see kate sew

may sponsor giveaway!

2012-05-26T10:55:00.000-04:00

This month's group giveaway is loaded with over $125 worth of loot! It will all go to one winner. Check it out:

LIZ ANN NECESSITIES: "When I was younger and attended arts and craft fairs, I always thought

it would be fun to create something to sell. But really, I neverthought it would really happen - but it did. The process of creatinga purse pattern, picking out fabric, sewing things together and thenselling them is really something I love. And the part I love the mostis that each purse that I make is a one-of-a-kind."

Imagine Gnats on Etsy // Blog // Facebook // Flickr // Pinterest

IMAGINE GNATS: "i'm rachael, the all-around crafty lady behind imagine gnats, a blog where you can read about my crafty adventures and an etsy shop where you can get in on the action. i make dolls, skirts, purses and bags, all of which are also available for custom order (my favorite thing to do). you'll also find graphic prints, some featuring my original illustrations, accessories, and whatever else strikes my fancy."

Ruby Jean's Closet on Etsy // Blog // Facebook

RUBY JEAN'S CLOSET: "Ruby Jean's Closet is a collection of modern PDF sewing patterns with vintage appeal. They're cute, and sweet and require only basic sewing skills. The patterns, conveniently sent to your email inbox, are crammed full of detailed pictures for every step. You'll print the pattern pieces on your home computer and assemble them using our easy to follow diagram. That's it -- you're ready to sew your heart out!!!"

Casa Crafty on Etsy // Blog // Facebook

CASA CRAFTY: " I love laminates. I love the versatility, the ease of cleaning

and the fun patterns that are becoming available. Most of all I lovehaving a bag made of laminate, which is why I started making bags. Iwanted them for myself. From large totes to the smallest pocket bookclutch. At Casa Crafty you will find a unique gift for yourself orsomeone else in the most current patterns. And guess what? You canwipe them clean!! I also carry some yardage of laminated Echino. Geta yard and have fun crafting!"

Curtsay Designs on Etsy // Facebook // Blog // Twitter // Pinterest

CURTSAY DESIGNS: "Hey ya'll, I'm Lindsay! I'm married to my handsome computer geek, a mother of 2 smiley blonde boys, and a lover of all things crafty. I grew up as a dancer and now use crochet and other crafts as my creative outlet. Enter, Curtsay Designs, a mish-mash of mine and my husband's names, but also an homage to my first love, dance. It keeps me from idly staring at the computer during nap time, challenges me as I make new patterns, and makes me happy! I love making crochet patterns for all things baby, and once in a while a little fun for the moms too. "

Raspberry Creek Fabric on Etsy // Facebook (like for exclusive coupon codes!)

RASPBERRY CREEK FABRIC: "Boy fabrics, cute ones are so hard to find! I'm am constantly on the look out for new 'cute' boy fabrics. I try to keep a balance of 'old v new' collections in my shop. We've all bought fabric, started a project, put the project away....two years later we finally decide to finish the project but find out we're short on fabrics. I try to keep fabric in stock long enough, and carry a selection of 'older' prints, to remedy this problem. On the other hand, it is really fun to have the newest prints and fabric lines before anyone else does :) I try to balance this in my shop.

I also offer and Etsy sellers discount (really a discount for anyone who has an online shop) It give 10% off on all orders of fabric when the fabric is used to make items they'll sell in their shops (no minimum yard requirement). Contact me through Etsy for more details."

FashionArtProjects.com // Twitter // YouTube // Pinterest // Facebook

FASHION ART PROJECTS: " At FashionArtProjects.com you’ll find inspiring fashion designs and instructional “how to” information for our Next Style™ brand of fashion crafting products available at Walmart. Mix and match our iron on appliqués, rhinestones and transfers to make clothing, home décor pieces and accessory items for you or a friend. Follow our blog to see the latest DIY fashion ideas and trends!"

to enter:

1) Leave a comment here with your email address

additional entries

+Like each of our sponsors on Facebook and leave a separate comment here for each one that you like! (Up to 7 entries!)

+Like see kate sew on Facebook and leave another comment!

