In case you need another reason to get stitching, September is officially National Sewing Month! This year, the Sewing & Craft Alliance and the American Sewing Guild are hosting a special NSM contest centered on the theme “Reuse, Remake, Recycle.” Use recycled or repurposed materials to sew up something spectacular, and you could win a prize package and bragging rights when your project is featured on the NSM and ASG Web sites. But hurry–entries are due by September 30th!

Recently, my friend Pam has been hinting that she wants to learn to sew. So I thought, what better time to share my know-how than during a month devoted especially to sewing? For our first “lesson” last week, I invited Pam to the fabric store to pick out a pattern and supplies for her first sewing project–very exciting! At first, Pam thought she wanted to make a simple dress, but as we perused the pattern books, we decided to start with a comfy pair of pajama pants (Butterick 4037) instead. I think that easy non-garment projects, like aprons, pjs, tote bags, etc., are good for beginners to tackle because they can pick out fun printed fabric and not be too concerned if all the seams are straight, etc.

The pattern calls for flannel fabric, so Pam had lots of fun choosing from all the goofy flannel options. She eventually chose a hilarious blue shark print–so ferocious! We found some matching thread (appropriately named “September Sky”), which is the only notion we need to complete the pants. Here’s a sneak peek at Pam’s supplies (Sewing Sidekick Reno seems suspicious of the scary sharks):

This week we’ll probably cut out the pattern pieces and actually do some stitching. As I looked at the pattern instructions, I started thinking about how to best explain all the different pattern terms and symbols. I think that the trickiest part of teaching will be remembering to explain everything that we sewers take for granted. I’ve sewn for 10+ years, so it can be hard to think back to when all that stuff seemed like a foreign language. I can’t wait to get started, though–it was great seeing Pam’s excitement as she realized the potential she’ll have to make anything she wants. Stay tuned for updates as Pam completes her first project!

Have you ever taught someone else to sew? I’d love to hear any teaching advice or pointers!

Last night I went to the Sewing 101 class. I arrived at JoAnn 30 minutes early so I could purchase the class supplies (1 yard of fabric and 1/2 yard of fusible interfacing). I went to the classroom and sat down next to a woman who was talking with the instructor, Jen. The woman had sewn in the past, but she was there for a refresher course. There was another woman there who had never touched a sewing machine in her life.

When the class started, Jen introduced various sewing notions such as a seam ripper, seam gauge, transfer paper, tape measures, scissors and more. She then showed us how to adhere fusible interfacing, although we never actually used it.

We made a drawstring bag using the purchased fabric, zigzag stitches and straight stitches. The project was simple. Although I had a lot of fun, I didn’t really learn anything new (as far as sewing). But I did learn some new things about my sewing machine! Jen showed me a lot of cool tools that came with my machine. I’m actually excited to try them!

The best part of the class was when the woman who had never touched a sewing machine in her life finished her bag. She was so proud of herself!

We can all remember the first project we made and the great feeling that accompanied the accomplishment. When you learn how to sew, you look at everything in a different light. You see a shirt and think, “I could make that!” Or you see a cute bag and you want to get home and sit at your sewing machine. Inspiration comes in so many forms. Last night, that woman inspired me because she showed me how far I have come with sewing in such a short time. Whenever I finish a project, I get excited to learn and make more.

Like the rest of us sewers, that lady stepped into the addictive world of sewing … and she’s not turning back!

Check out the simple drawstring bag I made:

Even though I didn’t really learn anything new, I really enjoyed the class, as I love sewing. It was relaxing and fun, but I think I’ll have to sign up for Sewing 201, which includes more in-depth garment making using a pattern. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my next sewing education endeavor.

The last time I took a formal sewing class was in 11th grade. I learned how to insert elastic (I made a pair of boxer shorts), how to use double-fold bias tape (I made and finished a bag) and various hand sewing techniques. Since then, I’ve stitched some here and there (I’ve made a lot of bags), and even more so in the last few months working for Sew News magazine! But I feel like there’s still so much to learn. (Experts and amateurs alike can always learn a thing or two more about their craft.)

