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Simple Sashiko Projects

Some days you want to enjoy the peace of sewing without a lot of thinking. Ambitious projects, new techniques, and stretching your creative muscles all have their place, but so do simple projects. These elegant placemats, napkins, and coasters are wonderful examples of the beauty of simplicity. 

Whether for yourself, or a quick gift, it's the fabric that makes these projects shine! The placemats below are constructed from two colors of French Sashiko for Moda (one for each side). The fabric is a heavier cotton with contrasting sashiko stitching. The texture is so lovely!

This set of placemats couldn't be any easier. Mats are simply two 18 1/2" x 14 1/2" rectangles sewn right sides together and turned. Push out the corners with a chopstick or turning tool (don't forget to clip corners before turning), then press and hand stitch the opening closed. Last, top stitch around the mat one inch in from the edge. You are finished!

For our mats we used two different fabrics, once for each side. The blue side is French Sashiko in Indigo and the cream side is French Sashiko in Pearl Indigo. We have two other colors of this fabric with the added stitching and three solids (Indigo, Oyster, & Pearl). The solids would be wonderful to add your own stitching to or to use as backing if you don't want reversible mats and/or coasters.

The napkins are made from the fabric Ebb & Flow in Pearl Ocean, using our Placemat & Napkin Pattern by Valori Wells. The simple stripes look fantastic with the stitching in the placemats, and really make the set feel pulled together. 

The reversible coasters above are made with two 4 ½” squares and constructed in the same manner as the placemat. They would look great on any coffee table and are so fast to make. With a half yard of each fabric and an hour or two, you can make 18 coasters! Keep them on hand for the next time you need a gift or want to brighten a friends day. 

Our final project, the grey and cream placemat shown above, is made from another textural woven fabric collection called Boro Foundations from Moda. We followed the Placemat & Napkin sewing card pattern by Valori Wells to make the mat. The black and grey combo looks crisp and modern, while the pattern and texture of the fabrics soften the look and make it something special. 

If you're interested in making these projects or your own with these special fabrics, you can find the French Sashiko collection here and the Boro Foundations collection here. The Placemat & Napkin pattern is available in PDF or printed versions.

Happy Sewing! 

DIY Adjustable Dog Collar

This week we're going to the dogs with a DIY adjustable collar. By making your own collar you can ensure a great fit, trust in the quality of the hardware and workmanship, and show off a bit of your own style.

(Moxie is wearing a size S 5/8" wide collar)

Our pattern and video will walk you through correctly measuring your dog's neck for a secure and comfortable fit. Because you construct the collar from your dog's specific measurements, their neck size will be in the center of the adjustment range leaving room for them to grow or lose weight. Dogs weight often fluctuates (just like ours) and when it does you know their collar will still fit perfectly.  You can also choose the width that is most comfortable for your dog. 

Quality hardware in a dog collar is a big deal. You are trusting your dogs safety to it's reliability. First and foremost, be sure to use only heavy-duty welded D-rings. Even small dogs can be quite strong and may be able to bend non-welded hardware and escape. You want a heavy plastic tri-glide slide (the part that lets the collar adjust) with teeth. The teeth help grip the collar so once you've adjusted it, it stays in place. Poor quality slides can break and don't grip as well, allowing the collar to get larger and possibly slip over your dog's head. Last is the buckle: Look for a contoured side release buckle made of heavy plastic. They have a slight curve to them so they fit comfortably against your dogs neck. Look for one you can open easily with one hand, but that stays secure once it's snapped closed. If you have a long haired dog, try finding a buckle with rounded clips, it helps keep their fur from being clipped in the buckle. 

Now the fun part - the fabric. Almost any sturdy washable fabric will work to cover your webbing. There are only three things to keep in mind when choosing your fabric: bulk, feel, and care. While denim, and other thicker fabrics, can be super cute and durable, they are too thick to make this style of collar. You are going to be sewing four layers of fabric, plus the webbing to itself, and then pulling it through the hardware. "Feel" simply means your fabric should feel comfortable against your dog's neck, nothing rough or scratchy. This is especially important for short haired breeds. Dogs get dirty, choose a fabric you can wash and that can take a bit of wear and tear. Don't forget to prewash your fabric, to prevent distortion when you do wash your collar. You also want to prewash fabric so any dye that isn't fully set comes out in the wash, and not on your dog. Quilting cottons, linen, or light-weight canvas make great choices. This is also a fun time to try upcycling. Try making a collar from an old man's dress shirt, a torn sheet, or even a pair of flannel PJs. You can find some really fun patterns in old clothes. You don't need a lot of fabric, get creative!

(Teyla is wearing a size M 1" collar)

We've put together a detailed pattern and video tutorial to help you get great results. The pattern includes instruction for all sizes and 5/8" or 1" width, plus instructions for making a matching leash. We show you how to measure your dog's neck correctly, give you a formula for constructing the collar based on your specific measurement, and and we created a video to show you how to put all that hardware on the correct way. We also searched for and put together kits with high quality hardware and webbing--all you need to do is add some fabric. Easy! Our kits are available in 5/8" width (fits neck sizes up to 15") and 1" width (fits up to 24" necks). 

 

Once you get the hang of it, these collars come together quickly. You'll want to make your dog an entire wardrobe. A customized collar is also a wonderful gift for a dog lover in your life. 

Teyla can't imagine why we'd make a collar for any other dog, so she's trying out the size small as a nose ring. 

Note - Fabrics pictured are old and from our stash. They are no longer available for purchase.

 

 

Little Wallet - Tutorial

One of our most popular patterns is Valori's Little Wallet. It's easy to understand why - it's quick to make, only needs two fat quarters, and is so versatile. Organize a few cards and bit of cash in a small bag or your pocket. Use your wallet to help you corral of all those reward cards and business cards floating around the bottom of your bag. Slide it in the front of your carry-on bag to organize your ID and essentials for travel. Make a gift card more personal by gifting it inside a little wallet, with a print you know they'll love--Just the thing!

Depending on the fabric you choose these wallets can be whimsical, sophisticated, funky or casual. They are a wonderful way to show off a little of your own handmade style. Here's a gallery of wallets to inspire you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you believe how different they can look?!

Did you notice the wallets made from Kraft-tex? Kraft-tex is a paper fabric. It's the same stuff Levi jean tags are made from. So it's washable, durable, and has a unique texture. The browns look a lot like leather. Besides being a different look and very sturdy, Kraft-tex doesn't ravel, so you can leave all your edges raw. No folding, pressing, or flipping! Just layer your pockets (don't cut on fold--you only need one layer of fabric) on top of the body piece and stitch. It couldn't be any easier.

To make your own wallet you'll need the pattern, 1/4 yard of two fabrics (fat quarters are fine), a 6" x 9" piece of interfacing, and 1 large snap. We made a variety of kits that include the fabric, interfacing, and 1 large (sew-on) snap. We kept the pattern separate, so you could make multiple wallets without purchasing the pattern more than once. That helped us keep the cost of the kits low ($4.50). That's about the same as many cards and a lot more useful. Plus, you can probably make one in less time than it takes to pick out a card. 

Once you have all your supplies, follow the pattern instructions to cut out all your pieces. If you plan to make more than one wallet, we recommend tracing the pattern templates on template plastic for easier cutting and durability.

We put together a photo tutorial of all the steps for making a Little Wallet to help make the process even easier. Let's get started...

Step 1: Gather Materials, Cut, Press Pockets

Step 2: Interfacing  & Stacking

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Step 3: Sew, Press, & Turn

 

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Step 4: Add A Snap

Step 5: Tada! Enjoy your new wallet.

Shop Supplies:

Little Wallet Kits

Kraft-tex

PDF Pattern

Printed Pattern

Template Plastic

Snap Setter Tool

Snap Setter Adapter (for pearl snaps) 

Pearl Snaps

 

 

 

Sew Your Own Pillowcase Using the Burrito Method

Chances are if you've been sewing for any length of time, you've made a pillowcase or two. They are always useful, and an inexpensive and quick way to spruce up your decor. Make one in a holiday theme to add some fun to your guest room or give one to a special young person. Find the perfect fabric to match someone's interests, and you'll have a delightful and personal gift for a friend or hostess. 

Traditionally sewn pillowcases are great, and a perfect first project for beginners. We want to show you how to up your game with the burrito method. This technique is so slick! Once you get the hang of it, you'll be turning out immaculately finished pillowcases as fast as you can choose the fabric.

Our pillowcases are constructed with three fabrics (body, cuff, and trim). Valori's pillowcase pattern has all the cutting instructions and directions for a standard style pillowcase. Use it to get started, then follow our updated instructions for a fantastic finish with no visible edges. Yup, clean lovely seams inside and out. It looks so professional, you'll love it! 

Since this method is easiest understood by watching someone do it, Jackie agreed to show you how it's done...

We put together some holiday themed kits to make it easy for you to spread a bit of holiday spirit. They are all so cute it's hard to choose. 

We also made up kits featuring the Cotton + Steel fabrics featured in our video. 

You can find all the kits here. 

If you're in the area, stop by the store for a large variety of pillowcase kits. We are always making up new ones, but because we only make a few of most selections, the kits don't all make it up on our website. 

Messenger Bag - Embellishment Options

It's week three of our 12 Projects of Christmas newsletter series and this week we're making a messenger bag. Man or woman, boy or girl, everyone needs to carry things. A messenger bag is an ideal gift, especially for those hard to shop for men or teens. Fair warning though, once you make one, you'll want one for yourself too. 

Our pattern, written by Valori Wells, is the perfect size to hold all the essentials with pockets inside and out for extras. The bag is fully lined for a beautiful and durable finish. Experienced sewers can complete this bag in an afternoon, and all the straight line seams make the project achievable for confident beginners. 

Because the pattern will lead you through the construction of the bag, we are going to focus on ideas for customizing your bag. As you can see, the outside of our sample bag is embellished with a block printed pattern. You can carve your own or use a purchased stamp of your choice. In the video below Valori shows you how to properly ink a stamp and apply it to your bag.  

Try a simple pattern in one section of the bag like we did, or apply an all over pattern before you sew your sections together.

If you're an artist paint or draw your own design with fabric paint and/or pens. Pictured below is an example of our logo tote bag embellished with fabric paints by June Jaeger. We wrote a post about it and embroidering a tote last November. 

The front flap of the bag is a great spot to show off some applique, embroidery, or a combination of the two. Experiment with your own designs or choose a design from a book to spruce up your bag. We like Simply Stitched, Creative Stitching, Organic Applique and Organic Embroidery. Or, try one of our wool applique kits to add some color and texture. 

Instead of using a solid fabric for the large exterior piece customize your bag with your favorite patchwork, or simply add a stripe or other shape with contrasting fabrics like the bag pictured below. 

Not interested in coming up with your own designs for embellishment? Pick a fun print (this is a great time to show off a large scale print) and add a bit of stitching to enhance it (or just let the print shine on it's own). In the pictures below we added a simple embroidery stitch to a floral print. 

More ideas to customize the messenger bag:

• For a new parent: Baby/diaper bag - add some piping, pick a children's theme print, personalize it with an alphabet embroidery kit on the front and/or add a coordinating changing pad.

• For a quilter/sewer: Sewing kit  - personalize it with a pieced front flap and customized pocket sizes for tools
• For an artist: Portable supply kit - personalize it with a painted or mixed media front and add a pencil roll. Customize pockets for sketch book, paint brushes, pens, etc. 

• For a teen: Laptop bag - add soft and stable interfacing. Personalize it with an iron-on patch, applique their initials, or a stamped Kraftex patch. 

• For a man: Laptop bag - add soft and stable interfacing. Personalize it with a photo transfer, turn a favorite old T-shirt into an iron on or paint/stamp a simple geometric pattern. Although, some men might like it plain and simple made with canvas or denim.

• For a bike commuter: add padding to the strap and some reflective tape.
• For a Knitter/Crocheter: add fusible fleece interfacing to keep needles from poking through and a coordinating yarn/project bag. Customize pockets to hold notions.

With a minimum of thought, possibilities for customizing this bag are nearly endless.

Quick Note: The pattern doesn't require any interfacing, but if you want a more structured bag you will need some. We recommend Soft & Stable for a padded and firm but flexible bag. Great for laptops! If you want a softer bag with some structure use Fusible Fleece. Lastly if you'd like any of the pocket to be stiff (like the large inside pocket) use TimTex. All the options listed are washable. 

Shop for Messenger Bag Supplies -  

Kits: Messenger Bag, Applique

Fabric: Quilting Cotton, Canvas, Denim, Flannel 

Interfacing: Soft & Stable, Fusible Fleece, TimTex

Pattern: Printed, PDF

Books: Simply Stitched, Creative Stitching, Organic Applique, Organic Embroidery

 

 

 

 

Lucy & Logan - Freezer Paper Method for Machine Stitched Faces

Instead of 12 days of Christmas, we decided to do the holidays maker style with The 12 Projects of Christmas. We're starting a bit early, releasing a project a week, so there is plenty of time for crafting and for enjoying all the other seasonal events and celebrations during the holidays.

