Monday, August 31, 2026
Colorful Panel Skirt with Baby Lock Victory
I bought these beautiful Kaffe Fassett fabrics a long time ago with the intention of making a skirt. I get easily distracted with so many other projects I want to make. I finally decided to make my vision a reality. I will share a simple tutorial on how I made the skirt without a commercial pattern. Let's jump right in! * You Will Need Three different kinds of fabrics --- I used Kaffe Fassett quilter's Cotton fabrics. They are 44" wide and I bought 1 yard each. I am 5'3" and 110 lbs. If you are taller and a bit heavier than me, you will need more fabrics. 3/4" wide elastic --- You will need the measurement of your waist + a couple inches Other sewing necessities such as thread, marking tool and pins. You could totally make this skirt with a sewing machine alone, but having a serger definitely speeds up the process. There are so many long seams on this skirt, my Baby Lock Victory took care of them effortlessly!* How To 1. Create a simple pattern. Don't be intimidated, it is a very simple one single panel. Measure the widest part of your bottom body. Mine is my hip. I added 6" to that measurement. I wanted to use 9 panels; 3 panels from each fabric. I divided the number by 9 and added 1" to that measurement for seam allowance (1/2" for both sides). Now you have the measurement for the top. For my skirt, the bottom seam is 13". Draw a line from top to bottom on both sides, and draw a slight curve on each side along the bottom of the skirt.
2. Cut casing for the elastic. I cut one 3"x 44" (width of the fabric) strip. If you are making a larger skirt, you need to cut more. One of the great things about this skirt is that you don't have to have the exact same fabric to create the casing. You can add different fabric and it will not look odd at all. 3. I folded the fabric in three, laid the pattern on top and used a rotary cutter to cut. Repeat the process with the other fabrics and in no time you will have all the panels done. 4. Lay out the fabrics to make sure you have them in the order you want them. Sew them together. 5. Take care of the seam to prevent fraying. This is where I really love having reliable serger! I used to not have a serger and I had to use zig zag stitches. I felt like the process took forever! I was able to take care of the seam in no time. For this I set the machine setting to 3 thread overlock - wide. This allows the seam to be securely finished without adding extra bulk. Press the seam with an iron. 6. Put together the ends of the casing right sides together and sew. Make sure to leave a 3/4" (or less) opening to put elastic through. 7. Pin the casing to the top of the skirt and sew all around it. Fold the other seam 1/2" and press. Fold it again and bring the folded edge to the sewn line and top stitch to create the casing for the elastic. 8. Put elastic through the casing and sew the ends of the elastic to secure it. Now you have a fun skirt to wear! When I showed this skirt to my family, the response was,"Wow!", "So bright!". Yes, you are darn right! It is pretty bright and busy, but surprisingly, there are so many tops I could wear it with. I did a little fashion show in my living room. Allow me to share them with you... Throw a green cardigan on basic tank Washed blue cotton sweater is nice option as well Light denim short sleeve shirt I think this is my favorite combo! I thrifted this cardigan recently. They go so well together! You can never go wrong with a simple cream colored cotton cardigan. Easy, cozy and happy. The skirt is going to be a great transition piece from summer to fall. You could always choose more tame fabrics and create a skirt that you love. It is such an easy piece to sew and wear. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and a little fashion show!
Labels:
Baby Lock Serger
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Baby Lock Victory
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handmade
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sewing
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skirt
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tutorial
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Fabric Notebook Cover with Baby Lock Serger Victory
I was going to buy a notebook, then I saw a good old partially used notebook laying around in our office. I decided to whip up a notebook cover to make it more pretty. When I say "whip up", it literally means quick and simple and it was possible with my Baby Lock Victory. I didn't exactly time myself, but I would say this whole project took me 30 minutes or less. If you are looking for an easy peasy, pretty and practical sewing project (and gift) idea, this is it!
* You Will Need
Notebook - The notebook I used was 9 3/4" x 7 1/2" x 1/2"
Main fabric (at least 24" wide and 11" tall and it goes for the liner and interfacing too)
liner fabric
Fusible Interfascing (I used Pellon 950)
14" long ribbon that is complimentally to the front fabric
* How To
1. As I mentioned on the supply list, the notebook I used is a pretty standard size. If you are using a smaller or larger notebook, please adjust your fabric measurement accordingly. Cut the main fabric, liner fabric and fusible interfacing to 10 1/2" x 23 1/2".
2. Fuse interfacing to the main fabric by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Lay the fused fabric with liner fabric wrong sides together. Make sure the corners and seams are perfectly matched and pin.
4. Use the serger to sew the edges of the 10 1/4" seams on the both ends.
5. Lay the Main fabric side up on the table. Fold 4" from the ends and pin. Pin the Ribbon in the middle. I am showing the ribbon up, but you want the ribbon attached onto the top middle under the fabric going towards the bottom. I am showing what not to do in the picture. haha. I cut off the ribbon at the first attempt and realized I did it wrong.
6. Hide the thread ends for a clean finish.
7. Fold the ribbon out and give some stitches to make it more secure.
8. Pull out the corners. Use a pin or other tools to pull out the corners to have a nice crisp finish. Press with iron.
9. Fold the seams on the middle part of the notebook cover and press with iron. To secure the seam, you could either handstitch, use fabric glue or stitch with a sewing machine. I didn't want the stitches showing on the front of the notebook cover; I decided to hand stitch.
10. Insert the covers of the notebook to the sleeves and you are ready to enjoy the notebook with personality. I fell in love with this Windham Fabric Lush Life designed by Jennifer Moore.
