This post has affiliate links to products that I use and always recommend. You can buy them from anywhere but if you buy through the link (and Amazon) I receive a tiny percent back from that mega-retailer to help support this blog. Just letting you know 😉 I confess Mini Sewing Machines brought out the […] Read more…
Perfect, Easy to Make, Pattern Weights
It took me a long time to switch over to pattern weights from pins – not just because I really liked my scissors but also because I didn’t want to pay for pattern weights. They didn’t look like a good value and only came in ugly colors (at the time). I tried using soup cans, […] Read more…
The Essential Tools for a Basic Sewing Kit
By Mary Earle-Sigler If you’re new to sewing and you want to mend your clothes and do some simple alterations or projects, what sewing tools do you need? I mean what do you REALLY need? Well, it isn’t much and you don’t need a sewing machine. Not yet. If you discover that you like sewing […] Read more…
A Guide to Pressing Tools
Pressing as you sew is the key to a good-looking final project. How many times did our professors tell us this? Any time they could. After sewing any seam go to your iron and press that seam in the opposite direction from which it was sewn and then press the seam allowances open if possible. […] Read more…
Gifts for People Who Sew; The Little Things
Sometimes you need a little gift to give. Maybe it’s for a secret pal, or one more thing to add to a box being sent to a far-away friend, or a little something for a co-worker, or your cousin is bringing his new girlfriend to the family Christmas party (On second thought, give her wine. […] Read more…
Gifts For People Who Sew; 2014
Gift-giving happens all year round – birthdays, Mother’s & Father’s Day, and little care packages when the occasion strikes, but this is the time of year I really brainstorm about gift ideas. As a sewer and someone who is a practical person (a recent realization I have had to accept. The tip-off was my preference […] Read more…
Tool Time: Clover’s Chaco Liner Marking Pen
Marking fabric for darts and pocket placements never installed confidence in me. My marks were never clear. It was like a guessing game half the time where that dart point was exactly. Sometimes marks would be worn off by the time I got to the sewing machine. I found thread tacks a bother. Seriously trivial, […] Read more…
How to Shorten a Metal Zipper
When a zipper is too long it’s nothing to run a few stitches over the teeth to form a new bottom zipper stop which automatically shortens the length of your zipper. However this doesn’t work for metal zippers and certainly not for exposed metal zippers. To shorten a metal zipper you need a few supplies and […] Read more…
DIY Pattern Weights
As much as I love the old school way of pinning pattern pieces onto the fabric there are times I want to use pattern weights instead. My dilemma is, I just don’t want to buy pattern weights. They seem like a rip off; four, unattractive, little weights for $16. So I used books for the […] Read more…
It’s Like Finding the Size on a Sewing Machine Needle
I like Schmetz needles mainly because they fit my New Home machine. However Singer has a smart color coding system going on for their needle types and sizes. I just had to borrow it. Let’s get the background. There are different types of machine needles made for different types of fabric. A regular point needle […] Read more…