Here’s A Quick Easy Project

Here’s a quick, easy project that’s also fun and great for stash busting. I’ve wanted to make a hat for a couple of years now, but I never bothered to take the time to do it. Once I made the first one, I couldn’t wait to make another.

McCall’s 8212

When you see this pattern, you’ll notice that it’s a dress pattern. You may not realize that the hat the model is wearing on the pattern envelope is also included.

McCall's 8212 pattern envelope

While I haven’t made any of the dresses, I did use this for the first hat. I refer to this one as my floppy hat because it has a very wide brim. There’s interfacing in the brim, but I don’t recall there being any particular type mentioned in the instructions. So, I used fusible, regular weight interfacing that I would use on a garment. That works fine, but if you want more structure, I would recommend using a heavier weight or craft interfacing.

Picture showing hat brim

My fabric choice was also part of the fun. I had bought this “Girl Power” fabric at JoAnn Fabrics a couple of years ago during Women’s History Month. It’s bright and colorful, so it’s right up my alley. Sewing a hat is a great way to use up some fabric that you may have leftover from a previous project.

The crown of the hat is lined, so for that I just used another leftover piece of broadcloth. There is supposed to be binding inside the crown (between the crown and brim). I believe the point of this is to prevent the crown from stretching. I used fold over elastic in mine, simply because I like the way it looks.

Inside the hat

And the finished product…

Woman wearing wide brimmed, colorful hat

Simplicity 9368

The hat that I have wanted to make for a while now is the bucket hat. These are still very popular and can range in price from $50-$250.

Simplicity 9368 pattern envelope

I made View B which is shown on the envelope made in what looks like wool. There was another fun fabric I had for this one too.

Bucket hat

This one is made with fabric I purchased for Black History Month. The great thing about this patten is that it is reversible. And, it was a bit of a surprise because the pattern doesn’t say that.

Reverse side of bucket hat

For the inside (or reverse side – lining) I used more of the “Girl Power” fabric from the previous hat. Each one of these projects came together in an afternoon. The bucket hat in particular was the fastest to make. There are fewer pieces. The only measurement needed for either is the head circumference.

Woman wearing bucket hat
Woman wearing bucket hat

Basically, that’s it! Two quick and easy projects that can help with your stash-busting too.

If you’d like to see the YouTube video I made about these projects, you can check that out here… And please consider subscribing to my channel!

Style Arc Olivia Dress

If you ever want a super simple, quick and easy summer dress pattern, the Style Arc Olivia dress may be the perfect one for you.

woman wearing Style Arc Olivia dress

The Pattern

This is a pattern I actually got for free when I purchased other Style Arc patterns. If you aren’t familiar, Style Arc usually has a couple of choices for a specific free/bonus pattern of the month. You chose one when you’ve purchased a pattern (or patterns) from them.

Style Arc Olivia dress pattern photo

As you can see from the picture above, the Olivia dress is rated Easy. Be sure to check their size chart at Style Arc if you are interested in purchasing their patterns. The sizing may be a bit different from what you are used to. Olivia is designed for woven fabrics and includes a belt pattern.

My Dress

For the dress I made, I used some fabric I purchased locally at G Street Fabrics. It’s part of the Robert Kaufman “Florence” collection and can be found here. This is basically a quilting cotton with a really pretty print. A print like this is the perfect thing to pair with a simply designed pattern. The “star” of the outfit becomes the print when there’s few details or design elements.

Back view of woman wearing Style Arc Olivia dress

This is a pattern that comes together quickly. The only change made to the pattern for this was to lengthen the bodice by about an inch. I find that often when I have dress patterns that include waistline elastic, it hits me in the rib cage which is uncomfortable for me. I might make one without this alteration just to see how it is.

One future change I will definitely make is to add pockets! Having a place to put your hands (or keys, or a tissue) is just really convenient. They are always missed when they aren’t there-I don’t know what to do with my hands.

Front view of Style Arc Olivia dress

The Style Arc Olivia dress features a scoop neck without any buttons or zippers. That’s another thing that makes this so quick and easy to make. You can just pull it over your head and that’s it!

If you’d like to see another easy spring/summer dress pattern, you can take a look at this post . This is a perfect time to start planning your wardrobe for the upcoming season. For me (and those of us in this hemisphere) that means summer.

If you’d like to check out the video review I did, here it is…

Twin Needle Stitching Tips

Not too long ago, I did a YouTube video on this process, but I also wanted to write a blog post. I want to give you readers some twin needle stitching tips. These are things I do myself that really help. Using a twin needle in your regular sewing machine can give a nice professional looking finish. I don’t have a coverstitch machine, so that is the reason I like this technique.

Twin Needles I Use

Schmetz twin needle 2.0/80
Schmetz twin needle 4.0/80

More often than not, I use the first twin needle pictured. I like the spacing of the needles and how the finish looks. I also get less tunneling (I’ll explain later).

When To Use Twin Needles

I use the twin needles for hemming knits and for stitching around necklines on knit tops. These tops were finished with a twin needle at the sleeve hems, bottom hem and around the neckline. It’s something I do for t-shirts especially. This is a way to get a nice looking finish on your knit projects.

Machine Settings

Some sewing machines will have special setting for using a twin needle. I have a Brother sewing machine that you must make sure to choose the twin needle, rather than single needle. If your sewing machine is like this (you can check your manual if you aren’t sure), be sure to make that change. You will also need to make sure that your stitch plate is not for a straight stitch only (it usually has only one narrow hole). Most regular needle plates have a wide opening that is good for straight, zigzag and twin needle stitching.

Stitching

Once everything is set, it’s time to sew! This is the fun part. You’ll need two spools of thread to thread the needles. If you don’t have two spools of the same color and you are trying to match your fabric, you can wind an extra bobbin. That bobbin can be your second spool. It’s important to note that all stitching is done from the right side of the fabric.

Twin needle examples

Here is an example I made using the two twin needles showing how the widths look compared to one another.

Twin needle width examples

For most of my sewing, I prefer the narrower needle. It’s just a personal preference but I think it looks good for most fabrics and projects. The tunneling I mentioned earlier is when a raised area (ridge) forms in between the two needles.

Trimming

After you’ve sewn your hem, there may be excess fabric on the wrong side. I usually fold up my hem and sew within that in order to make sure I’ve caught all the fabric (remember, stitching from the right side). I trim off the excess fabric using either duckbill scissors or curved scissors.

Duckbill scissore
Curved scissors

Here is a link to my YouTube video where I show the processI use for sewing and trimming when I use a twin needle.

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This is a process that will give you some really nice, professional looking results. It may take a bit of time and practice, but it’s an easy process.