If you are newbie to sewing, you might feel overwhelmed. We want to help you feel a little more confident by sharing these 15 sewing hacks for beginners. You might just feel like a pro once you know these few tricks.
Following on from our Sewing Buttonholes : Tips n Tricks! post, today I bring you our Top 10 tips to stop you getting hot under the collar, curtousy of my lovely sewing friend, Suzy aka Suzy a…
Learn how to make perfect lettuce hems with our guide. Learn how to sew lettuce hem on both a serger and a sewing machine. Video included.
Sewing spandex and Lycra is easy. Learn how to sew Lycra on a sewing machine or serger with easy tips. Best stitches, needles, techniques.
Let's take a look at some ways to keep these wardrobe staples (pants) on trend this upcoming spring season!
This tutorial will show you how to make buttonholes using the zigzag stitch method without a buttonhole presser foot. With just a few simple steps, you'll be able to create professional-looking buttonholes in no time.
Hi sewing friends! Today I am here to share a few tips on something that can feel very scary and intimidating – buttons and buttonholes!...
This sewing basic tutorial will teach you how to sew a gathering stitch for perfect ruffles every time.
Today's post is all about how to sew a welt pocket! This simple welt pocket tutorial is all you need to tackle this sewing technique!
Sewing With Silk & Other Delicate Fabrics by Palindrome Dry Goods
Let's take a look at how to shirr or ruche fabric using the free Camellia Top sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics!
{source} Hi readers! I have a little treat for you today: my friend Robin has written you a guest post on her method for maximum sewing efficiency when you're making multiples of a garment. Enjoy!--Gertie Greetings, Gertie Readers! You may be aware that our book-writing, Bombshell-Dress- teaching, sample-sewing blogstress is just a little overloaded these days. So allow me to pontificate on a topic I don't see much about, but gives me great sewing pleasure. Imagine you are the proprietress of a small, but well-appointed little sewing factory. It's OK to sweat in this shop, and in fact, I encourage it. Crank up some Michael Jackson, and get into the groove to do some assembly-line sewing. The sewing factory is all about efficiency and with that in mind, I recommend using: • a tried and true pattern – if you don’t have one yet, how about an apron pattern? There shouldn’t be any fitting issues or construction surprises for assembly-line sewing • multiple pieces of fabric with the same properties - this is very important! ◦ same weight ◦ same hand (amount of drapey-ness) ◦ same background color, so you can use the same thread on everything • rotary scissors, cutting mat & pattern weights Attitude A good factory worker strives for optimal performance. Boredom is welcome – just call it zen and relax into it. As the boss, you get to choose how the employee (also you) will be graded. Perhaps it’s a matter of punching in on the time clock to sew for 30 minutes. Or the worker can be rewarded after milestones are reached. All of the apron straps are sewn? Let’s order in lunch to boost morale! Cutting By now the fabric has been pre-washed and any fusible interfacing has been obtained. Fold each piece of fabric consistently with the rest. For example, if the right side is folded in on one piece, make it folded in on all pieces of fabric. If you aren’t yet a convert, try a rotary cutter, cutting mat and pattern weights. You can save time by not pinning the pattern to the fabric, which you only have to unpin in order to sew. Because I prefer my patterns without seam allowances, I love a rotary cutter with a guide. It may take practice to gain speed with the rotary cutter, but think of yourself as an ice skater doing your compulsories. Slow and steady in the beginning will get the job done. Speed comes naturally with practice. Hey, all the more reason to cut out multiples, right? Cut the fusible interfacing, now, too. Another time-saver is marking the notches and darts with little clips into the seam allowances and for this, scissors are a lot more accurate than rotary cutters. To mark darts, I insert pins on both sides, like so: It might be time for the afore-mentioned employee morale-boosting exercise. Donuts, yoga – boss lady (or boss gentleman) it’s your choice! Fusing Here is where the sweating comes in. Fire up the iron and take the time to fuse each necessary piece now. After fusing, double check that it hasn’t stretched or shrunk, by comparing the pattern piece your work. Taking time at this stage increases quality of the finished goods. Organizational Strategy Lay out each individual garment in its own pile. It is not considered anal to lay the pieces in the same order. No, this is called efficiency and some might even take pride in their little piles of sewing goodness. Let’s say you want to sew all of the collars first, then cuffs, which are then attached to sleeves, which are then sewn to bodices. Lay the bodice pieces on the bottom, the sleeves on top of the bodices, the cuffs next and the collars on top. The Beauty of the System Not only will assembly-line sewing generate a wardrobe in short order, these techniques will build the fine motor skills necessary to master techniques. You will never fear another zipper after you have installed three, four, or, let’s get wild – five in a row. You can just look at the fifth zipper and see the improvement. Awesome. Another benefit is less thinking. Once you have identified the steps you will take, you can go on auto-pilot. That allows for turning up the volume on the music, or even having a movie playing in the background. One caution: advise the spouse, the kids, or the pets that mommy gets mad sometimes. Mommy is just frustrated about ripping out a seam now and then. You know it will happen. You will not sew everything perfectly; no factory worker is perfect. And let’s assume they get a raise every year, anyway, so it is OK! Fun Decisions – How is it best to maximize The Win? When sewing assembly-line style, there are many variations on this theme. I like to repeat as many steps as I can before moving on. I like to get all of the cutting, the marking and the fusing done before sitting down at the sewing machine and/or serger. Then it is buckle-down-and-master-the-skill time. I would rather sew 30 buttonholes so that the last six are perfect than finish one shirt at a time. Let’s not forget that hand-sewing may be involved. There may be times to sit and sew. Remember, boredom can be transformed into zen and/or learning time. You will choose your own approach – because you are the boss of this shop and you are in charge. (Can you tell I like that part?) Whether you finish several garments at once, or you space them out between other projects, assembly-line sewing makes sense. If you are like me, you have invested time and money into this hobby, so it feels good to get tangible results. Naturally, you may simply find it easier to buy most things, but if you hanker for the perfect gym shorts, skirts, dresses, whatever – you can fill your closet this way. Pat yourself on the back for making such efficient use of your time and your resources. You have leveraged the power of the tried & true pattern, you have saved money, clothed yourself, improved your skills and listened to some good music, too. Check out Robin's blog, A Little Sewing!
