Tutorials

5 Ways to Sew an Elastic Waistband

How to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with lots of photos

Here is how to sew an elastic waistband. Five ways! Most of these methods start with the elastic already sewn into a loop.

Let’s jump in!

Method One

This method leaves the waistband exposed and will touch your skin, so be sure to use a soft waistband elastic.

Step 1: On the right side of the fabric, align the top edge of the elastic and the top edge of the fabric. Sew the elastic all the way around with 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance. Stretch the elastic so it is evenly distributed all the way around.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos.
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos.

Step 2: Trim the seam allowance of the fabric to 1/4” (0.5 cm).

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 3: Fold the elastic to the wrong side of the fabric.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 4: Sew 1/8” (0.3 cm) from the top edge all the way around. Pull elastic tight while sewing.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 5: Sew 1/4” (0.6 cm) from the bottom edge of the elastic all the way around. Pull elastic tight while sewing.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

This method is commonly used in sports clothing and has a sporty look. It’s fun to sew! Works best with lightweight fabrics. The top of the elastic is sewn to two more layers of fabric than the bottom which can cause the top to be more stretched out than the bottom.

Method Two

Step 1: On the wrong side of the fabric, align the top edge of the elastic and the top edge of the fabric. Sew the elastic all the way around with 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance. Stretch the elastic so it is evenly distributed all the way around.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 2: Fold the elastic two times toward the wrong side of the fabric.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 3: Sew 1/4” (0.6 cm) from the bottom edge of the elastic all the way around. Stretch the elastic so it is evenly distributed as you sew.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

This method works best with medium to lightweight fabrics. The equal amount of fabric at the top and the bottom of the elastic reduces elastic distortion. The elastic is sewn through, so it doesn’t twist while wearing. The elastic is fully encased, which feels extra luxurious.

Method THree

Step 1: On the wrong side of the fabric, align the top edge of the elastic and the top edge of the fabric. Serge (or zig zag stitch) all the way around. Stretch the elastic so it is evenly distributed as you sew.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 2: Fold the elastic once toward the wrong side. Sew 1/4” (0.6 cm) from the bottom edge of the elastic. Pull the elastic tight while sewing.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

This method is among the easiest methods with the fewest steps. Quick and easy to sew with consistently good results. It does leave the serged edge with the bottom of the elastic exposed, so a little less luxurious. Good method to use with heavyweight fabrics like sweatshirt fabric. Also commonly used in sports clothing.

Method FOUR

Step 1: Serge the top edge of the fabric.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 2: Fold the fabric toward the wrong side 1/4” (0.6 cm) and press. Fold the fabric again 1/4” (0.6 cm) longer than the width of the elastic and press.

In this example, the elastic is 1 1/2” wide. So the fabric is folded over the second time 1 3/4” and pressed.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 3: Sew 1/8” (0.3 cm) from the bottom edge. Instead of sewing all the way around, leave a 4” (10 cm) opening to insert the elastic.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 4: Attach two safety pins to the elastic and push it through.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 5: Overlap the two ends of elastic and sew them together.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 6: With the elastic in place, sew the 4” (10 cm) opening shut. Be sure to not catch the elastic in the stitching!

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

This method is a common favorite among sewists. Easy to sew because it doesn’t require sewing through the elastic. But that means the fabric can twist if additional lines of stitching aren’t added. Can also be tricky to press the fabric really evenly all the way around. The line of stitching is below the elastic, which causes the gathers to lay differently than when the elastic is sewn through.

Method five

Step 1: Fold the fabric in half around the elastic and sew right along the elastic edge. Be sure to not catch the elastic in the stitching!

Tip: Extra long seam allowances are helpful with this method. In this example, the elastic is 1 1/2” wide. The strip of fabric is 5” wide to allow 1” of extra fabric on each side of the elastic.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 2: Match up the edges and sew the elastic to the right side of the waistline. Again sew right along the bottom edge of the elastic, but be sure to not catch the elastic in the stitching. Pull elastic tight as you sew.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

Step 3: Trim seam allowance and serge edges together.

5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos
5 Ways to sew an elastic waistband - tutorial with tons of photos

This method gives a clean looking definition between the waistband and the rest of the skirt/pants. It can be tricky to sew closely to the elastic without catching it in the stitching. It leaves the elastic unattached and free within the tunnel of fabric and can twist unless it is sewn down with more lines of stitching.

Variation to Method Five:

Sew the two pieces of fabric together without the elastic. Leave a 4” (1 cm) opening. Insert the elastic using safety pins and then sew the elastic together into a loop. Sew the 4” (10 cm) opening shut. Trim and serge seam allowance.


Additional lines of stitching can be added to each of these methods. Each method is fun to sew in its own way. Which is your favorite?

The Easiest Way to Change Serger Thread

The easiest way to change serger thread

Sergers are a real joy to sew with, but not always fun to rethread.

I learned threading the hard way. My serger is on semi permanent loan from my sister who inherited it from our grandmother. No one taught me how to use it and I didn’t have the manual, so I always changed the threads manually. It took a long time, was quite frustrating, and it led me to not change the thread color very often.

But a good way to make your handmade clothes look more professional is to use matching thread, which means changing the serger thread often. Thankfully there is an easy way to do it!

I hope this can save someone else some frustration.

How to change serger thread the easy way

1) Snip all the threads that are currently threaded through the serger near their spool.

2) Put on the new spools. Tie each new spool to the old thread with a square knot.

The easiest way to changer serger thread
The easiest way to changer serger thread

3) Press the pedal and carefully let the new threads wind their way to the needles.

The easiest way to changer serger thread

Often the thread goes smoothly through the needles with no problem. But sometimes you have to help a knot through a needle or to cut a knot and thread a needle manually. Either way, it beats manually threading the whole machine!

The easiest way to changer serger thread

Woohoo! That’s it! This method is a big time saver (not to mention stress and frustration).

The easiest way to changer serger thread
The easiest way to changer serger thread

How to Draft Sleeves

Oh the joy of sleeves. Drafting can be fun.

Here’s how to do it

Step 1: Measure the length of the front and back armhole.

