Malotke Sews

Norwescon 48 is happening April 2026 and each year they host a Single Pattern Contest. Last year was my first year attending and I was mainly focused on my panels and workshops. I had time to take some artsy workshops but I didn't know about this contest until during the convention. More about the contest, from their website : "Each year, the Single Pattern Contest challenges creative, sewing, and crafting skills by choosing one pattern as the basis for your creativity! The object of the competition is to create a one-of-a-kind creation using this pattern. Some adjustments or changes to the pattern are allowed as long as the end product reflects the original pattern. Norwescon is excited to announce the two pattern options for this year’s Single Pattern Contest: this Hooded Duster Coat or McCall’s Misses’/Men’s Lined and Unlined Cape (M4139). Competition awards will include, but are not limited to, best workmanship, best use of convention theme, and best in competition. Awards...

The MoPOP hosts an annual Fashionably Undead Halloween party. It's one night & has a costume contest, late night open exhibits, food & beverages, and DANCING. Also photo ops and other cool things like a scavenger hunt. This past year the theme was "The Goopening" and I was invited to be one of the Costume Contest Judges. It was a blast! First off, what a surreal experience. I loved seeing how creative the attendees were and everyone that entered the contest was excited to show off their work. We had a few items for judging criteria and there were a LOT of entrants. Overall, I loved seeing everyone embody their characters / costumes. The top five got to do a little runway walk to show the audience and then the winners were announced on stage as well. Since I love a good excuse to do a costume AND I was one of the costume judges I felt like I needed to make a fun goopy look for the evening. BUT it also had to be something that I could drive in, sit for a long period...

  Halloween catnip bags were made! Basic instructions: 1. Cut out rectangles (9 inches long & 5 inches wide) 2. Fold in half with fabric facing inside then iron 3. Sew two sides shut (1/5 inch seam allowance) & leave top unsewn 4. Turn inside out 5. Fill with desired amount of catnip 6. Turn top down, stitch top shut - machine "top stitch" or by hand  

I'm sure your social media feeds are full of face mask posts, but I  just wanted to share a few more pictures of some of the fabric face masks I made for co-workers, family, and friends. Above is a progress photo from a blue and white geometric printed mask I made where I was super happy with pattern matching around the slit in the middle. Pictured above are three black and white masks I made for family in Canada. There are two types of plaid and a lovely houndstooth one as well. All of my masks were made using the method I posted about: Project Homemade Face Mask . They're all breathable, cotton fabrics that are double layered and pleated. The slit in the middle allows you to add a filter to your mask for extra protection. 

This past week I finally got around to making a tie blanket out of fabric I've had in my stash forever. Probably last year I had purchased the black and white Jack Skellington fabric as a remnant from Jo Ann's when it was on super sale. Recently, to make my way through my stash I figured out what projects I could reasonably finish in the next few months and what materials I needed in order to finish the projects. I had decided I wanted to make a tie blanket using the Jack Skellington fabric, so I needed to purchase another fabric to make the fabric. Originally I had planned on just getting a plain black piece but once I started browsing the store I decided on a fun Christmas themed fabric with the Nightmare Before Christmas characters: Jack, Sally, and Zero. I think it's a super fun blanket that works for both Halloween and Christmas. It took about an hour overall between cutting the fabric to be the same size (the employees that cut fabric don't always cut it straig...

Above is a close up on the neckline. I used a solid black knit for the neckline to really stand out against the red poppy pattern. After finishing the neckline I just needed to finish the hem! Since it was already serged, I decided to just roll the hemline up and zig-zag stitch it in place. The final look! The top is a little big overall, but I like the length of the short sleeves. If I made another top I would make the top a little more snug and I would move the peplum up the waistline about two inches to work better with my body shape.  For this top I used a test pattern I received a few years ago, the Parker Peplum, as a sloper in a way. After I had laid the two pattern pieces out on the fabric, I changed the underarm/side seam curve. I also did the sleeves and neckline differently than when I created this top the first time: Pattern Testing Part 2 .

