DIY Pencil Skirt: An Easy Drafting & Sewing Tutorial

Wear with a tucked-in t-shirt and sandals on a casual day, pair with a blouse and pumps for the office, or style it with a sequin top and stilettos for a fun night out. The timeless and versatile pencil skirt is easy to style and oh-so quick to sew. 

This high waisted pull-on skirt features a comfortable full elastic waistband. You can make this skirt as fitted or as loose as you want in your desired length in a knit fabric that has a great recovery with about 25-50% stretch.

But, right now let’s get drafting!

Continue Reading

DIY Ear Flap Hat FREE Pattern & Tutorial

A simple tutorial on how to make a DIY winter hat with earflaps using a free printable pattern. 

This winter hat has a finished circumference of 23″ – it fits all the adults in my family comfortably as well as my son who was 7 when I made him his. I also have a smaller version of this Earflap hat here which has an 19.5″ circumference. Check it out here.

I get asked often if woven can be used for the shell of the hat. Definitely! You can use ANY kind of fabrics for the shell – corduroy, leather, or even a windproof waterproof fabric. The lining is something you would want to be as soft as possible as it will be against your ears and face. Fleece, Sherpa, and faux fur are excellent options. 

If you do make this earflap hat, be sure to share your beautiful pictures on Instagram or Facebook with #zunessewingtherapy. I’d love to see your style!

Ok, let’s get started! 

Continue Reading

DIY Halloween Shirts

You don’t need to go all out on a costume to get into the spirit of Halloween. These quick and easy DIY Halloween shirts are a fun way to show off your spooky style. You can wear it with anything and be ready for everything from a trip to a haunted house or a scary movie marathon!

Choosing the perfect Halloween fabric is half the fun! I got this interlock knit because purple is my dear friend’s favorite color , and nothing screams Halloween more than bats! 

Twinsies!

One and half yards got me 2 short sleeve shirts, a medium and an XS. I made my friend’s shirt using this free PDF pattern

You can also easily copy a shirt you have in your closet to make your Halloween t-shirt, like I did for mine. You already know how your shirt fits your body so it easily takes the guesswork (and stress) out of fixing any fitting issues later. If you’d like to learn how to clone your favorite clothes, check out this tutorial.  

Share your DIY Halloween shirts on the Zune’s Sewing Therapy Facebook or tag me on Instagram @sew_zune. I’d love to see your spooky style!

Continue Reading

DIY T-shirt Transformation into a Halter Top

I’m so excited to share with you a fun and easy t-shirt transformation project! As I am a huge lover of versatile garments, this tutorial can also be used to make a bikini, bralette, or a triangle cup crop top, like I did here. 

Before we begin, be sure to tag me on Instagram @sew_zune or share your pictures on the Zune’s Sewing Therapy Facebook. I’d love to see your finished project!

Let’s get started…

Continue Reading

Scoop Neck T-Shirt – Free Pattern & Tutorial

I love simple sewing projects that need little to no deciphering, especially during summer vacation when I am helping Logan with his summer studies and also trying to sew at the same time. 

I made this scoop neck t-shirt pattern for my mother who has keloid on her neck and chest from multiple thyroid surgeries. Keloids are raised scars that continue to grow even after the original injured skin has healed. They’re not harmful or contagious, but can cause pain, itchiness, or discomfort. Since one of my mother’s keloids is right on her chest, she prefers clothing with necklines that do not rub against and irritate the tender scar. So this is her favorite summer pattern – comfy to wear and easy to pair with a variety of bottoms!

If you do make this t-shirt, be sure to tag me on Instagram @sew_zune or post on the Zune’s Sewing Therapy Facebook. I’d love to see your finished project! 

Ok, let’s begin…

Continue Reading

Cap Sleeve Top – Free Pattern & Tutorial

I got this Cape May Sea Life Delight fabric from Joann’s 2 years ago and it’s still one of my favorites. It’s lightweight and cool, plus the cute sea creature prints just shout summer vacation and beach!

