Sew News and A Winner!

A BIG, BIG thank you to everyone who watched...or listened :) to the last episode of Sewbussted's Material Witness with Ellen March, editor of Sew News. I hope that many of you will take advantage of submitting article ideas. Remember, they are looking for ideas for both Sew News as well as Creative Machine Embroidery. You can find the info about submission HERE. 

Ellen very generously offered a FREE subscription to Sew News, so without further adieu...

The winner is;

Congratulations Carolyn F.!!!

Please email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing info so I can pass it along to Ellen. 

The new April/May issue of Sew News is out and in it you'll find LOTS of great info.

There's a new Master Class series. This month, the featured article is all about set-in sleeves.  

For anyone who is a little timid about sewing with knits, you'll find a very informative article that should build your confidence.

Detailed instructions will help you draft this fun bag.

Having your own custom labels makes for a fun addition to any garment. Included in the article is a discount code for 15% off from Dutch Label Shop, so your subscription begins to pay for itself! 

If you enjoy sew alongs, beginning March 14th, you'll be able to join Kimberly Payne of Straight Stitch Designs as she walks you through her Ravenna Top. It will all be on the Sew News blog.

You may remember The Clara Dress sew along that I did for Sew News. You can find links to the sew alongs I did HERE.

Today, March 10, 2017, and today only, you may purchase the pattern for 20% off! Just click HERE.

It's an easy dress to make and wear. I've made 3, and they are a summer staple in my wardrobe.

During the sew along, I showed you how to customize the pattern by adding a gathered ruffle to the collar, sleeves, and hem. I also showed you how to easily line the dress.

If you would like to purchase a subscription to Sew News, just click HERE!

Happy Sewing!

Rhonda

Sew Liberated, The Final Chapter and Announcing The Next Sew Along

If you drop by most days, then you know I'm a little behind. Actually, Sew News had technical issues with the blog this week(we all know that story all too well), so the final post for the Sew Liberated Clara Dress did not get up until yesterday. I decided to change things up a bit for the sew along and offer a little something more to the Clara Dress by adding ruffles. Here is my completed dress. It's just perfect for summer! My husband nor I noticed the plastic bag on the ground until we took a look at the pictures. Sorry about that. 

If you would like to take a look at the last installment for the Clara Dress Sew Along, you can find it here, http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/05/29/clara-dress-sew-along-final-week-finishing-details/. You will see pictures of all 3 dresses I made.
You can also take a look at the video here,


Now for the next sew along! The upcoming sew along will begin the week of June 23rd with the Summer Breeze Top from Hot Patterns.

This is a lovely top for summer. The design offers lots of possibilities that I will share with you, like color blocking and even making it into a dress with some fun and frilly details.
So how better to announce a new sew along than to have a little give away?!!!

If you would like to win a copy of the June/July issue of Sew News, just leave a message on this post. I'll announce the winner on Monday, June 2, 2014.

Here's a sneak peek at the top I made and the article.
I think you will really enjoy making this top. If you would like to get a jump on things, you can order your pattern here, http://www.hotpatterns.com/hp-1137-riviera-summer-breeze-sleeveless-tops/

The Sew Liberated Clara Dress Sew Along, Week 5

Clara has her skirt!  

And she looks as pretty on the inside as she does on the outside :)
In this week's post, we add the side seam pockets, line the skirt and attach the skirt to the bodice. The skirt is attached with a French seam, making it easy to change or adjust the elastic when needed.
You can find the post on the Sew News blog here, http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/05/19/clara-dress-sew-along-week-5/
And here is this week's video,


Next week, we'll finish the dress. I'll sew in the buttonholes, sew on the buttons and we'll talk about finishing the hem of the skirt.
Let us see your progress on the Flickr page, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2/

Sleeves!!! The Clara Dress Gets Her Sleeves

Do I ever love sleeves! This week, the Sew Liberated Clara Dress gets her sleeves. The sleeve that was designed for the dress has a keyhole opening and ties. 

