It’s May already?!? Not sure how that is possible? If ya’ll are like us you’ve been soaking up the afternoon sun, dreaming of warmer nights and getting the garden prepared and planted for another growing season.
Since summer is right around the corner we wanted to share a fun free pattern with ya’ll that is perfect for summertime dinners out on the porch! Its a great beginner pattern and a perfect scrap buster!
Grab your FREE copy of the CHG Lemon Placemat Pattern DIRECTIONS below:
With the weather warming up FINALLY… it felt like it was time for a little spring refresh around here!
If you are looking for a fast, easy and satisfying project that will add a statement to your room, consider sewing up your own pillowcases. Seriously, they are so simple you will soon find yourself with WAY TOO MANY to choose from. We love sewing our own to elevate our bedding. It’s such a simple refresh that can make a big difference in a room without breaking the bank and you can use the scraps to make coordinating accent pieces. We used some scraps to make a few coordinating slouchy fabric baskets!
Here are 3 different pillowcase styles that you can try in your home. Let us know which is your favorite in the comments!
Lets get sewing!
Go ahead and wash your fabric beforehand since it will shrink a considerable amount if its 100% cotton. Once your fabric is washed and dried you are ready to get to work!
1. Traditional Narrow Flange
You will start with3 fabric choices
-Main Body
-Flange
-Cuff
Fabric Requirements based on pillow size:
Directions:
Cut your fabric pieces to size (reference chart above)
Take your cuff piece and your flange piece and fold both in half width wise (wrong sides together). This will give you a 42 inch piece for both, then iron flat.
Next, lay out your cuff piece unfolded right side up
Then, lay your flange piece on top of your cuff piece with raw edges even.
Next, place the main body piece on top of your cuff and flange pieces with the right side of fabric facing the flange and cuff. (Make sure the cuff is on the bottom, flange is in the middle and the main body piece on top) I like to pin these together during this step to make sure the 3 layers don’t move.
Next, take the bottom of your main body piece and begin to roll it up toward the top (where your 3 fabrics meet and are pined together). Stop rolling about 2 inches from the top you will now see the cuff piece underneath
Now take the cuff and fold it up over your rolled up body piece and join the bottom edge of it with the top where the 3 layers are already pinned. You now have a fabric burrito
Next, sew or serge the edge that is all pinned together
Then, pull out your fabric from inside your burrito and turn it. You will now have a large rectangular piece with a hidden seam where the cuff and the body join together.
You will now iron your cuff and flange flat
Next you will fold your pillowcase in half (right sides together) and sew or serge down the side and along the bottom
Tie off your thread tails and trim
Now turn your pillowcase right side out and give the seams a good press
Yay!!! You did it! Enjoy your new pillowcase!
2. Feminine Ruffles
You will start with 3 fabric choices
-Main Body
-Ruffle
-Cuff
Fabric Requirements based on pillow size:
Directions:
Cut your fabric pieces to size (reference chart above)
Since your ruffle piece is 63 inches long you will need to sew it in two pieces. Go ahead and sew those 2 pieces together and press the seam open.
Next, fold your ruffle piece in half width wise wrong sides together and iron it
Then, take your ruffle and sew along the top a basting stitch (make sure to leave the tails at the beginning and end long)
Take one side of your tails and separate the two piece. Hold them both in your hand but only pull one. This will begin to gather or ruffle your fabric. Push the fabric down and adjust it evenly as you pull. Continue to do this until you get a piece that is 42 inches long.
Take your cuff piece and fold it in half width wise (wrong sides together) This will give you a 42 inch piece and iron flat.
Next, lay out your cuff piece unfolded right side up
Then, lay your ruffle on top of your cuff piece and line the raw edges up, clipping or pinning them together.
Next, take the main body piece and place along the top of your cuff and ruffle. I like to pin these together during this step to make sure the 3 layers do not move. (Make sure the cuff is on the bottom, ruffle in the middle and main body on the top)
Next, take the bottom of your main body piece and begin to roll it up towards the top (where your 3 fabrics meet and are pined together) stop rolling about 2 inches from the top and you will now see the cuff piece underneath
Now take the cuff and fold it up over your rolled up body piece and join the bottom edge of it with the top where the 3 layers are already pinned. You now have a fabric burrito
Next, sew or serge the edge that is all pinned together
Next, pull out your fabric from inside your burrito and turn it. You will now have a large rectangular piece with a hidden seam where the cuff and the body join together.
