sewinasylum

Finding Your Sewing Inspiration

2010-08-17T20:26:00.001-07:00

The pattern companies work long and hard to come up with new designs and patterns for clothing, costumes, and crafts. Sometimes those patterns inspire us, but sometimes we need look to other sources for our creative inspiration.

In my sewing classes I encourage my students to “look beyond” the photo on the pattern. What I mean is that while the designer of that pattern had one idea for the finished project, quite often we can look at the pattern as our “blank slate” or canvas to create our own vision. We can add additional details such as trim or piping. We can change the hem on the sleeve or mix two different fabrics together to add contrast.

For some sewers, this is a difficult task. Perhaps it is difficult to visualize the end result. Were then does one go to get inspired?

Print media- There are many fashion magazines available. Magazines such as “People Style Watch” and “Style” magazine have the current fashion trends.

What if you’re looking for something other than current fashion geared for the twenty-thirtysomething crowd? Catalogs suit the bill in this case. When sewing for my daughters, I look to the “Justice for Girls” catalog (Justice is a popular clothing store for girls ages 8-13). Coldwater Creek and Lands End have catalogs for women’s clothing with a more conservative appeal.

The local newspaper, The Arizona Republic features fashion in the Living section of the paper each Friday. There are local designers featured and articles describing current fashion.

Shopping is another way to gain inspiration. Not only can you see new styles, but take a close look at the construction details. How was the zipper inserted, how is the facing attached, and many other new sewing techniques you can discover simply by peering inside the garment.

Browsing the web can give you new ideas. Etsy.com is a website that sells handmade creations and also sells supplies, fabrics, patterns, and even embroidery designs by independent designers. Ebay also has many boutique fashions featured for little girls. I love looking at these websites to see what’s popular for little girls.

A lot of the designers who feature their wares on Etsy.com and Ebay also have blogs where they promote their items and also share their skills. Firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com features many different craft ideas. Sewmamasew.com/blog2/ is another sewing blog that has useful information.

And finally, there’s Facebook, the newest craze on the internet. You can become a “fan” of a sewing shop or designer. For example, my studio, The Sewin’Asylum is on Facebook. I update it frequently with new photos of projects of updates in events such as classes or informing that the scissor sharpener is visiting. My students are also able to post their pictures of projects and hopefully this “sew and tell” has inspired someone else!

Serging Sweet and Simple Projects

2010-04-13T07:15:00.001-07:00

I've set myself a goal. Each day I work on a portion of my serger book. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up my assignment for today and realized there wasn't a huge amount to do. I'm coordinating photos with the various projects and hopefully this project can be complete by May 25, Dave's birthday.

ASG Serger Class

2010-03-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching a serger class for the American Sewing Guild in April. I'll be previewing some of the projects that will be featured in my book Serging:Sweet and Simple. Here's some pics of what we're making:

In the AM we'll be working with fleece fabric and making a blanket and pillow

In the afternoon we'll be making "The Bistro Apron" which incorporates some nifty folding techniques for a polished look:

Time for Tea

2009-11-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a new quick-to-stitch project. You'll need two fabrics cut 7 by 14 inches, and two pieces of ribbon cut about 9 inches long.

Place your fabrics right sides together. Stitch around using the edge of your presser foot as a guide. Leave an opening(approx. 3 inches) in the middle of the long side-don't backstitch. Trim your corners and flip right sides out.
Once you've flipped it right sides out, press it flat and tuck in the raw edges. Fold up the short ends 3 inches and pin in place. Tuck in the ribbon between the layers, 1 1/2 inches from bottom fold. Stitch on the edge to secure the pockets.After stitching the two sides, stitch down the middle to form the pockets.

Tuck some tea or even include some sugar and you're done!

Dog-goneit- Can't forget the dog...

2009-11-29T20:40:00.000-08:00

As I was cleaning out excess stuff recently, I came across a mattress pad that wasn't soiled or dirty, it was an extra one that we had and the elastic was ripped. Thinking that if I donated it to the church rummage sale, it would be passed up and that eventually it would be thrown away, I decided to make a bed for our dog Lucy. I used the mattress pad for the interlining and found an old pillow that I used the fluff for the stuffing. The mattress pad was a twin size. I folded it in half and stitched it together, leaving an opening to stuff the stuffing into. This formed the inside pillow or mattress for Lucy's bed. When folded in half, the mattress pad measured 40 by 36 inches. Next I made the outer cover for her bed. I found some suedecloth in my stash that has been there for so long I forgot what I bought it for. I cut two 1-yard pieces. In the middle of the long side I attached a zipper. You could also use velcro. Then I sewed up the sides, "boxed" the corners, and put the mattress in and Lucy had a bed! (Oh, and I also embroidered her name on it- as if she can read!). I was at Petsmart and saw similar beds for around $45. Supercool, mine was almost free. If you count the fabric from my stash, I would say, by recycling the pillow and the mattress pad, the whold deal was about $15 and about an hour of my time. I'd say it was worth it!

Serger? How to Buy One

2009-04-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

Let's talk serger. I could not sew without one. At the Sewin'Asylum we have two Juki brand sergers, the 654DE and the 644D. They are used daily by students of all ages, especially children.

When purchasing a serger, I recommend trying one out first. Don't buy one based on price. You want a serger to be able to sew through thick fabrics as well as thin. Sometimes the cheaper sergers sold at discount stores don't have the speed or the power to handle some of the most basic projects. You'll want your serger to do more than just finish seams.

I'm currently working on a project book for the serger. It will focus entirely on the serger and the projects will be practical, yet fun to make. In upcoming posts I'll feature some of the projects that are going to be in the book and I welcome your feedback!

For today, Happy Stitchin'!
Erica