It's that time of year when velvet starts making its triumphant comeback with holiday dresses for girls of all ages. Get tips from the pros who can sew it best.
The front pleat on my 1969 Burda Dress is an inverted pleat – where two folds turn towards each other to meet on the outside. These can be folded from a single Front panel, or as in my case,…
Welcome to your best source for free Lutterloh tips and system information! We are a couple of fans of the Lutterloh patterns who love to sew clothes that fit. You too can successfully make a wardrobe from your Lutterloh pattern book. Be sure to check out our side bar for links to Lutterloh dealers and all of our best tricks! DISCLAIMER: Some patterns and tools have been provided by the Lutterloh company for our unbiased review.
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Sewing with knits doesn't have to be stressful! Learn how to make an elegant Bohemian Garden shrug and read tips for sewing with knits.
In the recent survey, I asked if readers would be interested in more sewing tutorials detailing hacks for our current patterns. With 96% of respondents saying “Yes,” today I’m happy to introduce the 2020 Chalk and Notch Contributor Team. These eleven sewists will be collaborating and contributing in bringing tutorials to the Chalk and Notch […]
Learning how to sew and clip curves is an essential sewing skill! This easy to follow video tutorial will have you sewing curves expertly in no time!
I love wearing knits. I didn’t even mind sewing with knits but it wasn’t until I learned this awesome trick that I didn’t dread how I was going to finish or hem the things I made with knits. Luckily this tip for how to hem knits is SO easy it you’ll be hemming to your […]
What's the best sewing or quilting advice you ever received? The advice that I use every time I sew, came from my mom. “Sew, press, sew, press.” I can hear
I always love to squeeze a few sewing supplies into my Amazon orders. I actually buy quite a few of my sewing supplies online, but when I can squeeze them in to get faster shipping,
Here are some tips you might try to help keep your corners squared off nicely, and your squares looking square. 1. Trim away the corners of interfacings and/or interlinings. I cut little squares out of the interfacing when making things...
Sometimes we just have to make do with what we have instead of buying more, and sometimes, this isn’t actually such a bad thing! I’ve rounded up some of the most innovative, creative and helpful
A reference guide on how to sew with knit fabrics. Tips for sewing with knits, along with resources and books about knit fabrics.
One of our perennial favorite posts is our guide to getting flat bias facings. In the original post we called them bias necklines, which I think is limiting. You can easily use this technique for necklines, armholes, keyhole openings, and more! We've also updated the post with new images taken from the Willow Tank so that you can see it applied to one of our current patterns. You can still see the original post here, or enjoy this updated version. Keep in mind that although we're showing a neckline here you can easily apply this to other parts of the garment! Begin by taking your neckline binding piece and sewing the two shorter edges together, with right sides facing each other, to create a circle. Press the seam allowance open. Align the binding piece around the neckline and pin in place. I like to put the seam of the binding at the center back of the garment, but that's just my personal preference. Head over to your machine and stitch the neckline and binding together using a 1/4
Hey friends! It’s Nellie from sewmessy.blogspot.com. It’s January! And were I live, it’s cold. Like really really cold. And I’ve seen a lot of requests on...
If you are eager to venture into the world of sewing, you should know the classification of sewing tools and equipment and their uses. Otherwise, you won't be able to make a strong presence in this competitive world. Start your journey today, knowing the nuts and bolts of sewing and sewing tools from this post!
Have you ever wondered how to sew like a pro? Get my top sewing tips that anyone can use when sewing home decor or personal items.
How to do a ladder stitch (also know as an invisible stitch or hidden stitch) step by step video tutorial. This tutorial is perfect for beginners!
Let's take a look at how to shirr or ruche fabric using the free Camellia Top sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics!
This is one of my favorite uses for carbon paper and a tracing wheel, and I don’t think I’ve ever shown it to you. Cut a small piece of carbon paper from your big sheet. A…
Threads magazine issue 197 examines some top garment fitting secrets from Kenneth D. King's new book, Smart Fitting Solutions: Foolproof Techniques to Fit Any Figure.
It was Karen’s Apron sewalong that put me in mind of (yes that’s a real phrase!) aprons and things. I narrowed my choices down to these two patterns on Etsy but could only afford the one (internati…
Explore kitschycoo's 2832 photos on Flickr!
