Shape up your sewing with designs built around geometry! Angela Wolf has rectangles that become tabs on sleeves, Emily Thompson turns a circle into a skirt, Sarah Thomas creates projects from triangular flying geese blocks. Get ready for a show that centers around sewing shapes!

Angela Wolf starts off the show with a buttonhole and button sewing lesson as she adds roll up sleeve tabs to the Linda tunic. I have a few ready-made tops/shirts that have this tab attached to the sleeve. It comes in handy when moving from warmer places to cooler spaces all in a short period of time.

In this segment you'll see the latest and greatest buttonhole attachment designed and built by Brother for their top-of-the-line Luminaire machine. Lest you think this is just for the TOL machine, you should know that they've also designed one to fit many other Brother models. Click on the above image to see a complete list of compatible models. This new gizmo has the button in the front of the foot instead of the back end where it is on most one-step buttonhole accessories. It also includes a leveling plate which helps make buttonholes sew smoothly on uneven surfaces. If you'd like to more tips for stitching buttonholes you can CLICK HERE to read my previous post titled building Better Buttonholes.

Sewing on buttons by machine is the next thing you'll see Angela demonstrate. This little foot comes in two different forms. One has the slot to hold the button in place and the other one has a gripping foot to keep the button steady. CLICK HERE to watch a video that shows the second version of this foot in action.

A classic circle skirt is next on the agenda. Grown up girls and little girls alike love this swishy skirt style!

Emily Thompson of Life Sew Savory guides you through a few easy steps for making your own circle skirt in any size. You can view all of her instructions HERE, and see a second version in a little girl's size when you CLICK HERE and visit Emily's website.

If you'd like to sew your shapes into a colorful quilt block, then the last segment of this show is right up your alley!

Sarah Thomas of saridity.com gives you a lesson on completing her paper pieced flying geese block. Watch as she shares some great ideas for designing creative quilts in assorted sizes with this innovative variation of flying geese. There are so many ways to turn and flip these flying geese blocks!

For some of us geometry sounds too much like math, but I think this show proves that precise shapes turn into beautiful projects when guided by inspiring instructors. I hope you enjoy It's Sew Easy TV show 1706 as much as I did!

Michelle Pagnini’s tops are all a work of art. She is the queen of mix and matching, and her specialty is creating things of beauty without wasting a tidbit of fabric.

If you are used to precise sewing and matching to the point of perfection you may enjoy following her free motion excercise just to lighten up your sewing repertoire a bit. I could see her free-wheeling patchwork idea translated into a pillow or even a fun stuffed animal for a child.

​I see that Michelle is using a pair of Kai Pinking Shears to add a ravel resistant edge to her fabrics. I own this same pair and I can tell you, they are the finest I have ever used. Kai is a current sponsor of It's Sew Easy TV so we all get to try them out on set. As a side note, my second favorite pair is the 5 1/2-inch curved tip style.

This segment of the show is full of scrap happy fun. Don't forget to check out Michelle's instructions HERE. And yes, the video for this show is available on YouTube HERE.

Caroline is the next featured instructor. If you have ever felt self-conscious wearing sleeveless tops or if you would just like a nifty way to accent a sleeveless style, I think you'll really enjoy this segment.

Caroline's method for drafting and sewing simple cap sleeves will help diminish the bare feeling of having nothing covering the upper arm. This certainly adds a dressy look to a garment with the option for sleeves that color coordinate with your fabric. 

CLICK HERE for complete instructions and HERE for the YouTube video.

Sarah Thomas from saridity.com is an artistic custom quilter with a variety innovative and interesting quilting methods.

In this segment you'll see Sarah layout the plan for flying geese that are fussy cut and paper pieced in an innovative quilt block.  You can watch the full video HERE.

I'm wondering how many of you have tried paper piecing.  With paper piecing what you see on the paper is the reverse of what you will sew. I've worked on a couple paper pieced projects and I know it is a fantastic way to get intricate patchwork that would be difficult if not impossible using other more standard methods. Some of my fellow stitchers really love the technique. As for me, I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it floats my boat. How about you? If you have paper pieced in the past I'd love to hear about your experience. Please share in the comments below! 

