Convert An Elastic Waist Pattern To A Knit Waistband

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We all have our favorite comfy pants patterns, but sometimes you just want a little extra comfort, right? Why not change that elastic waistband into a knit waistband for the ultimate comfort fit? I can show you how!

Convert An Elastic Waist Pattern To A Knit Waistband

First thing’s first, what do we need to make this work?

Supplies:

You will need:

your pants sans a waistband

a knit fabric with really good stretch and recovery (I’d recommend a minimum stretch of 75%)

lots of pins

measuring and cutting tools

your sewing machine

Before we start

Before we go too far there is one other crucial piece of information we need. A waist measurement for the intended wearer of these pants. So, grab your measuring tape and grab that. You’ll want to measure at the waist where the wearer bends or approximately 2 fingers above the belly button.

Since these pants are for my daughter, I measured her. Her waist is 21.5 inches. With this information and your supplies in hand, we’re ready to get started! (I apologize for the slightly blurry pic here… she was a wiggle monster today!)

Let’s Do The Thing!

First, take that waist measurement and subtract 2-3 inches. This will be the band length. It will ensure that the band is snug enough to keep the pants up, but not too tight so as to cut into the body and cause discomfort. Now, we need a waistband height.

If the pants you have sewn includes a separate waistband piece, you can use the height of that piece.

However, if it’s a case of folding to create a casing, you’ll need to alter your pant pieces before you sew them. Let’s say the pants include instructions to fold the waist by 1/4″ and then by another 1″ to create a casing. You will need to remove 2 1/4″ plus a seam allowance (I generally do this at about 1/2″) from the top of your pant pieces. So, in my example, I would cut 2 3/4″ from the top of my pieces in order to add a knit waistband.

In my case, I had a waistband piece that measured about 3″ tall. So I cut my knit waistband piece at 19″ long by 3″ tall. (My fabric is folded in the picture.)

Once you have that piece, fold it in half to match the short ends with right sides together and sew that short end.

With that done, You’ll want to fold your finished loop in half again, this time lining up the long ends with the wrong sides together, creating your waistband. Then, stick a pin through the seam and use that as a starting point to quarter your knit waistband.

Follow suit with the waist of the pants, quartering the waist opening so that you can attach the waistband evenly.

Now the REAL fun begins!

Starting with the center back of both pieces, match up the pins and pin the pants and waistband together, matching raw edges with the waistband on the outside (right side) of the pants. I matched up each of the four pins first and then stretched and pinned more between them. This is why you want a knit with a good stretch ratio. For most elastic-waisted pant patterns, there will be quite a bit of difference between the waist measurement of the pants and the waistband measurement that you created. So, stretch it good, stretch it evenly, and use LOTS of pins!

There will be a LOT of excess fabric on the pant side, but I promise this will all work out! Its time to take this all to the machine.

Beginning right over one of the pins (I chose to start at the center back here too), stitch your pants and waistband together, making sure you stretch everything flat as you go. The more careful you are, the better.

With that done, finish the edges (the woven fabric kinda demands this step) and flip the seam to the inside. Then you can run a topstitch just below that seam to make sure it all stays where it belongs! This step isn’t strictly necessary, but it is something I typically tend to do. I like the look, personally.

Then that’s it! You’re done! You have a beautiful pair of woven pants with a comfy knit waistband! That wasn’t so bad now, was it?

Keep a lookout for a new pattern coming SOON from Bella Sunshine that you can use to complete this tutorial yourself! And please, share your creations from our patterns and blog tutorials with us in our Facebook community… because we wouldn’t be anything without our fans!

The Whipstitch: A Tutorial With Pictures

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There is an AMAZING new pattern heading your way soon, and since it includes this lovely little hand stitch technique, we thought we’d throw out a handy tutorial to help you whipstitch it out! But aside from our new pattern, this stitch is SO handy for all KINDS of crafting, so get ready to learn!

The Whipstitch: A Tutorial With Pictures

We’ll start with supplies.

