Looking to show off your sewing skills, but don’t want to take on a huge time commitment? Sew up one of these easy weekend sewing projects.

Want to use your sewing machine for something else besides collecting dust, but don’t have time to start a labor intensive project. Turn to “Sunday Sews,” (Chronicle Books, 2016) a new book by Theresa Gonzalez, with photography by Nicole Hill Gerulat and discover quick sewing weekend sewing projects you can finish by Sunday evening.

“Sunday Sews” includes 20 different designs that can be sewn during the weekend and that are fun, functional, and chic. The sewing projects run the gamut from drapey shift dresses, flattering tunics, tops perfect for layering, aprons, practical tote bags, and projects that are just perfect for homemade gift-giving.

The book features step-by-step directions with technical illustrations to make sewing a breeze. The instructions are super clear, with many of the sewing projects offering fabric, color, and print suggestions, as well as optional details to add a little bit more style if you have the time. Downloadable patterns are also available to go along with those projects that call for patterns. The gorgeous finished project photographs will inspire you to take on one of these easy weekend sewing projects. And if you are somewhat of a beginner to sewing, or need a quick refresher on the basics, the book starts of with a section on basic sewing techniques before diving into the sewing projects.

This is one tutorial book that you will find yourself working your way through to complete all the projects, but one of our favorites is for an on the go “Errands Bag.” Whether you plan on using it at the farmers market, as an overnight bag, or as a work bag, this everyday tote style bag is designed with plenty of space for your stuff. The design features a magnetic snap on the oversized patch pocket, which makes it an extra roomy tote.

Sew this bag up using the instructions below and make sure to get the book to try out the other weekend sewing projects.

Sew Up This Easy Errands Bag

MATERIALS REQUIRED

• Pattern Pieces: Errands Bag, pieces 1–3
• Notions: 2 yd/1.8 m leather strapping (1 in/2.5 cm wide)
• 8 rivets (⅜ in/1 cm diameter)
• 1 magnetic snap closure (¾ in/2 cm diameter)
• Coordinating thread
• Fabric and Yardage: 1 yd/1 m medium- to heavyweight cotton (54 in/135 cm wide) fabric for exterior
• 1 yd/1 m medium-weight cotton (45 in/115 cm wide) fabric for lining
• Sizing: Bag measures 17 by 19 in/43 by 48 cm

NOTES

• All seam allowances are 1 in/2.5 cm, unless otherwise stated.
• Fabric used features an 8-in/20-cm-wide stripe print.

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARATION

Download, print, and assemble the Errands Bag pattern from www.chroniclebooks .com/sundaysews. Cut out all three pattern pieces.

1.Cut the bag exterior

• With Right sides together, fold fabric in half with selvages lined up; press.
• Pin pattern piece 1 (front and back) on Wrong side of fabric, according to Cutting Layout: Errands Bag.
• Cut fabric along the pattern outlines.
• Unfold remaining fabric (single layer) and pin pattern pieces 2 (pocket) and 3 (pocket flap), according to Cutting Layout: Errands Bag.
• Cut fabric along the pattern outlines.
• Transfer all markings to Wrong side of fabric.

2. Cut the lining

• Repeat steps 1a–1c with lining fabric.
• Unfold remaining fabric (single layer) and pin pattern piece 3 (pocket flap), according to Cutting Layout: Lining.
• Cut fabric along the pattern outlines.

SEWING INSTRUCTIONS

3. Sew the pocket

• With the snap shut, center and align the pocket flap about 4 in/10 cm above pocket, pin in place, and topstitch ¼ in/5 mm from top folded edge (see Figure 1).
• Working through the flap’s top opening and using manufacturer’s directions, center and install magnetic snap top, ½ in/1.25 cm from lower edge seam, through the lining fabric only. Make sure that the snap is facing out on Right side of lining fabric, to align with snap piece on pocket.
• Topstitch along the three sewn edges of the pocket flap ¼ in/ 5 mm from edge.
• Fold and press the open raw edge of the pocket flap and pocket flap lining 1 in/2.5 cm to Wrong side and press.
• With Right sides together, align all edges of the pocket flap with flap lining; starting at one corner stitch flap pieces together along one short side, along one long side, and up the opposite short side, leaving one long side open. Trim excess fabric from sewn corners, then turn flap Right side out. With a turning tool, gently push out the corners and press all seams flat.
• Topstitch pocket sides to piece, ¼ in/5 mm from double-folded edges.
• Center and align bottom edge of pocket with bottom edge of front with both Right sides facing up.
• Following the manufacturer’s instructions, center and install magnetic snap bottom as marked on pocket piece.
• Double-fold hem to the top edge of the pocket.
• Double-fold hem to the pocket sides to the Wrong side and press.

