Take your sewing projects to the next level using these sewing tips and tricks.

Here's what to do when your sewing machine thread bunches up. Sewing machine thread bunching up on the top or underside of fabric is a common problem & a frustrating one! But don't despair, there are lots of things you can check to solve this issue. Refer to this checklist before call a sewing machine repair man!

Learn how to make cloth napkins easily in about 10 minutes. DIY cloth napkins are eco friendly, easy to sew and useful!

In this tutorial I am showing 8 easy ways to cut fabric perfectly straight. Every sewing project starts with cutting fabric straight, on-grain, and this is such an important step in creating a well-fitted garment or nice quilt.

So....this is one of my favorite posts from over a year or two ago. It has been very popular and one of our most viewed posts even now d...

Create a sleeve that fits perfectly for movement by adjusting your pattern before you cut and sew. Try this bicep adjustment for custom fitted sleeve!

Here we review the best electric rotary cutters, electric cloth cutting machines for multiple layers of fabric, cloth, leather, carpet, denim, wool, fleece.

Before you cut your fabric! get some great beginner sewing tips to help save you time AND money.

Tailoring the neckline of patterns- How to adjust your sewing patterns to create the perfect fit for you.

Welcome back to the Learn to Machine Sew course for beginners, in which I teach the basics of machine sewing, with a technical lesson and a useful tutorial for each technique. It's been a few months since our last lesson, so if you need to brush up on some basics, check out the course syllabus.

In this sewing tutorial I will show you how to cut fabric on the bias. We need to do it when we decide to make bias cut tops and dresses, when we sew spaghetti straps, piping, or when we make binding for a quilt, etc. In this particular case, I am making a bias cut slip dress. If you want a bias cut garment to hang nicely on your body, accuracy of cutting is of paramount importance. Don’t rush when cutting fabric on the bias. If you go even slightly off the true bias when cutting your fabric, you will have problems with how the garment will fit.

Mal ehrlich, kennt man sich als Hobbyschneider mit verschiedenen Nadelarten für die Nähmaschine aus? Nicht unbedingt, oder? Als ich meine Nähmaschine bekommen habe, hat eine Nadel drin gesteckt. Die habe ich benutzt, bis sie abgebrochen ist. Dann kam ohne langes Zögern einfach die nächste – aber passt die wirklich? Ich habe mich mal ein bisschen informiert.Weiter lesen

Jil Sander, AW11, Milan. When it comes to knitwear there are basically two ways that the shape of the garment can be made. These two processes are commonly referred to as ‘fully fashioned’ and 'cut

Use this easy tip to find the right sewing machine tension for every fabric and every project.

Cheese cloth must have hundreds of uses and many fiber artists use cheese cloth in their work. Debra from Cheese Cloth Fabric.com sent me a sample of their cheese cloth recently to post about. Here…

Accurate fabric cutting is just as important to getting a professionally finished project as sewing is. Learn how to cut fabric correctly.

How to make bust adjustments on your sewing patterns

Three simple steps for Sewing Machine Tension Troubleshooting for Quilting at on your home machine from expert Dara Tomassen.

Simple Hooded Cloak Pattern Difficulty level: Beginners Required skills: basic stuff like ‘how to use a measuring tape’, ‘how to use pins’, ‘how to cut fabric’, 'how to not accidentally stitch through...

Sewing hacks and tips for faster sewing projects, less waste & more efficient use of time. Creative tool storage and tricks for cutting, ironing, stitching

🌿 ITEM DESCRIPTION Japanese style high waisted wrap around obi belt NARU in natural linen color. Fabric: 100% pure linen in heavy weight - washed and softened. All Shantimama linen items come in a beautiful wrap, which makes them not only a lovely purchase but also a cool gift. 🌿 SIZING ONE SIZE The total length of the belt is `137cm(54") If you need a bigger size please order the belt here: http://etsy.me/2Pepugx 🌿 DELIVERY Each item is individually cut and sewn by order, please allow approx. 1-2 weeks for your order to be made. Thanks so much for your patience. Depending on your location, the shipping time approximately: - USA & Canada: 7-10 days - New Zealand, Australia: 15-20 biz days - Europe: 7-14 days 🌿 FABRICS & CARE We use Oeko-Tex certified 100% European linen fabrics which guarantees you that it meets human - ecological requirements. The fabric is already washed and softened linen and will shrink no more. - Gentle machine wash on low temperatures with soft washing agents. - Machine drying in the most gentle way, please use cool temperature. Avoid overdrying. - No ironing required to maintain relaxed and wrinkled texture. 🌿 Handmade in our small studio in the Sought of Israel by a skilled seamstress from top quality European linen fabric. 🌿 Feel free to contact me if you need advice on picking the right size or if you have any questions - http://etsy.me/2cs7OEQ Thank you for visiting our shop http://shantimamaShop.etsy.com With love ♥♥♥

In this tutorial I am showing 8 easy ways to cut fabric perfectly straight. Every sewing project starts with cutting fabric straight, on-grain, and this is such an important step in creating a well-fitted garment or nice quilt.