You will need:

Fabric

Coordinating thread (or contrasting, you do you!)

A hand sewing needle

Scissors

Now that we have all of that, let’s begin!

Sewing a whipstitch

The first thing you want to do is thread your needle. I like to use a nice long piece of thread so I can sew with a double strand for durability’s sake. So I pull my thread all the way through until the ends are even and tie them in a knot.

Once your needle is threaded, take your 2 pieces of fabric and place them wrong sides together. Insert your needle through the bottom (wrong side) of the top piece of fabric (as pictured). This will put your knot out of sight and provide you a prettier outward appearance. You’ll want the needle to come out close to the edge (about 1/8″).

Pull the needle all the way through until the knot is resting against the inside of the top fabric. Then swing it back to the underside and come up directly underneath and go back through that first hole you made. Pull it tight (but not too tight!) and you have your first stitch!

Now, to begin your next stitch, come through the bottom piece directly under that first stitch again, but this time angle the needle so that it emerges from the top about 1/8″ over from that first stitch. This will keep the stitches perpendicular to the edge of the fabric as you progress, making for a nicer look. Once that is pulled snug, just keep going down the line until you’ve completed your seam. Again. take care not to pull any of your stitches too tight. You want it to hold, but not to roll or curl the fabric edges.

With all of your stitches in place, bring your needle through the bottom piece of fabric only. Just like in the beginning, we’re going to sandwich the knot in between the 2 pieces to keep them nice and hidden.

Next, take your needle and make a tiny stitch through the bottom fabric. This will provide the base of our final knot to complete our whipstitch adventure.

Begin pulling the thread through, but stop while you still have a loop left and wrap it around your needle two or three times. Then when you pull the thread the rest of the way through, it will create your knot! I usually do this two or three times to make sure it isn’t going anywhere, but one time would likely be fine if you don’t want to tie more than one knot.

And that’s it! You made a whipstitch! Now, don’t look too closely at mine as I obviously need more practice to get my stitches all even and pretty. But sometimes being a little uneven can give it a little more character too, so don’t worry if it’s not perfect! 

Please join us in our Facebook community to share your projects and new skills with us! We love to celebrate with you! Plus, it’s the BEST place to learn about our new releases and get a chance to win them for free!

Sew-Along With Olga and Sansa!

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Who doesn’t love a good sew-along? I know I do! And there’s one coming up soon! Wanna know more? Read on…

Sew-Along With Olga and Sansa!

One of our favorite non-custom fabric groups is hosting a sew-along for the Sansa Flares! Olga’s Fabric Destashing is planning a great deal of fun with fabric discounts and prizes! But we’ll get to hear more about that here in a minute. First…

Let’s talk about Sansa!

Sansa is one of our favorite pant patterns for so many reasons. You get the look of a flared pant or bell-bottom with the comfort of a pair of leggings, so get those stretch knits ready! The flare is so stylish right now and you have the option of either doing a yoga-style waistband or using elastic and a casing. And the adult version comes with two rise options, mid-rise, or high-rise, to fit your style or fit needs.

Like many of Bella Sunshine’s patterns, Sansa has a WIDE range of sizes, from a 6-month child’s size all the way up to a size 30 in adults (which measures 53.5″ and 59.75″ respectively in the waist and hips). Or, go all out and grab the bundle to have the FULL range. Think of all the gorgeous and adorable matching parent/child sets you could make!

Let me just share some gorgeous Sansa inspiration!

Now, what about this sew-along?

Ready for a retro flashback? Look no further than the Sansa Flares! They are fitted from the waist through the knee and then flare out for a fun retro look of the ’70s. The length touches the floor. The design comes with two options; elastic waist or a yoga waist which gives you the ultimate choice in comfort! The ladies’ version also includes two rise options: mid-rise and high-rise. These pants are sure to be a staple in your wardrobe!