4. Sew the lining

• With Right sides together, align front and back pieces of lining along all edges; stitch together along both sides and lower edge.
• Cut off excess seam allowance at the two lower corners.
• Fold over and press the top edge of the lining 1 in/2.5 cm to Wrong side and stitch ½ in/1.25 cm from fold. Set aside.

5. Sew the bag

• With Right sides together, align front and back pieces of bag along all edges, then stitch together along both sides and lower edge.
• Cut off excess fabric at the two lower corners. Turn bag Right side out, use point turner to push out corners, and press all seams flat.
• Fold top of bag over 1 in/2.5 cm to Wrong side and press. Then stitch ½ in/1.25 cm from fold.
• Insert lining into bag, with Wrong sides together, and align both top edges with side seams matching. Fold both top edges together 1 in/ 2.5 cm to Wrong side. Press and pin.

6. Cut and attach the straps

• Cut two 33-in/84-cm lengths from leather strapping.
• Measure and mark 4½ in/11.5 cm toward center from each side seam, along top edge of bag on front and back using pins or water-soluble marker.
• With Right sides together, align the end of one strap with top edge of exterior bag, placing the strap just inside mark made in step 6b. Pin in place. Repeat with the opposite end of the strap (see Figure 2). Do the same thing with the second strap on the other side of the bag.
• Stitch around top folded edge of bag, ¼ in/5 mm from fold, catching bag strap ends in this stitching. Then stitch-in-the-ditch (or, into the seam), through all layers, along side seams 1 in/2.5 cm down from top edge.
• With Right sides together, and the strap flat along bag, stitch across strap 1½ in/4 cm from top edge. Repeat at each strap join (see Figure 2).
• Fold straps over at the bottom stitching, so that Right side of strap is now facing out.
• Using your awl and a hammer, center and install two rivets on each strap end, making sure that the more decorative side of the rivet is on the Right side. Rivets should go all the way through to the bag interior.

Related on EcoSalon

7 Delightfully Easy Sewing Projects for Beginners
Sewing Basics: Master Your Sewing Machine With Step-by-Step Projects
Learn How to Make Your Own Clothes and Never Have Nothing to Wear Again!

Images and project used with permission from “Sunday Sews” by Theresa Gonzalez, photography by Nicole Hill Gerulat (Chronicle Books, 2016).

The post Get Inspired with Easy Weekend Sewing Projects appeared first on EcoSalon.

Create a customized wardrobe by learning how to make your own clothes.

Whether from necessity or creativity, learning how to make your own clothes is a pretty cool alternative to buying clothes off the rack. Sure, there is a learning curve, but once you get over that hump, there’s a world of possibilities.

Some of us were lucky enough to learn how to sew from our moms or grandmothers. But even if not, that’s no matter, because today (in addition to adorable grandmothers), we have the Internet. Yes, grandma has been replaced–or at least in the world of crafting and DIY she has. It really is possible to find how-to videos, tutorials, and patterns for just about every kind of craft and DIY pastime out there. While you’re not going straight from having no sewing ability to competing in “Project Runway,” it is possible to develop your sewing ability and learn how to make your own clothes. And as your grandmother likely said, “Practice makes perfect!”

Whether you are looking to save money, can’t find clothes that fit right, or just have your own ideas, the first step to creating your own wardrobe is to learn the basics.

Learn How to Make Your Own Clothes Tutorials & Patterns

Craftsy – Craftsy offers over 130+ online sewing classes from beginner to advanced. While the classes are not all clothing related, sometimes it can help to start out with something a little more basic if you are a true beginner sewer. There is a fee for most of these classes.

Burda Style – Another great site to learn how to make your own clothes and to discover great patterns. Learn sewing basics and more advanced topics, like pattern-making, via picture or video tutorials, whichever fits your learning style or budget. They even offer a subscription so you can access every tutorial video for just a monthly fee. Plus, some of the patterns are available for free.

