Everyday cloth napkins and caddy sewing tutorial
Hey y’all and thank you for joining me today for our weekly sewing tutorial. I hope that you are well and have all you need during this unusual time in history. This project is practical and a nice mindless sew that is perfect for decompressing and getting into the “zone”. Because it is “sew” simple… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 3-30-20
Patreon Group: https://patreon.com/Sewspire Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sewspire/ By SewSpire | Filed under Behind the Seams | Tags: behind the seams, sewspire Share
Sewspire Recipe 011: The flap and strap for MBL Messenger Bag
Hey y’all and welcome to Recipe 011! In this video I am showing you how to craft the messenger flap and adjustable shoulder strap that will finish off the My Beautiful Life Bag or MBL Messenger Bag for short. I am so thrilled with how this project came together and appreciate you offering me the… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 3-13-20
By SewSpire | Filed under Behind the Seams | Tags: Home Studio, Sewing Organization, Sewing room Share
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 010: Interior Origami
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire Recipe 010! In this video I am demonstrating how to craft the interior of my latest design which I am calling My Beautiful Life – Caddy or MBL Caddy. I am working on putting together the PDF for you with the pattern measurements and fabric requirements for this project… Read More
MILESTONE: My first podcast interview
Hey y’all! I am so excited to share my very first podcast interview with you. It was such an absolute pleasure to work with Marisa Huston (a longtime Sewspire subscriber) and I am so grateful to have had this experience. I hope you enjoy listening to the interview and will subscribe to her Live Blissed… Read More
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 009: My Beautiful Life – MBL Exterior
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire Recipe 009! In this video I am demonstrating how to craft the exterior of my latest design which I am calling My Beautiful Life – Caddy or MBL Caddy. Next week we will assemble the interior of the MBL and at some point I will be putting together a… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 2-28-20 (Vlog)
By SewSpire | Filed under Behind the Seams Share
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 008: Pattern design and cutting fabric
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire Recipe 008! In this video I am designing a new caddy / bag and demonstrating how I cut my fabric and alter the design as needed to maximize the half yard cuts of material I have selected for this project (which we will build together in subsequent Sewspire Sewing… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 2-21-20
My apologies, I am a few hours behind schedule today as I hosted our first ever Sewspire Sew Along with our Sewspire Patrons at 1 p.m. This may surprise you; but, I was a little nervous beforehand because I have never taught a live virtual sewing class. The tutorials I publish for you on YouTube… Read More
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 007: Ziptop Closure
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire! My name is Andrea and this is my sewing instruction and inspiration channel. If you are just joining us — welcome! I hope you enjoy the content and will consider subscribing to the Sewspire YouTube channel. If you are a returning visitor, I thank you for your continued interest… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 2-14-20
Hey y’all and Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope this message finds you showered in love and holding a heart full of gratitude. Just thinking of this community evokes both love and gratitude in my whole being. I am so happy to announce that through a handful of generous Paypal donations and the ongoing Create. Tee… Read More
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 006: Layered Bag Handles
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire! My name is Andrea and this is my sewing instruction and inspiration channel. If you are just joining us — welcome! I hope you enjoy the content and will consider subscribing to the channel. If you are a returning visitor, I thank you for your continued interest in my… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 2-7-20
Hey y’all and welcome to Behind the Seams with Andrea! In celebration of my 49th Birthday on February 1st I asked the members of our Sewspire Facebook Group to submit their best sewing hacks. In exchange, I promised to give away a flat rate envelope of fabric if we got a minimum of 49 unique… Read More
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 005: The T Method
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire Sewing Recipe 005 in which I demonstrate how to use the T Method to construct the interior of the Utility Tote we have been working on since January. Congratulations to Sally of Fargo, North Dakota! Sally is the winner of the Create. Tee giveaway for February. Many thanks to… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 1-31-20
Last night we completed the fourth session of AMC (Andrea’s Master Class) and I am so proud of the bags and ideas that sprang forth as a result of this collaboration. If you are not familiar, AMC is an exclusive quarterly benefit I offer to Sewspire Patrons (www.patreon.com/Sewspire) in January, April, July and October. There… Read More
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 004: Trimmed Slip Pocket
