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We’re back with the second half of our Intro to Garment Sewing course! In this series we’ll be making a Simple Pull-On A-Line Skirt.

The pattern, designed by our very own Stephanie Brennan, features a flat front waistband with simple darts for a more professional look, and an elastic back waistband so there are no buttons or zippers to deal with. It also makes it super forgiving if you gain or lose a few pounds.

To follow along, just download one or both of the skirt patterns, and we’ll send you all of the FREE video tutorials ...

I’ve had a lot comment on the Crossed Canoe block and is it as easy as I say it is to make – here is a photo tutorial from Saturday’s blocks – I made two blocks in just over 20 minutes yesterday – I know because I had set the timer in the kitchen for […]

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This month, the Island Batik Ambassadors are challenged to make a ByAnnie bag. Having made several, I thought I’d share my bag making tips in a series of posts. If you missed Part 1 of my series click here. If you missed Part 2, click here.

This time I’m making the Round Trip Duffle.

I’m using fabrics from the Midnight Glow collection by Island Batik. Midnight Glow is just arriving in stores now.

When we left off last time, I’d cut and sewn ...

We’re finally ready to finish our Simple Pull-On Skirt with a double hem!

This hemming technique is very popular because it is a very easy way to conceal all the raw edges to create a strong hem with no fraying edges.

It’s also pretty simple because you just need to turn and press the hem under twice, then topstitch and you’re done!

Next up we are going to work on the Simple A-line Skirt. This pattern introduces some new techniques like following a pattern, sewing darts and using interfacing to create a flat-front waistband.

If you’re ...

In today’s video we will be attaching the lining to the skirt and sewing a casing to fit in the elastic waistband.

The way Stephanie Brennan has chosen to attach the lining is super simple and the elastic casing will also close in all the raw edges, so there won’t be any stray threads poking out with wear or washing.

If you haven’t gotten your lining yet any lightweight woven cotton will work. We suggest this solid from Paintbrush Studio. It is extra drapey and very smooth to touch: https://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/painters-palette-rice-paper-for-paintbrush-studio-fabrics/

For the ...

In today’s video you will be learning how to sew a French seam. I know the word “French” immediately makes it sound intimidating, but I promise it’s super easy.

A French seam is basically a seam that you sew twice to enclose all of the raw edges. It’s a great way to create professional looking finish and a strong seam that will hold up to multiple washings.

Plus, it means that there will be no frayed edges even if you don’t have a serger. And it looks a lot nicer than pinking the edges.

Make sure ...

In today’s video we’re going to cover how to cut the skirt panels for the Simple Pull-On Skirt using the measurements we got in our previous video Transferring the Body Measurements to the Fabric.

Make sure you watch that video and our video on How to Measure a Body for Clothing here before you start cutting: https://www.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/introtogarmentsewing/

The skirt Stephanie Brennan is making on camera is for my daughter, so we only need one panel for her skirt. But most adults will need two to three panels depending on your hip width, so make ...

It’s time to start working on our first garment, the Simple Pull-on Skirt! This is a very easy garment pattern with no templates or curves. We’re just going to cut a rectangle or three depending on your hip measurement and start sewing.

Stephanie Brennan is going to show you how to use your body measurements to figure out how wide and long your skirt panels need to be to create skirt that is 1.5 times your hip measurement around.

There is a little bit of math involved, but nothing too complicated. Plus we give you all the ...

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This month, the Island Batik Ambassadors are challenged to make a ByAnnie bag. I’ve made several ByAnnie bags over the years and I have to say I love them!

This time I chose the Round Trip Duffle and sharing tips on how to make it every Monday in October. If you missed my previous post, click here to catch up.

I’m using fabrics from the Midnight Glow collection which is just arriving in quilt stores now. So gorgeous!

When we left off last time, I ...

The last skillset you absolutely have to have to make garments is learning how to measure a body. We’re going to show you how in this video demonstrating the techniques on three different body types so you have the knowledge you need to get the correct measurements on yourself.

