sewing Archives - Page 8 of 9 - Everything's Famtastic

February 13, 2020October 10, 2021

How to Sew a Terrific Tiger Costume

(Even if You Don’t Have a Pattern!)

In today’s post I am going to show you how you can create a totally cool tiger costume, without actually having a pattern for a tiger costume. “Huh? How does that work?”, you ask. Ahh, that’s the magic of sewing! 😉

Perhaps you’re even asking why it is that I am sewing a tiger costume or why I am sharing this with you today.

diy, sewing, sewing project, nähen, tiger costume, tiger kostüm, sewing for kids, childrens' costume, kinderkostüm, pin, pinterest

Well, answering the second part of that is easy. Why share? Because I am not one to keep a good sewing tip to myself! I love to support you in getting creative with your sewing machine and sewing things that will make you smile! And I love a good work-around; when the pattern doesn’t match exactly what I’m trying to achieve, then it’s the pattern that has to change, not my goal. That’s why I’m eager to share so many sewing ideas, tips and cheats with you (you can find more under the “Sewing” category on the menu bar above ☝).

And why am I sewing a costume at all? Well, Karneval is coming in a couple of weeks! In case you’re not familiar with what Karneval in Germany means (especially from a non-German’s perspective), be sure to check out my post here. Karneval is a BIG deal in many parts of Germany and for the cities’ colourful parades, getting dressed up in costumes is practically a must (at least for children it is!!).

Because I am able to sew, and for the time being my kids actually like and enjoy what I can create, I am the one responsible for coming up with the goods. Hence the DIY, sew a tiger costume as my current sewing project.

I promised to show you how to make one without a pattern, right? Well then, read on…

January 30, 2020June 26, 2021

Super Sewing Tips for Beginners: The Basics

Hey, welcome back to Everything’s Famtastic! I hope you’re having a great week! We have been busy enjoying our delicious, homemade lamingtons that I baked with the kids last Sunday for Australia Day. They are sooo good! And the kids had a blast helping out in the kitchen too 😉. We had quite the production line set up…

But, this week I want to have a break from talking kids stuff (cooking with kids, books for kids, sick kids, school holidays…) and talk about something else that you can get excited about: SEWING!

Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew? Perhaps your first test-drive of a sewing machine was back in high school. Perhaps you’ve nervously left your sewing machine in its box, untouched since you discovered it under the Christmas tree. Or maybe you have been experimenting with your machine for a little while but have yet to get into the swing of things because you’re unsure what to do.

Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here I’d love to share a brilliant list full of advice for sewing beginners just like you. Like I wish I’d heard a couple of years back when I was starting out. These tips will help you to get confident to use your machine and successfully complete projects without the stress and hair-pulling!

Once you’ve read through this list, there’ll be no excuses to not sit yourself down at your sewing machine, turn it on with confidence and get started!

Ready?

November 21, 2019May 24, 2024

How to Sew a Patchwork Infinity Loop Scarf

diy, diy sewing, sewing project, loop scarf, infinity scarf, patchwork infinity scarf, tutorial, how-to

Last week I was feeling fired up and feisty, what with all those totally powerful inspirational quotes! “Go get ‘em!” was the message I was pumping myself up with and bringing you along for the ride too 😉. What?!? You didn’t see it? If you feel like you need a bit of motivating to pursue your goals, then be sure to check it out here because it will really give you the kick up the butt you’re after!

And what now? Well, It’s official. The cold weather here in Germany has continued it’s march towards winter. So while I may be energised and motivated, I am also damn cold!!! The days are getting shorter and shorter, so much so that the kids are walking to school by the light of the moon. And a flashlight. 😉 For the sunshine-y Australian girl in me lousy, grey, cold weather = ~~time to hibernate~~ time to find fun projects I can accomplish indoors.

If you’re into sewing like me, but also trying hard to not waste too many materials while you’re at it (Hello! #reducereuserecycle), you’ve probably got a stack of odd-shaped, leftover pieces of fabric hoarded away “for later”.

Do I have the PERFECT sewing project for you!!! (And I’m gonna show you how to do it!)

*** drumroll please… ***

October 29, 2019October 6, 2021

More DIY Easy Halloween Costumes Anyone Can Sew

sewing, sewing project, diy sewing, diy, diy costume, halloween, halloween costumes, pirate, bat, ninja, ninjago

Hi there! Have you been psyching up for Halloween? Or rather, are your kids getting crazy for Halloween? Let’s be honest, in the end, rambling through the neighbourhood trick-or-treating is more for their benefit than ours. Right? Nevertheless, I will admit that I am also getting a little excited.

When I prowl the neighbourhood with my kids on the 31^st October, it’s not as though I’m going to have a fistful of lollies thrust my way. (*Psst!!* There are however, a couple of neighbours who like to share a quick slurp of some fiery type of liquid that is definitely NOT for the little ones! Nudge nudge, wink wink)

What I do enjoy is watching the kids each year get bolder and more adventurous and confident, relishing the thrill of dressing up and dashing so free-spirited around the neighbourhood after dark. And we bump into so many of their friends also doing the rounds, so it’s practically like a street party. 😊

I know that last week I posted here a few home-sewn DIY Halloween costumes. But guess what I also enjoy?

