Handmade Braided Trim Tutorial

Here is how to make handmade braided trim:

Cut 3 strips of fabric 1" wide.
I got a little carried away and did 3 full lengths of each color (about 180"). I saved the extra for future projects.
60" wide fabric makes about 50" of trim. Works best with lightweight fabric
Fold over on each side 1/4" and press. You can use one of the bias strip making tools or this idea I found on the internet. She used two long needles a couple of inches apart to hold the strip to press. Click on the link for more detailed instructions.

Fold n half and stitch along open end. I use the clear or invisibale monofilament thread to sew together.

Sew all three completed strips together.

Secure the end while you braid. I put the end on the sewing machine with the needle in the down position through all three strips to hold it while I braid.

Braid:

Take the right strip over the middle strip and place it between the left and middle pieces.

Take the left strip over what is now the middle strip and place it between the pieces that are now in the middle and right positions.

Keep repeating to the ends of the strips.

Make sure to braid the pieces securely - but not too tightly.

Stitch completed end.

Before cutting the length you need, stitch across the trim in two places about 1/2" apart and cut between the stitches. This will keep in from unraveling.

Make extra and save to use on many projects. Here are a few samples.

Around the edge of a jacket

Along a hem.

Two strips for straps.

More Sewing Projects

My daughter called me last Thursday and asked if we could make her a dress for an event she was going to Friday night. She found some fabric in my stash she liked. We got up Friday morning and put this together in about 2 hours. It was a joint venture - I did the sewing and she helped with the adjustments and idea of how she wanted it. It was very simple with one seam down the back. She was pleased with the results and said she got several compliments at the Art show she attended wearing it.


One of my co-workers had a baby recently and has alot of infant clothing. I made her something a little larger (Size 1) for next summer. I used the Ava Sundress pattern and tried a new free font I downloaded. I would love to give credit to the person who supplied the free font but I don't remember where I got it. If anyone recognizes it, let me know and I'll update the post with the person's name. I will have to try to remember to make note of the person who gives the free designs in the future. I am very grateful to them for sharing their gifts. The name was a font that came loaded on my machine.

I tend to change and add to patterns I use, even my own. This time I added a border along the hem using the gingham the bow is made out of.

I love the different shades of gingham fabric. I recently purchased several different colors to use for contrast and trims. Just another excuse to buy more fabric.

It's been great having some time to sew. I have several more projects in the works. I'll post pictures as I finish them.

Tana Tutu Dress Customer Creation

Another great customer creation from LM using the Tana Tutu Dress. It a great treat when I open an email with a customer picture. This one is so bright and colorful. I'm sure some little girl will have fun wearing it.

This is what she said:
"Here is my latest creation from your delightful pattern! These are all so terrific. "

Tana Tutu Dress - Customer Creation

Here is a customer creation using the Tana Tutu Dress pattern. I saw the outfit on Sew Forum and loved it. She used the 6" tulle on the roll instead of the bolt. I've used the tulle on the roll for the last few I've made and it works great.

A great idea to add matching bloomers and a barrette to complete the set as well as the emboridery. Thanks Debbie for letting me borrow the picture from Sew Forum.

DeeDee Pleated Dress Pattern - Revision

I have been experimenting with instructions and formats for possibly putting my patterns in paper format. In the process, I am revising the Dee Dee Pleated Dress Pattern - making the ties wider and adding a contrasting band along the hem as another option. I was really drawn to this flowered fabric and the gingham contrast for this dress.

I will be looking for testers once I get it done but I'll post more about that later.

New Pattern Drafts - JoAnn

Here is a few drafts of the new pattern I'm working on. I'm calling it JoAnn.

This was just the first rough draft.

This one I completely made but wasn't satisfied with the collar.

This was the 3rd try and very close to what I want.

I love my new "babies" to be able to try on the drafts to see how they look. The pattern is drawn for the most part and most of the pictures for the instructions taken. I still have the size 4 to make and am thinking about adding another option for the front closure. Maybe this week I'll have it ready for testing.

Snowman Candy Wrappers

I saw this cute project on All Brands Sew Forum on this post and decided to make a bunch of them to give out at my house on Christmas Eve. I make seafood gumbo and family and friends come by. I thought this would be a cute "party favor". I made 20 of them. Here are some pictures.



The forum post linked to this blog which has the template download. She has some really cute things on her blog so you may want to check it out.

