Spaghetti Straps…Let’s make some!

Alot of what we do as seamstresses, is construct items that enhance a garment or upholstery project.
Making spaghetti straps (or straps of any width) or fabric covered tubes falls into that category.

I borrowed this great tool from a friend of mine years ago. It’s called a Fast Turn.
It has that name because it helps you turn these tubes of fabric [...]

Fray Block…What is that?

Have you ever tried sewing on fabric that frays and ravels on you? There’s usually a big mess of tangled threads that get in your way. Many store bought garments pop out at the seams because  the seam allowance was very narrow to begin with and the fabric started fraying. 
So, let’s fix that.
Have you heard of Fray Block?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I don’t mean Fray [...]

Hemming Stretch Knits

Do you have trouble hemming stretchy knits? They can be tricky. Let’s look at the various ways to hem knits so that they don’t stretch out.
Then, we’ll look at some alternatives and see if they work as well.
This dress is a customer’s. Her dog chewed the hemline and she brought it to me to see [...]

How To Thread a Serger Quickly

Before we look at How to Hem Stretchy Knit Fabrics, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you a quick way to thread your serger. The post on hemming will cover how to hem with and without a serger.
Until I learned this threading shortcut  myself, it took forever to thread one. [...]

Sergers…Do You Need One?

For many years I lived without a serger. First of all, they weren’t even invented when I started to sew. But even years after they were available, I still hadn’t forked over the money for one. I hemmed (no pun intended) and hawed about the cost and wondered if I’d ever use the thing. After all, [...]

Cover a Foam Pad..Bench Seat…Part 3

Today we’ll finish the cushion and then tomorrow we’ll go back to general alterations and gadgets.
Note: If you think you missed Part 2, that was the Piping post. If you didn’t put piping in your cushion, you only need to follow Part 1 and then this post (Part 3). Just ignore the instructions that have [...]

Piping….Let’s Make some!

Let’s Make the Piping today! You can use these instructions for making piping on any project you are working on.
(If you’ve decided not to use piping on your cushion, stay tuned for the instructions on putting the cushion together in the next post to follow.)
You’ll need that cording I mentioned in the How to Make a Cushion [...]

Cover a Foam Pad…Bench Seat Cover…Part One

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Today, I am going to show you how to cover a foam pad to make a bench seat cover. This process can be applied to covering any sized foam pad (cushions for a couch, chair, boat seat, outdoor furniture, etc.) All you need to know is how to sew a straight line and even if [...]

Thread Shank….what is that?

You probably already know how to sew on a button, (we’ll cover that right now if you don’t), but do you add a thread shank on it?
A thread shank is a way of elevating the button off of the fabric so that when you button your garment, the fabric underneath the button lays flat. This [...]

How To Choose a Sewing Machine

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is my baby. It is 26 years old this week. My Dad got it for me for my college graduation and it has never let me down.
The only thing it has needed in 26 years is a new light, some oil and a few cleanings.
Let’s discuss some factors when choosing a new machine. What [...]