FaveCrafts

1000s of free craft projects, home decor ideas and DIY tips

National Sewing Month: Beginner Projects for Sewing Machine Novices

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It’s National Sewing Month! To celebrate, AllFreeSewing.com is hosting a special blog series throughout the entire month. Check back daily for posts featuring our favorite projects, new sewing videos and tutorials, guest blogs from talented designers and more. We’re also giving away a HUGE sewing prize at the end of the month. You won’t believe how EASY it is to WIN!

Leave a comment on any of the blog posts with the headline “National Sewing Month”. Your comment will count as an entry into the giveaway. You are free to comment as often as once per blog post (for a total of 30 chances to win!). At the end of the month, we’ll pool all of the comments together and pick one lucky winner to win the mystery grand prize. And trust us; you want to win this one!

Whether you’re already a sewing enthusiast or new to the craft, our hope is that this September will encourage you to create wonderful sewn projects.

Happy National Sewing Month!

 

Here’s today’s post:

I just recently received a vintage 60s Singer as a birthday present and you cannot imagine how excited I was to start making all of the projects I had dreamed up over the years. However, I think my head and my heart got a little ahead of my actual abilities. Sewing on a sewing machine is a whole different world. Even though I have been hand sewing little things here and there for years, I could not sit down and start sewing without any preparation (surprise, surprise right?). After making a few blunders, I finally figured out I was going to have to read the instruction manual.

Once I figured out how to thread my bobbins and change the stitch type I was ready to go! Although, I started to get nervous that I didn’t have enough experience to start sewing some of my more complicated projects, so I decided to find some beginner and easy projects on AllFreeSewing to flex my sewing machine muscles.

Well, let me tell you, there is no shortage of beginner sewing projects and tutorials. I found so many cute projects to make that I had never even thought of before. The first thing I jumped on was making an apron. I’ve been meaning to buy one for weeks, why it never occurred to me to sew one myself I will never be able to tell you! Anyway, I saw this pattern for the Retro Apron and knew I had to make it right away. It was just what I had been looking for: something girly, cute, and that would make me feel like a 50s housewife. So I ran to my sewing machine to get started.

Retro Apron

What’s next you ask? Pillows of course! There is no reason to have a sewing machine if you’re not going to use it to help decorate your living space. I found this 5 Minute Pillows tutorial that was the perfect project for practicing basic stitching and making an enclosed piece. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it really does only take 5 minutes. It’s the perfect project if you are looking to freshen up a bunch of pillows at once.

5 Minute Pillows

Finally, I wanted to make something cute and quick for myself. I found the perfect thing in this 20 Minute Skirt Tutorial. I just love then wide elastic waist band and the floral print. I used a different floral print, but I love how it came out. And it really took no time at all to finish.

20 Minute Skirt Tutorial

 

Besides all of the amazing projects I found, there are some great tutorials on AllFreeSewing. I can’t wait to start expanding my techniques with pleats, fray free ribbons, and how to sew an invisible zipper. In fact, I’m going to get sewing right now so that I can finish my to-do stack!

 

What was your first sewing machine project?

 

91 Days Until Halloween: Time for Costume Ideas!

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Today I flipped my calendar page and suddenly it hit me:  It’s August.  The year is more than half over, kids are heading back to school in a matter of days, the days are getting shorter not longer… and the most important sign that Summer’s almost over?  Seeing those “Christmas in July” mailings show up in my inbox.  You know it’s almost Fall once Christmas is on the radar again!

Personally, I’m much more excited about Halloween than Christmas.  And lucky for me, it’s coming up fast!  My absolute favorite part of Halloween is seeing all of the creative costumes people come up with.  Last year some of my favorites were, in no particular order:  A giant Tiffany’s box, Lady Gaga, the Energizer Bunny, Flo from the Progressive commercials and Hawaiian Punch (okay, that was my costume, but I loved it!).

While I love going to Halloween parties and seeing all of my friends’ clever costumes, it’s even more fun sitting on my porch on Halloween eve watching all of the little trick or treaters parade down the sidewalk in their adorable outfits. There’s nothing cuter than a little kid in an animal costume or dressed up as their favorite cartoon character.

And have you ever seen anything quite as adorable as this baby dressed as a sushi roll?!!

With so many costumes out there, sometimes it’s hard to narrow the choices down.  That’s why we’ve gathered 15 of the best Halloween costumes from all over the Web and put them all in one place for your browsing pleasure.

Make sure to check out the collection here:

15 Amazing Halloween Costume Ideas to Make at Home

We’ve included some of the traditional standbys, like princesses and superheroes:

As well as character costumes from hit movies, like this Toy Story costume and this Flintstones costume.

