The Scientific Seamstress

A project in hand...

2012-01-17T14:14:00.003-05:00

In the evenings, we typically wind down with a little TV. It is very hard for me to sit still, so I usually work on something else while I'm in my recliner. I was pretty hooked on Sudoku, but would get distracted and mess up completely if the show was any good. So I needed something I could just blissfully do without too much thinking. I've been wanting to hand piece a good old-fashioned hexagon quilt for ages. The little pieces are portable and easy to handle, and the finished product has such a sweet, intricate look.

There are gobs of great tutorials about making hexagonal quilts. There are even whole blog posts like this one that explain and give links to the different methods. I initially thought I was going to go with traditional piecing, but was overwhelmed by the idea of cutting out lots of paper templates. Plus, I knew I'd get bored halfway through the basting step and it would turn it a massive UFO of a project.

I ended up going with a paper-free technique from Snippets and Blabbery. It is a very straightforward method that involves tracing hexagons on the wrong side of the fabric and stitching through the markings. She gives an excellent tutorial, and a comparison with the traditional method. It is working so well for me! I love that I can put it down and pick it back up without too much thought (or mess).

Of course, I'm using all Sis Boom fabrics. To get started, I would take a pair of coordinating prints and cut 7 hexagons from each. I'd surround 1 of print 1 with 6 of print 2, and vice versa. That gave me lots of pretty flowers. I did the math and figured out how many hundreds of little flowers I would need for a queen sized quilt, and decided to expand my existing flowers.

To keep things interesting, I decided to use contrasting fabric for print 3. I really tried to make the inner flower stand out without overthinking the combo too much. After all, this purpose of this project is NOT thinking. So far so good...I've made around 60 small flowers, and about half of them have grown into big flowers.

I keep my supplies right beside my easy chair in a Basic Box from my Case Studies series (I need to come out with some new patterns for my family's newfangled electronic devices...but I digress). Can you find my needle? The foam core makes it so the box doubles as a pincushion!

I keep a stack of small flowers with fabric 3 strips at the ready. That way, when the mood strikes, I can trace (usually on a cookbook), cut, and sew. The little ironing board is nice for sitting on the floor and pressing seams.

I haven't totally decided on a layout for the quilt. I'm torn between piecing the flowers together or separating them with a solid. If I do go with a solid, I'll probably go with something dark so the flowers pop. Decisions decisions. For now, I'm quite content with the piecing process.

Hemming yoga pants

2011-12-30T07:02:00.012-05:00

I bought Del some nice manly yoga pants for Christmas. The store actually offers free hemming, but I figured that it would be much less painless to hem them myself than go through the rigamaroll of getting him to the store to be fitted, waiting a week, then going back to pick them up (which we would procrastinate and stress about). So yeah, faster to do it at home...and write a tutorial about it.

The fabric is a thick nylon/lycra blend knit, which can be a little tricky to handle (especially if you are measuring and hemming your own pants). A few extra tools and notions will help maintain alignment and a good state of mind during the hemming process: a cardstock folding template (free download here), a rotary cutter/clear ruler, chalk, 1/2" wide Lite Steam-a-Seam 2, iron, an appropriate needle (either ball-point or universal, a variety pack is good to have on hand so you can get the right thickness), and matching polyester thread (black in most cases).

Put the pants on, wrong side facing out. NOTE: If you are going to be wearing the pants mostly with shoes (for torturous things like running and not blissful barefoot yoga), you should have them on at this point. Make a cuff to get a general idea of where you would like the hem to fall. If the pants are 1-2.5" too long, you should use a seam ripper to carefully take out the existing stitching. If they are longer than that, you can leave the stitching in because you are just going to cut it off anyway.

The hem fold should hit 0.25" to 0.5" from the floor at the back heel, depending on your wearing preferences. Insert your handy dandy folding template (free download here) into the bottom of the cuff as shown above. Use it to measure how far your new fold will be from the existing bottom edge (3" in my case). If you are as scatterbrained as I am, you should write this number down.

Set the iron to a temperature that is high enough to make steam, but not so hot that it melts the fabric. I used the highest setting and didn't have a problem, but a different fiber composition might not hold up as well. Fold the folding template in half widthwise (numbers facing out) and reinsert into the cuff. Use it as a guide for measuring and pressing the new fold. After pressing all the way around the cuff, go around again (guide in place) and mark the new bottom edge with chalk.

Uncuff the pants and turn them right (chalk-marked) side out. For each leg: lay flat, and align and pin the existing bottom edges to prevent shifting during the next step.

Place a clear cutting ruler on the leg, and position the edge 1.5" below the chalk line (highlighted with blue) as shown above. Don't mix up your cutting edges here, or you will wind up with capris! Use a rotary cutter to cut through both layers. Save that scrap from the bottom...you can use it for testing stitches later!

Turn the pants wrong side out (again). Following the manufacturer's instructions, fuse the Steam-a-Seam in line with the bottom cut edge. Once you have applied it all the way around, remove the paper backing.

Fold the taped edge over to the wrong side. Arrange the hem so the chalk line is right at the fold. Pin the fold very close to the marking. Finger press the raw edge into place all the way around (the tape is a little sticky, so it will hold), then set by pressing with the iron.

Turn the pants right side out. Now is the perfect time for a try-on. If you need to make an adjustment, simply hit the hem with steam from the iron and peel apart. Reposition and press again (you may need to retape if the original tape does not hold).

Now it is time to stitch! There is a lot of great info on the web about sewing knit fabrics, so I won't go into too much gory detail. Chances are, the original hem stitch was done with a coverstitch machine. If you don't have one of those - no problem. A regular sewing machine works great with the proper needles and settings. You should use a stitch that has some stretch to it (a plain straight stitch can pop if overstretched). I used a basic zig-zag stitch set to the widest width (7 mm, I think) and a medium stitch length (default spacing). The tension was set a bit lower than for normal stitching to prevent puckering. Another great option would be double top-stitching with a ball-point twin needle (excellent tutorial here).

Starting at the inseam, stitch about 1.25" from the folded edge. If your machine doesn't have a reference point this far from the needle, you can mark one with a pen or tape (I use the edge of the switch that ejects the faceplate). Use your fingers to lightly "steer" the fabric as you stitch. As in yoga, no extreme pushing or pulling! You may need to give it a nudge when sewing over thick seams, but otherwise it should cruise along without much help. If it seems stuck, you may need to loosen the tension or increase the stitch length. OK, I promised not to go on and on. Really, the best thing you can do is optimize stitching on those scraps.

Don't be concerned if your stitching comes out a little wavy - a quick steamy press with the iron will make it factory flat.

Tada(sana)!

The stitching doesn't really show up in the picture, but that is the whole point. Since it is black on black, the stitching blends right into the hem. As long as the stitching is flat and even, no one (other than you) will ever get close enough to your feet to ponder your choice of stitch settings!

10 Little Leighannas

2011-12-17T08:31:00.005-05:00

Jennifer and I are so in love with the Leighanna pics that have been rolling in! As a dress or top, with or without pom-poms, this pattern brings out the cutest poses!

What do these two cuties have in common? Well, not only are they wearing decked out bell-sleeved Leighanna dresses, but they both have blogger mommies who are incredible seamstresses and huge Sis Boom fans! To see more adorable smiles from these two, check out Christine's blog and Jenny's blog.

These two are sporting feminine little Leighannas made from West Indies Marie. Paired with bright fun leggings, they make for perfect winter wear. Both of these little blondies are spunky and sweet, just like their pretty mamas Mindy and Jeanne!

Wild colors and demure little smiles - I love it! These older little girls (sorry, I can't bear to call them tweens yet) look stunning in their funky ruffled tops. For the ties, Beth used rick-rack and Tom used velvet ribbon. By the way, the pattern contains instructions for drawstring and mock drawstring (elasticized) necklines.

Two of a kind, birds-of-a-feather, Marlo and Cathy never cease to amaze! Marlo made a beautiful gown-length peasant for a friend's gorgeous daughter. Cathy made her darling Devon a mod top to wear on Thanksgiving. Jennifer posted the picture on her blog, and we got so many requests for a mama version that we decided to make that happen and name the pattern Devon :) .

And finally, a couple of cuties photographed up at Sis Boom land. Both are wearing dresses made from Queen Street. Bells are a favorite this time of year, but the one on the left shows off the basic sleeve option. There is also an elasticized sleeve option (pics to come). The one on the right has blue and white bells with pom-poms that match the fabric perfectly! Jennifer says A Treasure Nest is THE source for such special trims!

ABC, easy as 123

2011-12-13T16:21:00.006-05:00

A is for Angie! This super-simple dress was a big hit with our testers, and they all get an A+++ for their great work!

Sara from Sew Sweetness made a beautiful little dress out of Fuchsia Marnie from Jen's Poodle line. She is rocking it with a black belt and leggings! You can read about her testing experience here. She's the one who hosted the great sew-along for our Jamie Dress, so we just knew she would do something amazing with the Angie Pattern.

Here is April, up in wild, wonderful Wyoming! Even though Angie is a sleeveless dress, she shows that it is perfectly suited for cold weather with the right wrap! This gal has to trek half a day to get fabric and notions, but she gets the job done!
She said "Hands down the easiest pattern I have made in a long time. I loved the bias tape and really liked how the elastic went in so easy. "

Ooooh, and here is our dear Jenny Fish, who picked the most darling fabric combo to test Angie AND Leighanna! Her dress makes her feel like a total "Betty" and you can read all about it here!

Here is my girl Cathy (head lab tech for Scientific Seamstress), in her lovely Angie. Check out her blog to see the other amazing things she has been making with Sis Boom Fabric this holiday season!

My good friend Jeanne made an Angie jumper for her beautiful daughter #1. She said "I love and adult dress with no buttons or zippers! So easy to make!"
Stay tuned to see beautiful daughter #2 in her Leighanna.

Shannon made a beautiful Angie, and photographed it on a dress form in front of her tree. Who needs lights and ornaments when you have Sis Boom fabric, right?

OK, here I am in an Angie prototype. Not the best picture, but no one ever likes pics of themselves, right? I wore it with tights and a cardi, and I was warm and comfy all day.

The reason this dress is so darn fast and easy is because the neckline and armholes are finished with bias tape. If you have any concern about sewing on bias tape, don't worry - I give step-by-step instructions in the ePattern. If you want to make your own bias tape, check out my free printable bias tape folder. It is so easy to use...just check out this great video from the Greek site ftiaxto:

Two new Sis Boom patterns!

2011-12-05T09:20:00.009-05:00

Jennifer and I are happy to announce the arrival of our latest sewing patterns...Angie and Leighanna! They are available on the Sis Boom website and in the Scientific Seamstress Etsy Shop. Look for them soon on the other great sites that carry our downloadable patterns!

Now, we usually release a woman's pattern and a matching kiddo counterpart at the same time. In this case the little girl's version was already available in Jen's book. The very retro, easy-to-make Mary's Fancy Sash Dress was such a hit, we were getting requests for a mama version. So I got to work on that, but I had this nagging feeling that I would be in big trouble if I didn't have something new for the little gals. Jen always has a big list of ideas for me, so I picked her darling little pom-pom trimmed peasant.

Over the next few days, I'll talk a bit more about the two new patterns and show of some gorgeous tester creations. Today I want you to meet the real Leighanna and Angie. Even though the patterns aren't technically a "mommy and me" set, we named them after a lovely mother daughter pair.

You all know Tom, right? He has been making beautiful creations for his wife and daughter for years, and now he is selling custom creations...his business is booming! Like his Facebook Page to see what is sewing for HeavenleighBlessings Boutique.

Jennifer had the amazing opportunity to meet Tom and his family at the Country Living Fair in Ohio. She was so inspired, she wanted to name the next pattern after Tom's sweet wife, Angie. Since I also had a girls' pattern in the works, the logical name choice was that of his adorable daughter, Leighanna. Incidentally, Tom already has boxer shorts named after him :) .

As soon as the testers got ahold of the Leighanna pattern, they demanded a mama version. I had time to whip up a prototype just before the Sis Boom Holiday Show last weekend.

I actually wore the peasant under my new Angie dress, and the shoppers loved it! If it had been a little warmer, I would have considered selling it off my back. Since the instructions will be just like those of the Leighanna, it shouldn't take me long to get the pattern ready. Louie donned a coordinating Festive Vest and Bosco Bow Tie. The apron is to protect his dressy duds from the yummy pasta Jennifer made just for him...awwwww!

Oh, Thank Cuteness!

2011-11-24T08:31:00.008-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

The fun folks at GenerationQ Magazine are stuffing us full of adorableness this week. They are sharing pictures and stories about the cute critters (2 and 4 legged) they hold dear, and are inviting readers to do the same. So in the spirit of "Oh, Thank Cuteness" week, I'm shamelessly showing off some recent pictures of my precious ones :) .

When Louie was a bald headed, sweet-smelling infant in a tiny onesie, I didn't think he could possibly get any cuter. Then he became a happy, giggly little toddler with wispy blond hair. I figured he had to be at his cuteness peak. Before I knew it, kindergarten came along, and that little guy with the huge backpack could not have been more adorable. Now he is seven - a big kid for sure, and he still blows me away with his cuteness.

We have lots of great pictures from the last few months - first day of school, Halloween, birthday parties, random precious moments, etc., but I have to say my favorites are from Cub Scouts. Not only does Lou look great in navy, but he is always beaming when he has a scouting event.

My other cutie in uniform is my husband Delmar. He doesn't usually wear his work garb at home, but the other night we had our den of cubs over for a food-centric activity. The Chef talked a bit about healthy eating and the food pyramid, but his amazing crepes were the highlight of the evening.

The "Sous Chefs" helped out by slicing strawberries.

I tried to get some posed pictures with nice smiles, but that doesn't seem to be feasible with 1st grade boys.

Can you tell they are excited to eat???

This is the best picture I got of them enjoying their crepes...only one of them is under the table.

And I can't do a post about cuteness without mentioning Madyson, the 4th grader I watch before and after school. When Lou was little, he happily tried on twirl skirts and dresses for me. Then it got to the point that I had to 1) pay him 50 cents and 2) let him wear a manly hat for the pictures. Now he just flat out refuses to be a fitting model. Thank goodness for Mady! Not only is she sweet and beautiful, but she loves to dress up in my handmade frocks.

Here she is modeling the Leighanna, a Sis Boom pattern that we are about ready to launch. She picked out the fabric and trim herself...that girl has great taste!

She and Louie are like brother and sister - best friends one minute, mortal enemies the next. Even when they act like maniacs, they are just too dang adorable.

So that is my dose of cute for the day - now I have to go peel potatoes! I can't complain because the hot chef is doing the rest of the work. I can just sit back and be thankful :). Want to join in the Oh, Thank Cuteness fun? Just go to the first post of the week on GenQ and add your link. Hope you have a wonderful day of family, food, and maybe even a little sewing!

Double or nothing

2011-11-03T14:17:00.003-04:00

Your comments on the 0.5" wide single-fold bias tape maker made me so happy, I just had to follow up with a 1" wide single-fold bias tape maker! The great thing about 1" single-fold bias tape is that it is but 1 fold away from being 0.5" wide double-fold bias tape, which is incredibly useful for binding and finishing edges.

It works exactly like the 0.5" tape maker, I just widened the appropriate parts. It took some tweaking, but once I got it optimized it went together quickly since the instructions were essentially the same. Now I'm going to take the laziness a step further and recycle some blog content :) . The free pdf contains instructions for printing and assembling the tape maker. There is some careful cutting involved, but it goes together pretty quickly and can be used over and over again. And if you happen to smash/tear/burn it, simply print another.

The contraption is optimized for folding 1.875" bias strips into 1" wide single fold tape. You can tweak the starting strip width a bit to get slightly wider or narrower tape.

Here is how it works: The strip is fed into a "slide" that does the folding. The top notch and tabs keep the strip centered, and the "splitter" keeps the outer edges from curling or overlapping. The folded tape is pressed as soon as it comes out of the slide, and it goes under two more tabs to set the folds as they cool.
Now I'm hearing the How it's Made music in my head AGAIN!

The result is 1" wide tape with folds that are a bit over 1/4" wide (just like purchased tape of this size).

I played a bit with a single-fold to double-fold tape maker, but honestly, the easiest thing is to fold the 1" tape in half lengthwise and press to make 0.5" wide double-fold bias tape. You can make the folded edges flush, or leave a bit of an overhang for single step application (described by Angry Chicken in this video).

Now that I have an easy, foolproof way to make double-fold bias tape, I'm going to have to knock out a bunch of Betsey Aprons for the holidays!

Download the free printable bias tape maker here.
See this post for more information about cutting bias strips.

Go ahead, mock me.

2011-10-29T14:46:00.005-04:00

Do you know how hard it is to find a black turtleneck and olive green pants in size 6? When Louis told me he wanted to be Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz for Halloween, I ordered him a lab coat off of Amazon. I figured I could get the rest of the outfit locally. I had my eyes peeled for about a month, but finally went on a mission to the mall day before yesterday. No luck, and too late to order off the internet. So I went to Joann and bought fabric instead. I was actually a little relieved - last year I felt horribly guilty for buying him an Ironman costume at Costco. He LOVED it, but come on, I sew for a living...you'd think I could put a little effort into making my own kid a simple costume.

I picked up some black interlock for the shirt and some green corduroy for the pants. I figured as long as I was going to the trouble, I could go ahead and add some appliques to the outfit to 1) make it a little more special, 2) make it obvious who he was supposed to be, and 3) have a custom set ready for him to wear to Disneyworld next spring.

For the mock turtleneck, I used my Raglan Shirt pattern. I doubled the length of neckband (cut the piece on two folds rather than one), and even though the fabric had at least 100% stretch, I used the 75% cutting line just so I could be sure it would fit over his head. Otherwise, I put it together exactly as described in the pattern.

Doofenshmirtz doesn't get very far with out Agent P (Perry the Platypus) popping up, so I added him to the Easy-Fit pants.

We still need to work on hair and makeup, but he has the evil scientist look down pat!

Curse you, Perry the Platypus!

Printable Bias Tape Maker!

2011-10-27T05:06:00.006-04:00

You all know how much I love using cardstock folding templates, right? For a few years now I've been playing with the idea of a cardstock bias tape maker. Whenever I had a project involving bias tape, I would experiment, fail miserably, and scrap the idea. Well, right now I'm working on a Sis Boom pattern that requires picture perfect, 1/2" wide single fold bias tape. I have a metal tape maker that size, but I don't have the patience (or the dexterity) to keep the fabric centered for such small, even folds. So I was forced to revisit my paper folder idea, and I'm pleased to say I came up with something that actually works!

The free pdf contains instructions for printing and assembling the tape maker. There is some careful cutting involved, but it goes together pretty quickly and can be used over and over again. And if you happen to smash/tear/burn it, simply print another.

The contraption is optimized for folding 1.125" bias strips in 0.5" wide single fold tape. You can tweak the starting strip width a bit to get slightly wider or narrower tape.

Here is how it works: The strip is fed into a "slide" that does the folding. The top notch and tabs keep the strip centered, and the "splitter" keeps the outer edges from curling or overlapping. The folded tape is pressed as soon as it comes out of the slide, and it goes under two more tabs to set the folds as they cool.
Why do I feel like I'm narrating an episode of How it's Made?

The result is flat, evenly folded bias tape. I've found myself making way more than I actually need just because the process is so fun and gratifying!

Download the free printable bias tape maker here.
See this post for more information about cutting bias strips.

Summit of Awesome!!!

