If you've been following along here for a while, you'll remember the launch of our sewing forum. So far there are 316 members – that's pretty good! But even with all those members its a little quiet there. Not as much sharing and activity as I had hoped for.
Just over the last few weeks quite a few people have written and asked if we could have a Facebook group as well. The forum is cool, but it's a little bit ‘out of sight, out of mind' for many who are used to spending chat time on Facebook instead. It can be easier to check in with a group if you are already there updating your status or watching cat videos 😉
Ever happy to please you, I'm delighted to introduce the newest, and hopefully the best, new sewing group on Facebook. The So Sew Easy Sewing Chat group.
Before you worry it's just another place for me to talk about myself, and bore you at every turn with So Sew Easy chat, I really want to make this different. People are looking for a fun and easy place to chat about sewing, share projects, reviews, pattern links etc and I want it to be a real neutral ground. A place you can find all the best sewing chat without it having to be centered around this site.
So, I had to add a group description. It's hard starting out to think what we'll chat about there, but this is what I started out with:
“A group for everyone interested in sewing to come and chat, ask and answer questions, and share projects.
Feel free to chat about whatever takes your fancy. It doesn't have to be solely about So Sew Easy patterns – there is a whole big sewing world out there for you to explore.
Share pattern reviews, give and receive sewing advice or just complain about your husband using your good scissors again!
But please be nice, give encouragement rather than criticism. No drama here please!”
So it's open-ended pretty much. So long as it's about sewing, quilting, embroidery, patterns, classes, learning, fabric etc then it's welcomed. If you want to join so you can spam the group with your links to buy knock-off Ray Bans, then it's not welcome and you'll be banned. Naturally.
And I want all of you to join and run it for me, creating your own sewing community talking about the things that YOU find interesting. I can't always be there to answer all of your questions and chat, but with lots of members all interested in sewing and people all over the world online, you should always find someone there to chat too, maybe to help you out or sympathize when sewing disasters happen, and you simply MUST have it finished by morning.
People have already shared some great projects and although we've just started out a few days ago, it already feels like a fun and friendly community. Here are a few pics so far:
Lucy has already started us with an introductory thread, so when you join up, pop HERE to say hello, where you are from and give us a little info about you and your sewing.
So that's a little bit about the newest sewing community on Facebook. I'd LOVE for you to join us. It's a closed group so you have to click on the JOIN button, then I'll approve you as soon as I can and you can chat away, comment on a thread or start a new topic.
JOIN THE SEWING COMMUNITY HERE
Once you've joined, make sure you get notified about what's going on in the group. ***To make sure you get notified of new articles posted, see where it says Notifications on the bottom right of the header picture – click there and select ALL Posts. ***
What about those of you that don't use Facebook or prefer the old forum. No worries – it will still be there. No immediate plans to remove this for now and I hope it will continue to work alongside this new group.
See you there and chat soon !
p.s – we really need a cool header image for the new group. I've put in the site logo for now, but would love to change it out to something a bit more eye-catching. Anyone out there good at design who would like to create a logo or banner for us?
hi
i want to sew and i dont have any experience in sewing. i wish to have an overcoat like this
http://www.upsara.com/images/n8sr_820891_raw.jpg
or this
http://www.upsara.com/images/fbq_3456.jpg
I looked for in many sites for printable pattern and free pattern of those model but i cant find. 🙁
can you help me?
I’m sorry to tell you that both of those coats are not at all suitable for beginners, and people who don’t have any experience in sewing. They would be considered advanced patterns and you would need a lot of sewing experience before you were ready to make yourself something like that. You could ask a local tailor to custom make a coat for you, but I think it would be a lot more expensive than buying one ready to wear. I wish you luck in your learning to sew and hope you’ll share your projects with us.
I can’t remember my username, password got reset, but I can’t log in because I don’t have my username right. is there a way to retrieve this?
The chat group is on Facebook Lydia so you should just login with your regular Facebook login. I can’t help with resetting any usernames or passwords for that, but I’m pretty sure Facebook uses your email address as the login.