Creative Bug – Creative Bug is another subscription-based site that offers arts and crafts video classes in sewing, knitting, and more. Their videos capture the spirit of in-person teaching with instructors who have been featured in Martha Stewart Living, O Magazine, and Vogue.

Professor Pincushion – Professor Pincushion’s goal is to help beginners master the art of sewing via more than 100 sewing-related tutorials that cover everything from sewing basics to fun and original projects. There is both free and paid content.

Sew Mama Sew – Sew Mama Sew is a blog and sewing community founded in 2005. The site collaborates with outstanding bloggers, designers and authors to deliver fun sewing projects everyday. Not all the projects are clothing related, but they are free!

So Sew Easy – Features lots of free clothing patterns for everything from cheeky panties to a little black dress.

Now, this is certainly not an exhaustive list, but hopefully it’s a start to get you inspired to learn how to make your own clothes.

Related on EcoSalon

Sew Creative, Sew Green

5 Fall Fashion Trends to Thrift Right Now

5 Ways to Rock Exotic Tribal Print Patterns in Your Wardrobe and Decor

Woman Sewing image via Shutterstock

The post Learn How to Make Your Own Clothes and Never Have Nothing to Wear Again! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Home decor ideas to embrace the Greek trend of 2015.  

One of this year’s top decorating trends is the Greek or Mediterranean look. The trend chiefly focuses on two aspects of home decor: color and pattern.

For color the emphasis is on what is often referred to as Greek blue, and whether the inspiration for it is the flag of Greece or the color of the Mediterranean, it’s a strong, vibrant, very pretty, feelgood blue.

As far as pattern, the Greek Key pattern is the dominant trend. The Greek Key pattern is an ancient pattern often seen as an architectural element or a decorative border on textiles.  It’s a repeating pattern of a motif that which resembles a key.

Retailers and DIY-enthusiasts are both getting in on the action, so if you are fan of the trend, here are some home decor ideas to embrace it in your home.

7 Home Decor Ideas to Embrace the Greek Trend

1. Greek Key Overlays – Overlays are lightweight decorative fretwork panels that can be added to stair risers, dressers, corners, mirrors and more to add decorative flourish. The panels work perfectly on the front of stairs!
2. Greek Key Drapes – The Greek Key pattern is ideal for adding a decorative border to curtain and drapes. It adds a very elegant touch to any room, but works really well in a bedroom.
3. Greek Key Curtains – For the same effect, but without the expense, here’s a DIY no-sew version of Greek Key curtains. It really doesn’t get much easier than that.
4. Greek Blue Painted Furniture – Bring an old wooden piece of furniture back to life and on trend by painting it Greek Blue. One favorite is Greek Blue chalk paint from Annie Sloan.
5. Blue Bottles – Repurpose blue bottles as vases to add pops of blue to your home. Cobalt isn’t exactly the same as Greek Blue, but cobalt bottles are available from any winemaking supply store.
6. Painted Ceiling – Add serenity and color to your bedroom by painting the ceiling Greek blue. Painting the ceiling is a simple way to make a big impact on your home decor.
7. Throw Pillows – Finally, adding throw pillows is the super easy way to add any trend to your home without making permanent changes to your decor. You can even make your own covers to place over your existing pillows.

Related on EcoSalon

Fearless Home Decor: Mix and Match Patterns

7 Graphic Patterns For Home Decor You Don’t Know the Names Of—But Will Now!

How to Use 5 Bold Design Patterns to Make Your Home Pop, Gorgeously

Image: Wicker Paradise

The post 7 Gorgeous Greek Home Decor Ideas to Make the Muses Proud appeared first on EcoSalon.

Bring more fun into your home decor by mixing up your patterns.

Mixing and matching patterns can be a fun, clever and stylish way to show off your sense of style in your home decor. Pattern mixing has its downfall though. Done carefully, pattern mixing creates visual interest, done poorly and your home decor can come off looking like a carnival funhouse, and unless you are professional clown that is probably not what you intended.

Mixing patterns can be fun and allow your creativity to shine through your home decor. It’s a great way to mix styles, like retro polka dots mixed with modern stripes. It’s also a great way to showcase the tastes multiple family members, like nautical for you and florals for your partner.

