Did you miss April’s Awesome newsletter? It’s all about Knits; My best tips and some other tips too 😉 You can view it here Read more…
How to Repair and Patch the Elbows of a Sweater Sleeve
Elbows of sweaters tend to wear thin and sometimes wear out completely while the rest of the sweater is still good and still a favorite. How can you fix your sweater’s elbows to get a few more years of wear from it? Because, why not? For me, it is faster to mend a sweater than […] Read more…
Easy to Sew Pajama Bottoms – Short, long, Elastic or Drawstring
A wise woman once told me, when we dress for bed we dress for ourselves. I never thought of it like that. We’re not dressing for others. There is no dress code written or implied, or even socially enforced. So why not wear something we truly like? I like pajama pants with pockets (as I […] Read more…
Easy to Sew Throw Pillow with Zipper Opening
Written by Mary Making a throw pillow with a zipper closure isn’t as hard as you may think. With a few simple seams (in fact, you could sew this pillow cover entirely by hand if you want), a couple of hours, and not much fabric you can transform your couch, bench, camper, or thrown from […] Read more…
The Best Way to Cut Out Stripes (or Prints) so They’re Level and Match at the Seam
Folding your fabric to cut out your pattern, as most patterns instruct you to do, means you obviously cannot see the fabric on the bottom layer. So when you cut out a pattern from folded striped or checked or plaid fabric how do you know if the stripes on both layers are lining up with […] Read more…
What is Fabric Nap and Why You Need to Know About it
What is Fabric Nap and why do you need to know? You may have seen the word Nap, or With Nap or Without Nap, on the back of patterns. And it’s important to know if your fabric has a Nap because it can change the amount of fabric you need to make the garment. You […] Read more…
How to Quickly Add Seam Allowance to Your Pattern
Most patterns (in America) have seam allowance included. The outline you see is the cutting line and the seam allowance is not marked on the pattern. Somewhere in the instructions the size of the seam allowance will be noted. And hopefully, you don’t have to hunt for that information. This post is going to show […] Read more…
How to Sew In the Ends of a Zipper
How do you finish the top of a zipper? If you’re following a pattern there will be instructions but if you’re without a set of instructions or you just need some further clarification, let me explain some typical ways the top end of a zipper is cleanly tucked out of sight. But first, a quick […] Read more…
Wearable Muslin?
How do you feel about wearable muslins? It’s a thing in the sewing community to make your first attempt of a garment in a slightly, what? cheaper? less-liked? fabric in case it doesn’t work out. After that first attempt, you’re supposed to work out the fit and construction details and sew it up in the […] Read more…
Tips for Perfect Topstitching
Topstitching by its very nature is suppose to be seen. Whether for construction or decoration, wobbly or straight it’s on display. And you would think it’s easy to sew a straight line of stitches, I mean, there’s a guide on the machine right there, but it simply isn’t that simple. However, there are quite a […] Read more…