This sleeve offers you the chance to customize the sleeve by adding contrasting trim.

For the sew along, I decided to show another option. Last week we discussed how to add a small ruffle to the collar. This week we're adding a ruffle to the sleeve and eliminating the keyhole opening. The sleeve ruffle is a nice complement to the collar ruffle.

By making a small change, the dress takes on a very different look.
This week's blog post covers both the keyhole sleeve as well as the non keyhole version. You can find the post here,  http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/05/12/clara-dress-sew-along-week-4-sleeves/ and the video is attached below.



You can also follow along on the Flickr page found here, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2/
Next week we will attach the skirt. I'll show you a very easy method that allows you to easily adjust the waist once the dress is finished. We will also add a lining to the skirt. The skirt includes side seam pockets, so next week's post will be packed with information!

Sew Liberated Clara Dress, Bodice and Collar Construction

This week's video and tutorial for the Sew Liberated Clara Dress Sew Along is up on the Sew News blog. You can find it here,  http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/05/05/clara-dress-sew-along-week-3-collar-construction/

There are a few added features that I've added. This dress has a ruffle detail that I am adding to the collar, sleeves and hem. 

In the blog post I discuss how I added the ruffle to the collar.

 I also talk about adding a lining to the bodice.

 And we also discuss sewing on the front placket.

Here's this week's video,



Next week we'll discuss the sleeves. I will go over the keyhole version that is shown on the pattern and I will also talk about doing the sleeve without the keyhole and adding a ruffle that will compliment the ruffle that I added to the collar. Here's a sneak peak of the sleeve

Be sure to check out the Flickr page. You can find it here, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2/. We would love to see your fabric choices and watch your progress, so be sure to upload your pictures!

Sew Liberated, Week 2

A glamour shot!!!!! A picture of what the set actually looks like. Maybe not so glamorous, but lots of fun nonetheless! 

If you have started following the videos for the Sew Liberated Clara Dress Sew Along, this week's video is ready to view.


There is a blog post that accompanies the video and you can find it here, http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/04/28/clara-dress-sew-along-week-2/
Next week we will begin the actual sewing. I'm adding a lining to my dress and I am also adding a trim to the collar and hem. So be sure to come back to see what I add!
Check out the Flickr page and post your fabric choices! You can find the Flickr page here, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2/  I would love to see what you've chosen.

The Sew Liberated Clara Dress Sew Along Begins!

Good Morning Everyone! The sew along for the Sew Liberated Clara dress has officially started. If you would like to join along and you have not purchased your pattern, there's still time, as this week we are just talking about fabric choice and a few tips on cutting.

The pattern is out of stock in the Sew News store, but you can easily purchase the pattern directly from Sew Liberated, http://sewliberated.com/products/clara-dress-sewing-pattern . When I purchased my pattern, I bought it directly from Sew Liberated. The ordering process was easy and my pattern arrived within just a few days. All around, a very nice experience.  

You can find the this week's blog post here,  http://www.sewnews.com/blogs/sewing/2014/04/21/clara-dress-sew-along-week-1/

Next week I'll show you the finished dress I did for the videos. I will be making the dress again for the sew along and I will be using the cotton voile that you see above. Be sure to see the blog post as I will be adding a few features to my sew along dress that I did not do in the video.

If you would like to take a look at the video, I've posted it here for you.

 

I'm so happy that the weather is finally beginning to warm up so I can wear my dress again. I made the original dress last August. Before I sent it off to Sew News, I managed to wear it twice. Now, I do not have a shortage of clothes to wear ;), but I found the dress so comfortable and easy to wear that it was difficult to let it go. By the way, the dress works well with a sweater on days that are a little chilly. As you can see, I really like the dress and I hope you'll like yours as well.
If you are participating in the sew along, be sure to post your fabric choice on the Flickr page, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2/. I know everyone will enjoy seeing what you've chosen. 

Getting Close to Being Sew Liberated!

The Sew Liberated Clara Dress sew along is fast approaching and I have a magazine to give away, YEA!!!

