This skirt was inspired by Batille day (the French national holiday July 14th) & the French flag, thus the bleu, blanc, et rouge colors.
I sewed it following this layered skirt tutorial, using blue broadcloth, white seersucker, & red broadcloth. Simple in design & easy to follow tutorial, just a little tedious & time consuming.
Happy Bastille day !
PS This skirt will be donated to Skirting the Issue which has motivated me, by the way, to get some skirt sewing done. This French flag skirt has been on my mind for a few months, for example, so it was nice to finally make one... more skirts for Skirting the Issue coming up this next month...
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Sew in Tune

I have an exciting announcement today... I was asked to guest post for a new sewing series with a musical twist. It's called Sew in Tune & will consist of sewing projects for boys inspired by songs ~ should be fun !
Sew in Tune will be hosted by Melly Sews (from Project Run & Play season 4) & Boy, oh Boy, oh Boy! and will run July 23rd through August 17th.
I'll be sewing something for my recently turned 9 year old son. That will be set for Monday August 6th, over at Melly Sews :)
Happy Monday everyone !
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Le Tricolore Timbré
Celebrate Bastille day (the French national holiday July 14th) by making a France shaped French flag with a collage of French postage stamps.
Supplies needed:
:: a square of thick white paper (I used a 12 inch X 12 inch piece of white card stock)
:: pencil
:: image of France
:: ruler
:: French postage stamps in blue and red
:: glue
:: black marker
***
Fêtez la révolution en faisant le drapeau tricolore timbré.
Il faut:
:: un carré de papier blanc
:: crayon gris
:: image de France
:: règle
:: timbres bleus et rouges
:: colle
:: marqueur noir
First take the image of France & using it as a guide draw a France shape on your piece of paper using a pencil.
***
Tracez une carte de France (par exemple, en utilisant l'image ci-dessus) sur un papier avec le crayon.
Take a ruler, make 2 vertical lines to divide your France drawing into thirds.
***
Avec la règle, faite 2 lignes verticales, divisant la France en 3 parts à peu près égales.
Gather blue & red postage stamps. With glue, attach blue postage stamps to the first section, leave the second section white, & attach red postage stamps to the third section.
With a black marker, draw over the pencil lines on the France borders of the white section.
Happy Bastille Day !!!
***
Replissez les tiers de gauche et de droite avec les timbres bleus et rouges respectivement, les attachant avec la colle.
Tracez le contour de la section du milieu de la carte avec la marqueur noir.
Vive la révolution !!!
Supplies needed:
:: a square of thick white paper (I used a 12 inch X 12 inch piece of white card stock)
:: pencil
:: image of France
:: ruler
:: French postage stamps in blue and red
:: glue
:: black marker
***
Fêtez la révolution en faisant le drapeau tricolore timbré.
Il faut:
:: un carré de papier blanc
:: crayon gris
:: image de France
:: règle
:: timbres bleus et rouges
:: colle
:: marqueur noir
First take the image of France & using it as a guide draw a France shape on your piece of paper using a pencil.
***
Tracez une carte de France (par exemple, en utilisant l'image ci-dessus) sur un papier avec le crayon.
Take a ruler, make 2 vertical lines to divide your France drawing into thirds.
***
Avec la règle, faite 2 lignes verticales, divisant la France en 3 parts à peu près égales.
Gather blue & red postage stamps. With glue, attach blue postage stamps to the first section, leave the second section white, & attach red postage stamps to the third section.
With a black marker, draw over the pencil lines on the France borders of the white section.
Happy Bastille Day !!!
***
Replissez les tiers de gauche et de droite avec les timbres bleus et rouges respectivement, les attachant avec la colle.
Tracez le contour de la section du milieu de la carte avec la marqueur noir.
Vive la révolution !!!
Monday, June 4, 2012
For the Love series auction item
Are you familiar with Cherie from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar? She was the one who brought the blessing bags to my attention. She is hosting a series this summer called "For the Love." Every Monday during the summer there will be an item auctioned off & all the money will go to charity.
Today the auction item is my Purple Rose Party Dress that I sewed in size 4.
Be sure to visit her blog every Monday during the summer !
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day !
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Purple Rose Party Dress Tutorial
The Purple Rose Party Dress free pattern and tutorial is here !
:: Create French seams (with a total of a 1/2” seam allowance) for the bodice pieces. Sew together the front & back bodice pieces first at the shoulders, then at the sides. To make French seams place wrong sides together, sew 1/4” seam allowance, with scissors trim down to 1/8”, press with iron, then with right sides together sew 1/4” seam allowance.
:: With 1/2” seam allowance sew the back bodice pieces right sides together (where the zipper will go), most of this seam will be ripped out later to add the invisible zipper.
:: Sew bias tape onto the hem of circle skirt, then onto each of the 2 arm holes.
:: With a seam ripper, rip out 7-9 inches on the back of the bodice & following the manufactures instructions install the 7-9 inch invisible zipper or follow this online tutorial.
:: Fold each in half, right sides together, with 1/4” seam allowance sew down each of the long sides.
:: Clip the corners & with turning tools (I use a smoothie straw & chopstick), turn right side out, press with iron. Tuck in raw edges, press with iron, & topstitch.
:: The end where you topstitched, place that just behind one of the side seams of the bodice & with zigzag stitch sew it onto the dress so that when when the sash is brought forward the zigzag stitch will be covered by the sash. Repeat for the 2nd sash.
:: When done put it on the little girl & tie the sash into a bow in the front of the dress.
I really enjoy creating/designing/sewing little girl party dresses like the Jingle Bell Dress & the Bow Dress. The Purple Rose Party Dress is another fun one. This gorgeous eye catching fabric is in a vibrant purple color with lots of texture. It is a sleeveless drop waist dress with a circle skirt. The sash which is attached at the sides of the bodice ties in the front. Bias tape is used for the hem of the circle skirt as well as the trim on the 2 arm holes & neckline. It has a v-neck back with an invisible zipper and hook & eye closure. It is just as pretty in the inside with French seams on the bodice pieces & bias tape on the bodice/skirt seam.
I designed this to fit my 4 year old daughter who is tall and slender, the finished measurements are: chest 24", waist 24", shoulder to bottom hem 24".
Fabric & Notions Requirements
:: 1 yard rows of rosettes fabric (width 52”)
:: 5” matching satin fabric (width 54”)
:: 4+ yards matching/coordinating bias tape
:: 7-9” invisible zipper
:: 1 hook & eye closure
Pattern Pieces
Terms and conditions: when you agree to these terms, a non-transferable license to the pattern is granted to you to copy and print the pattern for your personal use and purposes. You may not redistribute the pattern. If you find it useful and would like to share with others, please direct them here so they can get their own copy. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me via email. I would be glad to consider broader usage allowances, but simply ask first.
By clicking on this link and downloading the Purple Rose Party Dress pattern pieces, you agree to the terms and conditions specified above. Yes, I agree.
Step-By-Step Instructions
:: Print out the pattern pieces. Be sure to add 6 inches to the bottom of the bodices pieces, so that the side seams measure a total of 9 inches. The rows of rosettes fabric is quite thick, therefore difficult to cut when folded, so I recommend printing 2 copies of the front bodice & taping it together. I also recommend using a straight edge & rotary cutter to cut out the parts of the patterns that have straight lines.
:: From the 1 yard of rows of rosettes fabric cut out the pattern pieces on the back of the fabric: 1 front bodice, 2 back bodice pieces & 1 circle skirt. For the circle skirt cut out a circle with 3.5” radius, then 10” away from that cut out another circle (I used a black permanent marker & ruler), in the end you will have a donut shape with a 27” diameter.
:: Create French seams (with a total of a 1/2” seam allowance) for the bodice pieces. Sew together the front & back bodice pieces first at the shoulders, then at the sides. To make French seams place wrong sides together, sew 1/4” seam allowance, with scissors trim down to 1/8”, press with iron, then with right sides together sew 1/4” seam allowance.
:: With 1/2” seam allowance sew the back bodice pieces right sides together (where the zipper will go), most of this seam will be ripped out later to add the invisible zipper.
:: Pin the circle skirt to the bottom of the bodice right sides together, with 1/2” seam allowance sew together.
:: Sew bias tape onto the circle skirt/bodice seam.:: Sew bias tape onto the hem of circle skirt, then onto each of the 2 arm holes.
:: With a seam ripper, rip out 7-9 inches on the back of the bodice & following the manufactures instructions install the 7-9 inch invisible zipper or follow this online tutorial.
:: To prevent fraying apply some liquid seam sealant to the back bodice seam.
:: Sew bias tape onto the neckline.
:: With hand sewing needle & thread, add the hook & eye closure above the invisible zipper.
:: Now for the sash: from the satin cut out 2 pieces that are 2.5” X 54”. :: Fold each in half, right sides together, with 1/4” seam allowance sew down each of the long sides.
