My Best Friend Series

Bringing them home for the holidays, tutorials that were posted in 2012 as guest posts on other sites. Reruns if you will, but in case you missed them they will be new to you!

The Best Friend Series was a post that premiered at Sew Together, where we were able to showcase what we were truly thankful for – what we couldn’t sew without.

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Hi everyone, I am Jessica and I blog over at Me Sew Crazy.

I have been friends with Maryanne and Caroline ever since the very first season of Project Run & Play where we played along in the at home sewing Flickr group. Their beautiful creations caught my eye right away, the quality of work was simply stunning, and I have followed along ever since.

When they mentioned the idea of a ‘Best Friend’ Series, I thought it was only fitting I begin with that intro – as it segways beautifully into who or what my best sewing friends are.

It is you guys!

Image via: Luvinthemommyhood

Not just Maryanne and Caroline, although I do consider them among them. But it is all of you sewing bloggers.

You inspire me in more ways than I can ever say. You encourage me in the comments on my posts, you share your testimonies and stories with me in e-mails, you post beautiful creations of your own that continue to fuel my passion, and you teach me new techniques that I am lucky enough to be able to put to good use.

Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have. And I wouldn’t be dreaming the dreams I dream.

Seeing lovely creations every day when I look at my blog roll keeps me going, like the gorgeous Emerson Tunic Dress by luvinthemommyhood. Seeing the way she paired her gorgeous fabric covered buttons with that fabulous fabric is totally inspiring to me. Or the way she flipped the fabric grain for her button placket to create a more interesting look. I love it all!

Image via: Kitschy Coo

And you guys not only inspire me, but you help me learn!

I was so happy to stumble across this helpful tutorial by Kitschy Coo to get perfect armhole seams every time with a fully lined bodice.

I was finally able to stop setting in sleeves when Dana of Made showed me an alternative, and much easier, method!

I now understand how to make a welt zipper pocket thanks to Jessica from Running with Scissors, and am able to screenprint on fabric thanks to See Kate Sew.

Kelly from Sewing in No Man’s Land gave me the incentive I needed to learn how to digitize my patterns.

And Lindsay from The Cottage Home helped me figure out the marketplace for my handmade goods.

Without these ladies putting out their hard work into creating the fabulous free tutorials we get to see all of the time, I might never have learned any of these techniques. Or it would have been much harder to figure it when I eventually did.

When I want to know something, I know I can reach out and always get great answers and advice. All I need to do is post something on Facebook and I will have answers instantly pointing me in the right direction! Even in the very beginning, when no one knew me and I didn’t have any Facebook followers (ahem – or a FB page for that matter).

Image by: Made-by-Rae

One of the very first tutorials and patterns I stumbled across was the Buttercup Bag by Made by Rae. I didn’t know proper blog etiquette (ummm…still don’t), but I e-mailed her – a huge blogger, and was blown away when I got a response. Not only a response, but a huge in depth response full of helpful information!

The sewing world is just so friendly, and this is the case for almost all bloggers you meet!

I even like to roam link parties for inspiration, like Mandy’s from Sugar Bee Crafts every Tuesday. Why? Because this is how I generally meet new people. I have found so many people that are just starting out thanks to a link party, and have been able to follow along as they grow. It is so much fun watching someone else’s success, it feels like you are cheering them on from the sidelines – and it is fantastic.

Image by: Me Sew Crazy

You are my sewing best friends, whether we actually correspond or not. You inspire me, keep me motivated, and lift me up with your posts and creativity. It is thanks to you that I released my first free sewing pattern a year and a half ago – the Spring Fever Dress. I wouldn’t have known that was possible until I saw others doing it. And because of you I grew in my sewing skills, and have been able to release my own line of digitized sewing patterns. I love following along, knowing there are others out there like me who have a passion for the creative art of sewing.

You even inspired me to come out with my latest endeavor – SewSet.

I love checking out other sewing blogs so much, that I realized there was no one place where we could all be found together. A sewing community was missing. Where was the ravelry for the sewing world?!!

What is SewSet?

SewSet is a brand new website that operates as a sewing pattern and tutorial hub. There was a need for an on-line sewing search engine, where users could search, browse and save sewing patterns from all of their favorite independent designers. For more information, click HERE.

It is still in the beginning phases, and we have lots more to introduce into SewSet with new features rolling out all of the time. But it is the start of something great. I hope you will hop on over and become a part of it, upload your own tutorials and patterns, create a designer profile, and get involved in the ever growing sewing community!

But NONE of this would have ever come to fruition if it wasn’t for YOU. You guys are my sewing friends. I couldn’t do it without you. And some of you will never know just how much you inspire me. I have stretched and grown further than I ever thought possible, and have found a lifelong love in my craft thanks to you.

It is you I have to thank, ever so humbly, as my best sewing friends.

Thanks so much for having me here Maryanne and Caroline, and for being one of my inspirations.

Until next time…Happy Sewing!