There is a certain amount of fearlessness and joie de vivre in modern pattern mixing. Gone are the days of Laura Ashley florals and stripes, today’s plan for pattern mixing is to commit. Go big or go home because there is no room for the timid in today’s pattern mixing. The goal is to create a vibrant and inviting space that you love and your guests will love too.

How-to Tips for Home Decor Pattern Mixing

1. Mix Patterns of the Same Color

One of the easiest ways to mix patterns in your home decor is by using  different patterns of the same color. For example, navy stripes on the walls mixed with damask curtains would be very striking.

2. Texture is Your Friend

Mixing and matching both patterns and textures is exactly how the pros do it. Adding a variety of texture to your mixed patterned rooms can be a great visual clue to your visitors that you aren’t going for matchy-matchy.

3. Three is the Magic Number

There’s just something about having three different patterns that somehow works better than just utilizing two different patterns. Odd numbers just are more appealing. Plus, limiting yourself to only patterns feels a little more contrived and less natural.

4. Scale is Important

The size of the patterns you choose is important. Mixing up the scale of your patterns can help keep your home decor from feeling overwhelming.

5. Solids Can Bring It All Together

Finally, it is important to not go overboard. Grounding your home decor by mixing patterns and solids is key. For example, if your rug is patterned, consider a solid colored sofa. Conversely, if your sofa is patterned, then go with a patterned rug. It will be more aesthetically pleasing.

Related on EcoSalon

How to Use 5 Bold Design Patterns to Make Your Home Pop, Gorgeously

7 Graphic Patterns For Home Decor You Don’t Know the Names Of—But Will Now!

Houndstooth, Plaid, Pinstripe: The Menswear Pattern Trend for Home Decor (High Five!)

Top Image: West Elm

The post Fearless Home Decor: Mix and Match Patterns appeared first on EcoSalon.

Natalie Chanin releases the third book in her sewing trilogy.

It’s no secret we have a thing for Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin here on EcoSalon.

An entrepreneur, designer, author, lecturer and strong businesswoman who went back to her roots in Florence, Alabama to stimulate local economy (as well as her own quest for a little life/work fulfillment), Natalie is a one-woman rocket ship of sustainable goodness.

In her third book Alabama Studio Sewing + Design, we get to pick up on the “conversations and techniques begun with the Alabama Stitch Book and Alabama Studio Style.” With each book lending itself to the other as to the workings and lifestyle of the Alabama Chanin woman, readers of all three books will now have the tools to make anything they’ve ever seen on the Alabama Chanin site – minus the in-house Depression Era stitchers.

We caught up with Natalie this past week to tell us more about her new DIY masterpiece. Speaking of that book, did we mention that we’re also giving a copy away? It’s no lie. Just leave a comment at the bottom of this story and you are entered to win!

How is Alabama Studio Sewing + Design different from the Alabama Stitch Book and Alabama Studio Style?

Alabama Studio Sewing + Design is really the culmination of what was originally seen as a trilogy.  Each book builds on the other, but also stands on its own.  However, this book is more about the actual “fashion” of what we do… more intricate, more sophisticated, more patterns, more techniques…

With the compilation of the three books, you should be able to recreate any fabric and technique that we have ever designed at Alabama Chanin.

Talk about the importance of sharing “techniques that were once understood as essential survival skills?” Have we as a society lost touch with the importance of using our hands to create?

There is much talk at the moment about how being able to “do” or “make” for ourselves also makes us HAPPY.  I believe that this is a huge leap in understanding human behavior and a missing piece in our role as human beings today.  How simple: develop the capacity to do for yourself (in whatever small way) AND build neural pathways to happiness. I think back to my grandmother’s ever-moving hands and her pride in doing for her family and it makes me sigh… “Yes, I understand.”

I see the open-sourcing you offer in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design working for Alabama Chanin in two ways: 1., It gives people the opportunity to own Alabama Chanin by making and 2., it gives people an appreciation for what you do as a designer. Am I right?

The original thought in writing the books was to empower people to be able to make our garments.

I wrote in the introduction: “I have been asked many times why I choose to write books and, in the process, open-source (that is, freely share) instructions for making Alabama Chanin’s couture collections. The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. It is based on my belief that good design should be available to all and my desire to build a company that is sustainable in all of its practices. By sharing our skills in these books, I hope to shed light on not only how we can preserve precious natural resources but also how we can preserve and protect techniques that were once understood as essential survival skills.

 While Alabama Chanin dresses, skirts, tops, and coats have been beautifully featured in countless magazines and newspapers, and on television shows and websites, they have also been criticized for being “elitist,” and “inaccessible” because of their price. Truth be told, our clothing is extremely expensive. This is because it is made from domestic, organic, custom-dyed cotton jersey that is cut, painted, sewn, and embellished by hand in America by skilled artisans. And while we sell our collection to some of the most upscale stores and clients, we run our business in the most down-to-earth, simple way imaginable. In the beginning, we worked from a three-bedroom, brick, ranch-style house in rural Alabama, a home that my grandfather built. Today we work from a reclaimed textile factory built in the 1980s—when manufacturing was booming in the South. Our studio—which we call The Factory—has become a busy hub, where we concentrate on building a zero-waste company. Our employees earn a living wage, and while none of us is getting rich, at least in terms of our bank accounts, we are, indeed, rich in spirit, belief, passion, and friendship. “Elitist” is the antithesis of how the company works and who I am as a designer, entrepreneur, and citizen.”

 The piece I think you initially understood – better than I – is that the books have ALSO given a broader range of people an appreciation of the work we are doing. Thank you.

Do you see the DIY movement getting stronger? Is this maybe an entire generation of women ready to use their hands again to create their own clothing and be a little more self-sufficient?

I do see DIY as a very quickly growing movement – or should I say, a “remembering” of where we come from. And I find it very inspiring to see people – young and old, man and woman – searching for their voices in this conversation and using these tools as a form of sustainability – both cultural and physical. My interest in this conversation is to help find the intersection of DIY, Craft, Fashion and Design (all with capital letters).

Image: Abrams Books

The post Natalie Chanin Releases Alabama Studio Sewing + Design (And We’re Giving It Away!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnNatalie Chanin’s bi-weekly column, Material Witness, offers a seasoned designer’s perspective on the fashion industry, textile history and what happens when love for community trumps all.

I have always believed that as human beings, we are all born designers. We decorate our notebooks in grade school and our lockers in high school; we carefully select and arrange products for our first apartment, select an outfit for a special date, make a wedding dress, or prepare a nursery.  We work at our job – and whether we work in a grocery store or run a high fashion boutique, we look for ways to make our job easier, to facilitate customer experience, or just to make our desk a little more “ours.” We are born designers.

As a designer, I always thought that making our garments was very simple and straightforward – that is, until I started writing instructions for our Alabama Studio Book Series.  I was pouring over texts for hours and hours, trying to describe and outline the steps in producing one of our garments when I realized that the amount of steps to doing anything well are many.

What I learned from writing those books is that over the years, my design and manufacturing process had become second nature which was the reason why the books were so difficult to write. What seemed nothing to me – like selecting a fabric or a color, became intricate tasks when asked to reproduce them with words.

I’ve been asked many times to describe my own creative processes, so I will attempt to describe them here:

MATERIAL
At Alabama Chanin, we work solely with 100% organic cotton jersey. Over the years, we have tried to incorporate other types of fabric but our clients keep coming back to the cotton jersey over and over again.
The cotton fiber that we are using this year went into the ground as a seed in the spring of last year. In a best case scenario (which was not the case last year), we are able to purchase fiber that is grown in Texas. Cotton has a relatively long growing season and is harvested in the fall of the year.  Farmers who make the commitment to organic are modern day heroes in my opinion.
From the field (wherever that might be), our fiber goes for ginning, then on to spinning in North Carolina, knitting in South Carolina, and back to North Carolina for dying. After dying, the finished fabric arrives in our studio where we keep about 52+ colors of medium-weight jersey in stock and a growing array of colors of light-weight jersey.

INSPIRATION
I use travel, books, exhibitions, newspaper articles, interesting philosophies and people to inspire a theme for each season. I cut out pictures, mix colors, paste them together and let them sit. I may totally rearrange and start over. Over the years, I have learned that sitting quietly and listening to what the images have to say is the best way to start a collection. A simple color swatch or an intricate process may determine the first step in my creative decision making, but the whole process that follows determines the end result.

