A sewVery Simple Non-Slip Machine Mat Tutorial

For today's project, I'm pairing up with Craft Buds and Anna Griffin to share with you A sewVery Simple tutorial for making a Non-Slip Machine Mat with pocket storage and a detachable pin cushion.

For a while now, I've been wanting to make myself a new mat to use under my serger.  The old one I have is small, made of fabric that just isn't my style, and doesn't have a place for a pin cushion.  So, when Lindsay (my friend from Craft Buds) asked me if I wanted to make something using these cheerful and bright Maisie by Maude Asbury fabrics from Anna Griffin, I knew just what to make!

Disclosure:  The quilting fabrics used for this post were provided free of charge, but all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Want to make your own non-slip machine mat with a matching pin cushion?  Here's how!

Supplies:

2 fat quarters of quilting cotton
1 - 12 1/4" x 18" piece of grip stop fabric (I purchased mine at Joann's)
1 - 4" long piece of 1" wide velcro
1 yard of light weight Pellon interfacing (I used Pellon P44F, but Pellon 911F would work great).
Batting or Fiber Fill
Scissors, Ruler, Marking Pen, Pins, Iron, Thread, Sewing Machine

Cut:

From one fat quarter:
3 - 5" x 18" pieces (1 is the pocket front, 1 is the pocket back, and 1 is part of the mat back)
2 - 3" x 4" pieces (for the pin cushion)

From interfacing:
1 - 18" x 18" piece
1 - 5" x 18" piece
2 - 3" x 4" pieces

Assembly:

Start by fusing the 18" x 18" piece of interfacing to the wrong side of the remaining fat quarter. Next, fuse the 5" x 18" piece of interfacing to the wrong side of the pocket front.

To assemble the non-slip machine mat, follow the instructions in the photographs below:

To construct the pin cushion:

And there you have it!  A sewVery Simple Non-Slip Machine Mat!  I wish I made a new one sooner. The non-slip backing is perfect for keeping the mat in place and preventing the machine from vibrating close to the edge.  Plus, the pockets are ideal for storing my scissors, cleaning brush, extra needles, and the allen wrench I use to unscrew the needles from my machine.

The narrow pin cushion with velcro on the bottom keeps the pin cushion in place while I sew instead of it vibrating off the table.  Plus, I have the option to remove it and take it to the ironing board or to my cutting mat when I need it.

I have very limited space in my sewing room, so my sewing machine and serger both sit on the same table but at right angles to one another.

My sewing machine has a knee peddle for raising the sewing machine foot, plus, my table has a drawer right under the machine.  Also, my sewing machine is made of all metal and very heavy, so it does not slip and slid around on the table like my serger, making the non-slip mat unnecessary. But all my sewing gadgets and tools seem to pile up to the right of my sewing machine (which is just left of my serger) making it cluttered and messy and sometimes difficult to find things or sew on the serger.

This is the first glimpse into my sewing space that I have ever posted!

So, I decided to make a smaller companion non-slip mat to sit to the right of my sewing machine. It also has a detachable pin cushion and two rows of pockets.

Since this smaller mat does not have a heavy machine to sit on it to keep it secure, I decided to hand stitch it to the edge of the non-slip serger mat where the edges meet.

I'm so excited to now have such pretty organization mats to use at my sewing table.  Now I think I'll make a couple of machine covers to match using the Maisie by Maude Asbury fabrics from Anna Griffin.

Here are the fabric details and links for the prints I used to make these sewVery Simple Non-Slip Machine Mats!

Mat Front:  Ma Maisie Floral Platinum

Front Pocket, Back Piece, one side of Pin Cushion:  Ma Maisie Stitch Grape

Back Pocket and one side of Pin Cushion: Ma Maisie Clover Grape

Fabric Collection:  Maisie by Maude Asbury

Want to win some of your own Maisie fabrics plus some other fun sewing stuff?  Then be sure to enter my 1,500+ Facebook Fans Giveaway going on now HERE!  