Hi Deby, great site and you make sewing seem so easy! I’m really nervous because i’m going to embark in this again after doing it in school when i was 13 years old! Argh! …
I’m in a worship dance ministry and we need some simple dance tops or organza material that we wear usually over our basics. I’m trying to look for simple patterns for tops that newbies like me won’t be intimidated by.
The tops should be like an overall, comfortable fit to allow a full range of movement and preferably something that allows us to adjust to the different dancer’s body sizes.
Do you have any recommendations?
Many thanks,
Jacqlyn
Oh dear, certainly not anything like that on my site Jacqlyn, and that type of light and gauzy fabric sounds tough to sew. I do have a pinterest board with free patterns for various tops and blouses so you might find something there that sets you off in the right direction. https://www.pinterest.com/soseweasy/blousetop-patterns-and-tutorials/
Love your site and all the links but every time I’m in a link for any length of time eg just now to vote for you in the British Sewing Awards, I get a message about bugs in the link and everything freezes. However if I go into a link by opening a new tab and entering the name of the site then I’m fine. Is there any way you can fix this as it is so much handier to go in thru your link. Otherwise, Keep up the great work. I just love your posts. There’s something for everyone.!
I’m not sure why that should be Mary. You get notices on external sites about a problem with the link when you go to them from here but not if you type the address directly? That is really strange and I don’t know the answer to that. Do you have some kind of security software that is bringing up that warning box?
Where can I buy the expanding gate closure that you used in the little sweetie purse?
If you go back to the original article, in the materials list, you should see that some items are black and some are blue. Anywhere in the article you see text in blue, it means that is a link. So you can click on the blue text and it will take you to another link. In this case clicking on the name of the materials you want (the closure) will take you out to the place where you can buy it. I hope that helps.
Question about the swap. How can we find out if our swap partner received our gift?
I suppose you could ask them Donna. Send an email and check. Or if the parcel was sent with tracking, you could check that with the post office.
Wow! I just found your site Deby. I am 56 years old and I used to sew quite a bit but got away from it. Recently, I got the urge and picked up a simple Burda pattern for a dress. Ugh. NOT so simple and the dress is unfinished. I was just thinking that maybe I should just forget about sewing again altogether and found your site tonight. I am so excited. I want to try to download one of your patterns and try a simple skirt first.I love your tutorials. You are so careful to explain things and your diction is lovely. However, I may need to get back to you if I get stuck. Thank you. Thank you from Canada.
I am so happy to hear that you aren’t giving up and that you are feeling inspired to sew again Diana. If you do get stuck, e have a really active chat group where you can post your questions and someone is always online to help and give suggestions. You can also share your finished projects and I hope you’ll join us there soon and post some of your sewing successes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/soseweasychat/
Hi Deby. I just downloaded and printed your cute Fit & Flare dress pattern. This is my first time working with a sewing pattern download that employs layers. Mostly everything went just fine. However, for tiled pages # 6, 11 and 24 I have extra lines that printed. At first I thought I had neglected to uncheck one of the sizes, but then I realized that if that were the case all of the pages would have extra lines. I don’t know if I did something wrong, or there is something wrong with the file, or if perhaps Acrobat is acting up. I printed those pages again, and they are still doing the extra lines. I am printing size F. Can you offer any advice on what may have gone wrong so that I can avoid this problem in the future for layered sewing pattern pdfs? Thanks!
You know I’ve been trying to recreate this all week and I can’t get any extra lines on those pages when I print a size F. It’s a bit of a mystery. I wonder if you are using an older version of Adobe than I used to create the pattern? Sometimes rogue lines can appear that way, and might be original design lines used while drafting that are hidden in the final pattern. Sorry I’ve not been able to solve it for you.
