Baron Threads

That one time I turned my couch into a chair

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 01:21:00 +0000

Things got a little crazy a couple of weeks ago when I decided to cut my couch and make it a chair.

Last Monday, I was sitting at the kitchen table eating my breakfast. I looked over at my big long white couch and thought about how much I hated it. I had pretty made up my mind that I was going to dump the couch when we moved in a couple of weeks. Why did I hate this couch? Mostly I hated the slipcover on the couch, I was always tucking and fixing or if I wasn't tucking and fixing, it looked terrible. Normally I would just make a slipcover that didn't need to be tucked and fixed, but to be honest I didn't really love the couch, it was a $15 buy and the back pillows were too thin, plus the couch was too big for the space we were moving into. When my couch looked liked the picture below I didn't mind it so much, but usually the throw pillows were scattered everywhere and the bottom cushion partially hanging off the couch, it was always a wreck and driving me crazy.

As I was thinking about how much I wanted to take it to the dump, I thought "What I really want is a chair." I jumped online to price out a chair and knew it was definitely not a viable option at this point; Chairs are expensive!

Then the thought popped into my head, "Cut the couch and make it a chair and use the old slipcover to make a new one!" That way it wouldn't cost me anything and it would be the ultimate upcycle!

I knew I couldn't be only person to have ever thought of this. I read this tutorial and watched this video a half dozen times and decided that I absolutely had to cut my couch and it had to happen immediately. At that moment I would have gone out to the shed and grabbed a saw and sawed that couch in half, but my kids were around, and to be honest, power tools scare me. So I had to wait until the husband came home.

The conversation between my husband Steven and myself went something sort of like this:

E: We have to cut our couch and make it a chair.

S: Okay, you're crazy... we can try it, but it will have to wait until after we move. (And then he said some nonsense about priorities, blah, blah and other responsible things like that.)

E: No, we have to do this tonight. Now! We have to do this now! We have to saw our couch!

S: We can't do it now, its 8:00 pm and where would we cut it, its dark outside.

E: In the kitchen, it will be fine, lets just look at it."

Once we started looking at it, staples started coming out, screws were getting unscrewed and then this happened:

After that there was no turning back!

Five hours later, 1:00 am to be precise, I had a a chair! It was actually in better condition than the couch had been in, since the couch was kind of falling apart.

After the chair was finished I took the old slipcover and made a new one. If you are interested in learning how to slipcover, there are hundreds of slipcover tutorials all over the internet, by far more experienced people. This is probably the worst slipcover I've ever made, I totally winged it and there were more times than I could count where I said "Oops, shouldn't have cut that, oh well." I also redid the back pillow form, to make it extra comfy.

I'm totally in love with the chair and completely stoked that it worked out! Talk about using what you have to get what you want! It feels really good to know that we helped our wallets and the planet by being resourceful. Plus, its always fun to do something a little risky and crazy!

Machine Stitched Flannel Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 00:49:00 +0000

I absolutely love quilts. However, I have a hard time finding the patience to actually start and complete a real quilt. I started this quilt last January, but it kept being put on the back burner while I was busy with other projects. I wanted something neutral that could be out during the winter months, without looking Christmas-y in February. I originally intended to make this tree quilt, but when the time came to make it, I decided that it wasn't really what I wanted anymore.

This quilt is made from a full size flannel sheet set that I got from overstock.com for $20. For the "quilting" I simply stitched not-so-straight lines down the quilt with random spacing. It was fun to just make it up as a I went along without having to worry about if I was doing something wrong, or if it would turn out right.

I had a difficult time deciding on the material for the binding. When I found this gold pin-dot fabric, I knew it was perfect. It is so lovely, I want to make a million different things out of it. And it comes in three different sizes of dots.

I'm excited for winter, simply so I can snuggle up under this quilt and read a book or watch a movie with the husband. This quilt is so cozy and I know it will get a lots of use and love over the next few months and future winters to come. How about you, what are you sewing for winter?

***Update: I've received a lot questions about the process of making the quilt. I have linked several tutorials that show a more in-depth process of how I made it.

Cutting the sheets:

I used a flat and fitted sheet for my two layers, with batting in the middle. This is a good tutorial for cutting a fitted sheet to make it flat. The only thing I did differently was I did not cut the top and bottom off, only the sides. This helped minimize waste from the flat sheet.

Quilt Sandwich and Basting Tutorial here.

My batting was a hand-me-down. If I were to guess it was probably a medium-loft polyester batting.

I used these pins for the basting.

Squaring Up a Quilt Tutorial here.

Finishing and Binding the quilt here.

I didn't take the time to figure out how much fabric I would need for the binding. I bought 1 1/2 yards of fabric and cut my strips 2.5 inches wide. I had PLENTY of binding left over, I think 1 yard or even less would have been fine.

I didn't use a walking pressure foot or any other special feet for the quilting. I do have an occasional folding of the bottom layer fabric. This is purely because I would get inpatient and sew too fast. If you go nice and slow then you shouldn't have any problems.

If you have any more questions, feel free to leave me a comment or send me a message.

Mini Messenger Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 02:10:00 +0000

Ivy loves to wear bags across her chest. She usually tries to make it work with bags that are as big as she is, or ones with too short of straps. I made this little bag up one evening when I felt like sewing, but didn't feel like thinking. Ever have those nights? Both of these are up-cycled from old skirts, which is not my first fabric choice. Up-cycling usually makes me a little frustrated, because it takes extra brain power to get it all to work, but it was free, and I like that.

Cut out your outer material and lining.
Base: (4) 10 x 11 inch rectangles (2 outer fabric, 2 lining)
Flap: (2) 9 x 6.5 inch rectangles (1 outer fabric, 1 lining)
Strap: (2) 3 x 26-28 inch rectangle (1 outer fabric, 1 lining)
Note: measure child to determine length of the strap

1. With right sides together, sew around three sides of the base, leaving one long side open. Repeat with lining.
2. Turn corners: This is going to create the bottom of your bag. Flatten the corner and sew a straight stitch at 45 degrees across the corner. Cut the corner off. Repeat on other side. I stitched 1 1/2 inches from the corner. For further reference check out XL Beach Bag tutorial
4. Sew around three sides of the flap. Leaving one long side open. Clip corners, turn right side out, iron and top stitch.
5. Measure your child to determine the length of the strap. Add one inch. I made Ivy's 26 inches long
6. With right sides together straight stitch the two long sides of the strap. Flip right side out, iron and top stitch.
7. Assemble the bag: Turn your outer material base right side out. Pin strap on either side of the bag. Centering each end with corresponding side seam. Match outer material to outer material.
8. Pin flap in between straps. matching outer material to outer material.
9. Sew a basting stitch around the top of the bag to keep straps and flap in place
10. Place your semi-assembled bag inside the lining. Right sides of fabric should be touching. Stitch around the top on the bag leaving a small space to flip the bag right side out.
11. Flip bag right side out, Iron and top stitch around the top of the bag.
12. Find the center of the flap, mark a half inch from the bottom and stitch a button hole.
13. Sew button on the base of the bag to correspond with the hole.

I don't have any pictures for this tutorial, so if you have any questions, comment or send me an email.

Canning Peaches

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 01:00:00 +0000

It's peach season here in Virginia, which is one of my favorite things about summer. Nothing beats a juicy, southern peach. The only thing that is almost as good a fresh peach is homemade canned peaches. YUM! Have you ever canned peaches? They are so easy. Messy, but easy. This is my third year in a row canning peaches. I even canned them last year with a three week old baby, but my mom was here, so that was a huge help. My family just can't live without them. There's nothing quite like opening up a can of delicious peaches on a cold, snowy January morning.

This is my favorite tutorial for canning peaches. It is really simple and is definitely more fun to do with a friend. The only things I do different is my syrup is a 3:1 ratio ( 3 cups water to 1 cup sugar) and I process my peaches for 25-30 minutes. We usually eat these straight out of the jar, but they also make a delicious crumble.

How about you? Are you doing any canning this year?

Gauzy Swaddle Blankets

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 00:33:00 +0000

These swaddle blankets are my absolute favorite thing for a summer newborn. While I love the blankets my mom made, they are bit warm for the summer. The gauzy material is a combination of being cozy and super lightweight, so you don't have to worry about the baby getting overheated. They also offer the perfect amount of stretch to give you a tight swaddle with wiggle room for the babe.

The material is Island Breeze Gauze, and there are a variety of colorful choices. The other thing I love about these swaddle blankets is they are multi-functional. I used them as a swaddle blanket, burp cloth, nursing cover, blanket for the baby to lay on, you name it. Oh, and Ivy particularly loves them as capes.

Did I mention that not only is the material perfect, but they are oh-so easy to make? All you have to do is take a yard of cotton gauzy material and either serge or hem the edges. Easy or what?

They are a great baby shower gift. They are cute, practical, handmade and it didn't even take hours upon hours to make. Win-win-win!

P.S. Isn't my little model just the cutest? A big thanks to my friend Jenni for lending me her new baby girl!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwhich Game

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 11:17:00 +0000

My sister-in-law Kelsey is one of those totally cool people who can make things out of felt. She seriously made the best looking felt bread I have ever seen. I don't know what it is about felt quiet books, food, etc.; I'm simply terrified of them.

She made Ivy this darling game by Wild Olive for her birthday. It is perfect for pre-school age kids, and is a fun way to start learning how to play organized games and taking turns. If you aren't terrified of felt, like me, you should give it a try. Ivy also loves pretending to make lunch for picnics and all sorts of other imaginary things with the pieces.

Notes:
Kelsey did back the pieces of the dice with waste canvas, it helps give it a nice structure.
She also gave her a cute little "lunch box" to keep the game in, and it is probably one of her favorite items ever.

Woven Scout Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 00:47:00 +0000

The number of shirts I own that are not stained or have holes in them is embarrassing. And even more embarrassing, I still wear them! I usually just throw a cardigan over it, so you can't tell, but it is just too hot for any extra layers.

I had planned to run to Target and grab a couple of shirts, but I'm really tired of ALWAYS wearing a t-shirt. Often times they are a nicer t-shirt (meaning a v-neck), but lately I've been gravitating towards cotton based clothing rather than knits. I feel like cottons often look nicer, are cooler in these hot summer months, and they are easier to sew with. When I saw this pattern for a woven, loose fitting, short sleeved shirt, I knew I had to try it out.

The pattern comes from Grainline Studio and is really simple; a great beginner shirt. The most difficult part is the bias neckline, but you just keep pinning and stretching until you get it to fit. The shirt is a bit short, I even lengthened my second one an inch, so you definitely will want to take that into consideration before you start cutting your material. The pattern calls for 1 7/8 yard, but that is a lot of material and I was betting I could do it in one yard. The size 2/4 just barely fit width wise on 44 inch wide fabric, but I got it to work.

When I sew clothes for myself they are almost always neutral and basic (boring and safe), so I decided to branch out a bit and try some color. I love this blue feather print, and coral is one my favorite colors to wear especially in the summertime.

I used Kona cotton for my shirts, but I would definitely recommend using something with a bit more drape, like voile or shirting. I think I'm borderline moo-moo, but whatever. I really prefer these shirts tucked in with a skirt.

Summer Infinity Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 13:15:00 +0000

I'm a scarf lover. I wear one everyday in the fall and winter. They are by far my favorite accessory, especially while having babies because they add a little color, while still being soft, and aren't at risk of getting broken.

Originally, when I set off to make a lightweight summer scarf I wanted a gauzy material, but I couldn't find anything I liked. Voile (pronounced like foil) is a perfect alternative; lightweight with a fluid drape. Plus there are tons of lovely patterns to choose from.

Tangent: If we ever talk in person, I will always pronounce voile, voilé. After five years of French, it is too painful to say voile, like the English when they say valet (hurts me every time, Downton Abbey!)

Back to the scarf.
Infinity scarves are by far my favorite. I find those pesky tails to be awkward, and I just never know what to do with them, or how to tie it.

How I made it:
1/2 yard of voile or other light-weight material.

1. Cut in half length wise
2. Sew two halves together at one short side and finish seam
3. Hem both sides lengthwise, by folding and ironing down 1/4 inch and folding and iron one more time to enclose raw edge. Straight stitch each side.
4. Try on your scarf and determine how long you want it. Mine is 58 inches long.
5. Sew both ends together to make a loop and finish the raw seam.

Gwen's Birthday Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 00:05:00 +0000

My little baby Gwen turned one last week! I picked up this darling lime and fushia polk-a-dot fabric on a fabric spree a couple months back. I only bought a yard, but thankfully I had just enough for the dress and the diaper cover. The pattern is from Oliver+S playtime dress and tunic. I actually forgot that I bought this pattern last winter, and got really excited when I found it again.

When I bought the pattern, I misread the description and thought it was an actual peter pan collar, but in reality it is a template for stitching detail. I actually love the stitching detail and it stretched me a little trying to get it perfect.

The original pattern has a long sleeve, but because it is summer, I just shortened and cuffed it to give it a little interest.

For fun, and to go along with the stitching detail, I doubled stitched the hem.

The diaper cover comes from MADE's perfect diaper cover. I sewed up the 12-24 month size, since we normally use cloth diapers and I wanted there to be plenty of room. It was simple, and is a nice diaper cover, unlike many of them that are too bulky.

The dress took a bit longer than I expected, because it had facing at the neck which gives it a nice finished look, but was more work than I anticipated.

I'm looking forward to using this pattern as staple for both girls' fall wardrobe, especially since the pattern includes leggings!

Happy Birthday little Gwen! So glad you could join our little family.

Reversible Bucket Hat {Free Pattern}

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 12:42:00 +0000

Did you see last week's reversible beach bag tutorial? If not go check it out here. I'm back with a tried and true Summer must-have around these parts, bucket hats! I've made this pattern probably half a dozen times and I always feel so accomplished after I finish one.

The pattern comes from Oliver+S and the best thing about this is that it is under their free pattern collection!

The pattern is simple, I would say a confident beginner. The most important part and the easiest way to end up with poor results is not being consistent with your seam allowances. If you are a bit lazy and make some seams slightly too small or too big it isn't going to all fit together correctly.

Go grab some cute material (and if you plan ahead unlike me, make it match their swim suits!) and whip up some hats before their little faces get sunburned.
Come back next week for another Summer favorite!

Reversible Extra Large Beach Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:25:00 +0000

Notice anything different? I'm thrilled with the new blog design. My friend Kate at College Dropout Designs did it for me. It was honestly the single best choice I've made in my short blogging adventure and Kate made it so easy and pain-free. Thanks Kate!

Let's talk about this beach bag. It is seriously my favorite thing I've made in a while. With Summer here, I am so ready for any and all bodies of water. The only problem with going anywhere with kids is there is so. much. stuff, especially when you go swimming or to the lake. I'm always juggling 18 bags (okay more like 4) while holding Gwen and trying to get Ivy to hold my hand.

It takes me forever to get us all packed and ready to go and the thing that gets me the most stressed out is towels. I can never find a bag big enough for all our towels and a blanket, plus all the snacks, hats, etc. So here it is: The EXTRA large beach bag.

Supplies:
1 yard of 2 different lightweight quilting cottons (2 yards total).
Coordinating thread (I just did white because it was in my bobbin)

