Spring Cleaning- Sewing Books for Sale!

I'm doing some Spring Cleaning and have decided to part with a bit of my sewing library.  These are some great books, some vintage, and all in perfect, like new condition!

Free shipping to US addresses  If anyone would like to purchase all 7 books, price is $50!  I will also ship internationally, but would need to charge postage.  Just e-mail me at sewbabyatgmaildotcom, and let me know which ones you'd like.
Happy Reading!!
Ann

112 pages, $10, by Marci Tilton, 1995 $12.50

Vintage 1961!!  319 pages $12.50

1992, 93 pages $12.50

1998, 415 pages, $12.50

VINTAGE 1979!  255 pages, $12.50

1997, 111 pages, $12.50

1999, 128 pages, $12.50

Get To Know Melissa Stramel: E-Pattern Designer

Hello Everybody!  We would like to introduce to you Melissa Stramel:  A super talented e-pattern designer!  SewBaby just started carrying her adorable e-patterns that range from perfect girlie dresses to matching perfect girlie dresses for your favorite dolls!  

Take a look at her patterns here. Make a comment on this post, tell us your favorite Melissa Stramel E-Pattern, and one person will be chosen to win the Melissa Stramel E-Pattern of her/his choice!

 

Get to know Melissa a little better below!

Where did you grow-up, where did you go to school, where do you live now?  Tell us about your family.
I'm a Kansas girl. I grew up about an hour east of here in a tiny town of only 100 people. My family had six kids, so when we all grew up and moved away, we always say the town population decreased by half! I'm still very much the rural girl and live on a farm in northwest Kansas. Our farm is near the area's "big" city of about 5000 people. My husband and I have three kids, Nathan is 8, Anna is 6 and Emilie is 4.

How did you learn how to sew, and what kinds of things do you like to sew now?   

My mom taught be to sew when I was VERY young. I started hand sewing and just age 3. Now I like to sew just about anything but my very favorites are dresses for my girls.

 

What advice do you have for beginning sewers?
 Keep at it! When I was young I hated sewing, but once I had kids, it all came back very naturally. Also, if you're a quilter, buy the quarter inch foot. It makes everything go together so much better!

 

When did you start designing sewing patterns?
My first patterns are from 2009, when I began writing tutorials for the Moda Bake Shop.

What makes your patterns unique? 

They're all about being a girly girl. Even if it's something useful, such as the Quilter's Rule! tote, I love to embellish and give lots of ideas for adding embellishments in the patterns. I've also been told that I explain things very well. 

 

 

How do you make time for everything you want to do?
Eek! Right now, not very well. I keep telling my husband things will go back to normal in two months. I'm getting ready for the International Quilt Market and will have 14 patterns out by then. My very first pattern came out last May, so that's 14 patterns in one year. For a one-woman show, I feel like that's a big accomplishment. I also have a book coming out at that market. This is the first place I've mentioned the book! But it's all quite a lot of work at the moment.

 

What are your other interests?
I love to play tennis, have tea parties with my girls, picnics with my family and to read Christian fiction.

 

Sale at SewBaby!

Great stuff for you on SALE!  Shop now at SewBaby! 

Red Asymmetrical Knit Tunic

February was a busy month for me, and after I finished my red dress early in the month, I got NADA sewing done. I'm teaching several sewing classes, and ironically, when I teach, I can't find the time to sew myself.  But with one more day to squeeze in in February, I decided to take on another RED project.  This one had to be quick.

This is from the January issue of BurdaStyle magazine, and is in the Plus Size section, style #132   I actually LOVED all of the tops in the plus section of this issue.  They are all very stylish, and very simple.

This one is basically an extra long dolman sleeve t-shirt with one side chopped off, a tie band inserted into the shoulder and gathered.  It literally took me ONE HOUR!!  I used a red rayon jersey knit, and it is super comfy.

Sleeve side

sleeveless side with tie band.

I think it is VERY long.  I'm tall, and it hits me mid-thigh.  This could easily be a dress on a shorter woman.  The only change was I added a center back seam, because I didn't have quite enough fabric to cut it out without one.

I was worried that my one arm would feel rather naked, compared to the other, but the fabric is so lightweight, that I really don't even notice that I don't have a sleeve on one arm!!  I probably would feel differently if my fabric were more substantial.

I got lots of compliments on it, and I definitely think I'll be making it again.  Just one of those super simple, super quick patterns that we all need once in a while.

BTW- I had dropped my Burda Plus subscription because they switched over to a format where they repeated a lot of the same patterns that were in the regular magazine.  But, I was feeling like I was missing out and ordered the Spring/Summer issue.  I'm glad I did- the new patterns that they added are really nice.  Definitely get it, if you like the Burda Plus designs.