Sewing Stitches Illustrator Brushes

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Today I have a different kind of treat for you. It’s sewing related but specifically useful for sewing pattern designers. While I was working on designing my 2018 Sewing Calendar, I started playing around with Illustrator brushes and created a set of brushes to create some of the most common machine stitches. I love how they turned out on the calendar and thought it would be fun to share the brushes too. If you use Illustrator to create sewing related illustrations, these brushes are a quick way to show different types of stitches. Just draw a line, apply the brush and you have a fancy stitch line that would normally take much, much longer to draw. 

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There are a couple of ways to use the brushes. One way is to start by drawing a line. Next, with the line selected, open your Brushes palette and click on the style you’d like applied to the line. You can adjust the color in the Color palette and the weight of the line using the Stroke palette. Another way is to start by selecting a brush. Then, using the Brush tool, draw a line. The stitches will curve along the lines you create and the color and line weight can be adjusted. Learn more about brushes here.

Sewing Stitches Illustrator Brushes

$3.00

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These brushes didn’t take a lot of time to create (not counting my years of experience using Illustrator) in comparison to a sewing pattern but they do have value and are available for sale on other websites. So, I’ve decided to do something a little different, and ask for donations to UNICEF (learn more about what they do here). Why UNICEF? They help kids in desperate need all over the world and a little bit of money can go a long way with them. Also, I know I have readers from all over the world and wanted to choose something that’s relevant to everyone. 

UPDATE OCT 2021: The donation system stopped working due to back end issues that I can’t figure out. So, I’ve set the price for these brushes to $3 USD. All proceeds will still be donated to UNICEF.

Please note, these brushes are for personal and commercial use. Resale and/or distribution is prohibited. I hope you find these brushes useful and fun. Happy sewing and thank you in advance for supporting!

Five Fall Sewing Patterns for a Classic Wardrobe

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With the change of seasons I inevitably think about what I’d like to be wearing in the coming months. Living in Los Angeles, it does tend to be almost the same weather all year long. Despite the constant warm temps, we do like to change our style of dress. Otherwise there’s really no way to know what month is. As always, I will be wearing a lot of my own patterns. I’m particularly looking forward to wearing the Nita Wrap Skirt with tights this Fall and making more knit Lou Box Tops (going down one size gives a great fit). I’ve also been thinking about making another pair of jeans. After all, I probably wear jeans more than any other garment.

But there are a few patterns that I have not tried yet that I’m really excited to sew this season. I already have all the patterns and fabric to go with them. Just stitching left to do. :) With the exception of the Nehalem Pants, these patterns could all be categorized under basics. I expect all of them to be wardrobe workhorses.

5 Fall Sewing Patterns for a Classic Wardrobe

1. Nehalem Pants by Sew House Seven
It was love at first sight with me and these pants. I'll be sewing them up soon. So stay tuned!

2. Lark Tee by Grainline Studio
I'm really looking forward to trying this one. My t-shirt drawer is overflowing but I there are a lot of shirts in there that I don't love. I'm hoping that this pattern will become a go-to for basic t-shirts.

3. Victoria Blazer by By Hand London
I was really excited when this pattern was added to their pdf collection. I have the pattern printed and assembled and some black linen washed and ready. 

4. Ultimate Shift Dress by Sew Over It
This pattern is on my 2016 Make Nine list and I keep meaning to make it but get distracted. Isn't that always the case? I have the pattern printed and assembled. I just need to choose some fabric. I think the version with sleeves will be great for Fall.

5. Driftless Cardigan by Grainline Studio
Working in an air conditioned office, I always need to have a sweater on hand. Somehow I've ended wearing the same 2 or 3 sweaters all the time. A long cardigan like this is a neutral color will be perfect for throwing over any outfit.

Et voila! My fall sewing project list is all sorted. There are probably about 10 other things on the list too but with so many great things out there, how can I resist? What sewing projects are you going to be working on this fall?

Pattern Launch! Nita Wrap Skirt

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Today I’m very excited to announce the launch of the Nita Wrap Skirt pattern. It is a fitted wrap skirt that sits at the natural waist with a sassy angled front, three length options and three waistband closure options. The pattern features waist darts, a built in front facing and optional lining. Make the mini length in denim or corduroy for a fun, casual look. Or, pair a neutral twill fabric with the midi-length for a sophisticated look that will take you from the office to happy hour in style.

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This pattern is more challenging than my other two patterns, the Lou Box Top and Baseball Skirt, in that it may require more fitting. But it’s not too hard for an adventurous beginner to tackle. In fact, over 75% of my testers rated it as a “very easy” pattern. I’m easily able to sew this skirt in just a few hours. More than once, I have sewn one during the day and worn it out that same night. Can we hear three cheers for instant gratification? 

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This is a pdf pattern that includes illustrated instructions, a print-at-home pdf pattern, a copy shop pdf pattern and an A0 size pdf pattern. There are also instructions for adding a lining to your skirt. The pattern is available in sizes 00-22 (check out the size chart on the pattern page for details). 

For a limited time, you can get 20% off the pattern using the promo code NITAWRAPLAUNCH20. The code will expire March 28, at midnight Pacific time. 

P.S. I want to give a big thank you to everyone that tested the pattern for me. I truly appreciate it. If you’re on Instagram you may have seen a photo or two. Just check out the #nitawrapskirt hashtag for an insane amount of skirt eye-candy. If you make one yourself and share on social media, make sure to use the hashtag and tag me. I'd love to see what you make!