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire! My name is Andrea and this is my sewing instruction and inspiration blog. If you are just joining us — welcome! I hope you enjoy the content and will consider subscribing to the Sewspire YouTube Channel. If you are a returning visitor, I thank you for your continued interest… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 1-24-20
Deborah Feinn and I have been co-teaching for about a year now. I create the instructional content, share it with the world via YouTube, and she takes it upon herself to learn how to sew the project, refine her technique and then teach the project in a group or one-on-one setting. Every so often, she… Read More
Sewspire Sewing Recipe 003: Piped Side Pocket Panel
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire! My name is Andrea and this is my sewing instruction and inspiration blog. If you are just joining us — welcome! I hope you enjoy the content and will consider subscribing to the YouTube channel. If you are a returning visitor, I thank you for your continued interest in… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 1-17-20
IMPORTANT UPDATE: There was some confusion regarding the measurements of this piece. Kathy would like the finished bags to be less than 6″ deep. So the bag I have sketched below is TOO LARGE. It’s more of the super sized “Home Goods” type of shopping bag. Kathy invites you to design your own bag, using… Read More
Sewspire Recipe 002: Pleated Padded Pocket Panel
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire! My name is Andrea and this is my sewing instruction and inspiration platform. If you are just joining us — welcome! I hope you enjoy the content and will consider subscribing to the YouTube channel. If you are a returning visitor, I thank you for your continued interest in… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 1-10-20
When sewing, I like to have music or some other recording playing in the background. Yesterday, I started a new audio book entitled We Need to Talk by Celeste Headlee who promised to offer me simple tools to improve my communication. Human beings are incapable of multitasking and this is especially true of tasks that… Read More
Sewspire Recipe 001: Layering fabric to create functional pockets.
Hey y’all and welcome to Sewspire! My name is Andrea and this is my sewing instruction and inspiration blog. If you are just joining us — welcome! I hope you enjoy the content and will consider subscribing to the YouTube channel. If you are a returning visitor, I thank you for your continued interest in… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea
Happy New Year my creative friends! I am so excited to be here with you sharing this moment in time and want to express my sincere gratitude to the people behind YouTube, WordPress, MailChimp, Canva, Zoom, Patreon, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for making it possible for us to connect with ease and continue to… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 12-27-19
Hey y’all and welcome to the last post of 2019. I have mixed feelings about this year as it seemed to pass at a breakneck speed. Like most, it brought many changes and stressors along with many blessings and opportunities to my life. This community tops my list of blessings and I hope you know… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 12-20-19
Hey y’all and welcome to my weekly blog post! Today I want to shine the Sewspire Spotlight on my top three NOT Sewspire Sewing Patterns and invite you to share links to your favorite NOT Sewspire Sewing Patterns in the comments below so I can check them out. #3.) The Rockstar Bag: Crafted by RockBabyScissors… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 12-13-19
Hey y’all and welcome to the weekly edition of Behind the Seams! I hope this post finds you well and joyfully immersed in your holiday preparations. It’s an exciting time of year to be a maker, especially if you sell on Etsy, as the holiday rush peaks this week. If you follow me on Facebook… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 12-6-19
I still can hardly believe my good fortune! Last night while perusing the clearance pile at the Hobby Lobby, I spotted a Simplicity catalog for sale. I am fairly certain you can not buy these as they are clearly marked NOT FOR RESALE on the backside. The bright orange clearance sticker jumped right out. Four… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew a round fabric bin to hold paper plates and more
Hey y’all and welcome to the final video in the Sewspire Handmade Holiday Series which began October 1, 2019 and includes ten easy to sew projects that make lovely gifts. To craft this round fabric bin which can be used to hold a variety of items you will need two 10″ circles and two 8″… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 11-29-19
Hey y’all and Happy Holidays! I hope our creative friends in America enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast filled with light, love and laughter. It was so nice to have all of my children home for the holiday as it has been two years since we got to celebrate together. We enjoyed a super casual day… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew a drawstring backpack
Hey y’all and welcome to the 9th video in the Sewspire Handmade Holiday Series which will run from October 1 to December 3, 2019. Each week I will feature a new handmade gift that you can create for friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and strangers alike. If you are just joining us — welcome! If you… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 11/22/19
Hey y’all and Happy Friday! I hope you are knee deep in holiday sewing—albeit for your friends and family or for your handmade business. Did you know I operate a successful Etsy shop called Watermelon Wishes? I founded this handmade business in 2006 as a dot.com after my husband lost his job and transitioned to… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew a large customizable Journey Tote bag
Hey y’all and welcome to the 8th video in the ongoing Handmade Holiday Series. Today I am here to show you how to sew a large basic tote bag. You are encouraged to integrate features into your design that the recipient will appreciate; such as custom pockets, personalization of some sort or a unique fabric… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 11/15/19
One of the perks of building an online community, like we have here at Sewspire, is the opportunity to make friends all over the world. It has been such a joy to interact with you across the various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Patreon, Zoom, snail and e-mail). Last week I received a pretty greeting card… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew a versatile clutch
Hey y’all and welcome to the 7th video in the Sewspire Handmade Holiday Series which will run from October 1 to December 3, 2019. Each week I will feature a new handmade gift that you can create for friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and strangers alike. This week’s project is a versatile clutch that can be… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 11/8/19
Hey y’all! I hope you have set aside some creative time this weekend because I have rounded up ten of my favorite previously published Sewspire designs for you to sew and gift this holiday season! My favorite handmade gifts for him or her… My Two-way Divided Caddy is generously sized and a stylish way to… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew heirloom napkins
Hey y’all and welcome to the 6th video in the Sewspire Handmade Holiday Series which will run from October 1 to December 3, 2019. Each week I will feature a new handmade gift that you can create for friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and strangers alike. For this project you will need two 18″ squares per… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 11/1/19
I hope you enjoyed Halloween and are now ready to being thinking about Christmas preparations or at least your Thanksgiving table setting as I will be teaching you how to sew Heirloom Napkins on Tuesday, November 5th at 9 a.m. If you scroll down you can see the 100% cotton Japanese floral screen-print I selected… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew a fabric gift box with tie-snap-flap closure
Step by step video tutorial: https://youtu.be/eln5ZBanwvM For this project you will need: (10) 6″ cotton squares (2) 5″ fcotton squares (2) 2″ x 18″ cotton strips Your choice of interfacing for the squares 1 snap I hope you enjoy the project and will share photos of your gift boxes with us on the group page:… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 10/25/19
Hey y’all and Happy Friday! This week I am coming to you via video as we are unboxing a surprise package from our friends at Fairfield. I hope you enjoy the segment and will follow along with me Behind The Seams at Sewspire every Friday: https://sewspire.com/category/behind-the-seams/ Until we meet again, the creative genius in me… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to sew a weighted blanket slip cover
Video Tutorial https://youtu.be/_-EGMdYLefE Hey y’all and thanks for joining me for the fourth project in our ongoing Handmade Holiday Series here at Sewspire. I really appreciate the fact that our friends at Fairfield express shipped two weighted blanket inserts (6 lbs and 12 lbs) for me to play with this week. You rock Fairfield! I… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 10/18/19
It’s 10 a.m. Friday, October 18th. I am snuggled up with my new 6 lb. weighted blanket (the next tutorial in the Sewspire Handmade Holiday Series) writing to you. Moments ago I was fully engaged in an interesting conversion on the Sewspire Group Facebook Page where I have posed three thought provoking questions: What keeps… Read More
Handmade Holiday Series: How to make a custom necktie
Full length video tutorial: https://youtu.be/Rk9F6Ic5GDE Hey y’all and welcome to the third video in the Sewspire Handmade Holiday Series which will run from October 1 to December 3, 2019. Each week I will feature a new handmade gift that you can create for friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and strangers alike. If you have suggestions or… Read More
Behind the Seams with Andrea 10/11/19
Hello my creative friend! I am so happy to be here with you today and appreciate you taking a moment to commemorate the 4 year anniversary of Sewspire with me! If you happened to join me for the launch on October 14, 2015, you know my original mission was to teach 10,000 women how to… Read More
Handmade Holiday: 7 Chakra Inspired Messenger Bag Pattern
Full length video tutorial: https://youtu.be/OZ2j0XQiRQQ Pattern measurements and maker notes: https://sewspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Sewspire-7-Chakra-Messenger-Bag.pdf Links of interest: Blog: https://sewspire.com Group Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sewspire/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewspire/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sewspire Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sewspire/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SewSpire Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Sewspire Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/WatermelonWishes By SewSpire | Filed under Handmade Holiday | Tags: 7 Chakra, Chakra Tote, messenger bag, Seven Chakras Share