Jane Skoch has been creating with her hands since she was a young girl. Her academic studies led her to an M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. Being practical, she likes to upcycle T Shirts, sweatshirts, coffee bags and other items into new designs.

As you know I tend to try and keep abreast of all things Scan N Cut so I have been eager to find out more about the Scan N Cut DX which launches in the US next week. Whilst I still haven’t go…

Here is a very interesting sewing tutorial for your sewing projects. Learn how to sew with the bobbin thread in the needle. Find out why you may need to do it.

155 p. 20 x 15 cm

When it comes to hemming, sometimes topstitching with your machine just doesn’t cut it. A lot of time, you want a hem to be discreet, and not distract from the garment. That’s what is nice about hand sewn hems – they can be nearly invisible from the outside. So, today I am going to cover three basic options for hand sewn hems. note – I’m using a contrasting thread so you can see the stitching better. But, of course, you would be using a matching thread to your fabric. So it will blend in and be even more invisible! one more note – I’m a lefty, so I tend to start most of my stitches from the left side. If you are right handed, you most likely start from the opposite side. Same concept, just […]

Grab my easy to use circle skirt pattern template from my online shop and create your own panelled circle skirts!

Sew Smart | Healthy Quilting Ergonomics with Rose Parr | Guelph

If you're looking for the perfect pajama shorts to lounge around in, try making your own boxer shorts! This beginner-level sewing project is quick and easy.

Quick & Easy Neck Warmers!

Sewing is always fun, educational, practical, and will save you money. Whether by hand or a sewing machine, this is one of those creative skills that you should know, especially the basics of sewing. There is so much to know about this skill and the learning never stops. If you…

Inspired by the fisherman’s tops worn in the West country of England the pattern uses the full width and length of the handwoven cloth with very little cutting required. As this layout…

How to Copy a Garment That Fits Perfectly Without Taking It Apart: A friend asked me if I had tried this method to copy a garment. At first I was pretty skeptical because I have copied garments by taking them apart and by scratching off a pattern from clothing that I did not take apart. Either way there are sever…

Learn about all the ways to achieve a professional seam finish for the interior of your sewing projects - including Hong Kong seams, serged, French Seams and more. From Love Notions Sewing Patterns, using the Luna Loungewear Pattern Collection

Learn how to make triangle pattern weights in this super easy tutorial. All you need are fabric scraps and dried rice! Clear steps with pictures.

Fleece is an easy care fun fabric that fits into our busy modern lifestyle. Beginning sewers will love working with fleece as sewing imperfections become hidden in the fabric while ...

Patterns aren't cheap. Seriously, I was browsing through through the look books at Hobby Lobby the other day and some of them were as much as $20. Tack that on to the price of fabric and other supplies and suddenly sewing your own clothing becomes very expensive. Thankfully, you can make your own patterns using your own clothing that you know to fit well. I'll show you how to make a simple blouse pattern using a top of my own. I used Scotch Postal Wrapping Paper as my pattern paper. I found it at Target for about $5. It gives you 30 feet of paper, so it will last a long time. I used paper because I like to lay my pattern piece down and trace the shape directly onto my fabric. If you think you'd prefer to pin the pattern to your fabric and then cut it out, paper may not be the way to go for you. Muslin fabric is another great material that would allow you to pin the pattern piece to your fabric. It's also nice because it can be folded up and stored away when not in use. Lay your garment down on the paper and determine the middle of the top. Mark right above the collar and right below the hem. Draw a rough outline of one half of the top. When you get to the sleeve, do your best to fold it back so that you just see the armhole. Sketch the curve as shown below. This first pattern piece I'm working on will serve as the back of the pattern. Sketch the outline of the slightly higher, back collar. Stop once you get to the half marks that you previously made. Now you'll need to sketch an outline outside the dotted line to allow for seam allowances. To determine how far apart the rough sketch line should be from the final outline of the pattern you'll need to take what materials you're working with into consideration. For example: The lace top I am using has a stretch quality to it. If I want to use this pattern to make a top with a non-stretch fabric, I will need to make the final pattern outline a good amount wider than my rough sketch. However, if I was using a non-stretch garment to make my pattern I wouldn't have to allow for as much extra fabric. It's always better to have a too big pattern and therefore a too big top than it is to go too small. Don't be afraid to be generous. Extend the outline by about 1.5 inches along the sides and about 1 inch at the armholes and collar. Extend the bottom of the top by several inches to allow for hemming. Cut on the line and fold the pattern over making sure that the crease is on the middle marks you made previously. Trace so that you have a perfectly symmetrical pattern. Repeat the same process for the front piece of the pattern being sure to trace the front part of the collar this time. Now for the sleeves. Fold a piece of paper and position it underneath the garment and the pattern. The fold should be parallel to the top of the sleeve. Trace the curve of the front pattern piece. Leave plenty of extra room for the sleeve to be hemmed. Remember it's better to go oversized than undersized. You can always take the shirt in if it is a little too big. Cut out all of your pieces and press to get rid of creases and you're done! *Update* I recently used this pattern to make this cute little top. Click on the picture for the full tutorial!

