Only today and tomorrow left on the Sketchbook Blog Tour. Have you entered the giveaway for 10 yards of Sketchbook fabrics yet? Drawing ends Saturday August 22nd at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

To be entered into the drawing for 20 - half-yard cuts of Art Gallery Fabrics Sketchbook fabrics you will want to follow the tour on Instagram and repost a picture of your favorite project. Include the hashtag #SketchbookTourGiveaway in your repost and your name is in the drawing!

Snickerdoodle Stew

Jessica Stewart from Snickerdoodle Stew is our talented day 4 blog tour blogger. Jessica made this sweet dress for her daughter using the Tiny Dancer Fall, Woodblock Berry, Ink Outburst Fresco and Delineament Sepia cotton prints. The leggings were made from Air Brush Flight knit. I just love seeing this fresh face and this pretty Izzy & Ivy Designs Brooklyn's Boho dress. Don't you just love this combination?!! See Jessica's blog for more pictures of her beautiful daughter in this outfit. I love your work--thanks for being part of the tour Jessica!

Yesterday the oh-sew-talented Elizabeth Whitehurst from Cotton Belle Boutique posted about the sweet dress she made her beautiful daughter and tomorrow the tour will end with Alexis Wright from My Sweet Sunshine Studio. Seriously, I can't wait for my (soon-to-come) granddaughter to be big enough to make clothes for--all these children's outfits are so darn cute!

Dress Up Your Closet

A change in season usually means a time to go through closets and dresser drawers and re-organize your wardrobe. Have you ever thought to give a little attention to how those hangers look as well? Cloth hanger covers not only dress up and unify mismatched hangers but add some padding to help reduce shoulder creases and create a non-slip grip for blouses that tend to slip off regular hangers. You can even color code for the different seasons!

You will find the full instructions and pattern for Cover Up on my Free Patterns page. This easy-to-sew pattern uses French seam construction and you can make a bunch of covers in a snap! No hems to turn and no raw edges or loose threads to get on your clothing. The pattern is customizable so you can quickly draft a freezer paper template for any size hanger. The freezer paper template can be used over and over again.

I will see you back here tomorrow with the final day blog tour pictures and another French seam construction tutorial and project. Are you excited to start some sewing? What are you going to make first?

I couldn't be more excited about the Sketchbook Blog Tour week. Today's post by Raedene Averitt from Chasing Mermaids is one of the five reasons why I'm so happy! Yesterday Kara Orr from Sweeter Than It Seams posted about her date night tank and clutch. See the full line-up of five talented bloggers here.

Sketchbook fabrics outfits made by Chasing Mermaids

Visit the Chasing Mermaids blog to read more about the patterns and prints used to make these adorable outfits! So cute! Thanks Raedene for being part of the tour :)

In addition to the five ladies posting beautiful Sketchbook fabric projects, I will also be posting each day with either a tutorial or new free project. Today will be a tutorial on how to sew a French Seam. The rest of the week I will have sewing projects that use French seam construction.

FRENCH SEAMS

I love French Seams. They are as pretty on the inside as they are on the outside. The technique is very simple, but can sometimes be confusing because you begin the French seam by sewing with the WRONG sides together. That's what usually trips people up. Here's how they are made:

1. With raw edges even, sew the WRONG sides together along the side seam line(s) using the seam allowance indicated in the pattern.

2. Turn pieces RIGHT sides together, press, and stitch deep enough to encase the raw edges inside the new seam or as indicated in the pattern. Note: Some patterns will have you trim the seam(s) before turning, so always read through the instructions before you begin.

3. Turn right side out and VOILA!

Tomorrow we will put this technique to good use and make a pretty pencil case to fit into back-to-school notebooks!

Don't forget to repost your favorite Sketchbook Blog Tour projects on Instagram for a chance to win 10 yards of Sketchbook fabric! To enter, use Instagram and repost a blog tour picture from any of the bloggers on the tour. Be sure to include the hashtag #SketchbookTourGiveaway in your post. The drawing ends Saturday, August 22nd at 9:00 am EDT.