There are also options for kids who want to dress as their favorite creature, including a colorful peacock costume and a creepy crawly spider, complete with wiggly legs!

I don’t want to spoil all the costume fun, so make sure you head on over to the costume collection page and see what else is there!

Now that Summer is winding down, why not go full-steam ahead towards Fall and get an early start on your kids’ Halloween costumes?  You can thank us later when everyone else is scrambling to think of ideas and your costumes are already sewn and ready to go!

Now tell us:  What’s the best homemade Halloween costume you’ve ever seen?

New Videos on the AllFreeSewing YouTube Channel!

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If you’re not a frequent visitor to AllFreeSewing YouTube channel, you’re missing out on some great video tutorials. We work with a few wonderful designers that are not only able to create beautiful sewing projects, but also have the recording know-how to film it all for you! Videos are added to the channel every week so you’ll always have new tutorials to follow along with.

Just as a sampler, here are two new videos added this week. Find other great videos like these under our Video Tutorials category on AllFreeSewing.com.

How to Make a Baby’s Bib

Keep the food on the table and in the baby’s mouth, not all over them or their clothes! Watch this helpful video tutorial and learn how to make a baby’s bib. This baby bib sewing pattern includes a pocket to catch any food from falling on the floor. If you’ve been searching for baby bib patterns, here’s one that’s definitely worth a try.

How to Make a Baby Sun Hat

Protect your baby in the summer heat by learning how to make a baby sun hat. This video tutorial will lead you through all of the steps you need to take to make a baby sun that is both adorable and reversible! Free sewing hat patterns this cute are hard to come by so give this one a chance.

What did you think of these videos? Will you be following along with either of these tutorials?

Hard to Find Sewing Patterns: Things to Make for Boys, Organizers and More

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When it comes to adding projects to AllFreeSewing.com, I love adding things that catch my attention. More importantly though, I want to add things you are looking for as well! Recently I asked readers on Facebook what kinds of projects they have a hard time finding.

Off I went in search of things like patterns for boys, make-up organizers, doll clothing and more. I’ll be featuring several of my finds in this Monday’s issue of Sewing It Up – if you’re not subscribed, make sure you sign up so you won’t miss out on any more great sewing ideas!

For a sneak peek, I thought I’d share some of the things I came across. You can find all of these projects on AllFreeSewing.com.


Slim Slacks for Boys: Dress the little guy in these slim slacks for boys. It’s a simple refashion project that proves sewing patterns for men and boys can be fun!


Men’s Fleece Hoodie: Make one for your man in his favorite color and he’ll love you forever (or at least he’ll love the hoodie forever).


Purse Organizer: Stop digging through your purse to find what you’re looking for. Instead, put your sewing skills to good use and make this Purse Organizer.


American Girl Doll Clothes: If you know someone that owns one of these dolls, gift them with some American Girl Doll Clothes. They’ll love dressing them up in this cute, warm outfit.

Do you find it difficult to find projects like these too? What kinds of patterns are most challenging for you to find?

How to: Sew for Charity

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After you’ve made your 15th burp cloth or your 25th afghan or your 50th scarf, you might realize that you’ve run out of people to make things for. Every friend, family member, co-worker, and acquaintance has been gifted with something you’ve made, and your entire house is covered with sewing projects, from curtains and pillows to the clothes in your closet. But you still want to keep sewing. So what’s a budding sewer to do?

Sew for charities! There are charities for every affliction that will happily take your donations of money, time, and gently-used items. But what a lot of people don’t think of is crafts! Here’s a list of some charities that you can sew for, so put your talents and your passion for sewing toward a good cause:

Project Linus: Sew a blanket to give to a sick child in the hospital. Many children rely on security blankets to get through difficult times, and a handmade blanket donated by  a caring stranger can do wonders for a child in need. All types of blankets are accepted–crochet, knit, sewn, quilted, or even tied fleece. If it’s handmade, it’s good! Here are the blanket patterns on FaveCrafts, and also check out baby blankets on AllFreeSewing.

Craft Hope: This organization has developed a list of craft patterns or project tutorials for anyone to use, accompanied by a list of charities that are in need of these handmade items. For instance, they’ve got a pillowcase pattern with instructions on donating to ConKerr Cancer, a charity that distributes pillowcases to sick children. Be sure to check out their book for the projects. This pillowcase tutorial is perfect for donating.

