It’s time to share some love at Make It Perfect today – I’ve got a FREEBIE pattern for you 🙂
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30-MINUTE SKIRT
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This skirt is my absolute favourite at the moment…stretchy, comfortable, versatile and it only takes 30 MINUTES to make – that’s from the time you cut the fabric ’till you’ve sewn up the hem. Brilliant!
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If you’re not too confident sewing with knits, let this be the pattern you start on! With just two pieces to cut, two seams to join and a length of elastic to sew around the top – there’s nothing daunting about this project.
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And to make things even easier for you, I’ve written the pattern in loads of detail with step-by-step photographs and lots of information about sewing with knits. It’s available over at my website as a free PDF download.
I hope you have lots of fun sewing 30-Minute Skirts! Please pop by and share your creations in my Flickr group or send me an email – I love to see your work 🙂
I was cleaning out boxes of clothes the kids have grown out of over the weekend and came across this cute little top that Lil used to wear. With Easter just around the corner, I thought I’d make another for her – and while I was at it, have put together a copy of the pattern for you to download and use yourselves! Â
You could use it as a quick and easy Easter gift or maybe even applique it onto a little apron or Easter bag. Or if you don’t get around to using it for Easter, it’s wearable all year ’round!
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I appliqued the fabric pieces using vliseofix and a narrow zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine. The mouth and eyes were backstitched by hand using 6 strands of embroidery thread.Â
Enjoy! And be sure to share your creations with me in my Flickr group.
Luvinthemommyhood has done it again! Shannon is the star of finding the best of the best and this year she is running another Versus challenge…Comfy Sews Vs. Cosy Knits! I’m thrilled to be sharing a tutorial as part of the challenge – if you are visiting from Luvinthemommyhood for the first time, then welcome! Hope you enjoy the tutorial 🙂 P.S. Head over to Luvinthemommyhood to enter a giveaway for 3 Make It Perfect patterns and grab a CitruspOp discount code!
Hi guys! I’m in the Versus ring today – I don’t think I need to tell you that I’m fighting for the sewers! I do love a quick sewing project – especially something that I can start AND finish when the kids have gone to bed all ready to wear the next morning. Â
As much as I do love sewing though, IÂ have to admit that I am fond of a bit of knitting and crochet (I said fondof, not good at!) at the moment I am working on a super cute crocheted bag but it won’t be finished any time soon!
If you are looking for a sewing project that you can finish quickly though – like in half an hour – then keep reading for my Lace Belt Tutorial…Â
I have a great love for doilies, lace, vintage linens and when I was thinking of a quick and easy tutorial for Versus, I knew that I needed to work with this love…
We are heading into winter here in Australia – which means the jeans have started to make an appearance again. I wear a lot of plain tops with jeans and sometimes feel like I need something extra to “pretty it up” a bit – enter the Lace Belt! Perfect for adding a pretty detail to a basic outfit. The Lace belt is also reversible with a strip of patterned fabric decorating the reverse side! You can adjust the length to suit your size – or make it a bit shorter if you like wearing your belt higher. The width can easily be adjusted too depending on the width of your lace trim.
To make a 1 1/2″ wide x 42″ long Lace Belt you will need: One 3″ x 44″ strip of plain fabric One 2″ x 44″ strip of patterned fabric One 1 1/2″ x 44″ strip of mid-weight interfacing (I used Shapewell) One 44″ length of 1 1/2″ wide lace trim Two 1 1/2″ wide D-rings (Note: if you want your belt longer or shorter, cut your strips of fabric longer or shorter – you might have to join fabric if your strip is not long enough.)
Step 1. Take your strip of plain fabric and fold it in half with wrong sides facing. Lightly press crease down the middle of the strip.
Step 2. Open out fold and use the crease down the center of the strip as a guide to fold both long raw edges of the fabric in toward the center fold. Press.
Step 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 using patterned strip of fabric. (In the photo below I used a bias binding maker for this strip of fabric…you will need size 22mm bias binding maker for the 2″ wide strip.)
Step 4. Take the plain strip and open folded edges. Place the strip of interfacing onto the wrong side of the center of the strip.
Step 5. Re-fold plain strip so that interfacing is enclosed.
Step 6. With the wrong sides of the plain and patterned strips facing, pin the patterned strip to the plain strip. Make sure that the patterned strip is even and centered over the plain strip.
Step 7. Sew strips together by stitching about 1/8″ from the edge of one side of the patterned strip.
Step 8. Sew 1/8″ from the edge the opposite side of the patterned strip.
Step 9. Turn belt over so that plain fabric is facing up. Lay the lace trim on top of the belt and pin into place.
Step 10. Sew lace trim to the belt by stitching close to each long edge of the trim.
Step 11. Slip D-rings onto one end of the belt so that flat edges of the D-rings are sitting on the patterned side of the belt.
