Let It Snow! Blanket Tutorial

Now that Thanksgiving is over, there's only one logical thing to do: Think about Christmas. I've pretty much been on sewing withdrawal these last few months, itching to do a project, but never having enough time to do much of anything. Yah, yah, I know- what could a 15 year old be doing that takes up every waking hour? You'd be surprised.
 But enough of my boring life. Let's get onto the sewing!

You know how I asked what is taking up so much of my precious sewing time? Well, I'll give you an answer- marching band. Not to brag or anything, but we're the state champions right here in sunny old Florida. But being champions doesn't come easy- we usually practice about 4 days a week, 5 hours a day. Don't get me wrong, I love marching to death. It can just sometimes get a bit tedious.

So anywho, in band, we have these people that are supposed to be our "big sisters". Basically they are an older band member who helps a younger, much less experienced member (such as myself) get through the season. Now that marching band season is over though, I started to think what I should do to sort of pay my older sister back for all the help she gave me this season. Trust me- without her, I would suck. And I'm not even  that good now, so you get the idea. Anywho, it took me a while to think of the idea, but finally it hit me: a blanket. During the marching season, we take many long late night bus trips to and from competitions, and a blanket is just what she would need.

All it took was a quick trip to Joann's and about an hour of sewing, which is just the way I like it. This is the fabric I picked. Isn't it just adorable?

Great lighting, I know. Don't worry, complimenting isn't necessary :). Anywho, all I did was use a simple "blanket" stitch (a fairly common stitch that can be found on most modern machines) to sew off the raw edges. I did that to every edge, so it looked like this.

 

Cute, right?

Now I know all of my blahing on and on isn't exactly informative, so I formatted the information in tutorial form, as you can see below.

Let it Snow Blanket Tutorial

Materials:

 

2 yards of 58 " fleece

Sewing Machine (duh)

Thread (also duh)

 

Instructions:

1. Sew a side of the blanket, very near the edge. The stitch must pick up the edge of the fabric, so I recommend trying a test swatch first in order to make sure you get the right idea.

 

2. Sew 3 other sides, clipping the end threads as you go.

 

3. As you can see, making blankets isn't hard. In fact, you probably knew that from the get go. But I'm just nice and decided to lay out some murky instructions for ya :)

 

More pics of my beautiful blanket are below. Aren't they great quality? Yah, I'll be back to using tripods for my next post, don't worry.

 

 

Happy Sewing!

 

Love, Lilly :D

 

 

 



 

 

Cue the Beach Boys: Coverups

It might just be me, but I think it's kind of awkward to just walk around in a bikini, when you aren't in the water or sprawled on the sand. My favorite is the ol' tshirt and shorts combo- but this spring I decided to get creative and from my own pattern, make a romper. Needless to say, it didn't work out so well, as I haven't posted anything on it. It was basically due to my ditziness; I sewed the wrong pieces together. So I don't know if I may continue, but if I don't, here's a few of my other pics.

Romper: This style is my ideal beach cover up- it's so easy to slip on and off for impromptu dips after a bit of tanning (not that I tan, us redheads BURN).
My favorite pattern has probably been already posted, but I'll post it again!
LINK: Click here to access the free pattern!
This particular pattern as cute details that make this cover up stellar- such as the subtle ruching on the bodice! Check out some past projects made with this pattern!

Sorry it's so tiny! The full picture included the maker's head, and I didn't want to violate privacy. Don't worry, you can find it on the sewer's BurdaStyle page: Heleen de Haan.

Romper #2: This pattern is slightly classier, with belt loops and a V Neck, but it is still perfectly awesome for the beach. My advice? Buy a cute Hawiann Floral for a perfect swimsuit match!
Link: Access this free pattern here!
Some Finished Products:

But Romping aside, there's plenty of other ways to cover yourself up. Take sarongs, for example. Though slightly tinier then my past two options, they are a great way to go from the beach to your next destination!

Sarong #1: This sarong is more of a dress option- basically just a rectangle that you can tie- but that leaves lots of room for variation in length! Try making one in a cute print!

Link: To access the tutorial, click here.

Sarong B: This is the skirt variation, with a tutorial from a different site.



Link: To access the tutorial, click here.

What the end result looks like:

Sorry that this isn't the best post ever- but it still has lots of good information and places to find great sewing patterns without spending a dime.

So Happy Sewing!

Lilly :)

Cue the Beach Boys: Beach Bag Edition

With only a week or so of school left, I bet you already probably know what's on my Floridian mind: The beach. After a fruitless spring of sewing, I've decided that during this vacation, nothing's gonna stop me from creating the stuff of my dreams. This post is a compiliation of all the components for a day of fun in the sun, along with tutorials and fabric suggestions. Have fun!

