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Showing posts with label sewing. Show all posts

getting crafty: my first craftsy class

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I am a part of the Craftsy* affiliate program and I will be reviewing two of their sewing classes in the next few weeks. Craftsy is a website with a ton of classes for all sorts of crafts, from sewing to crochet to cake decorating. They offer some classes for free and the more in-depth classes vary in price from the $20-$60 range. The first class I am reviewing is free for anyone with a Craftsy account! It is a bag making basics class and in it I learned to make a reversible tote bag and a zipper pouch found here: Free Online Sewing Class.*

The format of the class is awesome. It is a series of videos divided up into lessons and chapters. As the video plays, you can take your own video notes, leave questions for others taking the class, and see questions or comments others have left. You can pause and replay the video in a variety of ways, and the instruction is clear and easy to follow. You also get printable instructions that go along with the projects you are working on.

While in the free classes you do not get to ask questions of the instructor, you can read through all questions asked by those who have taken the class, post new questions, and read through a ton of answers from others in the class. This format was great for me, it was easy to follow along and having the video to help show me some of the more challenging parts of the bag construction was awesome. I am looking forward to taking more class with Craftsy and cannot wait to see what the next class is like.

Obviously, I still have a lot to learn but what I made in this class was way more technical than what I have been learning from just reading blogs. This class helped me solidify a lot of basics and gave me a clearer understanding of what I need to work on while helping me create two super cute projects (there is a very good chance this will be the year everyone gets a tote bag for birthdays and Christmas because it was really fun to make!)

Want to try out Craftsy and support this blog? Use any of the links in this post or click the banner below!

Have you taken a class with Craftsy? Tell me about it in the comments!

xoxo,
kat

getting crafty: zipper resources

*Indicates an Affiliate Link

This week I am feeling particularly crafty so I thought it might be a good time to share an extra craft related post! As I have begun sewing again one of the trickiest and most intimidating parts has been zippers. Zippers tend to be scary to most sewers when they are starting out and there is basically no reason for it. Once you start working with them it becomes clear, that like most things in sewing, it's never as bad as it seems.

So today, I wanted to share some great online resources to help you with zippers!

Installing a Basic Zipper from Make it - Love it.

Sew Mama Sew gives you a pep talk and teaches you the glue stick trick.

Craftsy Mastering Zipper Techniques Class*

Another great tutorial on zippers from Melly Sews.

And some great beginner projects featuring zippers!

Zipper pouch tutorial from Jedi Craft Girl.

Necktie zip pouch from Polka Dot Chair.

Quilted iPad Pouch with Zipper from Sew Caroline.

Know any great resources for working with zippers or great projects to try that include zippers? Post them in the comments!

xoxo,
kat

getting crafty: 4 craft blogs to get you sewing

I am still working on getting back into sewing and trying to relearn all the basics. I have mentioned before that I like starting with projects that don't require patterns because they let you just dig in, play around, and go with the flow. Right now, I have been relying on blogs to help keep me inspired with sewing projects. So for this weeks Getting Crafty, I thought I might share some of my favorite blogs that offer great sewing projects, tutorials, and sewing tips!

Recently I shared the tote bag I made inspired by Lazy Saturdays. I really love this blog and how clear and easy to read the instructions are on tutorials. While this blog is not updated frequently, when it is you get quality tutorials that are worth the wait.

See Kate Sew is another great blog for tutorials and sewing tips. I love all the things she is doing with bows right now and can't wait to try this bag here. It's on my to make list right now. She also includes great non-sewing DIY's and has a pattern shop right on her site.

Adventures in Dressmaking is another favorite right now. She includes how to wear DIY, clear instructions that can take your sewing to the next level, and tons of great tutorials!

Sew Caroline is awesome and filled with tons of tutorials, DIY's, and inspiration. She also has patterns available and great sewing tips. Her series on drafting and sewing a circle skirt is one of the best ones out there.

What craft blogs are inspiring you right now?

xoxo,
kat

getting crafty: midi skirt inspired by adventures in dressmaking

I really am not a fan of patterns. I like projects where I can just start digging in and be a little adventurous. When I saw this lace midi skirt on Adventures in Dressmaking, I knew it was the perfect project to try next. What Suzannah did on her blog is gorgeous with the lace but I wanted to use what I already had in my stash for this project so I picked this fun orange and white cotton fabric out of the pile and began cutting.

In her post, she said that the skirt is basically two big rectangles and then one long one (for the waistband.) I started out big, each rectangle at first was almost twice as wide as the waist band was long. But I ended up cutting the fabric down so the total width was just about one and a half the length of the waistband. This allowed me to still play around with pleating but was not nearly as intimidating. I think next time I will end up using more fabric as I originally planned. That would give it more fullness and I think I would like the shape more.

Overall though, this was a quick and easy project that I really loved. I am planning on making another one tomorrow if I have time. It's a great way to make a skirt because you have tons of room to play and try new things without having to worry too much about getting it wrong. I also really like that the choice of fabric on this can complete change the look and style of this skirt. I am wearing it tomorrow to dinner with friends and I hope to post some pictures of it in action on my instagram.

What craft projects are you working on right now?

xoxo,

kat

getting crafty: tote bag pattern from lazy saturday

I found these simple and straightforward instructions for a tote bag on the Lazy Saturdays blog. She even has another post where she shows you have to add hand printed designs to the totes that are really adorable. I loved the illustrated directions in the blog and while I know a tote bag is just two big rectangles and two long rectangles, having these measurements and instructions really helped me when putting it all together.

My sewing skills are still pretty rusty. I was never an expert to begin with so tackling smaller projects really helps me remember the basics of what I learned from my godmother (she is an amazing batik artist, you can find her work here).

I used those packs of fat quarters they sell at fabric stores (they were on sale and I had a coupon so it was a win-win), the ones you use for quilting, and they ended up being the perfect size for these. I am hoping to spend the day making a few more of these for my friends as gifts. They are just the right size and really fun and simple to sew. A perfect beginner project.

What crafty projects are you working on right now?

xoxo,

kat

getting crafty: half circle skirt

I used to work on crafts almost daily. It is something I love to do but with grad school and everything I put it aside for a while. The thing is, when you stop doing something for a very long time it can become intimidating. At least that's how it has been for me. I kept reading my favorite craft blogs and looking on pinterest at projects to try and would add new things to my to do list and then freeze. I would freeze up, make a million excuses, and never even start the project. I kept this pattern up for weeks and then finally this week I decided that what I needed to do was jump into something big and something with a result I could celebrate right away. That's how I landed on a half circle skirt.

I love how a half circle skirt is a classic piece but can be made more modern with fabric and length choices. You don't need a pattern for circle skirts, you just need to be able to do some basic math, have a pencil, and a measuring tape. I used several blogs and sites to help me remember the equation and the basics for a circle skirt some of which you can find here, here, and here. And trust me, those aren't the only sites that can help you with the math and drafting. When you google "circle skirt tutorial" you get pages of great references.

(I swear I didn't use flash.)

For my first project in years, I couldn't have been happier with the result. Some of the work near the zipper is sloppy and the next time I make a half circle skirt I will probably make it a little shorter, but overall I am really proud of it and cannot wait to wear it on Sunday when I have lunch with my grandmother. If you want to see this skirt in action, check out my instagram on Sunday for how I use it in an outfit.