So this was my latest project from the Craftsy Sewing with Knits course. I had learned so much and done so well with earlier projects for the fleece hoodie and the scoop neck and v-neck t-shirts that I got sidetracked and went onto other knit projects – this time with great success.  But I’m back on the course and keen to learn more.

This time the project was for pants.  You could either chose shorts, cropped pants or full length yoga style pants.  Well full length warm pants are rarely needed here in Cayman but I wear shorts nearly every day so the choice was an easy one.  The pattern comes free with the course.  For the fabric, I had a couple of yards of this awesome/horrible? bubblegum pink stretch velour that came in a free fabric bundle from FabricMart Fabrics. I really wasn’t sure about how the shorts would look so decided to combine two ‘not sure’ into one project and see what happened.

The pattern and tutorial includes side seam pockets if you want to add them, and gives a full tutorial on how to sew them in, and also how to stop them stretching out and going all baggy.  However with my hips and bum being baggy enough, I decided I didn’t need to add any extra volume with some thick fleecy pockets at this time of life and left them out for a more ‘streamlined’ look.

I made a size medium without any fitting adjustments.  That is what I love SO much about sewing with knit/stretch fabrics – the fitting is so forgiving and is a nice break from horrors I’ve had fitting some recent woven fabric projects from big pattern companies.

These shorts/pants come with a wide waist band so they would be super comfy and perfect for maternity wear, either as shorts, crops or pants.  Or if you prefer a higher rise.  You can fold over the waistband half way to the low waist, or fold it all the way down to wear them low on your hips – entirely up to you.

And because they are knit fabrics, they are really not only suitable for comfy and casual wear around the house, but also for exercise wear.  Which is what I suppose the cropped and full length pants are designed for (as well as lounging).  Since lounging is the only thing I plan to do in my plush shorts, here is an action shot of what you might look like if you were to run!

Want to know all the secrets about how to successfully sew with knits and make your own casual clothes including a hoodie, t-shirts, shorts, pants, skirts and a dress?  Then sign up for the Sewing with Knits course at Craftsy – great for beginners.

Authored by: Deby at So Sew Easy

The post Sewing with Knits – bubblegum pink velour shorts appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

Sew Pretty Sew Free is a perfect compliment to the free patterns on offer here at So Sew Easy.  Anshu scours the web to bring you her favorite free sewing patterns and tutorials and posts regularly with her latest finds.

Anshu has a great eye for color and style and posts some of her own creations too such as this maxi-dress refashion.

Check out the following directories which are a simple to use roundup of all of the posts on her site in a particular subject - something for everyone here:

And she has a collection of both beautiful and interesting boards on Pinterest.  You can find Sew Pretty Sew Free on Facebook too, where you can find the regular updates for the free patterns she features on her site.

If you would like to be featured on So Sew Easy, there are a lot of sponsorship and advertising options. Take a look at the advertise page to see if something takes your fancy.

Authored by: Deby at So Sew Easy

The post Our new sponsor – Sew Pretty Sew Free appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

Q1 – Have you ever used one of my tutorials or free patterns?

• Yes – 26
• No – 62

Q2 – If so, which have you tried?

Q4 – Have you ever taken a Craftsy course?

The post Sewing survey results appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

You can make a really cute bag using just a fat quarter of fabric, and some lining fabric.

What is a fat quarter?

A fat quarter is what you would get if you took a regular one yard cut of fabric and cut it in half both length-ways and width-ways to make 4 nearly square pieces.  Commonly used with pretty printed cotton fabrics for quilting and crafting, if the fabric is 44 inches wide and 36 inches long in a yard, then a fat quarter measures 22 inches by 18 inches.  It is an economical way to buy a more expensive fabric and perfect for making quilting patterns, or for small crafting items like this bag where the rest of the fabric would perhaps go to waste.

And the Buttercup bag pattern has been drafted with this in mind to use a fat quarter of fabric to the best effect.

You can download the pattern for free from the Made by Rae site, for personal use.  If you’ve never had a go at sewing a bag before, the pattern is a very good one with easy to follow clear instructions and I recommend giving this one a try.

Need some cute fabric to make your bag?  Don’t forget to visit the sponsors on the sidebar (I only feature the best!) and check out the Online Fabric Shop Directory too.

I love these bags and so much so that I make and sell them in my Etsy store – Print or Plain.  But do be aware, that the pattern download is for personal use only unless you buy the additional licence that allows you to make the bags for sale. If you chose to download this pattern, please respect the licence agreement and pay the small fee if you plan to sell the finished item.

If you fancy the bag, but can’t or don’t sew, then do drop by Print or Plain to take a look at some of the designs I have in stock and one could be on its way to you soon.
Authored by: Deby at So Sew Easy

The post Buttercup Bag – the perfect bag pattern? appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

She says “I just took your survey and wrote about my results with your summer drape top.  (I had to enlarge the pattern.)  I was so frustrated in the beginning with the slippery (cheap) fabric but I’m glad I stuck with it.  I think I’ll make another one but longer as a summer nightgown.”

I complimented here on the great gathers and she told me it was her first time doing gathers!   Way to go Becky.  It really does look great and I think a summer nightgown will be fab too.

Anyone else want to share any of their projects made from one of my patterns or tutorials?  I was thinking of setting up a readers features page where you could add your own content, rather like a Pinterest page – any thoughts?

