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!

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 […]

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!

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

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!!

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.
When looking for fabrics for children think about the drape and weight. When shopping online, check their suggestions for the fabric. If it says it suggests the fabric to be used for home decor, skip it.

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.

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 […]

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. Use this dress pattern to be any princess or even a Tinkerbelle costume.

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!

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. […]