Also, be sure to visit my friend, Lindsay, at Craft Buds to check out all of her amazing projects and tutorials and to see the Pretty Petals Pillow she made with her Anna Griffin fabrics!  

Have fun sewing!

Nessie Top(s)

I've been meaning to share with you the Nessie Top from Craftiness is Not Optional forever!  It is one of my absolute favorite of all time top patterns for girls.

Weeks (really months) ago, Jess asked me to test out the Nessie Top pattern.  I've tested her other patterns--the June Bug Dress and the Olivia Top--so I knew this one would be just as great.

The Nessie Top was so quick and easy to sew together, plus the fit is loose and comfortable which is perfect for my active little girl.  I think that is one reason why I have not blogged about these tops until now!  Every time Ella wears them, she is too busy running, playing, climbing, jumping, and avoiding the camera!

The Nessie Top pattern is for knits and is so versatile!  It offers a stylish hi-low hem along with three sleeve lengths and three bodice options:  basic, color-blocked, and a peter pan collar.  I made a fourth option (of sorts) by adding a stretch lace as an overlay to the entire front of the shirt.

I made this particular version using an ivory ponte roma and a heart design stretch lace both from Joann's.  This top was sewn back in January, and I meant to blog about it before Valentine's Day! Oops!

And in case you missed it yesterday, here is Ella wearing the Nessie Top with her Triangle Pants--another pattern test but for See Kate Sew.  Read all about the Triangle Pants HERE.

This ivory heart Nessie Top paired with her Triangle Pants, boots, and this faux fur vest I made her (I promise I'll blog about the vest very soon) is my absolute favorite outfit for Ella this season. She is so stylish!

Ok.  Back to the Nessie Top.

Another thing I did a little differently for this version of the Nessie Top is that I used Fold Over Elastic (FOE) to bind the neck and the sleeves.  This was my second attempt at using FOE, but since then, I've gone crazy over FOE and may have ordered over 50 yards of it online recently! So, expect to see it in a lot more projects here in the coming weeks!

I told you she really likes this shirt!  See how worn it is starting to look?

Here is the first Nessie Top I made using a woven fabric for the peter pan collar and ponte roma knit for the shirt.  Again, this top gets worn a lot!  This fabric is so soft, has a little bit of stretch, and is thicker than normal interlock knit.

And here is the color-blocked, 3/4 sleeve version of the Nessie Top that I made during testing.  The top is pique knit while the heart fabric is a cotton interlock knit.  This one is worn often, too!

Well, as you can see, the Nessie Top pattern is getting used over and over here.  With the beautiful sunshine teasing us that warmer weather is on its way, I think I might just need to whip up a few of these in short sleeves.  The hardest part is deciding on which fabrics to use!

Be sure to go visit Craftiness Is Not Optional and check out all her great patterns (including the Nessie Top) and tutorials!

I'd also like to invite you to stop by The Daily Sew on Facebook.  I'm the guest curator there today, where I'll be sharing a few sewing and crafting tutorials as well as some other fun sewing pictures and tips!

Thanks for stopping by, and have fun sewing!

Triangle Pants

A few weeks ago, I tested See Kate Sew's latest pattern:  the Triangle Pants pattern.  When she first asked if I wanted to test a pattern for her, I agreed sight unseen.  Coming from Kate, I knew it would be great!  (Hey, that rhymes!)

Most of the pictures you see in this post are from the day I made the Triangle Pants and took some quick photos to show Kate the fit, so please don't think that Ella has worn this shirt tucked in with these pants out in public!  

First, the details.  

For Ella's pair of Triangle Pants, I made the size 5 but used the size 6 length. Always check the sizing chart of a new pattern carefully, because there can be slight differences between designers and even patterns from the same designer in regards to fit.  Ella is roughly 46" tall and definitely needed the extra length.

Next, I used a remnant piece of stretch suiting (or it might be a stretch denim) that I bought a long time ago.  I think I had 3/4 of a yard, and it worked out perfectly!  The pockets are a stretch denim while the waistband and ankle bands are made using ribbed knit--all purchased at Joann's.

