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There’s only 10 days left to enter the National Sewing Month Reuse, Remake, Restyle contest. We are receiving entries daily and I continue to be awed and inspired by the project pics that are coming in. The contest ends September 30 and we’ll be picking the 3 winning entries by October 20. We’ll also be posting all the entries so that you can be inspired too.
Happy stitching!
Who doesn’t love the comfort of sweats–they’re soft, they always fit no matter what, and they’re warm? Sweats can be dressed up with the right accessories, or simply left as-is for at-home appeal.
But authors Carmen Webber and Carmia Marshall have taken sweats several steps toward real fashion in their latest book Chic Sweats. Personally, I’m sometimes skeptical of “re-do” books as the results often look contrived to me, but these styles offer some fun touches that all begin with the humble sweatshirt. It’s well written and cleverly illustrated with not only fashion images, but step-by-step how-tos, all drawn by one of the authors.
If you’re a beginner, there’s good information to get you started, and if you’re an experienced sewer, it doesn’t disappoint as there are some more-than-simple modifications as well. Unlike some re-do books, this one finishes seams and edges on most projects, and uses standard sewing techniques we all appreciate. There’s teen appeal as well as things of interest to sewers of all ages. This book is a good read and a keeper in my opinion!
Did you know that September 10th is “Sew Be It” day? On this day in 1846, the sewing machine was born.
Look how far we’ve come since that great invention!
With National Sewing Month in full swing, one of the commitments we all make is to try to teach someone to sew, especially young people. If you’re a mom or grandmother, that’s probably an easy task for you, but if you have no children around, one needs to be a little more resourceful.
Hunt up a local group of Brownies or Girl Scouts, or a church youth group, school class or another “gaggle” of youngsters and volunteer to teach them some simple sewing projects.
Author Mary Link just published 100+ No-sew Fabric Crafts for Kids, and there are tons of ideas in this clever book, as well as full-size patterns. Very minimal sewing is involved in only some of these, and many other projects are not sewn at all, but still fabric based. She uses fusible heavy craft interfacing as the basis for the projects, which range from mobiles and games to party favors, pet accessories and small gifts for several holidays. Kids are sure to be inspired by this one.
So take a look, find some kids, and start to play…teaching them some simple skills that could change their life.
We want to see your most creative ideas! How have you implemented environmentally-sound sewing into your life? Have you designed a clever method to reuse a garment that you made and no longer wear? Do you shop thrift stores and garage sales for designer cast-offs that you restyle into bags, totes or ‘vintage’ style garments for yourself? Have you found a way to remake an everyday product into something unique and eco-thrifty? Sew up your best ideas for National Sewing Month and you could be a lucky winner!
Enter the Reuse, Remake, Restyle Challenge at the National Sewing Month website. The contest runs through September 30, 2009 and prize packages for the top 3 winning entries will include equipment, fabrics, tools, notions and more.
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