You can sew the shoulders together and then measure, or measure the pattern pieces and remove the shoulder seam allowance from the measurement.

BlueberryArtboard 9.jpg

Step 2: Make a triangle using the armhole measurements where the length of the legs are equal to the length of the front and back armhole.

The steepness of the angle of the legs depends on how wide you want the sleeve to be and/or how deep you want the sleeve cap (we’ll look more deeply at pros and cons of each later in the post).

BlueberryArtboard 10.jpg

Here is an example of two different angles. Notice the shallower the angle, the wider the sleeve and the shorter the sleeve cap. The steeper the angle, the narrower the sleeve and the longer the sleeve cap.

BlueberryArtboard 13.jpg

Step 3: Draw a nice swooping curve that follows the angle of the triangle legs.

Sleeves are quite forgiving, so don’t get too hung up on the shape of the curve. But here are some things to keep in mind.

a) Many sleeve curves go under the triangle in the bottom section, and then even more over the triangle near the top section.

b) It’s normal for the total length of the sleeve curve to be about 1” (2.5 cm) longer than the total length of the armholes. A little ease is good in the sleeve curve.

BlueberryArtboard 12.jpg

Step 4: Decide how long you want the sleeve to be and if you want the sleeve to taper in.

BlueberryArtboard 11.jpg

That’s it! You can totally do it! Just play and have fun with it.

Sleeve Angle and Width

Here are examples of what different triangle angles look like on a shirt.

  • Wide sleeves with short sleeve caps will point out from the shirt. Lots of athletic shirts and casual sweatshirts have this angle because when you raise your arms, it doesn’t pull the whole shirt up with them. When your arms are down, there is excess fabric around your armpits.

  • Medium wide sleeves with medium sleeve caps are similar to a basic t-shirt. They give you room to move, but don’t have too much excess fabric around your armpits when your arms are down.

  • Narrow sleeves with high sleeve caps will point down sharply from the shoulder. Lots of professional clothing uses this angle for a clean profile that doesn’t have a lot of excess fabric around the armpit. It looks nice, but the downside is if you ever do have to raise your arms, your whole shirt is coming up with them!

BlueberryArtboard 3.jpg

What if I want a sleeve that points out but is really narrow?

Good question. If you want a sleeve that points out (has a short sleeve cap) but is also really narrow, here are some things to play with. You can make the armhole smaller on the front and back bodice pattern pieces by raising up the bottom of the armhole and readjusting the armhole curve. Or you can try a drop shoulder and make the shoulder angle whatever you’d like and the width of the sleeve whatever you’d like. There is something to be said for the freedom that drop shoulders offer!

Adjusting Sleeve Patterns

If you have a sleeve pattern already that you want to adjust to fit a different shirt, here are some adjustments you can make.

If you need to add length to the curve, you can either increase the sleeve cap height, increase width, or a combination of both.

BlueberryArtboard 14.jpg

If you need to reduce the length of the curve, you can either decrease the sleeve cap height, decrease width, or a combination of both.

BlueberryArtboard 15.jpg

Sleeves can be frustrating, sleeves can be fun. Don’t let them get the best of you. Give them your best playful attitude of enjoyment.

Tiny Art

One quite busy day, a gentle idea whispered inside and said, “why not make a tiny art show above your shoes?” So I put down whatever I was doing and got out my art supplies.

Here’s one fun way to make a tiny art show for your space

1) Find some paper. Measure out the size you want the finished tiny pieces (this is a 4”x6” card) and draw cut lines.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

2) Pick out some colors that make you happy. Start drawing on the other side of the paper.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

3) Draw more.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

4) And more.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

5) And more. Until all the spaces you want are filled with color you like.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

6) Then turn the paper over and cut along the lines.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten
Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

7) Pick out your favorite pieces of the bunch. Stick your favorite pieces to the wall in a place that brings you delight.

Tiny Art - Sarah Kirsten

And after I finished, I went back to my busy day feeling refreshed, fulfilled, and delighted.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design

Want to make a quilted mask with your own quilt design?

Here’s how to do it!

Supplies you’ll need:

  • Mask pattern (a great option is the Melon Mask!)

  • Paper

  • Pen

  • Paper Scissors

  • Ruler

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - tutorial with tons of photos by Sarah Kirsten

1) Fold the mask pattern in half and trace around it.

How to make your own quilted mask design
How to Make Your Own Mask Quilted Design - Tutorial with tons of photos

2 - the fun step) Draw whatever quilt design you would like to have on the mask.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Sarah Kirsten

3) Cut along the lines to cut out the individual pieces. In this case there are 3 pieces. Lay them on the paper in the order that they will be sewn together. (Be sure to lay them with plenty of space in between.) Trace around each piece.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos

4) Add 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance to all the sides that will be sewn to another piece. (You only need to add the seam allowances where you’re sewing pieces together as a result of your new design. For example, the curved nose piece doesn’t need a seam allowance added because that was already built into the pattern.)

Don’t worry about what the ends of the seam allowances look like for now. You will true them up in a few steps.

How to make your own quilted mask design - Sarah Kirsten

5) Cut out the pieces, seam allowances included. Lay them out in the arrangement they will be sewn.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos

6) To true up the seams, take the top piece and fold the paper along the seam allowance line. Trim off the tips of the seam allowance so the edges match the edges it’s folded against.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos
How to make your own quilted mask design - Sarah Kirsten

7) To true up the next piece, lay the first piece on top of the second piece as if you were sewing them together. Trim off the tips of the second piece so the edges of the first piece and second piece match.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos
How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos
How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos

8) Follow the same steps to true up the seams of all the pieces. Label the pieces with how many pieces of fabric to cut of each.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos

That’s it! Good work. You’ve just made your own quilted mask pattern.

To get some tips on how to sew your mask together, check out the Melon Mask Sew Along.

Here’s how the mask design from this tutorial turned out.

How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos
How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos
How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos
How to Make Your Own Quilted Mask Design - Tutorial with tons of photos

If you don’t want to make your own mask design, you can grab my quilted mask pattern here!

Melon Mask Sew Along

The Melon Mask is here to bring you some joy. Here’s a photo version of how to sew it.

