Raise your hand if you're a Halloween fan who always leaves things to the very last minute!🙋‍♀️🎃 We get it, sometimes life gets in the way, and before you know it, the spookiest night of the year is upon you. But fear not! Our awesome content creators have come to the rescue with a trick-or-treat bag full of quick and easy sewing projects to help you jump on the spooky bandwagon just in time.

At Flamingo Fabrics, we're thrilled to showcase some incredible Halloween sewing projects created by our talented content creators. They've used our Halloween-themed fabrics - Nightmare Pups, Monsters, and Scary Dinos - to craft awesome leggings, rompers, bunting, jumpers, and fabric pumpkins that are quick, easy, and perfect for adding a dose of frightful fun to your festivities.

Last Minute Halloween Sewing Projects!

1. Monster Leggings

Give your legs a spooktacular makeover with The Sew News - Loveland Leggings pattern. Our awesome content creator @Sewing_Cinderella whipped up these easy-to-make leggings that are perfect for both kids and adults. You'll be comfortable and stylish as you trick-or-treat or lounge at home waiting for the ghouls to arrive! @Sewing_Cinderella used the Loveland Leggings Sewing Pattern which you can find here

2. Frightening Fabric Bunting

Deck out your home in eerie style with fabric bunting made from our Scary Dinos Purple Halloween design. Hang them indoors or outdoors to create a spooky atmosphere that'll impress your guests. Our content creator @SewingSprinkles got creative with our Scary Dinos Purple design and made some spooky bunting using our Woven Cotton fabric. All you need it some fabric from your stash and binding!

3. Jump into Halloween

Get into the Halloween spirit with a themed jumper that's both cosy and spooky. Our amazing content creator Deborah from @Tales_of_a_seamstress made this adorable jumper using our Scary Dinos Purple design printed on Single Jersey fabric. You can create jumpers for the whole family using our fabrics! Whether you're dressing up as a cute monster or a ferocious dino, these jumpers will add an extra layer of fun to your Halloween celebrations.

“Amazing Scary Dino Jersey fabric made into a long sleeve t-shirt for my little grandson , he is going to love it. I have used black ribbing at the neck, cuffs and welt as I think it makes the dinosaurs shine.” Deborah from @Tales_of_a_seamstress

4. Boo-tiful Fabric Pumpkins

No Halloween decoration is complete without pumpkins, and our fabric pumpkins are the perfect twist on a classic favorite. Our content creator Christine from Gemini Stitches used our Nightmare Pups White and Navy Woven Cotton fabric to make these adorable and long-lasting decorations. You can also use fabric from your own stash to create something unique. They're great for sprucing up your home or as gifts for friends and family.

“Say boo to the FUNKY PUMPKINS. These cute fabric pumpkins have been made using fat quarters of the Halloween dogs print crisp cotton fabric from Flamingo Fabrics. With 12 sections the skies the limit with your designs. I made two with contrasting stripes and the third with an additional blender fabric from my stash.
Finished off with a cute contrasting stalk and felt leaf which can be embroidered with leaf veins or personalised.  I got the pattern from Etsy which you can find here“. – Christine from Gemini Stitches

You can find Gemini Stitches on Youtube here

5. Maggie Moos Meter Challenge

Discover a world of spooktacular creativity as Sarah from Maggie Moos brings to life a Halloween sewing wonderland with Flamingo Fabrics' enchanting Nightmare Pups design. In her meter challenge, she crafts everything from rompers to leggings, scrap pants, bibs, and face wipes, all infused with the charm of quality British-made cotton jersey. Sarah's journey showcases the magic of crafting with Flamingo Fabrics' top-notch materials, leaving her hands unburdened by chemical residue and eager for more sewing adventures.

“I adore Flamingo Fabrics' Halloween Nightmare Pups design featuring cute dogs dressed up against an off-white backdrop with vibrant swirls. It's not only fun and gender-neutral but also versatile, easily matching with plain colors. The fabric's top-notch British quality made it the best Single Jersey I've ever used.

Better Late Than Never!

With Flamingo Fabrics, your Halloween celebrations are bound to be a hauntingly good time. So, gather your supplies, fire up your sewing machine, and let your creativity run wild this Halloween season. Share your finished projects with us on social media, and we can't wait to see your spooktacular creations!

Happy Halloween sewing, everyone!

Have you sewn up your own version of the FREE Basic T-shirt pattern for kids yet? A free pattern is awesome enough in itself (especially one with a beautiful neck seam cover detail!), but how could we up this awesomeness even more?