2011-10-23T06:00:00.003-04:00

For the last few days, I've been wallowing in crafty goodness with some serious superstars. Hello Craft held their annual Summit of Awesome in Baltimore, a mere 15 minutes from my house!

This conference was geared to crafters of all sorts...jewelry makers, graphic artists, printers, knitters, etc. etc. etc. Some sell at craft fairs, some online, some both. Caitlin Phillips of Rebound Designs (shown above) makes the coolest book purses. She is a great teacher, too, and I loved hearing her tips for setting up booths and interacting with customers.

I met several kindred spirits from the world of science and technology. Richard is super-smart paleontologist/cartoonist from Ithaca, New York. His adorable fiancee Kelly is a screen printer and all-around crafty gal. Together, they form Our Secret Treehouse, which has the coolest critter-themed items. They specialize in woodland creatures and dinosaurs (of course), but they also dabble in undergarments :) .

I scored this great triceratops button for Louie - RAWR! Don't you love the raised brow? If you live in Upstate NY, definitely be on the lookout for them at craft fairs.

I couldn't resist hugging up on some of my crafty heros, and of course I had to get photographic evidence of my dorkiness. Pictured above is THE Scoutie Girl, Tara Gentile. In her talk, she did a fantastic job explaining SEO (search engine optimization) in simple, human terms.

I remember watching the first season of Project Runway and thinking "Gosh, I'd love to hang out with Jay!" He is such a honey, and even though he is a high-fashion icon, he has the soul of a crafter. It was so much fun being in sessions with him, and he gave a side-splitting keynote address on Friday. Check out his websit e to see all the fabulous things he is up to.

I got to meet one of my favorite authors, Kari Chapin. She wrote The Handmade Marketplace, which has been a bestseller for almost 2 years now. She gave a brilliant workshop about goals and intentions. I came away with a lot of tools that will hopefully make me more productive and organized. I actually got up and blogged today, so I must be inspired!

Jay actually took that picture of us, and my camera wasn't cooperating. He said "It isn't working" and I said "Make it work." He didn't seem amused...imagine that.

In between sessions, I got to play around with yarn, felt, and fabric in the "Make Something Awesome" area.

Button making is addictive. I knocked out a few Christmas presents at that table.

On the last day of the Summit, I had a one-on-one shop critique with Cheyne Little and Danielle Maveal from Etsy (Cheyne heads up teams and Danielle leads seller education...they are dynamite). They gave me some very helpful feedback, so I'll be able to make the listings more concise and the shop easier to navigate. I also found out that I should be linking to my shop in blog posts, so here ya go!

I had my guys in tow, so they experienced the awesomeness while waiting for the children's museum across the street to open. Honestly, they would have been content to make pom-poms all day.

After the summit, the family took a water taxi ride to lunch across the harbor. Can you tell someone is proud of his pom-pom? He is definitely the most huggable crafter I've ever met.

Circular Logic

2011-10-16T07:52:00.005-04:00

Do you ever find yourself saying "I can't make anything round because I don't have a circular pattern"? I know I do. For smallish things, I usually trash the kitchen in search of appropriately sized round things to trace. The biggest thing we own is a 16" pizza pan, so for circles larger than that I have to do the trick with the string and the pen, which I'm not very good at. I wanted to make a tablecloth yesterday, so I finally took the time to make a large scale, printable circle pattern. I put the pattern and instructions together in a little pdf tutorial, which you can download for free!

The pattern is actually nested quarter circles. Simply fold the fabric into fourths and align the pattern at the indicated edges...couldn't be easier. Markings are provided to make circles from 1" to 58" in diameter. You can also use this pattern for making circles with perfectly centered holes so you can make things like poodle skirts, tree skirts, and giant stuffed donuts.

I used the full 58" pattern to make an outdoor tablecloth from Jennifer Paganelli's
Sis Boom Queen Street Line.

Look how beautifully this stuff cuts! No need for hemming...it will never fray.

I'm in love with this print (OCJP03 Jodi)...so perfect with fall flowers!

Click here to download the free printable circle pattern.

UPDATE: For some reason (probably the gazillion little lines from the circles), the PDF file was HUGE (50+ MB - gasp)! I tried lots of ways to print it smaller, but nothing worked. I ended up printing the patterns on my printer and scanning them back in. It isn't as pretty, but it is only 1.27 MB now. Thanks so much for your patience!

Do you love French Knots???

2011-10-11T15:12:00.002-04:00

I know I do! I'm also quite fond of bullion roses, lazy daisy leaves, and running stitches. Hand embroidery is making a huge comeback, and my girl Bari J. is at the forefront with her lovely blog We Love French Knots.

I had the great honor of contributing this guest post and free project. Come on over and play dollies with me!

So much happening, but so little to say!

2011-06-21T18:46:00.002-04:00

First off, thank you so much for all the great comments (and retweets, reposts, facebook likes, etc.) on my sewing room and periodic table! Wow...there are so many other Scientific Seamstresses out there - I love it!!! I'm just giddy knowing that the table was printed by/for those who enjoy the hard sciences and soft crafts. I do want to squelch one rumor here and now, however...I am NOT organized or neat (ask my mom). Just check out the labels on some of my storage boxes! Not real specific, but I can find what I am looking for in a few seconds.

For someone like me, the only way to stay semi-sane is to have a reasonable, easy-to-access place for everything. I have bins for scraps, beakers for buttons, baskets for ribbons, and a big recycling bin for pattern pieces that don't quite work. It makes for easy clean-up so I can transform my usual explosion of a sewing room into a serene, photo-ready space in no time.

Aside from a little stage fright, the real reason I'm not having too much to say isssss........I'm writing a book!!!! It is actually a collaborative effort with a number of rock star designers, bloggers, patternmakers, etc., but it is "my" baby! Now, I can't divulge too much about the subject at this point, but I can tell you 1) it involves sewing, 2) I am working with the amazing folks at Wiley, and 3) it is so much fun! More details to come, I promise!!! I would show you the obligatory contract signing photo, but it is gardening season, and my hands are disgusting. Instead, here is a picture of the freshly-weeded back flower beds, which look quite pretty right now (especially compared to my mangled mitts and cluttered sewing room).

My sewing lab (+ free geektastic printable!)

2011-05-27T15:27:00.010-04:00

I've been in my formal living room turned sewing room for about 6 months now. It is so nice to have room to move about, and I'm staying a lot better organized since I have places to put stuff. The only thing that was bothering me was the lack of a theme. When I was younger, I was so matchy-matchy and theme-oriented with my decor, but that kind of disintegrated once I started a family. I figured since this is my space, I could decorate it in a way that suits me perfectly. Since I *am* the Scientific Seamstress, a lab theme seemed to be the natural choice.

Don't worry - I didn't go too crazy...no frogs in formaldehyde or radioactive isotopes. I just incorporated the colors and images that made me happy back in my science days. The result is a fun work space where I can conduct my sewing experiments.

I installed a shiny black lab bench under the windows. I got the piece of countertop for $5 in the scratch and dent room at Ikea. I put teloscoping legs in the front and cheap brackets in the back. It is actually 3 feet off the ground because I like to sew standing up (makes it so much easier to go back and forth to the computer or cutting table).

I turned the desk that I was using for the sewing machines into a cutting table. It is soooo nice to have a functional place to cut! The large mat is from JoAnn (got it on sale online). I had to cut it down a little bit with aviation shears, but it works just fine.

I decoupaged the sides of the table with pages from an old Merck index (if I really want to know a chemical structure, I can google it), and then painted a fun soybean plant (the subject of my graduate research) on one side.

On the other side, I installed two GRUNDTAL knife magnets from Ikea. Not only do they hold my scissors and rotary cutters, they keep little metal things like seam rippers and tiny screwdrivers close at hand.

I spray painted two desks with Eden Green by Rustoleum. To me, this is the quintessential "Biology Department Green" I remember from college. At the time, I thought the color was so pukey and ugly, but now I find it quite lovely. Above my work desk are a few things that make me feel happy and loved. The wall quilt was made by four good friends and given to me for my birthday last year. Next to it are my B.S. and Ph.D. diplomas. My dad made the frames and the cool thread rack on the adjacent wall. Above that is the Scientific Seamstress sign my friend Cathy gave me last month...she is such a doll! To the right of the quilt is a thimble collection my mom gave me - I'll take that over dead bugs any day!

Vintage glassware makes for great little vases. You can find pieces on Etsy, or just hang around the doorways of retiring professors' labs.

Lots of storage in the shelving next to the desk. Most of the bins are full of scraps, of course. I glued some chalkcloth to the wooden bin that holds various stabilizers. Now I have a place to write formulas or derive equations when the need arises (totally kidding...I keep my math to rudimentary geometry and algebra). Bessie, my only employee, is OSHA compliant in her lab coat.

The shelving on the opposite wall holds my reagents, equipment, and some books. Notice my copy of Girl's World by Jennifer Paganelli? It is a must-have for the sewing library!

I purchased some beakers to store my buttons, zippers, embroidery floss, etc. They were a bit of a splurge ($10 each from a science supply store), but they are absolutely perfect. The 2000 mL fits my shelves nicely, and the tops are open so I can just reach in and get the item I am after.

Finally, I needed some "artwork" to hang over the beaker shelves. When I worked in a lab, sales reps were always giving us neat posters with science info (and of course their logos). I decided to make my own "Periodic Table of Sewing Elements" poster. Each element letter has a sewing term underneath (and some boxes even have a texture or pattern to correspond with the term). Periodic tables usually have groups of different colored boxes to classify the elements, but I decided to make mine all different colors to look like a patchwork quilt. One of the terms is the same for both chemical elements and sewing elements...can you figure out which one it is?

Click for larger image

Geek out your own sewing space with a Periodic Table of Sewing Elements!
Click the link above to download the small file for printing at home in 8 x 11.5" format.
Click here to download the large file (20 x 30 format, can be printed online or at a local print shop).

Note: Some eagle-eyed readers found some out of place duplicates in the original table. I've made the corrections and swapped out the files :)!

April showers bring May flowers and....

2011-05-25T07:43:00.003-04:00

May showers bring MUD! And as everyone knows, mud tends to attract small boys and dogs from all around the neighborhood.

The May flowers are lovely, however.

The pea plants are starting to make little pods.

We are growing tomatoes and greens along the driveway. Last year we grew corn in this strip, but it got "smutty" and rangy looking. Considering good sweet corn is so inexpensive in season, we've decided to leave that one to the experts. I'm sure the neighbors will be grateful that we made this choice.

We've got volunteer pumpkin plants in the spot where we let our Jack-O-Lantern rot last year. The circle of life, redneck style.

Out back we've got some good Southern staples - turnips, collards, and okra on the way.

More greens in the raised bed - mustard, kale, bok choy.

We had a nice crop of arugula, but it bolted and we ate it with homemade butternut squash ravioli. The squash was from last fall's crop. Yum - makes all the messing around in the mud so worth it!

A blur of fabric, friends, and fun!

2011-05-18T06:41:00.005-04:00

I'm back from the 2011 Spring International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City! It was such an amazing trip. Not only was the setting gorgeous, but I got to spend time (not enough, but I'll take what I can get) with so many good friends. And of course, the displays of fabric were overwhelmingly stunning. My only regret is that I only took a few pictures. That always happens - I get to running my mouth and forget I have a camera! Anyways, between my little camera and a few pics I grabbed from facebook friends, I have enough to scrap together a blog post.

My dear friend and tester Jeanne picked me up at the airport and immediately took me on a fantastic tour of SLC. I got to see downtown, the beautiful surrounding area, and a couple of fabric shops...all before lunch!

We had a very yummy lunch at the famous Ruth's Diner. Here we are outside. Yeah, I'm standing on a curb, and Jeanne is still a good 6" taller. No fair.

Jeanne's little daughter is an absolute angel child! She is so beautiful and sweet, and smart too! Check out the welcome note she wrote for Jennifer!

Thursday was our first big work day. We went over to the convention center and picked up our giant box of gorgeousness so we could get ready for our Schoolhouse Presentation.

For my science friends...giving a Schoolhouse is like giving a talk at a national meeting. You get up in front of a big group of your peers and talk about your latest breakthroughs. We made the Sis Boom Schoolhouse a group effort - Jen talked about her new book, Madeline presented the latest fabric lines, and I of course plugged patterns. Above is a pic of Jen out in the hall, waiting for showtime. She was as cool as a cucumber, but I have to admit I got a little nervous. It has been a long time since I have been in front of a group like that, but I settled right down once I saw the friendly faces streaming into the room.

It didn't hurt that we were handing out fat quarters...those babies would thrill any audience!

On Friday, Jennifer had her book signing. So many great friends turned out ! Pictured above is Jennifer with Jennifer from Bugs and Bees (and yes, she made that Patricia Tunic with her own two hands). Don't they look like sisters?

After the book signing, we were interviewed by Heidi from the Quilt Home crew! We talked about the new Sis Boom fabrics and our ePatterns, which are sold on their site. It was so much fun talking to her! We'll let you know when the video is live.

We managed to get in LOTS of socializing, of course. Every night we had a dinner or a meetup to attend. It was so great seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Plus, the food was great everywhere we went!

Now I'm not one to pose for pics with every sewing celebrity I meet, but I just HAD to get a shot with Char from Crap I've Made. She is my bloggy hero - funny, interesting, mildy crass - and she is exactly the same in person!

Oh...did you notice the dresses we were wearing on book signing day? That pattern is in the works and should be ready in the next few weeks...I just need to come down from my Rocky Mountain Quilt Market High and transition back into work mode!

...and by the way, I was not in full-out Snookie mode - that is someone's head, not my bangs in that last shot (don't let Char tell you otherwise)!

Naturally neutral

2011-04-28T19:40:00.003-04:00

The old saying "She'd look good in burlap" definitely applies to the Sis Boom Rosetta Bag!

I wear a lot of brights, so I wanted a bag that was somewhat neutral for spring. Since burlap is trendy, cheap, and durable, I decided to give it a shot.

I finished all of the edges with a 3 thread overlock stitch to prevent fraying during and after the construction process. Instead of gathering with basting stitches, I just pulled on the jute fibers - so fun and easy!

I lined the bag with unbleached cotton muslin and included pockets on each side for my phone, wallet, etc.

I trimmed the top band with vintage lace and a mix of mother-of-pearl and white plastic buttons.

Doesn't this one look like a screaming toddler?

Spring Show &Tell

2011-04-18T10:25:00.002-04:00

Ahhh - Spring! All the singing birds and pretty flowers motivated me to brighten up my dining room with some happy Sis Boom fabrics!

First off, I recovered my dining room chairs with prints from Girlfriends and Poodle. The dinette came with the house, and the chairs were covered with a light peach velveteen that was no match for Louie. The recovery process was actually pretty painless. There were three screws in the bottom of the chair, and when I removed them the seat and back popped right out. The bottom and sides of the back cover are stitched, and the top is stapled. The bottom cover is just stretched and stapled on. I'm so happy to walk into the room and see paisleys and toiles rather than pizza stains and Elmer's glue blobs.

I also made a coordinating runner for the buffet using Poodle laminate.

Talk about a low-effort project. I just cut it to size with pinking shears. You could actually use regular scissors, as laminate does not fray.

This year's seedlings are doing really well. I'm staggering plantings in hopes of a more constant harvest rather than too many veggies all at once.

The perennial beds are weeded and ready for action. There are few bulbs up and blooming, but things will really get rocking in the next few weeks when the peonies and irises pop.

For now, we are really enjoying the daffodils.
(Get the Bosco Bowtie tutorial here for free!)

Not too much green on in the veggie bed yet, but there are lots of little seedlings up.

A family of bunnies moved into the neighborhood, so we are going to have to put up a little fence. In the meantime, we are protecting the pea seedlings with seltzer water bottle cloches. They seem very happy :) .

Give the gift of sewing!!!

2011-04-07T09:21:00.004-04:00

Do you have any special friends who are dying to learn how to sew beautiful things for their little girls, but don't know where to start? Virtue Radio Network is offering an amazing online sewing class with Jennifer Paganelli, and I think it would make a wonderful gift! In fact...Mother's Day is coming up on May 8th, and any woman with sewing dreams would LOVE to be treated to this deluxe package! In fact, if you know of any husbands looking for a unique gift to give their wives, I'm sure they would appreciate the hint!

For only $59 (so much cheaper than the day spa), they will get an all inclusive, luxury sewing experience. You can get all the details here, but basically the deal includes a downloadable instructional video (can be watched again and again), a live chat with Jennifer and Dolin O'Shea (patternmaker and couture seamstress), special discounts at Fabric.com, and an autographed copy of Jen's beautiful new book Girl's World (a 24.95 value...not counting the signature)!

The book contains 21 sewing projects, but the one they picked for the class is one of my favorites and is absolutely perfect for beginners. I had the opportunity to try this one out when the book was first coming together.

I made two sizes, and I was amazed at how quickly and easily the dresses went together. As you can see, it looks so beautifully girly on little ones and tweens alike. You can make it out of a single print, or mix and match. I highly recommend this pattern. I've been sewing for years, and I didn't quite "get" finishing neck and arm openings with bias tape until I followed Dolin's instructions. It gives such a nice finish, and is so dang easy. You can see more photos of finished sash dresses and a great video about the class on Jennifer's blog.

More Jamie!

2011-03-24T16:49:00.005-04:00

You asked for it...more pics of the new Jamie Dress, modeled by our lovely testers!

Here is sweet Jenny in her gorgeous Jamie sundress made from Honey Child Danielle fabric. LOVE the flip-flops and the gerbera daisies! That girl is single-handedly bringing summer to Texas!!! Check out her blog to see the coordinating Marissa dress she made her precious little daughter.

Above is another beautiful babe from the Lone Star State! Shannon's dress is made of Nelly Melon, also from the Honey Child collection. This talented girl has been busy lately...check out her new Etsy Shop!

Jeanne made this Easter Dress for her stunning daughter (who managed to look perfectly springy despite the freezing cold).

Here is Teresa, a lovely Midwestern lass who brightens the landscape right up! LOVE this purple Rosetta dress on her. Check out Flickr to see pics of her cute little redheaded daughter in her coordinating Marissa dress.

Angie, Tester Tom's wife, is looking amazing in the dress he made for her. According to Tom, she wasn't thrilled to be out in the cold, but she still managed a pretty smile (the things we women do for the guys we love). The regal fabric is Dolin from Queen Street. He also made some beautiful Marissa dresses for his daughter - see them on Flickr!

I absolutely adore this picture of my girl Cathy in her Jamie Dress! That fabric is just perfect for her (Honey Child Danielle), and I love the style with her cute bobbed haircut. She only lives a few hours from me, and we are both so ready for green grass and blue skies!!!

And finally, me in my boggy backyard. I used the periwinkle Maritza from Queen Street to whip up a fabulous retro-frock to wear to quilt market later this spring. In honor of the style and my locale (Baltimore suburbs), I teased my hair into a bouffant and put on some frosted lipstick. Now I have this strange urge do the Mashed Potato like Tracy Turnblad (interestingly, John Waters grew up less than a mile from my house, hon).

In addition to requests for more pics of the Jamie dress modeled, I've gotten some great questions about the zipper insertion. The glue sticks I use are the ordinary ones you'd use for paper projects - Elmer's, Scotch Brand, UHU, etc. The glue will come out in the wash, so you don't need to be too picky. As far as the foot goes, I use my regular presser foot with the needle positioned to the far right hand side. I've never been that skilled with the zipper foot...I can't keep the stitching straight with such a narrow base of support. Between the glue and the wider foot, everything stays in place, giving nice even stitching.

Zipping along with Marissa and Jamie...

