Elemental Stitches

Scrappy Earthworm - A Free Sewing Tutorial

  

I read about the Sew, Mama, Sew contest at the beginning of this month and realized that I actually had time to participate!  I have been working on my little Earthworm off and on all week and I finally have everything finished!

So here it goes! 

I like my projects to be very free form and very easy to do without a pattern.  So feel free to experiment and create to your hearts desire!

Scrappy Earthworm Tutorial

1.  Gather up your scraps that are at least 7 inches long and 1.5 inches wide.  I have lots of small amounts of fabric in little piles all over so I used those. 

2.  Cut the fabric into 7 inch long strips.  The width can vary between 1.5 inches and 3 inches.  I used several different widths, but you could use all the same width too.

3.  After all your strips are cut out decide on your pattern.  Sew the strips together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance until you have a long rectangle of sewn strips.  Make it as long or short as you like.  Remember I said free form!

4.  Iron your seams flat on the back and fold the rectangle in half lengthwise, right sides facing each other.

5.  Cut a rounded head shape and a pointy tail.  No need for a pattern or a ruler here.  Just wing it.  If you really need help use a small bowl as a guide for the head.

6.  Sew along the cut edge leaving a 2-3 inch opening a few inches below the head.

7.  Turn worm right side out and stuff his head until its filled out.  Mark the position for his eyes.  Embroidery his face or use buttons, this is where you get to use your creativity!

8.  I went for simple with just his cute ivory buttons as eyes and pink thread for his pupils.  I love his pointy nose!

9.  Continue stuffing your worm until he is the firmness you want.

10.  Sew up the stuffing hole with an invisible stitch and enjoy your worm!

Need some ideas to get you started?

1.  Make a snake instead of a worm by adding a red felt tongue.

2.  Fill him with beans or rice for a great draft stopper for windows and doors.

3.  Make a shorter worm and fill it with rice as a Hot Rice pack for your neck and shoulders (leave off the buttons for this one).

4.  Use solid colors and after you sew the strips into a rectangle embroider a different pattern onto each strip.  Make him a long adorable embroidery sampler!

Hope you enjoyed this free pattern!  Have Fun!

Alice in Wonderland Costume Contest

I know I promised an embroidery update (working on it!), but I had to show you all this costume.  Kathleen from Grosgrain sews amazing clothing and costumes which she posts as giveaways on her blog.  I fell in love with her Marie Antoinette costume and subscribed to her blog.  Now I see this amazing inspiration.

 

Check out her blog and enter to win these dresses!

Fall Sewing and Embroidery Tutorials Around the Web

Its finally September!  Can you believe it?  Fall is my favorite season.  It is my favorite for so many reasons.  My birthday is in October, it is finally cool enough to go outside at noon, I love the colors of the leaves in the fall.  I also love preparing for winter.  It hits something deep inside me, almost instinctual.  Like a squirrel I must prepare for winter.

I made a list of things I would like to make this fall and found tutorials for them.  I hope they give you some great ideas!

Back to School Lunch bag

Messenger Bag Book bag

Fabric Book Cover

Autumn Embroidery Patterns

Cloak - Its like a wearable blanket

Pencil Case with Embroidery

Bunny Pencil Case

Children's Pants and another pattern

Super Easy Knitted Fingerless Gloves

Hot/Cold Rice/Buckwheat Bags and another pattern

Knitted Stocking Cap

Fingerless Mitts from Sweaters

Hat and Mittens from Recycled Sweaters

Draft Blocker and a Snake one

I hope these help you prepare for this fall and winter!  I cant wait for a little rain and colder weather.

Vintage Lotus Embroidery

Hi everyone!

I finished up an embroidery project!  I know its been a while.  I have been collecting as many vintage patterns online as I could get my hands on and I finally did one.

And here is the back.  I tried to keep it as neat as possible because this is on a hankie and the other side is visible. 

