2011… What a YEAR!

Posted on December 31, 2011 by

I have to say last year at this time I knew change was coming… but you never really know until it actually arrive just where it might go. We had some huge & wonderful changes this year with the birth of baby number 4 on ground hogs day. Parker has been such a blessing I can’t imagine not having him underfoot non-stop! I can’t believe that this was almost 1 year ago.

That being said all that wonderful change was a lot more involved then I had remembered it being almost 4 years before that with the twins!  I didn’t get to do as much crafting or blogging this year as I had hoped, but some of what I did do was just amazing!

I had a few favorite projects this year… I loved the Natalie Dresses I made for the twins for Easter which I am very sad to say they have now out grown!  They wore them at least 1-2 times a week all summer long.  I need to make them new ones in the next size up for this coming spring & summer.

I think their Halloween projects were the first real creative mojo I go back after Parker was born.  I had SO much fun and they turned out so amazing, we got some many compliments on them it will be hard to beat next year! ARGH! The twins pirate costumes & Parker Want a Cracker? w/ Mini Tutorial

Then there came the crochet… I have done if for years but this year I rekindled my love for the art :) .  It was something simple that kept my hands busy while I was in my zone out wind down time before bed.  I haven’t had a chance to share my washcloths and dishcloths yet but I did share some beautiful scarves!

Then there are the capes… the hundreds of capes!  I didn’t share a lot of pictures this year because well you have seen them plenty over the last few years.  That being said this holiday season was busy as usual but between the holidays and having undiagnosed strep for 4 weeks I was glad to finish & ship out the last big batch!  This is was 72 capes in process look like!

Now if I could pick one notable thing craft wise from 2011 that I think has permanently changed the future of crafting I would have to say that would be Pinterest!!!  It is like crack fro the creative mind.  It allows you so find, save & look at millions of things at the the click of a mouse & you can organize what you want & need.  This has become such a huge tool it is crazy.  That being said it is also really easy to waste an hour during nap time if your not careful ;) .  Pinterest Got Your Interest?

Even though I haven’t been able to blog as much as I like I have to say thanks to you my blog has really grown!  There are now over 450 email subscribers alone with an average of over 3,000 hits a day & over 1,000,000 hits this year alone! I can’t wait to see what I can do next year.

That being said the last few months have not been great health wise!  We have fought colds & lots of strep throat and just when I think things are better and the year is almost over my little guy suddenly gets a nasty case of croup & bronchitis most likely caused by RSV.  So after 3 hours in the middle of the night on the last day of the year followed by little sleep & lots of phone calls to track down meds on a holiday I am quite happy to see 2011 come to and end and look forward to what is to come in 2012!

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Tutorial: Fabric Backed Yarn Eater Blanket!

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

I have to say Pinterest is a very inspiring & useful tool for the creative mind… it is also like crack & very addictive!  While I have thousands of pins on my boards I have been trying to make at least 1 project a month off of them.  This project was actually completed in a few steps over a month while I was sick with strep, but it is done & well loved!  My inspiration was some fabric backed baby blankets I had seen on there.  I love crocheted blankets… they are soft, cuddly & who doesn’t enjoy wrapping their fingers in them?  The one downside is if they have a lot of holes they can be drafty… this fixes that AND is super cute as well.  You can also us this fabric backing method on a already finished crochet or knit blanket that you have laying around!

I will say this is NOT meant for babies!   The yarn eater blanket is heavy… a great option as a sensory or weighted blanket but I would NOT let a child under 2 sleep with one because of the increased risk of SIDS.  That being said it is a great stroller & car seat blanket or lap blanket for adults.  You can make them bigger you will just need more yarn & wider fabric.

Warning this is the first time I have written out a crochet pattern & honestly I don’t use them often, so I hope this makes sense!  It’s really simple & I think you will get the idea.  Sorry for the few & not so great pictures, I have been sick & I wasn’t paying attention until I had already skipped steps.

