All Posts By

sarah norwood

New Pattern! The Claudia Panties Pattern

Lingerie, Sewing Patterns, Tutorial December 19, 2016

This is my favourite pattern ever (besides the Jasmine bra). I think I may have actually already made 100 of these, maybe even more!!! I am obsessed.

So, what is it that I love about this pattern, you ask? This pattern has the one thing I strive for in a pattern: versatility. You can achieve so many different looks with this one easy pattern.  Included in the instructions are directions on how to sew them with a pretty lace back with picot elastic around the front OR plain elastic edging, or  sewn entirely out of knit fabric with simple lace trim entirely around the legs. But, you can also edge these in fold over elastic, picot elastic, and while these are drafted for stretch knits, I’ve even made them with a silk charmeuse front!

Quick and Easy Directions for a Woven-Fabric Front.

If you want to use a woven fabric on the front I suggest using a light weight woven with a good bias stretch. Silk Charmeuse is ideal, but you could experiment with other fabrics too. I’d imagine a light flannel or lightweight cotton would work as well. Whatever you choose, the hip/back portion has to be sewn out of either stretch lace or stretch knit fabric.

All I do is fold my fabric at a 45 degree angle. This way you can place the “cut on fold” piece against the bias-fold. This is a quick and easy way to cut small bias cut pieces, without tracing the patter piece out mirrored.

You can purchase the Claudia Panties Here, or through my Etsy shop.

New Pattern! The Ultimate Lace Thong & Panties Pattern

Sewing Patterns December 18, 2016

Yesterday, I launched two new patterns! You’ve likely already seen these as part of my Made-to-Order Lingerie Line. I love these patterns… I’ve personally made myself several of these and have purchased yards and yards of lace to make even more! I am obsessed!

The Ultimate Lace Panties are designed specifically for scalloped stretch lace. They can be sewn in two ways: a Thong or comfy hipster style. The finishing on these is so easy and they are quick to put together!

Now that I’ve updated my Jasmine Pattern to include instructions on how to use stretch lace, these panties make the perfect pairing for with a lacy Jasmine bra. Seriously, my lingerie drawer is filled with these sets!

You can purchase the Ultimate Lace Panties Pattern Here, or on Etsy. I’ll be adding it to Kollabora and Craftsy soon!

Tips and Tricks for Sewing Scalloped Lace

Lingerie, Sewing Patterns, Tutorial December 15, 2016

Lately I’ve become obsessed with scalloped lace. I’ve used a lot of it in my latest collection, and have a ton more lace on the way! I just love how pretty and delicate it is, while still being comfortable.

It can be tricky to find wide enough lace for panties or larger size bras. Here I’m going to outline a couple of tricks that I’ve learned along the way to make the most of what you’ve got on hand!

The first thing to be aware of is when you cut your scalloped lace, make sure you lay your lace out so that the scallops are evenly matched up. You want both sides of your panties or bra to be an exact mirror image of one another. When you sew your seams, the most important thing is to make sure that your scallops match up evenly. This may sometimes mean that your waist edge might be off a bit. Don’t worry – just focus on lining up the scalloped edge of your seam.

If your lace is a little too narrow for your panties pattern, you can easily piece the lace together to make up for the lack of width. Start by cutting out your pattern piece.

Grab a scrap piece of lace with a bit of scalloped edge. Layer it overtop of the too-short part so that the scallops overlap, kind of like a puzzle piece.

Use a zig-zag stitch to top stitch in place, then straighten out your edges.

Alternatively, you can use too-narrow lace as a design feature! You can create interesting “cut outs” by just working with the width of lace you have. Here, I’ve just left the scalloped edge of the lace in place, then extended my waist elastic overtop to create a “peekaboo” back.

Finding trimming lace to match can sometimes be a challenge, even for myself who has access to wholesale lace suppliers. If you need some trimming lace in the same colour as the lace for the body of your panties, just cut off some of the scalloped edge of your lace, and use it exactly as you would use a trim. Just zig-zag it on, and cut off any excess that extends beyond your zig-zag stitching. I’ve done that with this pretty purple thong.

If you are having trouble finding stretch lace at your local fabric stores, I highly recommend looking online. Below are a few of my favourite resources:

Tailor Made Shoppe

Lace Heaven

Bra Makers Supply 

 

 

Another Birthday Party for the Books

Uncategorized November 25, 2016

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I can’t even believe that Isabel is already two! I can barely remember life without her, at the same time, it feels like just yesterday she was this little, helpless baby.

