Thank you for dropping by my Raising Jane Journal to participate in my giveaways! We’ve chosen a winner for this giveaway already (click here for details), but don’t be afraid to leave a comment anyway. I love reading them. And stay tuned for more great MaryJanesFarm giveaways.
In the Dec/Jan issue of MaryJanesFarm, on newsstands Nov. 7, you’ll find a feature about a great website and online magazine called Seamwork (Seamwork.com). Seamwork is all about designing and creating your own wardrobe, piece by piece, with approachable patterns that match both your style and your schedule.
A monthly membership to Seamwork offers patterns, hacks, ideas, and inspiration to help you craft the clothes you want to wear. For a chance to win a FREE one-month, premium Seamwork membership, tell me about one of your favorite sewing projects in the comments below (I recently taught my grandgirls how to use an electric sewing machine and they made doll blankets–I loved every minute of it). I’ll toss your name into a hat and draw a lucky winner sometime mid-December.
Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways. If you’re not yet a subscriber to my magazine, MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for $19.95/year.
I just finished a fun project making vintage curtains for my little Rpod RV. My puppy ate all the venetian blinds. The new curtains added fun touches to the Rpod.
I love making handbags and wallets! I’ve managed to be pretty successful at creating them without a pattern.
I love my oversized rag quilt with flamingos on it. It was only the second quilt I had made. I mostly make easy home decor. I’m not good at making clothes but wish I could.
Oh I remember making so many great pieces, but the one that stands out the most is my little pink flowered mini dress, and I had enough left-over material to make my boy friend ( now husband of 47 years) a matching tie! And we wore them all thought high school!
We were sooo cool!
One of my favorite sewing projects was making backpacks for my daughter using fabrics she chose.
I am the girl who got a “D” in Home-economics because I didn’t want to follow the teacher’s directions. Since then I have been a Long Arm quilter for over 25 yrs and still doing my own thing with free motion using a hand guided machine and loving it. Maybe it is time to learn some new methods.
I started making my clothes when I was in High School because we were poor and this was one way to have something new. I learned how to make my own patters and tricks of the trade. At holidays I would make my daughter & I matching dresses. Now having 13 grandchildren I have lots to look forward to in the sewing world. I’m always learning and loving it. My goal for 2018 is to make Pillow Case Dresses to donate to Samaritans Purse for the precious little girls who deserve it.
I recently made dresses for my granddaughters. One loves dresses and ruffles. The other is one and a half and clearly is a rough and tumble girl. She wants infused clothes. I had a lot of fun making something each would love.
I taught my grandson how to hand sew (and stuff) a small pillow for himself. Now the rest of my grandchildren want to make a pillow!
Well, to be honest, I don’t have one…… Yet. I just ordered my first sewing machine and I eagerly look forward to getting started. I remember as a lad watching my grandmother sew away, deep in concentration. She made everything from clothing to comforters. I hope, with some education and a little talent, I will be able to carry on that legacy.
Thanks!
Though I took home ect, I didn’t do so well with clothes and have wanted to make my own and learn to make my own patterns. Latest sewing project was a garden tool belt. So far best project in awhile.
My favorite sewing project was also the simplest. I was newly married and living in a small apartment complex. An eight year old girl would make the rounds saying hello to residents. As she visited me, I would be sewing. We talked. Her naked Barbie needed some clothes. we cut out a simple top and skirt and I helped her sew the little seams. It was a joy for us both, and then she was gone. I never saw her again. I don’t remember her name. But I recall with emotion our little project together for those brief moments and I hope she remembers me fondly from time to time, as well.
One of my favorites, (I have many!) is a navy polka-dot dress I made for myself last year. I copied a dress by Laura Ashley that is unavailable in the US. My grandmother told me the pleats across the back were perfect. It was a combination of two or more patterns.
I sew blankets for newborns at our hospital. I roughly make around 200-250 per year. Really enjoy that project.
I made quilts for my sons every Christmas while they were growing up. The year Harry Potter came on the scene, I made them each a quilt with the “house” colors of their choosing. I miss those days. They still have the quilts.