2011-03-21T17:41:00.004-04:00

Last week, Jennifer Paganelli and I launched two new dress patterns (and of course I am the last to blog about them...that doesn't mean I'm not excited, I'm just all wrapped up in the next set of patterns)! Jamie and Marissa are classic dresses with lots of gorgeous details that make them modern and special. The straps, the waistline, the full skirt...everyone is swooning! The fitted waistline flatters women and girls of all sizes.

To get a great fit like this, the design requires what the pros call "fit control." It can come in many forms...shirring, ties, buttons, etc. In this case, a zipper was truly the best (and easiest) option. Now I know a lot of folks are afraid of zippers and rightly so...most patterns don't really tell you to install them. Rather, they refer you to the zipper manufacturer's 1/2" wide inserted instructions, which give you multiple options in several different languages.

This pattern actually features a side zipper, so the back is nice and clean. This picture was captured mid-twirl.

Here is another mid-twirl pic...you can better see how the back of the dress hangs (and I love her curls)!

Zippers really aren't that hard to install. In fact, it only took me two pages to describe "my way," and I am a super wordy type. I've posted those two pages so you can see for yourself if it is something you want to tackle.

See??? Easy peasy!!! I had several testers who were staunchly "anti-zipper" and they were shocked and amazed at their zipper abilities! The glue stick makes it SO easy! Once you are putting in zippers, think of the sewing doors that will be opened for you!

Free Bosco Bowtie Tutorial!

2011-03-07T08:22:00.004-05:00

Something about a bowtie transforms a little rascal into a perfect gentleman (at least long enough for a few pictures).

Jennifer and I have come up with a technique for whipping up impeccably crisp and classic bowties for the guys in your life. And in celebration of her beautiful new book Girl's World, we've put together a free tutorial!

The secret to pleating perfection is a printable template that is included in the file.

The tie can be made in three different sizes, so you can dress up babies and macho men alike. We've even put in actual-sized diagrams of finished bows, so that you can "try-on" for size before sewing!

You can download the free file over at Jennifer's blog. Just click on the picture of the dapper doll shown above!!!

Tee time!

2011-02-07T10:43:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, Jen from Stitch Simple invited me to participate in the Great Knit Fabric Experiment. Just from the name I could tell the challenge was right up my alley! Participants were provided with wonderful organic knit fabric from Harmony Art and asked to come up with a tutorial. I decided to focus my "research" on designing the perfect dolly T-shirt...something stylish, great fitting, and most importantly EASY TO SEW!

I selected the lime green interlock for my project. I have a bin full of knits, and I have to say this is some of the nicest stuff I have ever worked with. It is thick and soft, and the color is vibrant...just gorgeous. And since it came to me from Stitch Simple, it was prewashed and ready to sew - YAY! I couldn't have asked for a better substrate :)!

Below are a few pictures from my experiment...

Stitching (with a little help from a secret weapon ;) )

Adding the neckband (secret weapon at work again)

Almost finished

...and here is the end result!

Front View

Back View

Short Sleeved Version

If you are new to sewing with knits, doll clothes are a great starting point. They require so little fabric, but you still get to go through all the steps involved in constructing a knit garment.

The free doll T-shirt pattern and detailed sewing instructions can be downloaded here.

Click on the image below for more Great Knit Fabric Experiment tutorials!

Orange you glad???

2011-02-04T14:09:00.001-05:00

The weekend is almost here! Come back on Monday for a special freebie!

Romper Room

2011-01-27T13:08:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to announce that my newest pattern, Reversible Rompers, is now available on YouCanMakeThis.Com! I've gotten so many requests for this pattern, and I really wish I had tackled it years ago. When Louie was little, he pretty much lived in rompers. They were just so cute and classic, and comfy to boot. When he hit about 3T, they became almost impossible to find. Why do clothing manufacturers want kids to grow up so quickly? Anyway, now that he is a big 6 year old kindergartener, he considers himself past the romper stage (though size-wise, he would have fit in the 5T, and I was very very very tempted). Luckily, I have some great friends with little ones (and awesome photography skills :) )!

This romper is totally reversible, so you get two outfits for your effort. The cutie above is donning a St. Patrick's romper (no pinching) that doubles as an Easter outfit!

The St. Pat's side is made of a stripey cotton and features this applique from SWAK embroidery. The Easter side is made from soft baby wale corduroy, and the wool felt chick applique is also from SWAK.

The romper can be made in a range of lengths from full-length to longish shorts length. This little hunk is anything but crabby in his short-alls! I used a boyish homespun fabric and this great applique on one side...

...and this awesome crab fabric on the reverse. I scored the fabric (which was exactly what I had in mind) at Stitches Etc. in Timonium MD. They have the most amazing selection of novelty fabric I have ever seen in one spot, and it is so well organized. How lucky am I that they are just a few miles from my house?

Ok, more rompers!!! This tough little pirate is wearing a jon-jon made from Sis Boom Basics Fabric, and this awesome applique...

And the reverse side features a fun beachy scene, also from Stitches etc! All of the rompers show above have snappable inseams for easy diaper changes. I included instructions for both snap tape and press-on snaps, but there are also instructions for sewn inseams.

The eBook comes with a bonus supplement that includes instructions for adding darling ruffles AND patterns for cute little dolly rompers!

Even with the ruffles, the romper is completely reversible!

There separate patterns for 18" girl dolls and 15" baby dolls. I just love American Girl Julie in her hip paisley romper!

A huge thank you to my testers!!! They gave me so much great feedback that allowed me to tweak the fit and fine tune the instructions. Their adorable creations can be seen on the "I made this" slideshow on the Reversible Romper product page on YouCanMakeThis.com.

Moving down and folding up

2011-01-25T13:15:00.008-05:00

The sewing room move I mentioned in my last post is 99% complete. There was so much lifting, tossing, organizing, etc. to be done, but I kept reminding myself it was way easier than moving an entire household, and that ultimately I would be so much happier and productive.

I moved the living room furniture over to one side of the room, and it is now so cozy and inviting. Everyone is using the room these days - my husband has been snuggling up on the sofa and reading in the early a.m., and Louie is playing Legos on the rug as I write.

Above is the work side of the room. So far I really love it...much more room to move about, and I love being more in the center of activity as opposed to being cordoned off upstairs. It is so nice having the computers and sewing machines (not to mention all of my supplies) in the same place.

I still have lots of fabric in storage, so I'm trying to fold it neatly so it will all fit (and look pretty) in my bookcases. I'm usually the world's messiest folder, so I'm trying something new to keep my folds nice and consistent. When I worked at the Gap 20 years ago, we used plexiglass folding boards to keep the pocket tees and sweatshirts precisely folded so that they would stack perfectly no matter the size. Here is a great article about folding-obsessed former Gapsters.

Borrowing a bit on that concept, I am using pieces of cardstock as folding templates. The standard 8.5 x 11" size is the perfect fit with 45" wide fabric (which is mostly what I own). For smaller cuts of fabric (less than a yard), I've been using a half sheet (4.25 x 11").

I start out with the fabric folded in half with the selvage edges together (which conveniently happens to be the way it comes off the bolt). I start out with the cardstock at one corner with a short end in line with the selvage edge.

Then I just start folding towards the other cut end of the fabric.

I flip, flip, flip as many times as needed to accommodate the yardage.

Once it is fully folded, I bring the selvage edge to meet the original folded edge. This gives me a nice tight package that fits right in my bookshelf. I just leave the cardstock in place, which seems to give some nice stability and keeps my stacks from collapsing when I pull fabrics in and out. It is pretty simplistic, I know, but it will be something I can maintain as I get back into hyperfocused pattern making mode!

Staying HOME!

2011-01-15T14:38:00.015-05:00

Hello and Happy New Year! For the last several months, I've used an upcoming move as an excuse not to blog. Anyone who has ever had a house on the market knows how all-encompassing it is...you spend hours a day trying to make the place look perfect, and then you have to be somewhat detached from the beautiful clean house you are living in. It is definitely not conducive to random acts of craftiness, I tell ya! Then you have to hear why lookers aren't interested in your house (in our case by and large, the layout was too open and contemporary, but we also had people who didn't like the curb appeal, proximity to the beltway, or the small size of the bedrooms. We even had one group take exception to our fat old dog, who didn't even convey with the property). Back in the day, we could just plant mums and bake cookies, and we'd have a sold sign in 2 weeks time. It is downright humbling to try to sell a home in a buyers' market!

Anyways, I am THRILLED to report that we are not moving after all! Del really enjoyed his job up in PA, but when it became clear that our house was not going to sell without us taking a major financial hit (so much so that we couldn't even consider buying another house), he decided to look closer to home. He got a great job as an Executive Chef at a major university that is within commuting distance! He is going to be in charge of a brand new, state-of-the-art dining hall - he will be in culinary heaven!

As for me, I can now throw myself back into my crafty happy (messy) lifestyle! I actually have lots of projects in the works...a much requested Scientific Seamstress pattern is in the testing phase, several Sis Boom patterns are being developed, and I'm also doing some fun freelance editing jobs to help keep the family afloat. I also need to "move back in" and make the house mine again. We did some "neutralizing" when we put the house on the market (I painted over the peacock feather in the bathroom, but didn't touch the birch forest in the entryway). The biggest thing I need to do now is make our home functional for us. First order is to turn our giant, unused living room into a studio space for me.

The extra bedroom I've claimed as my sewing room is now carpeted, which means it is just a matter of time before I make a nasty stain of coffee and/or paint, or worse yet, someone could step on an embedded needle.

The picture above was taken after about half the sewing room furniture was stuck into a PODS unit, which is coming back next week. My plan is to take over at least half of the downstairs space with my sewing stuff and the furniture shown above (mostly if not all IKEA stuff that came with the house), and then we will bring in my old dressers, headboard etc. and have a proper guest bedroom (so please come visit)!

Above is the space I'm grabbing. I've already moved the "living room" furniture to take up 1/4th of the room. Tomorrow we are hauling down the very heavy IKEA shelving and desks. I'm trying to decide if it would be better to disassemble, or if Del and I should just risk sore muscles and scraped floors and move by brute force. It will be lots of work, but so much less work than setting up a new household all together!

Heavens to Betsey (and a giveaway)!

2010-12-15T19:14:00.005-05:00

New Pattern alert! Jennifer came up with the most adorable, hip apron EVER, and I turned it into an easy to sew, quick, and very fun pattern! If you are still hemming and hawing about gifts for teachers, girlfriends, etc...look no further.

This apron has a great retro feel, but has a very current look...especially if you use awesome Sis Boom fabrics!

The apron in the picture above is made from a great mix of new and old Sis Boom prints. I LOVE it. It may be a gift for a special friend, if I can part with it.

Here is the backside...so cute (and no, that is my dressform Bessie...not me - oh how I wish I had her adjustable proportions depending on my mood and the outfit).

And the reverse...so sweet!

Now this one is "my" apron. I made it holiday festive, but really, I could wear it everyday (if I actually cooked). It is reversible, has two wonderful pockets for hankies, phones, lists, spoons, etc. I wore it to Jen's most recent holiday show in fact. She had hers on too, and I so wish I had a pic...she was completely adorable!

So this is the thing that makes Betsey super unique...the removable side bows. They give so much drama and cuteness to the back of the apron. Whether you are wearing jeans or a little black dress, these bows will flatter, minimize, and be a walking conversation piece as you serve champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

This apron is my favorite of all time. It is a gift for Lou's kindergarten teacher, who is completely wonderful and I suspect at some point will be nominated for sainthood. I mixed two of my very favorite prints (Amanda Fleur from Pretty Please, and Maeve from Queen Street).

I added one pocket, and personalized it with her initials (so I wouldn't hoard it for myself). Whether she is doing major holiday cooking at home, or just shielding herself from kindy art supplies, I know she will put this apron to good use!

So now on to the gorgeous tester creations...they didn't have much time given the fact that we wanted a mid-December release, but they outdid themselves with time to spare!

First up is Cathy's gorgeous daughter in her apron...she is cute (and the epitome of fun and sweet) the Madeline print!

Heather's apron is completely gorgeous...her sewing is meticulous, just like her embroidery designs!

And here is Jeanne's version on her gorgeous daughter. I'm pretty sure that I know Miss J's tastes in colors and prints, so that apron may be a keeper rather than a gift ;)!

Here is a very adorable representation of the little girls' version. Her mama Jenny is a great seamstress, and I had the privilege of hanging out with her sweet family when I went down south for my class reunion. Please don't let the very green grass distract you from the great apron and the beautiful child. We all need to pick up and move to Texas!

So loving Jessica's version - crisp and perfect, just like everything she creates!

Swooning over Marlo's chic black and white apron....she knows what her mama loves (though I did score you some rare red and white stuff ;) )!

And here is precious little Ms R. in a super pink little girlie apron!

And how fun and cute is this? Little miss L. made snow ice cream in her apron, and she couldn't have been cuter!

Ok, one more and I will stop (I hope)...our girl Jenny made a gorgeous apron and blogged it here. You need to follow her if you don't already (she has awesome taste and is absolutely hilarious)!

Soooooo.....time for my 100th post giveawway! All you need to do is write in a response and tell me the one pattern you would like as a present. The first 15 people to respond get their pattern of choice....so easy! I've been blogging for two years now, and I know I should have at least 6000 posts, but dangit, this is a real milestone for me. I am not a super social person, and I only blog when I really feel like my thoughts will enhance your life in some way. Hopefully I am crawling out of a major creative lull, and I will post more of merit in the new year!

WOW - that was fast!!!!

I've emailed patterns to everyone with a visible address. I still need addresses for:

Craftmom
Jennebeker
Sahmy
Angie
Tracey

Contact me at info at scientificseamstress.com and I will get those sent your way!

CD-ROM Rosettes

2010-11-24T18:20:00.007-05:00

Remember about this time last year when I went on my Frayed Rosettes bender? Well, the snip/tear/roll urge has hit me one again, but this time I wanted to do something even larger, grander, and...ummm...less labor intensive (hey, my house is on the market..a lot of my energy is spent swiffering dog hair and firing up LED tealights for showings). Anyway, I came up with something fun, fast and completely giftable (my mom is in town and she says so...the prototypes are already in her suitcase, so that is a good sign)!

All you need to make these big, beautiful rosettes are 1) an old, scratched up CD, 2) about 1/4 yard of fabric and 3) a hot glue gun.

For the demo, I used gorgeous, hot-off-the-press pink Maeve from Jennifer's Queen Street line. To start out with a nice even torn edge, you will need to snip an inch or so above the cut edge, then grasp either side of the snip and tear (for more details on snipping and tearing, download the Frayed Rosettes tutorial).

Once you have this edge, you can start tearing off the components for your rosette.

Make your initial snip about 1/2" from your torn edge and rip.

This will give you a thin, stringy piece.

Then snip and rip about 2" from the edge. Repeat.

At this point you should have one stringy skinny piece and two wider pieces.

Squirt a drop of glue near the center of the CD, and stick the end of the stringy piece into place as shown above. Normally, I would give you hot gluing action shots, but my glue gun is a hot mess! So I'm substituting with arrows...they indicate where the hot glue should be applied.

Bring the stringy piece through the hole so you have exactly seven wraps (no more, no less).

Flip the CD over to the other side and glue the stringy piece into place and trim. You should have exactly seven wraps on that side too.

Tie the end of one of the wider strips into a loose knot.

Tuck the tail into the knot, and add a drop of glue to hold it in place.

Glue the knot to the center ring of the CD.

Now for the fun part! Weave the strip between the wraps (go over the first one, go under the next one, etc, etc).

For best results, keep the material loose and fluffy for those first wraps, then gradually tighten up as you get further from the center. This will give a more authentic domed rosette shape.

Try to keep the wraps evenly spaced as you go along.

When the first strip runs out, tuck the end under the adjacent "petal" and glue.

Pinch the end of the second strip, and glue it into place right next to the end of the first strip.

Weave this strip in and out until you get to the end. Tuck and glue the end into place. Arrange the outer edge petals so that they cover up any glimpses of the shiny CD. Glue wherever you see fit.

If you want to cover up the back, simply trace around another CD on felt. Cut the felt circle out, and glue it to the back of the CD.

That is really all there is to it...experiment with solids, prints...or even other materials.

Here is a tulle rosette (I used 180" of the 6" wide tulle that comes on a roll, but I doubled it up to make the process go faster).

I also tried it with shiny wired ribbon (90% off bargain post-Christmas at JoAnn's last year), and it will make a beautiful bow alternative!

I'm plotting all kinds of things to do with these big, fun rosettes...make brooches, stick 'em on walls, use them as ornaments...etc!

Bias Tape Breakthrough!

2010-11-15T19:55:00.005-05:00

I have bias tape on the brain because our next Sis Boom pattern requires significant amounts of it :) . I'm not ready to spill the design details yet, but I will share my recent personal progress in bias tape making.

Generally, when a pattern calls for bias tape, I just run out and buy it. Most fabric stores carry an array of colors and widths, and I can usually find something that works for the project. But for this project, I really really really wanted to use fun prints for the bias binding.

A few months ago, one of my sewing friends mentioned that I needed a bias tape maker. Well, I thought she was talking about one of those expensive automated appliances that cost about as much as a basic sewing machine. I filed it in my brain as a "maybe someday when I have more money in the bank and a really amazing coupon" thing. Turns out she was referring to a simple little notion that you can find in the quilting section of your favorite fabric store for well under $10! Pictured above is a 1" (25 mm) bias tape maker. It is perfect for making what is known as 1/2" double-fold (or extra wide) bias tape.

I'm going to take you through the bias tape making process from start to finish...don't worry, it won't take that long! I particularly love striped bias tape, so I used Siobahn from the Poodle line for this tutorial. The first step of course is to cut the bias strips. I'm starting out here with exactly 3/4 yard (27") of 45" wide fabric. I've cut away the selvedges, so it is more like 43" wide.

Fold one of the short edges up to meet one of the long edges. For best results, press the fold.

Next, bring the top and bottom corners together as shown in the pic above. Align the folded edges. Again, press the newly formed fold for best results.

Now, place this most recent fold on your cutting board (which is hopefully larger and less defaced than mine).

Use a rotary cutter and a clear ruler to cut off 1/4" beyond the fold. This will give you a nice straight guideline for cutting your strips.

Cut 1.75" wide strips through the folded and single thickness layers. The first cut will yield two strips: one that is about 37" long and one that is about 34" long. With each cut, the second strip will get about 3" shorter, but the first will remain at 37".

Basically, you just keep cutting until you get enough bias tape for your project. Here is a little cheat sheet for a 3/4 yard starting rectangle (numbers are approximate).

1 cut = 71"
2 cuts = 139"
3 cuts = 203"
4 cuts = 263"

To join the pieces, put two ends together as shown in the pic above. If you can't get two ends to do this, try the other end of one strip. Make sure there are little dog-ears that are just over .25" long on each side.

Stitch together, 1/4" the aligned edges. Press the seam open, and trim away any overhangs.

OK, so far I haven't discussed anything truly revolutionary. Now we are getting into the fun stuff...

The first time I tried using a bias tape maker, I was a little disappointed. I followed the manufacturer's instructions to the letter, but I kept getting uneven, wrinkly bias tape. Part of the problem was that I wasn't a very good "driver" along the tape and the folds were coming out very inconsistent. I couldn't really figure out the cause of the wrinkles, however. I did a little experimenting, and now I am getting picture perfect bias tape every time :) .

The uneven fold fix: If you are a wild driver like me, I highly recommend folding your bias strips in half lengthwise and pressing to create a crease. The crease acts as a guideline for drawing the fabric through the bias tape maker.