The magazine has a number of wonderful articles, like how to make your own version of the beautiful cover skirt.

 A great article on bra making.

I don't know about you, but I go through garden gloves like crazy, so I am especially excited about this how to article and the free downloadable pattern. You'll be seeing my version soon.

 And lastly, the Sew Liberated Clara Dress sew along info.

If you would like a chance to win, just leave a message on this post. I'll announce the winner this Friday, April 11, 2014.  Good Luck!!! Remember, I'll send it anywhere, so don't be timid about entering.
We also have a Flickr group that you can join. It's a great way to show off your creations and I love seeing what you make! Here's a link, https://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2
If you would like to order the pattern, here's a link, http://www.shopsewitall.com/product/clara-dress-pattern-by-sew-liberated/patterns. The sew along will begin April 21st, so there's still plenty of time to get your pattern.
Next week, I'll show you the dress I made for the videos. I think it is rather cute if I say so myself ;)

Sew Liberated On Flickr and a Discount

I just received an email with a link to the Sew Liberated Clara Dress Flickr page. You can find it here, http://www.flickr.com/groups/sn_sewalong2
Notions and fabric requirements have been posted there, so you can take a look and see if a piece of fabric that you have in your stash will work. Nothing better than using up something from your stash and getting a great garment in the process! My dress is a spring/summer dress, but you might want to think about something for fall. A lightweight wool would be lovely, maybe even a summer weight gauzey wool.

I also received an email this afternoon announcing the semi-annual customer appreciation sale at Sew It All/Sew News. Everything in their store is 15% off. It includes patterns, notions, magazines, kits, books, whatever is in the store. This is a nice opportunity to get your Clara dress pattern with a little bit of a discount. Use coupon code SEWCA14 at checkout to get your discount. The sale runs through March 20th.
So, if you are thinking that you would like to sew along, or just watch what everyone else is doing, jump on over to the Flickr page and sign up! I would love to have you :)

Rhonda

Get Liberated!

If you followed along with the Amy Butler Beautiful Belle Handbag sew along and enjoyed it, I have some good news for you. There will be five more sew alongs throughout this year!! The next one will be the Clara Dress from Sew Liberated patterns. 

It's a lovely dress. Before I sent mine off to Sew News, I wore it twice. I had a hard time letting it go. It's so comfortable and easy to throw on. The dress is now on its way back to me, just in time for spring, that is if we ever have a spring. They are forecasting 6" to 8"of snow for tomorrow. WILL IT EVER END???? I guess that's what I get for saying that I enjoy winter. I'll keep my mouth closed next year ;)     

Above is a picture of me in the dress and below the much lovelier model, the picture that you'll see in the magazine. I added 2" to the length of the dress. I'm 5'6" tall. With the extra 2" to the length, it falls just mid knee on me. The model is shorter than I am and you can see that the additional 2" would not have been necessary for her. If you decide to make the dress, the 2 pictures will give you an idea of whether or not you want to add length to the skirt.

The dress has a beautiful neckline, just the perfect depth for necklaces.

For the videos, I used a combination of these 2 fabrics. You'll have to wait for the video to find out why I used 2 fabrics rather than just the 1. You can probably figure out that it was  a panic situation that brought this to be. I'll début the dress when the videos are released. It's rather cute if I may say so :) 

Here's the schedule;
Week 1: April 21- Fabric Choice and Layout
Week 2: April 28- Fitting
Week 3: May 5- Bodice and Collar
Week 4: May 12- Sleeves
Week 5: May 19- Attaching the Skirt and Fitting the Waist
Week 6: May 26- Buttons and Finishing Details

If you would like to follow along, here's a link for the pattern, http://www.shopsewitall.com/product/clara-dress-pattern-by-sew-liberated/patterns
There will be a Flickr group just as there was for the Amy Butler bag. As soon as it is up, I'll let you know so you can start posting your fabric selections.
I had so much fun doing the last sew along and I think this one will also be a lot of fun as well!
So get your pattern and get ready!!!!
Rhonda