Hey Everyone!
Here is the pattern I picked for Nancy Zieman’s Sew Knits with Confidence Blog Tour. But I haven’t picked which version. Be sure to check back on April 23rd and tell me what you think of the ‘final result’! All comments will be entered to win Nancy Zieman’s Sew Knits with Confidence book AND 4 patterns!
Judging strictly by the photo I wonder if I’ll have any bodice/bust issues. Hmmm. To be continued….
Anyone have problems with knits and bust adjustments? Please let me know!
Hello,
I’m excited to announce that Sew News is a part of the Nancy Zieman’s Sew Knits with Confidence Blog Tour! Many talented bloggers are a part of her tour, which starts today! Check out what Nancy is doing here. as she kicks of the tour. You will also find a list of bloggers and the dates that they will show their final knit garment. I’m thrilled to be a part of this and I can’t wait to show you what pattern I picked and how it all turned out!
I love sewing with knits and the blog tour is a great way to see how Nancy’s patterns work on different body types and different knit materials. If you are new to sewing with knits this is a great opportunity to learn tips and techniques to sew knits confidently and expand your wardrobe too.
Come back on Tuesday April 23rd and leave a comment on how you think my design turned out. Those that make a comment will be in the running for Nancy Zieman’s new book Nancy Zieman Sew Knits with Confidence AND a set of 4 Nancy Zieman’s knit patterns to get you started!
Jill
Good afternoon,
Can’t forget to announce the latest winner of Free Stuff Friday! On Friday we asked what type of quilting do you like to do. Everyone has a favorite but so many of you love to experiment. It’s hard to just do one type of quilting with so much inspiration around. For Free Stuff Friday the winner is Mary! Mary has won the book Modern Minimal: 20 Bold & Graphic Quilts by Alissa Haight Carlton.
Mary said:
Modern for me, please. The first quilts I made (as a teen in the 70′s) were modern, and I didn’t even know it. Clean, simple lines, and mostly solid colors, even though I was using traditional patterns. When I got older, and had more exposure, I moved to “Amish” quilts, with the dark and bright palettes. Now my preference has a name and new ideas, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!
Thanks so much Mary and everyone for tuning in and making such great comments about quilting and sewing.
Be sure to check out our earlier post on National Serger Month. There are projects, tips and you can find out how to enter to win a Baby Lock Serger!
Mary, please be sure to send your mailing address to: info@sewnews.com so we can get your book out to you.
Happy Sewing!
Jill
Yes, you need a serger! When I bought my serger over 10 years ago I absolutely fell in love with it and really wonder how I ever did without it. If you are a prolific seamstress or sewist a serger can really take you to the next sewing level. Here is a short list of a few things I love about my serger. Plus a little advice on what to look out for if you decide to buy a serger.
What a serger can do for you
The serger is an invaluable compliment to your sewing machine.
Tips
I could never give up my sewing machine, but giving up my serger, no way. There will always be enough room at the table for both.
How about you? What have I missed about the greatness of a serger? Do you have any tips you would like to share?
To celebrate National Serger Month enter to win a win a fabulous Baby Lock ExtraordinAir Threading Serger and one-year subscription to Sew News!
Demonstrated on Sew it All TV episode 310 create this beautiful serged crochet lace doily. Find all the directions and how-tos here!
Stay tuned for new serger posts on the Sew News blog and Faceboook page each week of April!
Visit NationalSergerMonth.org to find lots of fun free projects and tutorials.
Happy serging!
Happy Friday!
Spring is not taking a foothold yet, and looks like more snow is on the way. What better way to pass a snowy day than to be sewing. For Friday’s Giveaway check out Modern Minimal: 20 Bold & Graphic Quilts. This book is hard to part with. I love the modern take on quilting. Each of these projects will give a contemporary look to any room in the house. These quilts would be beautiful on a bed, over a sofa any where in the home. There are 20 projects each with 2 different options. These designs are perfect for solid fabrics. And, please if you win this book do us all a favor and post a creation on Sewing District. I would love to see the results of this most coveted book!
To enter is easy. Just answer the following question in the comment section below.
What type or style of quilting do you prefer? Are you a modernist, with a love for simple designs or are you a traditionalist who favors the vintage appliqued work or strictly do pieced quilts. Maybe you prefer jell rolls to sampler quilts. Are art quilts where it’s at for you? Or maybe, like me you haven’t really ventured into quilting but would love to do so. Please let me know!