Insert the pointed end of the strip into the wide end of the tape maker. If needed, you can coax the fabric through the small end with the tip of a straight pin. It is a little hard to see in the photo, but there is an opening in the center top of the tape maker. As you make your tape, the crease should be visible in this window all times so that you get nice even folds.

Now for the wrinkle fix: The illustration on the packaging shows the iron a few inches away from the short end of the tape maker (even though the corresponding text says to keep the iron close to the tape maker). I've found that the side of the iron needs to be smack dab against the tape maker opening to get nice flat tape. In fact, rather than pulling on the tape maker as shown in the illustration, I just use the iron to push the tape maker along the tape, and I use my other hand to keep the crease centered. It really helps to go slowly and use lots of steam.

And here is the result - perfect 1" wide single fold bias tape with .25" folds!

But we want double fold, right?....

Easy - just fold in half lengthwise and press. Depending on how you will be using the tape, you can simply align the folded edges. However, if you want to make bias tape that is just like store-bought, make sure that one edge protrudes slightly (1/16 of an inch or so) beyond the other.

For a great explanation as to why store-bought bias tape is like this, check out Angry Chicken's hilarious and very informative video tutorial!

Rosetta Bag pattern is here!

2010-11-13T06:44:00.005-05:00

Product Description: We've got a bag that is SO fun to carry around and makes you feel SO special...everyone will have to have one! After getting oodles of comments on a great customer creation we blogged several months ago, we decided to come up with our own take on the feminine ruffle bag. You can make it with a single gorgeous fabric, or mix and match for an eclectic look. We love embellishing the top band with velvet ribbon or lace. The look works beautifully with vintage jewelry. It comes in three sizes - mini (S), purse (M), and tote (L)! There are three options for edge finishing (overlocked, narrow hemmed, and double thickness ruffles), so don’t worry if you don’t have a serger! And despite the elegant look, this bag is easy-peasy to put together. Combined with all the new choices of Sis Boom Fabrics, this pattern is going to open up all kinds of possibilities for our handbag makers!!!

Girls of all ages love this bag, which is now available on YouCanMakeThis.com! Pictured above is my gorgeous little neighbor donning her Sophie Tunic and showing off the small-sized bag.

The testers did an outstanding job on their bags:

Tom used a combination of Sis Boom prints and baby wale corduroy to make this rich, fallish medium-sized bag. His wife Angie loves it and so do we!!!

Stacey used a romantic mix of roses and diamonds for her gorgeous bag...so feminine and pretty!

Shannon used bright, happy prints and a touch of denim to make this great tote. She took it to the International Quilt Festival in Houston, and she said she could have sold it right off her arm many times over!

Here is Mindy's drool-worthy creation. I love love love the fabric combo, and look how she centered the monogram in the motif? So classic yet modern and fun!

Jeanne's tote bag is so heavenly! The pink satin ribbon is just perfect with the pastels.

Marlo made the small-sized bag for her darling daughter Nikki. Nik is a huge Sis Boom fan, and she is obsessed with the LeAnn print from the Dance With Me line. That girl has great taste!

And last but not least, Cathy concocted this very sweet mini bag for carrying around her essentials. The color combo is so Cathy, and I just love the happy rick rack trim!

Now is the time to get going on holiday sewing and these bags would make great gifts! Get the pattern here, and then show off your creations in Sis Boom Sightings and the Scientific Seamstress showcase!

An oldie but a goodie...

2010-10-29T20:43:00.005-04:00

I posted this little story on my dolly website 5 years ago...my how time flies!!! You can get the free witch hat pattern here. Happy Halloween!

Tabitha's Makeover Story

Hi! This is me just a few days ago. I am a pretty Battat "Our Generation" Girl. I used to be a sweet little girl's best friend - she would style my hair, have tea parties with me, and take me along on all kinds of adventures. Like most little girls, she morphed into a teenager and became interested in boys and loud music. Her mom felt sorry for me sitting all alone in the closet, so she donated me in hopes of me finding a great new home.

I ended up at the Value World Thrift Shop in Middleburg Heights, Ohio. There were lots of dolls and stuffed animals in the store - baby dolls, Barbies, Tickle-me Elmo - all looking for new homes. I felt lucky to have clothes on! Even though I had a few marks on my face and tangles in my hair, I felt certain I would be adopted quickly.

Just after I was put into a bin of huge (but friendly) bears, Carla came into the store and walked right back to the toy section. Seems she had been looking for a girl just like me! She picked me up out of the bin and told me that she had a very important modeling job for me. Me? A model? I was THRILLED!

We went to Carla's house, and she started me right in on my spa treatment. First she shampooed my hair, and then combed out the tangles. She cut off about an inch of split ends, but I had the hair to spare!

I felt like a new dolly after having my haircut! Next, Carla gave me a facial with a smelly cleanser and some gentle "dermabrasion." I was amazed at how it erased away the ink and scuff-marks! She touched up my cheeks and lips just a bit with some acrylic cosmetics. I was almost ready for my modeling debut!

Paisley, an American Girl of Today, has been modeling for Carla for several years now. She put on one of Carla's latest designs and showed me some poses.

She is a really great model, isn't she? The camera loves her!

Next, it was my turn to get dressed up...

Tada! Look at me - the cutest little witch in the Midwest! No wonder Carla named me Tabitha!

Here is my close-up. See what a new hairstyle and a little makeup can do for a girl?

The shoot took longer than expected thanks to Carla's young assistant, Louie. He had his own ideas about how I should wear my hair, and kept taking off my hat. At one point, he took off his pants and threw poor Paisley in the flowerbed - very unprofessional!

It was time for me to go to my next job - the important one Carla told me about when we first met. Since it was such a pretty day, we decided to take Louie's hot red convertible.

He wasn't in the best mood, so I was glad to let him have the front seat to all to himself.

Ready to ride!

After a few minutes loud complaining, Louie just conked out. Ahhh - the silence. We had a lovely, peaceful trip to Lakewood, a suburb just outside of Cleveland.

Here I am with my new boss, Kathy. She had a stand ready for me and everything - I LOVE it here! My job is to help sell Carla's patterns and to get customers to sign up for her sewing classes in the fall. She is going to teach little girls how to make pillowcase dresses for dollies like me! She is also going to teach grown-ups how to make twirl skirts just like mine (but lots lots bigger).

I waved goodbye to Carla and Louie (who had woken up very refreshed and actually smiled at me), and got right to work posing. I have a great view of the bustling downtown, and I'm so looking forward to making lots of new friends!

Update: After a several month long stint at the fabric shop, Tabitha went on to star in the "Twirls for Girls" video. Her 3 year old co-star Isabella fell in love with her, so she went to live with her in her Connecticut home :) .

Purse in the works!

2010-10-27T16:50:00.005-04:00

Thanks so much for all the well-wishes with regards to our upcoming move! So far we've had a handful of showings and looked at a few houses in PA, but nothing has clicked yet. I really hope we sell/buy soon so Del doesn't have to make the commute in the winter. Plus, it is just hard being in limbo (not to mention it stinks having to keep the house clean all of the time).

In the meantime, I am back on the job, full steam ahead. Jennifer dreamed up a gorgeous purse, and I am in the process of putting it in pattern form.

Here is the prototype, based on her original design. This has been my out-and-about purse for the last month or so, and I have gotten so many compliments! Even though I'm usually wearing jeans or leggings, this purse makes me feel dressed up and girlie. All I need is this purse and a little lipstick, and I am ready to head out the door!

Of course, we couldn't just have one size or finishing option (this is a Sis Boom/Scientific Seamstress pattern after all), so we came up with some variations. To get some idea of the scale, I photoed the different version on my dress form, Bessie (who actually stays clothed these days since we have strangers going in and out of the house).

This is the "mini" version. It would be perfect for a little girl, or even as a big girl's evening bag. On this one, I finished the ruffles with narrow, double-folded hems.

Here is the original again. The ruffles are finished with a quick rolled hem from the serger. I really love the mustard/turquoise combo. Surprisingly, it matches pretty much everything I wear! I trimmed it with a bit of vintage lace. It really "pops" on the top band. You could substitute gorgeous ribbon, rick-rack, etc.

And now for my dream tote! I picked some of my fave fabrics from Jen's lines and mixed and matched for this one. The top band is denim embellished with decorator's gimp, and it is just begging for a vintage rhinestone brooch (note to self...go antiquing once we move to the country). The ruffles are actually folded strips, so no edge finishing necessary. It takes a little more fabric this way, but it is quick and so crisp-looking.

The pattern is just about ready for my awesome team of testers! I'm debating pocket options, and also writing up some instructions for the folks that use (and love) ruffler attachments on their machines. I'll keep you posted!

REblanking the walls...

2010-10-18T18:45:00.003-04:00

Remember how my New Year's resolution was to just go crazy and give my stark, contemporary, house some color and character? Well, I did pretty good job of adding my crazy little touches until spring sprung, and then I felt like I needed to be out in the garden (tilling, weeding, planting, etc). At that point, I was semi-balancing work life and home life and just happily chugging along. Then mid-summer (right about vacation time), my husband had a heart-to-heart with me. Basically, he thought it was time to transition to a more sustainable career in a more affordable part of the country (he is a classically trained chef, but has been managing large corporate food service accounts in urban venues for the last 5 years). Anyway, he wanted to better connect with the customers (and the food), even if that meant taking a step back. We agreed this was the right long-term course to pursue, but suddenly I lost interest in making this house a home.

You see, we've moved just about every year since Lou was born. People ask if we are a military family, but we aren't...just corporate nomads. I've (over)decorated so many homes, only to turn the keys over to another family a few months later. So when I realized I needed to detach from this home, I just focused on work, Louie's upcoming school life, and zoning out in front of fail blogs/reality TV. As the summer wore on, it became more and more apparent that a move was imminent. Then, on Lou's first day of school, things all fell into place and we knew that there was no question...we were moving. Scary thing was - we didn't know exactly where we were going. We wanted to live in a place that was beautiful, affordable, and close to both of our families. We kept gravitating towards the Lancaster County area in PA...gorgeous landscapes, wonderful people, abundant produce, and quilt shops galore! Our prayers were answered, and Del got a great, fulfilling job that he loves in Honey Brook, PA. For now, he is making a 2 hour commute each way, but of course our goal is to sell this house and find a "forever" home up there.

So in a way, it is a good thing I dropped the ball on "personalizing" this home. Most of the decor is still pretty neutral - we just needed to do lots of painting, cleaning and purging. Thank goodness for PODS! We were able to pack up lots of stuff that was in the way (but couldn't quite bear to part with). Here are a few pics of our cleaned up, thinned out abode...

The spotless, shiny kitchen (I have to admit, the very basic Scandinavian cabinets are so functional, and super easy to clean)!

Our totally repainted bedroom and loft/library area (there are sliding doors for privacy, but we've always loved waking up to the view beyond the sunroom windows).

Our dining room...the previous owner left us the gorgeous rug and nice large dining set. I did the decorative painting when we first moved in, and the cool plate rack was made by my dad (I've hung it proudly in all of our dining rooms).

Louie's room - I didn't change much, just took out a few pieces of furniture. He has been great about handing down toys and clothes to his younger cousins, so we have been able to make lots of room in there.

Here is the big transformation...my sewing room! Remember how happy I was to rip out the carpet? With all the other fix-up projects we had going on, we just couldn't even conceive of refinishing hardwood before the house went on the market. So we had some nice, new carpet installed, and it looks great! I will admit, I'm a lot more careful about dropping straight pins now!

Lots of furniture (and the bulk of my fabric stash) went into storage. I still have scads of beautiful Sis Boom fabric on hand, which is a good thing because Jennifer and I have LOTS of new patterns in the works (I promise to blog about the latest this week)!

So there you have it...my biggest distraction as of late. I do hope this beautiful home finds new owners who appreciate its spaciousness, warmth, and gorgeous setting as much as we have these last two years. We've made lots of memories in this home...Del's cooked astounding meals, I've sewed up so many designs in my cozy work space, and Louie made the transition from toddler to big kid here (sniff). I am very exicted to move on to the next chapter, however, and I know that there are so many great times to come in our next residence.

My handwritten absence excuse note...

2010-10-17T16:51:00.004-04:00

I am sorry to have been away for so long. We've had a tough couple of months, and I've been very stressed out, withdrawn, and grumpy in general. There have been so many times when I've thought "OK, I should just let everyone know what is going on...they will relate...they will be supportive" - but, frankly I didn't want to bring anyone down. In this day and age (read - this economy), our problems are minor, and just watching the news for a few minutes would remind us of our blessings. Still, it is hard to be in financial limbo, even in the strongest of families. So many of our prayers have already been answered, and we know that we are making choices that will lead us to a very peaceful, fulfilled existence. I usually try to keep this blog pretty happy-crafty, but I feel like I owe it to you to share some of our recent trials and tribulations. I'm sure many of you have had similar experiences, or if you haven't, you can still relate and share some much needed warm hugs and encouragement. I have truly missed my "bloggy friends!"

Food, family, and friends...

2010-08-07T08:06:00.003-04:00

...that pretty much sums up our July! We drove up to New York State for the 4th. We attended a great party on Lake Ontario, and then spent the next few days in the Ithaca area. We stayed on the go, visiting friends and family and hanging out at old haunts. At the end of the week, we picked up my sweet step-daughter, Emily, and headed back to Maryland. She stayed with us for over 2 weeks, and we did lots of sewing, shopping, and of course eating out of the garden. Then last week we made a quick trip down to NC to see Del's mom, his sisters, and niece and nephew. On the way back up, we stopped for a night at my folks' house, and I got to see my new baby nephew. That is the Cliff's Notes version of the month. Now I'm going to bombard you with vacation pictures :) . Oh, and I did manage to get some work done in between all the socializing. If you look carefully at the pics, you'll see sneak peaks of the next Sis Boom pattern (which is in the final testing stages)!

Party on the lake

Fireworks

Walking on the rocks in the gorge at Treman Park

Mindy and Julie at Julie's house. Mindy's legendary scones recipe is in Julie's cookbook, by the way.

Wine and cheese on the porch at Cole and Caryn's

Delicious summer rolls and coleslaw

Visiting with science buddies Barb and Stephane at Cornell

Del and Executive Chef Tony

Louie with big brother Dan and his sweet girlfriend, Anna

Emily munching on a homegrown brandywine tomato

Em and Del making pizza on the grill

YUM!

Enjoying the pool at the motel in NC

Louie with his fun cousins Del and Marissa

She is such a little doll!

Welcome baby Ethan!

Making Eggplant Parm

Me in my shirred sundress - perfect for hot July weather! I love that fabric so much, too! Please ignore the funny expression on my face...it was very bright out!

Oh, and I turned 38 on the 23rd. I was beyond thrilled to get a special gift in the mail on that very day! Tom, Cathy, Shannon, and Marlo each made a quilt block, and then Tom assembled and quilted everything.

Isn't it gorgeous? And look, there's that fun fabric again on the border!

I was so giddy, I hung it up right over my bed. It really brightens up the room, and I feel so happy every time I look at it!

OK, I feel a little bit caught up now. This month we have one more big trip, and then Louie starts Kindergarten - wahhh! I promise I'll get better about blogging as summer winds down.

Shirr without fear!!!

2010-07-01T14:58:00.003-04:00

My sewing friends fall into two categories...shirrers and non-shirrers. Some folks can plop elastic thread in the bobbin, set the machine to the right settings, and voila...perfect shirring. Other very talented people can't shirr to save their life. It isn't their fault, their machine just won't let them shirr. I fall somewhere in between. I've successfully shirred in the past, but I've also had some awful, inconsistent messes. Even though I love the look of shirring (and it so wonderfully forgiving in the size category), I avoid using it in any of my designs. Well, my neighbor made a cute sundress out of a pre-shirred fabric from Jo-Ann, and I loved the look and knew I had to have one out of Sis Boom fabric for a picnic this weekend. So I've been practicing, and I think I've come up with a technique that should work for everyone, no matter how sadistic their sewing machine.

The first step is winding the elastic thread onto bobbin. Most shirring methods recommend winding the bobbin by hand. I'm just not that patient or focused when it comes to those kinds of things. I decided to wind mine by machine - it gets much more of the thread on the bobbin, and takes only seconds as opposed to minutes (yeah, that is lavender thread on my bobbin beneath the elastic thread...I couldn't find an empty, and was too lazy to unwind).

OK, as long as we are at the machine, let's talk settings. I used the longest straight stitch length, and set the bobbin tension just a bit higher than the lowest setting (1 on my machine). I set the needle position all the way over to the far left.

For my test scrap, I used a 16 inch wide piece of Tanya from the Sis Boom Poodle line. Jennifer really outdid herself this time!! I love every print and every colorway in this collection, but there is something just so Euro-fun about this particular paisley. I finished the top edge with the serger, but on my sundress I'm going to do a hem.

On to the shirring! Start the first line of shirring the desired distance away from the top, prefinished edge of the fabric. Make sure the right side of the fabric is facing up. Before stitching, BACKSTITCH...this is very important.

Start stitching. Don't worry about what is feeding out of your machine at this point. It might be tightly gathered, loosely gathered...doesn't matter. Just focus on keeping the stitching nice and straight.

When you get to the end of the fabric, grasp the end of the stitching and pull the piece away from the machine so that you leave a nice long tail at the end of the stitching (at least 6 inches stretched). Snip.

This is what my piece looked like after the first row of shirring. Your piece may look tighter or looser, but but like I said it doesn't matter because...

...you are just going to take out the gathers anyway! Working away from the backstitched end, push the gathers out towards the tail.

You won't be able to get it perfectly flat, but it will be pretty close to the original length.

Onto the second row! With the right side facing up, position the right edge of the presser foot against the first line of stitching. BACKSTITCH, then stitch the line of shirring. Since you ungathered the first row, you shouldn't have any problems with puckers. Pull out a long tail at the end and snip.

Straighten out row two so it is just like row one.

Repeat this process as many times as needed. I did 6 rows of stitching for my test, which gave about a 2" band of shirring. The next step is to pull on the tails to shorten the elastic for that stretchy gathered effect.

The next step is to pull on the tails to shorten the elastic for that stretchy gathered effect. You want the gathering to be consistent, so you will need to mark the strands with a washable marker. Decide how much you want to shorten up the strands of elastic (keep in mind they will shrink even more than this amount after steaming, but they will still have lots of give). Lay out the shirred piece with the elastic side facing up. Measure out the desired distance away from the tail end. I measured out 8" with the intention of the finished shirred band being at least 50% shorter than the original length. Since shirring is sooooo stretchy, I think it is better to get it a bit on the tight side than on the loose side.

Pull each of the tails individually until the marked position is at the side edge of the fabric.

Tie the elastic and the corresponding needle thread into a knot at the position of the mark. Don't worry if you don't hit it exactly.

Once you have tied off all of the threads, work the shirring between your fingers to evenly distribute the gathers.

It will look pretty good, but not perfect. Here comes the fun part...set your iron to a hot, steamy setting, and blast the shirring with steam for a few seconds.

I didn't get pics of the actual process because the steam fogged up my lens, but the shirring magically shrinks up into a smocking-pleat perfect delight!

Fully stretched, my final shirred band is about 8" - 50% shorter than the original length.

Unstretched, it is 4" - 75% shorter than the original length! I've never been able to get such nice, tight shirring before, and I'm looking forward to playing with the amount of gathering for different effects. Now that I have control of my shirring, I need to do some math and plan my sundress!

THANK YOU, DAD...

2010-06-20T16:16:00.002-04:00

...for always being such a cool guy,

...for giving me a love of technology,

...for setting a good example (I may not have picked up your organizational skills, but I've learned so much from you),

...for listening to my dreams and keeping me looking towards the future,

...and for being the best Pop-Pop ever!