Get your Melon Mask here!

Let’s jump in…

1) Pick out your favorite colors. If you want a coloring sheet to help plan colors, download the PDF here.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

2) Cut out all the pieces. Lay the front pieces out in the arrangement you want them on the finished mask.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

We’ll start by sewing the right side of the mask together first.

3) Sew the two right center pieces with right sides together. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten
Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

4) Sew on the top right nose piece with right sides together. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Be sure to move the seam allowance of the center pieces out of the way so they don’t get caught in the stitching.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

5) Sew on the bottom right nose piece with right sides together. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Be sure to move the seam allowance of the center pieces out of the way again so they don’t get stitched through.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

Take a moment to admire how lovely it’s coming together.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

6) Repeat steps to sew the left side of the mask together.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

7) Trim seam allowances in half. Press seams open with a steamy iron.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

8) Sew right and left sides of the mask with right sides together. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Be extra mindful here of matching up the center seams!

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

9) Trim seam allowance in half. Clip into seam allowance along the curve. Press seam open.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

10) Sew back pieces with right sides together. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten
Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

11) Trim seam allowance in half. Clip into seam allowance along the curve. Press seam open.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

12) Place the front and back with right sides together. The front should be slightly larger than the back.

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13) Sew along the top and bottom edge. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

14) Clip into seam allowances along the curve.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

15) Turn mask right side out. Press edges with steam iron.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

16) Fold the ends in 3/8'“ (1 cm). Press with steamy iron.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

17) Pin one end of elastic 1/2” (1.3 cm) deep on one side of the mask. Try it on and determine what length is right for your ears (plus the seam allowance!). Cut two pieces of elastic that length.

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18) Stick the ends of the elastic in 1/2” (1.3 cm) deep. Sew a 1/4” (0.6 cm) wide rectangle along the edge of the fabric.

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

Rejoice! What a good job you’ve done! #SKmelonmask

Melon Mask Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

If you haven’t grabbed the pattern yet, you can get it here.

How to Organize and Keep Track of Your PDF Patterns

PDFs can be pesky things. Here’s how I organize my patterns from other pattern makers I love to make sure I don’t lose any and I can find them easily.

I notice for me personally, staying organized is much easier if I put the pattern in my filing system right away after buying it instead of leaving it in my messy downloads folder.

Most patterns come as .zip files. Once the files are extracted, you can delete the .zip file.

So here’s one good option of how to organize patterns

1) Have a folder just for sewing patterns.

How to organize your PDF patterns - Sarah Kirsten

2) In that folder, have a file for each pattern maker.

How to organize your PDF patterns - Sarah Kirsten

3) In each pattern maker’s file, have a file for each pattern you have from them.

How to organize your PDF patterns - Sarah Kirsten

4) In each pattern file, have all the PDFs that go with the pattern.

How to organize your PDF patterns - Sarah Kirsten

Again, once you have the PDFs, you don’t need to keep the .zip file. Declutter and toss it in the digital trashcan.

Rainbow Arch - How to do it

How to paint a rainbow arch in your house - Sarah Kirsten

Before I bought my new house, I was dreaming of how I would decorate. There is this wide beautiful archway, and I knew I wanted to do something with a rainbow. The ideas kept morphing into other ideas, and then this idea hit. It was pretty clear it was the one. (As in, the one you are going to marry, the rainbow you are going to paint.)

The ancient Hebrew texts describe the rainbow as a sign of the Lord’s faithfulness and promises. I love that! Besides rainbows being beautiful in and of themselves, I want to walk under a reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness every day.

Here’s how to do it

1) Paint the arch white.

2) Figure out how wide each rainbow strip is going to be.

3) Mark the lines of each strip in several places along the archway.

4) Following your markings, use 1/4” painters tape to delineate the strips.

 
How to paint a rainbow arch in your house - Sarah Kirsten
 

5) Paint the wall white again over the tape. This seals the cracks and gives a really clean edge when you peel off the tape. This step feels a bit extra, but seriously, do it. It makes a big difference and you’ll be glad you did it.

6) Spend a long time picking out the perfect colors.

 
How to paint a rainbow arch in your house - Sarah Kirsten
 

7) Paint the rainbow. (Somewhat difficult to decide if you want the red on the right or the left….)

 
How to paint a rainbow arch in your house - Sarah Kirsten
 

8) Carefully peel up the tape.

 
How+to+paint+a+rainbow+arch+in+your+house+-+Sarah+Kirsten
 

9) Enjoy rainbow.

How to paint a rainbow arch in your house - Sarah Kirsten
How to paint a rainbow arch in your house - Sarah Kirsten

This superior painting method for obtaining crisp lines was taught to me by my friend Nate. Thank you, Nate!

Behind the Scenes - How I Made My Parents House Video

I recently posted this video, and I wanted to show you the more messy parts of how I made it.

One principle I see over and over again is that anytime something is birthed, it’s messy. I grew up on a farm and have seen many, many, many births. It’s always messy and painful. But the result is beautiful.

The same goes for creation of our projects.

Here’s my messy creation process

1) The best thinking happens while driving for me. I go on long drives just to come up with ideas. The idea for this video came on a drive, so I recorded the basic structure of how I wanted the story to go into my phone while rolling along the river.

2) Sitting on my bed a few days later, I re-recorded the story into my phone (much quieter in my house than in my car) in sections. At first I tried to record the whole thing straight through, but that was hard to not mess up, so I recorded it in 14 parts.

 
How to birth a creative project - Sarah Kirsten
 

3) I went through hundreds of photos at my parents house (on multiple occasions). I was looking for:

  • Photos of construction work on the house

  • Photos of the family

  • Photos of the new farm location

  • Photos of Grammie and Papa

  • Photos of my parents

My original idea was to tell the story through props. I was going to use popsicle sticks to build the house and a little toy truck to haul the house down the road. I went to the store and bought supples, and then went back to get even more supplies. But I couldn’t quite get it the way I wanted. So I scraped that idea and realized photos were a good option.

Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten
Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten

4) It was a task to sort them out and decide which photos were best to use, and to decide the order. This took a long time.

Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten
Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten

5) There were lots of gaps in the story that couldn’t be told through photographs, so I had to come up with ideas of other things to illustrate the story. This part was hard because I also had to figure out how to make the props visually engaging for the duration of time they were being talked about. That’s how I came up with the idea of writing, so there would be movement on the screen for a longer period of time to keep interest.

6) After putting photos and props in the chosen order and running through several practices, I set up the camera and recorded it. I hit record, then sat under the tripod and slowly piled on the story pieces.

Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten
Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten

7) I imported the audio files and video file into Adobe Premier Pro and edited them together. It took some time to get each part to line up. Lots of the video parts are sped up or slowed down dramatically from their original state.

Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten

8) After seeing about how long the video was, I knew how long the piano part had to be. I recorded the piano and made the song roughly as long as the video.

 
Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten
 

9) After final edits, I hit publish. This step is simple but isn’t to be overlooked in any birth process. Without hitting send, your creations are not birthed into the world. It’s the scariest part, but one of the most important steps.

Birthing a creative project - Sarah Kirsten

All in all, it took me several weeks of thinking, rethinking, collecting more photos, re-working ideas. The final product is very different than my original imaginings. Very different but better. It’s finally done, birthed into the world. The mess is cleaned up, the photos are back at my parents’ house where they belong, and my camera is waiting for its next story.

The Easiest Way to Sew In-Seam Pockets

Did you know it’s super easy to add in-seam pockets to almost any skirt or dress sewing pattern? It’s just takes a few extra steps.

Here is a simple step-by-step tutorial of how to do it!

1) Cut 4 pocket pieces. Serge all the way around each piece.

1) Cut 4 pocket pieces. Serge all the way around each piece.

2) Serge the sides and bottom of the front and back skirt pieces.*Serging not shown in following illustrations.

2) Serge the sides and bottom of the front and back skirt pieces.

*Serging not shown in following illustrations.

3) Mark 5” (13 cm) down from the top of the skirt pieces. Depending on what you are making, you may want to move the pockets up or down. 5” is a suggestion if the skirt is going to sit on or near your waistline.

3) Mark 5” (13 cm) down from the top of the skirt pieces. Depending on what you are making, you may want to move the pockets up or down. 5” is a suggestion if the skirt is going to sit on or near your waistline.

4) With right sides together, line up the top of the pockets with the the mark made in step 3.Sew the pockets with 1/2” (1.3 cm) seam allowance.With a steamy iron, press the seam allowance toward the pocket.

4) With right sides together, line up the top of the pockets with the the mark made in step 3.

Sew the pockets with 1/2” (1.3 cm) seam allowance.

With a steamy iron, press the seam allowance toward the pocket.

5) Place the skirt pieces with right sides together. Pin or clip in place.

5) Place the skirt pieces with right sides together. Pin or clip in place.

6) Sew along the entire length of both seams and around the pockets. When you come to the top and bottom of the pockets, make a sharp pivot into and out of the pocket. Be sure not to sew straight down and sew the pockets shut!Sew with a 5/8” (1.6 cm…

6) Sew along the entire length of both seams and around the pockets. When you come to the top and bottom of the pockets, make a sharp pivot into and out of the pocket. Be sure not to sew straight down and sew the pockets shut!

Sew with a 5/8” (1.6 cm) seam allowance.

That’s it! Turn the skirt inside out and it’s fully pocketed!

Proceed with the rest of the sewing instructions for whatever pattern you are making.

The easiest way to sew in seam pockets - tutorial with step by step illustrations by Sarah Kirsten
The easiest way to sew in seam pockets - tutorial with step by step illustrations by Sarah Kirsten

Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Oh the elegance of wrapping yourself up in fabric. The Rosemary Wrap pattern is meant to be among the simplest forms of clothing, the form of wrapping yourself up in fabric, but in a way that hugs your beautiful curves.

Let’s dive in.

Sew the waist ties with right sides together and sew along the short end. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance. Press the seam open, then set aside the waist tie for now.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Sew all four darts. Press the outside darts out and the inside darts in.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Serge or zigzag stitch all the way around the sides and bottom of the skirt. Fold it toward the right side 1/4” (6 mm) and press. The curved hem version of this skit has the hem visible on the outside as a design detail. If you are using fabric that you would rather not show the wrong side, you can press the hem toward the wrong side.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Fold the hem again 1/4” (6 mm) toward the right side and press. Edge stitch along the entire length of the hem.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

For the square hem version, fold up the bottom edge 1/2” (1.3 cm) toward the wrong side and press. Fold up again 1/2” (1.3 cm) and press again.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Edge stitch along the folded edge. Repeat steps to hem both sides of the skirt.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Place the center of the waist tie in the center of the skit with right sides together. Sew along the entire length of the top of the skirt. 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Fold the tails of the waist ties with right sides together so the edges meet. Sew the entire length of the tails with 3/8 (1 cm) seam allowance. Leave the ends of the tails open.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Turn the tails right side out using a bodkin or safety pin. It will be easier to turn if you grade the seam allowance before turning. Press the tails.

Once the tails are right side out, press the waist tie up, and the seam allowance up toward the waist tie.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
IMG_9120.jpg

Fold the top edge of the waist tie down so it meets the seam allowance. Then fold it over again so the bottom folded edge just covers the seam.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

From the front of the skirt, stitch right along the seam (stitch in the ditch) and make sure it’s just catching the folded edge of the waist tie on the back side.

Sarah+Kirsten+Rosemary+Wrap+Sew+Along
Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

Fold in the ends of the waist tie tails and sew shut.

Sarah Kirsten Rosemary Wrap Sew Along

The last step is, of course, to wrap yourself up in handmade love and tie a bow in the back. To be worn proudly and confidently in all your feminine glory.

If you don’t have the Rosemary Wrap pattern yet, you can get it here!

The Ultimate Way to Sew Beautiful Button Fly Topstitching

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

The dreaded topstitching of the button fly…. It’s scary because it’s one of the most visible parts of the pants. The good news is there is an easy method to get the stitching looking good every time.

Topstitching the fly was the main thing that held be back from making jeans. I was fearful the fly stitching wouldn’t look good. Had I known how easy this was, I think I would have started my journey of making pants-with-button-flies earlier than I did.