SUPPLIES:

  • Size P 11.50mm Crochet Hook
  • 9 6oz Skeins of Worsted Weight (4) Yarn.  I LOVE Caron Simply Soft… it is affordable, soft & durable.  You can do all one color or up to 3 colors.
  • 1 1/2 yards 44″+ wide fabric (I chose flannel)
  • Needle (needs a big enough eye to thread the yarn through but sharp enough point to push through the fabric.)
  • Coordinating thread
  • Scissors
  • Extra Long Stick Pins

CROCHET:

ROW 1: Using 3 strands of yarn at once (see picture above) ch 77.  In the 3rd ch from the end hdc… 1 hdc in all remaining ch. (75hdc) ch 2 & turn.

ROW 2-58: hdc in each hdc all the way across (75hdc) ch 2, turn & repeat.

EDGING: sc around all 4 edges of the blanket to create a nice finished edge.

TO FINISH Tie off ends & weave in tails!

You may do more or less rows depending on how big you want it!  I call it the yarn eater because with the big hook & 3 strands at once it goes quickly for it’s size but it goes through a LOT of yarn.  As written I went through 6 full skeins of yarn & about 1/3 of the last 3 skeins.  If you want to use more then one color you can use 2 or 3 different colors at once, just make sure you have enough in the sets of 3.  This blanket alone is nice, simple & comfy!

FABRIC BACKING:
Carefully with out stretching it lay out you yarn eater blanket over the fabric you choose.  Cute the fabric about 1/4″ bigger then the blanket all around.  Now lay your blanket down on a big flat surface… then lay the fabric down on top with the WRONG SIDE facing the blanket.

Carefully using the extra long stick pins to baste the 2 pieces together then use left over yarn & the needle to tie them together.  This video is a good example of the general idea except there is no batting in this blanket & I used the stick pins instead of safety pins!   How to Tie a Quilt

This next part is a little tricky but pretty easy if you take it slow.  Working your way around the blanket carefully fold the fabric edge UNDER about 1 1/4″ and pin down.  This will leave you with a nice finished edge & about 1″ of the crochet blanket showing on the front :) . Don’t be afraid to use LOTS Of pins it will make sewing it later easier.  Try not to stretch the crochet blanket under neath as it can cause it to look a bit wonky later.  Stand up or step back frequently to make sure your folded under edge is even and straight.  You can try using a ruler but I prefer to eye it.

Time to sew it down!  Using thread colors in the bottom to match the crochet blanket & top thread to match the fabric sew 1/8″ or 1/4″  (I refer 1/8″ but that may be harder for some machines) from the folded edge of the fabric sew the fabric down on all 4 sides. This blanket is thick & not easy to maneuver so I recommend going slow.  Trim your threads & you are DONE!

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Everything Your Mama Made & More! Blog’s 4th Birthday!

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

Today marks this blog’s 4th birthday :) .  As crazy as it seems 4 years ago today I started out with my first post, a small idea & no idea what it would turn into!  Each year traffic growing… 130,318 hits the first year, 505,064 the next & 703,136 last year.  And how about this year well it looks like we will be hitting the 1,000,000 post in 2011 today!!! How awesome is that?  In the last 4 years there have been over 2,340,000 views??? And almost half of them this year alone.

I started blogging simply as a way to easily share my crafty projects with the multiple forums and groups I belong to as well as friends & family.  Then I started adding things here & there and next thing you know I have 450+ people that actually subscribe via email alone to read what I have to say and at least 60+ using wordpress blog reader & many more using other blog readers!  I have to thank all my readers… if you hadn’t been here to read, leave comments & ask questions I would have problem flaked out like I did on my private family blog.  You give me the encouragement to keep on blogging, THANK YOU!!!!

As the years have come & gone I have seen this little project grow… now I look forward to making & doing more with it!  This coming year will be crazy & hectic with lots of changes around our house, but I look forward to sharing them with my readers & hopefully starting to do some even bigger things including drafting my own .pdf patterns to sell online.  I have wanted to do it for a while and it’s still in neutral, so we will see where it goes, but that process should bring about LOTS of sewing to share with my readers.  I know I said this last year ;) but having another baby in the house after almost 4 years through me through a bit of a loop.  So here I go again and this time I will succeed!