I’ve already made a cinched waist dress out of this fabric, tutorial here and video here, so I knew I wanted to make a loose top that could be worn casually with jeans or styled with a skirt for a meeting. 
Let’s make it!

Continue Reading

Quarter Circle Skirt (Woven Version) – FREE PATTERN & TUTORIAL

I’m so excited to be sharing one of my favorite skirt styles with you, the quarter circle skirt. It’s feminine and flattering on any body type so join me and make yourself one (or a few) today!

I’m doing 3 tutorials on different ways to make the quarter circle skirt. This is the 2nd of the series which uses a woven fabric and an invisible zipper. The FREE printable template is included below. If you haven’t tried the 1st woven pull up skirt version, check it out here!

I love this zippered version so much that I’ve made 2 already, both in linen. And since they’re both midi-length, I’ve been able to wear them to meetings and school events. 

Continue Reading

Quarter Circle Skirt (Easy Pull Up Version) – FREE TEMPLATE & TUTORIAL

My Outfit:
DIY Quarter Circle Skirt
DIY Ruched Tank Top
Do you want to make yourself a ruched top too? I’ll include a how-to link here later!

Every summer I find myself alternating between shorts and cropped jeans, so at the beginning of this year I promised myself that I would break my own boring tradition by adding more fun, flirty skirts to my wardrobe! I decided to go for the quarter circle style which is very much like the A-line skirt – it has a fitted top and a flared bottom. It’s truly a timeless wardrobe staple that flatters women of any age, size, or body shape. Trust me, you just can’t wrong with this style!

I’ll be posting a few tutorials on different variations of the quarter circle skirt made in knits and woven. Let’s start off the series with an elastic waist pull up version made in woven. This skirt was really easy on my swollen fingers and I was able to dress myself quickly with no issues before running out to do errands. Another thing I love about the quarter circle skirt is that it doesn’t use as much fabric as the full or half circle skirts. Winning! 

Also, you can share pictures of your finished quarter circle skirt on the Zune’s Sewing Therapy Facebook or tag @sew_zune on Instagram. I’d love to see how you style it!

Here’s how to make it…

Continue Reading

Ruffle Swing Top + GIVEAWAY

I am officially obsessed with ruffles! I feel like the only thing that’s been getting me through this chilly and extremely foggy weather is planning some fun summer wardrobe. I created the swing top with 2 layers of ruffles using this organic bamboo fabric from The Sewing Retreat. I have eczema and constant Rheumatoid Arthritis flare ups so I really enjoy wearing breathable, loose fitting clothes made from natural fibers. And since both my kids have bad eczema as well, I’ll be making outfits for them from this fabric which I’ll post the patterns as I make them. I’m looking forward to a super comfy summer wardrobe for all of us!

Also, I’m collaborating with The Sewing Retreat – one of my favorite online shops for organic fabrics and trims – to give away a $5 gift card as well as a 5% discount code so go treat yourself to some eco friendly fabrics and sew some pretty tops with me! Scroll to the bottom of this post to get the discount code, instructions on how to enter the giveaway and how to get this ruffle top pattern.

This ruffle swing top was one of the 7 looks from my capsule collection which was voted by several sewing groups on Facebook as the most fun to wear and easy to make for all sewing levels. A big shout out to my fellow sewists for taking the time to vote!

I spy a giftcard in a cute little envelope!

Let’s get started!

Continue Reading

Copy Your Favorite T-shirt – Simple & Easy Patternmaking Tutorial

Do you have a t-shirt that you absolutely love and wish you could just pop it in the printer to make a dozen copies of it in an array of colors and patterns? Well, you can (sort of) by making a pattern out of it! I’ll show you how to copy, measure, and true your favorite t-shirt pattern so that it’ll fit and hang the exact same way as your favorite t-shirt. I”ve also included how to make a long sleeve version as well. Let’s get started!

Continue Reading