After going through all of my fabric I decided to make a couple of simple styled tops to add to my work clothes closet. I have a pattern for a peplum top that has just 3 pattern pieces (cut two of each: front/back, sleeve cuff, and peplum). I chose a stretchy red, black, and white poppy print fabric from my stash and started working on the top. I laid the fabric out, pinned the pieces, and cut everything out. Then with everything cut out, I started to pin stuff together and run it through my serger. Pictured above is a snapshot of me pinning the front and back sides. After serging the side seams together I serged the sleeves and the cuff pattern. Then I rolled and pinned the cuffs and hand sewed them to the serged seams. I serged a black ribbed knit to the neckline and then, like the sleeves, rolled it and pinned it to the serged seams to then hand sew together. After this I just have the hemline to finish!  I'll post a picture of me wearing it once the hem is finished.

More face masks just waiting to have their pleats sewn! Black, blue, and some fun Star Wars printed fabrics. Close up on my Halloween inspired plaid fabric face masks. Masks consist of orange and black plaid, black elastic, and black thread. Pictured above are the 10 fabric face masks I made yesterday!

The Final Look: A while back I finished this lovely dress but it when it was finished it was way too big for me. I had managed to drop a few sizes while I had been making the dress. Ever since it's completion it has sat in a pile of almost finished personal projects. I finally decided to make the necessary alterations so I could add this fun dress to my closet. I needed to basically take the dress apart and redo it. I took the skirt off, removed the zipper, and undid the side seams. I then added a front seam and took in the side seams. I redid the hem on the skirt and moved the waistline up a few inches to a more flattering place for my waist. When I sewed the top and skirt together I chose to do a couple of pleats instead of gathering stitches. With the geometric print of the fabric I thought it would add a little more visual interest. After this I  redid the zipper, choosing a shorter than the original.  Now it not only fits, but it is flattering on me and I am exci...

With everyone making home masks at the moment I thought I would do a little tutorial on the ones I have made specifically for myself. I looked at a lot of tutorials and different patterns online to construct a mask that worked for me. I wanted something very simple both time wise and material wise. Let me know if you have any questions! Warning/Disclaimer: This method is not industry tested or anything, it is simply a way of making a face mask using 1 piece of fabric and 2 pieces of elastic. It's just a tutorial, intended for educational purposes and nothing else. The decision to use this as a method of protection against pollution or viruses is solely your own. Please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website for updated information about home made masks and their effectiveness. First Step: Select your fabric. Check the CDC's guidelines for recommended fabric types. I ironed out my fabric choice, marked a piece 8.5 x 16 inches, ...

Recently I completed a super soft blanket for a gift for my mom for Mother's Day. I chose a lovely soft fleece with penguins and snowflakes for one side and a soft, silver fake velvet for the other side. One the silver side I chose to embroider a very cute Winnie the Pooh & Piglet design in a corner of the blanket. It was a simple project that I was able to finish in an afternoon. I sewed each side, turned it inside out, and top stitched a small section. Close up of the embroidery design.  Pooh & Piglet taking a nap on the moon.

My Pie Run costume is comprised of cherry pie workout leggings, a faux suede lattice crust vest/shirt, and a whipped cream hat with a cherry on top. Once I have pictures from the costume in action during the Pie Run I will post them! It was really fun to make something so different for a change. I look forward to other fun challenging pieces in the future.

I cut long strips of this light brown faux suede fabric and started laying them out on my floor. I overlapped them like a lattice pie crust. Here is an image before I started pinning all of the overlapped sections together. After pinning the pieces together I laid it on my mannequin to see where the head hole would be, as well as the arm holes. I then pinned the overlapping sides together as well. Once I decided where the head and arm holes would be I started hand sewing all of the overlapping pieces. Then when it came down to just the sides I switched to using my sewing machine.  Final product! It's a great length and will allow me to wear a shirt underneath it and also run. By sewing the pieces at a diagonal it gives me a lot of flexibility. 

For Mother's Day my husband and I elected to pick out some kitchen towels for his mom and that I would embroider them with something vegetable related.  It's a cute brown basket holding a pumpkin and a squash with some floral branches and a carrot.  Unfortunately even after practicing on plain solid, colored fabric, I didn't think the design would turn out the way it did. I was definitely expecting it to be more defined and larger. I made it the largest size it would allow me, but it was still a tad small.  We had chosen the black and white towels based on his mom's kitchen colors, but I thought the stitches would be heavier and more defined than the way they came out. However, it looks great in person and his mom loves it! Next time using this design I will plan on using a solid color fabric. 