How about some very easy hacks to make it not so basic? Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a basic T-shirt; in fact, it is the perfect canvas to show off your prints. But if you are in the mood to jazz it up a little, this post is for you 😉

 

Easy Hack #1 - Flutter Sleeves

Before I had Freya, I was not really into ruffles. But what do you know? Freya came along with her chubby little arm rolls, and suddenly ruffles and flutter sleeves became irresistible to me. 

Last summer, I made her a self-drafted flutter sleeve romper (mimicking a ready-to-wear summer romper that she looked adorable in), using this lovely single jersey (anyone remember this, by the way?). Summer rolled along again, and of course Freya outgrew that romper. Thankfully I had enough remnant to make a little flutter sleeve T-shirt.

 

 

It’s so easy to create your own! Before I get into the hack, I want to caveat by saying that there are a few different ways of adding flutter sleeves, and what I'm showing you here is my preferred method. In terms of design, these sleeve pieces go all the way round the armscycle, so that you don’t have to worry about finishing the remaining edge, nor hemming the sleeve! The fabric will also be double-sided, so that you won't have to worry about the plain reverse side flipping up on a windy day. Sound ok? Let's begin.  

Instead of the sleeve pattern piece, you would need to draft your own flutter sleeves pattern like the one below. Don't worry, I'll take you through it. 

 

You'll need the following measurements:

 

• Armcycle (A) - measure around the pattern pieces and deduct the seam allowances - I made a size 2T with 3T width, and A for me is approx 30cm
• The desired depth of the flutter sleeve at the top shoulder seam (T) - I wanted mine to be 3.5cm deep
• The desired depth of the flutter sleeve at the bottom (armpit) - (B) - I wanted this to be 1cm. 

 

Use these measurements to draw the following pattern (the picture is not to sale, and just for demonstration purposes only): 

 

 

For the length of the straight edge, you'll see that I used a factor of 1.6. You could use any factor between 1.5 and 2, depending on how tight you want the gathers (eg. if you want the ruffles to be more profound, go for a factor of 2).   

Cut two of these on the fold. 

Sew up the shoulder seams on the top as per the instructions. You’ll see here that I’ve also sewn the neckband already – I was on auto pilot and did my normal shoulder – neck band – sleeve – side seam thing. Don't mind me - it makes no difference to the construction of our flutter sleeves.

 Fold the pieces width wise, with wrong side together. 

Sew 2 parallel long basting stitches along the curvy edge within the 1cm seam allowance, without backstitching. Here’s a cheeky tip for you – you know when you often end up with just a tiny bit of thread left on your bobbin after a sewing project? This is the time to use them up! You’ll have to eyeball and make a judgement on whether there is enough left on the bobbin, because you don’t want to be running out half way through. Thankfully, I’ve got pretty good at this over the years, and I’m pleased to report that I was rewarded with 4 new “newly available” bobbins and some colourful basting stitches.

I digress. Gather up the curved side by pulling the (colourful) bobbin threads until the gathers look even and that the length matches the armcycle. Pin or clip the gathered side to the right side of the top, ensuring that the ends match up nicely.

Sew with the 1cm seam allowance. Carefully remove basting stitches so the seams stretch properly again. 

Did I mention that the sleeves won't need hemming?  

The flipside of the no hemming is that you'll have to be extra careful in the next step, aligning the bottom of the sleeves properly (as any unevenness can't be hidden in the hem). Pin or clip the bodice sides together (with right sides together), from the sleeves through to the hem. 

I like to baste the top few centimetres, where the bottom of the sleeves join up, with my sewing machine here. This gives me better control, before running my overlocker down the entire seam. 

Here's proof that it is worth the additional step!

Now, follow the rest of the steps in the instructions and finish your neckline and hem. 

Wasn’t that easy?

Ready for another hack?

 

Easy Hack #2 -  gathered peplum

It’s so easy to hack a T-shirt pattern into a peplum top! Let's jump straight in. 

First, alter the front and back bodice pattern pieces of the T-shirt, by chopping off some length at the bottom. I used a couple of Freya’s ready-to-wear peplum tops to gauge how much to chop off. Essentially you'll want to chop somewhere below the waistline, and allow 1cm for the seam allowance, too. It doesn't have to be overly scientific. For reference, I removed 11.5cm from the 2T length for this top, and she is 22 months’ old. 

Next, draw a rectangle piece for the peplum. This will be used to cut the identical front and back peplum pieces. 

• For the height/width, I wanted my finished peplum to be 10cm tall, so I added 1cm seam allowance at the top, and 2cm hem to get the width of my pattern piece (13cm).
  
