Category / Sewing

Pojagi - The Art Form of Korean Quilting
by Angela Porter

Pojagi – The Art Form of Korean Quilting

I have always had a fascination with brightly colored things. The beauty of the sun shining through the trees, through the clouds, and even through the window gives such a warm feeling and the appreciation of nature and our surroundings. I especially love the beauty of stained glass windows in the ancient churches and buildings in Germany and Italy. The sun shining through the color seemed to draw me into the grace of the house built so long ago and so carefully maintained as to not disrupt the aura it was intended to project.

One time, not so long ago, I was intrigued by some pictures that were like stained glass, but made with mostly irregular blocks and random shapes of fabric.

Pojagi

Sometimes referred to as “Bojagi”, this is a highly improvisational project to do what you feel!

Sometimes referred to as “Bojagi”, this is a highly improvisational project to do what you feel!

Light can be seen through the block which shows outlines of the seams around them, as well as diffused color of the fabric in each block. The interesting part is some were made with one color or neutral colors, and as I researched, I found many others were pleasing to the eye with multiple colors.

The art form I was seeing was called “Pojagi”, which was started about 2000 years ago in Ancient Korea. Pojagi was made by hand stitching fabrics like ramie (which is similar to hemp or (linen), cotton, and silk formed into 14” squares to wrap and carry things. Even today, it is said the Korean parliament uses Pojagi to transport documents.

Tools of the trade

Women took old clothes and repurposed them into these wrapping cloths. It was a highly creative way to do improvisational designs from old clothes, scraps, and multiple fabrics, using only what was available to them. They would turn down the fabric from the top ¼ inch and crease it with a Clover Hera Tool.

I was interested to learn that a Hera tool was a sharp piece of hard plastic, that when pressed on fabric, makes a visible crease on both front and back of the fabric. How convenient would that be rather than measuring with a ruler and ironing that edge?

The left side is machine stitched with an Overcast stitch. The right side is hand stitched. Both have no raw edges showing on either side.

The left side is machine stitched with an Overcast stitch. The right side is hand stitched. Both have no raw edges showing on either side.

This example is a “work in progress” of mine. I started making panels to cover a closet opening, and quickly decided I needed more fabric than I have. So it is one more thing I have on my project list to complete.

This example is a “work in progress” of mine. I started making panels to cover a closet opening, and quickly decided I needed more fabric than I have. So it is one more thing I have on my project list to complete.

When the crease was made all the way across the fabric piece, the top is picked up folded inward and hand stitched. Then hand-stitching is done along that fold. From the side, the seam is folded down toward each other. The result is what we call “Flat Fell Seams”. The best way to describe them is they are a row of 2 seams with no fraying edges, finished both inside and outside. (Like the seams on your jeans!)

Although it was used by all economic classes in Korean history, Pojagi had categories based on the fabric and who the recipient of the cloth would be. For instance, a princess would receive a lined Pojagi possibly made with silk, where as a commoner may be something coarser like ramie or hemp. They were called different names by type as well.

Modern use

This is a portion of my closet screen hung in the window. I love that you can see the flat fell seams like outlines around the fabric, and the soft colors showing the fiber. There is lace behind that panel so it is makes it interesting!

This is a portion of my closet screen hung in the window. I love that you can see the flat fell seams like outlines around the fabric, and the soft colors showing the fiber. There is lace behind that panel so it is makes it interesting!

Today, pojagi is used as screens, curtains, wall hangings, or sometimes fabric sewn on top of each other, irregular shapes and sizes, even repurposed clothing. Pojagi is a great improv project to do whatever design appeals to you.

No measuring and using scraps, even sometimes fabric sewn on top of each other, irregular shapes and sizes, pojagi truly brings out your creativity.

No measuring and using scraps, even sometimes fabric sewn on top of each other, irregular shapes and sizes, pojagi truly brings out your creativity. It takes time to sew by hand, however, sewing by machine made me feel that I was cheating myself of the real Korean experience. I did complete this one panel for my closet, however. It is lined at the back with cotton duck type material for strength.

I hope you will be inspired to research this unusual art form and make a square or two. You may decide the freedom of expression is something you were missing all along.

I would love to hear your comments or see your designs in Pogaji!

As Pinned: Sewing Alterations in the Film Biz
by Vanessa Nirode

As Pinned: Sewing Alterations in the Film Biz

Most film and television costume departments in New York City use bright pink oak tags to identify a garment as needing an alteration.

Most film and television costume departments in New York City use bright pink oak tags to identify a garment as needing an alteration.

Most film and television costume departments in New York City use bright pink oak tags to identify a garment as needing an alteration. Larger (and usually period) shows, like Boardwalk Empire, The Deuce, The Get Down, have two or three Costume Fitters who run the fittings for the background actors. They keep everything organized in the fitting rooms, take measurements and photos, assist the designers, do a lot of the pinning (unless something really wacky is going on, then they’ll usually call the Head Tailor in to check it out), and write the alteration notes on the tag.

Inevitably, a high percentage of alteration notes will read something like: “Take in as pinned” or “CB as pinned”. ‘CB’ means center back if you didn’t know. And ‘AP’ is the abbreviation for ‘as pinned’.

