Button & Snap

Chunky Upcycled Scarf of Torture

I’ve been wanting to try arm-knitting – have you heard of arm-knitting before? Instead of using knitting needles, you knit directly on your arms, using them as giant knitting needles. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s makes really chunky stitches – perfect for a winter scarf. But I’m not just writing about some easy peasy project. Nope, I decided that I’d upcycle sweaters to make yarn. Worst decision ever!!! …

Wearable muslin: a comfy new sweater

This sweater was meant to be the mock up for the Christmas sweater I didn’t end up making. The pattern is knocked off of a thrifted sweater I altered to fit last winter. The pattern came out pretty well; the only alterations I’d make if I used it again would be to lengthen both the sleeves and the hemline. I got the ribbing for this project from an old sweater – I think it makes the sweater look more like it was knitted rather than…

Front Row Fabulous Dress

Since I don’t have family in Stuttgart, I spent this Christmas working at my part-time job in a movie theater. Despite that, I had an excuse to make one holiday dress this year because we had a pre-Christmas party at work.

Quick Me Made Midweek

Here’s a quick post for Me Made Midweek – I’m keeping it short because I spent all evening making Christmas presents and now it’s 1am. I’ve posted about both the top and skirt before; the skirt was an old project that I took apart and remade last September. The sweater was a thrift shop find that I took in from a size large and it’s become a favorite of mine this year. Somehow I just keep…

Me-Made Midweek: The Parisian Dress

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a me-made midweek outfit, but I’m going to try to do them more often. I’ve seen me-made midweek done on many German sewing blogs (they call it “Me-Made Mittwoch”). Inspired by them, I started doing doing my own me-made midweek a couple years ago. I fell off the bandwagon long ago, but I think it’s high time to hop back on. I made this dress…

Tutorial: The best way to shorten a belt

If a belt is too long, you could punch an extra hole in it, but that isn’t the best fix. This tutorial shows you the best way to shorten a belt, which is by taking the extra length off of the buckle end of the belt. With a little extra effort, you’ll get a much better result – an alteration that no one can spot from afar. To get started all you need is a sturdy needle and thread, a thimble…

How to sew a Backstitch (for Righties & Lefties!)

I’ve been working on a tutorial on how to shorten a belt without punching holes in it, but before I post that, I want to share a step-by-step illustration for beginners on how to sew a backstitch. I’ve made a version for right-handers and one for left-handers! I’m a lefty, and there is nothing harder than trying to learn hand-sewing from a right-handed tutorial because you have to figure out how to…

A little sewing humor…

Sewing for Chumps, Episode 1: Learning to sew is not for the faint of heart. This comic takes a humorous look at the pitfalls of getting started with a new hobby, beginning with buying your very first pattern!

A dress… as time goes by

I’ve pulled out an old costume from a high-school group project – a Casablanca-style film for AP French – and given it new life with a complete makeover. At first glance, it’s just a stylish new dress for fall. But a closer look from the inside reveals a road map of changes in my sewing skills over the last dozen years. From complete disregard for authority or thread-matching in my teenage years to…

Knocking off: how I make a pattern from a pair of leggings

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I want to show you how I created a new sewing pattern from a pair of leggings, using a technique called knocking off a pattern.
The basic principle behind knocking off a pattern is simple. Lay the clothing you want to trace on a piece of a paper. Trace the seams by poking pinholes around edge of that piece. The pinholes won’t damage the cloth, but they’ll mark the paper. Genius, right?! […]