You will now iron your cuff and ruffle
Then, top stitch the edge where your cuff and ruffle meet
Next you will fold your pillowcase in half (right sides together) and sew or serge down the side and along the bottom
Tie off your thread tails and trim
Now turn your pillowcase right side out and give the seams a good press
Yay!!! You did it! Enjoy your new pillowcase!
3. Modern Exaggerated Cuff
You will start with 2 fabric choices
-Main Body
-Cuff
-(Optional) Accent Trim
Fabric Requirements based on pillow size:
Directions:
Cut your fabric pieces to size (reference chart above)
Take your cuff piece and fold it in half width wise (wrong sides together) This will give you a 42 inch piece and iron flat.
Next, lay out your cuff piece unfolded right side up
Then, take the main body piece and line it up along the top of your cuff, matching the raw edges. I like to pin these together during this step to make sure the 2 layers do not move.
Next, take the bottom of your main body piece and begin to roll it up towards the top (where your 2 fabrics meet and are pined together) stop rolling about 2 inches from the top and you will now see the cuff piece underneath
Now take the cuff and fold it up over your rolled up body piece and join the bottom edge of it with the top where the 2 layers are already pinned. You now have a fabric burrito
Next, sew or serge the edge that is all pinned together
Next, pull out your fabric from inside your burrito and turn it. You will now have a large rectangular piece with a hidden seam where the cuff and the body join together.
You will now iron your cuff flat
(OPTIONAL) If you would like to add an accent trim take your trim and lay it over the seam there the cuff and main body fabric meet and top stitch it on.
Next you will fold your pillowcase in half (right sides together) and sew or serge down the side and along the bottom
Tie off your thread tails and trim
Now turn your pillowcase right side out and give the seams a good press
Yay!!! You did it! Enjoy your new pillowcase!
Just like that, you now have 3 new pillowcases!
The fabric I choose for my pillowcases is from the new Rifle Paper Co. collection Camont that I found from Hawthorne Supply Co. The quality is fantastic and I know its going to hold up with daily wear and regular wash and those florals, well you can’t go wrong with RPC Florals!!!!
Happy New Year!! Wow, its been awhile! Not sure where the time has gone? We’ve been over here working hard to get back into the groove after our extended time off which was much needed. We had a new baby join the family and even though going from 1 to 2 is easier in many ways it’s also a lot more time consuming… which is well probably a given right!? Needless to say here we are trying to get back into it.
We’ve been doing a lot of talking, planning and looking to the future these days trying to figure out what 2022 and beyond holds for Catalina HomeGrown. We’ve had a lot of ideas and well some have worked out this past year and others had to be put on hold because timing was off. We are hoping to make a few of our big goals finally happen this year!
Here are a few of the things in the works you can look forward to this coming year (maybe if we write them down here then you will help keep us accountable)
First, you can expect a new way to shop with us within the next few months. We will be launching our own website to shop from and we are so excited about it!!! You will still be able to shop on Etsy if you choose, but we will be directing most sales toward our new website. We’ve been wanting to do this for a while now for many reasons, two of which are more control and less fees. For a small business when every little bit counts, Etsy’s steep fees really take a lot out of our profit at the end of the day. If you aren’t already following us on Instagram or subscribed here to our blog make sure to do so since we will be announcing this change on both platforms when it happens.
Next on the list, which we cannot wait for is we plan to release 2 Catalina HomeGrown patterns this year!!! Again, another thing that we have been wanting to jump into but timing has been off. We won’t share yet what the 2 patterns will be but we will say we think you will love them as much as we do!!! Keep your eye out for little snippets over the coming months. The first release will be in August and then just in time for the holidays our second pattern will release in October! Both will be geared toward the beginner sewist and will be a nice option for those that love to get their hands in the making process working with their own fabrics.
Finally, our last big announcement is that we will attending The Pinners Conference this year in Scottsdale November 11-12th. This will be our biggest venue to date and we have so many fun things planned for the weekend already! If you are local to the Phoenix, Arizona area and love a good DIY, grab your tickets and we hope to see you there!
We hope you will stick around and join us by sharing in all the excitement of fun things we have planned this year.
If you’ve made it this far, here’s hoping your 2022 is filled with new adventures, a whole lot of joy along the way and that you reach those big goals!
It’s our PARTY DAY for the Mister DomesticPlayroom Project Party! Yay!!! If you haven’t had a chance to check out Mathews new line of fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics you really have to make the time because it is so so cute! Inspired by his daughter Helena’s playroom Mathew has created a pallet of playful soft colors in the cutest prints that include florals, geometrics, handprints, art supplies, and graphic lettering!
