The fabric you choose for your project plays a major role in how the end product turns out. Use the same techniques on two completely different types of fabric and you’ll be simply amazed at how different they can end up looking. Imagine this – you use the same pattern for a pair of trousers…
There’s nothing more exasperating than getting held up with your project simply because the thread keeps breaking on your machine. You sew a few stitches and the thread breaks… again. You have to now rethread the machine needle and either remove the stitches that are done and start all over again, which is such a…
As with all machines, sewing machines work best with some basic maintenance, done regularly. The emphasis is on the words ‘basic’ and ‘done regularly’. Most machines today are designed to perform well for years together without any major problems. More often than not, if you encounter any problems, it will be because you have the…
Knowing the basics of sewing machine maintenance is an absolute must if you want your machine to run smoothly and efficiently. There is no getting around this. Neglecting your machine can cause all sorts of problems and lead to unnecessary frustration. Fortunately, keeping your sewing machine in prime condition is neither very technical nor very…
Sewing is a hobby that can truly grow on you. You start off thinking you are going to spend an hour or so every once in a while at the sewing machine but before you know it, you find yourself spending more and more time at the machine. What draws you in is seeing the…
Or my seam ripper… or measure tape? Does that sound like you? Do you often feel like you spend far too much time looking for your various sewing supplies? Are your sewing projects forever getting put on hold simply because you cannot find the color of thread that you need or you’ve misplaced your measure…
For me, there’s nothing more frustrating than realizing mid-way through a project that there’s something going wrong somewhere. Worse still, is the realization that it is probably something I did or did not do in the initial stages. It could be that I did not measure one part correctly or I’ve assembled the parts in…
Prepping for your projects is probably the most boring part of sewing but unfortunately, it’s something that has to be done. Prepping paves the way for a frustration-free time ahead and also ensures a perfect end product. So, no matter how boring or tedious you find it, prep you must. Pre-Shrink Your Fabric While stopping…
I’ve seen many sewers make the mistake of using the same tension setting for all their sewing projects and then they wonder why the finish isn’t perfect. The fact is, the wrong tension is a sewing disaster. It can ruin your sewing project and literally give you a tension headache. Knowing how to troubleshoot your…
I will admit it – smocking is one of the more challenging aspects of sewing. For it to look good, it has to be done right and getting it right takes a lot of patience, practice and precision. But… once you manage to get a handle on it, you’re all set for the most amazing…