Giveaway open to US residents only. Will end May 31st, winner will be announced on this post shortly thereafter!

summer sewing goals

2012-05-25T09:01:00.000-04:00

I love new goals for new seasons. This summer is a little challenging since we're on a long trip without a serger and without so many of my sewing supplies. So I thought it appropriate to make a few sewing goals just for this summer.

+Sew 5 new blouses for myself. I know that sounds like a lot but apparently I stink at packing for long summer trips and only brought about 5 shirts with me. I'm so bored already! Luckily, I have lots of fabric ready!

+Sew shorts for Little C. I don't know why I haven't done this yet.

+Learn to use my new rolled hem foot. (So excited about this one!)

+Use a few sergerless seam finishing methods that I normally don't use. (Serger less summer, wahh!)

+Sew a pair of leggings for myself.

+Sew a few presents for Little C's upcoming second birthday (what!!)

Lots of me sewing, some boy sewing and learning new techniques. Sounds about right! I'm keeping it pretty short since there is so much stuff to do outside of sewing this summer, like family get-togethers and bike rides. Oh, and eating coconut popsicles.

What are some of your summer sewing goals?

Melissa wearing my jumper!

2012-05-24T14:16:00.002-04:00

Head over to ISLY today to see Melissa wearing the jumper I showed you last week! She styled it so well!

cows + the look of love dress by shabby apple

2012-05-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

look of love dress: c/o shabby apple // floral flats: f21

This dress is the Look of Love dress from Shabby Apple's smokin' new line Twin Palms! This is the cutest summer line. As soon as I opened the package I could tell this dress was a good one, the fabric is really high quality and it's such a bold color. I love the the little bow on the waist and the gathers at the bust. I have always loved Shabby Apple's one-piece outfits with super intricate design details. It's so easy to not have to worry about layering or too-short dresses and to look cute while doing it.

Anyways, it's cute huh? It might be my new favorite Shabby Apple dress. We took these pictures in front of real California cows on the side of a road. They are so happy.

photoshop elements: eye boost tutorial

2012-05-23T09:01:00.000-04:00

Messing with eyes in photoshop is probably the most trendy thing to do right now and there are lots of ways to do it. Here is the way I usually add some contrast and boost. I did this in Adobe Photoshop Elements , but you can also do it in CS versions. Ready?

> Open File

Layer>Duplicate Layer... (Command + J)

Click okay

Now you'll have two identical layers:

Zoom in a little so you can see the eyes, then adjust the Levels on your new layer.

Enhance>Adjust Lighting> Levels

Looking ONLY at the eyes (Don't worry about what the background is doing) lighten and darken your eyes as desired. I always pull the little white triangle on the right pretty far to the left and pull the little black triangle on the left just a tad to the right. This adjusts the amounts of black and white in your image and helps boost contrast.

Once you have your levels where you want them, click okay. If you zoom out your photo will be way overexposed, but don't freak out!

Now, with the top layer highlighted, click on the little rectangle with a circle in it to add a layer mask.

The layer mask will come up as a white box on the right of your layer.

Command + I will inverse the box, making it black and erasing the levels adjustments you just made.

Now paint over the eyes with a white paintbrush to reveal the levels changes only where you want them.

Adjust the opacity on the layer so you don't have an alien baby!

Nice!

Now flatten the image. There are a few more little things you can do to make the eyes pop even more.

First, create a new layer

With a thin black paintbrush outline the rims of the eye. Lower the opacity. Flatten. Then do the same with white over the highlights.

Set the layer blending mode to lighten and lower the opacity to make it look more realistic.

Flatten the image again and you're done !

Pretty little baby eyes!

Did you enter the Photoshop Elements Giveaway yet? Do it!

The Button Up Refashion Swap: Color Blocked Peter Pan dress

2012-05-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is the dress that Miranda from One Little Minute designed and sewed just for me! Isn't it cute! She used two men's shirts in white and blue to make a color blocked dress that fits me perfectly! I styled it with my ruffle flower headband and some floral flats. I love wearing the dress!

You can see how Miranda made this dress with a full tutorial here!