Pre-wash and iron fabric (I just get the big wrinkles out)
Take Fabric A and fold in half with right sides together, matching selvage edges. Cut an 8 inch wide strip of fabric off. Set aside 8 inch strip
With the fold at the bottom and selvage at the top sew a straight stitch on each side
Turning the corners. This is going to create the bottom of your bag. Flatten the corner and sew a straight stitch at 45 degrees across the corner (see black line below). Cut the corner off. Repeat on other side. (I measured 3 inches down from the corner and sewed there. You can do less or more depending on how wide you want the bottom of your bag.)
Repeat steps 1-4 with Fabric B
For the straps, cut each 8 inch piece in half length-wise, so that you now have 4 - four inch strips of fabric.
Take one strip of Fabric A and Fabric B place right sides together. Stitch three of the four sides, leaving one short side open. Turn right side out, using a knitting needle or dowel. Repeat with other strap.
Iron straps and top stitch the long sides only.
Trim your straps. I cut my straps to 26 inches long, but you can choose how long or short you want yours. Be sure to add at least one inch to your desired length for seam allowances.
Assemble the bag: Turn Fabric A right side out, leave Fabric B wrong side out. Place Fabric A inside Fabric B. The right sides of your fabric should be together.
Tuck your straps in between Fabric A and B on each side of the bag. Leave a half to one inch of your strap poking out of the layers. Pin in place. (My straps start 4.5 inches from the side seams).
Sew around the top of your bag, leaving a small space to turn it right side out.
Turn bag right side out. Tuck Fabric A into Fabric B.
Top stitch around the top of the bag to give finished look and add security to your straps.
Go to the beach!

I stole this idea from my sister-in-law. I saw her homemade massive bag in February and I knew I had finally found the answer to my towel dilemma. I have four towels in the bag while it was photographed, with plenty of room for a blanket and snacks.

In dedication to the woman who taught me how to sew

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 01:31:00 +0000

I honestly had no intention in writing about this experience, but realized that I couldn't not write about how my life changed over night. If we are facebook friends you already know, my mom died. She went to the hospital on Monday afternoon (Memorial Day) because she was dehydrated with a very high fever, and by the next morning was completely unresponsive and brain dead. The doctors waited until all of her family could be there, I was last one, before letting her go. We don't exactly know what happened, no autopsy report back yet, but it doesn't really matter, does it? The result is the same, she's gone and it sucks.

Well, since this a sewing blog, I suppose that is what we should talk about. Sewing. I'm not really ready to start talking about dresses and beach bags and all the other things I had planned to blog about (and seem to not really matter anymore). All I want to talk about is my mom, and how wonderful and talented she was. So, that's what I'm going to do, share the lovely things she sewed.

Blankets: This is the most famous thing my mom is known for. Everyone she knew, and many, many people she didn't know, received a baby blanket. They were simple double sided flannel baby blankets, hand stitched around the outside. All grandchildren received several when they were born. Every baby in their ward (congregation) received one. All her friends' grandchildren got one or two. Then there were all the other random people who were lucky enough to get one, like the pharmacist and the girl who worked where she got her pedicures and the Clinique lady's nephew, the bread store lady, people at my Dad's work, and don't forget my sister's friends and my friends. I know there are many more that I don't even know about. She made hundreds of them. She loved making them and she loved seeing those sweet babies wrapped up in one of her blankets. She was kind and selfless.

Costumes: She was seriously the bomb-dot-com of costumes. I don't have any pictures (with me) of my childhood costumes. But the one I remember the best was the octopus costume. It had a huge head that was stuffed with grocery bags to give it structure and a cut out in the front for my face and of course it had eight legs. The legs in the front had little handles on the inside, so I could move them up and down. It was for my first grade play, and I remember all the other parents being so impressed, but it was just normal for me. I had no concept that other parents couldn't just make anything.

Stuffed Animals: I remember the first doll she made me, her name is Apple and I was seven. I saw her in a store when we went on a day trip to Lake Arrowhead. My mom's famous words were "I could make that," and she did. We went home and she made me that doll, she was lovely and I loved her. All the grandbabies, in addition to blankets, also received a bunny. Each one was different and made especially for them. I had a conversation with my mom about a month ago about the bunnies, she told me she didn't have a pattern. I couldn't believe it, the lady has made at least a dozen of these things and she makes it up completely each time. I laughed and told her she should probably make a pattern, and she said something like "yeah, I know..." That was the kind of seamstress she was, a make up as you go, and make up again if you want to make another one.

Towels: I'm not exactly sure why she loved bunnies so much, maybe just because they are perfect for little babies? But she also made hooded bunny towels. These are a favorite among the grandkids. Even the older ones still use them. One of my nieces even requested a new one for her seventh birthday last year.

There were so many other things she sewed and made. Did I mention she also painted? A woman of many talents. She was the original DIY. I could write and talk about my mom forever. She was beautiful, loving, smart and obviously creative. Really, she was one of the very best and brought so much light and goodness to all who knew her.

Peasant Princess Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 21 May 2014 23:20:00 +0000

Last year for Christmas I made two of my nieces princess dresses. Using one pattern you can create all the princesses. It is so simple and genius. I owe this fabulous idea to this tutorial from UCreate. I made Rapunzel and Snow White, and they looked basically the same as hers. Of course I never took any pictures, but they seriously looked almost exactly the same, except I used different fabric. I love how the patterned quilting cotton looked. I tried to find something that could mimic the embroidery of Rapunzel's dress, and this darling swirly heart pattern was just perfect. Head on over to Ucreate for the pattern and tutorial on how it's done.

In our house we haven't really ventured into the world of princesses. Ivy knows about them from friends and books, but she has only watched Cinderella and Frozen. When we decided to go to Disneyland this last February, I thought it would be fun for Ivy to have a princess dress. However, I completely forgot until it was time to leave. But it is okay, because my amazing sister took Ivy princess shopping in the first 30 seconds of seeing her. And let me tell you, there is no way I could have made anything close to the Aurora dress she picked out. It is FAN-CY!

When we got home from Disneyland, the interest in princesses and dress up really seemed to spike, so I figured we'd roll with it and whip up couple of dresses. This time I used cheap cotton broadcloth, purchased from fabric.com for $3 a yard. For Cinderella I used the same tutorial as I did for Rapunzel and Snow White.

Since there wasn't a tutorial for Belle I just winged it.

Bodice:

1. Cut two 5 inch wide by 12-13 inch long strips of fabric. Fold each in half matching raw edges and sew a straight stitch to make a tube.

2. Pin one end the tube to the side of sleeve before attaching to the back of the bodice. Repeat with other side. (See image above)

3. Continue with pattern instructions to finish the bodice

4. Starting from the back of the bodice where the "tube" is attached measure 4-5 inches and pin the fabric to the top of the sleeve. Stitch and back-stitch several times to attach the tube to the top of the sleeve

5. Pull remaining tube fabric on both sides to the front, fold and attach both pieces together to the front of the bodice. (See image below)

Skirt:
1. Cut 2 strips of fabric 6-8 inches wide and 31 inches long. (I had to piece my scraps together to get a piece this long). Fold in half matching raw edges and sew a straight stitch. At this point you should have two 3-4 inch wide tubes.
2. Measure and mark lengthwise at 0.5, 10.5, 21, and 30.5 inches. Using a basting stitch, sew across at each mark. Pull threads to create four separate gathers.
3. Measure 4 inches down from the top of your skirt. Pin each end of strip of fabric to the edges of the skirt. Pin your two middle gathers at 7 inches and 14 inches on your skirt.
4. Using your normal stitch length, sew the gathered spots to your skirt. I stictched and back-stitched this several times.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 with other skirt piece and tube for the back.
6. Continue with pattern instructions to finish the skirt and attach the bodice

Note: These measurement are for a size 5, but for a general equation I simply made the tube fabric (which is 31 inches) 10 inches longer that the width of the skirt (21 inches), and then just divided each piece into thirds to find the four gather points. This creates that lovely faux pick-up look.

I especially like these dresses because:
1. They are inexpensive to make, roughly $6-10.
2. They are durable and machine washable.
3. She can easily put these off and on by herself, and with the elastic neck they have some growing room.

Things I did differently:
1. I didn't attach the ribbon sash at the waist. Realistically it would never stay tied and I didn't want to bother with it always hanging on the side of the dress.
2. This pattern hits just below the knee, which normally would be great, but I would recommend cutting your skirt pattern piece 6 or so inches longer, if you want more of a princess look.
3. Buy a half to a yard of more fabric than what the pattern calls for, so you have enough for the embellishments.