Happy Father's Day!!!

Blind stitch hemming nitty gritty

2010-06-17T07:57:00.003-04:00

It is "Make it, Wear It" month over at Sew Mama Sew, and every day awesome sewists are contributing inspiration and information. By commenting on any of the posts, or by posting a pic of something you've made for yourself this month, you can win some incredible prizes! Yesterday, I had the huge honor of taking part and tackling the subject of hemming. In the article, I address hem width, folding, stitching, etc. I included a very brief overview of blind stitch hemming by machine, and some of my dear sewing friends asked me to elaborate on the subject. It is actually very easy, especially with the proper foot in hand :) .

The blind hemming foot has a blade in the center that makes for perfect alignment during the stitching process. It is also great for edgestitching!

I'm going to demonstrate blind hemming using Jennifer Paganelli's gorgeous Lee Paisley from the So St. Croix line. I finished the raw edge using my serger, but you could also zig-zag stitch or even make a 1/4" fold.

Fold the hem to the desired width. I'm using my handy dandy cardstock template to make a 1.25" fold. Up to this point, I haven't done anything differently than I would for a regular straight stitched hem.

Lay your fabric out with the right side facing up and the bottom folded edge pointing towards you.

Lift up the top edge of the fabric up and pull it towards you, making a fold that is about 1/4" from the finished edge (note: if you made an initial 1/4" fold instead of edge finishing, this new fold should be in line with the raw edge).

Here is a side view - the fold makes a Z shape.

Press to set the fold.

Put on your blind stitching foot, and set your machine to the EKG looking stitch shown above. The width and spacing of this stitch can be adjusted, and depending on your machine, you may be able to adjust the needle position in this setting. Before you hem your garment, optimize on scraps to get the stitching as invisible as possible.

Put the fabric under the presser foot, lining up the blade with the top folded edge. Stitch along, keeping the blade flush with the fold.

Most of the stitching will be about 1/8" from the outer edge (or outer fold, if you made an initial 1/4" fold), but every few stitches the needle will jump over and "catch" the material at the fold.

After flipping the fold back and pressing the hem, this is what the wrong side will look like...

...and this is what the right side looks like! Keep in mind I'm using contrasting thread - matching thread would be much less noticeable.

Here is a hem using a longer stitch length - even less obvious! The goal is to get as little thread as possible showing on the outside, so definitely play with your stitch settings. With thick fabrics like wool, the stitching might not show at all because the needle can catch the fibers without going through to the other side.

For more info on hemming and garment sewing in general, head on over to the Sew Mama Sew Blog. And be sure to leave a comment so you can win some of those great prizes!

Paper Trail

2010-06-09T13:26:00.004-04:00

Coming from the realm of electronic publishing, I had no idea about the work involved in bringing a physical product to market. I'm used to putting weeks or even months into pattern development and testing, and then *poof* the product is instantly available online. For the paper patterns, I had to extensively reformat my layouts, proofread like crazy, and then send to the printer. For some reason, I felt like all the hard work was done at that point (hahahahaha). After the monolithic pallets of patterns arrived in my driveway, it dawned on me that I had a lot of physical and mental tasks ahead of me. Marketing, packing, and mailing...OH MY! I just wanted to hide out and sew - LOL! Anyways, I'm happy to report that my paper patterns are finally finding their way out into the world!

I've posted the details about each individual pattern, plus front and back cover images on my product page. Of course, there is so much more to a pattern than its cover, so I want to give you some peeks at the inside pages of the instruction booklets. The full-color sewing guides are 20 pages long, and just as detailed as the downloadable eBooks.

Pictured above are the sections on Materials, Fabric Selection, and Sizing from the Portrait Peasant Pattern. These "background" pages as I call them are so important for getting a great fit and just the look you are after.

And, yes, the famous leg charts are included!!! They are so helpful when you don't have exact measurements (like when you are making a gift, creating something to sell, or have a recipient who just won't hold still for you). I've made so many pairs of Easy Fit Pants (pictured above) based on the charts.

Lots of folks were wondering how I was going to pack all diagrams and instructions into a much smaller page count. By cutting out white space, and labeling with letters for extra clarity, I was able to keep the step-by-step diagrams that make all the difference for us visual learners. Simply Sweet Tops and Dresses (above) is loaded with options, so there are lots of diagrams!

Despite my obvious affection for diagrams, sometimes photographs are the absolute best way to demonstrate a technique. In Precious Dresses, for example, I use lots of photos to explain the addition of puffed sleeves to the bodice. It may look complicated, but it is so easy when all the steps are right in front of you! Plus, the printers did an excellent job of making the small photographs crystal clear so that all the details are visible.

Finally, the actual patterns are printed on high quality paper. They are minimally nested, and many pieces have multiple cutting lines for different length options. You can definitely cut and use the pieces directly, but I recommend tracing off the sizes you need as you need them. That way, you get more bang for your buck (and you don't have to keep up with a bunch of little pieces)!

On my website, I've added a section for links to the awesome shops that are going to be carrying my physical patterns (right next to the great sites that currently sell the downloadables). If you are a retailer and are interested in offering these detailed, easy-to-sew patterns to your customers, please contact us for ordering information.

Trim it up!

2010-06-03T12:41:00.004-04:00

My friend Melissa Stramel over at Lilac Lane is hosting a very fun Trimmed with Love Contest. You can read all about it on her blog, but basically you send in links to pics of your embellished creations for a chance to win some awesome prizes (including a complete set of the brand new paper patterns by yours truly :) ) !

I'm a trim nut! I have a snakepit of a drawer filled with trims, mostly vintage lengths that I picked up during my dolly sewing days. With tiny doll clothes, a little bit of trim goes a loooong way, and many times an awesome trim would be the starting point for one of my designs. I love love love rick-rack, and I've scored gobs of it at rummage sales. The vintage stuff has a really crisp, yet soft feel to it.

I can't resist woven ribbons, either. These tiny ones would be so precious on a baby dress.

These navy ribbons are so preppy and fun! I can totally see them on a key fob or belt.

I'm been hoarding this vintage sari trim for almost 10 years now. I was going to put it on some jeans when I was in my 20's, but now I'm thinking handbag or wallet.

The florals are my favorites! They are a great substitute for embroidery, and really add a ton of detail without a lot of work.

There are already some lovely trimmed-up entries on Melissa's blog - check them out for inspiration, then share your own!

Beautiful morning

2010-05-29T09:25:00.004-04:00

The honeysuckle is in full bloom, and the aroma is heavenly! Lou loves to draw the pistils out of the flowers for the sweet little drops of nectar.

Both the guys are wearing their new Sis Boom Boxers (I'm in mine too, but no pics of the disheveled photographer). When I was working on the patterns, I made lots of shorts for the whole family and we are loving them. They are especially great on mornings like this when one just wants to get up and go right outside.

Check out Del in his Tommy Boxers (I'm a lucky woman, I know)! I used Claire Blocks from the Bellbottoms line - it is discontinued, but there is still yardage to be found on the internet. I can't wait to get my hands on Jennifer's new Poodle line - there are some geometrics in there that will be perfect for the menfolk.

Lou is still in Cover Boy mode after his modeling session with Tim Geaney. Today he insisted on wearing some "bling" and made himself a necklace out of paperclips.

The garden is doing great this year! We've had a good mix of heat and rain, and the crops (and the weeds) are going crazy.

We've already harvested lots of radishes and greens, and the sugar snap peas are just starting to fill out.

For the first time ever, we have a bumper crop of cilantro. Last year I had a few scrawny plants that ended up going to seed, and this year we are enjoying the progeny. We have some younger ones coming along from seed that I planted after frost. Hopefully they will be nice and full when the tomatoes are ripe so we can make salsa. Anyone have any suggestions for freezing/saving the stuff that is ready now?

The raised beds that looked like burial mounds a few weeks ago are covered with lettuce, bok choy, kale, and squash. The backyard is a sea of green...

...with a touch of pink!

Out and about...

2010-05-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

I'm normally a total homebody, but this month I took not one but TWO big trips. They were both dream excursions for me, too! I've been so wrapped up in planning/packing/sewing for these trips, that I haven't taken the time to blog. Therefore, you are getting a brief (but photo-packed) summary of my May adventures.

My first trip was to the enchanted island of Sis Boom over Mother's day weekend.

I didn't get many pictures inside the house because I was just overwhelmed by all the sparkling pretties and effervescent people. I managed to do a little better outside. Here I am donning my Marlo Top and manning the fabric cutting station. Yeah, I'm blissful.

I was so lucky to have my sweet mama with me. She added to the fun and also helped keep track of Louie. She and Jennifer hit it right off (I knew they would)! Check at those two gorgeous ladies in their Patricia Tunics!

Another big treat was that my friends Nicole and Stacey came with their darling little girls. The babies were so cute together!

Louie LOVED hanging out with the babies' big sisters!

Louie also had an on-location modeling session with the incredible Tim Geaney. Lou is going to be the cover boy on our soon-to-be-released child-sized boxer shorts pattern! He is usually totally uncooperative when I am behind the camera, but he had a ball showing off for Tim. I'm over the moon, of course!!!

After the fun in CT, I came home and immediately started preparing for my trip to the big, beautiful city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I attended my first-ever Quilt Market, and it was a star-studded dream come true!!! Just like the Sis Boom trip, however, I got all swept up in the fabricy fun and neglected my picture taking duties (excuses, excuses)! I did get some shots of sewing celebrities, however. Here I am on day one with fabulously cool fabric designers Melissa Averinos (yummygoods) and Bari J. Ackerman (BariJ). They are both extremely talented and so very nice!

And here I am on day two with quilter/designer/comedian Mark Lipinksi!!! I was SO thrilled to get to hug up on him...he is just the sweetest! I am SO framing this picture!

At the Schmetz needle booth, I had the pleasure of meeting Rhonda Pierce and Rita Farro. These great ladies are so knowledgeable, and they gave me an awesome needle selection guide! Check out the giant needle I'm holding - YIKES! Rita's "Hey Rita" bag is famous! Check out her blog for a slideshow!

I really enjoyed getting to know Michelle and Gina from Cloud 9 Fabrics. Their prints are dreamy and the organic fabric feels so nice to the touch! Cherri House of Cherry House Quilts and Michelle show off a wonderful quilt made by Cherri using Cloud 9 Fabrics - heavenly!!!

Here is another fantastic designer working with organic fabrics - Nancy Mims. Her Free to Grow line debuted at the show, and I was beyond excited to see she was displaying a beautiful tunic made from our Sis Boom Shana Pattern!!!

My Facebook friends were VERY excited to find out that Robert Kaufman Fabrics is coming out with Dr. Seuss prints!!!

I got to see sneak peeks on paper, but didn't get any pics because the rep told me they weren't quite ready for release. However, the gals from CityCraft managed to get some shots, and you can see the footage on this podcast!!! In fact, you should check out all of the information-packed QM podcasts on their blog. And if you are in Dallas, visit their awesome shop to meet them in person!

Some other great folks I spent time with (but don't have the pictures to show for it) are Kim Kight, Betz White, Scott Hansen, Michele Merin, Cara Bonner, and Patty Young. Special thanks to Caroline Devoy and Violet Craft for taking me under your wings and making my first market productive, memorable, and crazy FUN!!!

Wah-hooooo!

2010-05-01T19:01:00.003-04:00

So many happy things to post about!

The plants are in the ground! I put them in last weekend, in fact. It was kind of chilly and predicted to be very rainy early in the week, but I figured that the plants would prefer that over the scorching heat that was forcasted for this weekend (and actually happened). So far so good - everything is green and growing!

The paper patterns arrived (all 2700+ pounds of them)! They are BEAUTIFUL, and only occupy 1/3 of our unused formal living room. Of course, I want them to find new homes, so I will be getting wholesale/retail ordering information together very soon!

My awesome husband built us the coolest patio set! We fixed up the wrought iron curbside-find chairs I mentioned here last month. I say "we," but the only thing I had to do was staple marine vinyl and batting to the seats. He cleaned and spray painted the chairs, poured the concrete tabletop (using scrap wood we had on hand to make the form, and old wire shelves as reinforcement), and built the base out of inexpensive deck supports from Home Depot. We love it! All the set needs now is a classy tablecloth, and I'm holding out for Jennifer's laminates!

And just to add some "fluff" to this post...we picked up a 5 lb bucket of Marshmallow Fluff at Restaurant Depot last weekend. At just over a buck a pound, who could resist? We used about 3 tablespoons last week, so at this rate it should last us 14.3 years (no, I didn't really do that math...I thought about it, but that would mean figuring out the density of fluff, etc.). Anyway, hopefully the bucket will be empty in time for our grandchildren to take it to the beach.

Most importantly, Mother's day is coming up!!! Even if you aren't a mom in the traditional sense, you certainly have provided nurturing, and have been the recipient of nurturing along the way. I really feel like that is what the day is about...just appreciating those who care for others, no matter what!

We are celebrating in grand fashion this year! My sweet mama Elizabeth is coming to town on Tuesday, and we are heading up to Wilton, CT (with Louie in tow) for the awesome Sis Boom Big Sale! Jennifer's stylish mama Patricia will be there too, so it will truly be a celebration of women who inspire creativity and spunk! If you are in a 2,000 mile radius of Wilton, please come and see us! I'll be there all day Thursday and Friday, cutting yards and yards of gorgeous Sis Boom fabric!!! My paper patterns will also be making their debut there, so you'll have all the makings for beautiful, custom, one-of-a-kind clothing creations!

OK, I know this post has been very mama-centric, but you might have gotten the hint from the pics above...Jennifer and I working on a pair of patterns that the boys in you life will LOVE! They are with the testers right now, and passing with flying colors. We promise that they will be here in plenty of time for Father's Day! In the meantime, sew up those tunics and peasants for the great women in your life!!!

PROOF(s) that I have been working...

2010-04-17T08:03:00.006-04:00

Ok, I'm ready to spill the beans!!! For the last month or so, I've been reformatting some of my best-selling eBooks to print as physical paper patterns. Moving around words and graphics gives typos the opportunity to sneak in, so I have been doing tons of proofreading. This has meant lots of time staring at the computer screen and pouring over stacks of printouts. I was SO relieved to send them to the printer earlier this week. It all seemed like a distant dream, and then yesterday UPS delivered proofs - WOW! I'm so excited to hold the booklets in my hands...I can't stop flipping through them. Now I just need the focus to do a final check for boo-boos, take a deep breath, and sign off on the proofs!

I'll do a longer post with all the details about the paper patterns when I have the goods in hand. Please put any questions you may have in the comments section and I'll address them in that future post, or email me directly (carla (at) scientificseamstress.com). I honestly didn't think I would ever make this leap, but there are so many people that prefer the look and feel of a paper pattern, so I wanted to provide a product that incorporates all the detail of an eBook, but in the more traditional form. That said, I LOVE publishing in eBook format, and will continue to introduce all new patterns as eBooks :) .

I've been spending my "break" time tending to the plants. The seedlings I started inside are getting big, so I need to start letting them spend some time outside so they can harden off. Our average last frost date is supposedly next week, but I've heard it is best to wait and plant the tender stuff after Mother's day. We'll see if I can hold out that long!

The babies from the seeds I sowed outside are coming along nicely, too. They are small compared to the plants inside, but they are very sturdy and healthy. In just a few short weeks, we'll be enjoying our first salad of the year (and we will probably be doing it outside, because the dining room will be packed full of patterns - eeeek)!

Finery in a flash!

2010-04-03T06:41:00.003-04:00

I really wanted to make Louie a dapper outfit to wear on Easter Sunday...something special and neat looking for church, but comfy for egg hunts and lounging around after a big dinner. He is five...definitely a big boy, but still pretty cooperative when it comes to clothes. I've been too busy to go all out, but knowing this might be my last chance to put him in pastels, I whipped up something sweet. The "tie" is made from a simple strip, and the "vest" is sewn right to the shirt.

I was originally going to applique a bunny on a shirt, but the only light colored tee I had on hand was this white one, which was pre-stained with chocolate. I probably could have bleached it, but that would take effort and I'd invariably ruin my own clothes in the process. I opted to cover the stains with the faux tie and vest. Here is how I did it:

The tie started out as a 4.5 x 15" strip of bunny fabric (from Tula Pink's awesome Full Moon Forest Collection).

I folded it in half lengthwise, right sides facing in, and stitched 1/4" from the long raw edges.

I turned it right side out, arranged the seam so that it was in the center of one side, and pressed.

I used the seam ripper to make slits in the neckline (one above the seam and one below the seam). Now the shirt is looking really trashy!

I folded the "tie" to make a point as shown in the picture above.

I slipped the tie through the loop formed by the slits, then brought the ends down through the point.

Voila - a faux Windsor knot!

After arranging the knot to my liking, I whipstitched the slits together, catching the layers of the tie fabric so that the knot would stay put.

The vest is essentially a big, 2 piece applique made from awesome Sis Boom stripes and fusible tricot interfacing. I used my Festive Vest pattern, but you could use any vest pattern, or even draw your own to fit the shirt. I cut 2 mirror image pieces from fabric, and 2 mirror image pieces from the interfacing. With the fusible (rough) side of the interfacing facing the right side of the fabric, I aligned the edges of the facing with those of the fabric. I stitched all the way around the pieces, 1/4" from the edges. I trimmed the allowance around the points, and made a small slit in the center of the interfacing.

I turned the pieces right side out through the slits in the interfacing. This put the fusible side of the interfacing on the outside back of the vest.

I placed the pieces on the shirt (right hand side overlapping the left for boys), and fused them into place on the front of the tee.

There were overhangs at the side, so I slipped the tee over the ironing board to press those into place.

I edgestitched along the exposed edges...

...and added buttons as a finishing touch (so nice to skip the buttonhole step)!

The shirt took me about 30 minutes to make, and it probably would have gone even faster if I hadn't been taking pics along the way. To complete the outfit, I spent another 30 minutes and I made some Easy Fit Pants out of a crisp, light denim. Now my little man is all set for a hoppin' good time!

Wandering outside...

2010-04-01T11:02:00.004-04:00

I know I haven't posted any decorating projects lately, but I wanted to let you all know that I haven't totally abandoned my New Year's resolution to make my home a nicer place. I've just refocused my energies outside. After such a heinous winter, I NEEDED to get out in the yard as soon as spring sprung.

The very first thing I did was clear the veggie beds to make way for new plantings. The side bed (pictured above) was a big mess. It used to be a rose garden, but most of the bushes had been transplanted elsewhere. Last year we rototilled, plopped in squash and some greens, and watered every now and then. We didn't actually go into that garden much after it was planted because the remaining thorny rose bushes would attack us. As a result, the veggies succumbed to disease and weed overgrowth by mid-season. This year, I moved the rest of the roses (they put up a fight, believe me) and hand-dug some raised beds. The pathways are mulched with shredded leaves, so hopefully that will encourage us to go out and give the plants a bit of attention every now and then.

The main bed was in pretty good shape this year, except for the fact that the surrounding gravel was choked with dirt and weeds. I went a little crazy and dug out all of the rocks, washed them, then put them back over a fresh layer of landscaping cloth. It was A LOT of work, and I don't think I have ever been so muddy in my whole life. Hopefully it will stay weed-free for a few years.

While I was wallowing in filth, Del and Lou neatly worked on their own outdoor decor project. We found these seatless, wrought iron chairs in a free pile about seven years ago. After moving them three times, we've finally decided to make them functional. The guys cleaned them up and spray painted them a really nice shade of green - I'll get pictures as soon as the seats are installed.