Balenciaga, unknown date, images via Pinterest» In this post we will begin to look at how the angle of the sleeve affects the drape of fabric in the underarm area. We will also consider how the

When it comes to hemming, sometimes topstitching with your machine just doesn’t cut it. A lot of time, you want a hem to be discreet, and not distract from the garment. That’s what is nice about hand sewn hems – they can be nearly invisible from the outside. So, today I am going to cover three basic options for hand sewn hems. note – I’m using a contrasting thread so you can see the stitching better. But, of course, you would be using a matching thread to your fabric. So it will blend in and be even more invisible! one more note – I’m a lefty, so I tend to start most of my stitches from the left side. If you are right handed, you most likely start from the opposite side. Same concept, just […]

Inspired by #zerowasteweek on Twitter last week, and the fold-your-own Balenciaga jacket pattern at the V&A Balenciaga exhibition, I decided to try to use up some of my fabric stash in the most efficient way possible, by making my very own zero-waste jacket! I had bought this blue brushed cotton drill years ago, for a project I'd long since forgotten about or abandoned, and it wasn't until my Mum asked me if I had some blue fabric she could use to mount an embroidery project that I even remembered that it existed! After she had cut out what she wanted, I had a large piece (46 by 60 inches) and a long thin piece (approx 40 inches by 20). I measured the paper pattern from the V&A and scaled it up, so it would actually fit me, then drew directly onto the fabric rather than making a paper or calico pattern as I usually would. The paper pattern has two vertical fold lines, which form the centre of side-seam darts, giving the coat its 'cocoon' shape. It also has two horizontal darts, creating shoulder shaping, horizontal 'cut' lines which form the sleeve shaping, and a T-shaped 'cut' line which creates the neck opening. I machined the darts first, then cut along the lines and folded the fabric back on itself to create the sleeves. I tried on the basic coat shape (and photographed it on my dressmaking mannequin) and was pleased with the result; this style really needs to be made from a fabric that will hold its shape for the full effect, and I'd probably cut it slightly larger if I was going to make it again so it would drape around me, but I definitely had the base for a decent jacket. I had wanted to use this fabric to make a jacket that would be useful for autumn or spring, so I decided to add an extra piece on the sleeves to make them full length, and an extra piece around the centre front and neck edges that would form a shawl collar and an overlap to allow for fastenings on the front of the coat. Oh, and pockets, of course! Ok, so the coat wasn't completely zero-waste; after straightening up roughly cut edges and working around the awkward shape of the fabric I had to begin with, I've produced this pile of off-cuts, and I'm left with a 25 by 10 inch piece of fabric. The offcuts are less than I would end up with if I had been making something with a lot of curved seams, and I'm going to hang on to the larger piece to use for the cushion covers I want to make for my flat! The coat was incredibly quick to make; I spent about 5 hours on it from start to finish. Drawing straight onto the fabric is very different from the way I normally work, but it felt freeing to be creative on the fly rather than carefully following a plan or pattern, and trying to use up as much fabric as possible didn't feel restrictive (it encouraged me to make extra large pockets!). This sort of zero-waste dressmaking would be great for anyone who struggles with shop-bought patterns, and it doesn't require any knowledge of special techniques or use of anything other than a basic sewing machine and a needle and thread.

Most of my hems I do "by eye," thus the "lazy" method. First, I press up a hem. With the hem pressed, I bring the item to the CS machine and place it raw edge side UP under the needles so that the left-most needle is just at the inside of the raw edge. Most of the time my edge does not line up right next to one of the guidelines because those guidelines are more regularly incremental than my "by eye" amount. So, out comes my handy-dandy "hem guide." Yes, a little pad of Post-It notes. (Thanks to a PR member for this tip.) I butt it up next to the folded edge and press down so the whole pad is temporarily stuck in place. Then I turn the fabric over so the wrong side is facing down and I'm ready to start stitching. Voila! The underside of the hem is encased in coverstitching with no raw edges to trim. (Please pardon the stitch quality of the off-grain hastily made sample.)

Help! My cutting mat is buckled up and warped on one side now when it got accidentally too close to some heat. I paid $50 for this mat. I laid some heavy old machines on it for days to see if it would…

Did you ever wonder how to make a cover for a dressform? I did, and every idea I found was more complicated than the other. This is as easy as it can get.

A quilt featuring 18 different (and I mean different!) designers was a challenge I did not expect to receive 6 weeks ago from my friend at Free Spirit Fabric. Could I make a modern Lucy Boston quilt, with lots of fussy cutting, in 3 weeks? It's funny how challenges like this always light something