There are other methods to create book covers, but I love how easy and quick my version is. Using my Baby Lock Victory definitely speeds things up and I love how clean those serged edges look.:)
Labels:
Baby Lock Serger
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Baby Lock Victory
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gift ideas
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handmade
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Notebook cover
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Serger
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tutorial
Monday, February 2, 2026
Waterfall Wedding Veil with Baby Lock Victory ~ Tutorial with Diagram
Hi all! I can't believe we are already starting February. I hope everyone is doing well.
Me? I am pretty busy because my one and only daughter is getting married at the beginning of March! If you have been reading my blog for a long time (Thank you so much for visiting this humble place.), you have known my daughter since she was a baby. It's surreal that my kids are old enough to be married and adulting. Starting with my eldest son, we have been having weddings every 10 months. So far, I have made some flower arrangements. I am in the process of making her wedding quilt, altering her dress, making a send off dress and she wanted me to make her a couple veils. One long cathedral veil for the bridal photos and a short one for the reception. We were going through images online to see what style of veil she wanted and she really liked the waterfall style veil with blusher. I knew I could rely on my Baby Lock Victory to add the delicate details for her special day. I was confident that using 3-Thread Rolled Edge, I could achieve the exact look I was going for. To tell you the truth, I have never used this stitch before, but with the reference guide, it was pretty easy to set up my machine for the narrow rolled edge. There is a recommended stitch length and width, but I played around for a bit to create a very thin and more delicate edge than the usual rolled edge.
I couldn't find a pattern and tutorials for the exact style we wanted, so I came up with my own measurement as I went. I created a simple diagram for you to use along with my tutorial. Spring and Summer will be the wedding season; do you hear wedding bells, anyone? Let's get started!
* You will need
Tulle---- 60" wide x 56" long
Threads that matches your fabric
4" comb
* How to
1. Take the 60" w x 56" long fabric and fold it a couple times length wise. Trim the side edges to give it a clean look. After the trimming, the fabric is 55 1/2" wide. 2. Open the fabric and fold it in half length wise, and then fold it again width wise. Cut the corner to give a nice rounded edge. I used a cutting mat and rotary cutter, it is so much easier to create clean lines. 3. Unfold the fabric. This time, fold it so that the bottom fabric is longer and the top layer is 27" from the folded line to the edge. Cut off the top corners as the diagram shows. Then cut the rest of the folded edge open. 4. Sew and gather 10" in the middle of the top edge. Pull the thread to create a 4" (width of the comb) gathered edge. 5. Use 3-Thread Rolled edge, serge the two layers of fabrics. I was very happy with the stitches. 6. Cut 2" x 4" tulle and fold it in half. Sew it to the gathered edge from step 4. Fold the tulle in half to the other side and stitch. Sew comb on by hand. 7. Here is the finished veil. We are very pleased with the finished veil. I know she will look so beautiful with her dress on with her veil and I can't wait to see it. I am very happy for her, but I also feel a small sting in my heart. My little girl is moving on to the next stage of life. I am going to cherish whatever time I have with her planning her wedding together.
Me? I am pretty busy because my one and only daughter is getting married at the beginning of March! If you have been reading my blog for a long time (Thank you so much for visiting this humble place.), you have known my daughter since she was a baby. It's surreal that my kids are old enough to be married and adulting. Starting with my eldest son, we have been having weddings every 10 months. So far, I have made some flower arrangements. I am in the process of making her wedding quilt, altering her dress, making a send off dress and she wanted me to make her a couple veils. One long cathedral veil for the bridal photos and a short one for the reception. We were going through images online to see what style of veil she wanted and she really liked the waterfall style veil with blusher. I knew I could rely on my Baby Lock Victory to add the delicate details for her special day. I was confident that using 3-Thread Rolled Edge, I could achieve the exact look I was going for. To tell you the truth, I have never used this stitch before, but with the reference guide, it was pretty easy to set up my machine for the narrow rolled edge. There is a recommended stitch length and width, but I played around for a bit to create a very thin and more delicate edge than the usual rolled edge.
I couldn't find a pattern and tutorials for the exact style we wanted, so I came up with my own measurement as I went. I created a simple diagram for you to use along with my tutorial. Spring and Summer will be the wedding season; do you hear wedding bells, anyone? Let's get started!
* You will need
Tulle---- 60" wide x 56" long
Threads that matches your fabric
4" comb
* How to
1. Take the 60" w x 56" long fabric and fold it a couple times length wise. Trim the side edges to give it a clean look. After the trimming, the fabric is 55 1/2" wide. 2. Open the fabric and fold it in half length wise, and then fold it again width wise. Cut the corner to give a nice rounded edge. I used a cutting mat and rotary cutter, it is so much easier to create clean lines. 3. Unfold the fabric. This time, fold it so that the bottom fabric is longer and the top layer is 27" from the folded line to the edge. Cut off the top corners as the diagram shows. Then cut the rest of the folded edge open. 4. Sew and gather 10" in the middle of the top edge. Pull the thread to create a 4" (width of the comb) gathered edge. 5. Use 3-Thread Rolled edge, serge the two layers of fabrics. I was very happy with the stitches. 6. Cut 2" x 4" tulle and fold it in half. Sew it to the gathered edge from step 4. Fold the tulle in half to the other side and stitch. Sew comb on by hand. 7. Here is the finished veil. We are very pleased with the finished veil. I know she will look so beautiful with her dress on with her veil and I can't wait to see it. I am very happy for her, but I also feel a small sting in my heart. My little girl is moving on to the next stage of life. I am going to cherish whatever time I have with her planning her wedding together.
Labels:
Baby Lock Serger
,
Baby Lock Victory
,
sewing
,
Waterfall veil
,
Wedding Veil
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