New Patterns for Sale!

Just thought I would let everyone know that the new patterns are now available at our website! Go purchase yours today!! The product pages for the new designs and many of the others now include a dowloadable supply list.

New Fall Collection: Meet Juliet Nouveau!

Juliet Nouveau is the last design in the new fall collection. This one may look familiar to some of you as it is the new version of the Juliet Tunic pattern that I introduced to the line in 2008. I have printed that pattern many times as it has been a popular one for the company. When it came time to make a decision about whether to print it again, I decided that there were a few things I wanted to do to the pattern pieces so I opted not to print the original pattern again and present a refined fit with some new design options.

Kaffe Fassett fabric for Westminster, trimmed with Riley Blake fabrics

Cross-tie belt featured

Juliet Nouveau has the same great lines as Juliet, but I added a bit of length and a little more fullness in the bust, refined the fit of the bodice by adding darts to the back, and made the skirt just the tiniest bit fuller at the lower edge. I am offering new ways to piece the skirt and added a maxi length to the mix. I kept the hip length cutting line for those of you who would like to make this design as a top, but we didn't show any of this length in the photos. I just wanted you to have that option if you want it!

Jennifer Paganelli Crazy Love Fabric for Free Spirit

 



The back darts that were added to the bodice and skirt are really a way to pull the design in a bit and give it a little more definition. If you would rather have a looser fit, you can always leave the darts out. You would just ignore them by not marking or stitching them in place. The rest of the construction remains the same. This design features a center back zipper.

Art Gallery Fabrics with wide ruffle variation and tie belt

 



On the variations, I feature the above knee, below knee, and maxi lengths. This design would look great with leggings and some cute boots for the fall season. This pattern pairs up well with a jacket or cropped cardigan because the skirt does not have too much fullness to it. I have worn it with both long and short jackets, so it is a great versatile garment to have in your wardrobe.

Lily Ashbury Trade Winds fabric for Moda, trimmed with Michael Miller print, maxi length

 



I have provided instructions for how to make the belt that crosses in front and ties in the back, adding a ruffle or hemband to the lower edge, making the skirt tiered, and you also have options on adding a contrasting trim between seams as you like.

 

Three Sisters Martinique fabric for Moda, pre-pieced fabric by the yard featured for skirt, tie belt

Juliet Nouveau looks great made up in cotton, heavy silk, rayon, lightweight wool, or linen. I am sure there are other fabrics that would work equally well, but those are some of my suggestions to get the ball rolling. I am really pleased with the myriad of looks that this pattern provides. I hope you are too!

 

Michael Miller fabrics, wide hemband with contrast featured

We plan on listing ALL of the new fall patterns over the weekend and we'll post here as well as on our Facebook fan page when they are up for sale.

Happy Sewing!

New Fall Collection: Meet Lola!

The Lola Gypsy bag is the third design of the new fall collection. I was inspired to make this bag after seeing a woman in a restaurant with a very similar bag. I was so taken with the billowy nature of the ruffles and just the overall carefree look that I had to try designing one myself!

 

Valori Wells fabrics for Free Spirit, Cocoon (cotton voiles), mixed with quilting cottons

and Vicki Payne home dec fabric on ends and handles.

 



I chose to make the ruffles from cotton voile and cotton lawn, but they would also be lovely from an iridescent silk. This bag has loop handles upon which the bag is gathered onto during construction. The interior boasts a large zippered pocket on one side with two sizes of patch pockets on the other and a magnetic snap. Since the bag is large on the inside, these additional storage compartments will help keep you organized.

 

Innocent Crush cotton voile by Anna Maria Horner and Curious Nature by Parson Grey

 

 



Liberty of London cotton lawn ruffles and scarf with

Robert Kaufmann printed linen for main bag exterior

 



Since I know that ruffles are not everyone's cup of tea, I have offered two other variations for this bag. One is a solid piece side where you can choose to really showcase the motif of a fabric. I like to make this one from heavier weight fabric, such as home dec.

 

Amy Butler home dec fabric with cotton voile scarf from Amy's cameo line

The other variation offered is a patchwork made from 5" squares. It takes 31 squares to make the exterior of the bag. This is great for using up scraps or leftover charm squares from your stash.

Charm squares from Little Black Dress by BasicGrey for Moda fabrics

 



For this design, I decided to use a stabilizer called Roc-Lon Multipurpose cloth. This is also known as "black-out". You can find it online by the yard or you may find it in the home decorating section of fabric stores. Here is a link I found where you can purchase it at Fabric Depot. I personally used the 36" width, but you can choose to purchase a different width. This will affect the amount of yardage (you would need less of a wider width). The reason I chose this stabilizer is because of its supple nature. It feels a lot like canvas, but because it does have some synthetic components, it is resistant to wrinkling and holds its shape quite well. Plus, it is a breeze to stitch through! It is well worth seeking this product out!

The pattern includes full size pattern pieces and complete instructions for all of the variations, including the scarf.

This pattern will be available in a few days....the stock just came and we have to get the patterns listed online first, then you can purchase it!

Happy Sewing!!

New Fall Collection: Meet Madison!