Sewing Level: Confident Beginner
Sizes: Ladies 0-30, Girls 6 Mos-12

The Prizes

Prizes are available to anyone at any skill level just for participating! Everyone who participates/submits their final design in this Sew Along will be entered into a giveaway for:
Grand prize: $50 Olga’s Closet Gift Card + $25 Bella Sunshine Designs Gift Card
2nd place: $20 Olga’s Closet Gift Card
3rd place: $10 Olga’s Closet Gift Card

You are welcome to use any fabric of your choice for the Sew-Along, but we are offering the following fabric options at a discounted rate. Just post a screenshot in our Facebook Event showing you purchased the pattern from Bella Sunshine Designs and are participating in the Sew Along and we will send you a special discount code to purchase the fabric from our website:

Navy/Red/White Floral/Thin Striped Double Brushed Poly

Yellow/Red/Blue Floral/Thin Striped Double Brushed Poly

Army Green/Black/Grey Camo Double Brushed Poly

Slate Solid Stretch Velvet

Now that you have ALL the information, just join the event here, grab your fabric and pattern, and get ready for some awesome fun! Oh, and don’t forget to share your makes in our group too! We love some Sansa Flares! *wink wink*

Totally Rad Tutorial: Making Scrunchies!

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Old things are becoming new again. We have all seen old fashion come back into style, and hair accessories are no exception! And what better way to accessorize all of the amazing dresses, shirts, and pants you’re going to make than with something that’s making a BIG comeback right now? Scrunchies!

Totally Rad Tutorial: Making Scrunchies!

Are you ready to get started? Here’s what you need!

Supplies:

Fabric – 3.5″ tall x 21″ wide per scrunchie (ANY type of fabric can work for these!)

1/4″ Elastic – 9″ long (I feel the need to note that my 1/4″ ran away. Pictured is 1/2″ elastic, which worked, but 1/4″ would have been better)

Matching Thread

Pins or Clips

optional: lace, ribbon, or ricrac for decorative purposes

Step 1:

Take your piece of fabric and fold it long ways (hot dog bun style”. Mark or pin 1″ from each end. Sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance leaving the 1″ at each end open.

*if using optional lace, etc, cut to 21″ and line up the edge with the edges of the fabric, with the decorative piece enclosed between the fabric edges. Then stitch as instructed.

Step 2:

Turn right side out by your preferred means. I like to use a safety pin. Then turn inside out again, but only turn until the raw short edges from each end meet (right sides together). Stitch the short ends together with the same 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 3:

Pull the tube right side out through the hole in the side seam.

Step 4:

Use a safety pin to thread the elastic through the tube, being careful to not lose the ends. Then stitch or tie the ends of the elastic together to secure it.

Step 5:

Slip the elastic full inside the tube then close the seam. You have the option of using a ladder stitch by hand, or machine stitch as close to the edge as you can get. I went with the machine because it’s faster.

That’s it! Repeat as you wish with as many different fabrics as you wish until you have a mountain of them if that’s what you want! Fast, easy, and stylish… Not to mention easily personalized to the chosen recipient’s color and style choices! It couldn’t be easier!

If you do make up a batch, please share them with us in Bella Sunshine’s online Facebook community! We love to see all the fun things you make with our patterns and free tutorials!

4 Sweet Baby Hat Tutorials

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Winter is coming. Sooner than I want to think about if I’m being honest. And since I’m expecting in February, it’s going to be cold. And I’m going to want ALL the baby hats for my new little man! To meet that end, I scoured the internet for some warm (and cute!) baby hat tutorials and thought I’d share my favorites here with you! So without further ado…

4 Sweet Baby Hat Tutorials

1. A Trio of Baby Hats by Zaaberry Handmade

This sweet trio of hats is everything you’ve ever wanted! Three styles perfect for any aesthetic. A regular beanie, a knotted cap, and a sweet hat with teddy bear ears! With the right fabrics they will be perfect for any baby’s style! Just whip them up and see how great they are for yourself!

2. Teddy Ears Hat by How Joyful

How adorable is this little hat! It’s so perfect for winter, being made of 2 layers of fleece. And those little ears just melt me. This is definitely a pattern I’ll be making a few of myself! Make sure you read this tutorial completely through for sizing tips before you do your cutting though! You’ll thank me (and How Joyful) later!

