Aspen

Lately I have been seeing this cute oversized sweater everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. At Target, at TJ Max, in ads on Facebook, pins on Pinterest. Every where I look there it was. sadly, I couldn’t find a pattern to recreate it. Then as always Made for Mermaids came through yet again. The Aspen was introduced to the world. Yes, It is oversized but it is so cute. Plus all the different options make this pattern a must have for this and upcoming seasons.

I made a high neck, bell sleeves, banded tunic in a nice medium weight rib knit. This was such a easy and quick sew. I love how cozy this tunic is. And the sleeves are so pretty. This was perfect to take pics in while I was still under the weather. I paired it with some stretch faux leather leggings. I can’t wait to make another one. There are so many different versions I want to try.

This pattern is on sale, so grab while you can at their introductory price. If you like to match with the littles, they have youth and baby sizes as well. Check out their Facebook album to see all the other testers and styles. As always much love and many blessings.

Kismet

You can find the pattern here:

https://www.madeformermaids.com/product/womensaspen/

Types of fabrics

So let’s talk about fabrics.

Throughout the years I have worked with many different kinds of fabrics. When I first started I worked only with cotton woven. I used them to make my kids clothes. It was very easily to work with and my kids loved the prints I found. I made everything from dresses to shirts, shorts to underwear.

After about a year and a half, I decided to try knits. I knew this would be a learning curve for me and I was very intimidated by it. My husband encourage me by getting me a serger to make things a little easier. Once I started it was actually easier than expected. Now knits are my favorite fabrics to work with. I can make outfits much faster and they fit me better.

My favorite knits to work with are double brushed polyester and ponte. I love the flow of double brushed polyester and that you can use this fabric for basically anything. From dresses to leggings, it’s great. Ponte is a double knit and not as flowy. It’s best for more structured outfits or pieces, like pencil skirts or fitted dresses or bottoms even blazers.

I’ve tried other knits and they are nice but they have qualities that I’m not to crazy about. Like rayon spandex and ITY can grow with wear. Cotton Lycra curls which drives me insane. Crush velvet is the devil (I’m serious). Liverpool is very similar to ponte, but has a textured surface. Modal is a dream to work with.

Some companies provide a swatch card with different types of fabric so you can get a feel of what everything is. For me I have to be able to touch fabrics to know what I like and if it works for the project I have in mind. Thanks for coming by. As always much love and many blessings.

Jade!

You guys may have heard that Made For Mermaids released an awesome new pattern. Just in case you haven’t, it’s called Jade. Jade is available in doll, baby, girls and Women sizes. It’s awesome because it has so many options. First let me tell you about the bodice. You can choose between a tie front or a scoop neck. If you really want to change it up there’s a hack for it to be a halter. The bottom has many options as well. You can decide between a peplum, a mini dress, dress, shorts or pants. I have made four amazing outfits from this one pattern. Plus I forgot to mention above that it has pockets!!!! Get this pattern while it’s on sale.

Favorite Sewing Tools

My favorite sewing tools

When I first started sewing, I had the basic tools; scissors, pins, standard seam ripper and a chalk pen. Sometimes, I used a regular pen . Back then, I was only using woven fabrics. I was too scared to try knits.

Of course, I had a sewing machine too. It was a super basic Singer that I got from my high school when they were getting rid of them. Nothing too fancy, but it was reliable and easy to use.

Once I started reading blogs and joining online groups, I learned about these next level tools. Tools that made sewing a little easier and faster.

After taking a class at Joann’s, my instructor got us hooked on her chalk pen, so that was a given. She also told us the general info about the rotary cutter but also warned about how dangerous it could be.

Being such a newbie, I just put it on my nope list. Slicing off parts of my fingers didn’t seem like something I wanted. On the other hand (pun intended), my online community showed me the beautiful side of it; faster, more precise cuts, especially along curves. Now a days, I love my rotary cutter and rarely use my scissors. It has made my process so much more efficient.

Along with the rotary cutter, you need something to cut on so you don’t mess up your table or floor. I have three mats. Two are self healing and the third is not but it is the biggest. The self healing last longer and are more expensive but definitely worth it.

Also, if you’re going to use a rotary cutter and mat, an acrylic grid ruler is a must. Since it’s see through, you can make sure you line everything up and get a correct cut.

Another favorite is my serger. It was one of the best birthday gifts ever. I used it for finishing my seams on my woven outfits. Also for constructing my knit outfits. It’s so much faster and easier to put together knit patterns on a serger then on a sewing machine.

Last but not least, clips! These little guys don’t get enough credit. They don’t stab you and they are easy to use. I still use pins from time to time but I reach for my clips more. I mainly use them on my knit projects, especially on the thinner more slippery ones. I feel like they hold the fabric better.

These tools have made my sewing much more efficient, giving me more time to get more projects done. Check out the links below to the tools that I have. Have a blessed day 😘

Links

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-197980-1001-Stick-Rotary-Cutter/dp/B004BP6HOS

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-12-83727097J-Healing-Rotary-Cutting/dp/B000YZASYO

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-132060-1001-Piece-Ruler-Connector/dp/B07B6YFC5K

https://www.amazon.com/Brother-1034D-Thread-Serger-Differential/dp/B0000CBK1L

https://www.amazon.com/MumCraft-Multipurpose-Sewing-Package-Assorted/dp/B001PNIWT2

Hi

Hi, my name is Sylvia and I’ve been sewing for almost three years. Since I was a little girl, I wanted to learn to sew. But no one in my family sewed and I didn’t know anyone that could help me learn.

When I was in high school, I tried to learn by making costumes for the drama club I was in. It was an epic fail. Fast forward a few months after the birth of my third child. I was going through a lot of depression and feeling like I was losing myself.

My husband and mom encouraged me to do something for me. I saw that Joann’s had a Beginner’s Sewing Class coming up, so I enrolled. The day of the class, I was super nervous but excited and also a little anxious.

The teacher was so nice and patient with everyone. She went around and asked why we wanted to sew and every one stated why. I said I wanted to just make stuff. From there, she showed us step-by-step how to wind our bobbin and thread the machine.

After doing all of that and writing it down, she walked us through making a tissue holder and how to use our sewing tools. I felt so accomplished, I proudly showed off my finished product to my family once I got home. My kids were less enthused about it, but c’est la vie.

From there, I practiced with scraps of old clothes and drawing out my own patterns via instructions from videos on YouTube. Then I graduated to paper patterns, which I didn’t like very much.

Soon after that, I found indie/pdf patterns. Total game changer. It was love at first project. The instructions were so simple, so easy to follow. The fit was spot on with little to no modifications. They even had administrators available on their online groups ready to help and if they didn’t get to your answer right away, one of their followers would try to help.

It was a whole new world. A bright and beautiful one at that. Now, almost three years later, here I am and I have grown so much. I have mastered my sewing machine. I have learned how to use a serger and rotary cutter. I have learned the different types of fabrics and what works best for what.

I’m not a expert though. Sewing is a creative outlet for me and also a form of therapy. I love sewing and can’t wait to learn more. But most of all, I’m excited that you’re taking this journey with me.