So, anyway: “Take in as pinned.”

Measure twice, cut once.

Take in as pinned

Here’s the thing, even if I pinned the alteration myself in the fitting room, ‘take in as pinned’ shouldn’t necessarily be followed literally. Seriously. It is indeed true that humans in general are not always symmetrical but it’s rare that you honestly need to take in one side more than the other. I also cannot tell you how many times an initial, “he has one arm longer than the other” turned out to be a jacket not sitting evenly upon the shoulders.

The garment can, of course, be lopsided to begin with – always a possibility if you’re dealing with vintage clothing. Measuring is always a good idea. As my Dad always says, “Measure twice, cut once.” He was talking about lumber and carpentry but the same advice applies to sewing as well.

I usually mark (or just measure) the pinned out alteration with chalk or wax on the wrong side of the garment. Then I take the pins out and assess the situation. If two side back seams were pinned in and one is considerably larger than the other, even them out. Do the same thing on both sides.

This is actually one of the top five laws of sewing – if there are laws of sewing.

I just pin everything out in through the center back then figure out later the best place to take it out.

I just pin everything out in through the center back then figure out later the best place to take it out.

I often only pin one side of a thing. More often, I just pin everything out in through the center back then figure out later the best place to take it out. A large amount will look better if you distribute it through more than one seam.

For example, if you pinned out 5 inches at the center back waist of a shirt or jacket, split the amount up between the center back, side back and side seams. The end result will look much better.

An alteration I do a lot is taking in the backs of men’s button front dress shirts. Unless it’s a slim cut John Varvatos, most men’s dress shirts are excessively roomy in the back. The quick and easy solution to this is to add side back darts.

If I have time, and the shirt has back pleats going into the yoke, I’ll take the whole back off and take out the pleats – re-cutting the bottom part of the armseye and the side seams. This can take quite a bit longer, especially if you are dealing with a shirt by Brooks Brothers, who insist on gluing their side seams as well as sewing them.

Take in as pinned.

Take in as pinned.

Speaking the same language

At Blindspot, since I’m the Head and only tailor, we just put blank pink tags on the garments as indications that they need altering. If I pinned it, I don’t need any notes. The Costume Designer for the show is also an excellent tailor (which is rare) so if I wasn’t in a fitting for some reason, he can easily tell me what needs to happen – often without pinning.

He’ll come to me and say, “I threw this on so and so, it just needs to be taken in about this much in the back.” Then he’ll show me by pinching an amount out with his fingers.

Tailoring and patterning is indeed a language all its own and it’s a beautiful thing when you work with someone who speaks it as well as you do.

Color Theory for Quilters
by Millie Green

Color Theory for Quilters

Color Theory for QuiltersColor theory and scheme play an essential part in any design, and color choices are most important in planning any quilt. Choosing a color scheme that works for your quilt prevents muddy color or boring results from your hours of work.  You want quilts that both stand out and fit in, and the key to this is using color theory to your advantage. Using colors that work together as a quilting team in your design can enable you to do any or all of the following:

  • Achieve harmonious results using a wide array of many fabrics
  • Make some colors pop and others recede, to emphasize or unify block patterns
  • Design quilts to complement interiors without any clash, and without being boring
  • Have backgrounds that work well, rather than as competition to spoil design effects
  • Balance any design and make all your quilts sing
  • Add extra Oomph and Wow Factor, for perfect success

You can do all this with ease when you understand color theory and recognize the logical choices available.  We don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and so we can choose from a preselected menu of color scheme styles, or teams, that we know will always work wonderfully together.

The Color Wheel

Color theory and schemes

What are some of these tried-and-true color teams? Let’s look at them all:

Monochromatic

A monochromatic color scheme uses only one color, choosing from all shades and tones of that color. How many greens are in the garden, and all of nature? It feels like shades of blue are unlimited when you think of the many colors for sky and sea.  The brown palette includes all colors of dirt and soil layers, skin tones, fur shades, tree barks, and more. You could use hundreds of different fabrics in one quilt and stick to one color. Or limit yourself to less, if you like, but know that a monochromatic quilt is a viable option in any color. You can also use a monochromatic palette as an element of your quilt, rather than the whole thing. This trick will enable you to paint with your fabric and achieve dramatic landscapes or picturesque quilts.

Analogous

Analogous colors are next to each other in the color wheel.  You can choose a narrow or a wide analogous scheme. You could choose to use all shades of just red, orange, and what is between them, or include all the way to yellow for more contrast. Choose from the other side of the wheel using blues and indigos, or including violets. Or go with yellow, green, and blue, including everything in between them, or blue, purple, and red with shades in between these. There are a lot of options for analogous quilts. I made one using blues and indigo, I showed how to make it on this blog a while ago.

Complementary

Complementary colors really set each other off.

Complementary colors really set each other off.

Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel. They go well together as natural pairs and seem to reflect their differences pleasingly. Complementary pairs are: red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple, and more.  Indigo is between blue and purple, so its opposite shade is between yellow and orange. You could also choose two analogous colors and also use both color’s complementary colors. For example, I have never used indigo and violet with yellow and orange yellow as a color scheme, but I know that it would work well.