:: Clip the corners & with turning tools (I use a smoothie straw & chopstick), turn right side out, press with iron. Tuck in raw edges, press with iron, & topstitch.
:: The end where you topstitched, place that just behind one of the side seams of the bodice & with zigzag stitch sew it onto the dress so that when when the sash is brought forward the zigzag stitch will be covered by the sash. Repeat for the 2nd sash.
:: When done put it on the little girl & tie the sash into a bow in the front of the dress.
If you have any questions please let me know. Also if you sew one, please leave a link to it in the comments section ~ I’d love to see it !
Monday, May 28, 2012
11 aprons
One of my sewing goals for 2012 was to do more sewing for charity.
So I was happy to discover that Craft Hope Project 17: Aprons for Haiti is currently going on. Haiti by Hand is accepting aprons until the end of July for women of Haiti. Nothing too frilly, ruffly or lacey, in fabrics that are very wash-friendly (quilting cottons are recommended).
After searching around for free apron patterns/tutorials, I ended sewing a very easy full apron following this idea.
Using quilting cotton fabrics from my stash & about $30+ in bias tape I cranked out 11 of these aprons in 48 hours ! I was able to get 2 aprons out of 1 yard of fabric & 3 packs of bias tape.
I think maybe I've become the bias tape queen ! Even though it was a lot of bias tape sewing, I really enjoyed sewing all these aprons.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Girl's Sewing Patterns Giveaway!
UPDATED TO ADD: out of 168 entries, the winner is: Our Busy Little Bunch thanks to everyone who entered.
*****
It's May Giveaway Day !
A big thank you to Sew, Mama, Sew! for hosting such a fabulous giveaway event !
The prize: 6 girl's sewing patterns
Including...
Oliver + S Music Box Jumper (2010)
Sizes: 6-12 M, 12-18 M, 18-24 M, 2T, 3T, + 4
Difficulty level: 1 out or 4 scissors
Mostly uncut, only one piece is cut out in size 3T, so whatever size you need to make you'd be able to make it.
I sewed my daughter a Music Box Jumper (in size 3T) using this pattern.
Oliver + S Swingset Tunic & Skirt (2007-2008)
Sizes: 0-3 M, 3-6 M, 6-12 M + 18-24 M
Difficulty level: 2 out of 4 scissors
Uncut
Butterick 3772 (2003)
Sizes: 4, 5, 6
Difficulty level: very easy
Uncut
McCall's 3949 (2003)
Sizes: 3, 4, 5, 6
Uncut
Butterick 4176 (2004)
Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Difficulty level: very easy
Uncut
McCall's 5918 (2009)
Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Uncut
Enter to win:
:: please leave an answer to the following question: What is your favorite thing about summer? (favorite thing to do, place to go, to eat, to drink, etc.) My favorite thing about summer is the sunshine :)
:: one entry per person
:: open until Friday May 25 at 5 p.m. PST
:: I will choose a winner and email the winner by May 27, then I will note the winner in this post
:: I will ship internationally
:: the 6 girl's sewing patterns will be shipped by June 1
*****
It's May Giveaway Day !
A big thank you to Sew, Mama, Sew! for hosting such a fabulous giveaway event !
The prize: 6 girl's sewing patterns
Including...
Oliver + S Music Box Jumper (2010)
Sizes: 6-12 M, 12-18 M, 18-24 M, 2T, 3T, + 4
Difficulty level: 1 out or 4 scissors
Mostly uncut, only one piece is cut out in size 3T, so whatever size you need to make you'd be able to make it.
I sewed my daughter a Music Box Jumper (in size 3T) using this pattern.
Oliver + S Swingset Tunic & Skirt (2007-2008)
Sizes: 0-3 M, 3-6 M, 6-12 M + 18-24 M
Difficulty level: 2 out of 4 scissors
Uncut
Butterick 3772 (2003)
Sizes: 4, 5, 6
Difficulty level: very easy
Uncut
McCall's 3949 (2003)
Sizes: 3, 4, 5, 6
Uncut
Butterick 4176 (2004)
Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Difficulty level: very easy
Uncut
McCall's 5918 (2009)
Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5
Uncut
Enter to win:
:: please leave an answer to the following question: What is your favorite thing about summer? (favorite thing to do, place to go, to eat, to drink, etc.) My favorite thing about summer is the sunshine :)
:: one entry per person
:: open until Friday May 25 at 5 p.m. PST
:: I will choose a winner and email the winner by May 27, then I will note the winner in this post
:: I will ship internationally
:: the 6 girl's sewing patterns will be shipped by June 1
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