A bit of sewing restyling inspired by the pretty book-Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt

Do you ever get a book that you think every page is so pretty you want to jump in? That's what I was thinking as I flipped through the pages of Sew Serendipity: Fresh and Pretty Designs to Make and Wear by Kay Whitt.
The details of the designs and the styling oh and the fabric....oh all of it is so pretty! The book comes with full patterns but I generally just take scissors to things and put them back a bit different. Such is the case here. Let me tell you this garment's history.
It started with some shirt that had this great overall buckle hardware. I am sure it was probably really short (for me at least). So I hacked off (well again I took my seam ripper to it) and separated the cool top with the hardware. I then sewed a simple "A" line dress and stitched the two together. Sorta cute and I did wear it like this above picture but I felt it still needed something. Sew Serendipity to the rescue! This great criss cross tie design was perfect!

So I cut some ties off of another garment I wasn't wearing, opened up the side seams and restitched them with the ties in place. There are a whole bunch more really great details in Sew Serendipity I plan on incorporating into some of my upcoming restyling projects.

More about Sew Serendipity: Fresh and Pretty Designs to Make and Wear from the publisher, Krause Publications:

"Lay it out, cut it out, sew it up, put it on!

Kay Whitt of Serendipity Studios proves that all you need to re-make your wardrobe are a few key things: Great fabric, easy-to-make patterns, a handful of simple skills, and your own personal sense of style!

Use Sew Serendipity to create a fresh, new look.

• Included in the book are tissue pattern inserts for the skirt, tunic/dress and jacket—each with 6 variations detailed in the book. 3 basic patterns x 6 variations=18 ways to show off your skills and style!

• Kay provides the master instructions for each basic garment, and individual instruction for each unique look. Once you master the basics, changing it up is a snap!

• Each clothing pattern is graded in seven sizes (bust: 32-44; waist: 24-36; hips: 34-46) from XXS to XXL. Use the “Custom Fitting” section of this book to learn how to measure yourself and adjust the patterns to get the best possible fit!

• Check out the “Tools of the Trade” and “Sewing Techniques” sections for an overview of tools and skills you’ll need to make the clothes in this book.

• Embellish your designs to match your style, whether you’re feeling the need for classic, tailored elegance, or you’re in the mood for a little ruffled whimsy. Kay’s simple embellishments make it a breeze to adapt your design to the look you want.

With Sew Serendipity, you’ll find out how to lay out the pattern pieces, cut them out and sew them up. All you have to do is put them on and strut your stuff!

About the Author

A licensed designer for McCall's and regular exhibitor at spring and fall Quilt Markets as Serendipity Studio, Kay Whitt has been designing and selling patterns for the past 10 years. "

How to sew an apron for an Amineko or 18-Inch Doll from the book All Dolled Up

What a cute cut-up!
This is Jane Doe. She is an Amineko (crocheted cat) I made her using the pattern from the book Hello My Name Is Amineko. One of the fun things about plushies is dressing them up. Well as it turns out Jane is 16 inches tall and I thought I'd try making her the apron from the fun book All Dolled Up.
She of course had to supervise. I first traced the apron pattern and then cut it out.

I followed the directions in All Dolled Up and cut a lining fabric and then I chose to use some ribbons for the ties.
I have a little tip here. I didn't want to accidentally sew over the tie part of the ties sew I pinned them into the center of the apron fabric as you can see here.
Jane decided she was going to help top stitch the mini pom pom trim onto the bottom edge of her apron.

Here my little Jane Amineko is posing all dramatic-like. She's such a poser!

Like to sew stuff for little girls and dolls too? Grab a copy of:
All Dolled Up: Sewing Clothes and Accessories for Girls and Their 18-Inch Dolls
by
Joan Hinds
and
Nancy Zieman

From the Publisher, Krause Publications:

"Stylish Outfits for Girls and Their Dolls!

A girl and her doll are fast friends indeed. Add in coordinating outfits, and nothing could be cuter! You can make adorable coordinating outfits for the girl in your life and the doll in hers with the help of All Dolled Up! From flowered party dresses, summer tops and Capri pants to fleece vests and messenger bags, the projects inside All Dolled Up provide easy, fun and fashionable outfits for every season and time of day.