To help me get caught up, I’ll be taking the Sewing 101 class at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores. It’s a two and half hour-long session that teaches basic sewing techniques. Some of it will be review for me, but I’m hoping to take away a lot from the class. Working with Beth and Ellen inspires me to learn more about the creative and technical sides of sewing. With this job, it helps to have a background in writing and editing, but I know it will help even more to have a strong knowledge of the sewing lingo.

I booked my spot in the class and I’m waiting by the mailbox for my supply list. We have to bring our own sewing machine to the class as well.

I’ll keep you updated with all I learn at my first sewing class!

Stay tuned…

I really love finding new online sewing resources. Our friends at Coats & Clark have started a cool blog, Sewing Secrets, that features handy sewing information as well as fun project ideas and tutorials.

C&C boasts an impressive 90 year history in the sewing biz, and their experts have tons of  tips to pass on.  Check out the excellent  photo tutorial that shows you how the steps to creating exposed zipper pocket. I think it would be fun to try this technique on a bag or jacket using a bright contrasting color zipper for pop. Can’t wait to find out more secrets from C&C!

Hurray! The October/November ‘09 Sew News will be arriving in a mailbox or on a newsstand near you very soon. One of our favorite contributors, Stacy Schlyer of stacysews.com, created the Candy Cauldron project featured on the cover. I think it’s a really cute and original Halloween decorating idea, not to mention that you can download it here for free!

Personally, I can’t wait to start brainstorming Halloween costume ideas. I love making costumes because, unlike everyday clothing, there’s really no limit to how elaborate, sparkly and over-the-top they can be. As I looked through our costume pattern review, I got even more excited when I saw this ridiculously cute dog costume from Kwik Sew (3629):

All together now: Aaaaaaaaaaaawwwww.

Well, last winter I adopted my little sewing sidekick, Reno, so this will be our first Halloween together. This means that some sort of spooky get-up is definitely in order. Here’s a picture of Reno sans costume:

I think Reno would look pretty great in just about anything, so it’s going to be hard to make up my mind what to sew for her. I also checked out Simplicity’s pet costume offerings and came across these cute little numbers:

How will I ever decide? Should Reno be a scary vampire? A ferocious lion? The Canine Queen of Rock ‘n Roll? Cast your vote below!

August seems to have so many birthdays. As our little gift to you, there’s free shipping in the store until tomorrow.Just enter the code  FREE-SHIP-OFFR at checkout.

With all these birthdays, I’ve been busy making a few little gifts. Last week was my friend Katie’s birthday. Here’s the Log Cabin potholder I made for her, using inspiration from the Log Cabin apron in Sew News April/May ‘09.

Next up is my little sister Tess’ birthday. Tess will be turning the big 1-8 tomorrow (little tear).  It seems like just yesterday she was playing dress-up, “borrowing” my makeup and generally annoying me. Seriously, though, I’m so proud of her. Here she is with a special strawberry birthday cupcake that was almost too pretty to eat:

I made this card for her using a recycled file folder and some fabric scraps. I embellished the front with some hand stitched flourishes in pink embroidery floss. I got the idea from the cool holiday cards featured in Sew Simple, Volume 11, which has lots of tips for sewing on paper.

Happy birthday, lil’ sis!

It’s taken me a while to organize my photos from the American Sewing Guild Conference, which took place July 16 to 18 in Albuquerque. There was so much to do and I wanted to share it all with you, so there may be a few blog installments for this event…

First off, Albuquerque is a great city. When I arrived, I was told that the Sandia Peak Tram (the largest tramway in North America) was the thing to do. So I took a short drive to Sandia Peak and got right on the tram with one of our frequent contributors. Here are some highlights:

It took 15 minutes to get to the peak and 15 minutes back down. We ate at a great Mexican joint after the ride. They sure do have fantastic Mexican food in New Mexico!

With one tourist attraction under my belt, it was time to get serious about the conference.

Day one was a lot of classes taught by some of the best in the business. I sat in on Sandra Betzina’s jacket fitting class. It was almost standing room only! Sandra had great tips to share and everyone left the class with newfound knowledge, and a new couture-fit jacket pattern to boot.