I bet that most all of you have a trusty beach bag (probably not just one) tucked away in some corner of your house. But if mine's anything like yours, its drab. After all, just because there's a little sand involved doesn't mean that we have to throw style to the wind, right? Here's a few patterns that caught my eye when looking for this essential piece.

Refresh With Mesh: This Beach Bag is made mostly with mesh and just a bit of grosgrain ribbon- cute and functional!
The End Result:

My picks: Try using an ocean blue toned mesh with tangerine ribbon for a fun summer look!

Find the Instructions at this URL: http://www.marthastewart.com/273704/mesh-bag

Upcycled Towel Bag: This project is great for achieving a patchwork look and it uses up scraps of towels, too. If you don't want to part with any of yours, just go to a dollar store- they will have cheap finds there that will serve the purpose quite nicely!

The End Result:

My Picks: If you don't want to use scraps from an array of towels, try just making it out of one- you can either use the squares and follow the tutorial, or you can cut off two two inch strips from the short ends of the towel and then sew up the long sides. Try using a zebra print towel and neon green straps for a "totally teenage" (that term was "crazily cheesy") look.

Find the Instructions Here: http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2010/05/beach-towel-tote-tutorial.html

Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I reveal cute patterns/ tutorials for SWIMSUITS, sunhats, COVERUPS, and more!
Happy Sewing,
Lilly!

Patterns Perusal

I haven't been on Burdastyle much lately, which has really been bothering me. So today I decided to see what was new. Turns out, there's a bunch! But I just picked a few favorites for my post.
     First, I have this boxy top pattern. This simple style is perfect in an array of knits and is loose enough to provide a classic shape. Not only can this pattern be made into adorable dresses, but it can also be used as a basic sloper for your future alterations or patterns from scratch.
Try this: Try setting the hem a little higher for a perfect spring crop top!
URL: http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/short-wide-top

Isn't this cute? This top, and the pattern, is made by Burdastyle member Janav.

I am "sew" in love (that was 'sew' cheesy, I know) with this outfit and the whole look in general! I might have to try this!

Wouldn't it look cute in a bright lime knit with a hot pink belt? Ooo! or maybe tangerine and aqua!

This look was created by  mandicoulter

On a different note, spring also brings an array of dances and formals! My own school is holding a masquerade, and though I didn't pick up tickets, I do have my eyes set on the eighth grade graduation dance. I'm thinking of something casual yet dressy. An oxymoron, huh?

Anywho, this is the Sonja pattern by Burdastyle member  ElisaSalme.

Unfortunatley, I don't have much pics except this technical one posted by Elisa (sorry!).

URL: http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/sonja-dress

But doesn't it have loads of potential?

Happy Sewing, Lilly :)

Yoga Pants and Other Sporty Things

Any short readers out there? If so, you know what it's like to find a perfectly good pair of pants and then watch in frustration as the end lays in puddles on your feet! That's what gave me the idea for these uber cute yoga pants!
Whether at class or just lounging around in the house (and doing other sporty things haha) I'll be in style! Here's the shoot, done with my Dad's new D-SLR camera. See the difference?
 If you like, you may skip down the page to see the tutorial on how to make some just like mine!

To Make Your Perfect Pair:

     Grab a pair of good fitting pants or a 2 piece leggings pattern. Don't worry; we will alter it later.

For this project. you will need about a yard to  a yard and a quarter (depending on your size) to make these.

     To alter your leggings pattern, measure your inseam length (or were you want the pants to fall), the length of your thigh at the highest point before your crotch, mid-thigh, and knee. Make sure the leggings pattern corresponds to this. Next, make a V out to the edge of your pattern, starting at the knee. For a Size XS (Juniors 0) make the bottom of the V (the leg opening) 18 inches long. For an S (Juniors 2) make the V 20 inches, etc. Add one inch to hem and then sew according to your pattern!

    Wah-lah! New Yoga Pants

What do you think?

Sew, Sew, Sew,

Lilly Ferron :)

Sewing in the new year! (January Week 2 Pattern Post)

My New Year's Resolutions:
1. Sew
2. Update Blog
3. Sew
4.Update Blog
5. Etc. :)
Well, after getting a new laptop for christmas, I am back on the world wide web. Yesterday, in a flurry of crafting, I made myself some yoga pants- they fit perfectly! As for now, however, how about getting a couple of new garments sewn to welcome in the new year? I don't know about you, but spring means dances. Proms, Graduation, Spring Flings.(Okay, fine, we don't have proms in junior high and they don't exactly call our spring socials "flings") My mind is bubbling with ideas to sew and wear! This pattern is not on the topic of dances, however- but it's cute none the less!

This pattern free blouse by RunwaySewing can be found at http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/pattern-free-blouse-3/instructions/1