More Sewing - Christmas Gifts

My oldest daughter and I had a sewing marathon last Christmas making totes for gifts and enjoyed it so much, we decided to have another Christmas sewing day this year. I like the idea of having this as an annual Christmas tradition.

Although, I have my sewing room back, I don't have it fixed up in a way that I can spread out. I still use the kitchen table when I have alot of projects like this. As you can see, we are messy sewers and have stuff everywhere.



I generally throw scraps and thread on the floor and clean it all up after I'm done. I mainly did the cutting and organizing and my daughter did the sewing. She doesn't sew alot but seems to enjoy it and is catching on well.
Here are the items we made today. We started about 1 or 1:30PM and finished about 6PM. The top row are the ones my daughter made for her friends. She still has the buttons to sew on. I made a couple of bags for gifts but the matching set on the bottom is for me.

The long item is a flat iron holder. I tried 3 times to get the fabric used to cover ironing boards but Hancock's didn't have it in stock so I bought an ironing board cover and cut it up. We were able to make five of the flat iron holders with the one ironing board cover. These are great for traveling and the flat iron can be put away warm since the inside is lined with the fire resistant fabric.

The little bag is just a small lined bag that could be used for makeup, toiletries, pantyhose, socks, lingerie or a number of other items.

We used pony tail holders for the loops to hook around the button. The pony tail holders stretched so it was easier to get it around the buttons and held better than ribbon. I bought the pack that had all different colors.

I wish I had thought about taking pictures during the process so I could post a tutorial. If we make more, I'll try to remember to take pictures and get measurements to post. They were easy and make a great gift.

Customer Creations - Annette Reversible Sundress

Here are a couple of customer creations from the Annette Reversible Sundress Pattern. The dresses and of course the model are very cute. She has an Etsy shop where she sells pillowcases and childrens clothing called Bungalow Kids. Thanks K for sending these great pictures.

Pillow Pals (Smaller Version)

This past weekend I was invited to a baby shower for sisters who are due 1 week apart. One is having a girl and the other a boy. I decided to make matching smaller versions of my new Pillow Pal pattern for a gift. I liked the smaller size for infants and toddlers and the larger for older children, tweens and even teens. Since this came out well, I am including both sizes in the pattern. The pattern will be ready for testing soon, then available for sale.
These are so much fun that I've already started thinking about my next pattern that is a similar idea. More on that later.

On a more somber note, my thoughts and prayers go out to our neighboring state of Texas as well as though on Louisiana's coast during the recovery from Hurricane Ike and for the continued recovery from Hurricane Gustav. I pray that all have strength through the aftermath and many future blessings. Here are a couple of links for relief efforts, Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge and Joel Olsteen's Lakewood Church in Houston.

New Pattern - Pillow Pals

This is the first try of my new pattern called Pillow Pals. I made the girl version but plan to make a boy version also. This is an easy and fun pattern to get the kids involved with. They can help design the face and help with the stuffing. Its fun and functional and a great gift idea. I have a few adjustments to make, then I'll start on the instructions. I hope to have it available in a couple of weeks.

New Pattern

I've started on a new pattern that I am very excited about. This one is a fun pattern that will have options for boy or girl and will be able to be customized to match your child. It will be a great family project. I'll post more about it soon.

Tutu Addiction

I think I'm obsessed with tutus. Maybe I should join "tutu anonymous". I don't know why but sometimes I make something that I really enjoy and feel the need to make lots more. I did this with the totes around Christmas and am now hooked on making tutus. Besides, it just so happened that Hobby Lobby had the tulle on sale so I had to get some. They are so cute for little girls and so much fun to make. Here is the picture of Ava for her 1st birthday in the pink tutu I showed in a previous post and the beginning of my addiction. I added some small hot pink satin ribbon strips to this one for extra color. The tulle on this one didn't have the shine like th others I purchased but I liked the way it came out.

This one is my favorite. I made this one longer and added the bow. For a small child it can be worn as a dress. You can't tell, but I have strips of tulle attached to the bow to tie around the neck. When they get older, it can be used as a skirt.

This is the LSU Tutu. I couldn't find a darker purple and gold but thought this would work for a little LSU fan. The purple/gold one will be a gift but I think I'll keep the others to add to my "craft" box for little visitors and when I babysit.