Let's kick off our crafting season with a great gift for kids. Lucy & Logan, adorable cat and dog stuffies, are sure to bring smiles Christmas morning or anytime. Enjoy making a few or gift a Lucy & Logan kit. Then you can spend time together teaching them how to make one for themselves.

Each animal can each be made in two sizes with a variety of suitable fabrics. Make a pair in flannel (like we did) for a special little one. Try one in school colors for older kids. You can even make a few for your favorite furry friends from canvas or denim. Although, Teyla likes the flannel ones just fine. 

The kitty below is one of the original Lucys, made from corduroy. Quilting cotton, light denim, linen, fleece, or even old clothing could all be used. 

No matter what options you choose, the key to any adorable plushy is the face. Luckily, sewing a cute face is easier than you think, and we're going to show you how to get great results with your sewing machine, even if you can't draw.

The pattern includs a face illustration to trace, and suggests you trace the face onto your fabric with a fabric pen or chalk marker. Then you sew your face with your machine or hand stitch. That method is a fine option, but can be difficult on darker fabrics. Tracing or drawing your face on freezer paper is foolproof, no matter your fabric color or type. Let's look at how to do it...

First, place your freezer paper over the pattern and trace the face as is or use the pattern face as a guideline for feature location and draw in your own face. The nice thing about this method is that you can keep tracing, or drawing, faces until you have exactly the face you want. In the pictures, Lucy's (the small cat) face was traced from the pattern and for Logan's (the bigger dog) face the pattern was used as a guideline. His nose is rounder and his eyes were changed slightly. Use a pen that is the same, or close to, the color of thread you plan to use to stitch the face (unless you're stitching in white) to draw the pattern. Color in the nose and irises. Be sure to draw on the matte (top side) of the freezer paper. 

Once drawn, cut around your face so it will fit on your cut fabric body. Place your freezer paper face on the right side of your body piece, with shiny side down, centered on the head.

Press the freezer paper to the fabric, holding the iron for a few seconds. Your interfacing should already be on the wrong side of your head (see above). Don't use double sided fusible web, or you will end up fusing your animal to your ironing board!

You're ready to sew. Use a free motion, or walking foot (pictured), and follow the lines drawn filling in the nose and irises with a back and forth (walking foot) or circular (free motion foot) stitch. Be sure you stitch over each drawn line twice so the face will be clear. Back-tack at the start and end of any stitching. 

All that's left is to tear away the freezer paper. Use your seam ripper to get any small pieces of paper remaining. Don't worry about removing the paper from the nose or irises. That's why we colored it in. The paper helps those areas look more solid and you don't have to spend an hour picking out little white scraps. Win-win! 

Keep following the pattern from here and in no time you'll have a new cuddly cutie. 

Find all the supplies you need for this project at Stitchin' Post. 

Lucy & Logan Kits  -  Lucy & Logan Pattern  -  Farmhouse Flannel  -  All Fabric

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to receive all the information about this project and all the other 12 Projects of Christmas. 

Stitchin' Post's The 12 Projects of Christmas is a newsletter event. Each week starting in October we've selected a fun and fast project, perfect for gifting or holiday decorating. Every project is designed and selected by our experts to make it easy for you to find and craft stylish useful items everyone will love. 

Schoolhouse Tunic Three Ways

As the weather changes, many of us are yearning to spend more time outdoors. While the urge to stay in and nest may be waning, the urge to create is still strong. Shorter projects are the answer for a lot of us, and apparel projects have the added bonus of enhancing our warm weather wardrobe. 

If you're already a dedicated handmade wardrobe proponent, you recognize the benefits of having clothes made to your exact size and style. If you haven't tried making clothes for yourself recently, give it a try. There are so many beautiful, flattering, and well written indie patterns available these days that there is something suitable for everyone. 

The Schoolhouse Tunic from Sew Liberated is a great example of current apparel patterns, and one of our favorites. It's such a versatile and flattering pattern. The pattern is well written, easy to follow, and quick to make up. 

Our first sample shirt is made from lightweight cotton and uses the shorter length. The white with black pin dots is so classy--perfect for work with a skirt, or style it more casually with a pair of jeans. 