Deby, Thanks for attempting to solve this issue. I am using the Adobe Reader DC, and it says it is the most current version available. I also printed it using Adobe 9.5. It happens with both versions, and on two different printers. I thought maybe you had a quick fix for it. I must be doing something wrong when printing the layers. I just tried it on size E, and the same thing is happening. I can work with the pattern the way it is printing. I just wish I could figure out what I am doing wrong. lol
Hi Deby,
Why is the fold in the skirt front and not the back?
Can you elaborate please Marlene. Which skirt do you mean? Drop me an email and I’ll try to help you.
Having difficulty in putting the “Wrap Dress” pattern pieces together. Those pages did not download with the dress assembly instructions. Is this again “operator error” (me), or can I print the pattern instructions? (I’m rather technologically challenged!) I love the pic of this dress! Can you help?
Hi Patty, if you go back to the original article for this pattern, there is a picture there to help you put the pattern together. Check it out here – https://so-sew-easy.com/wrap-dress-pattern/
Thank you so much for you very fast answer! Your time and patience is greatly appreciated by “us old ladies”! LOL Thanks again!
Deby I have to say first and foremost your patterns are great. I have a granddaughter that is a Senior this year. She wants a dress with the Floucey Skirt pattern for the bottom. She wants a sweetheart neckline and short simple sleeves. So I am using it you have pattern that would at least have the drop waistlines like the Floucey shirt.
Deby, I enjoy your patterns, they reflect the style I like to wear. My only issue is that I need to wear sleeves, do you have a basic sleeve that fits your sleeveless dresses and tops? I also love the idea of your chat group, but have given up Facebook, so I hope this is a good way to communicate with you. Thanks for sharing your talent with us.
Nancy Owens
Rockwall, Texas
Hi Nancy, Many of the patterns are similar, especially the knit patterns. The free On A Roll T-shirt comes with a sleeve in 3 lengths and this should fit into many of the others. The woven patterns are more individually drafted and there isn’t a standard sleeve that comes with that one. Thanks for your kind comments.
Can the cowl neck top pattern be used with any other fabric, such as melange?
Margaret, I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with melange as a fabric, I’ve not heard of that before. So long as it has the same kind of stretch and drape then it should be fine. Looking it up online, it seems to suggest it wouldn’t usually have any kind of stretch and it that is the case with the fabric you are referring to, then no, this pattern wouldn’t work.
OK Deby, thank you much.
I thought this was a free pattern but u have just charged me for something and I don’t even know what it is or how much!
I won’t have charged you to join the chat group Bonita. It’s free honestly!
How do we know when you have a giveaway?
If there is a giveaway it will be posted on the blog. You can also look under the giveaway category – on the right hand menu where it says ‘Find what you want here’, click where it says giveaways and all current and past ones will be there.
Hello Deby. I wasn’t sure where to ask this, but if you remember, could you share what material used for the half circle wrap skirt? Thanks much. I love your web site.
Hi Jillee, yes I still wear that one a lot. It’s a crepe de chine I do believe. But this would work with all sorts of clothing fabrics. Ask in your local store if you aren’t sure but so long as it is soft with a nice drape and not stiff like a quilting cotton, it will be lovely I’m sure.
Thanks, Deby, for the reply. I really appreciate it. I’m looking forward to making this for my girls.
Do you have, r will you have patterns for full figure women.
Some of the patterns do come in larger sizes, up to a 50 inch hip, but I don’t create any specifically. You will probably love the Curvy Sewing Colelctive (http://curvysewingcollective.com/). They review a lot of patterns there.
You said in your Sunday newsletter that you would be sending out a new pattern on Monday using your new software program. Has that been sent out yet? Also what sizes will be offered for these patterns?
The article about the new pattern PDF and the new way of printing, was from Saturday and the new pattern came out on Sunday- the Moved to Tiers Maxi Skirt. Here is the link – https://so-sew-easy.com/striped-maxi-skirt-pattern/
It comes in size 34 to 56 inch hip.
this is my second day signing up and going back to my email to complete the process but there is no email in my box. please help, I’m excited to start. thanking you in advance
I found your email in the list and confirmed you manually Nancy, so its all set. Thanks for signing up, great to have you following along.
