Sewing

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A few of my favorite (sewing) things

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I am so excited to be Craft Gossip’s new Sewing Editor! I’ve been sewing for over 20 years and am just ecstatic over the resurgence of this fabulous craft.

As a Sewing Instructor and avid sewer, I am always on the lookout for fun new sewing accessories and notions that make creating easier or at the very least, more fun.

These are a few of my favorite Sewing things….

Cool commercial Sewing patterns- once a young sewer’s dream is now so much easier to come by. Thanks to Simplicity and the hip creations of designer Wendy Mullins, Built By Wendy patterns are fashion-forward, come with easy to understand instructions and are very easily modified for a custom fit.

What better way to quickly add pizazz to a shirt or jacket than with gorgeous vintage buttons. The Button Emporium in Portland, OR has a dizzying array of beautiful buttons and ribbons. You can purchase items online through their website but if you are ever in the Portland area I recommend a trip to the store- you will be seriously delighted!

The sewing accessory that gets the most use in my studio is definitely my pincushion.

Sew Dorky has managed to take a sewing necessity and make it absolutely adorable! After seeing these why would you ever want to use a standard run of the mill cushion again?

And if all else fails and you just don’t feel like sewing, why not watch someone else do it! The hit TV series Project Runway is not only addictive, it is also super inspiring. Definitely one of my favorite Sewing things!

Next Pattern:

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Have you read?

DIY Kids Gingerbread House Bag with Free Pattern

I am just smitten with this felt gingerbread house bag.  This would make such a sweet special Christmas accessory for a kid.  It’s a free pattern at Benzie Design, designed by Gracie from Hello Gracie Makes.  It’s packed with adorable gingerbread house details, like swirls and stripes and scallops adoring the doors and windows. 

And while all those details might seem like this would be a complicated pattern, it’s actually not.  The bag itself is made from felt, which makes finishes edges unnecessary.  (All of those scalloped edges are just cut from felt, no edge finishing required.)  The strap is super simple, made from rope with knotted ends.  And all those details are made with some basic hand embroidery stitches.  Sparkle felt makes it extra cute.

The striped scallop roof is actually the top flap of the bag. A magnetic snap makes it a secure closure.  The rope straps are attached through felt loops at the side of the bag. 

They rate this project as an intermediate level, and it should take about 6 hours to make start to finish.  That’s doable for a Saturday project or a couple of evenings.  Full color photos step you through the entire process.

The project includes a shopping list for all of your supplies.  They’ve got a shop so you can order all of them from Benzie if you like and get exactly the supplies used in the project.  I noticed it includes a pair of scallop shears, which makes cutting all the scalloped edges for the roof and around the door a breeze.  

Finished dimensions of the little felt gingerbread bag are approximately 6 ½” wide x 7 ½” tall.  That’s the perfect size to hold a small book, a small toy, or a notepad and some cute pens.

Go to Benzie Design to get the tutorial and free pattern for the felt gingerbread house bag.

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