Once again, Angela's classy Linda tunic pattern is the star of the show. First she shows gathering for the yokes and then she sews a neatly finished collar. I enjoyed watching her sew the collar as it's the very same method I learned way back when in fashion school. Sometimes called the burrito method, this technique is a way to avoid hand stitches where the collar meets the front edges. In fact, Angela presses under the reamining seam allowance and stitches the entire collar by machine. However, after you get the front edges done you could choose to hand sew the inside of the collar and follow up with a final topstitch all around the collar. I'm a little on the fussy side so I prefer to hand sew before topstitching, but it's really just a matter of personal preference.
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Don't forget, you can purchase the Linda Tunic pattern and any other pattern with a 15% discount* if you visit Angela's site and use JOANNE as your code. CLICK HERE to watch this show on YouTube.

Up next, Reen will entertain you with a practical passport cover, yet another one of her amazing In-The-Hoop designs. 

Reen's Embroidery Garden site is a virtual candy land for machine embroidery enthusiasts. Her specialty is In-The-Hoop projects design with attention to detail for foolproof results. Flawless finsihing is a hallmark of Reen's designs with lined purses, pouches, and a plethora of projects that are perfect for gifts you want to keep or give away to cherished friends and family. 

Reen has several travel worthy pieces you can make. CLICK HERE to view Reen's instructions and you'll find a download for a free needle keeper travel case. Watch this video on YouTube HERE.

June Mellinger finishes the show with a project made from her block in show 1703. My friend June is a true machine maven. I doubt that there is anything she cannot sew. Remember her flying geese block from the previous show? Wait till you see how she finishes it!

​You'll see her do some fancy footwork in this show, using the Stitch in the Ditch foot for accurate quilting.

​She uses another one of my favorite feet, the Overcasting Foot to overcast the raw edges as a substitute for using a serger.

​This foot actually has a pin which acts as a stitch finger to perfectly form the overcasting stitch without puckering up the fabric, much like a serger does.

Take a look at her beautiful finished e-reader sleeve! Click on the image for June's downloadable instructions and CLICK HERE if you'd like to watch this show on the shows YouTube channel.

During this segment I had the opportunity to feature another pretty pashmina based on my book titled Wrapped in Embroidery.

The dress forms are draped with two pashminas from the book, the Florals and Ribbon Pashmina is in the center and the Classic Banded and Beribboned Pashmina is on the right. The third pashmina on the far left is the one I created especially for the show. Each of these has three things in common:
1. A fabric band added to a ready-made pashmina.
2. Machine embroidery added to the band of fabric before it is attached.
3. Silk ribbons trimming the fabric for a neat finish and a color coordinated accent.

Each one of the embroidery designs you see are part of the collection included in Wrapped in Embroidery. I chose to stitch on pre-washed silk dupioni for the navy/silver pashmina. I love the way the silk softens up after washing.

​You may be curious about the actual pashminas. I hunted for the best quality I could find for the book projects and came across a website called The Pashmina Store where I found exquisite silk blend pashminas. They are pricey but beautiful. In search of a more economical option I found the navy one online. Though it's a bit heavier it is none-the-less soft and drapey. CLICK HERE for step by step instructions for this elegant wrap and you'll find out where I purchased the navy wrap. You can re-watch this show HERE on my YouTube channel.

Meg Healy is well known for her garment sewing and her association with Burda patterns online. In this show she takes a simple dress and turns it into a trendy two piece outfit.

In the beginning she shows the dress printed directly onto the dress fabric - no paper and no pattern! You may wonder how this came to be. Apparently, Spoonflower fabric printing company once offered this option in partnership with Sprout Patterns. As of this posting, this service has been discontinued. You can read more HERE. 

If you would like to watch this segment you'll find it HERE, on the KS Productions YouTube channel. Click on the image with Meg's photo for her detailed instructions for the two piece outfit.

In the last short segment, June Mellinger shows simple steps for sewing a flying geese block using the Brother PQ1500SL high speed straight stitch machine. Watch as she zips through the construction of this classic quilt block pattern.

Click on the image above for June's downloadable instructions. In the next show you'll see what she makes with her finished block. CLICK HERE if you'd like to watch this show on KS Production's YouTube channel.