Sewing » Sewing Techniques

Tutorial: Sew a lined bodice

anneweaver — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:11:24 +0000

I’ll admit it. Every time I make a lined bodice or vest, my brain turns to mush trying to figure out which seams to sew in which order so that I can turn it all inside out. Happy for me, …

Tutorial: Faux welt pockets

anneweaver — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:29:48 +0000

Shauna from Shwin & Shwin shares a tutorial on her blog showing how to make pockets that look like welt pockets but don’t have the pocket lining behind them. They’re great for back pockets on a pair of pants – they …

Tutorial: Elastic thread shirring using a sewing machine with drop-in bobbin

anneweaver — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:46:44 +0000

Dawn from Designed by Dawn Nicole shares a tutorial on her blog showing how to do elastic thread shirring on her Brother sewing machine, which has a drop-in bobbin. She also shows how she uses her machine’s bobbin winder to fill …

Tutorial: Stitch buttons down using a sewing machine

anneweaver — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:42:23 +0000

True confession time: I HATE sewing buttons! At least, I hate sewing buttons by hand. It was a happy day when I discovered that I could sew them with my machine. Want to know how to do it? Ashley from …

Tutorial: How to sew a French seam

anneweaver — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:20:27 +0000

Trish from Two Peas in a Pod shares a tutorial on her blog showing how to make French seams. The fancy-sounding seam finish encases all of the rough edges of your seam allowance, making the inside of your garment (or other sewing project) …

Tutorial: Sewing perfect corners

anneweaver — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:10:46 +0000

Eerika Valkonen from Rag Pets shares her method for making perfect corners when sewing together two pieces of fabric. Would you believe it involves no snipping of seam allowances or clipping of corners? Get the tute.

[photo from Rag Pets]…

Cool idea: Add care instructions to a garment with a printable label

anneweaver — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:01:41 +0000

Sara from Sara vs. Sarah shares a clever tip for using ink jet transfer paper to create custom labels for the clothes she makes. Rather than a simple “handmade by…” message, she includes information about sizing and washing instructions. Brilliant!!! …

Tip: Feeding fabric into a rolled hem foot

anneweaver — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:24:35 +0000

A rolled hem foot makes it much easier to sew a narrow hem on the edge of a piece of fabric, but it can be difficult to get it started. Quilt in Progress figured out an easy way to feed fabric into …

Tutorial: Pull a thread tail to the other side of the fabric

anneweaver — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:17:19 +0000

Gertie from Gertie’s New Blog For Better Sewing shares a quick tutorial showing how to pull a thread tail at the end of a line of stitching through to the other side of the fabric. Get the tute.

[photo …

Video tutorial: Hide your seams by stitching in the ditch

anneweaver — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:10:23 +0000

One way to hide a line of stitching is to “stitch in the ditch”, in other words sew a line of stitching in the indented seam line where two fabrics are joined. Toni from Sugar Tart Crafts shares a video …

Tutorial: How to sew a blind hem when you don’t have a blind hem foot

anneweaver — Sat, 28 May 2011 13:10:55 +0000

If you want to sew a blind hem, a blind hem foot is helpful in keeping everything lined up just so. But Julie from Julie-K shares a quick how-to on her blog showing us that you don’t actually need a …

Tutorial: Sewing on sequins

anneweaver — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:51:33 +0000

Sequins are an inexpensive way to add some sparkle to a sewing project. But with just the one hole in the center, what is the best way to secure them down? Jaime from Prudent Baby shows two ways to do …

Tutorial: Sew a rolled hem on a sewing machine

anneweaver — Sun, 15 May 2011 02:01:45 +0000

Jill from Made It On Monday shows how to make a rolled hem on your sewing machine. The narrow hem is perfect when finishing curved edges or floppy fabrics. She uses a rolled hem foot to make it easy. Get …

Tutorial: Super sharp corners when you turn fabrics right side out

anneweaver — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:03:33 +0000

If your corners end up rounded or lumpy when you turn stitched fabrics right side out, then check out this tutorial by Caitlin at Colette Patterns. She shows how to use a point turner to get super sharp corners …

Tutorial: Sun visor headband

anneweaver — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:30:37 +0000

Taylor from MaryJanes and Galoshes joins the Color My Summer series at kojodesigns with a tutorial showing how to make her Hello Yellow sun visor. It fits like a handband, but has a visor sewn to the front to keep …