Years ago I sewed a dust ruffle, pillow cases, and curtains in a French blue and white print. The look on my friends face was pure joy. She said she never could afford to make their bedroom looks so beautiful. Then our other ya ya sister who was also on limited funds became the recipient of curtains and valance foe her kitchen and living room. It made me feel so good to have helped two very dear friends feather their nests.
I love to sew. I grew up with the old and new sewing machines in my life from treadle to the newest of the machines so yes I hope to love this new magazine
When my sisters and I were young our dad told us he would buy all the fabric we needed if we made our own clothes…there are 5 of us! So we all sewed all of our clothes…I have lots of favorites…a quilt for my daughter, clothes she liked, a quilt for her daughter, an entire wedding party…bride, bridesmaids and flower girl. But the most joy I saw was on my granddaughter’s face when she opened her 3rd birthday gift that was a tulle tutu. She continues to ask for more dress up clothes and that warms my heart!
I have been learning to sew for the last year. For Christmas I made two sets of table runners with matching napkins. One set for my daughter and one for my 90 year young friend. They both loved them! Every time I visit they have them on their table. I continue on with my sewing adventures a little bit every day.
I have made Easter dresses and Halloween costumes for my 15-year old granddaughter since she was a baby. They were all special, but I made her a “Dorothy” Wizard of Oz dress about three years ago and bought her glittery ruby red slippers. She wore it for Halloween and then the next spring my daughter, granddaughter and I went to a local production of The Wizard of Oz. Her hair was braided just like Dorothy’s and everybody in the theater did a double take when they saw her! She was even interviewed for the local news and all the little girls just had to talk to her because they thought she was the real Dorothy!💕
My favorite and most difficult sewing project was a fireman’s costume for my grandson for Halloween this year. It was actually two patterns merged together. Going from one pattern to the other over and over again caused me to have to rip seams more times than I care to mention. Even so, I learned so much from the experience and it turned out great. My grandson loved it and even got to ride in a real fire truck that night.
I think one of my favorite sewing times was when I was first married and many of us were making all of our own maternity clothes and sharing them when we weren’t pregnant. If you were the only one pregnant, you could put together quite a wardrobe. That rarely happened. This was the 60’s.
My favourite sewing projects are making dresses for my daughter.
My first attempt at sewing. Doll clothes was something that got me in alot of trouble….I used my fathers handkerchiefs.(already hemmed,don’t you know!!!)
Mali,g shirts for the men in the family for Christmas.
I would love to win a month of new ideas on sewing. I make quilts, cloth dolls and other things. I am suffering from depression from chronic pain and need a boost to get back my passion.
Looks like a perfect magazine to share with tween girls who are asking to sew! My first project as a young girl I “took into my own hands” was a knit t shirt that I made with scraps from my moms pile. Not the most coveted print but I got a shirt made out of it and learned tons. Making mistakes and fixing them myself!
About 45 years ago, my great grandma taught me how to sew on her antique treadle sewing machine. I would design and sew my own doll clothes and small clothing items . Then family members would have me mend their clothes and gave me discarded clothes for the fabric!! No matter where I lived, sewing , art & crafting have been my hobby . This Christmas I am sewing fabric game mats for our 6 grand children.
When my granddaughter was about 9 she expressed arm interest in swing so we got her a machine for Christmas. I also picked up fabric in her favorite color (purple) with her beloved butterflies on it. Her window in her room was bare at the time,so I ironed the headers,rod pockets,side and bottom hems for her and showed her where to stitch. She sewed straight as an arrow and in no time we had her new curtains up. I left her with a bag of scraps and some stuffing and she made pillows for her brothers. She had a good time and I hope she keeps learning more and more about it.
I taught my Grand Daughter how to sew she made a pillow for her room.
I have been sewing for some fifty years- Used to make clothes for myself, my girls and grand daughters. Now making all sorts of quilted items — love it.
I love to sew, but I think my favorite projects are the ones I sew with my daughter. I am happiest when I see her love of sewing grow.