So let me spare you some heartache. Here’s how to nail the topstitching…

1) Cut a fly pattern piece out of scrap paper.

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

2) Line up the curved edge of the pattern piece right where you want your topstitching to land on the button fly — I want mine to land right along the inside of the serger thread.

(I have an abundance of scrap paper from paper patterns, so I’m using some for this tutorial.)

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

3) Keeping the paper aligned, flip the paper and button fly over. Using a pen, mark the paper along the top and edge of the button fly.

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten
How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

4) Cut out the stitch guide along the line you just drew. Clip the paper piece in position on top of the pants, with the button fly in position underneath.

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten
How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

5) With everything lined up perfectly, stitch right along the edge of the stitching guide.

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

6) Unclip, pull off the paper, admire your work.

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

7) Once you have one line of stitching, you can easily use that line as a guide for sewing another line.

How to sew beautiful top stitching on the button fly - Sarah Kirsten

How to Sew a Fully Lined and Reversible Tank Top - Chamomile Crop Double Layer Sew Along

Here’s how to sew a fully lined, reversible tank top.

The fabrics used for this tutorial are two floral print quilting cottons. Quilting cottons are fun to use for tutorials to easily determine right and wrong sides of fabric and to help keep the two layers easily differentiable.

The pattern used for this tutorial is my Chamomile Crop and Dress pattern. Some steps (like specific seam allowances and seam trimming) may differ slightly for other patterns.

Let’s make something!

1) Cut out all the pieces. I’m using one front and back in pink floral and one front and back in blue floral. You could have both layers the same fabric if you’d like.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

The right side on both of these fabrics is a bit darker and more vibrant, the wrong side is more muted and slightly whiter.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

2) Using a fabric pen or chalk, mark a line 2 1/2” (6.4 cm) from the bottom edge on the wrong side of the fabric on all four pieces. This will be used as a guide for sewing the hem later. It’s easiest to mark it now when the pieces can still be laid flat before any sewing.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

3) Sew all four darts (two on each front piece) and press darts toward the bottom of the crop top.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

4) Sew the front and back pieces of each layer together at the shoulders with a 3/4” (2 cm) seam allowance and right sides together.

Trim seams to 3/8” (1 cm). Explanation: This pattern was drafted for French seams, which requires a large seam allowance, so the extra seam allowance has to be trimmed off for this double layer construction.

Press seams open.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

5) Lay the two layers right sides together. Line up and pin or clip the arm openings together.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

6) Sew the whole length of the arm openings with 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

7) Clip the seam allowance along the arm opening curves. Clip farther up the length of the arm opening than you might think you need to. (I’ve made the mistake multiple times of not clipping far enough up!)

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

8) Turn the crop top right side out through the neck opening.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

9) Flip the outer layer together and the inner layer together with right sides together.

If this part is tricky to understand, keep playing with it — you’ll get it! See how the two pink floral pieces are together on the right and the two blue floral pieces are together on the left? That’s what you want.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

10) Line up the side seams and pin or clip in place. Either fold the seam allowance of the arm opening of the top and bottom layer in opposite directions, or press them both open to reduce bulk around the seam.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

I chose to press my seam allowances in opposite directions.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

11) Sew the side seams with a 3/4” (2 cm) seam allowance. Backstitch across the darts and the ends of the arm opening seams.

Trim seam allowance to 3/8” (1 cm). Again, because this was drafted for French seams.

Press side seams open with a steamy iron.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

12) Now we’re going to sew the neck in two sections. If you look at the necklines, you’ll see there are four layers.

Grab the outermost layers (one is the blue floral fabric, the other is the pink floral fabric) and push the middle layers down away from the edge. These two outermost layers should be already be right sides together.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

13) Pin or clip the outermost layers together all the way up to the shoulder seams.

It requires some arranging and finagling to pin all the way up to the shoulder seams, but you’ll want to do that to make sure the two layers are lined up and centered with each other properly.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

At this point, the other half of the shoulders are tucked inside the part of the shoulders and neckline you are about to sew.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

14) Sew the first half of the neckline from shoulder seam to shoulder seam with a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance. Make sure the two layers in between don’t get caught in the stitching.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

15) Clip the seam allowance of the curve of the neckline.

One is the blue floral fabric, and the other is the pink floral fabric.

16) Flip the tank top over and pull the shoulders/neckline through the opening in the other side of the neckline.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

17) Do the same thing to this side. Pin or clip the two outermost layers together up to the shoulder seams. Again, the outermost layers should already be right sides together.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

18) Sew with a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance and be sure to not catch the in between layers in the stitching.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

19) Clip curve of neckline.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

Whew! Just take a breather here. You’re done with one of the tricky parts. The neckline is finished!

Okay now on to the final steps…

20) The last thing to sew is the hem. Starting at a side seam, fold the bottom of both layers up so the right sides are facing each other.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos
Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

21) Line up the bottom raw edges and side seams, and sew the two layers together along the line (2 1/2” (6.4 cm) from the bottom) you marked in the first step.

Start sewing at the side seam and leave a 5” (12.7 cm) gap when you come back around so you can turn the tank top right side out.

The hem will be going in between the blue floral layer and the pink floral layer at this point. You won’t be able to lay the whole thing flat, so get a few inches flat to sew at a time.

If this step feels like a huge confusing mess, hooray! You’re probably doing it right! It always looks like a total mess — one you would never think would actually work out right.

If you’d like to test that you are doing correctly before you start sewing, you can pin along stitching line and then turn the tank top right side out through the hem to see how it works.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

It should look something like this at this point. The hem should literally be going in between the blue floral layer and the pink floral layer.

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
Repeat the same procedure to sew the second half of the neckline.

22) Turn the tank top right side out through the 5” (12.7 cm) opening in the hem.

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

23) Give the bottom seam, neckline, and arm openings a good press.

24) Make sure the wide hem allowance is laying flat between the blue floral and the pink floral layers.

Top stitch 2” (5 cm) from the bottom edge. The hem allowance is 2 1/2” (6.4 cm) wide, so the 2” (5 cm) stitching from the bottom should be about 1/2” from the top edge of the hem allowance.