Also check out the other refashions that are being modeled this week:

Mon: Lizzie of Cotton & Curls, Krista of Lazy Saturdays

Tues: Sunni of A Fashionable Stitch, Kate of See Kate Sew

Weds: Suzannah of Adventures in Dressmaking, Miranda of One Little Minute

Thurs:Miriam of MadMim, Melissa of I Still Love You

Fri: Megan of Megan Nielsen Design, Jennifer of Grainline Studio

custom dress giveaway!

2012-05-21T14:08:00.002-04:00

One more giveaway to complete the epic weekend of the Solar Eclipse Giveaway Overload (I just made that up, catchy huh?).

This one is from eShakti ! I've told you about eShakti before and I still think they are awesome! I am always pining after at least 10 of their dresses. If you're new to eShakti you can get $20 off your first purchase! (That's a stellar deal since most of their dresses are in the $50 range) The best part about eShakti is you can customize any dress! Add sleeves, add length, customize the waist/bust/hip size! It will fit you perfectly. How cool is that!?

Win an item of your choice (with custom styling if you choose!) from eShakti!

To enter:

Mandatory: Visit eShakti and come back telling me which item you would choose. Include your email address!

Additional entries:
+Like eShakti on Facebook and leave a comment here telling me that you do.
+Follow eShakti on Pinterest and leave a comment here telling me you do.

This giveaway will close May 31st at midnight. Open to US and Canada residents only. Void where prohibited.

And don't forget to enter the other giveaways:
5 Pattern Giveaway from Ruby Jean's Closet (2 winners)
Photoshop Elements 9 Giveaway

Photoshop Elements Giveaway! CLOSED

2012-05-20T12:01:00.000-04:00

*****The winner is Charissa! Check your email!****

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 GIVEAWAY!!

I'm an Adobe groupie (as you can read about in this post), but this is not sponsored by Adobe in anyway. As I've said before Photoshop is seriously magical. I don't know how else to explain it. And I have an extra copy of it to give away!

I got a new toy that came with a free copy of Photoshop Elements. So, I have an extra, legal copy of Photoshop Elements 9 that I thought one of you lovely readers might want it. It works on PC and Mac and it is an awesome piece of software. I'll ship it right to ya!

To enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post with your email address and why you NEED Photoshop Elements!

additional entries:
+Like see kate sew on facebook and then leave a comment here telling me you do.
+Follow see kate sew on Twitter and tell me about it here!
+Follow see kate sew on Pinterest and leave a comment here.
+Share this giveaway on facebook or twitter, tagging @seekatesew and leave a comment for each (up to 2 entries)

That is up to 7 entries! Good luck!

This giveaway will end May 26 at midnight. Giveaway winner will be announced on this post on May 27. Open to US residents only. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited. Chances of winning depends on number of entries!

ruby jeans closet pattern giveaway! CLOSED

2012-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

****The winners are Rona and Tara!****

Today we have a giveaway from a pattern company you'll love, Ruby Jean's Closet! This shop is full of adorable patterns with vintage flair! (And I spy some ruffles, too!) Above are a few of my favorite patterns: 1. Adele Twirl Dress 2. Aubrey Bow Dress 3. Gwendolyn Cape 4. Peggy Sue Ruffle Dress 5. Lexi Skirt 6. Garden Party Dress.

2 winners will get to choose 5 patterns each!

To enter:

1) Check out Ruby Jean's Closet and leave a comment here with your email address and one pattern that you would choose.

For additional entries:
+Like Ruby Jean's Closet on facebook and leave a comment here telling me you do
+Follow Ruby Jean's Closet the blog and leave a comment here.

Introduction to Photoshop Elements

2012-05-18T09:01:00.000-04:00

With the recent closure of picnik there has been a lot of talk of other photo editing software throughout the blogosphere. It seems that a lot of people relied on picnik for free and easy editing. There are other free editing websites and softwares available. But free is not always the best choice! (What! Gasp now!) Today I'm going to tell you about Photoshop as a segue into a few Photoshop tutorials I have coming!