As soon as I saw Mathews new line the “retired” art teacher in me was definitely geeking out a little 🙂 So I was super duper excited to get started sewing up matching outfits for myself and my little guy! One of my favorite things to sew are garments which lets face it there isn’t always time to sew just for fun so a project party was the perfect excuse to make that happen!!
For my little guys outfit I used the Brindle and Twigharem coverall pattern. I LOVE this pattern and so does this little stinker. It’s a one piece jumpsuit that is so comfy it feels like pjs (I mean who wouldn’t want to wear their jammies all day right?!?) It’s a simple quick sew and definitely a great pattern for a beginner sewist looking to try their hand with knits. Did I mention Art Gallery Fabric knits are seriously the BEST!!!! Thick but not too thick and so so soft that they are a dream to sew with.
5 tips for sewing for kiddos:
Choose high quality fabrics so they can take the wear & tear of busy kiddos some of my favorite places to pick up knits other then our local fabric stores are Hawthorne Supply Co. and Blackbird Fabrics
Reinforce your seams! I always sew my seam then serge the edges just to make sure they hold up to all the jumping, running, squatting, rolling, playing that happens on the daily.
Scrap bust your garment scraps make great little pieces for toddler neck lines, ankle cuffs and short sleeves, etc.
Assembly line sew! Sew multiple sizes at once and store the larger sizes for them to grow into. Kids clothes sew up fast so you can definitely sew a few at once.
Involve them! Let your kiddos help pick out their own fabrics or choose designs that you know they will love (my son loves puppies so anything with a dog on it he is all about!) or evenhave them “sew” along side you. They will be invested and chances are more excited to wear their handmade attire!
For my matching top I used the same print Bella Aquarelle just in a cotton! I knew I wanted to make a button up something that I had never done before but I was definitely psyching myself up a little about the buttons, the crisp precise lines of a button up… about it all if we are being real here. I ended up going with the Natalie 3081 by Seamwork. I loved Mathews print with this specific pattern and I think it suited it well. I feel like it gives off an artsy vibe 🙂 Now that I have made it I definitely know that next time I need to make some specific alterations in order to get a better fit in the shoulders but overall for my first button up it turned out pretty great… and the buttons were so so easy to sew… go figure! TAKE THAT DOUBT!!!
I know so many people who always comment with how they want to sew their own clothes but are afraid too, or I have friends comment how hard it looks to do. If I listened to myself every time I had one of those thoughts and never took a chance at a new pattern I honestly would still be sitting at an empty machine. I am for sure a newbie here and have never claimed to be otherwise, but what I love is figuring out the process and learning though it! Every time I sew something whether I love it or hate it I learn something new which pushes me to be better! So next time you are feeling doubtful jump in with both feet and go for it! Chances are you will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome!
…And a gigantic shoutout to Mister Domestic for taking his own chance with us and welcoming us into his Master Makers group! This guy is one of the most supportive, encouraging, positive people you will ever meet ya’ll! So so happy we get to party with him again!
…And another huge shout out to Nicole Bridges for taking our photos on a whim with her already busy schedule. You are amazing Nicole Bridges Photography!! Thank you!
Be sure to follow along with all the other super talented makers that are part of Mister Domestics Project Playroom Party for the next 5 weeks! You can get all the details here on Mathews blog!
It’s finally beginning to feel like fall at least in the mornings here… just barely but its right around the corner and these mid 80º days will be long gone soon enough! Which means it’s the perfect time to bust out a few fall inspired sewing projects before it sneaks up on us right?!?
I love using table runners in my house and I am always switching mine out to change the look of my table setting. I had this idea to sew up an organic shaped leaf runner that looked almost as if the leaves had just fallen on the table. So I set out to make it happen! I feel like it looks like it should be a lot harder then it actually was to make. I was surprised how quickly I moved thought the project considering I was problem solving and designing as I went. Once I finished, I fell in LOVE with how it turned out and the neutral white is the perfect choice for our home. It says fall without screaming it.
You do not need to use white if that look won’t match your home. You could easily decide to use a mixture of fall solids or printed fabrics, you could use scraps up, or even try a ombre palette instead and it would be equally pretty! (Ugh! Now I am wanting to make another geez…)
1yd White Linen Look Alike Fabric (JoAnn Fabrics) Brown Thread Frixion Pen Fabric Scissors Fabric Glue (I used Elmers white glue since thats what I had on hand) Pins Iron Scissors
♥ First, cut out your leaf pattern pieces (You can use all 4 shapes or just 1 or 2 whatever you decide. I ended up using them all).
