Sharing the Sewing Love: My Favorite Sewing Tutorials

I have been thinking lately about the many amazing and talented seamstresses, sewists and crafters out there who help build and sustain sewing as not just a life skill, but a wonderful career or hobby. Like many, I learned to sew from my mom at a young age, dabbled as a teenager, explored in college with a pushpedal singer from the 20′s, and finally came to it as a realistic pursuit as an adult. However, as a late 20-something adult, I had no where to turn and no idea where to go. I didn’t want to pay for classes for something I already thought I knew how to do (and I couldn’t afford them at the time.) Additionally, I am very much a hands-on kinda girl. I wanted to learn by trial and error, sewing late into the night after my daily bike-riding and business days were done. This is where our fantastic online community welcomed me into its gigantic, comforting, and super fun arms. Google became my best friend as I gleefully searched for what I considered modern and current-fashion sewing projects. I was certain I would never quilt, and all I wanted to make were fun yet practical and beautiful things I could use and share.

The handmade is the thing to do, and some say is making a “come back” with today’s eco-conciousness. So in celebration of Sewing September, I wanted to share with you the online and free tutorials I have used, learned from, and thoroughly enjoyed. Patterns I have made, remade, altered, and turned to again and again. I hope you can find the same enjoyment I have, not just in the process of learning to sew, but in the making by hand something you will love and cherish. So without further ado, here they are.

• Noodlehead Fabric Tray ~ I love this one. I have made it in vinyl, cotton, laminate, and more. Make good coaster holders, desktop organizers, kitchen item and gift basket.
• Noodlehead Gathered Clutch ~ This is a super cute, fairly easy zip pouch. The zipper part can be tricky, so read carefully.
• Juicy Bits C is for Crown ~ This one is amazing! I have made it many times over and will make it again. It is a simple felt crown with elastic, and you get decorate it as complex as you’d like. We are huge board gamers, and I made a Settlers of Catan bedazzled crown for the Lord or Lady who wins each match.
• Three Bears Little Boxy Pouch Tutorial ~ This I learned to sew boxed corners on years ago. It is the most simple and sweet little box-shaped bag you will ever make. Since I have learned to line them, which is also very fun to do.
• Happy Things Better Lined Draw String Bag ~ Even though my original link isn’t working for the Happy Things blog, this is her pattern. It is AWESOME. Makes super fun gift bags. I also use it to store holiday buntings/banners. Or anything. I love it.
• Canuck Hippo: YouTube video “How to Miter Sew a Corner Using Binding” ~ So brilliant AND she has a Canadian accent. WIN WIN.
• Jennifer Casa Handmade Kidlet pattern ~ I printed this one out and keep it and remake it for gifts. It is also very easy to just add on handle on the handle-free side to have a sturdy child-sized tote.
• Purl Bee The Unpaper Bag ~ I have made this pattern so many times now, I don’t even use it anymore. I just whip up a tote bag any dimension I choose. However, this was the first and best bag pattern I ever made. LOVE it.
• Anna Maria Horner Figure 8 scarf ~ I have made so many of these, in a variety of widths and fabrics. I especially love them in two layers of voiles for warmer weather.
• Purl Bee Party Garland ~ This one is particularly fun. I make them for most parties, usually using paper. You can often get the huge pads of fancy papers from Joann’s for 50% off with a coupon! Right now long strands hang in my toddler’s room in bright colors.
• Craftiness Is Not Optional the Bapron ~ I made this as gifts before I had a kid. Now that I have a child, it remains the best bib in the world. I even drafted a larger size to make for my huge toddler. LOVE.

Additionally, I often turn to favorite businesses and blogs for their expert knowledge and wonderful service, tutorials, and brilliance. Check out my links list on the side of my blog too!

• U-Handbag is ran by Lisa Lam. Her supplies are awesome, her pricing and shipping is accurate, and her instructions are invaluable. She has free tutorials on how to make awesome bags, and a book I keep gently suggesting my husband get me for any important holiday where gift giving is usual. I should be more subtle maybe?
• The Purl Bee is a group of people and a business, and someone named Molly is kind of a genius. Awesome ideas for handmade gifts.
• Sew Mama Sew is overwhelming with information. I tend to use their search function when I want a specific pattern or idea. They feature many different bloggers or talents. Also they host the May Day Blog Giveaway which I love participating in!