Photoshop CS6 is at a price point that I would say is expensive (ahem, like a thousand bucks). But, Photoshop Elements is at a price point that is totally affordable ($100 on Adobe.com or $75 on Amazon)! That is practically free for what you're getting! Elements does not have all the capabilities of CS. If you're serious about photography, I definitely recommend CS6. If you're only really using Photoshop for blogging and/or family pictures, Elements will a lot!

Every single picture that goes on this blog is edited in either Photoshop CS5 or Photoshop Elements 9, or sometimes both(which is totally unnecessary but sometimes happens). I even do simple edits such as adjusting light and contrast and cropping to all of my tutorial step-by-step pictures. I also add text in Photoshop, watermark some photos, and crop them to just the right size and resolution so they load quicker(and so companies in other countries can't steal them and put them on a billboard). It is magical, there is no other way to explain it!

Here are some examples of things Photoshop can do:

Place two photos into one image:

Create product collages:

Highlight catchlights, soften skin, and add watermarks:

Add text and colored boxes:

Add text and arrows:

Turn photos to black and white:

Blur the background:

And lots more! It's amazing.

If you still don't believe me you can take Photoshop Elements for a test drive for 30 days at Adobe.com so you can play around with it. Then if you like it you can just buy a code and keep it forever! It's cheaper on Amazon though, and then you get an actual cd that way! Best 75 bucks you'll ever spend!

Do you have Photoshop? Do you love it, too?

This is not at all sponsored by Adobe, by the way.

The Button Up Refashion Swap

2012-05-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

This tutorial is a men's shirt to women's jumper refashion and is part of a 10 Blogger Refashion Swap! We were all given the measurements of one blogger to sew for and handed our measurements to another blogger. I sewed a jumper for Melissa and Miranda made me a sweet dress! Next week we'll all model our new clothes for you, but today, there are 10 refashion tutorials around blogland, including mine here!

The other bloggers involved are:

Jennifer of Grainline Studio

Krista of Lazy Saturdays

Liz of Cotton & Curls

Megan of Megan Nielsen Designs

Melissa of I Still Love You

Miranda of One Little Minute

Miriam of MadMim

Sunni of A Fashionable Stitch

Suzannah of Adventures in Dressmaking

I made a yellow striped jumper for the Men's Refashion Swap for Melissa but totally didn't take pictures of it! Silly me. I was on a deadline and in the middle of moving across the country if that justifies it. But I did have the pleasure of meeting Melissa in real life while I was in Salt Lake last month. She's cooler than her blog makes her out to be, which is pretty cool!

Anyways, I had a ton of fun making the jumper so I made another one the same way and had my friend Katie(isn't she cute!) model it. Melissa of ISLY will model the jumper I made for her next week. I'm anxious to see it!

To make a jumper out of a men's shirt, you need a large men's shirt, about 1/2 yard of contrast fabric to line the bodice about 1/4 yard for pockets and little scraps for an optional collar. I made the tutorial with the collars but took them out for the final product. Melissa's jumper has the collars though, so you'll see them next week!

To make the skirt piece, cut off the sleeves and the top off your shirt, leaving most of the armhole. Then measure to your desired length and straighten up the bottom.

To add the pockets:

1. Cut out two big partial ovals using the armhole as a guide for the sides. 2. Pin the pocket pieces to the armholes, right sides together. 3. Sew at 1/4" and press. 4. Stitch the seam allowance to the pocket at 1/8". 5. Pin pocket pieces together 6. Sew around the edges. 7. Tuck the pocket in and tack together at the top. 8. Done!

Finish the bottom edge with a clean hem. I folded my hem over twice, pressed and sewed it into place at 1/4".

To make the front bodice piece, grab one of your sleeves and cut it open along the side seam. Then, straighten the bottom by cutting off the curved piece. Finally, cut out the middle in the shape you want to use. If you don't want a front bodice piece, you can just makes straps with the sleeve.

If you want to add a little faux collar, here is how:

1. Cut out two layers of each collar and 1 layer of interfacing. 2. Fuse the interfacing to the collar pieces. 3. Pin collar pieces right sides together. 4. Stitch at 1/8"-1/4". 5. Pink the edges 6. Turn and press.

Sew on really close to the edge.

Use your bodice piece to trace another layer in another fabric. Pin it on right sides together and stitch all the way around, leaving the bottom edge open. Turn.