I hope your Christmas or other holidays went well and have a safe & happy New Year everyone!

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Everything Your Mama Made & More on Facebook!

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

It’s been 2 years since I lasted posted this, & even though I have the widget on the side bar now I thought I would share the link since the sidebar is only on the main page & we have gotten SO many more readers the last 2 years.

I use this to keep small updates between posts as well as to better interact with my blog readers. Also the discussions tool should be a nice way for blog readers to communicate between themselves as well!  To if you are on facebook come join me!  Just click ‘like’ to become a fan.

Become a fan of Everything Your Mama Made & More!  on Facebook… Click Here!

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Getting Started: Patterns & Tutorials!

Posted on December 28, 2011 by

A huge advantage to the digital age is that we are no longer limited to the ‘Big3/4′ tissue patterns you find in stores.  Not only are their unlimited numbers of free tutorials but there are also many eBooks or .pdf patterns you can download & print off at home instantly!  There are also great books that offer a variety of patterns as well as other sewing & technique information.

EBOOKS & .PDFS:
I will say the one down side to eBooks is anyone can write them and they are NOT created equally!  I always google first to make sure their isn’t a free tutorial already out there (often there is). Then I read the description to see if it includes any printable pieces or it’s just a tutorial for making your own & not an actual pattern.  Then I try to red reviews if I can.  I am also prepared for the fact that some of them are written by very new seamstresses & they do not always teach the proper techniques & often leave steps out.  That being said they normally come with lots of pictures, you can print the pieces out at home (you tape them together & cut them out) so you can get started right away & then you can email the author if you need help.  These can be helpful at building up confidence in those new to sewing because often they are easy to follow with all the pictures.

There are many places that sell them & email them to you right away but the 2 most common places are www.Etsy.com & www.YouCanMakeThis.com.

FREE TUTORIALS:
If you have explored my site at all you will see I am a HUGE fan of these!  Again they are not all created equal… some just have basic text that can be a bit confusing or others have lots of pictures & little text to explain what they are doing.  It is also not uncommon for them to use short cuts that work around proper techniques which may confuse you later on if you use paper patterns or good pattern books.

That being said being free they can be an invaluable tool for the at home crafter!  You can find thousands that I personally have compiled from all over the web here on a list on my blog and many more here on my pinterest wall.  Both are very organized by types of projects so you don’t have to spend hours weeding through pages of stuff you aren’t interested in.  If I can’t find something on those lists I just google it & you would be surprised what you will find!

For those of you who just got a new machine for Christmas & are looking for a few basic starting projects here are a few free tutorials I recommend!

Upcycled dress

The Upcycled ruffles dress tutorial

20 Minute Simple Skirt


Pajama Pants tutorial- size infant to 8 years

Click to EnlargeCool Car Caddy Straps On To Headrest

Sweatshirt to Tote Bag Easy DIY Tutorial

linen napkins {a tutorial}

pillowcases2Pretty quick pillowcase tutorial & bonus french seam instructions!

TISSUE PAPER PATTERNS AKA The ‘BIG3/4′:
You will often see the reference to the ‘Big 3′ or ‘Big 4′ patterns.  These are in reference to the main 3 or 4 company’s that make the tissue paper patterns you find in stores like JoAnn’s.  This is what women have been using for years.  I have a love hate relationship with them.  Honestly the sizing is ALL over the map… even if I go based off the measurements on the envelope at times the ease (room for movement) is always different & I can make an 8 in one pattern & a 12+ in another.  They can also be a bit difficult to understand.  My favorites of these type are Burda & Kwik Sew.  BUT I do use others at times & here are some tips I have…

  • Trace your pattern pieces!  We were too poor not to growing up, but I like to reuse the pattern multiple times instead of only getting one size out of it.  Plus the tracing paper is more durable & easier to work with.
  • Compare main pieces to a pre-made item!  Their should be about 5/8″ extra pattern piece on each side of the finished garment (the seam allowances) Often by doing this I can tell if I need to go up or down a size.  This has saved me tons of times when making children’s garments because they can vary the worst!
  • Check out http://sewing.patternreview.com/ for reviews on the patterns!  This will often help warn you of any major issues & find tips on how to correct them.