We had a fun get together a few weeks ago with family and my closest friends (Hi, Abbey!). Now that we are settled in a much more spacious house, it is so nice to be able to get everyone together.

Lots of things surprised me about parenthood. First and foremost, I love it! Haha! It sounds terrible, but it is true. I was unsure of what parenthood would bring, but despite some frustration and smoothies thrown in anger (by Isabel, not me), parenthood is really fun and rewarding! And one of the fun things (for me anyway) has been organizing birthday parties.

We decided to put together a unicorn theme for Izzy’s 2nd birthday. I found some cute unicorn garlands on Amazon only to find out they didn’t ship to Canada (Boo!). So, I made my own with cardstock, ribbon, and glittery paper. I’ve kind of become obsessed with making garlands lately… I hung up some tissue paper pom poms (thank you Martha Stewart for the wonderful tutorial), and made a little “Decorate a Unicorn” table. Something I did for Izzy’s first birthday, was set up a photobooth so that I could get some fun photos of her with her cousins and aunts and uncles, etc. I loved the photos we took so much that I decided to do it again. This was an easy thing for me because I just happen to have a photo backdrop stand, but I think you could easily do this just by pinning some fabric to a wall or drapery rod, then adding your embellishments. I added swaths of tulle and some cut out glittery stars.  I also made a couple of unicorn headbands out of felt, inspired by some unicorn horns I saw on Etsy. I’m not going to lie, I sometimes just wear them around the house. We believe in playing dress-up in this household.

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One of the best parts of our day was when my cousins husband showed up in a unicorn costume! My jaw nearly hit the floor. It was hilarious and made the day extra memorable.

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I know I fawn over Isabel all of the time. I don’t want to make parenthood seem like a walk in the park. I’m tired and it’s a lot of work. But, it’s also way more enjoyable than I ever gave it credit for. It’s a-ok to complain when you are having a down-day (trust me, I complain), but I know that pre-children, it felt like all I ever heard was “wait until you have kids, then you’ll really know what busy means” or “think you’re tired now? You don’t have kids.” Ugh… First, I’ve never been as tired as I was when I was in fashion school full time and working 20+ hours a week at a fabric store – that even beat out the time I had mono.  Second, of course parenthood is hardwork! but it’s also super rewarding – way more so than I ever thought, and in ways I never imagined. It’s the look on her face when she realizes that she gets free candy on halloween, it’s the funny way she puts words together, it’s watching her figure out the world around her, it’s how she’s obsessed with hunting down and pointing out dog poo in the backyard (ha!). It’s just the best, and I’m really grateful I’ve gotten the opportunity to be a parent. Also, let’s not forget about all of the crafts we get to relive!

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(I love this picture – Dan looks so serious!)

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I wanted to touch a bit on the expectations we put on ourselves as parents. It’s something I struggle with a lot personally, and as a mom. I’m always striving to be the best that I can be, but sometimes at the expense of my mental health. It’s perfectly ok to have a low-key party. Not everything has to be pinterest-perfect. Do what makes you smile. At the end of the day, no one cares if you bought pre-shredded cheese or made cake from a mix or bought your decor from the dollar store (or had no decorations at all!). I don’t want to add to the “this is what parenting looks like” vibe you often see on blogs. I just do what I like… and I like crafts.

Anyway, sorry for all of the parent-hood posts. I’ll get back to the lingerie very soon!

Little Red Riding Hood

Baby, Personal, Sewing Patterns November 1, 2016

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Halloween costumes really came down to the wire this year… last year, I had a spooky dress whipped up by the beginning of the month. This year, Isabel’s first year trick-or-treating, I didn’t even know what costume to make until the weekend leading up to Halloween! I nearly broke down and bought her something ready made (sacrilege!).

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Then I came across Twig & Tale’s Traveller Cape pattern (with the Wild Things add-on). I immediately thought “Little Red Riding Hood.” It was perfect because I had a piece of red velvet I had bought two Christmas’ ago, so all I had to buy was a bit of fabric for her dress. I used my current favourite, Heidi & Finn’s Pumpkin Spice dress. I added puffed sleeves and an attached stiff cotton petticoat to help the skirt flare out. I also sewed a self-drafted apron with little pockets (everything must have pockets right now) and a pretty applique on the front.

