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Sie Macht

She Makes | A Sewing Blog

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Erin Van Handel is the brains and brawn behind Sie macht.

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I love this Lola sweater dress from @victorypatter

I love this Lola sweater dress from @victorypatterns - but I have two issues with it. (It's not the pattern itself, which is lovely; these are Erin Problems™️.)⁠
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First, I sewed this pattern too large; I should have gone at least one size smaller. The proportions are juuuust a little off for my body. (If you'd like to see more photos of Lola, go to the bio link and search "lola.")⁠
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Second, I hung the dress on a hanger, and I *think* it's stretched out, obviously not a good scene for a garment that already was too big.⁠
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TBH, I would reach for this dress more if I didn't feel like it looked out of proportion on me. (Gosh darn you, perfectionism!)⁠
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I have a legit question for you: Should I shorten this dress to hit mid-thigh to above the knee? What would you do? How often do you go back and reimagine your me-made garments?⁠
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Please leave a comment for me. TY!⁠
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#victorypatternslola⁠
#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll (as screamed

Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllll (as screamed football/soccer style)!!!!!!!!!!!⁠
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I want to take a hot minute to chat about a business goal, a sewing pattern design goal.⁠
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In case ya didn't know/realize, along with being a sewing blogger at Sie Macht, I also design PDF patterns. I have ONE pattern out, a free T-shirt called Cass 👕 #smcass 👕⁠
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Cass comes in misses and plus-sized ranges, and you can snag her via the bio link. She's relaxed, she's THREE pattern pieces, and she sews up F-A-S-T.⁠
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Carrying on in regard to Cass AND goals...⁠
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I have a Cass-related goal for the month of January. By the end of January, I will complete instruction illustrations for the Cass Book of Hacks, to be released this spring.⁠
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I'm compiling hacks for the Cass T and putting them in a book, and I'm illustrating the trickiest bits of each hack.⁠
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And sewing duders, it's a lot of work. I'm using Adobe Illustrator, and let me tell you, there is a learning curve on that software like you wouldn't believe. Plus, there's the thinking through/visualizing HOW each illustration needs to clearly express what's hard to capture in words.⁠
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When I set a biz goal for February, I'll let you know how I did on this one. It's a real beast, though, and I would greatly appreciate some hype from YOU as I hit the home stretch toward crushing this goal.⁠
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P.S. This is a photo of me lugging around muslin, an important tool in my practice as a sewing pattern designer!⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

Were you a lucky little sewist who got a serger fo

Were you a lucky little sewist who got a serger for Christmas?⁠
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Are you psyched about your new overlocker but also a bit freaked out?⁠
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I've had my serger (Baby Lock Imagine) for many years now, and I STILL get a bit intimidated by this knife-ful, fast-sewing machine.⁠
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That's one of the reasons I wrote a guide on gear for one's serger (at siemachsewingblog.com or bio link - search "serger"). I'm one of those ppl who talks herself down by doing a crap-tonne of research on topics that intimidate her.⁠
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Does that sometimes mean I use research to procrastinate? NO COMMENT.⁠
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Anyhoo. Serger stuff for newbies. Get into it.⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

Happy New Year, my sewing doves! I hope you had a

Happy New Year, my sewing doves! I hope you had a lovely holiday with lots of good cheer, good company, and good sleep.
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I received from Der Hubs these two sweet sewing-themed ornaments by @lightandpaperali 🎁 He saw the ornaments in the Sie Macht gift guide for sewists and took action! (If you're interested, you can check out the guide via the bio link.)
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Did you get any sewing-related goodies for the holidays? One my SILs gave me a Joann gift card, which is always a treat to receive.
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And - unrelated to sewing but KINDA related to sewing - one of my other SILs gave me a soil moisture checker and grow light for my burgeoning collection of houseplants.
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I say it's KINDA sewing related because most of my plants are in my sewing studio/office; I'm trying to turn the room into an indoor jungle (I have a LONG way to go). 🪴🌱
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P.S. My plants aren't on the floor all the time! That's a good place to hang the grow lamp while giving my plants some light.
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#sewingisfun
#sewinglovers
#sewingismysuperpower
#sewingissexy
#memadewardrobe
#imakemyownclothes
#handmadestyle
#garmentsewing
#seamstresslife
#homesewn
#sewinglife
#sewingcommunity
#sewingblogger
#sewingfun
#sewsewsew
#sewersgonnasew
#sewingblog
#sewingismytherapy
#sewist
#sewcialist
#sewcialistsofinstagram
#sewcial
#instasew
#instasewing
#instasewers
#isewmyownclothes
#milwaukeesews
#wisconsinsews

Hello again! 'Tis I, the troll woman who lives und

Hello again! 'Tis I, the troll woman who lives under your sewing machine!⁠
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This is a gentle reminder that, once you've FINALLY finished all your holiday sewing, you *probably* should schedule some maintenance on your machine - especially if you're overdue for an annual cleaning and tuneup.⁠
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This is a rhetorical questions, so be honest: When was the last time your machine was serviced? (Is it time?)⁠
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P.S. I'm taking a posting break for about a week or so. Happy New Year!⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

"Personal style is about a sense of yourself, a se

"Personal style is about a sense of yourself, a sense of what you believe in and wearing what you like." -Ralph Lauren⁠
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Sew what you like, and wear what you like, my sewing friends!⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

If you haven't hugged your fabric stash lately, WH

If you haven't hugged your fabric stash lately, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?⁠
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It only can make you feel better. (Sure as heck won't make you feel worse!)⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

Woo hoo, I've definitely been wearing my #clarecoa

Woo hoo, I've definitely been wearing my #clarecoat from @closetcorepatterns ❄️ It makes me feel chic when the temperature drops in Milwaukee.⁠
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Do you have many single-season me-made clothes? I don't, really, because I'm a thrifty and practical gal. This Clare coat is one of the few one-season-only garments.⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

Yo, I'm thinking about making a WINTER/cold weathe

Yo, I'm thinking about making a WINTER/cold weather version of #butterick #b6051 with LONG SLEEVES!⁠
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Question for you - what fabric should I use? It needs to be a drapey knit. LMK!⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews

Duckbill scissors (right) and embroidery scissors

Duckbill scissors (right) and embroidery scissors are star players on my roster of sewing supplies.⁠
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These guys are perfect for snipping stray threads and clipping and notching seam allowances.⁠
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Should you be interested, I've rounded up alllll my sewing supplies on one handy-dandy webpage; link in bio.⁠
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How many scissors do you use in your sewing practice?⁠
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#sewingisfun⁠
#sewinglovers⁠
#sewingismysuperpower⁠
#sewingissexy⁠
#memadewardrobe⁠
#imakemyownclothes⁠
#handmadestyle⁠
#garmentsewing⁠
#seamstresslife⁠
#homesewn⁠
#sewinglife⁠
#sewingcommunity⁠
#sewingblogger⁠
#sewingfun⁠
#sewsewsew⁠
#sewersgonnasew⁠
#sewingblog⁠
#sewingismytherapy⁠
#sewist⁠
#sewcialist⁠
#sewcialistsofinstagram⁠
#sewcial⁠
#instasew⁠
#instasewing⁠
#instasewers⁠
#isewmyownclothes⁠
#milwaukeesews⁠
#wisconsinsews⁠
#sewingtools⁠
#sewingkit