DESIGNER PATTERNS & BOOKS:
In the last few years as everything has become easier to access a lot more seamstresses have jumped into the design & pattern making world!  These patterns & books tend to be more expensive then the tissue patterns you can get on sale cheap.  That being said often times (though not always) the sizing will be better, there are better directions and the final product is much more like the picture.  The other nice thing is the books often have a lot of information on techniques and different ways to embellish your items to get the most out of one pattern.  They may be more expensive, but they also have most then just a few patterns!

My favorite designer pattern of all time is The Emmeline Apron Pattern

I also LOVE the patterns from Jalie Patterns which have a great fit & are AWESOME clothing patterns for knits!

A few pattern books I have bought & love are:

Big Little Felt Universe

One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!  (This is a great book but there are some errors in it!)

Fabric-by-Fabric One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects Using Cottons, Knits, Voiles, Corduroy, Fleece, Flannel, Home Dec, Oilcloth, Wool, and Beyond

Little Girls, Big Style: Sew a Boutique Wardrobe from 4 Easy Patterns (This is a GREAT book for beginners!)

EURO PATTERNS:
Euro patterns are from Europe of course!  They tend to be well made & can create many unique & boutique looking items.  I also find that their women’s clothes seem to fit a lot better & the sizing seem more accurate.  They are again more expensive.   That being said they tend to have text only for the directions and very basic at that.  They come on big pattern sheets often with pieces overlapping & you have to carefully trace the right size.  Also they do NOT include seam allowances so you have to add that to the pattern after you trace it.

They can be intimidating at first, for many reasons & I don’t recommend them for someone brand new to sewing.  That being said once you have traced patterns & have a better idea of general item assembly they are a lot more manageable.

I LOVE some of the dresses & the leggings in the book, but I will be honest there is only 3 items that can really be made for boys so I wouldn’t buy it just for that.

Sewing Clothes Kids Love: Sewing Patterns and Instructions for Boys’ and Girls’ Outfits
I also LOVE this magazine though the tracing is definitely NOT for the light at heart.

Ottobre Design Magazine

You can also find great things for kids from Farbenmix & Abracadabra.

Again I am sure I am leaving out a ton, but hopefully this is somewhat useful and will get you on your way to getting started :) .

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Getting Started: Fabric & Notions!

Posted on December 28, 2011 by

Now that I have talked about supplies I wanted to move on to the fun stuff :) .  If you have seen the pictures from back when I last had a truly clean sewing room or if you have seen my fabric board on Pinterest you can tell I have a love for fabric!  I will say to get started you do NOT need hundreds of yards of fabric on wall to wall floor to ceiling shelving!    That being said if you are a bargain shopper or live in a rural location (which I am both) where you can’t  just run to the fabric store you will find you want to stock up here & there.

FABRIC

QUALITY:
Not all fabric is created equal!  I grew up sewing with the cheapest stuff I could find on sale, we were poor & that was what we could afford.  When I became an adult I about died seeing that quilt shops had fabric for $10 a yard!!!  I rarely ever paid more then $4 in the past so $10 just seemed crazy.  That being said I got some lovely designer fabrics from Micheal Miller & Moda on sale in the $8 range and took the plunge.  I will say though I do still buy some cheaper fabric there is a quality difference!  Nearly all the designer fabrics I have used wash much better, are thicker, iron nicer, hold up longer & don’t fade the same way.  To start out if you don’t have a lot extra money do I think you need designer fabric?  NO, but if you get serious & enjoy sewing I recommend making the switch if you can afford it.

WHERE TO BUY:
Locally you can check your local craft & hobby stores as well as some Wal-Marts still carry some & I love thrift shops and yard sales! The advantage to the digital age is there are plenty of places online to shop, though you do need to keep in mind the shipping costs when deciding if the price per yard is worth.  In the past I have used www.Fabric.com, www.JoAnn.com & www.Etsy.com as well as many smaller sites to find what I was looking for.  The two downsides are you can’t feel the fabric & monitor’s can vary so you don’t always know exactly what you are getting unless you have see the same fabric in person. I would compile a nice list for you but I already found a post form The Humble Nest who did a wonderful job & decided to just share hers with you instead!  30 Great Places to Buy Fabric Online. JUST REMEMBER many of the sites like Fabric.com & JoAnn.com offer 5-10% cash back through EBATES.  I got $33 in cash back from my JoAnn.com Black Friday order alone this year!

HOW MUCH:
I find the size of cuts depends on WHAT I am planning on sewing.  For most stuff I will get 1 yard but if I think I will be making toddler size or larger clothes out of it I always get 2.  If you have limited space and or budget I suggest keeping a list in your purse of projects & their requirements so you know what to get when you are out.

WHAT TYPE:
This can be a hard one, there are 2 main types of fabics… wovens & knits, there are many other variations of both of these including the fiber content (cotton, poly, rayon, lycra, etc.).  Patterns & tutorials a like with both tell you what you need.   There are other specialty fabrics like PUL, but to start out I am going to stick with the basics.  If you are a beginner I do NOT recommed starting out with knits… there are not as easy to sew & will go much better once you know your machine & basic skills better.

Wovens are like flannel… they are fibers woven together, they have no stretch & the raw edges unravel when cut.  Decor weight wovens that are thick, heavy, rather stiff & canvas feeling, these are great for drapes, furniture & bags.  Standard wovens generally come in 42-46″ widths with specialty fabrics like home decor come in 50″-80″+ widths.

Knit’s on the other hand are fabric made by knitting fiber together.  These normally have 2 or 4 way stretch & when you cut the raw edge it will stay pretty much the same even with washing.    With knits you will find major differences in weight, stretch & drape… for example swim/dancewear fabric is thin, light, VERY stretchy & drapes in a way that hugs what ever it touches.  That being said it is also not so fun to sew with! lol.  Fleeces are also knit but they have less stretch, are thicker & have soft fuzzy fibers all over them.  Knits also tend to come in 50″-72″.

PREPPING:
I generally do not prep my fabric when I buy it because I’m not always  sure what I am going to do with it.  I store it & wash it before I use it.  If you are going to use it right away many people prefer to wash it, iron it & then store it from the start.  For quilting I do not pre-wash my fabric, but for any other purposed I do.  Why?  Because not all fabrics are created equal & they can shrink different amounts & different directions which can lead to very wonky looking projects after the first wash when they looked perfect to start!

NOTIONS

THREAD:
There are many different brands & options out there & it can be confusing.  I personally prefer Gutterman brand my self, as it is a great high quality thread & can be found on sale frequently.  That being said the only ones I don’t recommend is the cheap $1 spool no name threads.  Why?  They are more likely to have splices & thread breaks and often not spun down as nicely & create more fuzz to build up in your machine.

Not only are their different brands but different types too.  Most people think cotton should be best right?  Well unless you are quilting I don’t recommend it.  It is soft & natural but has more fuzz & simply isn’t as strong!  I recommend using a multipurpose poly thread for most sewing needs.

ELASTIC:
There are again a lot of options out there!  I generally pick up a variety of sizes between 1/4″-1″ elastics to have on hands at all times because different projects use different sizes.  I recommend getting poly knit elastic.  I don’t bother with the no-roll because honestly it still tends to roll, is less stretch & thicker.

VELCRO, BUTTONS & ZIPPERS:
One again there are again a lot of options out there!  I generally pick up a variety of sizes between 1/4″-1″ thick velcro to have on hands at all times because different projects use different sizes.  That being said I ONLY buy sew on.  The no sew has adhesive on the back & if you try to sew through it it will gum up your machine & needle and can cause a whole slew of problems!  Buttons & zippers are the same way, I never know what I am going to need so I try to pick them up here & there when they are cheap.