Deby, I have sent a request to join the group. Waiting for approval. In the meantime I need some help. I have so many of your patterns found on Craftsy some might think you are my personal designer. I love the wrap dress and the wrap top. I have to tell you that I am more of a quilter than I am a dress or clothing maker. I have a problem with fitting patterns. Example: Pattern says the bust for size 12-14 is for a bust that is say up to 39inches, and size 16 – 18 fits bust that is 42 inches and up. My bust measures 41.5 so if I use the size 12 it is too small and the 16 will swim on me. I am 5ft 1in and I still have the baby belly. I am about 155 pounds most carried in the belly. So what do I do to make the patterns fit? Thanks for your help..
Hi Debi, I’m looking at the wrap dress and top, but there isn’t any 12-14 or 16-18 sizing on either of the patterns you mentioned, its just small, medium, large and extra large. But size large fits bust 40-42, so if you measure 41.5 you should make the large I think. Also most patterns are drafted for an average height of about 5’6″ so you would need to probably shorten it in a couple of places to help you with the right length too. Fitting is the most challenging part of sewing clothes I think, and I took a class to help – Sew the Perfect Fit. You can read about my fitting adventures here (https://so-sew-easy.com/sew-the-perfect-fit-review/) Good luck, and I hoe you’ll show us your new projects soon.
The twisted dress is very nice where can I buy the pattern thank you
Here is the direct link to the page for the Twist Dress Pattern – http://goo.gl/bxKlzK
I hope you’ll share your success in our sewing chat group when you are done 🙂
Hi Deby – I love everything you make and show – thanks. I recently thought about making a quilt backing using cotton voile – I had heard that if feels particularly luxurious to cuddle up in. I ordered a sample and I find it quite fine and it is silky to the touch but I am not sure if it is durable enough for a quilt backing. I usually use 100% quilters cotton fabric. I value your opinion and look forward to your response. Thank you for your time.
Thanks for saying such nice things Pauline. I can imagine it would feel really nice, but yes, probably not durable enough for a quilt backing, if that quilt was actually going to be well used, or washed often.
I want to find your bias directions…where can i find them?
There is a search bar on the site, just under the ‘Find what you want here’ section. If you put BIAS in there, up come several articles on bias and binding. Hope that helps.
Hi Deby
I really want to try your easy cosmetic bag but am confused as to how I can actually get access to the pattern download. Could you help? Can’t wait to get started 🙂
You should complete any two of the actions in the download box and then the big green download button appears. So for example, click on the Visit Facebook page. Wait for the page to load (like if you want to, that’s optional), then go back to the box and hit continue and the little ? changes to a check mark. When you complete any two and get two check marks, up comes the download button. Let me know if you get stuck.
Are you based in the UK. I am very new to Etsy so haven’t a clue what I am doing on line shopping, need an explanation! Lovely videos. Thank you so much. Barbara
I am in Grand Cayman in the Carribean, but Etsy is a worldwide online marketplace. When you are searching you can restrict your search to only sellers that are based in or will ship to your country, so that helps to cut down on seeing cool things you can’t have. You’ll find this setting on the bottom left somewhere.
Where can I fine all of my free patterns that I have saved?
That depends on where you saved them Frances. Did you download them to your computer and save them in a folder? Usually there will be one called My Downloads and things you download and save will be in there. If you got them on Craftsy, you also have a pattern library. Check on the menu on the left hand side of your home page, click on My Patterns and you’ll see everything in there ready for you to download when you are ready to sew. This article might help you find them – https://so-sew-easy.com/download-print-pdf-sewing-patterns/
I have a question. I need to know how to make a gusset. It will be in the back waist of some pants.
Sounds like a great question for the group Lora. Ask away at https://www.facebook.com/groups/soseweasychat/
Would you consider offering a class to make these little coin purses? I would take it!!