Put a button hole at the top of each strap on the front bodice piece.

Then make two more straps to extend from the front of your jumper to the top of the skirt on the back. Cut 2 1/2" strips and line with your contrast fabric. Turn and press.

At this point, all of the elements of your jumper are finished! We just have to put them together. For the final step, you'll need a 3" wide strip to face the skirt with.

To finish the jumper, serge one edge of the facing strip and then follow these steps:

1. Lay the front bodice piece right side down at the top of the skirt piece. Pin the facing right side down on top of that. 2. Put the back straps where you want them and wrap the facing around to the back. 3. When the facing meets in the middle, fold it back the other way, making sure to overlap a little. 4. Stitch the facing on at 1/2". 5. Flip the facing down. 6. Topstitch around the skirt, sewing a casing with the facing at about 1.5".

Feed elastic through the overlap in the casing and sew it together.

Sew buttons onto the back straps and you're finished!

This is such a fun project and it uses most of the men's shirt! The bigger the shirt you can find the better.

Thanks for checking out my refashion! Don't forget to check all the others from Grainline Studio, Lazy Saturdays, Cotton & Curls, Megan Nielsen Designs, I Still Love You, One Little Minute, MadMim, A Fashionable Stitch, and Adventures in Dressmaking!

stamp out stains: boy shirt refashion

2012-05-16T16:08:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I have learned about raising kids, it is that things are MESSY! Cohen has stains on so many of his clothes, and I hate to throw them out. It's unavoidable! So, here's an easy was to "stamp out" the stains with rubber stamps. Really, I just stamped all over the shirt to distract any onlookers from ever seeing any stains. They are technically still there, but you can't tell and you're left with a cool new shirt!

You need: fabric stamping ink. I've had this forever, but here is a similar product. A fabric stamp pad allows you to use rubber stamps on fabric. The ink is thin and won't bleed or be splotchy like fabric paint.

You also need a cool stamp! I got this camera stamp at Hobby Lobby.

*Tip: Stamp all the way to the edge and the let stamps bleed over, it will make it look more like pre-printed fabric and finish the look of the project.

If the stain is placed just right you can probably get away with just stamping right on top of the stain instead of all over.

What's your favorite way to get rid of stains?

crocheted cuties

2012-05-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

I got a little package in the mail from Curtsay Designs the other day! I was excited to see what was inside..a crocheted bow tie for Cohen and a pretty little flower pin/clip for me! I was so impressed with the packaging and branding. Check it out:

Curtsay Designs has PDF crochet patterns if you love to crochet!
Lindsay, the creator, also has a sweet blog called Love City and you can find Curtsay on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks Curtsay Designs, you rock!

exposed zippers part 2

2012-05-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

I showed you one way to put an exposed zipper on a garment, by simply sewing it right on top, a little while ago. Here's another way to put an exposed zipper in a seam. This method gives you a cleaner and less deconstructed look while still giving you that pop of color and metal (or plastic!). I was making a bodice piece when I inserted this zipper, so if you're adding a zipper to a longer garment you'll have to adjust the bottom part by tapering the seam into the zipper.

Start by serging or finishing both sides of the garment where the zipper will be installed.

Then fold over 1/2" and press.

Pin the zipper to the folded over edge like so.

Using a zipper foot, sew at 1/8" to attach the zipper and the bodice piece.

Repeat for the other side and you're done!

P.S. The fabric is from Modern Fabric Studio! I love it!

60s tent dress for Vintage May

2012-05-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Vintage May at CINO and skirt as top has begun! Click over to Jess' blog to see details about my Sixties Tent Dress!

I love the sixties! What's your favorite fashion decade?

neon banded cardigan refashion

2012-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been going through my whole closet deciding what stays and what goes. It's a purging that is very much needed! I have this crop top shirt that is way too short to wear alone, and just a strange shape, boxy and short. I love it though, for some reason, so I decided to let it stay. I cut it into a cardigan and banded the new edges with a bright pink fabric. I love it!

Materials:
1 crop top shirt
about 1/2 yard bright fabric
rotary cutter/ruler

Use your ruler to help you cut right down the middle of your shirt.