• For the length, I measured the width of the bottom of the new bodice front and back pieces. They were both 16cm wide including a 1cm seam allowance, and to be cut on the fold, which means that I'm working with a width of roughly 60cm. Now multiple this measurement by 1.25, and you have the length of your long rectangle. 

If you are following my reference, my rectangle was a long strip measuring 75cm long (horizontal) and 13cm tall (vertical).  

If maths aren't your thing, I have a cheeky short-cut for you. You know the strip that you chopped off the bottom of the bodice front and back pieces? Take one of those, add 1cm at the top, and "stretch" this to be 2.5 times long horizontally. Now you have your pattern piece!

Cut 2 of these, one front and one back piece. For me, I wanted to cut the fabric in the most efficient way, (as I am planning on making some leggings for me from what's left) so I ended up cutting 2 back pieces with a centre back seam.

Another little tip for you - if you are using a stripy fabric, have you thought about rotating the fabric 90 degrees to have mismatched strips? 

Right, let's sew! First, follow the instructions (as if you have cut the full T-shirt pieces) all the way until just before the hemming step. 

Join the peplum front and back strips with right sides together, making a long loop. 

Mine looks a bit different as I cut 2 back pieces. 

Gather up the top edge with 2 long, parallel basting stitches within the seam allowance (see more blurb on gathering in Hack #1 above). Do not backstitch or overlap your start and end stitches, but you also want to minimise the gap between when you end and where you started. 

Pull the bobbin threads evenly to gather. Pin or clip this to the bottom of the T-shirt, with right sides together, matching up the side seams.  

Sew this up with the 1cm seam allowance. Remove basting stitches. 

Then hem as per the instructions, and you are all done!

But I won't stop here. How about a few extra bonus ideas? 

Bonus idea #1

Why stop at the peplum? Add more height to your rectangle from Hack #2, and you'll have a little dress on your hands!

Bonus idea #2

How about a little patch pocket? A contrast pocket (plain for print, or vice versa) could add a lovely design element, and you won't even need to worry about pattern matching. The simplest one to draft is just a little rectangle, but you could fold the bottom corners for an extra fancy touch. There are lots of tutorials out there for pockets, and I can't top those. 

Bonus idea #3

How about not even adding the ruffles, and making a crop top for the hotter months?

Bonus idea #4 

Last but definitely not least, how about an origami boat? I don't know about you, but I can't wait to try this!  

That's it from me today. I hope this post has helped getting your creative juices flowing, and shown you what a gift this FREE pattern is! 

Until next time, 

Alice (and Freya) from Queen of Darts

 

Who doesn't like Peter Rabbit?

My 19-month old toddler Freya is certainly a big fan! I am biased, but she is at such a cute age at the moment - starting to really show and voice her preferences, and lucky for Mummy, Freya really loves her new Peter Rabbit dress. 

It's pretty long right now (with the end of the sleeves folded in), but I just can't bear the thought of her outgrowing this one too quickly!

After a careful "audit" of Freya's wardrobe, I noticed that she is in need of a long-sleeve, wear anywhere and anytime sort of dress. I pictured it with a loosely fitted bodice, and a lightly gathered skirt, which can be layered up with a cardigan and tights when the weather gets a bit chilly (oh yes, I am serious about her wearing this one for as long as possible). 

 

Poppy & Jazz Pansy dress was just the pattern, and it fulfilled my vision perfectly. I bought this when it was in baby sizing 0-24m, but its recent expansion of sizing to up to 6-year old was a very welcome move indeed. I can see many more versions of this in the years to come. 

I made size 18-24m (knowing that the sizing works pretty well for Freya), and cut the skirt a little shorter (based on the 18m line). 

The instructions were nice and clear, and straightforward enough for beginners. Part of me wanted to compare it to the instructions of a similar adult dress, like the Colette Moneta (my version here), but that would probably be unfair, and what the Pansy offers is more than fit for purpose. Top tip - if you do want to (and have the time to) pick up some excellent tips for sewing with knits, check out the Moneta sew-along -- you are welcome. 

 

But as a busy mum, I didn't indulge my perfectionism and take my time over each step, and man did it backfire! Whilst I have had success in the past of gathering knit with clear elastic (no basting and unpicking, hooray!), my impatience got better of me this time. What awaited were me so hideously uneven gathers. Ignoring it and moving onto the next step did not help my sanity as much as I hoped, and I ended up chopping off the entire waistline seam, and starting over. I'm sharing this because 1) we often don't share enough about the imperfections behind all the beautiful photos and 2) to remind myself that sewing when you feel rushed will not provide great results, and that sewing is a hobby that I enjoy, not a task to complete. 