COLOR + TEXTURE
Looking at my inspiration board, I choose colors that reflect my thoughts and feelings. However, I also consider what I want to wear, what color I want to see on our clients, and what colors look good on the skin. I normally sit very still for a morning and play with swatches of colored fabric and paper to narrow it down to 10 colors that I love. The end result may contain only a small part of what I started with.
The same process goes for texture. Do I want to create texture for a particular collection or would I prefer that the designs are sleek and smooth? Again, this is not based on scientific measure but on what I want to wear, what I feel our clients would look good wearing, and what suits the theme of the collection.

PATTERN
At Alabama Chanin, we work primarily with stenciling techniques to apply patterns to our fabrics. These stencils are developed in our studio and the first ones are cut by hand with an X-Acto Knife and Pennant Felt. We use these prototypes to test how any given design will work with our fabric, the colors that we have chosen and the texture we want to achieve.

FABRIC DEVELOPMENT
Pattern, color and texture are combined in this step to create our final fabric designs. This is where the incredible talent of our Alabama Chanin team comes into play. Swatch after swatch is sewn both in our studio and by our artisans working in search of the best combinations of threads, embroidery flosses, stitches and beads and sequins for every collection. Our artisans help me determine what works best for each piece and each design.

GARMENTS + FABRICS TOGETHER
Our studio team then takes my sketches and translates those into finished patterns and garments. We often create several versions of each garment in order to work out the kinks and arrive at a final piece that we all adore.
After this collection of garments is completed, we start to combine our favorite fabric designs with our favorite garments for a finished collection.

ARTISANS
Once we have found the perfect combinations of garments and fabrics, the collection is cut, painted-by-hand and sent out to our artisans for embroidery and garment construction.

MERCHANDISING + SALES
All of the completed garments are then hung together on a rack to see what looks good together, what we would want to wear and/or photograph together. After fully merchandising what we want to include in a collection, the individual garments are priced and taken to market where we write orders for the stores.

MANUFACTURING + STORE
After orders have been taken, it’s our job to come back home and manufacture all of the orders. This is the bulk of our work and where our team excels. Zac Posen once said, “It takes 5 minutes of designing and 5 months of selling and manufacturing.” He is right. It can take months to complete an order. And after that wonderful order is completed, we package and ship.

CONSUMER
This is the best part of the process. The part where people get to try, take home and enjoy the garments that we make. Knowing they have purchased something that was made with heart and soul makes people happy.

Interested in knowing more about the design or manufacturing process? Click HERE to join us today, November 17th from 12:30 – 1:30 pm CST on the Alabama Chanin Facebook Page for a chat about Design Process + Manufacturing.  See you there!

Natalie Chanin is owner and designer of the American couture line Alabama Chanin and author of three books including Alabama Stitch Book  (2008), Alabama Studio Style (2010) and the upcoming Alabama Studio Sewing + Design which comes out spring 2012. Look for her bi-weekly column, Material Witness here and follow her on Facebook and her own blog at Alabama Chanin.

The post Natalie Chanin: From Field to Fashion appeared first on EcoSalon.

Pattern, pattern, pattern. Each year a handful of patterns take hold and coat our pillows, wallpaper, fabrics, notebooks, rugs, and more. Last year we were amused by chevrons, transfixed by Ikat, and enthralled with imperial trellis. It may be time to study geometry again or at least brush up on geometric shapes (what’s the difference between a lozenge and a trapezoid again?), because the upcoming year will be full of geometric shapes and angular and crisp patterns. The appeal of geometric shapes is expansive and this pattern fits seamlessly in a variety of spaces. Different color saturation and schemes combined with variation (angular or curvaceous), mean some form of geometric pattern can exist gorgeously in any interior.

This woven creation of Afghan wool is a glorious conglomeration of rhombi, and may even be the beginning of this flourishing trend. Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec designed this particular rug, inspired by traditional Persian rugs and their mixture of “rusticity and fineness.”

Here’s hoping 2011 is covered with geometry this lovely – it goes well with the rest of the 2011 shelter trends.

(Images from Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, as seen on Design*Sponge.)

The post Patterns of Parallelograms appeared first on EcoSalon.