are knit or bottom weight so they aren't exactly napkin material. But the bummer was that this particular fabric was only 1 yard. And I needed to make six napkins.

So I cut my yard into 6 equal pieces. 12"x22". That's a pretty long rectangle. I considered cutting the yard into 9 pieces. 12"x14.66". That's a small napkin. Perhaps more of a cocktail napkin? But I didn't do it. I made the long rectangles. I used my mitered corner cloth napkin tutorial.

That's when the Lapkin was born.

It's perfect for little laps (bigger ones too). And it can fold nicely for dinner or substitute as a placemat, if you're desperate.

Continue reading “The time I made “lapkins” ” »

March 10, 2013 in 30 Minute Projects, DIY, Sewing , sewing for house, Tutorials | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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March 01, 2013

Sewing for MEN: inspiration & what YOU made

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this Sewing For Men week but I'm so happy about the outcome! Monday's button up shirt, Tuesday's bike jersey, Wednesday's reversible pajama pants and Thursday's zip fly shorts were all so fun!

Thank you to those of you who added things to the flickr pool! There aren't many but I hope you keep adding things when you make them! I'll be featuring them from time to time and I'm thinking we're going to need another Sew For Men week in the fall!

Sewing-menswear

Here is some more sewing for men inspiration to get you excited.

Sewing-for-men-1
This Simplicity 5581 by Threadsofgray looks like a great starter pattern.

Feather's Flights shows us how to shorten a sleeve on a button up shirt. Probably a more practical sewing project for most people.

Sewing-for-men-2
Running with Scissors made a Negroni shirt for her husband.

Feather's Flights shares 6 steps for altering a men's suit.

Continue reading “Sewing for MEN: inspiration & what YOU made” »

March 01, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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February 28, 2013

Sewing for Men: Man Shorts

When I decided to sew something for my husband I considered something simple. Perhaps a tie. But I've made him one of those and he never wore it. And I already made him pajamas a few years ago. He still wears those a lot. Then I considered athletic shorts. But I didn't feel like searching for the right material. Then I decided to look for shorts patterns. And without much thought I decided to sew him some shorts. I still can't believe I sewed man shorts.

Man-shorts

I used this BurdaStyle shorts pattern. The pattern is definitely for more advanced sewists. If you've never inserted a zip fly or a welt pocket I suggest a different pattern.

What I liked:

  • The style of shorts is great. Flat front, zip fly, welt pocket.
  • Great shape.

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: Man Shorts” »

February 28, 2013 in Home & Fashion, roundup, Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBack (0)

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February 27, 2013

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

This week I've been sewing up quite a storm. I can't share a lot of it with you yet but soon! There will be new patterns released in March that I think you're going to love!

So what have you been making?

Time to link up!!

February 27, 2013 in Make it, Wear it, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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Sewing for Men: After Dinner Pants (aka. pajamas)

Today we have the wonderful Rachael from Imagine Gnats joining us for Sewing For Men! Thanks Rachael!

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hello, train to crazy readers! rachael here, and i’m so happy to be sharing my sewing for men project: after-dinner pants! you might know them as pajamas, but doesn’t after-dinner pants sound so much fancier? and we’re all about fancy in the gnats household… as long as it’s comfy, that is, and preferably handmade. you can check out more of our handmade antics on my blog, imagine gnats .

sewing for men: after-dinner pants

it’s been a while since i sewed up something for my husband, Nick (affectionately known as mr. gnats), and i’ve never actually sewn a garment for him. for last father’s day, i made him a sturdy apron from duck cloth with some help from our littlest girlie (you can check that out here). i’ve made him this nook cover, there was an echino messenger bag before that, and some roll-up tote bags.

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: After Dinner Pants (aka. pajamas)” »

February 27, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

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February 26, 2013

Sewing for Men: Men’s Cycling Jersey

Today's Sewing For Men contributor is Carolyn from Fake It While You Make It! She's sharing this awesome cycling jersey she sewed. Wow.

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First of all, I'd like to thank Andrea for inviting me to be part of this series. I am constantly amazed by the fact that someone else would want to hear me babble on about my sewing projects. So thank you, Andrea! And I can't wait to see what the other ladies have made!


Of all the things that I've made over the last decade or so (and there have probably been hundreds), I've made only three things specifically for my husband. I blame this on the fact that I was probably a bit put off when Ben accidentally destroyed the very first thing that I made for him – a knit hat made out of some ridiculously expensive Italian merino yarn that he accidentally threw in in the washing machine thereby shrinking it up to about the size of a yarmulke. Needless to say it was years before I made him something again and when I finally got around to it I was much smarter.

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: Men’s Cycling Jersey” »

February 26, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack (0)

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February 25, 2013

Sewing for Men: Men’s Button Up Shirt

Welcome to the Sewing for Men Series! Kicking us off is Melissa from Melly Sews with this wonderful men’s button up shirt! It’s perfect and she wants to know if you want the pattern for it. Read on!

Men's Button Up Shirt by Melly Sews

Hello, Train to Crazy readers! Today I’m here to talk about the fun and challenges of sewing for men.

I’m Melissa, and I blog over at Melly Sews

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: Men’s Button Up Shirt” »

February 25, 2013 in Home & Fashion, Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)

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February 24, 2013

Sewing for MEN: a miniseries

I'm very excited for this week. We're kicking of a special Sewing for MEN series. Four bloggers sewing for our husbands. If you google "sew for men" or search on Pinterest you won't find much. So we're going to create content! We're sewing for men. And we want you to join us. Read on…

This week's posts so far:

men's button up shirt
men's cycling jersey
men's after dinner pants
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Our lovely contributors this week:

Kicking of the week on Monday is Melissa! She blogs at Melly Sews and is an amazing pattern designer. You can see all her designs at her store, Blank Slate Patterns. If you haven't had the privilege of sewing one of Melissa's patterns then let me tell you, they are very good. You'll never be sorry you purchased one. She thinks of every detail!


These are 4 of her patterns. The green dress is the Little Bow Pleat dress. The little boy is in the Trendy Tuxedo Pants and Shirt as well as the Blank Slate Blazer. The purple dress is the Tiny Bubbles dress. With Easter coming you'll want to snap these up! How do I know she does impecable work? Because you can buy any of these at Go To Patterns and I don't allow bad patterns in my shop!!

Melissa's blog is FULL of wonderful inspiration. She also is great about sharing free tutorials and patterns. I'm not sure how she gets it all done!! Some of my favorite tutorials:

  • Color Blocked Draped Shirt for women (with free pattern)
  • Gatsby Hat (with free pattern)– Is anyone else super excited about the movie??? I cannot wait!
  • How to Dye Fabric– She dyed the fabric in those dresses above. Aren't they gorgeous??
  • Twin Needle Tips– I have to say, there is really only one thing that makes me run screaming into the other room when it comes to sewing. And that is twin needles. This is a must read post.

Melissa drafted a men's button down shirt for her husband and I CAN'T wait to share it with you am so glad I could share it with you. She's AMAZING! Thanks for being a part of this series, Melissa! If you don't already follow her blog please go do so. You might also want to follow her on Pinterest.

Next up is Carolyn from Fake It While You Make It. She sews a lot for her two adorable daughters and herself. I pretty much drool over everything Carolyn makes. They're all perfect and I always love her fabric choices. But it was THIS shirt that earns her a gold star in my book. And that post earns her husband the Blogger Husband of the Decade award. I hope you clicked over to see it. If you didn't. Go see it now. It's here. In case you missed it.

Now, wipe the tears from your eyes. What did you think?

And she knits.

(your ovaries just did a little flutter didn't they?)

And she quilts.


On Tuesday Carolyn will be showing off showed off the cycling jersey she made for her husband. Say what?? That's right. You won't want to miss this! If you haven't added Carolyn's blog to your blog reader yet go ahead and do that. You'll be happy you did. And follow her on Pinterest too while you're at it.

Wednesday we have the prolific and always hilarious, Rachael, from Imagine Gnats. Rachael made men's "after dinner pants" for this series. Definitely go see. You've most likely seen Rachael's sewing around the web. She's now famous for her Raccoon movement. We had a bit of a discussion last year about how fun it would be to start a new trend and I'm pretty sure Rachael has single handed-ly done it. These raccoon elbow patches are probably my favorite. Rachael sews a lot for herself, home and her adorable girls but she's also really active in the sewing community. She's a guest and contributor everywhere and is currently hosting the Covert Robin gift exchange. There's still a couple days to sign up if you are interested!