Starting with accurate measurements that were taken correctly, and in the right spot, are very important in creating a garment that fits you perfectly.

Accurate measurements also help you determine which size to make. Like pants at the department store, there is no standard sizes for garment patterns.

You need ...

Today’s blogpost takes you through making an entire blouse, which presser feet I use on my Janome (I’m a brand ambassador and compensated, but I’d say all this good stuff anyway…they rock!) m7Continental, why and offer tips and tricks for garment ...

Today we’re featuring five projects that are perfect for beginner quilters or experienced sewers looking for a fast project.

These are all great projects designed to improve your quilting skills while giving you a finished creation that doesn’t look super simple.

We’ve featured all of the products you can grab to make these below.

Split Nine Patch – FREE beginner Quilting class
Get the FREE pattern, course & 20% OFF Discount code: https://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product/split-nine-patch-free-beginner-quilting-video-series-pattern/
Shop our current Split Nine Patch Quilt Kits: https://shop.quiltaddictsanonymous.com/product-category/beginner-quilting/quilt-kits-beginner-quilting/?orderby=date

5-Hour Bed Quilt
This ...

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This month, the Island Batik Ambassadors are challenged to make a ByAnnie bag. We each got to choose the bag we wanted to make. We’ve been doing a ByAnnie challenge for a few years now so I guess you could call me experienced!

This time I chose the Round Trip Duffle. Every Monday in October, I’ll post my tips for making a Round Trip Duffle. If you are looking for a great overnight bag, this is it!

We got to choose the fabric we wanted to use, and I ...

Everybody always loves a blooper reel and I love showing you all that I only look like I have it all together through the magic of editing.

But, it’s not just me who needs a little help, as Courtney, our video editor and Stephanie B., who answers all of your questions, also mess up from time to time.

Enjoy some of our most recent screwups!

We love to find ways to make our patterns in different ways. Recently, we were picked to be Ruby Star Makers for one of our favorite fabric companies, Ruby Star Society. We made this table runner with their Jolly Darlings fabric (affiliate link*), and we thought we would show you how to make your own! […]

#shorts

I designed Zig Zag, our September 2022 Stashin’ with Stephanie pattern, to show off all of the Love Struck prints and separate the light values from the background for a clearly defined block.

This is the first time we’ve featured Paintbrush Studios for our Stashin’ with Stephanie collection. The colors are soft and calming and the abstract modern prints look great together. The fabric also feels very soft and silky. It is lovely to sew with.

Zig Zag is the perfect pattern to master half square triangles and of course I go in-depth on how to get your ...

Choosing a background fabric that complements the rest of the quilt can sometimes be challenging, and that’s where knowing all about background fabrics can help. Whether you’re a new quilter or have dozens to your name, we have a beginner’s guide to background fabrics to help you out.

Quilts just look good when you coordinate (or contrast) your background fabric with the other fabrics in your quilt for a seamless design! Background fabrics are the figurative canvas that makes the designs and blocks in a quilt pattern stand out and take shape. Background fabric normally contrasts with ...

I received a plastic bag mostly full of 2″ squares.

It felt more like a bag of scraps than a Second Chance possibility until I noticed that quite a number of the squares had been sewn together.

Some pairs, some 4-patches, some strips…Really quite a variety. And that is where the challenge came: Use EVERY seam that had already been stitched and create a quilt. Hmmm…

There were assorted pieces–quite a few 4-patches and then miscellaneous.

Solid rows of squares first.

Then add 4-patches (I had to make several more)

Then solid squares.

And a border.

A small ...

Over the past year, we’ve made a scrap buster block each month. On the AccuQuilt Australia blog, I shared different quilt layout options for each block to provide inspiration for how you could make a quilt from just the one block pattern – check those out here. But if you were sewing along to make a sampler quilt like me… well, now’s the time to put it together! Here’s how I made my rainbow sampler quilt…

You can find all the scrappy quilt block tutorials here.

HOT TIP
To get the same scrappy rainbow effect, I highly recommend ...