I also attended Linda Lee’s class: Great Style at Any Age. Linda showcased garments from her pattern collections and had audience members try things on to see what styles fit their bodies best. The ladies were amazed by what they thought would look good, and what actually looked the best on their figures.

Then it was time for the fashion show. Stay tuned for more photos and stories from that event!

Thanks for reading,

Ellen

Last Friday was my good friend Katie’s birthday and, in addition to a pretty bottle of pink champagne, I wanted to give her something handmade. Lately I’ve been noticing some sewers, including fabric designer Denyse Schmidt, doing very cool things with the very classic and very easy log cabin quilting design. The basic block begins with a central square, and then strips are stitched in sequence around the square. I think Denyse’s beautiful quilt below will make you see tons of new potential in your fabric stash!

This reminded me of a great stashbuster project we featured in the April/May Sew News.  Designer Erin Gilday used a basic log cabin block to create the pocket for this very cute apron:

I had quite a few fabric scraps on hand to make a gift for Katie, but not much time, so rather than stitching the entire apron, I just followed the basic concept for stitching the apron pocket. Then, I layered the log cabin block with batting and backing fabric to make a quick and cute potholder. As a finishing touch, I appliqued the letter “K” on the center square for a bit of personalization.  I love when one idea leads to another, and can’t wait to experiment making more projects with the basic log cabin idea as a starting point. To make your own log cabin apron (or potholder!), you can get the April/May ‘09 issue of Sew News here. Don’t forget to send us pictures of what you make!

If you’re ever wondering whether a store bought present or handmade gift is better, I guarantee handmade will always win. Last night was my friend’s wedding. She really wanted a heart-shaped ring bearer pillow. It was sort of a last minute project for me, and with everything going on at work, I wasn’t sure how I would find the time to make one. So on my lunch break, I called a bunch of stores to see if they carried heart-shaped ring bearer pillows. Some stores had never heard of heart-shaped pillows, some only carried squares and others simply didn’t carry them at all.

I knew I didn’t want to show up with a store-bought square (especially when she wanted a heart), but with time creeping closer and closer to the wedding, I had to do something. I searched through past Sew News issues for ideas and found a heart-shaped pincushion pattern in the Feb/Mar ‘09 issue. Before going home, I enlarged it 100% on the copier and stopped by a fabric store to pick up white satin and ribbon (and a premade square pillow just in case). I had 45 minutes to construct a heart pillow from the time I got home to the time I had to leave for the ceremony. I was frazzled and frantic. I was sweating—literally. But I knew that this would be so much more special than simply handing her the purchased backup pillow.

I quickly—albeit patiently—constructed the heart pillow, filled it, hand sewed the open end and tied a ribbon to the center button. I finished … and with 15 minutes to spare! I proudly brought it to the wedding (along with the premade pillow as a backup) and gave it to the bride. She said it was beautiful.

I knew that my hard work paid off. And even though that pillow wasn’t really seen by anybody but the bride, and it wasn’t really in any pictures, and she may never use it again, I know that that handmade token helped make her special day even more wonderful.

Handmade is always the way to go … even if you purchase a backup (just in case).

To download the free heart pattern, click here

Do you have any funny memories about making something last minute? Share them! Comment below.

Last Friday, I helped out my friend Tran Wills of The Fabric Lab by judging the first ever Style Wars competition at the Denver Art Museum. The event was part of the DAM’s “Untitled” series, taking place the last Friday of the month throughout the summer. The talented–and brave–local designers participated in a fun and frenetic Project Runway-style design competition in which they were given a rack of assorted vintage clothing and other materials and about 30 minutes to create something fabulous to flaunt down the runway. As the fabric, feathers and faux fur started flying and the sewing machines started whirring, the packed-in crowd got to watch the designers live as they stitched up their original ensembles.

Each designer did a great job and had a totally different point of view, so it was incredibly hard for us judges to pick a winner. After we tallied up the points, designer Mondo Guerra came out on top with his super-cute mod black-and-white dress with bell sleeves. I also loved Melissa May’s cute asymmetrical red party dress (below) and Kotomi Yoshida’s very unique menswear. Awesome!

Check out more pics of the event here.