Speaking of paint, Stebbins Anderson is a great shop that is right around the block from us...it is part hardware/garden shop, part upscale boutique. It is very convenient for things like bolts and plant stakes, so I'm always running (ok, fast-walking) over there. I love to visit the upstairs (the fancy part of the store) to soak in inspiration from all the gorgeousness. I was absolutely THRILLED when I found out that they were carrying Jennifer Paganelli's Sis Boom aprons and table goodies! I had to trot right over and get some pics!

PATTERN UPDATE: The Sis Boom Marlo Top is almost here, I promise! We've been waiting for the weather to cooperate so we could get just the right pictures for the cover. If you want some sneak peaks, head on over to Jennifer's blog! I also have some exciting stuff in the works for my Scientific Seamstress line of patterns, but I'm not quite ready to spill...I promise to fill you in soon!

Folding Templates (free download)!

2010-03-16T09:57:00.002-04:00

I've gotten so much great feedback on the printable folding templates that I include with most of my e-patterns. They are just little cardstock guides, but they are really great for making accurate folds. I've gotten to the point where I use them with almost every project, and if I don't have one that has the fold I need, I'll draw an extra line (or I'll try to eyeball it, which I'm not so good at - ack).

Anyway, I thought it would be nice to have some universal folding templates with multiple lines. I've put together a pdf "e-booklet" that you can download here. It includes a straight template and a curved template, each marked with multiple lines at 0.25" increments. The instructions are included with the file, but I will go ahead and post them here as well:

Folding Templates
Templates are great tools for making accurate folds. Print the templates on regular cardstock and cut them out along the dashed lines. Important note: The folding template is designed to be printed at 100%. Before printing, make sure that page scaling is set to none in Adobe Acrobat print window. To be sure the template printed at the correct size, measure the box. It should measure exactly 1 inch by 1 inch.

For a straight fold, place the numbered edge of the Straight Folding Template near the edge of the fabric to be folded (a). Starting in the center, bring the fabric over so that the edge meets the desired fold line on the template (b). Press, working the edge down to the line (c).

Slide the template over to one end of the fabric piece and press (d).
Repeat at the other end (e). Flip the fabric over and press the length of the fold (f).

The procedure for using the Curved Folding Template is very similar to that of the Straight Folding Template.

For a convex (hill-shaped) fold, place the convex edge of the Curved Folding Template near the edge of the fabric to be folded. Starting in the center, bring the fabric over so that the edge meets the desired fold line on the template. Press, working the edge down to the line (a). Slide the template along the edge and continue to press, wiggling the template as needed (b). Note: for wider folds, small pleats may be worked into the edges to accommodate any excess width at the edges. Flip the fabric over and press the length of the fold (c).

For a concave (valley-shaped) fold, place the concave edge of the Curved Folding Template near the edge of the fabric to be folded. Starting in the center, bring the fabric over so that the edge meets the desired fold line on the template. Press, working the edge down to the line (a). Slide the template along the edge and continue to press, wiggling the template as needed. Note: for wider folds, snips may be made to allow the edges spread out (b). Flip the fabric over and press the length of the fold (c).

Here is the download link again: Folding Templates - Happy Folding!!!

FUN gathering!

2010-03-14T14:29:00.004-04:00

I write about gathering a lot, but it is the kind you do with basting stitches and miles of fabric. On Saturday, I got to participate in a gathering of a different sort...the Quilters' Gathering in Ruthsburg, MD. It was the perfect day of great ladies, shopping, a make and take project, yummy lunch, and of course, gorgeous, gorgeous quilts. Two groups put on trunk shows, and I loved seeing their work and listening to their stories.

The first group up was the "Farm Bureau Beauties" out of Delaware. They had all kinds of fun, drool-worthy projects to share. I loved their charm quilts. All of those little boxes are hand appliqued, can you believe? The love and camaraderie these ladies shared with us was just as inspirational as their quilts.

The second group, the Old Kent Baltimore Applique Bee, blew us away with their Album Quilts.

I adore the bright, non-traditional colors in this one!

This one too. WOW! Now I am all fired up to try some hand applique. It won't be anywhere as intricate as these works of art, but I'd love to have a little hand sewing project to work on in the evenings.

The highlight of my day was meeting Carol, who is also knows as CajunQuilter on Sewforum.com. She is the administrator (in other words, the Moderator Supreme) of this HUGE, active discussion board about all things sewing. Even though it has over 40,000 members, it is so well-organized that it feels like a cozy little community! I've been a member for several years now, and I've learned so much about machine embroidery and sewing in general. Just like her online persona, Carol is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to sewing techniques and equipment. She is just the sweetest person, too, so it was really great to do some "real-life" hanging out with with her. And I almost forgot...there was a show and tell!!! I didn't have a quilt on hand, but I did go up and show off my Boxy bag and Sis Boom Shana Tunic. It was so nice to be in a room full of ladies who adore beautiful fabric as much as I do!

Lots of good stuff springing up!

2010-03-07T13:42:00.006-05:00

So happy to be blogging on a sunny Sunday! It is up in the high 50's here, and our little family spent the morning out in the garden. We still have lots of cleaning up to do, but I'm really looking forward to the growing season. Heck, I'm just looking forward to spring in general, as you can tell by my latest pattern cover.

Case Study: Tailored Totes is your pretty standard, classy tote bag, but with some fun (and practical) twists. This bag come in one (perfect) size, but has pocket and strap options galore. I've included pencil pockets, crayon pockets, little phone pockets...you name it! But the best feature, in my opinion, is that this bag stands on its own...literally! Like the other two Case Studies (Basic Boxes and Boxy Bags), the design is built around EVA foam inserts (also known as foamies), which are lightweight and give amazing structure.

I'm in LOVE with the prototype above! I made it out of three of my most favorite Sis Boom Fabrics, and customized the pockets to exactly my needs. I took it on a trip to Home Depot yesterday, and it sat perfectly upright in the front of the cart. When we stalled on the weed-whacker aisle (yawn), I could reach in, grab my phone, and check my email without rifling through my purse and potentially stressing out loss prevention associates (yah, I've worked big box retail). PLUS - it sits totally upright wherever I drop it...the floorboard of the car, movie theaters, public restrooms...you get what I'm sayin' ;). I just love having a bag that is super gorgeous (thanks to the fabric), functional, and durable!

SO!...right about the time I was optimizing this pattern, Jennifer sent me some precious yardage from her newest line, So St. Croix. Well, I just NEEDED to make the ultimate bag out of it! I used Genevieve Toile, Nancy Ironwork, and CARLA dot (blushing and grinning and jumping up and down) as the lining.

You can actually win this great bag! My awesome friends Cathy and Marlo put together a fun contest on the Scientific Seamstress Facebook fan page. Here are the details:

Suggest this page to friends and WIN! Carla's latest "Case Study: Tailored Totes" will be available for sale next week. In the meantime, we are going to run a fun contest so you can win a copy of the eBook before you can buy it! And as the SUPER GRAND PRIZE, one fan will win the gorgeous bag on the front cover! Here is how it works...

Invite as many friends as you like by clicking on "Suggest to Friends" on the left hand side of the screen. Then, come back here and let us know how many you invited (we don't need names, just a number :) ). Whether they join or not, each invite = 1 entry to win the eBook and the "cover model" tote bag!

Now here is the fun part....all of the new fans are going to be entered in a drawing, and three will win a copy of the Tailored Totes eBook. We'll ask them who referred them to the page, and those people will win the eBook as well! So the more friends you convince to join in the fun, the better your chances of winning the eBook!

The drawing will be held next Monday, 3-9-10, at noon EST...let's go get the word out about these fun, easy to sew patterns!!!

On the subject of Sis Boom, here is a sneak peek from our next collaboration! Our sweet tester Stacey made this gorgeous top from Blue Casey Scroll (swoon!!!!). We are just waiting on a few more photos from an incredible photographer, and then it will be available for sale, so stay tuned!!!

In the meantime - lookie...SNOWDROPS!

...and CROCUS(ES)! I'm so thrilled that the mounds of snow are melting away, and these beautiful little flowers are popping up to say "hi!" - spring has sprung!

Clean Sweep...

2010-02-28T14:35:00.003-05:00

With all the projects I've had in the works, my sewing room has been getting progressively more and more cluttered and well...downright dirty. It was really starting to get to me (and other members of the household), so I decided to do a big spring cleaning in there yesterday. The room is small, which is bad and good...bad in the sense that it closes in on me when I have too much stuff out, but good in the sense that if forces me to deal with the mess as it happens. Problem is, I tend to just put up the big stuff and let the little stuff (like buttons, beads, pins, and dust) stay wherever it lands. I've been putting off the vacuuming because I really didn't want to suck up any of the good stuff with the crevice tool. Yesterday I decided something had to give, so I went a little crazy ripped out all of the carpet.

Underneath the icky carpet (which was passable when we moved here, but quickly became beaten down and sullied with gatorade and tacky glue) was what every homeowner hopes to find in an older house...nice hardwood floors! They could stand refinishing, but that doesn't make a shred of sense in this room. In fact, I think the floor is absolutely perfect for a work room! I'm looking forward to adding some scratches and paint blobs of my own in the coming years :) .

The room feels so much warmer, and I love that my chair's wheels are actually functional! I know I'll deal with the little bits and bobs better now that I can just sweep them into to a pile and sort, too.

I love my bare floor...now I'm ready for a bare yard! Come on spring!!!

Dolly Hugs for Haiti

2010-02-24T07:54:00.004-05:00

Yesterday a.m. I was getting my daily dose of Craft Gossip, and I came across a post about something very bright and beautiful. The Dolly Donations Blog offers free patterns and instructions for making sweet dollies to give to charities. Spearheaded by Sarah Hanson, a talented and energetic artist, the drive brings crafters from around the globe together to provide comfort to children in need. Currently, they are working to make 181 dolls for the Abundant Ground Foundation, which will provide the dolls to Haitian orphans.

I used Sarah's pattern to make six little sweeties (3 boys and 3 girls) to donate. They were so fun and simple to put together. It was a dreary day in Maryland, but the bright fabrics and cheerful smiles brought sunshine to my heart!

Louie helped me pick out the fabrics and hair colors for the boys, and also helped with the stuffing process. I love his choices! We used a soft denim for the legs, so they are all wearing jeans. Doing the project together really gave us the opportunity to talk about helping others, and to count our blessings.

The girlies are all decked out in Sis Boom dresses and stripey stockings! I had so much fun with their hairstyles. I used pompoms for the pink and yellow haired girls' "puffs" and a fun mix of yarn for the purple haired girl's ponytail.

These dollies are made from a very soft and cuddly flannel. I used my embroidery machine to stitch out the faces prior to cutting the fabric. I digitized the faces myself - the girl has long eyelashes and a dainty mouth, and the boy has an impish grin. If you have an embroidery machine, and would like the files, I'm happy to share (bear in mind they aren't perfect, I just don't think like a digitizer when it comes to jump stitches, etc.). Just drop me a line (carla(at)scientificseamstress.com) and tell me what format you need :) .

The donation deadline is March 31st, so you still have lots of time to sew up some sweet dollies for this cause. For inspiration, check out the Dolly Donations Flickr Pool. This is such a wonderful way to reach across the world and give a warm hug to a child. And just by looking at your finished creation, you will feel hugged back a million times over!

Walls of a feather....

2010-02-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

I'm still working on decorating the upstairs bath, and I'm trying SO hard not to be too matchy-matchy. A bathroom is such a tiny room (relative to the rest of the house), and it is really easy to go overboard with a theme (I know because I've done it with pansies, leaves, boats, and fish). In this bathroom, the wall adjacent to the shower was blank except for two towel racks. I wanted to stick with the regal peacock theme, but also keep it pretty simple. I looked online for prints and decals, but couldn't find the dimensions/look I was after. So I just broke out the acrylics and painted a simple feather on the wall.

The nice thing about flexible, organic things like feathers is that they don't have to have a set shape or color, so your drawing skills don't have to be perfect. I used a real peacock feather as a "live" model, and it really helped me with the proportions etc.

I added gorgeous Sis Boom Stephanie Paisley Appliques to some peacock blue hand towels and hung them on the towel racks below the feather.

If you look closely, you can see I added a family monogram over the applique. I tend to like dainty fonts that get lost in terry cloth, so putting them on fabric is the only way to go. It gives a bit of a quilted appearance to the applique, too.

Before I go back into the bathroom (still one more wall to do, you know) I want to give you a heads up about some GREAT giveaways going on across the blogosphere...

Desi over at WeeShare did the sweetest review of the Sis Boom Sophie Tunic, and is giving away three patterns from my Etsy Shop. Isn't her little daughter the cutest??? The drawing will be held on 2/22, and she gives you lots of ways to enter. She has scads of great giveaways going on all the time, so check her out!

On the Sis Boom Daydreams blog, Jennifer is celebrating the release of her much anticipated So St. Croix line with a Fat Quarter giveaway! You have until Sunday the 21st to enter. Not one, but three lucky winners will get fat quarters representing the entire line (18 slices of heaven in all). This is gorgeous, gorgeous stuff folks!!!

My good friends Kim and Kris (the talented chicas behind YouCanMakeThis.com and SWAK embroidery) are "dishing out" a series of free, fun, and very educational videos over at their new blog, The DIY Dish. Get on over there to find out how you can enter to win a Janome sewing or embroidery machine - wow!!!

A throne room fit for an empress...

2010-02-15T15:43:00.004-05:00

I've had this gorgeous Hoffman Empress Garden Fabric for about a year now. I love everything about it...the regal peacocks, the lotus blossoms, and the golden accents. I've almost turned it into pillows, tote bags, pajama pants...you name it. Since it was so pretty, I've kept putting it back, hoarding it for just the right project. The other day it occurred to me that this fabric would be just the thing to jazz up our boring upstairs bath.

Above is the before pic. The shower curtain came with the house, and I actually really liked it. In our last house, we had a pink and brown bath, so I just threw out the same rug and hand towels. I also put the basket from a former nautical-themed bathroom above the toilet (it holds the very important back-up TP rolls). Everything was functional, but there was no theme, and I wasn't loving the brown and yellow color combo.

I decied I needed to work in some jewel tones, and that peacock print is just loaded with 'em. I was really tempted to frame up some of the fabric, hang it on the wall, and call it good. Being that I had blogged about framing fabric twice in the last month, I figured that I should step it up a notch and actually sew something.

I ended up using most of the fabric to make an extra layer for the existing valance. I also made some matching tiebacks, and Louie and I "blinged up" the tassels with wired strands of beads and silk ribbon bows.

I swapped out the print of Venice with some soft water lilies by Monet. I prettied up the basket with tassel trim from my stash. I rolled up a towel and tied it with a pretty bow to put atop the basket (it is still full of TP, but now it looks like it holds fancy guest towels).

I did go ahead and splurge on some new handtowels and a bathmat (on sale at Sears, but they are so very plush and nice). I added the Sis Boom Ann Flower Mural embroidery design to two bright pink hand towels.

Here is a closeup of the design, which was expertly digitized by Heather Kite of Frou-Frou by HeatherSue. I love how the motif ties in with the feathers and the blossoms on the shower curtain.

I still have two other walls to decorate, but I'm going
to have to sit and think about them for a bit...
(sorry, couldn't resist throwing in just a little potty humor)!

My little cherub...

2010-02-13T16:26:00.004-05:00

These pictures are five years old now, but they melt my heart every time I look at them. Baby Louie and I did this photoshoot for daddy on our very first Valentine's Day as a family.

I made the heart out of some velveteen scraps and a hand-drawn heart pattern. It was stuffed with grocery bags because I didn't have any poly-fil. He still has it, and loves the crunchy sound that it makes.

I didn't have an embroidery machine in those days, but I did have sharpie markers in the box that held the contents of my freshly-cleaned out desk from the lab. I just hope the fumes didn't get to him too much!

This is my favorite...he is telling me "enough pictures, time to eat!"

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

and speaking of LOVE...I am overwhelmed by the show of affection over at the new Scientific Seamstress Fan Page on Facebook! Some of my biggest supporters (sorry, the word "fans" sounds so New Kids on the Block) started the page, and they did it totally in the interest of getting the word out about my patterns. Thank you Marlo and Cathy!!! This is the place where you can get the latest news about patterns in the works, and also give your input as to future projects you want me to tackle. There are also individual discussions about each pattern. ALL of my awesome testers are members of the group, and they have experience with every pattern, so they are truly the BEST resource when it comes to questions (I'm not ashamed to say it...they know my patterns better than I do)! If you are on Facebook, please join us! I just posted a sneaky peek of the next Sis Boom pattern (hot mama version of the Cathy), if that is any incentive :) !

Sweet Cathy!

2010-02-10T15:17:00.003-05:00

Remember last summer (back when it was warm and sunny...sigh) when I went up to Jennifer Paganelli's Sis Boom paradise with my dear friend Cathy??? Well, I was totally "verklempt" over all the beautiful fabrics and clothing, but luckily science teacher Cathy kept her eagle-eyes peeled for designs that would be just as fun to make as they would be to wear! She scored a touchdown with what has become our latest pattern, and we giddily named it in her honor!

The Cathy Dress/Top is an adorable, easy-to-make ruffle neck frock in sizes 6/12 months to 11/12 years (you know we love to give you a huge size range in our epatterns)! Jen's gorgeous niece Sophie modeled one of the originals a few years back. I grabbed these amazing pictures out of Jennifer's Sis Boom Sightings Flickr pool! Her bright smile and great tan give me hope that summer will be here soon!

This style is truly perfect for little ones and tweens alike. You can make a full length dress for the beach, a spunky little top, or something in between that can be paired with leggings if the mood strikes. Our wonderfully talented friend Simone and her stunning daughters did an incredible job showcasing the different looks that one can get from the Cathy pattern. You can see all of her beautiful photos right here on Jen's blog.

Sophie is showing off the original single-edged bottom ruffle design. Our super-tester Tom had a great idea for a double-edged bottom ruffle (to tie in with the collar...very balanced and aesthetically pleasing), so we added it as an additional option. When Tom speaks, we listen!!!

Check out the product page on YCMT to see all of the testers' incredible creations.
They made up the whole range of sizes/styles and they are lovely! And check out Cathy's latest blog post to see one of her little sweeties dressed up in the design named for her mama! They are riding out the same blizzard that we are right now....crazy! I think I am just going to close the curtains, crawl under a quilt, and think spring!

Warming up the fireplace...

2010-02-07T12:14:00.007-05:00

We have a really great fireplace in our contemporary family room. We haven't done much with it other than add a padded bumper to the very sharp corner at the bottom of the hearth (black duct tape blends nicely with the dark green marble). I actually love the look of the natural stone, and I didn't want to cover it up with something big like a mirror or a picture.

I found these sweet metal owls at the Goodwill. My guess is that they are from the 70's, but I could be off by a decade or so. They were the right size, and just perfect for the natural theme I have going in that room. The only problem was that their coloring was just about the same as the fireplace. Camouflage is a great thing for owls in nature, but not so much for owls in home decor.

I hit them with some copper spray paint, and they really gleamed. Even though they reminded me of the cool mechanical owl from "Clash of the Titans," I decided the look was a bit too garish for that space.

So I went over them with a bit of moss green craft paint to give them a verdigris look. The copper accents still stood out, but in a much more subtle way.