Answer the question in the comments below and I will pick one random commenter as the winner!
And be sure to check our posts on charitable sewing! Sewists of all shapes and levels are need to help Operation Slumber Party reach their goal!
Thank you so much for reading and sewing!
Jill
Not that sewing those yoga pants isn’t for a good cause but, if you are looking for ways to put your sewing skills to a more charitable use Operation Slumber Party & Light Up The Night Campaign are looking for seamstresses and sewists of all types to help make their goal of making 1000 pillowcases.
This event is inspired by Josh Weil who lost his battle with cancer, the family does something special in his name every year. Josh died when he was 3 and 2013 is the tenth anniversary of his passing. The family wanted to do something big and helpful to other sick children and families. An idea was born to make pillowcases for the Children’s Hospital of Minneapolis, Minnesota In Memory of Josh Weil.
Josh’s sister Grace who is in the 2nd grade is helping spearhead this campaign of getting 1000 pillowcases made. And, this is where all the lovely and awesome seamstresses and sewists out there come in!
Here is what you can do.
Next, go to their website where all the details, specifications and other information is. If you are in their area they have local drop boxes and sew-alongs too!
Not in the area, here is the address where you can send your completed pillowcase. (Please mail in pillowcases by May 15th 2013 to the address below.)
Operation Slumber Party
6117 Heritage Circle
Golden Valley, MN 55422
Want to do more? On their website there is a list of things you can do or donate.They are always in need of thread and fabric. Also, Josh loved playing at night with flashlights while in the hospital. They are taking donations of new flashlights or fun night lights to help Light Up The Night!
Please visit their Facebook page for updates, photos and more!
Check in again, we’ll post photos from the event and see if they got to their goal. I’m betting they’re going to surpass it!
We’re celebrating the first-ever National Serger Month all throughout April, sharing tips, techniques and tutorials to help you get the most out of your serger. Most sewists know that sergers are a great tool for finishing seams, but they have so many other helpful and handy applications for all sorts of projects.
I LOVE my serger and one of my favorite ways to use it is to create a rolled hem. A rolled hem makes a tidy and professional-looking edge for napkins and tablecloths, and is also quick and easy to stitch on a serger. You can also use a rolled hem to create a delicate edge-finish on a lightweight fabric, or use it to inconspicuously apply lace or other trim to the fabric edge. Here’s a close-up on a basic 3-thread serger rolled hem from the right side:
The hem is very narrow in width and the serger actually rolls the fabric edge under the tiniest bit to prevent fraying. Here’s a view of the wrong side, where you can see the rolled effect:
To create a rolled hem on your serger, first consult your manual to find out the correct rolled hem settings for the machine. Practice serging the rolled hem on a mediumweight woven fabric, such as quilting cotton, to get a feel for the way the different settings affect the stitch. The serger I’m using has a dial that allows you to select a rolled hem (as opposed to a standard serger overlock hem) and a Stitch Selector that engages the correct settings for the desired stitch, which in this case is “D”. This ensures that the thread will form around the “stitch finger” to create the rolled effect on the fabric:
Stitch finger:
One of the most important considerations when using a serger is the differential feed. Sergers have two sets of feed dogs (rather than a standard machine, which has one set), so you can change the speed of each feed-dog set depending on the fabric type and the effect that you want to create. For a non-stretch woven fabric, start with the differential feed on neutral or zero. This means that both sets of feed dogs are moving at the same speed.
Engage the cutting knife to neatly trim away the correct amount from the fabric edge as you serge. Once all of the settings are correct, serge for a few inches to create a thread chain. This allows the threads to form a rolled hem stitch that neatly grabs the fabric edge. Insert your test-fabric scrap, and serge the edge:
When serging a rolled hem on a corner, start each edge with a thread chain. Carefully trim away the thread chains and apply a small drop of seam sealant to prevent the stitch from unraveling.
Once you’ve mastered a basic rolled hem, you can use the same stitch to create a variety of decorative effects and trims. To quickly and easily add lace trim, place the lace straight edge along the fabric edge with right sides together, and then serge, catching both edges in the rolled hem stitch:
Fold and press the lace away from the fabric. The rolled hem is secure enough to hold the lace but is still very delicate and inconspicuous.