Who do you read and enjoy? Share your blog or blog list with me!

Love,

MaLora

PS: I am also addicted to Pinterest and love finding awesome ideas and creativity there. Are you using it as well? Follow me so I can find your ideas too!

 

 

UPDATE October 08. 2012:

I can’t believe I didn’t include Colette Patterns. Their weekly snippets email, and their forum, are amazing! Check them out!

sewing for baby

Is it just me, or are there not quality, modern, cool clothes’ patterns for baby boys? Everything is shortalls or newsie hats or bowties. Seriously. Even after stumbling upon the amazing Heidi & Finn, or Olive + S, I am still searching. Celebrate the Boy is super awesome, especially with the free tutorials, but I don’t want to make my own pattern. I don’t have any cute clothes in which to make a pattern from in the first place.  So out of desperation I bought a Simplicity boy’s pattern for a button up shirt and pants. The variations are nice, collar no collar, long or short sleeves, shorts or pants. And because it is Simplicity, it is super easy to make.

The pieces went together smoothly and fit him great (at least, the 12 month size did, even though he is only 6 months old. Baby is gigantic!) So I am very pleased at a nearly perfect* construction!

I was a very pleased with the bias tape “facing” for the collar: an easy, brilliant solution!

I loved using up some of my favorite gem snaps. I was nervous they wouldn’t fit well through the multiple thick layers of flannel, so I borrowed my husband’s rubber mallet and gave them a good old whack! It was both satisfying and exhilarating! I want to find more uses for mallet whacking!

He is so loving his Green Sprouts teething rattle. His cut his first little tooth just this morning! As you can see, the pants fit nearly perfect, a little long for room to grow. The shirt was an odd fit. The shoulders are just-right, meaning no extra-space-at-all can’t-really-breathe fit. However, the body length seemed a bit long. It does neatly cover the diaper/pants gap you so often get though, so maybe I am just being terribly picky. Also, it will be fun to learn how to make adjustments for big shouldered babies.

As you can see, he love’s it!

Also, last night while he was being entertained by his papa, I whipped up  a teething necklace. The tutorial is so easy! Check out her blog A Bit of Sunshine, she is not only a fellow Seattle-crafter but has a nice little blog too. Baby freaking loved the teether. Instant joy and relief from his annoying gums!

I am learning more and more with every project. I do love sewing, and now I feel like I have the perfect motivation and audience (and practice model!) I had dreams of eventually fitting clothes to my own odd proportions, so learning adjustments for someone who is tiny (almost all his clothes are 1 yard cuts!) is just perfect. More than perfect, as his first nurse would say.

Dilemma:

My one issue with being both a crafter, seamstress, writer, blogger is trying to distinguish what my own goals and ideals are, or should be. I have this dangerously annoying practical streak (I am a Taurus, obviously, and you are?) that makes me both care and not care, seek fulfillment and seek production simultaneously. The problem is: do I blog or do I sew?

What is the single most important part of this hobby/lifestyle/project/craft? My time is very limited and precious. My baby and family need me, and I need me, and it would be amazing to just be able to take a moment for myself once in awhile. (Seriously, when was the last time I took a leisurely shower or even let the conditioner sink in on my dry hair? My personal time is the first things to go off my To Do list as a Early Life Educator (aka “stay at home mom.”) So I prattle on and on, but is the post with the lovely photos and the online sewing/crafting community more important than the actual product I have crafted?

I just don’t know….

yet.

There is the Sewing Summit which I day dream about… follow all the fantastic bloggers on Twitter or Instagram and daydream about learning from them, about a weekend for myself, about finding friends who have passions like my own. But first, I must decide what is important about this whole thing. Is my BA in writing a waste of paint?

I am sure many blogging crafters out there agree, it is very hard to be consistent and be amazing about both blogging/socializing/media and also sewing/crafting/building/making. Good luck to all crafters, everywhere, in grounding our passions with our dreams.

Love,

MaLora

*Especially if you ignore that I ignored pattern direction on the flannel.

PS: Did I show you my first trial pair of Anna Maria Horner’s Quick Change Trousers? I call them his “Hot Pants” … get it? Hot Peppers? I crack myself up.

PPS: All photos are on my Flickr, here.