Tutorial: Retro, skinny, or reversible bow tie variations, plus how to resize the pattern

Kelly from Restitch Me shares a series of posts on her blog showing how to customize Martha Stewart’s DIY bow tie pattern. Her first post shows how to size it up to fit a larger neck. Her second post shows how to alter the pattern to create some fun variations – one with a more retro shape, and one that’s a skinny bow tie. In her third post in the series, she shows how to cut it from two fabrics to make it reversible, including a variation that makes the knot in the middle a different fabric than the bow itself. How cool is that! Go to the resizing tutorial. Go to the shaping variations. Go to the reversible variation.

[photo from Restitch Me]

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I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

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