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I used the add on from the Cape pattern to make myself a Big Bad Wolf’s hat out of fun fur with a cotton lining. Dan dressed as the Huntsman, which was easy since he already has a bushy beard and plaid shirt.

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It was such a fun evening. It is so funny because I never “got” kids.  But seeing Isabel do all of these things for the first time is just so fun! She was very brave and knocked on people’s door, said her “please” and “thank you’s” and wished everyone a “Happy Halloweee.” Never in my life did I think I’d ever say this, but… toddlers are the best!

I’m already planning out a few more of these capes… they were quick and easy to make, and I absolutely love all of Twig & Tale’s suggestions to make them into fun dress-up costumes.

Pugoween!

Dogs, Personal October 28, 2016

One of my biggest fears about becoming a parent was how my dog Oliver would adjust to having a little person in the house. I got Oliver when I was living alone in Toronto. He and I were like two peas in a pod. We did everything together. We rode the bus together, we went shopping together, we played fetch in my little apartment until the wee hours of the morning together… I was worried that with the shift of attention from him to my new little person might cause some jealousy.  Luckily, he adjusted so well to the change in our family dynamic, and now that Isabel is a little older, she absolutely loves him to pieces. It melts my heart to see the two of them chasing each other around the house.

Before we had Isabel, Dan and I used to take Oliver out to our local pug group for play dates and socializing. It always made me laugh because Oliver was so anti-social. He’d sit in a corner by himself, but I always liked going because it feels good to spend time with people as dog obsessed as I am. Plus, being surrounded by a bunch of snorting, snarfling little pugs is just the best thing every.  We finally got back to our pug group last weekend, just in time for Pugoween!

Isabel is obsessed with Paw Patrol (or “Pawtrol” as she calls it), so my friend suggested we dress Oliver up as Rubble.

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It turned out to be a fairly easy costume to put together. I made him a little yellow vest with a zipper up the front. I used an older Simplicity Pattern (2755), and just omitted the sleeves. I’m not sure if this particular pattern is still available, but it is a good one! I cut a size medium for Oliver, who is a gigantic pug, and it fits him snugly. I used some plain yellow knit fabric that I got in the clearance department of my local Fabricland.

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For the little collar, I used a length of black webbing, and attached a snap to either end for easy on and off. I free-handed the emblem on the tag out of yellow cardstock and some beige felt.

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Rubble also had a back-pack that contains his digger arm and other doo-dads. I took an old cereal box, cut it down to size, and glued yellow fabric around it. On either side, I attached some brown felt and cut out some tools from cart stock to glue to either side. I then glued that to a length of brown felt, which formed a belt, that I then wrapped around him and fastened with a snap. I put in a few stitches by hand to anchor the “box” to the back of the vest.

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The only thing he was missing was the hard hat!!! I was pretty proud of myself for putting together this little costume. It probably took me a total of two hours to put together. Best of all, Oliver didn’t seem to hate wearing it (though he pretty quickly managed to pee on it).  It’s pretty far out of my regular sewing realm, but it was a fun project that put a big smile on Isabel’s face when she saw it all come together.

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Ok, now my time to blabber a bit about my dog… As I mentioned earlier, Oliver was always a bit of an outsider in the pug group. Not this time! He was right there socializing with the other dogs. He hardly barked and actually seemed to have a good time. It was like he turned a new leaf! I was so proud of my dog! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks…

Now the crunch is on to figure out something for Isabel for Halloween…

 

From the bottom of my heart…

Lingerie, Personal October 25, 2016

I mentioned in an earlier post about how I’ve been dealing with some disappointment this past year. I’ve had lots of good personal things: a new house, new adventures with Isabel… Work has been chugging along steady. I briefly mentioned I had the opportunity to work on a book, which did not get picked up. It was a huge disappointment which I thought I took well and realized months later that it was a bit of a knock to the self-esteem. I also was spending way too much time comparing myself against others. Social Media can be an evil bitch. I kept noticing people who I felt were piggy backing on my aesthetic… as a designer, your “look” is like your baby. Something you created with your mind and hands. When someone knocks it off it physically hurts, and my anxiety riddled brain catastrophizes it (and everything else) and the next think you know I’m filled with thoughts of my business failing, my family leaving me, the whole world falling apart.

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So… I stopped for a bit. I took stock. I said a big, “F*&# You!” (I love to swear, did you know that?). And I started to just do what I want. Again.

Then, I started to sew a bunch of lingerie for myself. I thought, if nothing else, I’ll have a nicely re-stocked wardrobe.

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One piece led to the next, which led to the next. I re-tooled  the way I sew my bras, adding a mesh lining, and reworked my longline style. I developed two new underwear patterns. I created a bunch of pieces that I love to wear… Things that are comfortable, fun, and make me feel like a million bucks.

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One thing I like to do is create items that can mix and match. I’ve released several solid coloured bras in mesh and lace that can pair with a variety of bottoms. Honestly, putting on my underwear in the morning is one of the highlights of my day…

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I’m not going to lie. I’ve really been struggling over the last few months. My worries and anxieties snowball and make it really hard for me to move forward. They affect my self confidence and and whittle me down to nothing. They make me feel scared and unworthy. I’ve really been trying to reclaim myself. Accept that this is something that I have to deal with and that often my thoughts are out to get me! Sometimes my view of the world is skewed by my over-reactive brain. It’s a difficult thing to wrap your mind around.

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Anyway, I feel like I’ve “found” lingerie again. I felt like I was doing a lot of things I “should” do, and by the end of the day I wasn’t making time for what I wanted to do: experiment with new designs, play with fabrics, take pretty pictures… I’m definitely going to make more time for this from now on.

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I’m going to post a bit more in a separate post when I have some more time, but for now you can view my entire collection on Etsy.

Non Lingerie Related Things I Love

Anxiety, Home, Personal October 9, 2016

Jeez Louise… I keep saying “I will blog more. I will blog more.” Then I think about blogging and I seize. Blogging/writing is one of the things that anxiety has taken from me. I’m trying to reclaim it, but also trying to accept that it takes some baby steps. It’s funny, because on here I’ve always been somewhat of an open book. I believe in the power of sharing experiences, good or bad, but over the last two years, it’s become so hard. I’m not sure when or why it happened exactly but that nagging voice in the back of my head saying “no one cares. you can’t do it. you are a failure” started to take over. Ridiculous because rationally I look at what I have achieved and I am proud, but in my mind, nothing is ever good enough. There is not a point with my business where I feel I could look back and say “there. I’ve done good.” Or a point with my physical self where I could say “ok, I’m thin enough/fit enough/healthy enough.” Anxiety is not about rationality though. What a difficult thing to grapple with as someone who values evidence based thinking and rationality!

Needless to say I’ve been dealing with a lot over the last few months. Learning how to re-train my brain into more productive modes of thinking and dealing with some difficult things from the past has been rewarding and a huge challenge. On one hand I feel happy I am doing this. I want to be a good example for Isabel. Sometimes our thinking needs a facelift, and it’s ok to seek out help if you can’t do it on your own. I am a huge believer in continual self-improvement. On the other hand, it would be so much easier to stick with the status quo…

Work has slowed down somewhat over the last few months, mostly because I haven’t been adding anything new or updating any of my shops. I plan to do so soon… when I’m ready.

Mostly I’ve been working on sewing that I want to do, fixing up our house, running, and trying to stay sane. I had a lot of work opportunities that fell through in the last 6 months which were hugely disappointing (including a book. PS If you are a publisher or literary agent, I want to write a book. Contact me!). I found I was wrapping myself up entirely in my work and the disappointments felt overwhelming because I didn’t have anything else going on. I think this happens a lot with our careers, it becomes our identity. So, I’ve been broadening my horizons again.

I ran my first 5k race! Here I am with pig-tails a-bouncing with my beautiful cousin Pam. She makes it look easy! It was really fun and I felt so accomplished once I passed the finish line! I remember Pam saying “Ok you can stop running now.” Ha! It was a very hilly route which was a challenge for me.

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I also have taken on a bunch of projects around the house, because fixing up this house is my dream. I re-pointed the fire place, I repaired a water damaged wall. I patched so much old plaster. I sanded. I painted. I worked my butt off.

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This room is going to become an office/sewing room. It is so bright and airy feeling now. I’m just saving up my pennies to put in a big long desk with lots of file storage. For now, it’s a great place to do yoga and store my plants. I currently have my sewing area set up in the basement, which is nice because there is lots of space, but lets face it, basements aren’t the nicest place to spend your time… at least not mine!

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This room was the scariest in the house because there had been water damage and we had to do some exterior repair in this area of the house too. It has been kind of a “make-do” project because eventually I would like to tear out this fireplace surround, but for now, I’m absolutely happy with the results and it is nice to have a big, bright living room to spend our time in. Previous to getting this room done, we had set up in a spare bedroom. Dan built and installed all of those floating shelves. The room still needs art, especially something big and impactful over the fireplace, but I’m not really sure what I want there yet.

