Sew Maris

evergreen

Stampede ready!

Western costume front

Doesn’t she look all ready for the Calgary Stampede parade? This little gal has worked might durn hard on this costume, and is righfully proud of her work. C. has not been sewing that long, and Simplicity 2843 is definitely not a pattern for a beginner. There were plenty of concerns about how hard it was along the way, but there was one proud little girl in my sewing studio today when the garment really came together. Tomorrow we need to hem and add some finishing touches, but she will definitely be modeling this garment in the parade later this week. I am pretty sure she learned something about pushing thru a hard job, too. It is really not that big a deal to accomplish a simple task, but it feels pretty darn great to struggle a little and then finally accomplish something really worthwhile. Who knew? Sewing offers life lessons, too. ;-)  Nice job, C!

Western costume back

Happy sewing!

Maris Olsen

Adding more to my stash

Not fabric this time, but notions and supplies. As a teacher, I can really churn thru thread, Steam-a-Seam, and iron cleaner working with students. I made a brief stop at my least-favorite sewing store yesterday to stock up during their 60% off notions. The best part of the trip was running into one of my ASG sewing sisters, and the second best part was saving more money than I spent. Weirdly cool, right?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

What about you? Did you grab any sale items yesterday? What is your favorite thing to buy on sale? (Duh, fabric!)

Happy sewing!

Maris Olsen

No unsightly seamstresses

Ladies, this welcome advice comes from Singer in 1949. I think it is just as apropos today, don’t you? 😉 Enjoy your weekend!

SingerSewingAdvice

Happy sewing (with your lipstick on!)

Maris Olsen

Make your own Sassy Pleated Jeans Skirt

If you have a favorite little girl in your life, she needs a Sassy Pleated Jeans Skirt. For reals. Lucky for you, making one of this cuties is a snap. Here are the basics:

Start with a pair of jeans that fit in the waist.

Jeans

Cut off the legs, making sure to leave the front pocket bags intact.

Cut off "skirt"

Also make sure the back pockets are intact as well.

Back of cutoffs

Measure the circumference of the cut edge.

Skirt circumference

Add at least 1/2 inch for a seam allowance, and join the two ends of the pleated trim so that it forms a complete circle. Stitch the ends of the trim together. Press and finish the seam.

Pleated trim cut

This is what it should look like from the right side of the pleated ruffle.

Pleated trim joined

Place the right side of the pleated ruffle trim against the right side of the jeans skirt, matching the raw edges.

Pleated trim pinned

Stitch around the skirt edge using a 3/8″ seam allowance. Finish the raw edges with a wide zig-zag stitch.

Pleated trim ruffle added

This is what the inside of the skirt should look like. Straight stitch attached the pleated trim to the jeans skirt, a zig-zag finished the raw edge to prevent raveling, and the pockets were kept free from all the stitching. NICE!

Finished seam

Add a cute little belt, and here you have it, the Sassy Pleated Jeans Skirt!

Front view

And a back view too!

Back view

If you are dying from the cuteness and want to make one of these adorable skirts for your own little one, v-e-r-r-r-y  s-o-o-o-n you will be able to purchase the pattern instructions, pleated trim, and belt fabric in my Etsy store, Sew Maris.  With any luck all should be up and available on Monday. Fingers crossed!

Happy sewing!

Maris Olsen

 

 

 

 

Rockin’ the apron project

Fierce apron!

How’s this for a “fierce” sewing project? Delaney’s grandma recently gave her a sewing machine as a gift, and she has been taking lessons with me for the past few weeks. This Four Corners apron is only her second sewing project ever, yet she managed to complete this UH-dorable apron for her grandma in just 4 hours. I am telling you, this girl knows how to stay on task!

My young sewing students constantly amaze me with their creativity and focus. Delaney has definite ideas about the projects she wants to make, and when she is in a lesson she is all business. She has a nice eye for design—I love her apron fabric and pattern choice—and you ought to see the cute Halloween napkins she is also working on. I just get a total kick out of working with her, and can’t wait to see what else she is going to sew. Go Delaney!

Happy sewing!

Maris Olsen

Twill weave – a definition

According to www.apparelsearch.com, a twill weave is “…a type of fabric woven with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is made by passing the weft threads over one warp thread, and then under two or more warp threads. Examples of twill fabric are gabardine, tweed, and serge.”

Merriam-Webster says twill weave is “a textile weave in which the filling threads pass over one and under two or more warp threads to give an appearance of diagonal lines”.

Interestingly, the most common form of twill weave fabrics that almost all people are familiar with is denim. Yep, denim blue jeans are a twill weave fabric.  And the word “denim” is derived from “serge de Nimes” – a region in France where the textile serge was produced. Cool, huh? I love learning more about the origin and meaning of words!

Twill is one dang sturdy weave. Have you ever seen or worn a wool gabardine suit? Long-wearing, huh? Denim – built to last. When you think about fabrics with a nice draping quality, skip right on past twill weaves. They do not hang in soft folds from the bias. They stand up in the corner by themselves!

Denim is one of my all-time favorite fabrics, and if I can ever FINALLY FINISH my latest jeans I will even post a picture of them. Soon. I promise!

Happy sewing!

Maris Olsen