RIC RACK, BIAS TAPE & TRIMS:
I don’t personally use a lot of these but they do come in handy depending on what you are sewing.  They can be pricy in store, but you can often find a great selection cheap at your local thrift stores.  Bias tape & trims are often used to finish off edges but can also be used for embellishments like the ric rack.  I generally have mostly double fold bias tape on hand because I find I use that more & it saves me some time vs. having to fold the single fold stuff.

INTERFACING, BATTING & STUFFING:
Once again there are a ton of options here, and not everyone uses them!  Interfacing comes in sew it & iron on and has a variety of weights & thicknesses, it is like a fiberish roll of paper of sorts..  This is often used in bags, around button holes and stuff like that to give some structure.

Batting is a thin layer of stuff rolled up by the yard!  You will find it in both cotton & poly contents and it is used for everything from coats, blankets, pot holders, the first layer in pillows & more!  It comes in many widths & thicknesses depend on what your project needs including heat safe versions for things like hot pads.

Stuffing, filling, poly fill… you will hear it go by many names!  Depending on what your project is you can go through a LOT of this.  I often look at thrift stores for  bags for cheap.  I also save our old pillows & wash them with bleach on the sanitize cycle… then I pull all the stuffing apart & save it in bags.  The best part is not only is It cheap but good for the environment too!

I am sure I have left out lots of stuff & if any of my experienced readers have something to add feel free to leave a comment!  I think this list of basic information should be a great place those new or newer to sewing to get started!  If you questions about specific items let me know.

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Getting Started: Basic Sewing Supplies…

Posted on December 26, 2011 by

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday!  I am still struggling with a nasty case of strep but the new meds are working at the moment so I wanted to check in since I had a a little while to myself.

Every year the week after Christmas is busy here on Everything Your Mama Made & More! with lots of new readers who got sewing machines, sergers & other sewing supplies for Christmas.  Because of this I thought I would share a little bit about other items you might want to get to get started or to use some of those GC’s on!  As silly as it may seem having the proper supplies can make sewing SO much easier & prevent beginners from easily getting discouraged.  Many of the items below are affordable & what I consider staple supplies.  You can find many of them at your local craft & hobby or fabric store but I actually prefer to purchase many of mine online at Amazon because most of them offer free prime shipping & they have a good selection of select brands & models… and as I have learned some are MUCH better then others.

EXTRA LONG STICK PINS WITH THE BALL ON THE END ~

Yes the extra long pins with the balls on the end ARE WORTH THE EXTRA BUCK OR TWO!!!! It makes using them SO much more enjoyable, they are easier to get in & out and much nicer on your hands.

CLOTH MEASURING TAPES ~

This is just one of those things that you can never seem to have enough of! They are inexpensive and seem to walk away a lot, so I always appreciate having a few extra’s on hand.

A REAL SEAM RIPPER ~

The ‘thing’ that comes with the sewing machine is not a real seam ripper. I HATED ripping seams until I got one of these clover ones. They are sharper and SO much easier to use… still not my favorite job but SO much easier!!! There is simply no comparison. My friend who has been sewing/quilting for years used mine once & about died, she couldn’t believe it! I actually have 2 of them. There are a bunch that range from $2-$8, this one is right in the middle & the best by far!!! Clover Seam Ripper 5″
. It’s also very comfy in the hand.

GOOD SCISSORS ~

Gingher makes very nice scissors & JoAnn’s carries them & you can often get a 40% off coupon for them. I have also been VERY happy with the Mundial set my DH got me off Amazon 3.5 years ago. All but one pair is still sharp as new & I have never had any of them sharpened. Mundial Scissors & Shears

You will want a few different sizes but at least one large & one tiny pair for most often use.

