New PDF Sewing Patterns for beginners and Beth Gold Photography

New PDF Sewing Patterns for Women and Children coming soon!

All photos by: Beth Gold Photography

Ruffled Pinafore Sewing Pattern - revamped - coming soon!

Girl's Ruffled Collared Cape sewing pattern          The Miss Mod Top sewing pattern

on sale now                                                                  on sale now

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful 2011 and are ready for 2012! Seamingly Smitten is gearing up to debut some fabulous NEW sewing patterns this year! We've partnered with Beth Gold Photography and some amazing models to show off the patterns we have and the patterns that are coming.

Here is a sneak peek from our photo shoot with Beth...

Classic A-Line Dress sewing pattern -      Girl's Ruffle Collared Cape sewing pattern -

                on sale now!                                          on sale now!

               Ruffled Pinafore Sewing Pattern - out soon!   Classic A-line Dress sewing pattern (on sale now!)

Besides the sewing patterns that will debut....10 in all...the blog is going to be a better resource for you! Is there something you want to learn? A specific tutorial you would like to see? Let me know and you might see it on here!

Want to learn to sew?

These sewing tutorials are coming soon:

How to alter your jeans

How to make a pillow

How to make an envelope pillow

Here is to a Happy New Year and to Happy Sewing!
Jenny ~ Seamingly Smitten

How to recover a chair - TUTORIAL and a WINNER

Giveaway! Enter to win a CLUTCH (made by me!). CLICK HERE to enter.

WINNER of $25 gift card to Stella Bella Designs is: Tanya of Sew Many Dreams

*****************************************************************************

Chair Makeover

Recovering a dining room chair can be easy! I've had these two black chairs for about 8 years and they've been covered in this red toile fabric. These chairs have moved around in our house since I love their shape, they aren't too wide or deep and I think the black really makes them stand out against the wall. They have been in our kitchen at the table, on either side of a china hutch, in our den on either side of a console table against the wall and now sit in our foyer/entryway. The red toile fabric just didn't have enough pop to go with the furniture, rug and art, so it was time for a change.

Tutorial:  Recovering a chair cushion

BEFORE picture

 AFTER picture

1. Gather supplies:

*7/8 yard fabric (home decor fabric, 60 inches wide) will recover 2 chair seats

*staple gun

*screwdriver (if you have an electric one, time to use it!)

*batting or poly-fill (batting is what you are supposed to use but I didn't have any)

2. Turn the chair on it's side. There are 4 screws holding on the seat - unscrew them.

3. Lay your seats on the fabric. Think about what part of the fabric design you want in the center of the seat. Cut up the middle of the two seats so you have two pieces of fabric.

*Cut a few layers of batting the shape of the top of the seat.

Lay it down on the fabric, then place the cushion on top.

(I skipped the batting and used poly-fill a few steps later...you will see it below.)

4. Pull up the bottom and staple. Pull up the corners and staple.

Repeat for 3 sides only. **Leave one side open!

5. I left one side open so I could stuff it full of poly-fill. Make sure you get all the corners and crevices. 

(*I used poly-fill because I had it on hand...use batting if you have it.) 

6. Flip it over and check out your work!

7. Repeat for the other cushion.

8. Screw the seats back on the chairs.

Enjoy the new look!

Tutorial: How to sew a child's apron

Enter to win a free CLUTCH (made by me!). CLICK HERE to enter.

Enter to win $25 store credit to Stella Belle Designs. CLICK HERE to enter.

Sew and Tell....It's a Dollar Store Craft!

Last week my sister and I were browsing a craft market and saw a lady selling potholder aprons. She made them using Christmas dishtowels and Christmas potholders and was selling them for $10 each. Immediately my sewing brain kicked in and I thought...I can make it for $1!

So, here it is...enjoy!

Tutorial:

Potholder Apron Tutorial

What's the secret to some good cooking?

Cute aprons of course!

1. Gather supplies. (These supplies will make you 2 aprons!)

dollar store items: package of potholders (came in a set of 2), package of dishtowels (came in a set of 2)

ribbons, trims, fabric for a ruffle (all optional)

2. Cut dishtowel in half widthwise.

3. Cut a strip of fabric 6 inches x 44 inches (or shorter depending on how ruffled you like it)

4. Iron your ruffle in half with raw edges and right side facing up.

5. Gather and pin your ruffle. I just do this by pinning the left end, the right end and the middle. Then I continue finding and pinning the middle of each section.

6. Sew on using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

7. Fold ruffle down and press with an iron.

8. Use a decorative stitch or a straight stitch and topstitch. This holds your ruffle in place.

I chose stitch #16...see below.

9. Lay out your top ribbon and leave 12 inches hanging off each end and pin.

10. Lay out your other ribbon and leave one inch hanging off the end and pin.

11. Sew on your ribbons. Fold back the edges of your ribbon that had one inch hanging over the end to give it a tidy look. Leave the 12 inches on either side since these will be your straps.

12. Cut out a scrap to be your applique. My fabric had a cupcake on it so there wasn't any tedious cutting of different colors of fabric.

13. Sew around your shape using a zig-zag stitch.

14. Cut a piece of ribbon 24 inches long and loop through the potholder loop. Tie a knot to secure.

Try it on your little girl or give it as a gift!

This cupcake cutie is having a ball!

My little boy had to join in the fun wearing his crab apron (and Woody hat, of course!).

Cooking together in their new playhouse. Sweet memories!! Gosh, I wish they didn't grow so quickly!!

"Cheese!"

Why is it that spatulas are amazingly fun to kids??

Reaching for the stars and ready to cook!

I hope you all think about making an apron next time you see a potholder!

Enjoy and Happy Sewing!

~Jenny

Tutorial: How to sew a CLUTCH!...or WIN IT!

Have you been thinking about New Year's Eve yet and what you are going to wear? This year don't worry about your accessories, make yourself a CLUTCH! (Don't be scared...it only takes 20 minutes!)

*Want to WIN this CLUTCH? Enter below!!

The Party Girl Clutch

Tutorial

Materials needed:

2 different fabrics ( each 16 inches long x 11 inches wide)

an inch of velcro

material to embellish

1. Cut your main fabric piece to 16 in x 11 in

and

Cut your lining piece to 16 in x 11 in

(You can add medium weight interfacing at this point. Iron it on the WRONG side of one of your fabrics then continue with step 2. I used a denim fabric as the lining so I chose not to for this clutch.)

2. Place your pieces right sides together. Pin around all four sides.

 

3. Starting at one short side, sew all the way around your clutch but STOPPING 5 inches before your starting point. This is how you will turn it right side out and you will close the hole later.

4. Turn the piece right side out.

5. Press with an iron. Fold in the hole that was used for turning, press with an iron and pin. 

6. Sew along the entire side that had the hole using a 1/8 inch seam allowance (or as close to the edge as possible).

7. Lay your clutch right side down with the bottom being the side you just sewed.

Fold up the bottom 6 inches and pin along the left and right sides.

8. Sew up one side, across the top and down the opposite side. Do not sew along the bottom.

9. Attach a piece of velcro (remove the paper backing and stick on your clutch).

10. Sew on your velcro. (You can sew around all 4 edges.)

11. Embellish.

You're done!!

Wear it out and show it off!

Want to WIN this clutch?

 ** Leave a comment for each you do.

Each comment is ONE entry.

1. Follow Seamingly Smitten blog.

2. Like Seamingly Smitten on Facebook (click here).

3. Post about this giveaway on your blog. (Leave the link!)

4. Tweet about this giveaway.

Winner will be announced Friday, January 6th, 2012 and notified via email!

Happy New Year!