Does your family have a plethora of t-shirts around?Mine did. A punk rock enthusiast, my son had shirts he would not part with. A well timed class on t-shirt quilts led to what has turned out to be my favorite sewing kit project so far, a full size t-shirt quilt and body pillow cover. My success led to a sewing machine upgrade and more exciting projects to come!
I have sewn for myself but lovedsewing for my two daughters when they were small. Now I mend things andhem pants for the older one. They are now 50 and 48. Soon to be that age! Now I sew for their children! Love making things for my grands! Taught sewing for 20 years to 4-H girls, mine included! Hope someday all of that comes back to my girls!
Thank you!
I have been sewing for 47 years, I sew for a living and have done so many projects that I loved. My favorite has to be the costumes I made for my grandsons this past Halloween. My 16 year old grandson is 6’3″ tall and thin as a rail, I made his Jack Skellington costume. He was so darn cute, he loved it and wore the costume all afternoon and evening, made me so proud that he loved it, and so many compliments from others really made me smile. My other grandson who is 13 was Ooogie Boogie. My daughter has everyone dress up, we hand out candy and then have chili and desert that evening for supper.
See above!
I started sewing when I was in the third grade, I am now retired. I think my favorite project is a quilt top that I started at a retreat a number of years ago. It is red, white and blue and it is a wonky log cabin. With the help of the ladies that I quilt with at church we finished it last week and we will be presenting it to a young man, who is in the service, when he is baptized into our church at the Christmas Eve morning service.
One of my favorite projects has been making wool soakers for my grand baby from repurposed & felted wool sweaters.
My favorite sewing memory is sewing on my treddle machine making gifts for family members and then teaching my children how to use the machine too.
I enjoy making aprons for friends and family – and myself! One of my favorites I did was for one of my sisters. She asked me to make her one. As she loves to bake, and is a huge fan of Snoopy, I made her a white chef’s apron with a dancing Snoopy on the front. A project I want to begin is to make tea cozies. But I’m also very interested in your Seamwork because I very much need new clothes – and I do not like to shop, but I do like to sew.
My favorite sewing projects were sewing doll clothes and clothes for my girls.
I was volunteering as an usher at the local community theater and asked if they needed help in the dressing room they asked if I could sew. I became their main costumer for the next 10 years for musicals. I never was involved with any theater before that. I loved it and learned a lot about period wardrobes.
I learned to sew as a Brownie in Girl Scouts making a little felt turtle pin. For my sewing badge I learned how to make shorts inserting my first zipper. That took a few tries, but I felt so triumphant!..Now I am a mentor for the sewing club at the high school I work at. It is so (sew) sad we don’t teach home ec any more.
I have recently taken up sewing again after a long hiatus from high school. My first project was a kitten blanket made of fleece. It was brightly colored and seemed to attract the kittens. I then tried one with some batting inside. My next project will be a pillow case . I am advancing slowly, but would like to work towards clothing soon.
I would have to have a tie between my two favorite things I’ve ever made. One would be the hundreds of Halloween costumes I’ve made for my six children over the years. Now they are grown I just recently made a rag quilt with my six-year-old granddaughter and she will not sleep with anything else. Being handmade is so important. Thank you for the giving way now it’s time for me to get back to my handmade Christmas stockings.
My favorite sewing project happens to be the many pairs of pj pants I make each year for my family for Christmas. It has become a tradition!
I made a dress on my Christmas vacation to wear something new when I went back to school.
My favorite projects are to make pillows to dress up a room or to change with the seasons. I also love to make outfits for my grandgirls, though they are getting big enough to sew for themselves. And my all-time favorite is to make aprons! I can’t fit all the ones I’ve made into my kitchen drawer now!
My favorite latest project is making cloth napkins for the holidays. It adds a layer of softness and gentleness to Meals as well As a reminder of slower times and meals.
Sewing is my addiction . . . From quilts to sock monkeys and clothes for my grandchildren, I just love to sew. I am always searching for new creative ideas to challenge myself. I have the best companion, a 35 year old Bernina machine. Look for to seeing the release of the magazine.