WASHABLE CRAYOLA MARKERS & OR DRITZ CHALK WHEEL ~

I actually suggest skipping the fabric pens/pencils, I don’t care for them, they are pricey don’t always do what they say & dry out easily. I LOVE Crayola Washable Markers
because I KNOW they will wash out with a little cold water. I also really like my Dritz chalk wheel. It isn’t tailors chalk, though similar. I have used a lot of chalk wheels & this one is super smooth & works VERY well. I just by bottles of sewing chalk to refill it instead of the special ones that go with it. I use this 90% of the time. My friend actually spent the last month looking for one in stores but all the other ones she tried had stiff wheels in them, so it’s worth the few extra dollars for this one… Dritz Chalk Wheel

ROTARY MAT, CUTTER & RULER~

I also cannot live with out my rotary mat & cutter. I prefer the Omnigrid Self Healing Mats and the Olfa’s are also very nice, but the Friskers kits are great for starters! JoAnn’s has one that goes on sale for $27-$35 all the time that has an 18″X24″ mat, a 45mm rotary cutter as well as a 6″X24″ quilting ruler… I highly recommend this for beginners. You can get all 3 pieces from walmart for around $50 I think? You can also get the Fiskars Rotary Cutting Set on Amazon for around $28 with free prime shipping!

HEM GAUGE~

And this Dritz hem gauge is also awesome & makes sewing hems SO much easier… Dritz Ezy-Hem Gauge

MAGNETIC PIN CUSHION~

Also a magnetic pin cushion is AWESOME!!! Not only is it easy to use (just lay the pin near the top & the magnet pulls it down) but it is GREAT for finding stray pins that have fallen on the floor! Magnetic Pin Cushion

PATTERN EASE, SWEDISH TRACING PAPER OR PARCHMENT PAPER~

I almost NEVER cut tissue paper patterns. Growing up it was simply to expensive to re buy them for each size! So if you use pattern ease, Swedish tracing paper or parchment paper you can see through it to trace out the size you need saving your other sizes and they are easier to work with then the tissue paper pattern pieces!

Birch Street Clothing Swedish TracingPaper 29″x30′

PATTERN WEIGHTS~

These making tracing and/or cutting out pattern pieces much easier! You can pin them but that leaves holes & they can rip loose. Honestly you can use just about any kind of small weighted items… which makes them easy to make or you can buy them as well. You can find tons of cute one on Etsy.

STEAM IRON & IRONING BOARD~

This is probably the priciest suggestion I have… but if you want to sew & have stuff turn out nice there really is no way around it, you need an ironing board & iron! Honestly a cheap $10-$15 board from walmart will do just fine! You can get more expensive ones that are larger & make ironing large pieces of fabric faster, but they aren’t needed. Now iron’s are another one of those tools, you get what you pay for! You want a good steam iron… I always had cheap ones (they most expensive was around $27 new?) and HATED ironing… they kinda did their job but not super well. Then one day I stumbled upon a Rowenta Professional that was only about 1 year old at the thrift store… I can say it changed my opinion on irons & ironing the very first time I used it! It got FAR hotter then my old irons, but not scorch the fabric hot, and the steam was amazing. Suddenly ironing took little effort & got done much faster!

Now they aren’t cheap… I think new the model retailed for around $120? If mine broke today I wouldn’t replace it with a full price model, but if I could get one 25%-30% off I would pay the price in a heart beat. I have used it a ton in the last 2 years with out issue. My friend has a similar model that is 9 or 10 years old & cracked from her dropping it right after she got it & it still works great. Models are changing constantly & I don’t have feedback on the newer ones but I suggest doing some research & buying a steam iron with good reviews in the $40-$70 range if possible. If you have the money to buy an even nicer one go for it!

Here are a few nice irons with good reviews on Amazon & free prime shipping as well.


Hamilton Beach 14875 1500-Watt Digital Iron with Backlit Display


Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron

Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1700 Watt Steam Iron with 400-Hole Stainless Steel Soleplate

I hope this helps you get started & check back soon for a list with information on fabrics, patterns & notions!

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