Sewing

Patterns, Techniques, Articles, Blogs, and other resources to learn how to sew

Tutorial: Patchwork serger mat with a thread catcher

by 1 Comment

Tutorial: Patchwork serger mat with a thread catcherTonya from The Crafty Mummy shows how to make a pretty patchwork mat that sits underneath your serger or overlocker and has a bag attached to catch your scraps.  This would also be a nice accessory for a regular sewing machine, though you’d need to adjust the dimensions of the mat.  I keep my sewing machine and serger side by side on the table and often put the stray clipped threads from my sewing machine in the scrap catcher in front of my serger.  Go to The Crafty Mummy to see how to make the patchwork mat and thread catcher.

[photo from The Crafty Mummy]

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. You could make this quickly on your overlocker. Perhaps you can do that and then make a comparison tutorial. It makes more sense to me to read overlocker tutorials for overlocker accessories.

    Reply

Have you read?

Sew a Pincushion for Pins, Needles, and Fabric Clips

It doesn’t matter whether you sew by hand or by machine, you need a pincushion.  You need a spot to parks pins and needles and keep them within easy reach for when you need them again.  There are a lot of styles of pincushion to choose from.  Some magnetic, some fabric.  Some cute, some purely functional.  This “little bit extra” pincushion has a spot to store all the different types of pins and needles you might need while sewing.  Polka Dot Chair has a free sewing pattern you can use to make one for yourself.

This handy little pincushion has a circular shape and is divided into sections to store different types of pins.  The bottom section is for your regular straight pins.  Just poke them in and they’re ready for when you need them.  The top has one section with a felt flap perfect for holding your sewing needles.  I don’t know about you but I don’t like mixing my hand sewing needles in with my pins on a pincushion.  It makes it hard to find the needle when I want it.  So having a separate section for the needles is a great idea.

This “little bit extra” pincushion also has a spot to hold a few fabric clips.  Fabric clips have become popular alternatives to a traditional straight pin.  They hold fabric pieces together without piercing the fabric, which is important when sewing leather, vinyl, or other materials that will show permanent holes from pins.

You can sew the “little bit extra” pincushion from large fabric scraps or small fabric cuts (fat eighth).  You probably already have all the supplies you need to sew one in your sewing supplies already.

Get the free pattern for this “little bit extra” pincushion over at Polka Dot Chair.

[photo credit: Polka Dot Chair]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *