Sekora Chaila - Sew What! Fleece

sew what!
FLEECE

GET COMFY WiTH
35 HEAD-TO-TOE,
EASY-TO-SEW PROJECTS!

CAROL JESSOP
& CHAILA SEKORA

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Nancy D. Wood

Art direction by Cynthia McFarland

Cover design, interior design, and photo styling by Carol Jessop,

Black Trout Design

Text production by Kristy L. MacWilliams

Interior Photographs by Kevin Kennefick

Illustrations by Christine Erikson

Technical writing by Anita Collins

Technical editing by Janet DuBane

Indexed by Mary McClintock

2007 by Carol Jessop and Chaila Sekora

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwithout written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 800-793-9396.

Printed in Hong Kong by Elegance
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jessop, Carol.

Sew what! fleece / By Carol Jessop and Chaila Sekora.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-58017-626-2 (hardcover w/ concealed wiro : alk. paper) 1. Sewing. 2. Handicraft. 3. Fleece (Textile) 4. Flannel. I. Sekora, Chaila. II. Title. TT515.J48 2007

646.4dc22

2007016417

Fleece, the universal fabric

Sewing basics to get you started

Ten easy projects to get you warmed up

Projects to keep you warm outdoors

Cozy projects for relaxing indoors

Cuddly projects for your favorite wee person

Dogs get to be pampered, too!

DEAR FRiENDS,

After working on Sew What! Skirts, Storeys first book about sewing without a pattern, we were so inspired that we immediately starting thinking, Whats next? Sewing with fleece seemed like the obvious choice for the next book in the series. Making clothes without a pattern was daunting at first, but fleece is so forgiving, it practically begs you to experiment. Then, Carol had her breakthrough about starting with a body template as a basis for cutting out patterns. After that, our creative freedom really took off.

We would like to thank Deborah Balmuth for launching the series and encouraging us to submit our book proposal. Thanks to your support and your belief in the concept of patternless sewing, our ideas were allowed to take root. We also want to thank our editor, Nancy Wood; without you, truly, this book would not have been possible. Thanks so much for your patience, inspiration, and knowledge.

Special appreciation goes to Anita Collins for bringing her years of technical writing experience to the party. We can come up with the designs and make them look great, but writing about how we did it fell on your shoulders. Thanks for taking on a challenging job and seeing it through.

We applaud the amazing photography team of Kevin Kennifick, Sheri Riddell, and their models for making us look so good. Thanks also to Sarah Strong, Katie Case, and Franny Shuker-Haines, our intrepid seams tresses, for testing, refining, and producing many of our designs.

Lastly, Carol thanks her mother for teaching her to sew, although her mom does not remember it.

UNLIKE YOUR EX-BOYFRIEND OR YOUR MOTHER, fleece is forgiving. Its the perfect fabric for learning to sew and design apparel, a fabric that engages both sides of your brain. Your practical left side will approve of fleeces warmth, its easy wash-and-wear maintenance, and its stain-resistant qualities. Your creative right side will love fleeces tactile feel, the vast variety of colors, prints, and textures you can choose from, and how simple it is to create with.

This is not your grandmothers sewing book. This is your permission slip to have fun, to create, and to break any or all old-school sewing rules. The Sew What! series is designed to free up your inner wild seamstress as you simplify your sewing and increase your enjoyment. These books are not your typical, tailored sewing construction manuals. Theyre more like sewing cookbooks to help you express your individuality through fabric, form, and fashion.

Each project is photographed to inspire you and is described with step-by-step instructions. Youll also see ideas and suggestions that encourage you to create your own variations. You dont have to buy a pattern to create anything you see in this book. Well show you how to do it yourself, your way, to fit your body and your style.

So, start your love affair of sewing with fleece by designing, making, and gifting the projects found in this book. When you sew with fleece, there is no ironing, no traditional seam finishes, and no linings. starts you off with easy projects that use just a single layer of fleece and simple geometric shapes. Youll progress from sewing scarves, hats, and shawls to actually designing clothes with our patternless approach. By the end of this book youll have the confidence and know-how to create indoor, outdoor, and even pet-sized fashions. A whole new sewing world awaits you!

IF WE HAD TO NAME ONE UNIVERSAL FABRIC that is intuitively easy to sew, it would be fleece. This space-age fabric forever changed the way we dress for cold weather and sports. Not only is fleece comforting to wear, sewing with it is a liberating experience that naturally inspires creativity. Because fleece doesnt ravel or fray, you dont have to finish raw edges or worry about hems. You are free to make it up and do it your way!

What is fleece anyway? This lightweight, insulating fabric is made from polyester or (believe it or not) from recycled plastic bottles! Polarfleece was invented in 1979, in Massachusetts, by Malden Mills, and was designed to mimic wool. This man-made, high-performance fabric not only feels warm and cozy, it helps the environment, too.

MORE OR LESS

Since fleece fabric varies so much in width, weve based our cutting layouts on the most commonly available widths of 58" to 60". If the fleece you buy is radically different, you may need more or less fabric than we called for, or you might need to adjust how you cut things out.