I found a great zombie pinup girl fabric at Joann Fabrics. It was too unique to pass up on! Using a pattern I already own I decided to make a very basic sleeveless dress.  It pairs two of my loves: a tailored look and a quirky fabric.  Because I purchased the fabric without a project in mind I didn't have enough to make the entire dress out of the zombie fabric. I chose a plain black cotton fabric for the lining pieces as well as the front two side panels and the back two side panels (so basically the sides of the dress are black). I also chose a black zipper for the dress. I really enjoying just making something simple and fun for myself. While it isn't necessarily something I can wear to work, it will definitely get worn! After I finished sewing it all together I tried it on to mark the hem and it was way too big! Apparently my measurements I took a few months ago are no longer the same. Instead if just altering it then and there I elected to wait until Septe...

Project #1 is to make covers for some pillows I have for reading in bed comfortably. I found a really soft polyester grey velour at Joann Fabrics. It was a remnant, so I have just under a yard. Project #2 is another one of those Dress Express dresses in a light grey. They still had a few but none in my size (Medium) so I chose a Large and will just make the seam allowances larger to make it more of a medium fit. Also, I'm thinking about using a black knit for the neckline and armholes instead of the grey it comes with in the package.  The first dress I made like this one was so cozy I had to grab another pre-cut kit to have a second comfy dress.  Upcoming Projects: I will be pattern testing a lovely peplum top for a pattern company and also starting to design costumes for a show. More to come on both of these when I start working on them.  I will be posting the progress and final images for my current two projects when they're finished. As usual, some things ...

On Saturday I purchased a pre cut dress express kit to help me get out of my sewing rut. I've been uninspired and just not feeling it with sewing lately. It's a soft knit in a black and white tie dye pattern. The instructions were pretty straight forward and simple. They have you stitch one shoulder seam and then do all of the bindings (neck & 2 SH seams). After that it's side seams and hemming it. I chose to serge all my sides and the hem. For now I have left the hem alone. I'm considering finding a trim that would add a little bit of funkiness to the bottom of the dress. But if not, I will just hem it an inch or two and it'll be great. Pictured Right is the completed dress on my male mannequin. My female mannequin is currently broken so I've been using my male one for everything. Once I get a better picture of me wearing the dress I will post it!  Right now I don't have my next project lined up, but I will probably start something this co...

I've been in a really bad design rut lately. I haven't wanted to sketch or sew anything since I finished costuming "Servant of Two Masters." It's been a rough couple of months. I finally finished reorganizing my desk area and have been trying to figure out what to work on project wise.  I have been hard at work finalizing my business plan and other related things, so I just haven't been in a creative sort of mood.  I figured I should snag a couple of zippers from JoAnns and while I was there I ended up with  few extras, as usual. One of the things I got from their clearance section is a pre cut dress kit. It's a soft knit with a fun black, grey, and white pattern. Plus, it's a great addition to my closet for just $8. Since it's pre cut it'll be a quick project and hopefully help me get out of my rut. Fingers crossed it works!

My geometric print dress is finally finished! However, it does NOT fit very well. I thought I had adjusted the pattern to fit me better. This finished dress is very unflattering to my figure. I have been in the process of loosing weight and I guess since I had cut out my pattern pieces I have managed to loose a bit in my measurements. I really love this print and the colors are so different than what I typically use in my closet.  My plans of now are to: take in the shoulder seams (they're currently pinned in place for these pictures), remove the zipper, take in the back and side seams, and redo the hem. It needs to be about a whole size smaller, which is why I will be taking a little bit out of all three seams (back and both sides).  In addition to taking in those 3 seams I plan on adjusting the princess seams just a smidge. Think more dart like than actual seam line. Essentially I am making a whole new dress, or at least that is what it feels like I'm planning on doin...

Finally getting to cross things off my to-do list starting with this Geometric Print Dress. I had basically adjusted the pattern pieces, cut the fabric out, and left it alone. My show has auditions this coming weekend and a production meeting later this week. With the potential craziness coming up soon I felt I needed to finish a bunch of projects I've had laying around. I cleared off my desk, organized my supplies, and started to work on finishing this dress.  I started off my serging all of the fabric pieces (except for facings). Then, since I'm using a commercial pattern, I started following the directions. I stitched the bodice pieces together, then shoulder seams, and then it time for the facings. After sewing the facings it was time to do the side seams.  As of now I have a complete bodice without the zipper. I had originally wanted to use the grey zipper shown below, but that was when I had planned on just making a skirt with this fabric, not a dress. I really li...