Enough philosophy speak, don't you think? Let's look at those lovely gathers (picture above) that I took my time with in the end. 

 

The fabric is absolutely gorgeous. There is no hiding from the fact that I have a bit (okay, a lot) of a fabric obsession, but this was one of the prints that grabbed my attention from the get go. The colours, the design and the scale are all perfect, and this fabric would also make amazing t-shirts and leggings. You can also team it with all sorts of cuffings/ribbings, which makes it super versatile. 

Currently this particular jersey is on pre-order here, and you can also grab two other desigs here and here. It's just too good to miss! Any other cotton jersey would work very well for this little dress, too - just pick your design! 

So there you have it, a pretty little dress that is good all-year round. It is a classic design, easy to make, and comfortable to wear. What's not to like?

Until next time, take care and happy sewing! 

Alice from Queen of Darts

 

 

Have you heard of the new craze in sewing world? It’s called projectors for sewing, or projector cutting! and it's taking the Sewing Community by storm. 

 

 

Imagine never again having to print, cut and tape your PDF sewing patterns… Imagine pattern outlines just appearing on your fabrics… like… magic! This wizardry is called projecting and it’s within a reach of any sewist.

When I first heard of it I couldn't contain my excitement. So much of the time consuming pattern preparation can be skipped!

I’ve done some research and came across the Facebook group called Projectors for sewing. The group is full of resources, tips, tricks and practical advice on how to set up various projectors. I highly recommend to join the group. I could not do it without their support!

It can be a little tricky to set up for the first time, it doesn't cost the earth though and once you have it set up, it's done forever and you'll never look back... I promise!

What you need:

1. Projector
2. Wall/Celling Fixture
3. Connection to your device – HDMI cable or Chromecast, Wi-Fi if using Chromecast
4. Spirit Level
5. Cutting mat with guides (optional but very helpful)
6. Calibration Grid file download here
7. PDF pattern in A0 (copy shop) format

 

PROJECTOR

I’m using the Apeman LC350 but there are many other makes and models that work great. They can vary in prices significantly but the very basic one is all you need. The Apeman cost me £69.99 but some of the short throw projectors can cost much more.

Before you buy there are a few things to consider

• Short throw – measure the distance from wall/celling to your cutting table, floor or other surface where you want to project your patterns and check your chosen model to see what size of picture you can achieve
• Lumens – how bright the projected picture will be and think of how bright/ambient your room is. If your working space has lot of light you'll need a brighter picture (more lumens) and for darker rooms less lumens is fine. The projector I’m using has 4500 lumens.
• Resolution – it’s the max size the projector can display. It’s most often described in (P) pixels. The Apeman I’m using supports 1080P resolution – which is the same as my laptop screen resolution.
• Keystone – does the projector let you adjust the keystone? Keystone is the correction adjustment you can make to offset a screen that is not rectangular due to the angle of the projection.
• Connectivity – how are you going to connect your projector to the device you have your patterns on? Most projectors have HDMI port but some come with Wi-Fi connectivity.

• Wall/celling Mount – before you decide which one to buy there are a few things to consider.
  • Where the projector will be mounted – on the wall, celling, photography stand?
  • Is it adjustable? Will it let you mount the projector with lens facing down? Can it be adjusted easily to level the projector?
  • How to attach the projector to mount - will the chosen mount fit the mounting holes on the projector?
  • What’s the maximum weight the mount will hold? Check the weight of your chosen projector to see if the mount is suitable.
• Connection to the device you are going to use to project the patterns like laptop, desktop computer or tablet. Here are some options to consider
  • HDMI cable – most projectors will come with a HDMI cable that you can use to connect the projector to a laptop or desktop computer. You may not be able to connect the HDMI cable to your mobile phone or tablet. Most of the projectors come with the HDMI cables but they are usually very short so if you want to use the cable, chances are you will need an extra, extra-long one.
  • Chromecast cost about £20 – this is a device that turns other devices (like projector) into a wireless one. It connects to the projector via HDMI port but it also needs to be plugged in to the mains so something to consider when assessing where your projector will be placed.
  • Some projectors, usually the more expensive ones, will have built in wi-fi connectivity which means no cables or Chromecast is needed.

The set up and calibration process is not easy but only needed to be done once. There are many variables so a trial and error with a lot of patience and persistence is required.

Let’s get started!