♥Next, trace the leaves onto your folded fabric using your Frixion pen
♥Once you have traced the leaves cut them apart into smaller more manageable pieces to cut (each leaf has 2 pieces of fabric) This will make cutting the actual leaf shape easier
♥Next, pin the 2 pieces of fabric together for each leaf and cut along the Frixion pen lines.
♥Then, using the brown thread “draw” an outline of the leaf about a 1/4in. in from the edge using your sewing machine Pro Tip: Its ok if this is not perfect! I repeat it’s ok if it’s not perfect! I actually purposely tried to make mine a little “messy” after a few leaves you’ll get into a rhythm and it’s relatively simple.
♥Next, using brown thread still, sew the veins of the leaves by just loosely mapping out what you feel looks like leaf veins. Think “Y” and “V” shapes.
♥Once your leaves are all sewn press them with your iron to remove any leftover Frixion pen lines
♥Then, used your fingernail to scrap at the edges of the leaves to fray them. This takes a little bit of time and yes was messy because of my fabric choice. Pro Tip: Turn on last weeks episode of Bachelor in Paradise to review all the drama as you work. The time will fly by 😉
♥Once all of your leaves are sewn and frayed clear a flat surface and arrange them how you want them to lay on your table. Making sure to overlap them a little.
♥Next, take your fabric glue or Elmers glue and tack down the over lapping pieces. As you do this put a pin in those places so you don’t forget where you need to sew. It also gives extra stability since you will have to pick this up and move it to your machine.
♥Once you let the glue sit for a few minutes, go ahead and carefully transfer the runner to your sewing machine to piece together.
♥In order to attach the leaves sew directly onto the brown lines you had already made anywhere there is a pin. Pro Tip: Try to tack down as much of the leaves as possible in these areas. This might mean you have to lift up the leaves to see where there are more brown lines to stitch over.
♥Once you have sewn down all your leaves. Trim any extra threads and give it good press.
♥Yay!!! Great work! Now go style your new runner in your home and snap a pic to share so we can see!!! Tag us @catalinahomegrown so we don’t miss it. We love a little home decor inspo too 🙂
I am so excited to share today about my VERY FAVORITE shirt! It’s the The Summer Day Top!!!
For real y’all this pattern is GOLD!! Dana of MadeEveryday did an awesome job on creating truly the most comfortable, flattering top!!
The name is even perfect because it has been my staple during this hot Albuquerque summer! I find myself always wanting to grab it when getting ready because it’s so darn comfortable and I feel amazing in it. I can easily dress it up with some jewelry and heels or can dress it down in shorts and flip flops while I rock the mom bun!
For my Summer Day Top I used an Art Gallery rayon by one of my favorite designers Bonnie Christine. This print is from her fabric collection Gathered and I couldn’t be more in love with the quality of the fabric, the color is to die for, and the print… GORGEOUS!!! If you have never used an Art Gallery rayon then you need to make it happen for your next sewing project (Ehhh maybe a Summer Day Top?!? *wink wink*) it is like butter in your hands.
I ended up sizing down to a size 4 for my top even though I was measuring for a size 6. I feel like the pattern runs slightly larger since it is not fitted and meant to be loose and flowy. I felt the 6 looked too oversize hence the size change (totally preference though).
**I tend to make the size I measure for on the sizing chart first and then adjust with my next one if its something I know I want more of. I had already made one before well 2 before (surprise surprise) so I knew I wanted to size down.
A few tricks that I have learned sewing with rayon that I have found helpful:
♥Use a mini rotary cutter like this Fiskers one you will get smooth lines that scissors won’t give you since rayon is so slippery
♥Use extra large metal washers instead of pins for pattern weights. This way you won’t accidentally snag the fabric since it’s so delicate. I found mine at the hardware store.
♥I find serging the raw edges before hemming is helpful to get a smooth line to work off of for my hems. I love my Bernina serger!
♥I also found that if I use the rayon fabric for my bias tape (which this pattern calls for) instead of purchasing pre-made bias tape from the big box stores, the neck line and the arm holes will lay flatter and be more flowy since the pre-made stuff is pretty stiff. It’s more work sure, but the pay off is so much better!
This pattern is great for a beginner-intermediate sewist. The directions are clearly written and it has step-by-step pictures of what to do next.
The skills you will learn (or practice) as you sew your Summer Day Top are: ♥Making Bias tape ♥Finishing a hem with bias tape ♥Making a fabric gathered ruffle
I hope you love your Summer Day Top as much as I love mine!
Catalina Home·Grown 