October 22, 2019October 6, 2021

DIY Wicked Halloween Costumes You Can Easily Sew

I could have sworn we just enjoyed summer holidays and now all of a sudden Halloween is upon us. For most kids, Halloween means 2 things: costumes and lollies!

And when my kids think of costumes, what they really mean is “Mama’s GOTTA sew me one!!!”. 😉

halloween, halloween costumes, costume, diy costumes, sewing costumes, sewing, sewing project

Are your kids hankering for a really cool costume? That you are apparently going to make?!? If you are a #sewingnewbie perhaps you are feeling the pressure to come up with something great, while not necessarily knowing where to start. Even if Mama doesn’t think that Halloween is a really big deal, it’s a sure bet that the kids do!

Fear not! I would recommend you go grab yourself a hot beverage (coffee is my poison!), find a comfy chair because I’ve got a bunch of creative Halloween costume ideas just for you! They won’t break your budget, won’t take too long, but they will give you that satisfying feeling of a job well done.

September 8, 2019June 26, 2021

Password: Stoffmarkt Overload

Wow! What an experience that was! My shoulders are still aching from that heavy backpack! Seriously.

Oh! And I haven’t even said “Hi” yet. So… Hi! How are you doing? I hope you have been having a great week. Our week has been extremely busy, settling into school routines and extra-curricular activities all over again. Life with 3 certainly keeps me on my toes. If you have any kids, be it 1, 5 or 12, you can surely picture exactly what I mean!

And while this week’s *secret password* is “Stoffmarkt Overload” I am not referring to the fully loaded family schedule I have been presiding over. No, I am speaking about the (felt like) tons of goodies I brought home with me after a shopping spree this weekend.

So, what were those goodies you ask?!?

August 25, 2019June 26, 2021

Sewing + Upcycling = Win

sewing, sewing projects, diy, diy sewing, upcycling

Yo, hello! I hope you have all been having a Famtastic week! Here it was the last full week of summer school holidays. Just a couple of days left and then we are thrown back into the (so very, very early, every morning) school schedule.

I truly imagined having some time to pursue my own hobbies these holidays. Yes, snigger at me, if you wish. But I really had fantasised about getting some sewing done. Leggings for the girls, a shirt for me, perhaps a shirt for Master 5. Let us take a moment to contemplate whether I did any of those things…

**3 milliseconds later**

Alas, NO. I did not. Is this how it is for you during school holidays too? Imagine squeezing in some Mama time and end up with perhaps a microscopic amount of Mama time?!?

Anyway, I did, however, repair a stack of holes in children’s clothes. “Wow!” I hear you say. Yes, I find that neither fun nor satisfying. What I DO enjoy is creating handmade clothes and other goodies. Like shirts and leggings and skirts.

What I have been experimenting with more recently though is UPCYCLING in my sewing projects.

So what is upcycling anyway? And why would anyone want to do it? Hint: Upcycling does not mean riding a bike up a steep hill 😉.

August 25, 2019June 26, 2021

Cool Weather, Hot Look- How to Sew a Loop Scarf

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You can learn all about how to make an Infinity Loop Scarf here!

June 23, 2019June 26, 2021

Get Outdoors and Savour the Summertime

Hey! Just like I promised last week. Here I am, back again! For a multitude of reasons I really needed that week’s break. But it was good for me. Now I can share with you all the good stuff that has been keeping me so busy these past weeks!

The sun has been shining here, with a few gorgeously puffy clouds gently sweeping across the blue skies. And we have been having lovely summery temperatures which I have been hankering for for months now (well, except for the 5 week break in Australia over Christmas 😉). But not counting that…

Now, I don’t know about you, but all this amazing weather makes me want to skip and twirl and grin wildly in the sunshine. Of course there are always the complainers who bemoan that at 25 degrees is it already “too hot”. Me? I’m just getting started!

I thought that it could be fun to share a few of the things that we have been doing around here these past couple of weeks. Perhaps you will find a couple of ideas that you and your family could try out now that the warmer weather and longer daylight hours are here (in the northern hemisphere at least). Or maybe it will inspire you to get outside and discover your own adventures!

So, summer days, here we go…

March 31, 2019March 16, 2022

Sew Yourself Cute Fabric Baskets with this Easy Tutorial

pin pinterest, sewing, sewing project, diy, diy sewing, fabric basket

Hello and willkommen to Everything’s Famtastic this week! How’s things looking in your part of the world? Here it’s been all a bit hectic. Mostly a typical week actually 😉. But I did squeeze in some more sewing at home. Sitting at the sewing machine is certainly a happy place for me 😊. A definite highlight of the week was Miss 7’s school music concert. It was really sweet- nearly 60 second-graders had been practising a number of song and dance moves for a few months. **so proud**

Do you remember the other week I wrote about how we have begun the mammoth task of decluttering and tidying our house with the KonMari method as inspiration, so far we have been tackling clothes. At last count, 4 out of 5 of us have decluttered and superbly (if I do say so myself) stored our clothes in a more ordered manner in the wardrobes. The billions of books in the house are still terrifying me and will definitely need an all-hands-on-deck approach.

But what I wanted to share with you today- for FREE!- is how I made those cute fabric baskets I had also talked about in that post.Easy to sew, multi-purpose, use any leftover fabric you have lying around, look great… WINNER!

So, are you keen? Without further ado, start your sewing engines! Here’s what you’ll need to sew your own collection of handmade baskets: