SewBaby News

You know how when you get a nice juicy orange, you just have to squeeze every last drop out of it?  That's kind of how I feel about some fabrics.  Sometimes, you'll get a fabric that is so nice, that you have to use up every last drop.  This orange knit was one of those fabrics. Originally, I wanted to make a Fall "on the go" outfit with a tunic, cardigan, leggings and scarf.  I ordered 2 yards each of a black/tan striped silk/modal knit, an orange silk/modal knit, a black ponte, and a mesh from FabricMart Fabrics knit sale.  I was super curious to see what the silk/modal knits would be like; as I love silk knits for their brilliant colors and I love modal knits for their incredible softness, so the combination of the two seemed like a match made in heaven.  Plus, silk is known for providing warmth without weight, so I thought it could be a nice choice going into chilly weather. When I got my order, I debated about whether I should wash the silk...

I love it when I find a pattern that is so simple, that it's genius. That's how I feel about Butterick 5789.   You wouldn't necessarily know that it's genius from looking at the cover, and based on how few reviews of it that I've found, I'd have to say this is a sleeper.  It's been out a while, but has gone under the radar of most of us because the cover photo was in a blah beige. But believe me, if you want instant gratification, this pattern will give you it.  Why, you say?  What is so genius about this design?  Well, take a look at the sides.  No seams! And take a look at the back- no seams! And they did this while only using two yards of fabric. How did they do this?  Well- the front, back and collar are all ONE PIECE!  The only piece that is separate is the sleeve, and well, you do have a few seams to sew if you want sleeves.   But, you can choose the vest version too, and avoid those pesky sleeve seams.  Th...

Halloween is approaching fast - it's time to stock your candy bowls and perfect your costumes! How many of you have tried your hand at a homemade costume? At SewBaby, we want you to show us your home-sewn costumes during our Halloween Costume Contest! Send us a photo of your home-sewn costume(s) either via email to sewbaby@sewbaby.com or by posting to our Facebook page . Make sure to include your name and state. We are collecting photo entries until November 1st, after which we will post all of the photo entries here on our blog for your family and friends to vote on! Adult and children's costumes are welcome, and multiple entries are allowed. We can't wait to see your creations! For those of you who haven't sewn any Halloween projects, we have a great selection of adorable Halloween e-patterns . Precious Patterns designs the cutest trick-or-treat bags as well as simple-to-sew costumes, from ladybugs to witches!  We guarantee- even if this is your first time sewi...

I recently started using a dress form, and I really like it.  I used to always just keep trying on things and looking in the mirror, but the whole getting dressed, getting undressed, trying on, getting undressed, getting dressed again- well that can get exhausting!  (Actually, if no one was home, and I was at that point where I knew I would have to be trying things on a lot, I would just sew in my underwear- LOL!)  But no more, now that I have my dress form!  BUT- they can be rather expensive though.  So, I wanted to clue you all in on a super cheap alternative.  The national women's clothing chain stores CJ Banks and Christopher and Banks are updating their mannequins, and selling off their old ones that have a definite look of a dress form. They are selling the ones on a stand for $20, and the table top models for $10.  Each store has a lot of these to get rid of- our stores had about 20 at each store.  I understand that the whole chain is d...

The judges on the Fabricista challenge commented that my outfit was "outdated".  Actually, one of them said it a little nicer- she said it looked "vintage".  Sheeessh.....Not the look I was going for!!! I'm guessing that it was the blazer that did me in.  As I honestly see very few people wearing blazers these days. In fact, I took some pretty new jackets that I got from the Limited to a resale shop last Spring, and they wouldn't take them- said there was no market for them. If someone is wearing a second layer these days, it's usually either- Jean Jackets, Moto Jackets, Bomber Jackets, or Cardigans.  So, is the Blazer dead?  If so, I'm going to be so sad.  I do have a jean jacket that I love.  And I have a moto jacket that is killer.  I'm so unathletic that wearing a bomber jacket would seem to be false advertising to me.  And I do wear cardigans often.  But to me, a wool blazer just says "sharp".  Stacey and Clinton used to ...

Well, I got eliminated from the Fabricista challenge.  But, I'm trying to look on the bright side.  The challenge really pushed me to try new things.  There were several "firsts" for me: Challenge 1- I made a t-shirt out of thrifted silk saris.  Which by the way, my youngest daughter has "borrowed", and I will probably not ever get it back. Challenge 2- I learned how to fit my scoliosis, and got a very nice anniversary dress, which I wore last night, BTW. (not to McDonalds!) Challenge 3- I copied a top from a ready to wear top- had never done that before. Challenge 4- I sewed with velvet on the bias- I would have never attempted something so difficult without a little push. And for Challenge 5- I dyed fabric for the first time. It wasn't so hard, and I am pretty excited about the possibilities that this opens up! So, all in all, I feel like I've really grown quite a bit in the last few weeks.  And not just figuratively- I also took a b...

For our 5th Fabricista Fabric Challenge, each contestant received a "mystery bundle".  From this bundle, we were each assigned the challenge of making a two piece outfit that included 4 of the bundle fabrics.  This was my bundle: Getting a mystery bundle is lot like playing cards- a bit of a gamble, but lots of fun!  In my bundle for this challenge, I had one wild card- a beige wool gabardine.   One of the other fabrics in my bundle was a floral satin that I knew would make a great lining, so I decided to try to dye the wool to pick up the blue in the satin. (I got the okay from the contest director before I tried this!) This was my first attempt at dyeing fabric, so I researched, tested different formulas, and finally came up with the perfect mix of royal blue and aquamarine dye for the weight of wool that I had.  The vinegar is added to the dyebath to help with stabilizing the dye.  And you need to know how mu...