3. Winter Baby Bonnet by Purl Soho

photo courtesy of Purl Soho

This little bonnet is special in that you can tie it beneath the baby’s chin to keep it from falling off. Which is perfect if you live in a colder climate like I do. The sherpa lining is also a huge plus for warmth and comfort for a little head and ears. Purl Soho also has some other great tutorials if you browse their site to see!

4. Reversible Baby Beanie by ShelleyMade

photo courtesy of ShelleyMade

Two hats in one? What’s not to love about that? You can make one hat with 2 looks! And the reversible nature means 2 layers which add up to warmth again. The shape of this one is really great too and a little wider (I think) to fit slightly larger little heads. Another pattern perfect for boys or girls! *minor caveat: while this pattern was originally a tutorial for use with ShelleyMade pre-printed panels, but the maker has since created a pdf version of the pattern and released it as a paid $4 pattern. The link is in the tutorial and I think well worth it!*

I made 2 hats of my own using one of these tutorials! They were SO fast and SO easy and I can’t wait until I have someone who can wear them! 

What do you think? Are there any other free tutorials you’d like me to find or tackle? Leave your suggestions and requests in the comments! We’d love to hear from you!

Make It A BSD Halloween (Contest)!

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It’s only September, I know. But in my house, we plan for Halloween early. And that means costume time! Why not turn Halloween prep into something even MORE fun?

Make It A BSD Halloween (Contest)!

Sound like fun? It does to me! I LOVE Halloween! It is literally my favorite time of the year. And one of the best things about it is the costumes, right? Right. 

Imagination is key, but you can totally take a Bella Sunshine project and create a costume custom-tailored to you and/or your kids! For example, Melissa used Juliet to turn her girls into the sweetest looking little Nemo and Dory I’ve ever seen! Just see for yourself!

Juliet could also work well as a princess dress. Turn Hazel or Maggie into the perfect Sally costume. Take Eden and Regan to match her up with a Jack. There are SO many possibilities!

We have some other great inspiration here too, just look and see below!

This one was genius! Clementine slightly modified made a PERFECT Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter!

And Sahara made an ADORABLE Sally dress that’s been in this girl’s Halloween wardrobe for several years now! Gotta love that!

 

Now that you’re all good and inspired… this is going to be a contest in our Facebook group for the WHOLE month of September! Pick out a Bella Sunshine costume and turn it into an amazing costume! Then post it in our group with hashtag #BSDHalloween and we’ll choose a winner at the end of the month for an awesome prize! Either way, you end up with a great handmade one of a kind costume, so what do you have to lose? We can’t WAIT to see your costumes in the group!

The BSD Files: Video Help For You!

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Did you know that Bella Sunshine has a YouTube channel??? There are SO many amazing helpful videos there! Along with a few fun promotional videos if you want to see some sewn up patterns in action! Right now, I’m going to share a few specific things from our channel with you that might just be the video help you need!

The BSD Files: Video Help For You!

Pants: Two Ways to Blend the Waist

Making a new pair of pants and need help blending the waist for a perfect fit? We have a video for that! Watch Melissa go step by step through 2 different blending methods so you can get a great fit every time!

Sewing Tutorial: How to Ruffle Fabric Using Clear Elastic

Do you hate gathering? Well, there are a TON of options out there for making it easier. One of those options? Use clear elastic! This video tutorial will show you how it works and how easy it can REALLY be! Just watch and see for yourself!

Sewing DIY: How to Turn Tiny Spaghetti Straps the Easy Way

Have you ever fought FOREVER trying to turn teeny tiny spaghetti straps? I’m not gonna lie, I have. More times than I care to admit. But this video could change everything for you! Watch this for some great tips on getting them turned with little to no fuss!

The Key to the Perfect Fit: How to Blend Sizes

Like most people, I don’t usually fit any one size perfectly. But that’s the beauty of patterns, right? You can blend sizes to get the perfect fit for YOU! And that’s where this video comes in! So, watch this to learn all the secrets of blending to get a great fit for you!

