Blog Posts

New Pattern Release: Say "Hello" to The Coffeehouse Pant!

1/5/2018

I’m very excited to start the new year with a new pattern! Say "Hello" to the Coffeehouse Pant! It’s an easy to wear and even easier to sew ankle length pant with front notch pockets and an elastic waist. It's available today and is on a NEW RELEASE SALE for 20% off here on the website and at Upcraft Club until January 14th!

Let me introduce you...

Designed for the beginner (a sewist with a couple of projects under the sewing belt but ready to make a first pair of pants) but also a great wardrobe builder for those looking for a "quick sew".
Versatile style that can be casual or dressed up with a jacket for work.
NEW EXTENDED SIZING: Sizes 4-18 (because you all wanted a broader size range!)
Friendly and fully illustrated instructions have stitching lines printed in RED.
US and Imperial measurements.
Copy Shop File for large format printing is included.
$10.00 USD (but on sale for $8.00 now through January 14th).

The Coffeehouse Pant sews up nicely in light to medium weight fabrics ideally with some drape. Linen, challis, crepe and chambray would all be good choices. Look at the darling pants Kyla from LifebyKy made out of a soft suiting.

Grab a copy at 20% off at Upcraft Club and on the BDP website through January 11th! Don't forget to tag all your makes #Coffeehousepant and #Bluedotpatterns. Enjoy!

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The Rosie Top - Style Arc

12/12/2017

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Usually I like to keep my "fabric hauls" to 2 or 3 pieces of fabric because I get overwhelmed and ultimately something gets added to the stash cabinet and doesn't see the light of day. Well, I'm proud to say this didn't happen with my last haul from The Fabric Store in LA. I sewed everything up! Here's a beloved top made from a delightful rosebud silk crepe de chine. I eyed it when I first walked in and although they only had 1 1/4 yards left (apparently others liked it too) I brought it home anyway.

StyleArc's Rosie Top was already on my sewing list and what are the chances it would not only fit on 1 1/4 yards of rosebud fabric but also be called "Rosie"? It was meant to be. It's a simple peplum top that skims the body and has a darling pleat in the back. It sewed up in under 2 hours and honestly the teeny tiny hem (I'm quite proud of it) was the longest step. I've worn it with jeans, black pants and a straight skirt. It's versatile and comfortable and a peplum style without looking too fussy.

I've stitched up everything in this stack but haven't photographed it all. Unfortunately the light pink Liberty fleece on the bottom never made it back from our trip to New York. I'm not sure if it was left in the hotel room by accident or someone decided they needed it more than I did. Either way, hopefully it found a good home.

An exciting note....there's a new pattern on the way! It'll be ready for your New Year sewing list. More details coming soon!

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Black Friday Pattern Sale - 25% off!

11/22/2017

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The kitchen is clean the family is gone...it's time to sew! Bring in the holidays by sewing something new for you or someone you love. All patterns are 25% off through Monday November 27th. Use the code: THANKFUL
Enjoy!

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New Pattern Release Coming Soon!!!

11/16/2017

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We have a new pattern on the way! It's a fun to wear and easy to sew project suitable for all sewists. Check back here in just a couple of days!

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The Liberty Bronte Top - Where are my Dittos?

11/16/2017

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I'm channeling my inner 70's with this new addition to my closet. This is my Bronte Top by designer Jennifer Lauren Handmade and she got it on the mark with this pattern! It's fun, cute, EASY and retro 70's. I only wish I had a pair of my old Dittos to wear it with.

Jennifer Lauren is a fellow designer at Upcraft Club and Indiesew and her designs have a vintage and feminine vibe but are also very wearable. This is my first one and I am completely impressed! I used a Liberty knit I picked up from The Fabric Store in LA and used vintage buttons from my stash. If you're afraid to make a t-shirt, I would encourage you to try this one. The neckband is super easy (even though it looks hard) and the sleeve went right in. You can do this!

I plan on making another one soon but I've used every knit in my stash. Are you proud of me? With a pat on the back I'm headed out to the fabric store. More makes to come soon!

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Mom Got it Right Jacket - McCall's 6044 and McCall's 7447

11/7/2017

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There's nothing better than when you sew and gift and you know they like it and it fits! But when it's for your teenage son it's even better. That's what we have here...Mom got it right on this one.

Our son is very easy to please but he also doesn't like to have a lot of "things". This is a wonderful trait (I wish I was more like this) but it does make giving him a gift a little bit tricky. Our family went to NYC for my husband's show a couple of weeks ago and I was so excited we were going to have everyone in the family together I decided to make something new for everyone in the crew.

My original plan was to make my son a flannel shirt so I cut out McCall's 6044 (my go to men's shirt pattern) but as I started constructing it, I realized he has a flannel hoodie in his closet that gets tons of wear and honestly could use a little break. So I made the body of the shirt using 6044 and I made the sleeves and hood from McCall's 7447 out of sweatshirting. The patterns were perfectly interchangeable (the sleeve popped right in and the hood was the exact length of the neckline). The only changes I made were lining the hood and adding twill tape to the neckline. This was a fast shirt. It's amazing how much faster a hood is from a collar and a knit sleeve is from a cuffed sleeve with a placket. Win, win here!

