New pattern - The Lakeshore Halter!

Just as summer in the U.S. gets its hottest - a new summery outfit to sew! The Lakeshore Halter Dress comes in sizes 2T-8 and is designed for knit fabrics:

The testers came up with so many different fabric combinations, and some also added other embellishments. This one is from Lil Bubs Couture - Luong added some lace and trim to the bodice (not included in the pattern):

  

And here's a back view of the dress from Kelly, in a a great nautical print:

Nichole's sweet girl from Bluebird & the Boy shows how cute this dress looks when twirling:

And Kimberly's daughter looks so cute in this retro poodle skirt version (applique is not included in the pattern)!

I really enjoyed the entire tester team of 14 great sewists!! And I can't wait until the next pattern and the next round of testing. It's so fun to see what everyone creates. :)

New pattern in the works: The Lakeshore Halter Dress

So I've been a bit absent lately but I've had a good excuse - it's not one I'm able to share quite yet, but it's an exciting new venture for me and I'll share when I'm able. But in addition to that, I've also been hard at work on my next pattern, designed for knit fabrics: The Lakeshore Halter Dress.

This pattern will be available in size 2T-8 within the next couple of weeks. A great team of testers will be getting the pattern within a few days. I can't wait to see what fabrics they choose for it! This dress is best made with lighter jersey knits (7-10 oz); knits that maybe aren't as suitable for tees or other applications - you know the ones...the ones you expected to be a little more substantial when you ordered them but then found out they were a bit light!  But since the front bodice is lined and the dress needs to be light and drapey, it's perfect for those lighter fabrics.

In the meantime, for those of us in the U.S.....bring on summer!!

Turning Easter sewing into - sport?

Caught our youngest daughter being quite inventive! She devised another way to use your Easter basket pattern and free fabric egg tutorial....as a hanging, swinging egg toss game. Just hang the basket (she used a stretchy length of cotton jersey with spandex), and toss the fabric eggs!

She also decided that as an added challenge, another person can swing the basket so it's harder to score a point. Crafty. The things kids come up with when left to their own devices, right?

Free sewing pattern: How to sew a fabric egg - The Fabric-gé pattern

When I designed my Easter/Halloween basket pattern in the fall of 2012, I knew that I wanted to design a free fabric egg pattern this spring! So I set to work, designing the pattern, trying different versions, and photographing my steps. When I finished, I discovered a lovely tutorial online by the talented Retro Mama, and thought - wow, I can't improve much on those directions! So to give credit where credit is due, feel free to look through her tutorial for the step-by-step photos. My PDF pattern for a fabric egg creates a slightly larger egg, but the steps are the same. Feel free to print it - the directions are included - and share with your sewist friends! If for some reason the Google Docs link doesn't cooperate with your browser, please click here to download the pattern.
Because this pattern is great for beginners, this can be a fun family project. Our two girls chose the fabric and had a blast sifting through my scrap stash. My older daughter likes to sew - when she's in the mood :) - so she sewed some of the eggs:


And my younger daughter thoroughly enjoyed stuffing them:


Over the course of a weekend, we made an even dozen!


Enjoy the free fabric egg pattern and sew some to display, some to hide, and some to share with friends! :)

New pattern in time for Halloween!

I really enjoy working on Halloween costumes for my girls! But I didn't like that their carefully thought-out costume was accessorized with a 99-cent plastic pumpkin, lol! This year I've designed Halloween baskets for them, and created the Halloween and Easter basket pattern so you can also enjoy making these, too!
There's templates for a jack-o-lantern and a three-eyed monster, and instructions on how to create ruffles for a beautiful princess tote:

And don't you just love these photos by Lisa G Photography? She did such a fabulous job capturing the fun of these baskets.

The pattern is available by instant download in my Etsy shop - the instant download feature is new and I'm so excited about it! All patterns will be e-mailed to the address you have on file with Etsy within 2-5 minutes (talk about lightning fast). I'm going to be bringing it to my website within the month as well...so watch for more exciting changes!

New Pattern: The Scarlett Flower

Birdsong's newest fabric flower pattern is the elegant Scarlett Flower! No sewing machine is required for this beginner's project. Use this beautiful flower as a hair accessory, on a purse, or a belt. You can also create it for every day use or special occasions like weddings! Enjoy this - it would make a great Valentine's gift as well!





Thank you to Christi Nelson of Rawsii for the beautiful photos of her baby girl!

New Pattern: The Betty Jo Bow/Joseph Bow Tie

Birdsong's newest hair bow pattern is the cute Betty Jo Bow/Joseph Bow Tie! This beginner's pattern does require a sewing machine, but it's a quick and easy project that you'll make for all the girls and boys in your life -- as well as for yourself! The tutorial includes information for a variety of different sizes and variations.



Thank you to Christa of A Hope and a Wish Photography and to Abbie of Bunny Lane Photography for the cute photos!