The Key to the Perfect Fit: How to Measure Your Child

Finally, we bring you this. Children are hard. Hard to raise, hard to control, hard to measure. Well, we can help with one of those! Simply watch this video for some great tips on getting successful measurements on your kiddos. Then you can treat them to a perfect fit too!

We hope these videos helped! And if you want to see more videos, we have them! Learn blending tips for specific patterns, or just watch some super cute promo videos to lift your spirits or give you some inspiration! And as always, please share your makes in our Facebook group to inspire others!

Blue for Back to School

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Happy Back to School Sunshines!

Hi, I’m Becky and I normally blog at bigflynotions. I am excited to share this dress as part of the Bella Sunshine Design’s Back to School Blog Series.

Back to School Spirit Day Blues

My kids’ school has spirit days sprinkled throughout the year. The school announces the theme and children can decide whether to participate or not. There are things like Superhero Day, Wacky Wednesday, or Backwards Day (remember Kris Kross?).

The most popular day is sports spirit day. The kids wear blue during the hockey season to support the local team. My pink princess has “nothing to wear”. I went for the two birds/one stone approach with this dress: my daughter gets a new back to school dress and I am not caught unprepared for a blue spirit day.

                   

Blue on Blue on Blue

I could have used one shade of blue and made a lovely dress but why stop there? Bella Sunshine Designs has the perfect pattern for monochromatic bliss: (affiliate link) Emmaline. I purchased the ladies/girls bundle (affiliate link) in the recent Sunday Sunshine Sale and was eager to give it a try!

I used three different shades of cotton lycra from The Fabric Fairy. The pattern calls for knits with four-way stretch and good drape. Cotton lycra might have felt too boxy if I were sewing this dress for myself but it worked great for my daughter.  

Sewing Emmaline

I followed the pattern suggestions for selecting sizes. My daughter is slender and needs the size 12m for width and the size 4 for height. The pattern includes simple instructions for blending. Melissa also made this helpful video for blending sizes for the chevron skirt.

I did not perfectly execute the gathered sleeve. Next time, I will pay greater attention to evenly gather between the notches and ensure that I am not stretching as I insert the sleeve. Using a fabric with more drape might also make those small gathers a little easier to manipulate.

I really liked piecing together the skirt and watching the chevrons form. I sometimes worry about how blocked pieces will feel against skin. The skirt’s ease means this is not an issue with Emmaline. Ironing per the pattern instructions worked great but the seams would be simple to topstitch too. 

Tadah!

The outcome is a gorgeous dress with amazing twirl: 

Still intimidated by the Emmaline? You’ve got support:

 

*I used affiliate links in this post. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase,
I will receive a small commission from your purchase, at no greater cost to you.*

Back To School Crafts: Shabby Flower Hair Clips

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It’s that time of year again. The chaos and scramble of back to school is here! But you always have to accessorize, right? If your child is anything like my daughter, then the answer to that question is yes! So today, in honor of all of those bow and flower-loving kids out there, I’m going to show you how to make super quick and simple shabby flower hair clips!

Back To School Crafts: Shabby Flower Hair Clips

Supplies Needed:

Shabby Flower (s)

Felt

Alligator hair clips

Hot glue gun with glue

There are a number of places you can source these items, but if you want to make it easy, you can probably find most of these things in your local craft store. Or you can get it all on Amazon. I went all over… I got the flowers from a Facebook destash, the clips from Amazon, and the glue gun and felt from Michaels. Also important to note is to make sure the size of your flowers and clips are proportional. I used 2″ flowers and 1 1/2″ clips.

Prep Work

You can get your shabby flowers already individually cut, but my flowers were on mesh strips. If your flowers are still connected, carefully cut them apart. Then, equally carefully cut the excess mesh from around the base of the flower. Seeing a little mash peeking is fine, but you want it to be mostly invisible when the flower is right side up, like so:

You’ll also need to cut the felt into circles as well. I took a vitamin bottle lid that was about 1 1/2″ across and traced it onto cardboard so I could make uniform circles. You could also just eyeball it if you’d prefer. I then took that circle and held it still against the felt as I cut around it (tracing onto the felt is also an option).