The post Becky’s Summer Drape Top appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

I've been back to work full time for the last 4 weeks, and have about another 6 to go in my current temporary contract.  And until now I never realised how much sitting at a desk all day could be such a pain in the back.  I'm so used to pottering about at home and keeping on the move – but sitting has made me stiff, sore and grumpy.  And then coming home in the evening to sit at my sewing machine was not so welcoming either.

To help office workers and others suffering from chronic pain and pain in the workplace, the American Osteopathic Association as part of their Break Through Your Pain campaign has released a short video introducing a couple of quick and simple stretching exercises you can do at work without drawing attention to yourself!

You can give these a go at work and no one will stare or probably even notice.  But don't forget to get up from your desk too and drop off a memo or speak to a colleague instead of sending an email.  Sitting for hours at a time isn't good for you.

Got grumpy colleagues?  Maybe they are sore and need to stretch – share this video and get the word out there.  

The post Why working at a desk is a pain in the back appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

The pattern rating is easy – yay – should have this done in no time.  I also threw a little caution to the wind. EVERY SINGLE pattern I have made up to date I have made according to the pattern envelope sizing and I have found when I cut them that they were always huge and needed a lot of alteration.  So I had no hesitation in reading that apparently according to the sizing a size 36 bust needed a size 14.  So I cut a 12 - obviously  – and still expected to take in at least an inch on either side.

Ah ha – and this expectation was my undoing.  Perhaps if I had read the envelope more closely I could have avoided my latest sewing failure – described as ‘close-fitting bodice’. There in tiny faint print on just one of the side bodice panels it tells me that the size 12 finished bust measurement is 36.5 inches.  But hey, that’s always wrong – except this time it isn’t wrong.

Sigh.

Hey, look over there, not at this dress…

Described as ‘easy’ in the pattern rating, I certainly didn’t find it easy at all. Granted, it is my first time doing a complete dress lining and with the funny neckband it didn’t really fit into any of the usual tutorials for how to line a dress bodice, and I had to sew most of it by hand.

I could tell right away that it was going to be borderline too small, but anything worth doing is worth doing well, so I persevered and used this as an exercise in dress-making, rather than an exercise in making something that would properly fit me.  The lining is lovely and makes the dress feel quite special and expensive when worn, and my finishing and lining up of seams etc, my zip – all probably the best I have done to date.

You can see in this picture just how little room there is in the bust from the side view.  The bust isn’t that much larger round than the waist/ribcage!  Although those seams look pretty damn good.  Looking again at the pattern envelope, the dress is being modeled by a woman with no obvious bust so I guess it must be designed for a small cup size.

Once its finished, I really do love the dress, love the finish and I learned a lot while sewing it – princess seams, lining, hand finishing etc  But I am modeling it here without a bra just so I can get it on and still breathe around the bust.  It’s certainly too tight for me to wear right now, but hey, if I ever lose enough weight it could look great so its a keeper for the back of the wardrobe.

However – EASY – it ain’t.  Easy if you have more sewing experience yes, but not easy for a beginner or novice sewist.

I really must get around to watching and learning from the latest course I signed up for – Sewing the Perfect Fit.  I just get too excited and charge in – I need to take more time and consider fit more before starting to cut and sew.  I’ll try and set aside some time – the course looks fabulous as do the student projects – I want to sew a fit like that!
 
Authored by: Deby at So Sew Easy
 

The post Easy pattern rating? Kiss my behind Butterick B5353 appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

I must be doing something right – but we can all do better, all do more, and I want to make sure that this site isn’t about me. I want it to be a resource for anyone and everyone interested in sewing – rather like the popular Pinterest Free Patterns Board that now has over 780 free patterns and 4500 followers. Amazing.

So I’ve created a brief survey and I would love it if you could find time to answer a few questions and give me your input and suggestions.  I have lots of ideas for how to move forward, new patterns to work on, tutorials and more.  But I need YOU to tell me what you really want to see.

photo credit: hfabulous via photopin cc

The post What can I give you next and how can I do better? appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

Buy your Mother (or yourself) some fabric or sewing goodies for Mothers Day this year.  Or give her a gift of your time and make her a perfect fitting skirt using the Pencil Skirt Sloper Pattern tutorial.  Hancocks sent me this code to use on Mothers Day – enjoy!

The post For Mothers Day appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles

Welcome to my first Blog Hop and the Twice as Nice Giveaway.  I’m teaming up with the Review Wire and a whole host of the most excellent bloggers to take part in a massive group giveaway with SO MANY great prizes.  Twice as nice – because all blogs are offering two products to giveaway. Some might have two of the same products for two winners, others might have two different products for one winner.  You might win one or you might win both.

The only way to know is to hop on down the list and take a look at all the sites! Plus you will want to stop by The Review Wire and Enter the Grand Prize: an ION Audio Film 2 SD Scanner {2 winners RV $153 Each}!

My prize – your choice of any two key fobs from my shop at Print or Plain on Etsy.  You can choose either the larger wrist sized or the smaller size which slips over a couple of fingers.  Both can be the same or different – entirely up to you.  Here is a selection of the products on offer at Print or Plain.

Now do enter via the Rafflecopter form below, and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to visit all the other participating sites and see what great prizes you could win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Closing date – 24 May 2013 at 11.59pm
Prize is two key fobs of the winners choice from Print or Plain, both sent to the same address.  Prize will be sent Airmail to the USA only, please allow 2-3 days for dispatch.  

The post Twice as Nice Giveaway Blog Hop appeared first on So Sew Easy. Written by Deby Coles