I hung the owls up on the stone with 3M Command picture hangers. They are great in situations where you really don't want to drill. I decided I wanted a small "mantle" to hold tea lights and/or little vases of fresh flowers (depending on the season). I spray painted a shelf my awesome engineer dad built for me to hang in my first apartment. It was a light oaky color, but that didn't really work on the dark stone. Black was just perfect, however. It is also hung with numerous large Command strips. I even bought a funky ceramic tea light holder at IKEA last week, but it was involved in an unfortunate Nerf football accident before I could get pictures. It was too big anyway, so I just put a few tea lights in ball jars from the basement. I also hung a sparkly crystal to spread light around (and ward off future Nerf ball attacks).

You may have heard...we got whalloped with a record-breaking blizzard. We got close to 30" in the Baltimore suburbs, which is A LOT for this part of the country. I decided that I would do all of the shoveling in the interest of giving my hubby a break and also getting a good workout. What was I thinking??? It took me 4 hours to shovel out the driveway, front walk, back walk, and sidewalk. Towards the end, my wrist started to ache, but I just pushed on through. I think I sprained it, because it really hurts to do little things like fold laundry. So for the rest of the weekend, I think I am just going to curl up in my easy chair and enjoy my newly decorated fireplace!

Simple shape up

2010-01-30T06:47:00.005-05:00

It was another busy week...two eBooks in the works, a quick (but very fun) visit to my folks' house in Richmond, and getting the house reasonably clean for a houseguest of our own. Luckily, this guest brought decorating inspiration with her, making this week's project a breeze.

Above is the space in question. As you can see, it isn't totally blank. When we first moved in, I painted the stripes over dainty rose wallpaper (which I loved, but Louie did not). Overall, it is a bright, happy room, but it just needed something above the bed. My good friend Julie Jordan arrived with a poster that was absolutely perfect in terms of color and educational value. All we needed to make it work was a huge frame.

So off to IKEA we went! The camera was able to come along thanks to my rectangular Boxy Bag. Julie scored a prototype, and it held her phone, wallet, brush, and other purse stuff nicely.

In keeping with the geometric theme, I made Julie a Sis Boom Meghan Peasant using Kimberly fabric from the Dance with Me line. Julie is of Scandinavian descent, so she looks right at home in front of this mural in the cafeteria.

After a successful shopping adventure, a great lunch, and a little playtime, we headed home to hang the poster.

We couldn't find a frame that fit the poster exactly, so we went a bit bigger. We covered the included mat with a colorful checkerboard fabric and placed the poster over the fabric. After a little bit of fussing with tabs and wires, we were ready to hang.

Perfect! I'm hoping Lou will learn the names of all of the convex polyhedra with regular polygonal faces by the time he goes off to college. If not, he can take this with him.

I can't blog about a visit with Julie without including some of the wonderful vegetarian cuisine we ate while she was here. Louie and Julie collaborated on the guacamole...

...while Del worked on the homemade tortillas for cheese and roasted red pepper quesadillas.

YUM! Thank you Julie for the awesome poster, great food, and your wonderful friendship!

Artwork on the fly...

2010-01-25T09:59:00.004-05:00

Last week was crazy busy, but I managed to work in my weekly "unblanking" per my new year's resolution. This was a super simple project, but has made such a difference in my home.

This was the problem area (eeeww) and it had an identical twin across the room (double eeeww). The former owner had speakers high up on the living room walls. The spaces they occupied reminded me of Frankenstein's monster's neck with the nasty wires and bolts sticking out. For about a year, I was thinking I would just hook up new speakers. I did some searching online, and couldn't seem to find the right fit. Then I just decided that I would cover them up, but I had no idea what with. I really should have at least dusted while I was trying to find the right solution.

I decided I needed two coordinating pieces of simple artwork with dimensions a bit larger than the speaker spots. It had to be lightweight, too, so that it would be easy to hang. Of course I couldn't find what I wanted anywhere. I ended up wrapping tne halves gift boxes with a pretty floral home dec print from P. Kaufmann. Since the box halves were so big and floppy, I used strips of craft wood to give stability. I added a cross piece for hanging.

Both of the wrapped boxes were kind of boring. Since I used such a big print, there were some gaps in the design that I wasn't quite happy with. So I cut squares of a Denyse Scmidt home dec print and glued them over the non-interesting areas.

The first speaker space was right next to a loft overlooking our living room, so I was able to lean over and hang it up without any problem. Ugly problem solved on that side!

The other side was a bit more of a challenge. It is right next to a spiral staircase, but the spot wasn't close enough to the higher steps to be reachable (at least by me). I really didn't want to get out the ladder, so I tried hanging it with poles, brooms, etc. I dropped it into the living room at least 10 times. Since it was so lightweight and aerodynamic, it survived the multiple falls. I ended up attaching a ribbon loop to the top, and got it up with a combination of a pole and a broom. Phew!

Mama's got a brand new bag!!!

2010-01-21T05:28:00.004-05:00

I needed a camera bag...something very sturdy, functional, and above all CUTE! Necessity is the mother of invention, and after lots of prototypes I now have 1) a camera bag that I really love and 2) a new eBook!

Case Study: Boxy Bags contains patterns and instructions to make durable, yet chic bags in 3 sizes: for small (9”l x 4½”w x 4½” h), medium (10”l x 5½”w x 5½” h), and large (11”l x 6½”w x 6½” h) bags.

There are options for pockets and dividers, so you can customize your bag to your exact needs. The large size bag (shown above in a mix of gorgeous Sis Boom Fabrics) would be great for the big SLR cameras and all their associated gear and lenses. The inner core is made from thick foam and fleece, which is perfect for cushioning and protecting sensitive equipment.

I can also see this size as making a great diaper bag. The rigid sides/dividers would keep bottles upright and diapers nicely organized.

I've found the size medium to be the perfect size for my camera, which is a Canon PowerShot. It snuggles right in, and there is room on the other side of the divider for my charger, cords, etc. For the medium sized bag pictured above, I combined less than a fat quarter's worth of hard to find Flea Market Fancy fabric with some linen remnants. I added a sweet colorwork embroidery design by Kimberbell Kids. My neighbor loved it, so I gave it to her (I already had MY camera bag at that point).

The small bag is great for point and shoot cameras and little game systems. I used a mix of Amy Butler prints from my stash for this one - so sweet and springy!

The testers made some absolutely awesome bags using this pattern. They are using them to tote things like camcorders, cameras, sewing supplies, game systems, and even a poodle! You can check out their "product in action" pics over at YouCanMakeThis.com.

I spruced up my doors!

2010-01-15T11:05:00.004-05:00

Actually, I BIRCHED up my doors!

Here is the before pic. This is the coat closet next to the entryway we use the most. It goes right into the living room, which is very bright and contemporary. I wanted to keep consistent with that style, but bring in some warm, natural elements. I had been looking at birch tree decals on Etsy, but they are pretty pricey (considering they are gigantic 8 ft tall pieces of sticky plastic, I know I'd charge lots to make and ship them). If I were renting and wanted something removable, I would have splurged. But, I'm at the point in life that my doors are mine to mess up (I have to be careful, though...seems like every time I do something crazy with paint, we get relocated).

I had a few different sizes of blue painter's masking tape down in the basement. I used it to make tape trees with different trunk sizes. The bigger trees are made with multiple widths of tape. To make the trees look more natural, I worked in a bit of a curve as I was taping.

I made branches by cutting long lengths of tape diagonally. Each cut yielded 2 branches (which is a good thing, because I was just about out of tape).

I cut leaves from my last little bits of tape...

...and added them to the branches.

I used my fingernails to rip away bits of tape at the sides of the trunks and branches to make them more "birchlike." For longer tears, I just kept picking. I made a couple in the centers of the trunks to look like knots.

I slapped on a couple of coats of a green enamel that I found in the basement. From the dried up stuff on the outside of the can, I thought it was going to be an olive-ish color. It turned out to be more on the side of minty.

After I took the tape off, I was happy with the design, but not the color combo. The trees were too stark white, and the green just didn't work with the other colors in the room.

I went over the whole thing with a coat of Golden Oak Minwax stain (also in my basement). Since I put it over enamel, it took a while to dry, and it isn't totally homogeneous. I actually really like the textured look. Oh, and you can probably tell that a bit of paint bled under the tape. Again, I don't mind a bit because I think it adds character.

So there you have it - another un-blanked space in my home...so far so good with that New Year's Resolution (just please don't ask me how the diet is going...)!

First eBook of 2010!

2010-01-13T05:43:00.005-05:00

My latest effort definitely has me thinking outside the box...actually, I'm thinking inside the box, under the box, and on top of the box, too! Case Study: Basic Boxes gives patterns and instructions for making sturdy fabric boxes in 3 sizes. It is the first of three patterns that are based on the same construction concept. My original plan was to make a camera bag (because I needed one), but I found that I really needed to optimize the box architecture and materials before I could even think about things like straps and pockets. I made lots of little prototype boxes, and found that they were really cute and useful! So I decided to release the box technique as a stand-alone pattern for the super-duper price of only $5 :) .

The small size makes the perfect little trinket box. I used a gorgeous Sis Boom Fabric (Ann Flower Mural) and centered the motif on the top of the box. I'm planning to use the medium sized box (made from a very girlie Patty Young fabric) to organize my makeup in fine style. The big box was going to stay in the sewing room and hold notions, but Louie took it for his "puppies" (menagerie of little stuffed animals) and it is currently getting kicked and tossed around the living room. At least I can say with authority that the boxes are sturdy...sigh.

I was really giddy over the testers' creations! Cathy, Jeanne, and Marlo used their favorite Sis Boom fabrics to make some drool-worthy boxes. Amazing how many looks can be achieved just by mixing up the fabric selection!

Marlo made the size large box, and found that it holds an impressive number of video games!

Stephanie used awesome red, black and white fabrics to build her daughter's Zhu-Zhu pet a contemporary home. Doesn't she look cozy?

Tom made his family a complete set of boxes using a stunning collection of floral fabrics. He actually pieced the tops of the medium and large boxes. Aren't they beautiful??? I just love love love seeing them nested and stacked - so many display possibilities!

Head on over to YCMT and check this one out (and be on the lookout for the camera bag in the next week or so)!

New years resolution...unblank the walls

2010-01-08T15:48:00.002-05:00

I made the pretty standard resolutions this year...eat healthier, exercise, spend more time with family, yada yada yada. I also stuck a fun one in there, and I'm expecting my bloggy friends to hold me to it. My big resolution is to spruce up a blank space in my home EVERY week this year.

You see, we have a lot of bare walls/windows/doors in this house. It is a good-sized 50's era contemporary split level, and it has a great open feel about it. When we moved in, it kind of absorbed the decorative stuff that filled our tiny antique cottages and bungalows of cities past. Even though Spartan decor has been easy and requires little dusting, blank spaces bug me. So this year, I'm going to make the time each week to do something to make a space look better. It won't necessarily be innovative, but it will be an improvement.

I started with my studio wall. When I set it up, I didn't put a lot of thought into decorating it. I just threw up some things that are special to me (a baby dress, gifts from sewing friends, a thimble collection, Lou's artwork, collages of Lou by the awesome artist Shelly Pint, and a big bird painting from my childhood room). I always love looking up from my monitor and seeing such happy things, but that foot of space above is just a sea of boringness. I've been wanting to put something cool up there for a long time, but it had to be something that would fit the space.

My sweet sister-in-law Margie and her family visited us over the holidays, and they gave me one of the coolest things possible...DOLL CLOTHES!!! They picked several cases up at an auction, and lots of styles and eras are represented in there. The 50's era full-skirted dresses just blew me away. They are tiny things, some labeled with Ideal tags, and some handmade. I think they were made to fit Little Miss Revlon. I decided to put them on my wall.

For my "clothesline," I nailed rick-rack to the wall. I spaced the nails every two feet (and I cheated and inserted them into the rick-rack before getting on the ladder, so they probably aren't perfectly spaced).

I picked up some tiny clothespins in the woodworking section at Super JoAnn's. I then hung the dresses at the position of the nails. After that, I hung dresses in between. The weight of the dresses made for a bit of a staggered effect.

Above is (almost) the full panoramic view from where I sit. When I need to avert my eyes from cutting layouts and yardage calculations, the beautiful little dresses are a pleasure to view!

The last half year according to the little camera...

2009-12-31T15:50:00.002-05:00

We have a little Nikon Coolpix that sits on the windowsill in our kitchen. It isn't fancy, but it holds a battery charge like you wouldn't believe, and it is perfect for spur of the moment, must-capture events. Since hubby is a chef, it mostly grabs the "oh my gosh, this food is amazing and must be documented" type things. I just downloaded the last 6 months of pictures from it, and I see that we've also grabbed a few sweet family memories...

Del and Lou by the garden...all that remains is the chard, so it must have been pretty close to the end of the growing season. They are both barefooted, so it couldn't have been too cold yet.

Yep, it was pre-frost - the watermelon vines are still hanging in there.

Some sort of dumpling...they contained prunes or potatoes (or maybe both)?

Goulash - yum!

Snow!!! The little camera is great in adverse weather conditions, so out it went!

Good thing I married a guy from Upstate NY!

Even Big Buddy got into the wintry action...notice that High-Pro glow?

Enough of that, time to go in and eat and sleep.

This guy has his daddy's Northerner genes, I think!

Playing with the macro setting...

Not bad depth of field for the little camera, eh?

Inside and making rolls...

There is some special technique to knotting rolls, and Lou is a pro already!

Tada!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Frayed rosette bib necklace tutorial

2009-12-14T14:17:00.004-05:00

Bib necklaces are showing up everywhere this year! You can find them at high-end retailers like Antrhopologie, but the most amazing specimens I've seen are handmade and on Etsy. Just search "bib necklace" and you will be treated to big, delightful statement necklaces made from all sorts of cool materials. My very favorites incorporate soft, rolled fabric roses and lots of sparkly embellishments.

A few months back, Jennifer Paganelli asked me if I could make some blooms out of her gorgeous Sis Boom fabrics. We came up with a fun little technique and turned it into a tutorial, which you can download for free at YouCanMakeThis.com. There are so many things you can do with these little frayed rosettes...attach them to hairclips, picture frames, magnents...you get the idea. Of course, they just scream BIB NECKLACE, so I decided that I needed to make a bunch so could 1) bring them to the Sis Boom show and 2) get this particular craft out of my system.

Since I was planning on making a dozen or so necklaces, I went ahead and made LOTS of rosettes. They don't take very long to make, and it is nice to have a "stash" to work from while creating. I used a mix of Sis Boom fabrics (mostly soft tonal prints, but I couldn't pass up the wild zebra stripe) and silk dupioni. The silk was very stringy, so it took a little more effort, but the resulting rosettes were so decadent. In addition to the rosettes, you will need:

Felt
Fabric-Tac glue
Thin needle and sturdy thread
Assorted beads, buttons, and baubles
Ribbon
Hot glue gun
A scrap of knit fabric

The first step is to cut the felt backing. I found a good, comfortable (yet still bold) size to be 6" wide by 3" long. I just folded the piece of felt in half lengthwise and cut half a crescent shape that was 3" wide by 3" long.

You can play with the shape on paper before you cut the felt...you might prefer something smaller, bigger, pointier, or even more asymmetrical. Just hold it up to your neck and see how you like it.

Now for the fun part...adding the rosettes! I like to use Fabric-Tac rather than hot glue at this point because it takes a while to set. I don't really have a plan when I start out, so it is nice to be able to move the rosettes around. Make sure to keep a warm, damp washcloth on hand so you can wipe off any glueblobs as that accumulate on your fingertips (those little boogers really stand out on black dupioni - ewww).

I made all of my rosettes pretty much the same size, but it adds so much more visual interest to use a mix of sizes.

It is very easy to unroll the rosettes to make them smaller. Just unroll until you get the desired diameter, and clip away the excess.

The cool thing is that the excess can be re-rolled into a second small rosette!

Glue the rosettes into place, covering as much felt as possible. Don't worry about small gaps between the rosettes, however. You can cover them with beads or buttons in the next step. Once you are happy with the rosette placement, let the glue dry.

Now, grab your box(es) of beads, buttons, broken jewelry, etc., and start embellishing those rosettes! You could glue the embellishments into place with a very strong glue, but it is actually really nice to sit in a comfy chair and sew them . Plus, I just think the stitching gives a better feel and more durability to the piece. I also ran some extra stitches between the rosettes and the felt (out of sight) to really make sure the glued rosettes stay put.

The back won't look too pretty, but that is OK because we are going to cover it up. First, though, we need to glue the ribbon to the back. I used silk ribbon because it is soft and nice and I have a ton of it. Satin or grosgrain ribbons would work well too - width and length are a matter of personal preference. I'd recommend starting with a yard and trimming down as needed.

Hot glue the center of the ribbon to the center of the backing.

Make a line of glue from the center to the corner, and work the ribbon into place. Get it as flat and smooth as possible.

The last step is to cover the backing. I uses knit scraps for this because they are soft, flexible, and won't fray when cut. Cut a piece that is slightly larger than your backing.

With hot glue, it is always best to work in small sections. This prevents premature setting and massive burns. Squirt a bit of hot glue on one corner of the backing.

Place the knit fabric over the glue and gently press into place with your fingertips. When it is cool, pull back the fabric and apply glue to the backing. Repeat until the entire backing is covered with the knit fabric.

Check the edges to make sure the felt is attached securely. Do touch-ups, if needed. Also apply a bit of glue to any baubles or beads that seem loose.

Trim the knit to the shape of the backing. If desired, tie some knots in the ribbon near the corners.

The necklace is ready to wear - simply tie around the neck! Can't you just see this with a little black dress or a v-neck tee? Here is an article that gives some great tips for wearing these fashion statements!

Ding Ding Ding! WINNERS!!!

2009-12-09T18:08:00.003-05:00

The winner of the awesome GwynHug cards is #15, Margaret! She said:

What a cool idea! My overbuy was for a maternity coat I made when I was pregnant with my second child. It was going to be reversible and in fleece. I bought enough of each color to make both sides the same. I am still making things with my leftover fleece 4 years later!

The winner of the eBook of choice is Jen! Oh, I can so relate to her post, and it made me laugh out loud:

I recently bought flannel to make PJ pants using your easy fits for adults pattern. I bought 8 different flannel prints in 2 yard cuts. Ooops! I needed 3 yards and only discovered this after cutting out the first leg of the first pair. Arghhhhhh! So I went back to the online store I'd bought the fabric from, only to find out that one and one other had been sold out. I made a second order of the same available prints in 2 yard cuts again (because 1 yard would make half-pants-half-shorts :)..... I did repurpose that one leg of flannel into a scarf. Do you want a pink frog scarf? Just kidding. I received one-half of the online order. Still waiting on the other half. So I could make a bunch of one-legged pants or else have a sewing frenzy right before Christmas. The moral of the story (and an old adage from my carpenter father): Measure twice, cut once. And I'd add: Don't guess! I need those cards Carla.

Margaret and Jen - please contact me at info(at)scientificseamstress.com so I can send you your prizes!!!! Thanks so much to EVERYONE for sharing your great stories of fabric miscalculation!

Sis Boom FUN!

2009-12-08T08:43:00.005-05:00

I had an absolute blast at Jennifer's Sis Boom Holiday Show last week! I got to spend almost two full days surrounded by fabulous folks, gorgeous fabrics, and bling-bling eye-candy galore!!! I really meant to get more pictures, but I got caught up in the whirlwind of fun!

The cutting table was stuffed just before the show opened. It didn't take those bolts long to thin out! I had the honor of cutting fabric for lots of amazing crafters, quilters, and decorators. I LOVED getting to play mix-and-match with such a huge, beautiful palette of colors and prints.

Shoppers got a sneak peak at So St. Croix live and in person. Jennifer's sweet assistant Madeline dolled up the dressform with some yardage and a poofy pettiskirt. There were only a precious few fat quarters of this line for sale at the show, but it should be available from fabric shops in January - yipeeee!