Physical set up

• Fix the projector to the wall/celling making sure the cables are secured and won’t pull the projector after set up.
• Make sure the projector is levelled at all angles. That’s a good starting point for further steps but be prepared to adjust and readjust if needed.

• Make sure the surface you’re projecting onto is also levelled.
• Set the focus – make sure the image is as sharp as can be.

• Make sure the projected image is straight on the surface. One of the ways to do this is to check if all 4 corners of the projected image are 90°.

• Keystone - If the corners are not squared, adjust the keystone dial. Do it only if you are confident that the projector and surface are levelled.

 

Projector Set Up

• First choose the HDMI as your picture source

• Check the Aspect Ratio. The Apeman projector I’m using have to be set to Panorama.

• Other projectors may have different ratio that works best. If you’re not sure what’s best experiment with different setting during the calibration process.

 

Connect the projector

• Connect the projector to your device. I found it easiest to work with a laptop and to avoid all the messy cables I connected using Chromecast.

• Connecting Chromecast and casting your screen:

You need to setup the Chromecast via Google Home app. All it needs is to connect to your wi-fi network. The laptop/computer needs to be in the same network.

• Open Google Chrome browser and in the top right corner click on the 3 dots opening a menu. Click on Cast. You should be able to see your Chromecast device. Before you click on the device choose cast desktop. The window will pop up. Click on the picture of your desktops and then click Share. You should have image of your entire screen projected on your table.

Calibration

• Download the calibration file – this is the PDF file with a simple grid that helps you to check if the projected image has correct measurements. The lines are 1cm apart. You can download the file here. It’s also available in the Projectors For Sewing group in imperial and metric format.

• Open your calibration file. The following instructions are for Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can use other PDF readers but the steps may be different.

• Align your cutting mat with the displayed grid – the aim is to get all the lines of the displayed grid aligned to the lines of the cutting mat and that’s the most difficult part of the set up.

• Concentrate on the middle of the grid first.
• Align red vertical and horizontal lines with one of the middle lines on your mat.
• Check if the next projected line is 1cm from the red line.
• If the line is more than 1cm it means the projected image is to big. If the lines are less than 1cm apart it means the projected image is too small.

• Adjust the zoom of your PDF file. If the projected image is too big - decrease the zoom and if the image is to small increase the zoom.

• The zoom needs to be set very precisely and often to a tenth of a percent. My zoom is set to 32.8% and that’s the only setting where the lines are exactly 1cm apart. Once you find your zoom setting make a note as every time you project you need to use exactly the same percentage of zoom. (presuming the projector hasn't been moved)
• Once the lines in the middle are aligned have a look at the other lines. Are they aligned with the lines of the cutting mat? If the answer is yes – you are all set! If not – don’t panic and carry on adjusting!

• If the lines are not aligned there are a few things to check over and adjust if needed. This can take a bit of experimenting to find just the right set up. Remember when adjusting the following variables – adjust one at a time and recheck the grid.
• Recheck if the projector and surface is levelled
• Recheck if the corners of projected image are 90°
• Adjust the focus
• Check if the computer screen resolution is the same as the resolution of your projector. If different then change the screen resolution or settings on you projector
• Try other Aspect Ratio settings of your projector.
• It took me few tries and each time I started from scratch and went over each step again.

This is no way an extensive guide to calibration and with so many different projectors, computers and set-ups it’s difficult to explore them all. If you still have problems with getting your projected image right head over to Projector for sewing Facebook Group and you will find more detailed information there.

When you have your projector all set up and celebratory dance done it’s time to give a real pattern a try!

Before you start there are few things to know:

• You need to have a pattern in PDF A0 format, sometimes called a photo shop format. Most pattern designers offer it along the A4 sizes.
• Some PDF patterns have layers that can be switched on/off. It make it easier to be able to display only one size instead of all. Not all pattern designers offer this option. Some designers are now offering projector files with thicker lines and size layering. It’s good to check before buying if you want to project the pattern.

All of our own PDF patterns have layers and are suitable to use with projectors.

Being able to switch the layers of and on is also very helpful when you need to blend between sizes.

Here is what to look for: 

• To be able to see the pattern more clearly I prefer to revert the colours of the PDF. Here is how to do it in Acrobat Reader:
  
  

Time to cut the fabric!

Having the pattern projected instead of pinned takes a bit of adjusting. First thing is to make sure that the fabric doesn’t move once correctly placed.

As you are not able to move the fabrics you will need to have enough space around it to be able to move to cut from different angles.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my adventure with projectors. If you give it a go don’t forget to share your experience!