The fabric shown is out of stock, but any lightweight cotton will work. The fabrics from the Warp & Weft collection are lighter weight and have a nice drape, they would be great options. 

Next, we made the tunic length in double gauze. This shirt screams spring! The double gauze is a wonderful fabric to wear, so soft and great drape without being clingy. 

Be sure to wash & dry this fabric before you cut it! Double gauze can shrink quite a bit. It also helps to press and starch your fabric before cutting. The extra stability will make it much easier to work with and minimize stretching while you sew. 

Our last top is a fun one. It's made from three coordinating fabrics and has three quarter sleeves. The fabric is heavier weight than the previous fabrics that gives the tunic more of a dress feel.

Schoolhouse Tunic is a real wardrobe staple. The style is flattering for just about everyone and can be easily altered. The pattern comes with two lengths, but it would look wonderful as a below the knee dress as well. Besides altering the length, try different sleeve lengths, or no sleeves at all. You could also add button and loop closures, or make a tie at the neck. 

Try mixing up your fabric too. The pattern is suitable for lightweight linens, lawn, double gauze, cotton and more. It would be easy to add a contrasting band at the bottom or where the bodice meets the skirt. Another option would be to add contrasting trim to neck and sleeve edges. You could even use multiple fabrics for a patchwork look or stripes like our last version. There are so many options, you could make a dozen of these and no one would realize it was from the same pattern. 

If you're interested in creating your own version we've selected some suitable fabrics to inspire you...

Organic Yarn Dyed Linen from Birch Fabrics 

Harriot Wovens by Carolyn Friedlander 

Double Gauze from Kokka

Mariner Cloth from Alison Glass

Alchemy of Fabric - Ombre Surprise

Our April Alchemy fabric selection is Gelato from Maywood Studios. This fabric is a beautiful ombre that transitions from dark to light to dark, from selvage to selvage, with tone on tone lines. Photos can't do it justice. 

The rich colors and visual texture make this fabric the perfect blender, but it can also be the star of the show.

We paired Gelato with Kona Cotton in black and white for this Polanco quilt. This pattern puts the focus on the color and how it transitions. Stunning!

This pattern really shines a light on the ombre effect in the fabric. You can achieve the same effect, with other strip friendly patterns like Birch Bark or Flora.

Patterns like Cranberry Chutney and Preppy Pod, that have large pieces of fabric would also be a good choice to showcase the ombre colors. 

Want to show off the ombre without committing to an entire quilt? Try a fat quarter apron.

You can also fussy cut Gelato to feature the exact color, or blend, you want. Prefect for quilts like Arctic Feathers or Himalyan Pink.

Add some of this months companion fabrics and you'll have a great mix to work with for either quilt.

From top left our fabrics are: Heath in Eggplant, Quantum in 8957-O, sold out, Quantum 8960-E, Heath in Berry, French Press 8888-Y1, All Squared Up in Scout, Grid 50403, French Press 8888-B, and Treasure Hunt

Looking for just the right smaller project to show off your fabric? 

What about a Lisa the Unicorn pillow? That mane would be fantastic in Gelato.

An adorable animal stuffie? Any little one would be thrilled to have one of their own to cuddle.

Try Pincushion Party from Jen Kingwell Collective. The four sizes and 15 appliqué designs are ideal for experimenting with color, or getting a quick sewing fix. Plus they are darn cute!

Whatever you choose to do, don't forget to share it with us. Use #stitchinpost on Instagram or tag stitchinpostor on Facebook. 

Meet Becky Van Verst...

Read more about Becky's upcoming classes or signup online here. 

Croatia - January 2019 Alchemy of Fabric

If you can't get away from winter by traveling to sunnier shores this month's Alchemy of Fabric collection, Croatia, can make you feel as if you have. 

This collection is full of sun drenched color and vibrancy! The fabric feels full of life and energy. 

I can see these fabrics as a cute box bag, or a bright luggage tag, or so many other things. We settled on placemats for our project. Placemats are such a useful project, and a great way to add a bit of color and fun to your décor without a long term commitment, or needing to worry about coordinating with all your decor.

We made two placemats and two napkins from Valori's pattern. 

Placemats can be made from three fat quarters, and napkins require one fat quarter each. If you want to make a set, like ours, you will need extra fabric. 

You can find all of the Croatia collection fabrics and the ten coordinating companion fabrics here. 

What will you make? 

-Samantha