The Madison wallet bag is the next new design in the fall collection that I would like to share with you today. While I was on the dreaded crutches with the Great Toe Incident, I needed a cute bag that held all of the essentials without the hassle of trying to carry it around. Designing the bag was just the distraction I needed while I was healing! I love this bag so much that I am still using it, even though my toe is healed! It is perfect for quick errands and has a place for everything, including a zippered outside pocket for your phone.

The front of the bag has a wallet flap to hold your ID and credit/debit cards so that they are at a fingertip's reach. This flap is held secure with a magnetic snap so you don't have to worry about it coming loose if you need something from the inside of the bag. The interior is roomy for a small bag, with a zippered pocket on the inside to keep other items organized.

 

Michael Miller fabric, houndstooth. Other fabrics are Millie's Closet from Riley Blake.

 

Moda Fabrics, Simply Color

I know that some of you cringe when you think about installing a zipper. I PROMISE...these zippers are a cinch to install and you will love the professional finish once they are part of the bag. Give it a try!

I designed the handle to be adjustable with a double loop slider, one of my favorite pieces of hardware. This enables you to lengthen or shorten the handle at will so that the bag can be comfortably be worn cross-body or over the shoulder.

I know that many of you are always looking for good bag hardware, so I am including two of my favorites here. www.buckleguy.com is my number one favorite. I visit this site first when looking for my hardware. If for some reason you can't find what you are looking for, take a look at www.strapworks.com. They have some great stuff also.

The overall dimensions of the bag are 8" wide x 6" tall x 2" deep. I have offered several variations to mix up the look. You can choose several coordinating fabrics or just a few of your favorites. I have included a variation to use leftover 2 1/2" wide strips that you might have lying around for the main exterior flap and body of the bag with a few matching coordinates. You can even opt to add a collage style applique to the exterior of the bag. This was influenced by the decorating I did to my cast. You just never know where inspiration will come from!

 

Michael Miller Fabric, tiny houndstooth.

 I added motifs from other scraps I had to make the collage style applique.

This little bag is easy to stitch together. I used a new Pellon product for the stabilizer in this bag and am super pleased with the result. It is Pellon 520 Deco-Fuse. It is fusible on one side and is about as thick as construction paper. Don't let its thin nature fool you. This stabilizer has a nice firmness to it. Other benefits are that it is easy to sew through multiple layers and it does NOT crinkle when you are turning pieces right side out! I highly recommend this stabilizer. I think you will love it once you give it a try!

I know that some of you will notice the adorable zipper pull I have added to the exterior zipper of the bag. These are made by Inazuma. You can purchase some at http://store.atelierdehappa.com/zipper-pull.html. There are also sellers on Etsy who are selling them. Just put Inazuma zipper pull in your search and you will find them.

 

The two bags in the foreground are Moda fabrics. The one on the left is Noteworthy by Sweetwater (not yet released) and Mama Said Sew, also by Sweetwater.

 

This pattern will be available mid-October for purchase.

 

Until next week my friends, Happy Sewing!

New Fall Collection: Meet Zoe!

I'd like to introduce the first design of the fall collection today, the Zoe Dress! I have to admit that I am a big fan of Zooey Deschanel's style. She has such a great way of combining a vintage look with a fresh twist. This dress is the result of her influence!

 

Riley Black tonal chevron fabric

(notice that I changed the direction of the chevron as a contrast of sorts)

The dress has a fitted bodice featuring a rounded neckline with darts at the sides and below the bust. The sleeves have one box pleat at the sleeve cap so that the sleeves can be a bit roomier and more comfortable to wear. I designed the sleeve to rest below the elbow with a contrasting cuff. These can be easily lengthened or shortened depending on your personal preference.

 

Michael Miller fabrics

The waistband has a high curve along the center front and is rather wide. The lower edge of the waistband falls right at the natural waistline. It is roomy enough to be comfortable, yet still has shape to define the waistline. I think this part of the design makes it look especially vintage and I love that!

 

Anna Maria Horner fabrics (her new line, Field Study)



The skirt is one of my favorite parts of this dress. It features deep box pleats and is so full and fun to wear! Pleats are lovely in so many ways. They are easy to make, adding fullness to a skirt without the bulk of gathering, and the skirt just hangs so nicely! I chose to bring in the contrast once more here to match the sleeve cuffs. You'll also notice that some of the variations have an added contrast trim at the waist, cuffs, and hemband, just to bring in another color.

 

Dress made from Matka Silk and trimmed with dupioni silk on the bias

(Matka purchased from www.bblackandsons.com)

The dress zips up the center back. I would recommend making the bodice and waistband from muslin or just some fabric you have lying around to perfect the fit for your individual needs, then make your dream dress! I think that just about anyone could make this dress, from advanced beginner on up. The pieces sew together so quickly that you will be surprised how fast your dress will be made and ready to wear.

 

Moda fabrics (Little Black Dress by BasicGrey)

This dress features a contrasting ruffle trim at the sleeves, waist, and hem)

This one is perfect for those crisp fall days, even the cool winter days too with a pair of great boots. It would even be perfect for a nice spring day as well. Oh, there are so many fabrics it would look great with too! I used cotton and matka silk for these samples, but it would be equally lovely in linen, a lightweight wool, or rayon. If you need sources for fabrics, take a look at my Wonderful Websites on the right hand side and see where I shop!

This pattern will be available for sale as soon as our stock arrives, which should be mid-October....not long from now!

Happy Sewing!