Blankets of Hope: You can also send your homemade blankets to wounded soldiers and veterans. Soldiers are taken into hospitals quickly after being wounded, often not having enough time to take their personal belongings with them. Having a homemade blanket to themselves is immensely comforting. Show our soldiers and veterans that you care!

Dress a Girl Around the World: Imagine a world where every little girl owned at least one dress. That’s the motto of this organization, which makes and distributes pillowcase dresses to girls all over the world, from Uganda to Hong Kong to Australia. Use one of the patterns on their site for a quick and easy charity sewing project.

Here are some more sewing patterns to use when sewing for charity:

Chemo Caps
Receiving Blankets
Walker Bag
Pet Bed

Have you ever sewn for charity? Which charities have I missed?

How To: Sew a Skirt

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One of my favorite articles of clothing is a casual skirt. Whether it’s a chilly outside or sunny, a skirt can be worn in layers (with leggings) or with a fun pair of sandals. As a culture, we’re so quick to grab an item off the sale rack for a night out, or blow our paycheck on an expensive new outfit. We often overlook how a little time and planning can go a long way in terms of our wardrobe – and save money too!

Kelly, a guest contributor and seamstress/mother of 3, shared an awesome basic pattern for a little girls’ tiered skirt on FaveCrafts. In the spirit of adapting these practical patterns for multiple purposes, I’ve taken her tutorial and made it my own. Below, I’ve listed her instructions with modifications for an adult tiered skirt.

Materials:

  • Fabric: Yardage varies: 2-3 yards, depending on how long.
  • Scissors
  • Elastic
  • Serger
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread
  • Cutting mat
  • Ruler
  • Rotary cutter

Steps:

  1. Choose 2-4 different kinds of coordinating fabric.
  2. Cut them in strips from selvage to selvage of various widths, anywhere from 9-12 strips about 4” wide.
  3. Take 2 or 3 of the strips (depending on how large the skirt needs to be) and lay them good side to good side and pin them down the middle. Surge them together and repeat this process with the other strips until they are all sewn to each other.
  4. Between steps, iron fabric strips as you sew them together.
  5. Take the selvage ends good to good and sew them together. By now it is starting to resemble a skirt.
  6. Trim both ends with a rotary cutter to be sure they are even.
  7. After deciding which fabric you want to be the top of the skirt, fold over and iron about 1” twice so no raw edges are showing and do the same with the bottom.
  8. Sew (with a traditional machine, do not surge) around the top leaving an opening for the elastic, and do the same to the bottom with no opening.
  9. Choose the width of your elastic, I like to use ½”, the length will be determined by the size of skirt you want to make, for instance for size 3-4 I use 18” and then increase a ½” for each size above that, now put it through the top and sew the ends of the elastic together and close the opening in the waist band.
  10. Turn right side out and your skirt is done!

A basic skirt is a necessity for any woman’s closet. And what an easy way to bring in your own creative expression through unique and interesting fabric choices.

4 Brand New, Easy Sewing Patterns + Weaving Without a Loom

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I am so pleased to tell you about these brand-new projects just posted at our website from Jenya of MyEvaForeva. Jenya has two Etsy shops at forEvaMore and EvaForeva, and was kind enough to share 5 projects with FaveCrafts.com, 4 sewing projects and 1 weaving tutorial that shows you how to weave without special equipment. These are such creative and helpful tutorials with tons of step-by-step photos.

Heating Pillow with Buckwheat– This heating pillow calls for buckwheat, which is hypoallergenic and holds heat (or cold) better than any grain.

Sweet Collar– Sew up a sweet little collar with embellishments to finish any outfit.

Easy Applique Flowers– Even without a sewing machine, you can add fun applique flowers to garments with scrap frabic.

Eco-Friendly Felt and Leather Bag– This bag is made from sustainable and biodegradable industrial felt and recycled leather. This is one sturdy, reusable bag for shopping.

 

How to Weave without Special Equipiment– Instead of purchasing a loom, use an old wood frame and nails to weave a piece. Jenya turns her piece into a handy little pouch.

 

Thanks so much Jenya!

New Sewing Ideas for Spring

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The talented Ashley Johnston of Make it and Love it has shared three sewing projects with us over at FaveCrafts. These are great, easy-to-follow tutorials and make great gifts. The Quick and Easy Half Apron or Embellished Tea Towel would make a great Mother’s Day gift. The Felt Flower Pin Cushion is a great way to use up scrap fabric and clever use for those mini candle holders. Check these projects out!

Embellish a Tea Towel

Quick and Easy Half Apron


Felt Flower Pin Cushion

Crochet

Jewelry

Knitting

Paper

Sewing

Thrifty