I am going to show you how to sew a hem that is perfect every time. There are a lot of sewing tutorials that just say "sew a hem"

Welcome to Free Pattern Friday! I am thrilled to share a fun, cheeky, and VERY simple pattern with you today. Gran’s Faux Flowers was inspired by the classic hand-pieced hexi pattern called &…

Creative ways to mend jeans - some of these are really pretty!

Pillows are one of the easiest ways to update your decor for any season. I enjoy designing and sewing quick pillow covers especially these easy envelope pillow…

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to making a thread chain closure for your dress or top.

I'm sharing how to dye fabric on the blog today. Check out how I dyed IKEA curtain panels to the perfect shade of navy. I'm also sharing the do's and don't's of fabric dying on the blog today.

Making your own cloth napkins is a simple sewing project for beginners and an elegant touch to a handmade home...

How to Shorten and Hem a Maxi Skirt

A Guide to Living a Life of Style - Fashion, Beauty, Home & Mamahood | Houston Blogger

Leading up to the holidays, I’m going to be sharing a few tutorials for sustainable and useful scrap busting projects that are perfect for gift giving. Today’s video tutorial is the first in the series and it’s probably the most simple and most useful of all the projects. In this tutorial, I’ll be s

It’s fun to feel confident quilting enough motifs that you feel ready to combine them into a semi-custom quilting plan. But what is the best way to move around your quilt on the longarm? Let’s take a look at some best practices. (This post contains affiliate links)

Learn how to sew a picnic blanket with this DIY Picnic Blanket tutorial. This is a fun and easy step-by-step tutorial for a beginner sewing project.

I'll show you how to make a duvet cover no matter how wide your fabric is in this step-by-step tutorial even beginners can follow!

Woven fabrics— like linen and looser weave cottons— have been a favorite way to add a little extra texture to quilts for awhile now. Robert Kaufman, Ruby Star Society, Fableism, and more have produced stunning fabric lines that ride the line between quilting and garment sewing. However, looser weave

Making your own fabric designs is a lot of fun. Learn how to make batik fabric with washable glue. Included are two free patterns to get you started!

Quilting for Beginners teaches newbies how to quilt from the basics, start to finish. This 5 part series walks you through each step of quilt making.

Prompted by the arrival of our fabulous 100% linen sheeting range, here’s a tutorial to show you just how easy it is to make your own fitted sheets. It might be easier to enlarge the images as you work through...

Learn four simple methods forto created textured fabric for your quilt

Happy March 1st! And because it is the first Wednesday in March, we are once again opening our monthly theme for the Modern Quilt Along series that we are doing in 2017. If you need a refresher of what this series is, go HERE to read the introduction post on the why’s and how’s. The theme […]

A repost as promised for my Improv and Value Class students. Hope you all enjoy! Little update to this post, the design wall with the grid is a Fons and Porter Design wall. Surely none of you are like me and start another grand idea before the previous twenty are finished. Design walls are as...Read More »

How do you use the Fibonacci sequence in quilts? This article gives examples showing the different ways of using Fibonacci in quilting.

I love quilts with just squares- they are fun and quick to sew and have a lovely timeless feel. And with strip piecing, this one comes together a lot quicker than you might think. Don't know what strip piecing is? No worries! Let's get started!

Inside you'll find an easy Gee’s Bend Quilt art lesson for how to make a paper quilt project with your kids. Grab it for your classroom now (it’s free!)

