My new fabric is here! It is called All Lined Up and I designed it for Studio e Fabrics. But, what can you do with stripes? Well, in the first part of this sequence of posts we will talk about how versatile they are and how to make different patterns with them.
Making Pillow Zipper Flaps
I am reposting this, as it has been a while and I don’t want people to have to scroll really far to find my post on pillow flaps. I have been making these this summer like crazy because I have been doing orders in the shop like crazy. I find that all of this beautiful fabric is passing through my hands, and I am not getting a chance to use
Making Pennants for Home Decor or Special Events
When my daughter got married 5 years ago, she asked me to make pennants for the inside of the tent. Well, she didn’t want just one strand, she wanted about 10 strand to stretch across the entire tent. Well at first I thought it was an insurmountable task. But, as I got going I realized just how economical and fun this decor idea really was. I had more than enough
A Summer Sit Upon!
The other day I went to the park with the kids. We were all getting hungry, and I hadn’t planned on a picnic. It was a nice day, so I thought, why not a picnic? Well, for starters, I had no food. We went to the Culver’s drive through. We couldn’t eat inside, because it is still closed due to COVID. The outside picnic tables faced the noisy freeway, and
Throw Pillows are So. Much. Fun.
Why do I love sewing throw pillows so much? Maybe it’s because you can instantly beautify any small space. Maybe because it’s instant gratification. Maybe it’s because it’s a way to handle and use so many beautiful pieces of fabric, using any substrate? Well, okay, maybe not any. You don’t want something that is itchy or pokey under your face when you’re laying on it. I made this throw pillow
Home Made PPE
I believe that this is the best mask for home made PPE. Everyone has now seen the CDCs declaration on home made PPE. It is only supposed to be used in dire and last resort situations. Well, we’re pretty close to that. What is PPE? It is personal protective equipment. I have been an ICU nurse for 30+ years. I have been in many situations where an infectious patient with
Part 3: The Selection of Size, Fabric and Amounts
Okay. So, you have decided on your fabric. It has come either folded in half from being on a bolt, or 60 inches wide on a roll. You find the pattern that you want. Hopefully is is beginner friendly. Start with a pattern that is created by someone with design experience or a degree in pattern design. I have purchased patterns from people the have design software but no experience
Part 2: Just a Bit about Thread
If you’re not a beginner, you can just skim over the top of this. However, thread can be one of the most confusing topics of all time. It’s not a riveting topic to be sure, but essential nonetheless. In addition to this there are a lot of rumors floating around about cotton vs. polyester thread. Polyester is just what it says. Poly, meaning “many” and ester which is a chemical
Part 1: The Correct way to Cut out a Pattern–Understanding the Basics
Have you ever wanted to begin sewing garments but had no where to turn? The schools have long since stopped teaching how to sew garments. I am going to give you lessons with easy tutorials that are free. You will be able to understand how to cut out a pattern and make a garment after watching these tutorials. This tutorial is part one. You will have to decide what you
Directional Fabrics and Paper Piecing
Have you ever felt like it was too risky to use stripes or directional fabrics for paper piecing? Well, this will change all of that. You will look like a technical genius with your paper piecing by following this simple technique. Watch now!