Hello Sailor! We’re already dreaming of spring; according to Lord Tennyson, a young sailor’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love…or something like that. If you have nautical inclinations, now is the time to show them. These charming embroidery transfer patterns were given away with soap by B.J. Johnson Soap Co., copyright 1914 http://tiny.cc/dcfkqw. I think the anchor would be perfect upon a collar!
“In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove;
In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

Sherry from the New Zealand sewing blog, Pattern Scissors Cloth, created a clearly written tutorial on making tailored jacket sleeve plackets. We’re all about the mitred corners and buttonholes, and although she notes that one does not need to make the buttonholes functional by cutting them open, we believe that you should go for full-on luxurious ostentatiousness and hand sew your vent buttonholes in imported silk buttonhole twist.

Do you need a project utilizing the sale fabric in our current Mid-Lightweight Wool category? Wenlan of Twinkie by Wenlan and BurdaStyle team up to give you a free pattern and tutorial for this gently pleated skirt. We would love to make it in this oh-so studious skirt in our cardinal red twill wool fabric, then burn the midnight oil researching textiles…and for all you library fans, the Dewey call number for wool fabric is 677.31.

Shwin & Shwin: sisters that create, have a plethora of free children’s patterns and tutorials on their sewing blog. We are particularly enamored with these dandy baby bow tie and bootie instructions.  Make them from scraps of plush plaid flannel for a mini-lumberjack look!

What can you create with some scraps of felt and a hot glue gun! Betty, local blogger with sweet ipomoea, made her cats two costumes. This simple declarative sentence does not begin to do her feline frippery project justice though! Betty clothed the ever patient Yun Yun as the Catbus from Miyazaki’s animated film My Neighbor Totoro, and Bumbe as Totoro. Yun Yun is the clear diva of the pair…check out the glittery eyed mousie headlights! Betty is an inspiration to us all.

Karen from the blog Serious Craft made this awesome tutorial on making your own fancy-schmancy shoelaces from lengths of ribbon.  These dapper accessories have a Bloomsbury-esque romantic aspect to them – perfect for long afternoons writing in coffee houses, or dreamy evenings at the opera.  We’d like a pair in this ethereal hand-dyed Hanah Silk™ ribbon in teal, purple, violet, and green, and then paired with a pair of swank blue suede wingtips.

Hello Britex readers, I’m Kristin from skirt as top and I’m so thrilled to be here today! I have wanted to sew a cape for my 4 year old daughter for about a year now, and partnering with Britex Fabrics was the perfect opportunity for me to sew a soon-to-be-released cape pattern by Oliver + S with some truly wonderful wool.

I chose this peacock blue midweight wool for a playful twist, since my daughter is only four years old and I always aim to make her clothing both beautiful and fun. Sewing with this gorgeous wool was a dream, and in person it almost shines. My husband even remarked on how nice it looked – it’s a level above the fabrics I typically sew with and the fabric quality is apparent at first glance!

Click here to read more »

Don’t let Santa forget your faithful pooch! The ever helpful Tipnut posted this pack of dog attire tutorials. Sew a studious tweed jacket for rover, and don’t forget the mousers! There are also directions for altering a child’s shirt to make a dapper-licious collar for your favorite puss-in-boots.

Do you need to make a gift for a youngster who loves toting dolls to and fro? An from Antwerp, and the creative hands behind Straight Grain: A Blog About Sewing, made a tutorial for a charming doll bassinet – perfect for carrying dollies to tea parties and play dates!

This tutu is perfect for twirling to the Dance-Along Nutcracker® or sipping mulled hard cider at a holiday shindig.  Elisalex of By Hand: London made this tutu-orial for a swirly skirt; the “top of Elisalex’s party priorities list is to get that vintage ball gown dry cleaned, shine up the heirloom diamonds, stock up on lavender hair dye, and, of course, gather layer upon layer of tulle to make the flouffiest, pouffiest fairy princess tutu there ever was.” She succeeded.  We’d like to see it made up in layers of palest ballet pink and airy dove grey for a smidgen of élégance.