After all that, I think I'm done with princess dresses for awhile. Behold, the "Elsa dress." It is actually a hand-me-down adult dress from a friend. Ivy loves it. Sometimes I forget that little girls have imaginations and don't need fancy dresses to pretend to be princesses. She is singing "Let it Go" in this picture. Lesson learned. At least they were fun to make.

Back tab Curtain Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 15 May 2014 00:03:00 +0000

I have seriously agonized over these curtains for weeks. I just couldn't figure out how I wanted to finish the top. Originally I thought I would do a simple casing, because it is quick and easy. However, I don’t really like the bunchy look a casing gives, so I momentarily decided on grommets. But those pesky grommets are EXPENSIVE. Next I thought of doing tabs, and I mulled that over in my head for a couple of days, but tabs are such a pain to make.

Then I finally got smart and decided on BACK tab curtains. They aren't bunchy like a casing, or expensive like grommets, and they don't have to be perfect like front tab curtains. Most importantly, they are EASY.

The fabric is actually clearance tablecloths from Target, cut in half. The pattern is a little different from my normal style, but I figured it's good to branch out a bit, so I went I for it.

How to make back tab curtains:

1.Hem all edges of curtains.

2. Cut a 4 inch-wide strip of scrap fabric (I used an old sheet). This will be for all of your tabs, so how long it is will depend on the number and length of tabs you need (see steps 6-8 for calculation).

3. Fold the fabric in half, matching raw edges, and sew a straight seam all the way down.

4. Now either turn your "tube" right side out. I like to use a dowel or a knitting needle. OR if you are feeling lazy, leave the raw edge showing. This is the beauty of back tab curtains, no one sees them.

5. If you turned your "tube" right side out, I would suggest doing a quick iron, just because it think it makes things a bit easier.

6. Cut your tube into 4-5 inch long tabs.

7. Now you can either tuck in the raw edges to the inside of the tab (If you do this make your tab 5-6 inches long), or leave the edges raw.

8. Pin tabs across the top of your curtains. Spacing 3-4 inches. (The first time I tried this I did 6 inches, it looked terrible, trust me, no more than 4 inches). You can play around with this a bit, it all depends on how wide your curtains are.

9. Sew a continuous straight stitch across the top of the tabs. Repeat with the bottom.

10. Voila! Complete! Now wasn't that simple?

Periwinkle Polka-dot Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 07 May 2014 16:53:00 +0000

So let's pretend Easter wasn't three weeks ago and I'm just now talking about Ivy's Easter dress, okay? I was given this gorgeous material by my friend Sharlet. It was left over fabric from her mother’s dress that she wore to Sharlet's wedding. I absolutely loved it and had been dreaming about the dress I was going to make for Ivy since she gave it to me last Fall.

I ordered some cotton broadcloth to line it. The color was not exactly the same, but I was happy enough with it and I knew it wouldn't show. I wanted something classic and simple. I had planned to buy this pattern from Made by Rae, but after a couple of days of thought, I realized I already had the basic pattern with the Music Box Jumper I had used previously for the pleated jumper.

I ignored the pleats in the Music box pattern and gathered the skirt to fit the bodice. For the flutter sleeve, I used another pattern's sleeve, rounding the edges a bit, so that it looked like a rounded-edge rectangle. I gathered the sleeve at the top, pinning it inside the bodice between the two right sides of fabric. Then I just sewed the bodice following the instructions, being extra careful not to sew the sleeve to the neckline.

Because I gathered the waist instead of pleating it, I only did the buttons on the back of the bodice instead of all the way down the back, like the original pattern instructs. The buttons are from a cardigan I got at a yard sale last summer that was a tad too small and had a stain on it. They look a little green in the picture, but they are silver, I promise.

I love how it turned out, and even more important, Ivy liked it too. She wore it to our Easter Tea Party and by the end it was covered with food (which I knew would happen). I threw it in the wash that night so she could wear it to church the next morning. Thankfully it washes up great, and there are no pleats to iron!

I've added a few pictures of the tea party. It was quite the affair and so much fun.