_U5A1005.jpgCamomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

25) Hand sew the opening in the bottom of the hem shut using a blind stitch. Or leave it unsewed, if you want a secret little compartment in your hem :)

How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

26) Have a cup of chamomile tea. You just made a really cool, double layer, reversible, Chamomile Crop!

Camomile Crop Sewing Pattern Sew Along -  Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a fully lined tank top - tutorial with tons of photos

How to Make a Sewing Pattern from Your Favorite RTW Swimsuit

Last year I finally found a one piece swimming suit that I felt good in. I was walking through Walmart (probably in there buying thread or looking at their fantastic clearance fabric) and saw it on sale for $9. I’ve wanted a swimsuit like this, so I snapped it up without trying it on. It happened to fit my body well, and I felt great in it (which, as far as swimsuits go, is kind of rare).

It became my go-to swimsuit. I wore it so much that the fabric is already worn out. Quite sad. You can see how stretched out it is in the photo.

So I decided to see if I could cut it up and make myself a new swimming suit with the same great fit.

Here’s how to do it!

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

1) Look at how the swimsuit is constructed. Remember how it’s sewn together so you can use the same sewing techniques (or different ones if you have better ideas) when you sew the new one together.

2) Cut the swimsuit along all the seams. This was easy in this case because it’s only two pieces! I debated whether to also take out the elastic along the arms, legs, and neck, but it was really difficult to get the stitching out, so I left it.

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

3) Fold the pieces in half and trace around them. Since I didn’t take out the elastic, I added about 1/4” - 1/2” length to the places that had elastic later.

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

4) Draw the folded edge using a ruler to make sure it is straight.

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

5) Add seam allowances. I decided to use a 1/2” seam allowance all around. (Here’s where I also added some extra length to places where there was elastic — the crotch and the shoulders.)

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

6) Cut out the new pattern pieces.

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

I bought this beautiful blue swimsuit fabric from Cloth Story (not sponsored). It’s smooth like silk yet thick and firm. It’s delicious! For some reason the idea of another blue swimsuit that matches the color of my eyes was appealing. Isn’t it nice to wear clothes that bring out your eye color? Plus, Maycie (the owner) has such cool branding. I love her fabric tags!

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

7) Cut out your swimsuit fabric. I decided to do a double layer, so I cut two of each pattern piece.

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

8) SEW!

I sewed the crotch and the shoulders together in such a way that the seam allowance would be hidden within the double layer.

Then I measured the openings of the arms and legs and cut elastic that length minus 2” (depending on the stretchiness of your elastic you may want to cut more or less than that). I did the same thing for the neck opening, except I reduced the length of the elastic by 7” instead of 2” because of the greater length. I used 3/8” wide elastic.

I overlapped the ends of each elastic strip together and sewed them shut. Then I made sure the elastic was evenly distributed by clipping it in place along each opening (this is really important!) and serged it to the wrong side of the fabric.

Then I folded the elastic and the edge of the fabric it’s serged to over once and zigzag stitched along the folded edge with matching thread.

DONE!

Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos
Recreating my favorite swimsuit - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten with lots of photos

Sewing swimwear is quick and easy, I’ve discovered. The fabric is forgiving and quick and fun to sew. It’s also a bit slippery and hard to work with, ha, but fun. I didn’t have blue serger thread, so I just used white. But I think blue would look nice. Next time maybe I’ll buy matching thread so the insides will match, even if I’m the only one that sees them.

Now that I have the pattern, I can make another one next spring! And the next spring. And the next!

What do you think? Does this make you want to whip out your scissors and elastic right now? I hope so. It’s really a satisfying project.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along Number Three - Popup Pocket

The Popup Pocket on the Raspberry Rucksack is fully lined and may be the most challenging part of the pattern to sew. So rest assured, if you can sew this, you can sew the rest! I’ve taken lots of photos and broken down each step to aid you in smoothly completing each phase of the Popup Pocket construction.

This tutorial is made specifically to accompany the Raspberry Rucksack, but the techniques are applicable for any bag you wish to add a lined popup pocket!

First, make sure you have all the pieces.

  • Top Pocket outer layer

  • Top Pocket lining

  • Bottom Pocket outer layer

  • Bottom Pocket lining

  • Zipper Ends

  • Single Pull Zip - 7” (17.8 cm) for the Little Raspberry or 9” (22.9 cm) for the Big Raspberry

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

Fold the Zipper Ends in half and press (you can either press with an iron or just firmly with your fingernail). Then fold both ends in toward the center.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten

Trim off the tails off your single pull pocket zipper (I’m using a cut-to-length zipper so mine doesn’t have tails). At this point, it’s very important to check if the length of your zipper is actually 7” (17.8 cm) for the Little or 9” (22.9 cm) for the Big with the tails cut off. Some zippers are slightly longer than that and will need to be trimmed. Be sure to use one of your not-so-nice scissors to trim the zipper, especially if using a metal zipper

Place the Zipper End directly against the beginning of the teeth and sew them in place. Be careful navigating your needle through the zipper teeth.

Once the Zipper Ends are sewn on, check again to make sure the length of the zipper is still the same.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Top of the Pocket

Place the zipper face down on the right side of the Top Pocket outer layer. Make sure the zipper is centered and has about 1/2” (1.3 cm) clearance on each side. Place the Top Pocket Lining right side down on top.

So just to be clear here, the outer layer and lining are right sides together, and the zipper is sandwiched in between facing the outer layer.

Sew the length of the seam through all layers with a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Fold the lining back. Press the seam allowance toward the lining and edge stitch through all layers.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Fold each of the four corners right sides together and mark with a fabric pen where the width across is 1 1/2” (3.8 cm). Sew along the line you marked on all four corners.

It should look something like this with all the corners sewn.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Fold both the outer layer corners toward the center of the long side. Edge stitch both of the outer layer corners along the seam.

Trim all four corner’s seam allowances to 1/4” (6 mm).