Smocked Dress Project

I pulled out the pleater to smock something for a gift for good friends who's daughter is having a baby girl sometime in September. This will be their first grandchild and they are so excited. I actually met them when they were pregnant for the daughter that is having the baby (20+ years ago). Wow. How time flies.

The fabric in the background is what I'll use for the dress. I like making blue dresses for baby girls. Not sure if it is because blue is my favorite color or I know they get alot of pink and I just want to make something different. This dress will have a smocked insert with the skirt having pleats. It also has short puff sleeves and a collar. I'll post a picture when it's done.

As you can see, I used blue thread that matched the fabric for most of the design with just a little pink for some added color.

New Purse

I finally made myself a new purse last Friday. The previous one I made was a smaller than I needed so I made this one a little bigger and slightly different. With the flap over the front, I guess you would call it a messenger style bag.

Unlike the other, this one has sides. I also added some plastic canvas to the bottom between the main fabric and lining and used fusible interfacing on the main fabric for a little extra stability.

I put pockets on both sides. One side has two small pockets for a pen, one for my checkbook and one for miscellaneous papers. On the other side is two rows of pockets. I put my camera, cell phone, cell phone charger and other miscellaneous items. I know I carry around more stuff than I really need but I can't seem to leave it out.
I've only worn it for a couple of days so far the size seems to be working, at least for now.

Another Karen Capri Outfit

This is another outfit I made from the new epattern I'm working on. This one is a Size 1. I lined the top with the same fabric as the rest of the outfit and because of the way it is made can be worn on either side. This weekend I am hoping to take some pictures of the outfit on a friend's daughter for the cover.

New Epatterns by Sew Sensible

My friend, Sew Sensible, has two new easy and fun sewing patterns . One is an Easter Basket and the other a Twirl Skort. Check out her blog, Etsy shop, Ebay or YCMT for more information or to purchase these or other patterns she has designed. These are great patterns to start off your Spring sewing.

Here are pictures and descriptions.

If you are looking for an easy sewing pattern to create a custom Boutique Easter Basket then I have the pattern for you: TWO SIZES. How about a custom “Mommy’s Creation” Easter Basket! This is absolutely a fun and cute sewing project, one you will surely enjoy! Personalize your child’s Easter basket with an initial monogram or a bunny appliqué! Use a coordinating fabric to match their Easter Outfit! Looking for a great Easter gift idea? Customize an Easter Basket for your nieces, nephews, and grandchildren!! Fill it with their favorite toys and treats to make this one special Easter to remember! Great for the beginner to the advanced sewer! Easy to follow step-by-step instructions along with lots of pictures to guide you through each step!

Quite Beautiful! The Twirl SKORT: where being modest is Fun!I have designed this SKORT so that our children can have fun playing while keeping our daughters “girly” and modest. The Twirl SKORT combines the popular twirl skirt with the pantaloon! That’s right: a twirl skirt with sewn in shorts! Now your little princess can keep her skirt on while she jumps, twirls, slides, flips, rides her bike, and does cartwheels!Great for the beginner to the advanced sewer! Easy to follow step-by-step instructions along with lots of pictures to guide you through each step! Not only is this a unique and cute skort, but very easy to sew! Dress it up with a peasant top and boots or go casual with some cute high tops and appliqué t-shirt! Whatever style you chose, your little one will surely turn heads! It is also simple enough to sew for a quick gift for your niece or granddaughter!

Clothes for Children in Swaziland

I have accumulated some children's clothes that I've sewn and wanted to donate them to children who are in need. I was able to connect with someone from my local church and these items will be going to Swaziland. How awesome is that!
Here is my package ready to drop off.

New Sewing Projects

The weather has been dreary this past week, lots of rain and cold for the South. Temperatures down to freezing a couple of nights. I've been kind of in a slump, not sewing much or blogging. Tonight I got a spurt of energy and cut out four dresses to sew and put in my Etsy shop. Here is a preview. Also, Friday night I am having a craft/sewing night at my house and needed a project to work on. I'm looking forward to seeing my sewing buddies. They are always a source of motivation and inspiration.

Binder Project

I had some scraps from the fabric I made my purse out of and decided to try a binder. It has lots of pockets for things like a calculator, pens, tablets, pocket calenders and mail. I thought it would be good for keeping paperwork together. This was my first attempt at something like this and although I liked the results, I think a smaller version would be more useful.

Now that I know the purse was too small and the binder too big, I may try another with this fabric for a summer look.