Hemming men’s trousers was my first side hustle. It’s a pretty common task and one you can do with professional results even if you don’t have much sewing experience. You just need to follow a couple of easy tips. Note: you will need someone to do the initial pinning if you’re hemming your own trousers. […] Read more…
Sew a Narrow Hem by Hand and by Machine
In the last post, we went over stitches to use for a basic hem. But some garments and some fabrics require a narrow hem. Really narrow, like ⅛” or 3mm. The best way to sew a narrow hem? That depends. In this video, I demonstrate how to sew a narrow hem by hand, a narrow rolled hem, […] Read more…
Sewing by Hand – Basic Hemming Stitches
Almost all garments need to be hemmed – with needle and thread. Hemming is how you finish the lower edge of a garment after you’ve decided on the length you want it. Hemming is securing the fabric in place while also covering the raw edge and preventing it from unraveling. In this video, some basic […] Read more…
Sewing by Hand – Even Basting, Uneven Basting & Tailor Basting
Sometimes you need some help. And sometimes you just need some temporary help. Help to hold things together until they get the final approval (fitting). Or help to hold things together perfectly lined up (underlining). Or just an extra hand to hold things together without using every pin in your pincushion. The basting stitch is […] Read more…
Sewing By Hand: Back Stitch, Half-Back Stitch & Prick Stitch
Let’s simplify our lives and have one go-to stitch for sewing seams and repairing. That will be the back stitch. Once you master the back stitch your life will be ever so simplified 😉 But seriously, the back stitch is one handy, all-purpose stitch that can take a lot of strain, pulls, tugs and general […] Read more…
Sewing by Hand – The Basics
As much as my sewing machine (it’s more like a computer with a needle) can do, there are situations and techniques that require a hand stitch. This video will show you how to stitch three basic hand stitches, two knots and the best way to thread a needle. The Close-Ups and Details The Running Stitch; […] Read more…
Guide to Hand Stitches: The Slip Stitch & The Fell Stitch
Although you could sew most garments entirely by machine there are many times and many construction techniques that you could sew more accurately, with more beautiful results, and maybe, in the long run, sew it even faster, if you turned off your sewing machine and stitched by hand. This is a tale of two hand […] Read more…
Guide to Hand Stitches: Five Basic Stitches for Garment Construction
We don’t have to sew our clothes by hand anymore but there are are times and construction details that call for hand stitching. Here are five hand stitches that will prove useful to know. Watch the video for detailed instructions and a couple hand sewing tips. I have posted pictures below for those just needing […] Read more…
How to Sew a Button On
My button fell off, again. Not the same button, but a button from a dearly loved garment. Luckily it fell off in my presence and I was able to catch it. Buttons fall off store bought garments because they are sewn on by machines and machines can’t knot a thread properly. Sorry, robots, that’s just […] Read more…
Hand Stitching Tip #11
Did you know that when you hand baste anything, any stitch (tailor baste stitch shown in picture) that you do not need to tie a knot in your thread? Just leave a long enough tail (3″) so you don’t accidentally pull out the first stitch when making subsequent stitches. By leaving off the knot you […] Read more…