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Fold the whole piece in half with right sides together so that the corners you just sewed are aligned. Here are some photos of what it looks like from different angles.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

With the corners aligned, flatten out the folded bottom edge (this is the zipper flap that will cover the zipper when turned right side out) with your fingers. Sew up the sides leaving a 3” (7.6 cm) gap in the middle. Use a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

It should look something like this.

Tip: When leaving openings where something will be turned right side out, turn a corner and sew the the edge of the seam allowance. This makes for easier turning with less stress on the fabric.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Turn the piece inside out through the opening. Shape it to look like this with the zipper flap cover the zipper. Give it a good press with an iron. Neatly press in the seam allowances of the opening. Those will be sewn shut when the Popup Pocket is attached to the front of the rucksack.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

After shaping it and giving it a good press, stitch along the top of the zipper from outer layer side of the piece.

To do this, I move my needle to the far left side of the foot (not all machines have this option - a zipper foot would work well if your machine isn’t able to change the position of the needle). I place the left edge of the foot right along side the zipper (you can just make out the bump under the fabric in the photos) and stitch along the whole length of the piece going slow and steady.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Here’s a view of the outside and inside of the stitching. You can see from the inside that it just barely catches the edge of the lining. Thankfully no one sees this so it doesn’t have to line up perfectly in the inside. For this stitch it matters more what the outside looks like.

The top of the Popup Pocket is done!

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Bottom of the Pocket

Fold the zipper flap up (by the way, the ends of those Zipper Ends can be trimmed off at any point).

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Place the whole top pocket piece you just sewed face down on the right side of the Bottom Pocket outer layer. Make sure that zipper flap is folded back so you don’t stitch through it.

Place the Bottom Pocket lining right side down on top.

So to clarify, the lining and the outer layer are right sides together, and the zipper of the top pocket piece is sandwiched in between the two facing the outer layer.

Sew the whole length of the seam through all layers with a 3'/8” (1 cm) seam allowance.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Just like the top pocket pieces, fold all four corners with right sides together. Mark where they are 1 1/2” (3.8 cm) wide and stitch along the line.

It should look something like this.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Again, fold both outer layer corners toward the center of the long side and edge stitch along the seam.

Then trim all four corner seam allowances to 1/4” (6 mm).

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Fold the whole piece in half so that the corners of the lining and outer layer you just sewed are aligned.

With the corners aligned, sew up the sides with a 3/8” (1 cm) seam allowance and leave a 3” (7.6 cm) opening in the top for turning the piece right side out.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Trim both bottom corners like so and turn the piece right side out.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Shape it with your hands so it takes the shape of a box and give all the edges a good press with an iron.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Fold the zipper flap back and edge stitch along the seam.

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

Popup Pocket is DONE!

Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten
Raspberry Rucksack Sew Along - Sewing a lined popup pocket - Sarah Kirsten

How to Sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam. Both of these seams are commonly used on jeans and other heavy fabrics.

Flat Felled Seams

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

1) Sew fabric with wrong sides together using a 5/8” seam allowance.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

2) Press open seam.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

3) Trim one side of the seam allowance to 1/4”.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

4) Fold the seam allowance of the longer side in so the two raw edges meet in the middle (or fold the long side over the short side and overlap the raw edges). Press.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

6) With the longer seam allowance folded in, fold the flap over so the raw edges are tucked away. Press.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

7) Edge stitch 1/8” from the folded edge.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

Here’s a view of the right side and wrong side.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

Double Lapped Seams

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

1) With both pieces of fabric right sides up, overlap the edges 1/2”. (Obviously, depending on your preference, you can use a wider or narrower seam allowance than shown here.)

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

2) Making an ‘S’ shape, fold the seam over so both raw edges are tucked inside. Press.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

4) From the right side of the fabric, edge stitch 1/8” from the folded edge.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

5) From the right side of the fabric, sew a second line of stitching 1/2” away from the first line of stitching (or whatever width you choose to overlap the fabrics in the first step) so it just catches the edge of the fold on the wrong side of the fabric.

Here’s a view of the right side and wrong side.

How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten
How to sew a Flat Felled Seam and a Double Lapped Seam  - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

Pros and Cons

Flat Felled Pros:

  • Easy to get a consistent seam allowance in the initial step.

  • Only takes 2 lines of stitching per seam.

Double Lapped Pros:

  • The seam lays flat because each row of edge stitching is going through the same amount of layers.

  • Easy to edge stitch and keep the ‘S’ fold managed while sewing for consistent results.

  • Can use a smaller seam allowance than Flat Felled seams.

Two ways to sew flat felled seams - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

Flat Felled Cons:

  • Somewhat challenging to make sure the raw edge of the longer seam allowance stays tucked in and gets sewn down in the edge stitching.

  • The seam looks a little bubbled in thicker fabrics because the first line of stitching is only through 2 layers and the second line is through 3 layers.

  • Requires an extra step of seam allowance trimming.

  • Requires at least a 5/8” seam allowance.

Double Lapped Cons:

  • Somewhat challenging to get a really consistent overlapping seam allowance width in the initial step - although marking a line with chalk or a fabric pen greatly helps.

  • Requires 3 lines of stitching per seam.

Two ways to sew flat felled seams - Sewing tutorial with lots of photos from Sarah Kirsten

How to Make Easy Fabric Pouch Packs for Travel, Storage, and Organization

These little pouch packs are ideal for storing and organizing flat things like clothes. They can be made in any size, but the small ones make excellent usage of fabric scraps.

Simple and quick to make. Here’s how to do it:

(PS - Yes, a PS in the middle of a blog post! These pouch packs are great for flat things, but if you’re looking for pouches for non-flat things, check out my free Boxy Pouch Pattern Calculator and instructions and Pear Pouch Pattern.)

1) Cut fabric to your chosen length and width. (Details and instructions on how to get the right measurements for any object at the bottom of the post!)

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing clothes - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten

2) Hem the top and bottom with a double rolled hem 1/4” (or more) wide.

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten
How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

3) Fold the bottom up so it covers the entire length of the object for which the pouch pack is being made. Fold with wrong sides together.

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

4) Fold the top flap down over top.

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

5) Sew up both sides with a 3/8” seam allowance.

