Happiness Through Sewing
We all want to look good. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, if you’re in a satisfying relationship or looking to date, if you are social or shy. If you won the genetic lottery then it’s easier, I would imagine, but not winning that lottery, or having or not having other physical […] Read more…
I have friends who keep their sewing machines in a closet and it’s not because they don’t want to sew. They do. It’s just that sewing on their machines can be frustrating. They wonder if their machine needs fixing, or if they bought a bad machine. Probably neither. Sewing machines are pretty straightforward, mechanical tools. […] Read more…
Sometimes it seems sewing machines can start acting up out of the blue. It’s sewing fine, and then it isn’t. Ug! There is a magic trick to fixing 90% of your sewing machine troubles, and it’s easy. The video demonstrates, in detail, 6 things to check and correct when you’re having skipped stitches, threads breaking, […] Read more…
It’s June and Me-Made-May is done. MMM, as it’s frequently referred to, is a popular “challenge” among those who make (sewn, knit, crocheted) wearable items. The basic premise is to wear your self-made garments in the month of May but how often and how much is decided by each participant making this not only a welcoming […] Read more…
A zipper sewn in by hand is a beautiful thing. Sometimes it’s a necessary thing too. But never is it daunting or frustrating. I’ll put in a zipper by hand especially if it’s a centered back zipper. I don’t care for the look of two rows of machine stitching going up my back. Stitches, that if […] Read more…
Did you know you can easily shorten a nylon zipper? No special tools required (unlike shortening a metal zipper). And to be clear, a nylon zipper is a zipper with nylon zipper teeth; not metal teeth and not hard plastic teeth. This method for shortening a zipper is for zippers with nylon teeth. Even though zippers […] Read more…
Also referred to as a “modern silhouette” (who made that up?) the boxy woven top is now ubiquitous on every sewing and sewing pattern site. As great as they are sometimes they need to be more fitted to balance an outfit. my top is Lisette for Butterick pattern #B6182 which I reviewed here. That center bust dart is […] Read more…
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…
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…
And that’s my pledge this year. I’m done with sewing clothes that don’t work for me. And buying patterns when I own more unused patterns than used patterns. It’s time for me to, once again, step back, look at the bigger picture, and think about a few things: What do I want to wear? […] Read more…