When I was done, I had a uniform little felt circle. And then you’re ready for assembly!

Assembling Your Clips

First, plug in the glue gun. I always do that at this point for a few reasons. Obviously, hot glue isn’t going to work if it isn’t hot (haha). But, I wait until this point to conserve glue. If you plug it in too soon, it’ll just drip glue all over until you pick it up. Pro tip: When working with a glue gun, ALWAYS keep it on/over a paper towel or a plate of some sort. It will make your life SO much easier when it’s time to clean up!

When it’s all heated up and ready to go, take your felt circle and draw a glue circle just inside the perimeter. I also draw a line through that circle for a little more durability. Like so:

Then place that circle in the middle of the back of that flower and press it down gently. You’ll need to work somewhat quickly before the glue cools too much, but you should have time for fairly careful placement.

Now, take the glue gun and apply glue to the top of your alligator clip in a nice thick line.

And place it glue down into the middle of the felt circle.

That’s it! You’re done! Just let them cool completely (shouldn’t take long), and you have a beautiful new hair clip! These are great because you can dress them up or down. You can also find the flowers in a WIDE array of different colors and prints, so you can match almost ANY outfit! Also, try layering 2 flowers on a felt oblong with one clip for a slightly different look!

Will you be making ant fun school accessories this year? Let us know in the comments, as well as any other fun crafty ideas you’d like to see us try! And join us in our online community to share your fun makes, we love seeing them!

 

Pattern Hack: Adding Fringe to the Hazel Dolman

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Pattern Hack: Adding Fringe to the Hazel Dolman

Hi Sunshines! I’m An from Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing. I’m so excited to be your guest blogger today. I’ll be showing you how to do this very easy fun hack for adding fringe to your Hazel. The drawstrings on the shoulders of this pattern reminded me of a Mickey Mouse dress my mother bought me when I was a kid. It had the same sleeves as Hazel, but it also had this fun fringe at the bottom. It just had to be recreated! 

It’s awesome, cause you don’t have to hem the bottom, nobody likes hemming right!? and you get to play with your fabric, which is almost as fun as playing with your food as a kid ;). I guess our fabric is kind of like our food as a sewist if you come to think of it. Anyways, I’m wandering off. (This happens a lot to me) Another great thing is that you don’t need anything more than a pair of scissors or a rotary cutter if you are braver then me. Also make sure your fabric curls, if it won’t curl, you won’t be able to make the fringes. 

How to do it!

I cut this one at dress length and marked the sideseams where the tunic line hits. This mark will be the end of your fringe, so you can move that up or down as you like. Construct the dress as you would otherwise but stop sewing your side seam where the mark is. That’ll be the end of your side seam. 

I used a scrap for the tutorial pics, cause I’m a bit daft and I forgot to take them while actually making the dress. Round of applause!!!! :p

I then marked my scissors (using magnets) with the length of the fringe, so I didn’t have to mark the entire dress. Then cut strips the width you want it to be, I cut the strips about 1 inch wide. Do this around the entire dress. The hem is a bit curved, so keep that in mind while cutting, don’t be too worried about your cutting, once it turns into fringe you will not notice any too long or too short or too wide, etc. cuts.

Once that’s done, the fun starts, you now want to turn those strips into
a fringe, just grab hold of the bottom and the top, pull it a bit and it should curl up. It takes a bit of practice. You’ll get the hang off it after a few.  I did a short video on how I do one. You can find that here: Awesome Fringe Video.
Put on your favorite tv show, grab a cup of tea (or heck a glass of wine, I won’t judge) and get them all done, this will take a while! But hey, easier than hemming still…maybe. 😀 Once you’ve done this, you are done! Make sure to show off your hacked dress in our facebook group! 🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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