She has tons of free tutorials but this Madeleine Bag is one of my favorites. Simple and lovely.

A handful of my favorite projects on Imagine Gnats:

  • The Cathedral Window Remix quilt block tutorial. If you quilt you'll want to see this.
  • Dottie Dino– a taggie softie that is just perfect for any baby. You'll want to make a few as gifts.
  • Her first cross stitch pattern– Is there anything she doesn't do??
  • When I met Rachael at Sewing Summit she was wearing THIS Washi Dress. It's the best Washi I've seen yet.

If you aren't following Imagine Gnats yet, please go do so! You can also follow her on Pinterest.

Thursday I'll be sharing! I haven't started yet but I'm making some shorts. Let's all say a quick prayer that they go well. I work best under pressure but this is cutting it a little close!

How about you?? Will you take the Sewing For Men challenge and make something this week?? I'd love if you'd join us! You're not behind, considering I haven't started yet. Sew it up then write a blog post or email me a photo and I'll feature it on Friday!

UPDATE: I've started a Sew for Men Flickr group! If you'd like, join the group and add photos of anything you've sewn for a man so we can all get inspiration! Find the Sew for Men Flickr group here.

February 24, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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February 23, 2013

K.I.D.S.

I'm so honored to be a part of the current K.I.D.S series at Me Sew Crazy! It's all about having kids design their own clothes. I love it and I love the great designs they're all coming up with!

I had my oldest daughter, Naomi, design her own outfit for this challenge. Hop on over to Me Sew Crazy to see what she was making here:

She was so proud of herself. And her work was excellent! Great job, Naomi!

February 23, 2013 in DIY, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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February 18, 2013

Sewing for SPRING!

I've been working away like crazy sewing for Spring. Unfortunately, none of it is ready to present yet. BUT, if you take a look at my photo journal you'll catch a few peeks. Follow along on instagram if you're interested.

I've been using this girl overtime.


Whenever I make a new pattern I test it and test it myself. I didn't want to change my serger thread this weekend so I now have 5 garments that match that thread. Good thing it's one of my favorite colors.

And speaking of that machine, I highly recommend a Baby Lock if you use a serger a lot. The stitches are always perfect. It is easy to thread and switching between stitches is a snap. And I'm not paid to say that. I had a different brand before this one and it was not that enjoyable to use. This girl is SO fun. They aren't cheap but if you're willing to invest this is the way to go.

Do you have a serger? What do you like about your serger?

Social Media Friends will be back next week!

February 18, 2013 in Sewing | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

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February 14, 2013

Zipper Pouch Tutorial and Pattern Roundup

If you're participating in She's Worth It you'll want to head over to our She's Worth It Pinterst Board to check out the great tutorials we've rounded up. Tons of bracelets and zipper pouches. *as a side note, if you want to do some sort of magnetic snap pouch/bag, that's totally OK!*

Here are some of the zipper pouches you'll find on the Pinterest Board right now.

Source: theadventuresofbluegirlxo.blogspot.com via Andrea on Pinterest

Continue reading “Zipper Pouch Tutorial and Pattern Roundup” »

February 14, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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January 08, 2013

Linen and leather padfolio

Have you ever made a gift that you wanted to keep? I had a really hard time taking this one to the post office. I sewed this linen and leather padfolio for Heather from The Sewing Loft for a gift exchange. She's a pen and paper gal and this padfolio sewing pattern was just the thing for a legal pad, pen and some business cards. An all around great notepad cover pattern.

Linen-and-leather-padfolio

Pattern: Padfolio by Rachael from Imagine Gnats

Continue reading “Linen and leather padfolio ” »

January 08, 2013 in DIY, Sewing , Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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January 04, 2013

January sewing list

Now that my Christmas sewing is over I'm getting ready to start a new list. I tend to put 4x as many things on my list as is actually possible. Am I the only one that does that?? Well here's my too full January "just for fun" sewing list.

  1. Skinny Jeans. I can't believe I've never gotten around to these yet. They've been on my list since September.
  2. Scarves for the girls. These aren't necessary at all here. But they're still on the list.
  3. Finish our Advent Jesse Tree I made a year ago. I ran out of thread 2" before the end of the project and never finished it. I'm determined to finish before I pack it away for the year.
  4. A Blank Slate Basics blazer. I got the paper pattern and I'm very excited to get started.

Blank-slate-patterns

I love this fabric. It's wool from the fabric district.
Blank-slate
The pattern is very well done. It is so highly recommended I can't wait to start!

On top of this I'm working on a few patterns and some other fun projects and a new website! GoToSew.com is now live! I'm very excited about this. Go To Sew is the official blog of Go To Patterns. There will be fun sewing contests you can apply for and I'm also looking for contributors so please apply if you're interested!

What is on your list this month?

January 04, 2013 in Sewing | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

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December 31, 2012

The year end post where I realize how many of these I never blogged about.

Now that we've done our Top 12 Lists it's time for a year in sewing. Well, some of it. I didn't blog a lot of it so you might see something new. And a few outtakes. Like this one. Gorgeous scenery, perfect light.

zip up jumper
This was the first week of Project Run & Play. I loved this jumper. She never wore it again.

Hats for sale outfit
Week two was my favorite. It was boy week. A little known fact: that's my girl. You know which book this is from?

simple valentines skirt
Valentine's Day last minute outfit for pink day at school. You can never go wrong with a simple skirt. I don't know if I blogged this or not.

toy car play mat
I made this cute car play mat from the Sewing for Boys book. I later made the garage tutorial.

gathered duvet or quilt tutorial
I made over my daughter's room for her 7th birthday. This is her coming home from school to find it. Find the duvet tutorial here. The wall gallery tutorial is here.

colorful frame wall
I never blogged this but I did a frame wall as well. Notice the canvas that wasn't finished.

Continue reading “The year end post where I realize how many of these I never blogged about.” »

December 31, 2012 in DIY, Home & Fashion, Sewing , Year End Wrap Up | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

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December 20, 2012

A cape for women?

When I first started working on sewing capes for my girls I had a few people ask if I could make one for women. I laughed a little, thinking I couldn't imagine myself in a cape. Then the cape sewing pattern for girls was a hit and it got me thinking about capes for adults again.

Then this happened.


It turns out I like capes! This one is made from wool and lined with a woven cotton.

Cape for women-2814

But the hood is lined with my precious Liberty print I'm currently in love with. I also used it in the embroidery hoop sewing kit.
Cape for women-2810

I wore it out in our "frigid" winter weather last night and it kept me warm. Yay for capes! The Go To Cape for Women sewing pattern is now available if you want to make one as well! You can check the website for details.

Would you wear a cape?

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December 20, 2012 in DIY, Go To Cape, Go To Patterns, Home & Fashion, Sewing , Sewing for women | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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December 19, 2012

Embroidery hoop sewing kit

I made this cute little gift a while back. It's perfect for gift for anyone who sews (or is learning!). A little sewing kit in an embroidery hoop. It's also a great way to use bits of your favorite fabric. I had seen different types of embroidery hoop sewing kits online but none of them were quite what I wanted. So this embroidery hoop sewing kit was birthed. This isn't much of a tutorial but you can get an ide of how it's made just from the photos.

Continue reading “Embroidery hoop sewing kit” »

December 19, 2012 in DIY, Sewing , Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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December 13, 2012

Video chat about sewing patterns

I had the privilege of having a little video chat with Lindsay (Craft Buds, Lindsay Sews), Heather (The Sewing Loft) and Jessica (Sew Set, Me Sew Crazy) the other night. We talked all about designing and selling sewing patterns. If you're intersted in that topic you should check it out. It's not a quick video but it was a lot of fun! Thanks for organizing Lindsay!

December 13, 2012 in Sewing | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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December 12, 2012

DIY chair back covers: a how-to tutorial

Today is a fun DIY chair back cover tutorial from Sarah of Sewing Parts Online. These are so great! I love the reverse appliqúe and the great nametag holder! What a fun idea for holiday parties. If you skip the tree they make great year round chair back covers.

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah from Sewing Parts Online and I'm so happy to be sharing with The Train to Crazy! Make your holiday dinner even more festive with these christmas tree Chair Back Covers! These are much easier to make than full chair covers and much less expensive. If you have a big family dinner, you'll really enjoy the name card holders! Make your own name cards with decorative paper and rub-on calligraphy. I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did!



Continue reading “DIY chair back covers: a how-to tutorial” »

December 12, 2012 in Christmas, DIY, Sewing , sewing for house | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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