WHAT IS CORK FABRIC? Cork fabric has a similar handle to leather or vinyl, but it’s much easier to cut and sew with. It feels like a quality leather because it’s soft, smooth, and pliable. It’s not hard or brittle. Cork fabric looks stunning and unique. Use it to make handmade bags, wallets, accents on clothing, craft projects, applique, embroidery, shoes, or upholstery. Cork fabric is ecofriendly. This material is an amazing alternative to leather or vinyl because it is sustainable, washable, stain resistant, durable, antimicrobial and hypoallergenic. HOW IS CORK FABRIC MADE? This high quality fabric is a natural product made primarily in Spain, Portugal, and France. It is produced directly from the bark of the cork oak tree. Once the cork is harvested from the cork oak it’s stacked on concrete pallets and left to dry for a minimum of six months. After it is fully dried, the cork is boiled and steamed for sterilization, flattening, and elasticity. Heat and pressure are applied to press the cork into blocks. The blocks are later shaved into thin sheets. These thin cork sheets are sealed with a non-toxic sealant and adhered to a fabric support backing. The fabric support backing consist of 15.5% Polyester, 29.5% Cotton, and 55% Polyurethane. Because of this simple and natural production process, cork fabric retains all of the qualities of “raw” cork! QUALITY, COLORS & SIZES AVAILABLE There are two main qualities of cork fabric: Touch and Pro. Touch is a coagulated fabric made of 65% cotton and 35% polyester. Pro is a textile made of 15.5% Polyester, 29.5% Cotton, and 55% Polyurethane. Touch is a lower quality than Pro cork fabric because it is solid cloth rather a woven textile. You cannot iron Touch cork fabric, and it is not as durable as Pro. In addition, the Touch cork fabric may fade and show abrasion over time. Cork fabric is sold in a variety of colors, textures and prints. It is common for cork fabric to be 27” wide or 54” wide. HELPFUL NOTIONS FOR SEWING WITH CORK FABRIC Microtex Needle — It is recommended to start each project with a new needle. Microtex Size 80/12 or Microtex Size 90/14 work best; however, Universal Size 80/12 work well too. Microtex needles have a narrow shaft and very thin, sharp point which makes it ideal for cork fabric. Rotary Cutter & Scissors — If you plan to cut a lot of cork fabric, I recommend to purchase a separate rotary cutter and scissors to designate for cutting cork. This will help keep your regularly-used cutter and scissors sharp. Double Sided Basting Tape or Glue — Use basting tape or glue for holding seams, positioning pockets and zippers, creating straps, and more! Sewing Clips — Pins will leave a permanent hole in your cork fabric. Use sewing clips to hold together seams. Removable Marketing Utensil — Use a removable marking utensil to trace patterns on the wrong side of cork fabric. A leather pen works well if you need to make markings on the right side of the cork fabric. Edge Finishing — Cork fabric will not fray, so you can leave the edge raw. If desired, use leather edge paint to coat the raw edge for a smooth, sealed look. Rivets & Punch — Add rivets to stabilizer seams and straps on bags made with cork fabric. They also add a professional touch. TIPS FOR SEWING WITH CORK FABRIC For most projects I recommended using 3/8-1/2” seam allowance, 2.5-3mm stitch length for piecing, and 3-4mm stitch length for top stitching. If you are sewing through several layers, you may need to lower your machine’s tension and foot pressure. Home Sewing Machines can generally handle sewing through up to four layers of cork, or two layers of cork and 2 layers of foam at a time. Use 40-50 weight thread for seaming and topstitching. Use either a Teflon foot, walking foot, or compensating foot to help your machine glide through layers of cork easily. Each machine behaves differently so please test what works best for your machine. You can iron quality Pro or Rustic cork on either side-EXCEPT any cork that has metallic. Steam will make the cork fabric more elastic. No pressing cloth is needed. I do not recommend interfacing cork fabric, unless your pattern specifically requires extra stabilization. It stands up beautifully on its own. Use foam or fleece batting for extra stability if desired. You can also cut cork fabric on a digital cutting machine, such as the Brother Scan N Cut, for applique and cutwork designs. Be sure to test cut before cutting your entire design on cork fabric. SEWING PATTERNS FOR CORK FABRIC If you are new to using cork fabric, I recommend using a pattern that is specifically written for cork fabric to achieve quality, long-lasting results. All Sallie Tomato Patterns are written to accommodate a variety of materials, including cork fabric. Browse the patterns for cork fabric here! If your pattern is not written for cork fabric, read through the instructions and test sew to determine if cork can be used. Remove or add interfacing and stabilizer as necessary. You can use quilt weight cotton and cork fabric together, but you will want to stabilize quilt weight cotton to establish a weight similar to the cork fabric. TEN REASONS TO USE CORK FABRIC! Easy to Cut & Sew — You don’t need any special tools or equipment to sew with cork fabric. Extremely Light Weight — 50% of its volume is air! This makes it ideal for bags and laptop carriers. Easy to Maintain & Clean — Simply wipe clean with soap and water periodically. Cork fabric is also stain resistant! Water Resistant — Keep your items dry in bad weather! Long Lasting & Durable — Cork ages without deteriorating mainly due to its resistance to moisture. Cork cells are packed closely together in radial rows. This honeycomb structure makes cork extremely durable and abrasion resistant. Hypoallergenic — Cork is not allergy-proof, but it is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. It is very gentle on your skin, which makes it ideal for bags, home décor, and craft projects. Soft & Unique — It feels like a quality leather because it’s soft, smooth, and pliable. It’s not hard or brittle. No two pieces of cork fabric are alike! 100% Sustainable — The Cork Oak is the only tree in the world that can have its bark removed and survive, thus making the harvesting of cork 100% sustainable. The same tree can be harvested every nine years. Some trees have been harvested for over 200 years! Chemical Free Production — Yay! Use for a Variety of Projects — Make handmade bags, wallets, accents on clothing, craft projects, applique, embroidery, shoes, or upholstery. It cuts great on digital cutting machines too! I hope this post has made you excited about this trending, new fabric! Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about cork fabric! Jess from Sallie Tomato

Get this free sewing tutorial with step by step instructions to sew a cute girl's seaside summer dress

Inside you'll find an easy Gee’s Bend Quilt art lesson for how to make a paper quilt project with your kids. Grab it for your classroom now (it’s free!)

A great how to for beginning sewers who want to learn how to applique using their sewing machine! Check out the step by step instructions. Pictures included!

Learn how to make this farmhouse inspired punch needle pillow case (it's removable!) in this step by step tutorial & video.

Historical costuming

Whether it's an old tee you've had in your closet for a while or one you just purchased, you may want to give them an update. Here are some fun ways to distress a t-shirt!

a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own fabric alphabet letters - love these! they are a perfect handmade gift idea

v. 1. How to crochet. -- v. 2.Twine crochet work. -- v.3. Miscellaneous designs for crochet work. -- v. 4. Fine crochet work. Designs for lace edgings,...

Have you ever had your fabric or pinking shears sharpened? What has your experience been like?

Join pin looms squares easily with the mattress stitch. Here's how.

On peut très facilement cacher et réparer un trou de jean de façon créative. Voici 15 idées pour vous inspirer dans vos rapiéçages.

Sewing a straight stitch seems like the most basic of sewing skills. It is the most used type of stitching, especially when it comes to beginner sewing

One of the things I love most about hand embroidery is all the different textures you can create with the same fabric and thread depending on what stitches you use. What’s even more fun is taking a traditional stitch and using it in a new way. Using the chain stitch as a fill stitch rather than an o