VIDEO July 2020 sewing vlog

Hello sew-friends! It’s vlog time again. Today, I’m sharing my July 2020 vlog. I tell you about the things I’ve been sewing this month, do a quick recap of all the things posted to the blog and YouTube, and give you a little behind-the-scenes info. Watch the video below or head over to YouTube to subscribe and watch. More details are below the video.

June blog posts

My Slabtown backpack (kit gifted by Klum House) finally hit the blog this month.

Continuing the Tasi Robe and Jacket sewalong, I created a video for how to use the Draft-It-Yourself the Tasi pattern. Note, this video is exclusive for those who have purchased the pattern.

For the Quilted Slippers sewalong, I posted a video about how to make your own quilted fabric. These techniques will work for other projects as well.

Another older make that finally got its blog debut is the Morningside Blouse. Read all about it here.

I answered one of my most asked questions and did a video with tips for deciding how much fabric to buy even when you don’t know what you want to make.

I made a video with 10 ideas for pattern hacking and tips for a successful pattern hack

Not mentioned in the video but definitely in July, is my blog post with tips for sewing with terry cloth fabric.

Things I sewed in July

My vintage animal print terry cloth Tasi Robe is a winner in my book. Read more about it here.

I’m really loving the Seamwork Kaye top and plan on making at least a couple more of them. And hopefully there will be a blog post at some point too.

I actually sewed the bean bag chair in June but forgot to sew it then. It is entirely made of scrap fabric! Here’s an inspiration image on Pinterest. I know he looks slightly alarmed in the photo above but trust me, he likes it.

Ways to support Sew DIY

If you’d like to support the free content on the Sew DIY YouTube and blog, you can “buy me a coffee” by donating here or visit the shop to buy a pattern or printable. Every little bit really helps me be able to continue making this content and I truly appreciate every donation and purchase. Happy sewing!

Ten ideas for hacking your sewing patterns

In today’s YouTube video, I’m sharing tips to get started hacking your sewing patterns and ten ideas for how you can hack them. Hacking is just another way of saying “adapting”. When you start to adapt your sewing patterns, it extends their usefulness which saves you money. Plus, it’s a great way to explore your personal style and creativity. With a little practice, you'll soon be adapting and combining your patterns to make your own custom wardrobe. Watch the video for a few tips to hack your patterns successfully and 10 ideas for hacking your sewing patterns.

10 ideas for hacking (or adapting) sewing patterns

1. Change the length

The easiest way to hack a pattern is to change the length. Change the length of the sleeves, pants or skirt for a different silhouette. You can even take a dress pattern and make it into a top or vice versa.

2. Color block

Create a color blocked garment by cutting through the pattern piece to create different sections. Don’t forget to add seam allowance at the cut line so you don’t lose any length in the finished garment. Check out my color blocked Lou Box Dress here.

3. Add ruffles or pleats

Add a peplum to a top or flounce to the end of a sleeve or skirt by adding a ruffled or pleated panel to the end. This will add length to the garment and give it a little extra pizazz.

4. Add buttons or zippers

Buttons and zippers don’t always have to be functional. Add them to a the center front or back, a shoulder seam or side seam as a decorative element. You can even play around with button placement like I did with this dress. Check out this post to see how I added a zipper to the center back of a Lou Box Top.

5. Change the neckline shape (facing)

A great way to change the look of a garment is to change the shape of a neckline. Raise or lower a scoop neck to fit your style. Or, change the shape altogether and make it a v-neck, square neck or sweetheart shape. Check out my video tutorial to learn how to make a facing for a v-neckline.

7. Add a slit or opening

Add a slit to a skirt, pant leg or sleeve. Or, add a cut out opening to reveal a bit more skin. In this blog post, I share a Lou Box Top that I adapted to have a center back slit.

8. Change the sleeve shape

Change the shape of the sleeve to taper to the elbow, add a bell sleeve or add a cuff. When adjusting patterns, it’s easier to make adjustments to the sleeve that was designed to match the armhole (aka armscye). Taking a sleeve from an entirely different pattern can get pretty tricky.

9. Change the shape of the skirt

Combine two patterns by swapping one skirt style for another. The key to making this change is to make sure that the finished circumference for the waistline of the bodice is equal to that of the skirt. Measure the patterns to check and adjust as needed. The easiest skirt style to add to a bodice is a gathered or pleated skirt because it can be pretty easily adjusted to fit any waistline measurement.

10. Swap knit for woven fabric

Another way to hack a pattern is to swap the fabric type. Pay attention to the finished measurements and make sure that you’ll have enough ease for the amount of stretch that your fabric has. You may want to sew a different when swapping fabric type. For example, if you are using a pattern intended for woven fabric, you may want to go down a size or two when you sew it in stretch knit fabric. Likewise, if you are using a pattern intended for stretch knit fabric, you’ll want to use a larger size when you sew with woven fabric.

I hope that you find these tips helpful. The more you experiment with pattern hacking, the more comfortable you’ll become adapting your patterns to fit your personal style. You can pin the image below to save these tips for later. And if you’re not already, you can follow Sew DIY on Pinterest right here. Happy sewing!