Make some binding. Cut out 2.5" strips of fabric on the bias. Sew them together if you need to. Then press one of the long edges over 1/4". Press over the bottom edge 1/2" twice.

Now, pin the unpressed edge of your bias binding to the inside of your shirt.

Sew it on at 1/2".

Then fold the pressed edge over to the front of your cardigan. Sew it on by topstitching about 1/8" from the edge.

Done! Enjoy your new cardigan!

dear wild boy,

2012-05-14T01:18:00.002-04:00

That day when you entered this world, broke my tailbone and made me a mama was the best day ever. I love you little buddy!

love,

mama

we arrived.

2012-05-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, a few days ago. Man, California is making me l.a.z.y! Or maybe I'm still recovering from a 6 day road trip across the country with a toddler? I'd just like to thank Sonic ice, this dvd player(must have!) and chips for keeping my boy mostly happy for 40+ hours in the car. Sweet kid.

Right now I'm working on getting my sewing space set up. The hardest part of moving was cleaning out my old sewing room. I tried not to get emotional about it, but we've had some good times in there the last year or so! It was tough. And even tougher was deciding what sewing supplies to bring! I packed away my serger for the summer along with three (ahem, huge black garbage) bags full of fabric. I brought along about 7 patterns and 15 cuts of fabric. I didn't expect it, but I feel so liberated with minimal sewing supplies! I do miss a few things, but it will be a good summer of sewing. I'm so much more focused now that I have less stuff! I'm excited to share my new tiny sewing space when it all comes together, too!

Anyways, hello from California! I hope you have a great weekend!

Mollie Makes Feature

2012-05-10T20:30:00.001-04:00

I'm in a magazine! Mollie Makes emailed me a few weeks ago asking to print my lace headband tutorial in their May Issue! And it's here! I wish I had the tangible version right now, but until then, this will have to do!

Thanks Mollie Makes for the feature! If you see this on a newsstand will you turn to page 22 and tell me how it looks?

And how cute are those felt macaroons on the cover?

motor skills tee

2012-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

AKA the "Check out my fine motor skills, I'm 20 months old!" tee. I get so sentimental about these little baby developmental stages. While Cohen was drawing one day I thought of this idea to preserve his cute little scribbles, a scribble tee! It's simple to do and can be such a great way to keep a memory. I think it would be equally as fun with an older child's drawing.

When I was in Kindergarten had a shirt that had a picture I drew printed on the front. It had a momma horse and about 5 baby horses. They had stringy hair. I was so proud of it and I LOVED wearing it and telling the story about the horses that were on it and how there was one inside the momma's belly. (Weird kid.) So I think this can be a great project for building confidence and encouraging creativity in kids that are a little bit older.

1. You'll need a drawing from your kid and a plain white tee.

2. Cut out around the drawing and pin it onto your shirt.

3. Trace along the lines with your sewing machine.

4. Make sure to backstitch each time you pick up the presser foot.

5. Continue until you've traced all the lines.

6. Gently peel off the paper. You might have to wash it to get the tiny pieces out. And you're done!

The scribble tee in action!

Stop growing! No just kidding, I love watching you grow little boy!

(As I type this my little scibbler is asleep on the floor in front of his door. His newest developmental milestone is jumping out of his crib in 3 seconds flat, landing on his feet. Which also means the end of naptime. Which means fussy nights and sleeping on the floor. It's never dull over here, guys! I love it!)

Anyways, you can do this technique on other things besides a white tshirt. Do you have any ideas? I'd love to hear!

vagabond summer

2012-05-08T11:00:00.000-04:00

One of the perks of unemployment (did you know there are perks?) is that you can go anywhere you want. We hit the road last week, on a trip across the country. We're headed to sunny California to hang out with my parents and the sunshine all summer long. Summer is our favorite season! Right now we're in the Rockies and have one more leg to finish our trip. I'll tell you more about our drive later! If you want to see more pictures from our trip you can follow me on twitter or instagram (@seekatesew).

suspenders + bow tie tee

2012-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

All this ruffling has made me feel just a little guilty that I haven't sewn for my sweet BOY in a while. Over the next few weeks I have a few boy projects I'll be sharing here and there! I hope you enjoy!