New Pattern: The Ribbon Star (Étoile) Ornament or Pendant

Last year I waited until the very last minute to create a PDF pattern for the holidays, and this year I decided I was not going to wait! The latest Birdsong pattern, the Ribbon Étoile, is a beautiful holiday ornament when made from 1 1/2" ribbon. But when made with 5/8" ribbon, it's a stunning accessory to wear! In the e-book I demonstrate it as a pendant or an ornament, but you can use it as a hat or hair accessory, a package topper, or as an embellishment for a sash, coat or purse.
This tutorial is great for beginners. These embellishments are great for crafting if you're a passenger in a car, or if you're watching TV or relaxing. The technique is based on the ribbon work techniques from the 1920s. In old magazines, you'll see these referred to as "cockades." Enjoy trying out this latest pattern!

The new Catherine Headband flower tutorial

Just last week I introduced my newest pattern/tutorial, The Catherine Headband. I wanted to create something a little different than what we've all seen and done before. I was inspired by 1920s ribbon work...those women of the roaring 20s sure knew how to make some beautiful ribbon embellishments!


Thanks so much to Carrie of EMA Photography and Christi Nelson of Rawsii for their fantastic pictures! Though I had these photographed on babies this time (because this e-book also tells you how to best work with fold-over elastic), this flower embellishment can easily be added to hard headbands or regular clips, or used with a pin on the back as a brooch.
And if you like to have "different" bow centers, these little ruched flowers are adorable...you can make them in so many different colors and you won't be forced to run out and buy the cheapies from the craft store.


I urge you to take a moment and check out some other types of luxury ribbon, as well. French wired ribbon, beautiful silks, and luxury satins will add to the beauty of this headband. I've included some great suppliers of these items in the e-book for you! Shhh...you might find you have a new ribbon addiction!

Princess Week!

It's the dream for almost every little girl - to grow up in a regular, everyday home and be swept up into the arms of a prince. Are you caught up in the hubbub of the Royal Wedding? Will you wake up at 4 a.m. Eastern on Friday to see the festivities? How are you going to celebrate the wedding of Wills and Kate?
If you can't make it to London this week (I wasn't invited, either), you can celebrate with Birdsong! We all make or love bows that could be worn by royal girls everywhere. Last week I launched my latest pattern, "The Elizabeth Headband: Ruffles and Roses" (with a name inspired by my lovely daughter's middle name). It's a headband certainly appropriate for any little princess or her queen mama. And this week we're going to have even more fun!



You will have two opportunities to win ribbon and prizes from me this week!
The FIRST way to win: Anyone who purchases tutorials worth $8 and over, from either the Birdsong Bows and Patterns Website or the Birdsong Etsy shop, will be entered into a contest to win a gift certificate for $15 from The Ribbon Retreat+Fabric! If your purchase totals $8, you gain 1 entry. If you purchase $16, you earn 2. Want 3 entries? Then make a purchase worth $24. And for 4 entries, make a purchase worth $32. I will keep a spreadsheet of all entries, with the winner being chosen through Random.org. The contest will continue from now until 8 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 29.
Already have hair bow instructions from Birdsong Bows and Patterns? That's wonderful, and there's a way for you to win as well. Take a photo of your little princess wearing one of your creations (or of the bows alone if your princess isn't available), and send it to me at deanna@birdsongbows.com. Please keep your photos no larger than 600 pixels wide, and I will post them on my blog throughout the week to share. On Friday afternoon my two princesses will choose their favorite bow photo, and the winner will also receive a $15 gift certificate from The Ribbon Retreat+Fabric! This method is not scientific, since my daughters are 5 and 10, but believe me when I say that they are hair bow connoisseurs.
You may enter both ways and as many times as you would like.
So join in the fun! If we can't actually *go* to the royal wedding, at least we can find ways to unleash our own inner princess. :)

Bring back the '80s...new braided barrette instructions!

When I started making bows in 2006, my mind immediately went back to the 1980s, when my mom made me two-color braided barrettes in every color to match all of my outfits. I had really long hair, so she made the tails extra long and added the most beautiful beads to the ends. I'll have to ask her if she has a photo of me wearing one of her creations. If she finds one, I'll post it here!
I decided to resurrect this style of barrette, and added a variation so you can learn how make these in two, three or four colors. The new tutorial is available in the Birdsong Bows and Patterns Etsy shop starting today. I've included information on where to get your supplies as well.
These are fun and easy barrettes that you can work on with your tween or early teen daughters! My 10-year-old took a copy of my e-book (one that I printed out for editing) and declared that she wanted to make these right away. You can also add some cute monogram buttons to the top of the barrette for even more personalization.


Thanks so much to Christa of A Hope and A Wish Photography for her wonderful photos! Aren't they fabulous?

Full Bowmaking Tutorial Line is here! Includes Funky Loopy bows!

It's been a nice, wonderful summer, and I've spent a majority of it finishing up the final touches on my e-book tutorials on making hair bows!

You can purchase the entire Platinum collection from my website for $21.99. This includes books on how to make korker bows, how to make boutique bows (includes all sizes of bows and bowbands, including beautiful multi-layered bows!), and "funky loopy bows." If you already know how to make some of these types of bows, you can also order the books individually. :)

For those who want to sell their work and are just thinking about doing online sales, I've written a fourth book, called "Smashingly Successful Online Sales." This will take beginners through the ins-and-outs of selling online. You can also purchase this on my website.

With the kids returning to school, I will finally have time to work on my holiday bow line! Please look for it within the next couple of weeks!