Look what I found!

Being the complete narcissist that I am, I plugged in Sew What's New into YouTube to see if our videos came up. They didn't but thanks to YouTube user ShawnQuinlan we are introduced to the amazing George W. Trippon and his show Sew What's New! If you sew or want to learn to sew than you just have to watch these!

Check this out and learn how to make a neck tie at the same time..







Really neat huh? I am totally buying his books on Amazon. So since we learned how to make a tie, check out some of our amazing vintage tie silks! They come in a variety of patterns and we have a lot of different kinds. For now though, I am going to watch more videos!

Easy Peasy Placemats and Table Runner - 1 Yard Project!

A family member had redone their bedroom and had extraordinarily expensive furniture put in. I am more of an Ikea gal myself but alas he wanted to cover the night tables as well as put a runner on the dresser to keep his rouge and mentally unstable cats from scratching the extraordinarily expensive furniture. (As it is now known.)

Of course he painted the room in an odd shade of lavender/copper so it was tough to get a match but at this store, we can find fabric to match anything. Lime green and white boudoir? Yeah we got something to match.

Anyway.

I found a great tapestry fabric to match. Tapestry is not only beautiful but it frays beautifully so I used that to give the mats and runner a carpet look. This project is also great for placemats and a table runner in your kitchen as well.

Here is how you do it...

What you need...

- 1 Yard of Woven Fabric (Tapestries work great for this, most woven will fray so ask your handy dandy fabric store employee for fabrics that will fray. )

- Thread that will hide in the fabric, I used a cream for this fabric. For fun you can use a coordinating thread.

- Sewing machine or thread and needle. (..and the patience that is required for a hand sewer.)

- Cutting tools

- Ruler

- Seam Ripper

- Paper and Scotch Tape

Directions -

♦ Start out my measuring what size you would want for mat. I needed 14"x19" mat so that's the size I went with.

♦ Put your rulers in an L shape (or cutting mat like I used) and use the paper to fill in the measurement. Tape paper together and it becomes your pattern for the mats!



♦ Lay out your fabric. I was dealing with a stripe and since it ran parallel to the selvage, I folded my fabric right sides together and lay the pattern butting up against the selvage. Make sure your pattern meets up evenly with the stripes, if you are using striped fabric.


♦ Cut evenly using a sharp scissors or rotary cutter. Try to get your cuts as evenly as possible.


♦ Get thee to the machine! There is no hard fast rule about this but we are sewing not to hem per say but to keep the fabric from fraying more than we want it to. I used my sewing machine foot as a guide and then placed a seam guide to keep me there. Sew all the way around with a shorter stitch.


♦ Once both mats are sewn all the way around find your seam ripper. (Mine was in my purse.) Starting on one side start pulling single strands of the fabric to create the fringe.



You have now created placemats! There seems to be a lot of steps but in truth it is very easy. I think any project without hemming is a dream. This is a great way to bring color and design into a room.


Voila!

Now with the runner that was even easier. Remember when we folded the fabric wrong sides together? Well when we opened that fold we had a long run of fabric which I just sewed up and fringed like the mats! It was the perfect size for the dresser.



So get out there and have fun. Sewing sometimes can get regimented with patterns and whatnot. I although have more fun when I just wing it.

Patterns Galore!

Yes, we have tons of fabric and yes, we have tons of buttons but there is another thing we have tons of...and that's sewing patterns!

Most of them are out-of-print and from 1990-1999. I have seen some from the 1980's as well. Some are considered vintage and others are more modern. What's great about our patterns are prices! Being that I am new sewer I am a pattern junkie but when I go and try to buy patterns they are always over $12!! So I try to stick to ours because why spend so much to create something. That's my motto in life Create for Cheap!

With Halloween fast approaching I have pulled the best costume patterns we have and plunked them on our Etsy shop, as well as, our eBay store. What's great though is that most of those patterns can be used for so much more than just costumes. For example, this pattern here. McCall's 2798 - Misses' Elizabethan Costume. (Click the link to purchase from our Etsy shop!)


Not only would this be great for Halloween, this would be excellent for theme weddings, Renaissance Faires and cos-play! Both dresses are amazing, I like the second green dress, but I mean the options are endless and these patterns are always simple and easy to create. Can you imagine this fabric as part of the dress?


Amazing! Another thing to note about patterns is that the sizes are not set in stone. I see a lot of people in store stress about the proper sizing for patterns but I find that patterns are the perfect opportunity to alter the pattern to fit you. I am a size 22/24 top and a 14/16 bottom. (I know, I'm weird.) Granted, on top, I couldn't get a pattern that is a size 2,4 but I can get a pattern that is 18,20 and add panels or add to the pattern to make a proper fit. It isn't that difficult and if you are someone who sews, you already have all the skills to alter patterns.

There are a ton of books on the subject but here are 2 of my favorites.

The Sewing Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask by Barbara Weiland Talbert. This is an indispensable guide to all things sewing. Shows you not only how to alter patterns but to make your own. Find it here on Amazon.


Complete Photo Guide to Sewing - Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photos by Singer (The Sewing Machine People!) This another great book that gives one detailed instructions to alter patterns to you. Covers topics from letting out for a large waist to small hips (Me!) and everything in between. Find it here on Amazon.

So, my little fabric junkies get out there and sew. Check out our Etsy shop as well as our eBay store for some great patterns for great prices. Halloween is upon us so get started on your costumes! Remember, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask us! We are always here to help you out with your project.

September is National Sewing Month!

September is just around the corner and I'm so excited! It's National Sewing Month!

When I first started working here at Sew What's New I didn't know how to sew...at all. My mother was a sewer so I dusted off her old machine and started learning. I am so glad I did. I love having control over what I wear especially because I am on odd fit. Even though I am still a novice, I am able to make my clothes fit me better and make clothes just for me.

There is so much fear when it comes to sewing machines and sewing but I can attest, as someone that has an attention span of a gnat, it is really easy, fun and you get instant returns. I made my first pair of pants in an hour! See above for my pajama capris!

So to get us in the spirit, here are some things I picked up while learning on my machine...

- If you have an old machine with no manual, simply contact the company who created the machine and they may be able to send you a manual. My machine is over 40 years old and I emailed customer service. They sent me a PDF of the manual for my machine! If they do not have the manual, try searching the net. There are many sewing machine websites that might have what you need.

- Tune-up your machine! Look in the phone book for sewing machine repair shops or search the net. I am sure there is a place in you town. For under $100 you can have your machine repaired, oiled and tuned up good as new.

- Don't have a machine? There are machines for every budget. I bought a new one for under $80 but have seen them go as much as $8,000! So shop around and get the machine that is right for you.

- Hit the books. One of my favorites is a children's book by Winky Cherry. My First Sewing Machine Book is a great starter but I think the best thing is to hit the library. Pick up all the books you can. Even if you don't understand everything in the books you are still immersing yourself in the topic. When you are ready to learn that skill you didn't understand before, you will learn it faster because you have some previous experience with it.

- Surf the web. There are ton of websites that can help you on your way. Craftster is my personal favorite because of all the information they have but there are a ton more as well.

- Take a class. Check out sewing stores for classes. Even chain stores like A.C. Moore have classes. We will soon be offering classes as well!

- When you are ready for patterns choose "Simple" or "Simple to Make".

I think that is all I have for now. So help us celebrate National Sewing Month by sewing something!

If you have any other tips, leave a comment! We would love to see them.