This was my view from the cutting table. I made the little rag dollies popping out of the box using a modified version of the in-the-hoop Mini-Kimmie from SWAK. The awesome potholders hanging up against the window were made by Nancy Geaney of Dark Horse Farm Designs. They sold like hotcakes!!! She also had some beautiful treeskirts and adorable stick ponies (yes, I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures)!

I also made some frayed rosette bib necklaces for the show, and they were a hit (woo-hoo)! We have a free tutoria l that shows how to make the single rosettes. I'm working on instructions for making them into necklaces, so be on the lookout for another tutorial in the next few days :) !

Finally, here I am with my sweet sewing buddy Nicole and her darling baby Hannah! She went away with some great fabrics and patterns...I can't wait to see what she makes! I'm donning my Meghan Peasant Dress, which was so comfortable and easy to wear that fabulously busy day! I'm also wearing my Kay Adams necklace, which I could have sold right off my neck a couple of times. It fit right in with the vintage beauty and sparkle that Sis Boom is all about!

***There is still time to win the fantastic "How Much Fabric" cards from GwynHug!***
Just leave a comment here before tomorrow (10/9/09)!

Must-have Scientific Sewing Resource (Giveaway)!

2009-12-02T05:15:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been in a fabric store, spotted a bolt of pricey to-die-for good stuff, and thought "I'd love a shirt/pants/skirt made out of this, but how much fabric should I get?" You don't want to buy too much, because the $$$ can add up quickly at the cutting table, but of course there is nothing worse that NOT having enough fabric for your project. I usually err on the side of caution and overbuy, and that is why I have bins stuffed with wads of chenille, fleece, and wrinkled-up satin. Well, a group of amazingly bright, talented, and practical seamstresses have come up with a great solution for yardage conundrums:

The "How Much Fabric?" Reference cards by GwynHug are portable resource packed with yardage information for the savviest of fabric shoppers. I had the opportunity to check out a set of these cards and was blown away by how comprehensive and accurate they are. Over 2,000 patterns were used to generate all kinds of cool statistical data, which are presented in a cute, easy to follow format.

I cross checked the yardages from some of my patterns, and was thrilled to see that they were spot on consistent with the card set's recommendation. Even though I come up with the yardage charts for my own patterns, I can never remember how much fabric to get for a tunic, peasant, etc. Having these babies on hand takes out all the guesswork. In fact, I'm taking them with me to the Sis Boom Holiday Sale, where I will be working the cutting table on Thursday and part of Friday. If you are in the CT area, come see me and check out the cards in person!

*****GIVEAWAY******

You can win a full set of these great "How Much Fabric?" cards! Post one of your experiences with buying the WRONG amount of fabric (way too much or way too little). Come on, we've all done it ;) ! Next Wednesday, December 9th, I'll pick the winner of the cards by random drawing. The commenter with the funniest tale gets a free eBook of their choosing!

Tiny Bubbles....

2009-11-18T08:03:00.002-05:00

Jennifer Paganelli and I are proud to announce our newest arrival...the Sis Boom Carly Bubble Romper! Carly is the first of a series of Sis Boom Baby patterns, and she is making her debut on YouCanMakeThis.com!

We just love this little sweetie, which includes separate patterns for sizes preemie, newborn, 3m, 6m, 9m, 12m, 18m, and 24m. Babies grow so fast, and we wanted to cover every stage!

There are 3 sleeve options - sleeveless, ruffled sleeves, and puffed sleeves.

And best of all, this romper is completely and totally reversible (I didn't originally plan it that way, but it worked and I ran with it - LOL)!

There are also multiple options given for the back and crotch fasteners.

These rompers are soooo perfect for personalization with applique or embroidery (think baby shower gifts)! The ruffle-sleeved romper above has the Amanda Fleur 5x7 embroidery design on one side, and the Amanda Fleur fabric on the other side...fun, huh? Thanks so much to my friend Laura for the amazing pics of her sweet baby girl, and big thanks also to my team of testers, who made some VERY cute rompers which you simply must check out on the product page over atYCMT!

Easy Fits for everyone!

2009-11-10T09:37:00.006-05:00

The Easy-Fits Pants Pattern for Tweens, Teens, and Adults is now available on youcanmakethis.com! It truly is the "grown-up" version of the popular child-sized pattern. Use it to make comfy jammies, casual capris, board shorts...there are so many options!

As always, my awesome testers were incredibly helpful with sizing, accuracy, and keeping me motivated! They were very enthusiastic about the finished product, and I love how their pants came out! Check out their pictures and testimonials!!!

I am now wearing the most comfortable pants EVER!!!! I finished my easy-fits and I LOVE THEM! I made a drawstring waist with a couple of button holes and some ribbon. I made a large and they fit over my belly now and I can cinch the waist for later. (note: this is from the very pregnant tester :) )

The easiest, quickest, most comfortable pants just grew up! Easy Fit Pants, by Carla C. was previously only available for children. Not anymore! With the creation of "Easy Fit Pants for Tweens, Teens and Adults", the entire family can now enjoy the the comfort and ease of the perfect pants! And with the ease that these pants go together, even the beginning seamstress or tailor can outfit an entire family in just a matter of hours! Stitch them up in cozy flannel or fleece for cozy sleep pants. The sports fan would love a pair stitched up in his/her favorite teams licensed fabric. Denim, corduroy or twill will dress this pant up for every day wear. You'll find endless possibilities with this versatile pattern that will quickly become a staple in your pattern file that you will reach for again and again! You won't want to be without either the Easy Fit Pants, or the Easy Fit pants for Tweens, Teens and Adults!

My favorite pattern EVER now comes in every size! Thank you Carla! Easy Fit pants are the simplest most adaptable pattern I have ever used and always the first pattern I recommend to new sewers. I have so much fun creating these in all sorts of styles and fabrics. My tween has outgrown the children's sizes and now I'm thrilled I can make her (okay, and myself as well) Easy Fit pants! I can't wait to get started on matching family pj pants!

YIPPEE one of my favorite kids patterns now in adult sizes for men and women!!! This pattern should be in the pattern hall of fame along with it original easy fits for kids. It is the perfect pattern for comfy pj's or cute comfortable pants. It is probably one of the easiest patterns to make too! It is a must have for everyone!

Big thanks to all of the testers for all of their great feedback and support! I also want to give a big shout out to Mari H., the wonderfully talented and sweet photographer who took the excellent pictures of the pants (lots of 'em) for the cover and product pics!

Sew Comfy...

2009-11-05T09:05:00.004-05:00

Oh why oh why didn't I make the grown-up version of the Easy Fit Pants Pattern YEARS ago? Oh well, it is probably a good thing I didn't come up with them sooner because when I put them on I just want to lounge about! The pattern should be out within the next week IF I can get up off the couch to add the last little details. I'll blog more about it next week, but basically it has the same options and easy-peasy construction method as the child's version. The size range goes from XXS to 3XL, so you will be able to make Easy Fits for everybody!

Speaking of comfortable clothing for us grownups, The Sis Boom Shana Tunic is now available on YouCanMakeThis.com and Etsy. This stylish, relaxed top is just perfect with jeans, leggings, and capris. Jennifer blogged her mama wearing her Shana Tunic a few months back, and I knew it was something my mama would love too...

Isn't she gorgeous? And don't you just love that neckline??? It is perfect for showing off beautiful necklaces...particularly ones like this that are made by Kay Adams. Mom and I are big fans of this talented lady (you might be seeing the both of us on her blog in the coming weeks :) ).

Belle of the Ball

2009-10-20T09:24:00.002-04:00

Ready for the next "princessification" of the Simply Sweet pattern? This beauty is a lovely yellow gown with off-the-shoulder swags and gathered peplum. These elements are very easy to add (despite the number of pics in this tutorial). Simple twists of the fabric give these elements the extra fullness needed to keep them light and poofy.

This dress is all yellow, which happens to be my favorite color :) . You could use multiple shades of yellow to add interest, or use a tonal printed fabric like the gorgeous Marie from Jennifer's Pretty Please line.

For this dress, I am using the jumper bodice (natural waist length option) with scrunched elasticized straps. Cut the pattern pieces as described. Also cut two strips that are the same length as your strap pieces, but twice as wide (bottom left on the photo below). These will be used to make the swags.

Using the charts provided, determine the dimensions necessary to make a skirt that is calf to ankle length. Cut the 2 skirt pieces as described. In addition, cut 2 pieces (same size as the first 2) for the peplum.

Sew the scrunched elasticized straps as described on page 13, and stack the bodice pieces and stitch the armhole edges as described on page 16.

Insert the straps into the front bodice as described, but only stitch the top edge at the position of the straps. The center should be left open for the swags.

Make the swags by folding the strips in half lengthwise, right side facing in. Stitch 1/4" from the long raw edges. Turn the tube right side out.

Run a two rows of basting stitches at one end of the tube. Open out the other end, and refold it so that the seam is centered on top. Maintaining this fold, run two rows of basting at this end. The swag should look like a tube of toothpaste at this point.

Fold the front bodice in half. Insert a pin through all layers at the center fold.

Gather the centered seam end of a swag and insert it between the the front and back layers, between the scrunched strap and the pin. Stitch into place. Note - I inserted my swag with the seam facing up, because I think it adds interesting detail. If you don't want the seam to show, just flip it over.

Repeat with the other swag.

Stitch the swags into place 1/4" from the top edge.

Turn the front bodice so that the right sides are facing outward,

Move the swags out of the way for now. Insert the scrunched straps into the back bodice piece as described on page 18. Stitch the straps into place, but leave the center open as you did for the front piece. Fold and pin through all layers at the center.

Gather and insert the other ends of the swags. The edges with the seams should be right next to each other in the center. Make sure the straps look like mirror images of each other at this point with no extra twists or turns.

Stitch the swags into place 1/4" from the top edge.

Assemble the bodice as described in the eBook. Notice how the swags stand on their own? That little twist makes a big difference!

Make the hemmed skirt as described as on page 45 and set it aside.

Fold the peplum pieces widthwise into 4ths and press to make creases.

Fold the front and back pieces lengthwise with the right side facing in. Using a water soluble marker, make dots for the gathering points. Put dots on all of the creases, and right next to the side edges on the front pieces only. You can place all of the dots at the same height, or stagger them like I did. For the doll skirt, I made the front center marking 1" from the folded edge, and made the others progressively lower. For a "big girl" skirt, I would start at 2".

Place the front and back pieces together, right sides facing. Make sure the dotted ends are together. Stitch 1/4" from the short side edges. This will make a tube of fabric.

Fold the tube in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Align the raw edges.

We are also going to work a little twist into the peplum so it is nice and full like the swags. At the top edges, shift the fabric so that the creases are 1/4" to 1/2" apart. Pin the layers together just between the creases.

Shift in the same direction at every crease and seam. Notice some poof forming?

Run two rows of basting stitches at the top edge.

Now is a good time to go ahead and gather from the points to the folded edge. Using a hand needle and thread, make big stitches through both layers, which should be slightly shifted at that position. Use the thread to draw the fold up to the point. Secure the gather with several knots at the end of the thread.

Make the gathers at the other dots.

Pull the bobbin threads to gather the peplum and align the raw edges of the peplum with the bottom edges of the bodice. Arrange the gathering so that the seams and midpoints are in line.

Zig-zag stitch over the edges to "set" the gathers in place. Remove the pins and gathering threads.

Add the skirt as described on page 51.

Optional - add embellishments to the gathering points on the peplum, and between the swags at the top of the bodice. I made simple silk ribbon roses as described in this tutorial, but you could use pre-made ribbon roses, bows, or even artificial flowers.

Now Beauty is all set for an evening with the Beast!

Doesn't Buddy look like he has a faraway romantic look on his face? He was actually eying my burrito over on the coffee table!

Popping in to say "hi!"...

2009-10-17T16:01:00.005-04:00

Ok, I've been a bad little blogger these last few weeks. I've gotten into my obsessive patternmaking mode (again), and haven't really stopped to post. I do have a couple of tidbits of news to share:

1) New Sis Boom Pattern!

Jennifer and I debuted our newest Sis Boom pattern collaboration last week, and we are so in love with how it turned out! Emily is a very sweet bell sleeve tunic with a unique keyhole neckline. You can make it in a range of lengths, and it goes just perfectly with leggings and jeans! And check out the Sis Boom embroidery designs on both of the little models' jeans...what a fun way to extend these gorgeous motifs across an outfit!

Thanks so much to our photographers Annie and Mari for the incredible pictures! Big thanks also to our great group of testers (especially Tom, who provided lots of great tips for making the round collar attachment a breeze)!

2) FREE Patterns (and a TV spot)!

YCMT has an awesome treat for you! Go on over and download Festive Vests and Fancy Filled Tutus for FREE until 10/31!

I had the honor of sewing up a couple of the vests for a segment on Studio 5 on KSL-TV in Utah. The little boys who modeled them were very composed and handsome, and their tutu-wearing little sisters were completely adorable! Kim did a great job demonstrating the steps of making the tutu, too!!! You can watch the segment here on the YCMT blog!

3) More patterns in the works!

The grown-up version of the Emily Bell-Sleeved Tunic is with the testers as we speak! Jennifer's stylish mom was the inspiration for this beautiful, flattering top. The round neckline is so divine, and the tunic is just incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. You can see the original design here on Jennifer's blog...soon I'll be sharing pics of my lovely mom modeling as well :) !

I'm also working on a much requested Scientific Seamstress eBook...it is the grown-up version of one of my most popular patterns for girls and boys. I've already made a few prototypes for myself and my hubby, and lets just say we are enjoying "lounging" around in them ;)!

4) Another princess tutorial is coming SOON - (I'm hoping to finish up and get some pictures early next week)!

That about sums it up - I'm popping back out now....

Princess Pointers

2009-09-27T07:22:00.002-04:00

WAKE UP...it is time for another princess tutorial! This week's princess is Sleeping Beauty. Her popular pink gown has some very angular features. She has an off the shoulder pointed collar and a small, pointed peplum. These elements are actually very easy to add to the Simply Sweet jumper dress.

Dark Pink Bodice: I didn't add any embellishments or make any modifications to the bodice pattern. Rather, I let the fabric do all the work in making the bodice look formal and princess-like. I used Jennifer's gorgeous Amanda Fleur from her Pretty Please line. She has so many large scale, monochromatic damasks and florals that are absolutely perfect for this type of pattern play. Just center the design and you have instant interest!

White Straps: The straps are a modification of the ruffled elasticized straps included with the pattern. Print out the desired size, but don't cut.

The first step is to draw a new lengthwise foldline. Using a straight edge, draw a line at the position of the seam allowance (dashed line) on the bottom left hand side. Then, align the straight edge with the top edge and extend the line over to the right hand side. Finally, connect the bottom right hand corner to the end of top line.

Cut out the modified pattern. The original pattern is cut on one fold, but this one will be cut on 2 folds (this is because we only traced one side of the pattern).

Stack 2 pieces of white fabric together and fold in half. Fold in half again so that you have 8 layers.

Place the new foldline edge and the top edge of the pattern on the folded edges of the fabric. Pin into place. Cut around the bottom and slanted side edges.

Unfold and separate the strap pieces (which should look like tall hexagons). Fold each piece in half lengthwise, right sides facing inward. Stitch 1/4" from the slanted side edges.

Trim the seam allowances near the point. Turn right side out. Stitch 7/8" from the folded edge to form the casing (1/2" for dolly).

Add the elastic as described on page 15 of the eBook.

Insert the straps as described on page 16, but have the seamed (pointy) edges facing inward rather than outward.

Turn the bodice right side out and flip the pointed edges out to the side.

Light Pink Peplum:
Cut two squares of pink fabric for the peplum. The dimensions I recommend are:

Little girl (6m - 3y) - 13" x 13"
Big girl (4 - 8) - 15" x 15"
Dolly (15" - 18") - 9" x 9"

Place the squares together, right sides facing and align all of the edges. Stitch 1/4 from the edges, all the way around.

Fold the stitched square in half, and then in half again. Press the folds with an iron to make nice, visible creases.

Unfold the stitched square. Using a plate as a template, draw a circle in the center. The plate diameters I recommend are:

Little girl (6m - 3y) - 8"-9" salad plate
Big girl (4 - 8) - 10" -11" dinner plate
Dolly (15" - 18") - 5.5" - 6" saucer or bowl

If you don't have plates this size, search your household for other circular objects to trace.

Pin the layers together. Make a slit in the center of the squares, and carefully cut through both layers at the circular marking.

Turn the square right side out and press the seams. Run two rows of basting stitches around the circular edges.

Pull the bobbin threads to gather the circle and align the raw edges of the peplum with the bottom edges of the bodice. Arrange the gathering so that the points are sticking up at the sides and the centers of the front and back.

Zig-zag stitch over the edges to "set" the gathers in place.

Remove the pins and gathering threads.

Add the skirt as described on page 51.

This makes for a light, comfy princess dress. For added warmth, the dress can be worn over a pink leotard.

OK, which princess do you want next???

Winner, winner, time for dinner!

2009-09-15T14:40:00.005-04:00

Thanks so much to everyone for entering the "Blue Ribbon Twirl Skirt" giveaway. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the interesting (and often quirky) facts about states here in the U.S. and lands abroad. I just went through them again and noticed that many mention food - now I'm hungry! I used random.org to generate the winning post #...44!

The winning poster is Mickey, mama to NINE!!! I actually had the pleasure of meeting this very talented (and patient) gal at Jennifer's Sis Boom workshop last spring (there is another one coming up, by the way)! Her post sounded particularly delicious!

You KNOW I love your skirt! (and the fabric choice ;) I live in Oklahoma. You might not know this, but the Sooner State actually has an official meal. Whether it's popular or not I have no idea, but the State Legislature gave legal status to the dish in 1988. So here goes: Fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken-fried steak, pecan pie and black-eyed peas. I have no idea in what order one should eat this meal, but it certainly sounds like a lot of food. One reason the meal is so big is that Oklahoma grows/raises all of the items on the menu. I am so inspired by your ribbons and post that I am planning to enter next year, to our county & State fair! Even better, is that my 10 yr. old twins saw your post and are planning to enter the projects they are working on as well. I think it's awesome to be such a great mentor!

And now for the three winners of the Embellished Patchwork Twirl Skirt eBook, all with funny food and beverage related comments...

TheFancyFritter
Louisiana is probably the only state where you will find people that get so excited and even salivate over eating the yummy red, clawed, curled tailed bugs! CRAWFISH!! Yum! You're missing out if you've never tried them! :) I would love to win your giveaway! The skirt is BEAUTIFUL & I just love Sis Boom fabrics! Thanks so much! :)

badlandsquilts
I grew up in North Dakota...while I'm not sure if it is still a law (it was while I was putting myself thru college as a waitress)... when polls were open for elections bars were always closed - so voters would surely have a clear head! I grew up in the least populous county (Slope)where the county seat has a population of 29 (Amidon)... there is only 640K people in the whole state! Life in the VAST lane!

Benita
Our Texas State Fair is just gearing up to start and the food item that just took first place is.....deep fried butter. Seriously! How fast can you clog an artery with that!

If you are one of the owners of the delectable comments above, please email me at info(at)scientificseamstress.com so I can get your prize to you!

I've got another great giveaway to tell you about today! Boutique Cafe is celebrating its 5th Birthday, and they are offering up an INCREDIBLE prize pack (and there is a little something from me in there ;) )!

Go over to the Boutique Cafe blog to listen to the latest podcast, wish them a happy birthday, and get in the running for all of the goodies!