These pants make me smile!  I just can't help it!  They are so outside the norm of what I would choose to sew or even dress my daughter in, but you know what?  I absolutely love them!

Ella has worn them once to twice a week since this day, and each time she does, someone compliments her on them.  She says they are so comfortable, too, because of the knit waistband and ankle cuffs.

Per the pattern instructions, the Triangle Pants can be made with knit or woven fabrics, but in my opinion, using a woven with a bit of spandex will make these slim fitting pants wear better.

The Triangle Pants literally took me only an hour to sew together.  I'm dying to make her another pair but without the pockets.  Maybe I'll do that after I finish writing this post!

These triangular shaped pockets are definitely hip and modern (something that I'm not so much), and it was fun stepping outside my normal style comfort zone to make them.  These pants have a slightly higher waist and a more relaxed inseam than other skinny jeans/pants I've made, but those design elements contribute to the comfort of the pants making them ideal for active little children.

Plus, the tapered leg and knit band at the bottom make them perfect for wearing with boots!  Come back tomorrow when I will reveal the top half of what has become one of my favorite outfits for Ella to wear!

If you are now as in love with the Triangle Pants pattern as I am, then please go check them out more at See Kate Sew.  You might just decide to purchase your own copy of the Triangle Pants pattern plus a few other unique designs.  

Have fun sewing and see you tomorrow!

Oh, and tomorrow I'll also be the guest curator over at The Daily Sew on Facebook.  I'd love for you to stop by and say hello!  I'll be sharing some fun tutorials and sewing tips while I'm there!

The Belinda Dress

I'm finally getting around to sharing with you the other favorite dress that Ella and I adore right now--the Belinda Dress pdf pattern by Go To Patterns.

Disclaimer:  The pattern designer provided me with a free copy of the pattern in exchange for my honest review.  All comments in this post are my own opinions.

Go To Patterns released this new design a few weeks ago, and I loved the look of it immediately! The Belinda Dress pattern is written for knit fabrics and is pretty simple to make.  In fact, the only time I used my sewing machine and not my serger was to attach the fold over elastic and to baste the fabric for gathering!  Total time to put it all together was roughly a couple of hours, and the fit is spot on perfect for Ella who is wearing a size 6 now!

First of all, the pattern is one of the most professional packages I've seen lately.  The designer uses excellent photos to accompany the clearly written step-by-step instructions for sewing the dress. And the pattern pieces are simple to print out and put together.

For Ella's black Belinda Dress, I used a ponte roma knit fabric from Joann Fabric and Craft Stores. Instead of binding the neckline and pockets with a knit band as shown in the pattern, I decided to add a little color to the basic black dress by using some fun florescent orange and black chevron fold over elastic.

I think I was channeling my youth from the 1980's with the use of the highlighter yellow tights and the funky blue/green headband--that's one of the reasons I like this outfit so much though!  And in case you are wondering, I did not make the headband!  We picked it up at Gymboree.

This was only my second time to use FOE, and I love it!  Now I need to find more of that fun FOE print!

The dress pattern shows you how to make the dress with or without the large kangaroo style pockets. Since I had plenty of the ponte roma fabric, I added them, and Ella is very glad I did (although she doesn't look it in the photo below (she suddenly got embarrassed as a man walking by noticed her))! Since I purchased the fabric when it was 60% off, the total cost of this dress is under $10!  Can you believe it?

The Belinda Dress pattern has lots of gathering just to warn you in case you don't like gathering! Because the ponte roma fabric is a thicker knit, the front of the skirt took a while to gather because you have two layers of fabric to draw up if you put in the pockets.  It's not difficult--just a little time consuming!  My favorite is the gathering at the top of the sleeve that produces the sweetest feminine effect.

Well, it didn't take Ella long to get over her shyness!  In fact, she had a lot of fun playing around in her Belinda Dress!

So, what are you waiting for?!  Head over to Go To Patterns and check out the Belinda Dress pattern for yourself!  Once I buy some more knit I'll definitely be making another one!

Thanks for stopping by today, and have fun sewing!