Another great rolled-hem technique is a lettuce edge, often seen on little girls’ garments. For a lettuce edge, use a knit fabric. The stretch in the fabric helps the fabric curl and create that cute lacy, ruffly effect. The key to creating a lettuce edge is the differential feed. Instead of using the neutral setting, reduce the differential feed to the lowest setting.
Reducing the differential feed slows down the front set of feed dogs in comparison to the back set, stretching the fabric edge and smooshing the stitches. Start with a thread chain, and insert the fabric edge along the direction of greatest stretch. Serge, gently stretching the fabric in front of and behind the feed dogs to start producing that curly effect:
All ruffled up:
These are just a few of the fun techniques you can do with a serger! Stay tuned for a new serger posts on the Sew News blog and Faceboook page each week of April, and don’t miss the chance to win a fabulous Baby Lock ExtraordinAir Threading Serger and one-year subscription to Sew News! How cool is that? Visit NationalSergerMonth.org to find lots of fun free projects and tutorials. And to take part in the fun on your own blog, grab the National Serger Month Badge to share the serger love! Happy serging!
For Free Stuff Friday Giveaway Kathy U. was randomly chosen as this week’s winner!
Kathy U had a little efficiency but made room for her sewing machine after she “cleaned and cleaned”. I’m sure these new books will brighten up her present home! Congratulations Kathy U! Please check your email and send us your mailing address so we can get these out to you!
And, be sure to stop by this coming Friday for another round of Free Stuff Friday!
Spring is here and it’s time to brighten up your home with handmade soft furnishings. Both books are from Better Homes and Gardens Creative Collection and offer projects for every room in the house. The projects are stylish and cost-conscious and a perfect way to jazz up your home or office.
All you have to do to enter in this giveaway is post your answer to our question in the comment section below.
Question: What was your first ‘home’ ? Was it a cute apartment, a house in the suburbs? What did you do to make it home?
Post your answer to our question in the comment section below.
We’ll randomly select a winner on Monday. Until then, enjoy the weekend!
Tomorrow I’m headed to Schaumburgh, IL for the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo, where I’ll be stitching up a storm with everyone in the Make-It Center! One of the projects we’ll be making is this very fun and very simple infinity scarf I designed for Sew it All, Volume 3.
For the scarf featured in the magazine, I used two contrasting strips of polyester/spandex jersey, which drapes really well. However, both knits and wovens work equally well for making the scarf. In the Make-It Center, we’re using Amy Butler’s new Alchemy Studio Collection, which comes in a variety of cotton woven fabrics, including voile, sateen and velveteen. We’re seeing lots of prints being mixed together this spring, so it’s a fun opportunity to showcase a couple of pretty fabrics. Or, you can make it all in one print for a more subtle look.
Here’s our lovely Graphic Designer Erin modeling one of the finished scarves made from one strip of voile and one strip of sateen:
So pretty! If you can’t make it Schaumburg to stitch an infinity scarf of your own in the Make-It Center this weekend, here are the step-by-step instructions. It’s easy enough to sew in less than 30 minutes, and there’s really only one little trick to hiding all the raw edges, which I’ll show you below!
Supplies
Instructions
*Use 1/2″ seam allowances.
Align the strips with right sides together; pin. Stitch the long edges, leaving a 4″ opening along one long edge for turning. Leave the opening somewhere near the center.Don’t stitch the short edges. Press open the seams, but don’t turn the scarf right side out.
Okay, here’s where the little trick comes in! Reach inside the tube from one end and grab the other end. Start pulling the scarf inside itself with right sides together.
Pull the scarf inside itself until you match up the two short edges. Make sure the seams are aligned and the scarf isn’t twisted. The tube will be folded in half inside itself and the right sides will be together.
Here’s how the matched-up raw edges should look:
We’re almost done! Stitch the matched-up short edges all the way around.
Now, the fun part: pull the scarf all the way out through the opening you left along one long edge. All of the seam allowances are enclosed! Fold and press the opening edges 1/2″ toward the wrong side, and then stitch the opening closed. You can stitch it closed using a hand slipstitch, or you can edgestitch it on the machine using matching or invisible thread.
Your infinity scarf is ready to wear! It’s a nice versatile accessory for spring, and it also makes a great gift for all ages. Double it up or just wear it long for a different look:
If you’re in the Chicago area, be sure to stop by the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo this Thursday through Saturday at the Schaumburg Convention Center to say hello or make a project with me. For more information, check the schedule of events here. I can’t wait to meet you!