Step 12. Fold raw edge of the belt under 1/4″ and then fold over D-rings about 1/2″. Pin into place.
Step 13. Sew across the folded edge of the belt as close to the D-rings as you can get. You might find it easier to use a zipper foot on your sewing machine to get the stitching close to the D-Rings.
Step 14. Hem the other end of your belt by folding raw edge under 1/4″. The fold under another 1/2″ and sew down.
And you are done! A super quick and easy sewing project – try and stop at just one!
I’m revisiting the Lego Sack today and sharing the promised tutorial so that you can make one yourself! This really has been a great little bag and very helpful in playing with and packing Lego away. Read more about the first Lego Sack here.
Before I go on, I need to stress that this ingenious sack is NOT my original idea. Mothers and Grandmothers have been making these for their kids to store Lego in for years. My guess is that it originated with someone using an old sheet to keep Lego mess to a minimum, and the drawstring sack idea evolved from there. This pattern, however, is of my own workings out 🙂
LEGO SACK TUTORIAL
To make a Lego Sack, you will need:
One large piece of fabric for the exterior (at least 1 metre/1 yard square)
One large piece of fabric for the lining (same size as the exterior)
Two 1 1/2″ x 70″ strips of contrasting fabric for drawstring (or you could use rope)
Measuring tape, pencil, scissors, safety pin, sewing machine, etc.
Step 1.
Take exterior fabric and cut into a perfect square. Obviously, the bigger the square, the bigger your sack is going to be. My original Lego Sack started with a square 1m x 1m and for the amount of lego we have, it is a tad small. I made this next one 130cm x 130cm (a present for a friend) and it is a much better size.
Fold your square into quarters.
Using your measuring tape, measure from the center fold to the edge of the fabric. Mark this point with a pencil. (In my case, the point that I marked was at 29″.) Continue moving the measuring tape in an arc around the fabric until you reach the other side. Make sure that you keep the end of your measuring tape at the center fold. Draw a curved line by following the same distance (29″ for my sack) around the fabric.
Cut through all four layers of fabric along marked line. When you unfold the piece of fabric you will have a perfect circle!!
Place the circle cut from exterior fabric directly on top of the lining fabric. Use as a guide to cut a circle exactly the same size from lining fabric.
Step 2.
Fold lining piece in half and mark a crease with your fingers on either side of the fold. Unfold and measure 2″ from the outside edge of the circle at one crease mark. Draw a line with an erasable fabric marking pen. This will be where you sew a buttonhole. Measure 2″ from the opposite side of the circle at the other crease mark and draw another line for a second buttonhole.
Sew a buttonhole (about 1″ long) directly on top of one of the buttonhole marks. Repeat on opposite side.
Carefully cut buttonhole open using a seam ripper.
Step 3.
With right sides together, place lining on top of exterior. Pin into place around the entire edge of the circles.
Sew around pinned edge using a 1/2″ seam. Leave a 3″ gap for turning.
To make the curved edges of your sack sit nicely, clip into the seam allowance around the entire edge of the circle. Clips should be 1/2″ – 1″ apart. Be careful not to cut your seam!
Turn right side out through the 3″ opening. Smooth out edges and press.
Topstitch around the entire circle, about 1/8″ from the edge, stitching the opening closed.
Make casing for drawstring by stitching 2″ in from the edge of the fabric,making sure that the two buttonholes sit in between both rows of stitching.
Step 4.
Take strips cut from contrasting fabric for drawstring and make a center fold by folding in half, length ways, so that wrong sides of fabric are touching. Open out and fold both long raw edges of fabric in towards the center fold.
A much, much easier way to do this is to invest in a bias binding maker…they are GREAT! Very affordable (I think about $15 each?) and make light work of making binding. The one I used for this project is an 18mm made by Clover. The pink one – 18mm is used for the 1 1/2″ wide strip of fabric and is the size I use most often when making clothing. (Nicole Mallalieu has a great tutorial showing how to use these cool gadgets on her blog).
Take one drawstring strip and fold in half, length wise once again so that raw edges of the strip are enclosed. Sew down opened edge of the strip, close to the edge to secure. Repeat with second strip.
Attach a safety pin to one end of one drawstring and thread through the casing by inserting it into one of the buttonholes and threading it around half of the circle until it reaches the second buttonhole.
Take second drawstring and insert through the opposite side of the casing. There should be two ends of drawstring protruding from each buttonhole.
Tie the two ends of drawstring together in a knot. Repeat for other ends of drawstring.
Fill up with Lego…
Pull the drawstrings…
Tie into a bow and hang up!
I’m sure you can think of 101 other things to store in your Lego Sack…hopefully this tutorial will be useful for someone out there and help control your Lego mess!!