• Make 20 different outfits including dress-up clothes, casual wear, pajamas and accessories.
• Create the clothing using full-size patterns for all of the doll projects and many of the girl projects.
• Learn time-saving techniques for creating clothing for 18-inch dolls, making any outfit in 30 minutes or less.
• Watch the techniques in action with author Joan Hinds and Nancy Zieman on the bonus DVD.
• Learn even more tips and techniques from Nancy Zieman in her Notes from Nancy throughout the book.

Making matching outfits for your girl and her doll is easy and fun with All Dolled Up!

Video DVD player or software required to view enclosed DVD.

Joan Hinds, owner of Fancywork and Fashion, has authored thirteen doll costume pattern books. She publishes a quarterly newsletter for those who love to sew dolls, and she has appeared on the PBS series "America Sews with Sue Hausmann." Nancy Zieman is an author, pattern designer, business woman, home economist, and national sewing authority and is the host of the popular show Sewing With Nancy, which appears exclusively on public television stations across the United States and Canada. "

Embroidered scissors from the book Redwork from the Workbasket

I used to only do machine embroidery but I have become quite the fan now of hand embroidery. And what is my favorite tool? Why yes it is the scissors so I didn't have to go any further than the cover of Redwork from The WORKBASKET to find my latest embroidery design.

Redwork from The WORKBASKET comes with a disk of all the images so this makes sizing sew easy!

I printed the scissors out and then cut the outline of the scissors out. I then trace the shape onto the fabric with a wash away marker.
I aligned the scissors so that the part that was supposed to be the strap fell on the seam.
I will definitely be using more of the 100 designs included in

Redwork from The WORKBASKET: 100 Designs for Machine and Hand Embroidery to embellish more of my projects!

More about the book from Krause:

"Get the highly sought-after vintage embroidery look in the 21st century with Redwork from The WORKBASKET , 100 authentic WORKBASKET designs presented in multiple digitized formats for machine embroidery. These vintage designs are available in JPEG format as well so even hand-embroiderers can create their own transfers. Discover how to make these designs with 12 projects that include dishtowels, an apron, a foldable tote bag, framed sentiments, a bed quilt and more. Instructions, templates, tips on thread and fabric selection and a visual index of patterns complete this great package!

Rebecca Kemp Brent is a freelance writer, educator and designer who specializes in creative uses of computerized sewing and embroidery machines and software. A regular contributor to Creative Machine Embroidery, Quilting & Embroidery, Paper & Embroidery and Holiday Embroidery, her titles for Krause Publications (an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.) include Fill in the Blanks with Machine Embroidery (2007) and Machine Embroidery Wild and Wacky (2006), which she co-authored with Linda Turner Griepentrog. "

How to make recycled sweater tags inspired buy the one in: Hand-Me-Ups By Lorine Mason

Ready, set, cut!

I love when I see a recycling project that I have everything to make already. That's not to say I don't love hunting for new things, I'm just saying when I was flipping through super fun and cute Hand-Me-Ups and I saw this stylish monogram felt luggage tag I new I had Sizzix dies that were virtually the same size letter and a circle die that I was betting would work too, so I was ready to craft!

I just fused some Heat and Bond on the back of a piece of recycled felted wool sweater and then ran the backed piece through the Sizzix die cutter with the letter "P" die.

I cut a non-backed piece of recycle wool felted sweater through with the circle die.
Then pealed the paper backing off and pressed them together.
Well, I just got the Tim Holtz gear die and I thought I'd put one of the gears on the back side of my baggage tag. I was on a roll and cut lots of gears. Not sure what they will "turn" into but I will be sure to keep you posted!

More about the book from the publisher Krause Publications:
Hand Me-Ups: Recrafting Kid's Clothes with Easy Techniques and Fun Designs

By Lorine Mason

"Hand-Me-Ups features 25+ exciting projects, all based on recycled items you can take from the closet or purchase second hand. By reworking the materials and then jazzing up the pieces with trendy embellishments and simple techniques, you can create fashion forward looks for today's kids. Includes a variety of projects such as clothing, belts, jewelry, shoes, bags and totes.

Lorine Mason is a crafting projects designer, utilising a variety of mediums. She has authored articles on home decor, the principles of designing projects for children and cross erchandising. She is the author of two other books by Krause Publications - Fashion Sweatshirts and Fashion Sweatshirts: Tots to Tweens."