I also tried to do the Flower Girl dress from Weekend Sewing, but the pattern runs a little small.  I say its about a 3T or so.  I am going to have to enlarge it a couple sizes to fit my little munchkin.

I had a terrible time with the gathering on this dress.  I have done it before a few times and its not hard, but I ended up tearing out the seam three times before giving up for the night.  Well, I have to admit that the first time I tore out the seam it was because I had sewn in onto the bodice inside out.  But the 2nd and 3rd times were definitely the fabrics fault!  HaHa!

So, I think I might give up on this one, cut off the straps and turn the skirt into a Smocked Sundress.  I love the bright yellow gingham fabric.  Its says summer so clearly and its from a vintage sheet I found in a huge trash bag of fabric in my mom's garage.  The bag had belonged to the mother of my best friend who moved away when I was little.  It would be wonderful to use it as a dress for my little girl.

Another Smocked Sundress from Weekend Sewing

Hello everyone!  I hope your week has started out well!  Thing here on the central coast are warm, happy and full of crafting.  Yea!

I finished another smocked sundress from Weekend Sewing.  This really is the simplest dress to make.  I have had this fabric sitting in my stash for almost 2 years.  I loved it and didn't want to waste it on a flop project.  I have enough fabric left to make the headband in Weekend Sewing to match.  Maybe I will try that one this coming week.

Behind my little model is my tomatoes in pots as well as my herb garden, for those gardening freaks out there.

This time I made a strap modification.  I have two straps in the front that tie behind her neck instead of four straps that tie at the shoulders like the last dress I made.

Pretty cute :)

I finished a new embroidery project and screwed up the Flower Girl dress from Weekend Sewing, pictures to come.

Girls Dress from Weekend Sewing

Hi Everyone!
My midterms are done and here is the dress I made over the weekend.  I love this pattern and I will be making several of these over the next couple weeks.

She looks so excited, doesn't she?

This one took about 30 minutes.  Seriously!  Sewing with the elastic thread was easier then I thought.  The best part is that I made it out of a mens dress shirt I got for about 50 cents.  I can imagine making this out of all kinds of fabric for different looks and it would be easy to increase the pattern for any size. 

I also made the Summer Blouse but I need to finish sewing the hem this weekend.  I also have some adjustments that I would make to that pattern.

Gotta get to a birthday party!  Bye!

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross

If you haven't gotten this book yet then run out and grab it because it is full of adorable and original patterns that are really easy.

I love the colors and photography!  But what I love most of all are these slippers!  Arent they adorable!

Or how about this dress.  I can see myself wearing this all over the beach this summer.

My daughter had already picked out the material for this dress.

And I am on a search for material for several of these shirts.

My only complaint is that there is no place to store the patterns.  I will have to keep a large envelope with this book for the patterns.

Well I will probably be away from blogland for the next week.  Finals are over and it is finally spring break and we have family coming for the week.  Have a wonderful beginning of Spring!

US Forces Independant Toymakers out of Business!

I cant believe this is happening.  It looks like the US passed some toy safety laws that will force most small toymakers in the US out of business.  Small toymakers in Canada and Europe will no longer be able to export their toys to the US.

Is this the governments way of forcing me to shop at Walmart and to buy toys from China?  That is certainly how I feel.  Apparently I am no longer allowed to support US small businesses.  I have to give my money to multi-million dollar companies whose toys fall apart and whose CEOs are swimming in cash already. 

Please email your congressman and senator!
Visit this site for more info.
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/Home

A New Apron

I came across some wonderful fabric for aprons so I made three.  Here is the one I am keeping.  The other two are getting some embroidery and will be in the shop near the beginning of August.

A New Skirt

Last night I decided that I wanted a new pair of lounge pants.  You would think lounge pants are the easiest things in the world to sew, but after one too many stupid screw ups I cut off the legs and made a new skirt for Brae.  The skirt is made of a bed sheet I got for free.  I used the top of the bed sheet for the hem and decoration.  This skirt takes 10 minutes and is idiot proof.