This post isn't picture heavy but I'm not complaining since he was okay with me at least taking a photo and posting it.

It was a dream trip with the family in NYC and the best part was seeing my husband's paintings up and on the wall in a beautiful space. Love!

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#SEWSTRONGTOGETHER - Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

10/5/2017

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As you know, Puerto Rico has been devastated by the recent hurricanes. Im joining with Upcraftclub and other pattern designers in efforts to help those in need in Puerto Rico. 100% of proceeds from Blue Dot pattern sales will be donated to relief efforts. In addition, receive 20% off all patterns in the store with code PUERTORICO.

Visit Upcraftclub and Sewstrongtogether for a list of other designers that are participating and more info on where the money will be going.

Together we can help!

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The Olivia Dress - A Dress for Summer to Fall

9/14/2017

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There has been so much going on over here, getting back to school, a new pattern in the works and lots of sewing. I've made loads of samples for the new pattern (I can't wait to share it!), new fall samples for my current patterns and some new transitional and fall pieces for my wardrobe. I'm still busy putting the finishing touches on the new pattern but I thought I'd take a moment to share a quick dress I made to take me from summer to fall.

This is the Olivia Dress from StyleArc patterns. Although this is my first time using a StyleArc pattern, I have a student that's been using them and has had great success. This dress couldn't be easier, 5 pieces in total including the facings which is perfect for me when I want a quick dress that's as easy to pull on as shorts but looks cute enough for dinner. I've been saving some patterns ideas for a dress like this on my Pattern Box Pinterest board and now I finally added it to my closet. The fabric is a medium weight brushed chambray with a white pinstripe from The Fabric Store in LA. This dress is cute with sandals right now but it'll also be great with a darker belt and boots as it gets cooler. For sure I'll be using this pattern again and next time I'm going to add pockets to the sides.

The Olivia dress is easy enough for a beginning sewist but keep in mind StyleArc patterns have minimal instructions with few drawings so some garment construction experience would be helpful.

I'll be sharing more makes and a new pattern soon! Be sure to follow me on Instagram as I share more about what's going on in the studio there.

Keep sewing my friends! Diane

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Labor Day Sale! 25% off All Patterns

9/1/2017

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It's a 3-day weekend which means there's more time to sew! Let's celebrate with 25% off all PDF patterns in the store now through 9/5/17. That means all patterns are only $7.50! Use coupon code "WEEKEND" for the discount.

Sew away the weekend and enjoy!

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Pattern Tester Call!

8/31/2017

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I'm excited to say there's a new pattern coming soon and I'm looking for pattern testers! The new Blue Dot pant pattern is designed for beginning/intermediate sewists sizes 6-18 (see size chart below). The call for pattern testers will stay open until all spots are filled and the test will begin in early September.

If this sounds interesting to you, here's what you'll need:

Beginning/Intermediate to Advanced sewing knowledge.
Access to a printer (since you will be testing a PDF patterns you will need to print the patterns).
Interest in testing women's patterns (no prior testing experience is needed).

Here's what you'll do:

Receive a "working copy" of a Blue Dot PDF Pattern to make according to the instructions.
Provide at least 2 well lit photos of your finished project.
Keep the new pattern a "secret" (shhhhh) until the pattern is officially released.
Give feedback on the pattern and instructions on the provided form.

Here's the other stuff you may be wondering:

Pattern testers will receive a "working copy" and a copy of the final finished pattern. There is no compensation for being a tester.
You don't need to have a social media presence to be a pattern tester.
I will be choosing a few testers for every size of the pattern and the testers will be chosen at random.
The turnaround time for pattern testing is typically between 2-3 weeks. This means, once you agree to test a particular pattern, you will need to turn in the photos and feedback before the 2-3 week deadline.
If you don't have time to test a pattern during this call that's no problem, you can decline and try again next time.

If this sounds good to you, email me here with the following info and I will contact you about being a tester:

Level of sewing experience: beginning/intermediate, intermediate or advanced.
Blog URL, Instagram or Facebook if you have one (this is not required).
Bust, Waist and Hip measurement.

Don't be shy! I am looking for all sizes and levels of sewing experience.

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<<Previous

Forward>>

New Pattern Release: Say "Hello" to The Coffeehouse Pant!

The Rosie Top - Style Arc

Black Friday Pattern Sale - 25% off!

New Pattern Release Coming Soon!!!

The Liberty Bronte Top - Where are my Dittos?

Mom Got it Right Jacket - McCall's 6044 and McCall's 7447

#SEWSTRONGTOGETHER - Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

The Olivia Dress - A Dress for Summer to Fall

Labor Day Sale! 25% off All Patterns

Pattern Tester Call!

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Don't miss a thing...Sign up for our newsletter for the latest news and sales.

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Categories

Archives

Don't miss a thing...
Sign up for our newsletter for the latest news and sales.

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