I am loving this house because I have the space to display all of the things I love. I have lots of little knick knacks that remind me of this or that… things from our grandparents, things we have made, things we picked up at junk shops. Our house is filled with hand me downs and even random things picked up from the side of the road.  I love that.

It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. We had our first family get together yesterday at our house, and will be enjoying a turkey dinner with all of the fixings tonight. Isabel’s birthday is also coming up. I can’t believe she will be 2 already. And, of course Halloween is on it’s way which means I have costumes on the mind…

I really hope to spend more time on here. I spent a lot of time, energy, and money getting my new blog set up. Now I just have to start using it!

 

Easy Running Armband for iPhone or iPod Tutorial

Personal, Tutorial September 1, 2016

A few months ago I started running. After I had the miscarriage a few years ago, I felt really lost and depressed… then I found Fitness Blender. It was so motivating and fun and I was particularly enjoying some of their strength training videos. When I was in my early twenties, I went to the gym pretty religiously, but as I got a bit older and busier, being active became less of a priority… Over the last few months, as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I’ve really been struggling with anxiety. My mental health approach over the last decade is to bottle up any difficult emotions, because whose got time to deal with that? Walk it off! You’ll be fine.  And some days I am… other days, not so much. And now that life is a little quieter, I’ve had the time to deal with some difficult emotions and things from my past.

When I first decided that I needed to be proactive about what I was going through, I knew being active was going to be an important part of getting better. In the following months after the birth of Isabel, I actually found I had lots of time to be active! She slept in hour long bursts so I could sneak in a workout here and there. Now that she is on the move and constantly wanting my attention, I’m finding it much more difficult. So, my goal was to do an activity that we could both do together. I had a jogging stroller so it seemed like a no brainer.

Let me tell you, running while pushing a stroller is no joke. I think I lasted about a month before I decided that pushing an extra 50+ lbs was no fun. However, I was really enjoying the sense of satisfaction I was getting from my progress, so I’ve been running in the morning, or evening… or whenever I get a chance. There is something so visceral about running. All of the difficult things I have hidden away in the back of my mind, I can literally push past them. Running is hard. Running hurts. Running seems to express all of the things I am feeling but can’t quite express. It is freeing and liberating.

I have some friends/family members who are runners and who have run marathons. I was never interested in running. I thought they were kind of crazy and didn’t get the appeal, but I get it now, as I sit here nursing a cracked toe nail but still wanting to get in just one more kilometer.

Of course, now I am wanting to combine my new hobby with my old hobby. What can I sew for running?

As I’ve been running, I’ve really been enjoying listening to podcasts (I am an addict! Shout out to My Favourite Murder!), but was tired of tucking my phone in my bra and getting it all sweaty. So, I decided to make an armband to hold my phone, and any other items I might need along the way.

This is a super simple armband with no zippers or velcro. All you need is some stretch knit fabric, like cotton/lycra jersey, a couple spools of thread and a twin needle (though you could zig-zag stitch too), a small scrap of interfacing, scissors, and a measuring tape. This holder fits my arm and an iPhone 6s (not the jumbo one!). It would be really simple to alter this to fit any phone or arm size.

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Cut out a piece of fabric 10.5″ x 13″.

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Fold it in half lengthways and sew it together with 3/8″ seam allowance. Put it on your arm, it should feel like a fitted sleeve, but not too tight.

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Finish either end with a serger. Fold under approximately 1/4″ and stitch using a twin needle.

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Turn the sleeve inside out and fold up one end by 4″. Fold the top down by about 2″-2.5″, so that the hemmed edges overlap. Make a mark where the earphone jack is.

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Fuse a piece of interfacing to the inside of the sleeve where you’ve made your mark for the earphone jack. Sew a button hole and slash open. This will allow the earphone plug to stick out. Adding the earphone jack hole isn’t necessary. The first one I made didn’t have one, so I just tucked the cord inside and it worked just fine!

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Place your phone/iPod over the folded armband and mark 1/4″ away from either edge of the phone. Run straight rows of stitches down either side to create a snug pocket for the phone.

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It’s seriously that easy! I think this one took me maybe 15 minutes and just a small scrap of fabric.

Next project is a running bra….

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