Ready-for-School Backpack

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Sat, 03 May 2014 17:38:00 +0000

When Ivy and I joined a pre-school co-op with some friends, she needed a backpack. I had wanted to make her a backpack for a little while, so she could carry her own stuff and make my overflowing diaper bag that much lighter. I looked at several backpack patterns and tutorials. I didn't really want to spend the money on a pattern (remember I'm a cheap-o?). A backpack involved things I knew how to do, but was still a little nervous about. But because I really wanted it to turn out well, I ended up purchasing the toddler backpack pattern from Made by RAE, rather than doing it from a tutorial. I’m so glad I did. I made the larger school age version of the toddler backpack, which is simple to do and clearly shown in the pattern instructions.

I was overall very happy with the pattern and only did two things differently.

The first was I used a sport zipper instead of an all-purpose to give the backpack some extra durability. If you do a sport zipper you have to be careful to stop your zipper a half inch from both ends of the zipper panel to account for seam allowances.

The second thing I did differently was when attaching the side panels to the bottom panel I basted it first to see how it fit with the front panel and once I had it just right I reinforced it with a straight stitch. That way it saved me some time when I needed to rip out and readjust. I opted for finishing my seams with bias tape, rather than a lining or zig-zagging. The bias tape makes everything so neat and complete on the inside.

My friend Beth and I made one up for her son Nathaniel too. Isn't it darling? I just love the lime green with the navy and the adorable appliqué N.

This is a great size for a pre-schooler. Big enough for regular size paper, but not so big that it comes down past their knees. And there is plenty of room for all the extra things Ivy takes along with us. It was especially nice to have on our most recent trip to California to visit family.

Pleated Jumper

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Thu, 01 May 2014 00:46:00 +0000

I am extremely selective about the patterns I buy. I guess it’s because I've sewn with a lot of really terrible (cheap) patterns. Sewing with bad patterns turned me off of patterns for a long time. But my dear friend Nicole introduced me to Oliver+S. They quickly changed all my opinions about patterns.

I like to get my money’s worth and I've never been let down by Oliver+S. I love their patterns. They are usually a bit pricier, but take it from a cheap-o like me, they are worth the money. I have learned so much from the patterns I've bought from them and have become a MUCH better seamstress. What I love most about them is they thoroughly explain why you would need to do x, y, z to make your garment look its best. I love knowing the proper way to do things.

Since I don’t own a lot of patterns I like to get ones that are basic, classic and can be used as a base for slight alterations to make other patterns. Enter the Music Box Jumper. This jumper is pleated with buttons down the back. I had only done pleats once before and was excited for the challenge and SIX button holes down the back, well you can never have too much practice with button holes.

Ivy’s is coral lime polka-dot corduroy, which has been great all winter with a long white sleeve shirt and tights. And I think it will transition nicely into spring and summer too, with its bright cheerful color.

Gwen’s is classic chambray. She already had several adorable patterned onesies that didn't have anything to go with them, so I made something basic that could last a little while. The buttons are salvaged from a thrifted grey wool skirt of mine. It had a hole in it, so I removed the buttons before tossing it in my up-cycle pile.

I have been really happy with these jumpers and I am glad I took the extra step of edge stitching the folds of the pleats, so they are easier to iron and stay sharper longer. It definitely took more time, but it was totally worth it.

First Post Here I Come!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:19:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to Baron Threads.

I’m Erin and I love to sew! My journey of learning to sew has been a wonderful one. I’ve overcome a lot of fears and predetermined mindsets of what I was capable of. My mother taught me to sew as a little girl and I remember making little clothes for my dolls.

However, I really started understanding and using patterns just a couple of years ago. I slowly started working on projects that I was scared to do, like zippers and button holes. With the help of novice seamstresses all over the internet I was able to quickly check fears off my list. While I am no expert, I feel very comfortable and at home in front of my sewing machine, and I am ready to share the projects I create.

I hope you enjoy seeing my projects which will mainly consist of children and women’s clothing, and home décor. And hopefully they will inspire you to whip out that sewing machine and get sewing! I would love to hear to from you, so please email me at baronthreads@gmail.com