Sundays mornings usually turn into a struggle between mama and baby. Mama says "But bow ties are so cute." Baby says "I don't have time for that" by running away. So I thought of this idea, a bow tie that won't pull off, and suspenders that have no function aside from being cute! Comfort for baby, cuteness for mommy. Win-win.

I used an old men's shirt to make the bow tie look very menswear, but you can also use any fabric. You'll also need thread to match your twill tape.

You want a no-fuss bow tie/suspender tee too?

Then make the bow tie:

To make the bow tie: 1) cut out 2 rectangles 5.5 inches by 7.5 inches for the bow and a strip 2.25 inches by 5 inches for the middle part. 2) Fold both rectangles in half and pin. 3) Sew all the way around the edges at 1/4" leaving a 2 inch opening on the long edge, in the middle. Turn. 4) Fold over the long edges of the middle strip about 1/2". Press. 5) Stack the two bow pieces and wrap the strip around the middle. 6) Pinch the middle piece around the bow pieces. 7) Sew the strip ends together on the back.

Tack the bottom of the bow tie on both sides using your sewing machine. Make sure to backstitch to make it sturdy.

Done!

Getting a simple tee shirt on a baby is so much easier than a buttonup/bowtie and suspenders!

night crafting + a giveaway!

2012-05-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

***The winner is Michelle***

OttLite Review and Giveaway!

The lovely folks at OttLite sent me one of their lighting units (the flexible clip-on lamp) to review. I've always been intrigued by the OttLite promise of true light and accurate coloring, but never really saw a use for the lights...until I started crafting at night! Man, the HD lighting makes a difference!

Since I blog about most of my projects and give tutorials for lots of them, the photography is so important. Typically I wait until naptime to make things because if I'm putting together a tutorial the pictures come out horrible at night! With my new OttLite, I can not only craft at night but also PHOTOGRAPH at night. If you have young kids and/or a blog, you know how huge of a deal this is!

These photos were taken while I was putting together the geometric fabric scrap tutorial that I posted yesterday. After my project had dried, it was nighttime so I finished the tutorial with the OttLite. The photos on the left were taken under OttLite lighting, while the others where taken with the OttLite off, using my standard room lighting. Major difference. There is no way I'd put the regular lighting pictures on my blog.

The colors are way more accurate, too! Plus my little OttLite clamps right onto the edge of my white table and the neck moves around. I'm really happy with my new friend OttLite. I totally recommend it to night crafters or even daytime crafters with bad light!

And guess what!

OttLite sent me an extra of the same light to give to one of YOU!

To enter:

1) Leave a comment with your email address and tell me how you'd use your OttLite.

2) Follow OttLite on Twitter and/or Facebook. Leave a separate comment for each.

3) Like see kate sew on Facebook and/or twitter and leave a separate a comment for each.

This giveaway will end Wednesday at midnight.

DIY geometric fabric scrap necklace

2012-05-04T12:23:00.000-04:00

If you're a fabric gawker like me, you probably have lots of teeny tiny scraps that you just can't get rid of. Those really pretty ones that you love but really can't use. Here's a quick and easy project that will let you showcase that fabric!

Materials:
-scraps of pleather or leather, cut into triangles
-scarps of fabric, cut into smaller triangles.
-mod podge
-metal chain

Other supplies:
-needlenose pliers
-paintbrush or foam brush
-needle for poking holes

1. Stack your fabric on top of your pleather and adhere together with mod podge.
2. Use your brush to cover the fabric with mod podge and push out any air bubbles.
3. Let dry.
4. Once dry, poke two holes at the top of each triangle with a needle.
5. Open up the ends of the chain with pliers.
6. Insert into hole and close.

Done! You can check out this necklace styled with an outfit right here!

bow shoes + crochet tops

2012-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

crochet top: Asian iCandy // pant: f21 // shoes: big buddha // bag: vintage // necklace: diy

The official return of the outfit post. I think my last one was on Christmas.

I'll show you how to make that necklace tomorrow. Get yer mod podge ready!