_MG_1651.jpgHow to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

6) Fold the pouch pack inside out.

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

7) With the pouch pack inside out and right sides together, sew up the same sides again with a 1/2” seam allowance, being sure to totally encase the raw edges within the new seam.

You can use different seam allowances than what I used in step 5 & 7. Just be sure the allowance you use in the initial seam is smaller than allowance you use in the second seam. That way the raw edges are sure to be encased.

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

8) Turn the pouch pack right side out and it’s done!

How to make an easy pouch for travel and organizing  - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

How to Measure the Fabric

These pouch packs can be made in any size! To fit the pouches to a specific object, here’s how to do it.

1) Measure the length and width of the object (note these pouches do work best with relatively flat things like folded clothes, etc.). The width of the fabric should be the width of the object, plus some wiggle room, plus the seam allowance for French seams. I recommend 1 3/4” so you can use 3/8” seam allowance on the first seam and 1/2” allowance on the second seam.

2) Measure the length of the object. Multiply the length by 2, plus 1/3 the length of the object for the top flap to overlap, plus the hem allowance. In this illustration I made the double rolled hem allowance 1/4”, but obviously you could make it larger than that if you wish.

Here’s an example:

The object I want to make the pouch pack for is 5” wide and 10” tall.

The width of the fabric should be 5” + 2” (for wiggle room) + 1 3/4” = 8 3/4”

The length of the fabric should be (10)2 + 10/3 + 1” = 24.33 => 24 3/8”

How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten
How to make easy travel pouch packs - Tutorial with lots of photos by Sarah Kirsten

The Easiest Way to Sew Zipper Ends

Whether you are using a cut-to-length zipper (my personal favorite) or a regular zipper, the need sometimes arises to sew a nice fabric patch on the end of the zipper. Of all the ways to do this (most are terribly frustrating), this is the best method I’ve used. It’s reliable - works every time. It’s quick - only takes about a minute total. It looks neat - no raw edges which makes it good for a variety of applications. And best of all, it’s the least fussy - it’s easy to get the fabric lined up and sewn straightly.

Here’s how to do it.

1) Cut a rectangle of fabric about 4” (10 cm) long and 1/2” (1.3 cm) wider than the width of the zipper.

The easiest way to sew zipper ends - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten

2) Fold the rectangle in half with right sides together. Sew both sides with a 1/4” (0.64 cm) seam allowance.

The easiest way to sew zipper ends - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten

3) Turn the fabric right side out.

_MG_0765.jpg

4) Fold the top inside the little pouch so that the top of the fabric reaches all the way to the bottom.

The easiest way to sew zipper ends - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten

5) Make sure the folded edge of the pouch is even all the way around. Insert the zipper inside. (Note: Depending on the application you’re using it for and the type of zipper, you may want to remove some zipper teeth so you don’t sew over them.)

The easiest way to sew zipper ends - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten

6) Stitch near the top of the pouch through all layers.

The easiest way to sew zipper ends - Tutorial by Sarah Kirsten

That’s it! You’re done.

In my free Pear Pouch Pattern I use a different method, but this would be an excellent alternative. In fact, this is, simply put, a better method. More reliable and less fussy all around.

How to Repair Work Gloves with Holes in the Fingers

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

Three winters ago my mom bought me a new pair of leather gloves for the daily farm chores. They have been my best pair yet, but unfortunately they are already full of holes in almost all the finger tips. I think mine are a little beyond the repair stage (practically speaking). It’s an on-going problem — farm gloves that wear out too quickly.

Our neighbor said he has the same problem with his farm gloves and sent me this video of how to repair them. The video made it look so simple that I wanted to try it out. I asked if I could repair his gloves. It turns out it IS really simple and surprisingly easy. Here’s how to do it.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

1) Turn the gloves inside out and seam rip around the panel containing the hole.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

2) Cut out the piece with the hole.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

3) Using the piece with a hole as a pattern, cut out a new piece of leather (or fabric). Make the new piece 1/4” - 3/8” | 0.64 - 1 cm longer than the piece you cut out from the glove.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

4) Overlap the new piece with the existing finger panel and zigzag stitch them together along both edges (the edge of the new piece and the edge of the existing piece).

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten
How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

5) Starting from the top of the finger, sew down each side. Stitch over the whole thing 2 - 3 times to reinforce the stitching.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

7) Turn the glove right side out and admire the new finger!

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten
How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

- Alternative Method -

On the thumb I tried a different method, and I ended up liking it more. Instead of cutting out the old piece just add a new piece on the outside and sew it back up!

1) Seam rip around the panel containing the hole (or in this case, the soon-to-be-hole) and cut a matching piece of leather that extends past the holey area.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

2) Zigzag stitch the bottom of the new piece to the outside of the existing piece.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten
How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

3) Starting from the top of the finger, sew down each side. Stitch over the whole thing 2 - 3 times to reinforce the stitching.

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

4) Turn the glove right side out and you’re done!

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

Ready for another cold winter on the farm :)

How to repair work gloves with holes in the fingers. Tutorial with lots of photos - Sarah Kirsten

How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters

Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten

This post is to complement pattern instructions for the Fennel Fanny Pack. The techniques apply to all Slide Adjusters and Side Release Buckles however.

Step 1: Install the Slide Adjuster on the long end of the webbing.

Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten

Step 2: Install the male end of the Side Release Buckle by feeding the webbing up and around the center bar of the buckle.

Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten

Step 3: Feed the webbing back through the Slide Adjuster, the same direction as the first time, underneath the existing webbing.

_MG_0594.jpg
Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten

Step 4: Loop the webbing around the center bar of the Slide Adjuster. Fold the end in 1/2 in | 1.3 cm and sew the webbing to itself with two rows of stitching.

Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters (with lots of photos!) - Sarah Kirsten
Tutorial (with lots of photos) - How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten

It should look something like this:

Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten
Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten

Step 5: Insert the short side of the webbing into the female end of the Side Release Buckle. Fold the end of the webbing in 1/2 in | 1.3 cm and sew with two lines of stitching.

Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten
Tutorial How to Install Side Release Buckles and Slide Adjusters - Sarah Kirsten