May 2015

A million apologies for the lack of an April 2015 Newsletter! We're going to make it up to you this month with the release of not one, but two FREE downloadables, including our long-awaited "Sew Easy with Spandex" e-Book and a fun, boho Tweak-the-Pattern on our latest release, Pattern #1057: Halter Swimsuit with Tiered Drape and Halter Swimdress for 18" Dolls.

• Sew Easy with Spandex FREE e-Book;

• Look what people have been making with our most recent pattern — Lee & Pearl #1057: Halter Swimsuit with Tiered Drape and Halter Swimdress for 18" Dolls;

• and finally, Tweak the Pattern #1057x: FRINGED Halter Swimsuit for 18" Dolls!

A few months ago, the moderators of the popular Doll Bazaar Facebook Group graciously asked us if we'd like to host a chat tutorial on swimsuit construction for 18" dolls. We were thrilled to be asked and jumped at the chance to spread the word about one of our favorite sewing secrets: that making ultra-realistic, ultra well-fitting doll swimsuits, skating dresses, leotards, costumes, dance gowns and other performance wear out of 4-way stretch, spandex-blend fabric is actually, remarkably, almost unbelievably, super-duper EASY.

For real.

We loved preparing our chat tutorial detailing our favorite tips and techniques for easy spandex stitching, including our NO SERGER? NO PROBLEM! directions for sewing performance fabrics with a standard sewing machine. We had a great time sharing this information with the folks on Doll Bazaar, and we knew we wanted to share it with all of YOU as well!

We've spent the last month working the chat information up into a downloadable PDF e-Book, containing detailed, photo-illustrated information on spandex fabrics, serger and standard sewing machine tips and techniques, fold over elastic application, encased elastic insertion, and finishing techniques like overlock stitches and rolled hems. You can use this information as a handy guide when working with Lee & Pearl™ patterns — or any other pattern that can be made with 4-way stretch, spandex-blend fabrics.

Read this document, and you, too, can be a stretch fabric expert!

CLICK HERE to download the Lee & Pearl™ Sew Easy with Spandex PDF eBook.

 

Last month, we released a fun new swimsuit pattern, #1057: Halter Swimsuit with Tiered Drape and Halter Swimdress for 18" Dolls.

Within hours of the release of this pattern, Marilyn Clarkin of QTpiedollclothing sent us pictures of outfits she had made in which she turned the halter swimdress into a halter top. Adorable, right?

But when we saw this next picture, we absolutely fell in love — and knew exactly what our next Tweak the Pattern feature had to be!

We love it when people take our patterns beyond the outfit on the cover. In fact, we often do that ourselves. Frequently in our newsletters, we offer a Tweak the Pattern downloadable document with instructions — and sometimes even new pattern pieces — for creating new items and outfits out of one of our existing patterns. This month, we're offering directions and a cutting template to turn our Pattern #1057: Halter Swimsuit into an awesome, boho-chic FRINGED swimsuit.

Slash that non-raveling spandex-blend fabric in your Halter Swimsuit to make an on-trend, boho-chic FRINGED version in this ultra-easy tweak of Lee & Pearl Pattern #1057: Halter Swimsuit with Tiered Drape and Halter Swimdress for 18" Dolls!

Isn't that the cutest thing ever? This Tweak looks great in a wide variety of 4-way stretch fabrics, from the slightly curly-edged jersey above, to the heavyweight "Mystique" spandex in the glittery, liquid-look pink version below:

Leave the fringe ends loose, knot them — or even slip on pretty, wide-bore beads as we've done with Caroline's denim-look suit:

By the way, if you like Caroline's denim-look fabric — which works perfectly for this Tweak — we still have a few Denim & Roses Swimsuit Fabric & Trim Kits left in the Fabric & Trim Kit Section of our Etsy store, as well as a limited number of Al Fresco and Urban Sprite Fabric & Trim Kits!

 

Click HERE to download the FREE Fringed Halter Swimsuit Tweak the Pattern PDF.

Note: Our download management system will ask for your email address. If you're already on our mailing list, use the same address that you signed up with. If you aren't already on our mailing list, the system will send a confirmation email to the address you enter. If you want to join us here at Lee & Pearl (and receive our annual FREE pattern for mailing list subscribers) respond to that confirmation email and we'll get you started!

NOTE: This tweak package does NOT include Pattern #1057: Halter Swimsuit with Tiered Drape and Halter Swimdress for 18" Dolls. This pattern can be purchased separately in our Etsy store.

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See you next month!