Because of work permit laws here, I’m not allowed to offer sewing classes, although I would really like to. Are you here in Cayman then Brenda?
question. when you made the toddler dry erase place mat did you transfer the coloring image to t shirt fabric …I am confused. thanks
No, not t-shirt fabric, this is stretchy. I transferred it to a plain white 100% cotton – like a quilting cotton.
Thank you!
Deby—i would like to know what your #1 selling pattern is and your most viewed youtube video??? I love them all…..
The number 1 selling pattern of all time is the Super Simple Wallet – just because it was one of the early ones. Each month, the new release outsells all other patterns, and as the site grows, sells more than the last one did. For the videos, the most watched is how to sew the Easy Cosmetics Bag, followed by how to add an invisible zipper I think.
How do I buy and download a pattern?
Sue, here is an article that might help you. https://so-sew-easy.com/download-print-pdf-sewing-patterns/
You add it to your cart and check out in the same way you would any online purchase. Then click on the download link in the browser or in your email recept and the file is downloaded to your computer – easy! Drop me a message if you get stuck, I’m happy to help.
I purchased the Ultimate Wallet sometime ago. Now I can’t find the step-by-step tutorial. Would you u give me the link? My name is Sylvia Stevenson email lady2k7@gmail.com. I’ve tried to cut all the pieces and now I need the tutorial.
The great thing about Craftsy, the pattens you buy stay in your pattern library there forever. So you simply go to My Patterns on Craftsy and you can download the pattern again any time you like. Perfect for when you lose it, buy a new computer etc. So you’ll find it there ready for you. Hope that helps.
Hi Deby, I’m new to your site and absolutely love your work. You are so talented. I’ve been trying to download a couple of your patterns and I am having trouble with the zipped files. I can download the file to PDFS but can’t unzip the file. Can you help? I’m using an iPad and when I download my option is an app “to PDF”. The file go there and that’s where it ends, I cant open it because it’s zipped. I know you have a tutorial on downloads, but ironically I can’t open it either. Any help will be appreciated.
You need an app for that! Hi Wanda, yes your iPad probably doesn’t have the app to unzip the pattern into the PDF files but that’s any easy fix. If you check out this article, it has links to where you can find unzipping apps. That should take care of it easily according to feedback from other iPad users. https://so-sew-easy.com/download-print-pdf-sewing-patterns/
Thanks for your kind comments about the site.
I can’t find the fusable tricot tape.Can you help me?
You can buy it in my Etsy store here Carolyn – http://tidd.ly/9ede5143
I am not from your country and I don’t understand what a fat quarter of material means. Could you please explain.
A fat quarter is a quarter yard of fabric. But instead of cutting it across the yardage to make 9 inches by 44, it is cut as a quarter of a full yard, and measures about 18 by 22. If you put 4 of them back together again, you would get a full yard.
Please could you help me with how to sew a hem on a skirt with a kick pleat? I have seen your tutorial on how to blind hem which was good but I’m still stuck, and frustrated, on how exactly to make the kick pleat look professional ie not a bulking looking folded up job! Any help you could give would be most appreciated.
Hi Sharon, Check out the Wear Everywhere Skirt. It has a center front pleat and a video tutorial too about how to sew the hem. Basically I found that unless you have a very light weigh fabric, that you’ll get the best result with a single fold hem because of the bulk.
Thank you so much. I love the video tutorial, what a great skirt which I will definitely make after I have finished this skirt with the kick pleat. It’s all done except for hemming. I think I’ve got my head around the blind sewing bit but the kick pleat bit is still not making sense. Oh well, I’ll give it my best shot!
Thanks again.
Hi,
Do you have a pattern for an easy ‘pop over’ tunic top?
I thought I had seen one here but I can’t find it. It included pictures on how to cut one out of stretch fabric?
Thanks
If you mean something loose and flowing, not that I can think of. You could have a look on the Free Patterns Page in case there is anything there you can use.
me too!!! 🙂
great minds think alike, so why do my scissors always seem to be in the wrong place even when I am using them
I think this is great !! Gong to join. 🙂