Triadic – primary, secondary and tertiary

The familiar primary color scheme of red, yellow, and blue is triadic. Triadic colors are evenly balanced and play well together without competition. The secondary triadic trio includes green, purple, and orange. Tertiary triads include indigo, red-orange, and yellow-green together, or yellow-orange, blue-green, and violet red. Remember that you can choose from different shades of each color. For example, the familiar pastel trio of pink, pale yellow, and light blue used so often for babies, is a just a lightened up version of the primary color triad.

This rainbow book of colors is one of my favorite gifts ever.

I used a Rainbow color scheme for the cover of this baby color book.

Rainbow

The rainbow color scheme includes, you guessed it, every color of the rainbow. Don’t leave any out; a rainbow palette must include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple. You can decide for yourself whether to include the tertiary colors that fall between these or not. A rainbow scheme will work with or without these colors. A rainbow scheme always results in a vibrant quilt.

Warm and cool

Warm and Cool

Warm and Cool.

Warm colors range from red to yellow, like the colors of the sun. Browns and sands are included in this group, too. Cool colors go from blue-green to purple, like the seas and the skies, including at night. Warm colors advance; cool colors retreat. Cool colors separate and warm colors unify. Stars pieced from warm colors really pop against a cool background.  Pairing warm and cool colors differently can make dramatic differences in blocks, and changing this up may provide a lot of interest in repeating motifs.

Light and dark

This is the ultimate contrast, like black and white. Shapes are emphasized and the look is simple and uncluttered. Use your choice of colors for the light and dark pairing. You could choose light and dark shades of the same color or a complementary pair to contrast between light and dark, for example. While black and white can be starkly dramatic, this can also be downplayed in a light/dark combo by choosing a mix of lights and darks and gradating the tone.

Neutral

Natural colors: the seashore and shells; barks and stems; wood; dried grasses; crinkly leaves; skin-tones; rocks and soil. Grays like the sky sometimes and clouds, or concrete, and silvery steel. Creams, ivories, bone, and every shade of brown are all neutral colors. Neutrals can be light or dark. They are non-competitive, and help other colors. This is why they work so well as backgrounds. Neutrals are peaceful and offer support, so in general they are always welcome.

Traditional

A traditional quilt color scheme depends less on color than value. It is traditional to choose three colors for quilting: one that is dominant, one that is subordinate, and one as an accent. The dominant and subordinate colors play off each other, and the accent provides a pop. The red squares traditionally used as the centers of Log Cabin blocks both provide pop and serve to unify and define this classic design. You can use your dominant color to emphasize a repeating motif and the subordinate color as the background, sprinkling the accent color about to add sparkle and interest.

Scrap bag

It is a valid choice to use no color scheme at all and choose indiscriminately from among a plethora of colorful scraps. Scrap quilts, with their confetti of riotous colors, are endlessly pleasing, both to make and to look at. You can piece together a pleasing string or strip patchwork quilt by choosing blindly from an abundant scrap pile.

Choose a variety of fabrics

Color Theory for QuiltersYou can use a favorite fabric as a starting point to choose your scheme around, or you can begin choosing fabrics according to a predetermined scheme. The unlimited choices available to quilters are a big part of what makes quilt-making fun. You can increase your enjoyment in making any quilt by widening your variety of fabric choices. If you choose a triadic color scheme, for example, but then choose only one fabric of each color to complete your quilt, you may be bored by the lack of variety.  Choose several fabrics in each color to increase interest instead.

Don’t be daunted by color choices. Choose any one of these color schemes and your quilt is sure to be a success. I hope that you understand color theory now and that this has helped you.

DIY Fun Jeans Project
by Sarah Woodard

DIY Fun Jeans Project

I think jeans are one of the most comfortable items in my wardrobe. They’re also a little boring. Sometimes I want to express myself while still enjoying the comfort of my favorite pair of jeans. With this awesome DIY jeans project, I can – and so can you.

Patches

DIY Fun Jeans Project

I’m not great at embroidery, but with the abundance of patches available in craft stores and online, I don’t have to be – and neither do you. Pick up patches in a variety of sizes. Any that you think are fun and express your personality. You may not use them all on one project. That’s okay.

Lay out the pair of jeans you’re going to spruce up and place patches to see what they’ll look like. Do one side at a time and sew them down with hand stitches. Don’t forget the waistline, pockets and cuffs. Well placed patches give jeans personality and character. Best of all, if that pair of jeans gets worn out or no longer fits, you can easily move them to another pair.

Contrasting Fabric

This is a great way to use up some of your fabric stash while making a great item for your wardrobe. Choose some contrasting fabric you really love. You should have about a yard or so of the fabric depending on how wide you plan to go with the next step.

Slit the jeans on the outside from the bottom of the cuff up the seam to about half way to the knee. Using a triangular piece of contrasting fabric as an insert, resew the seam edges on the fabric creating a flared bottom. The more fabric you use, the wider the flare will be. Do both legs if you want the jeans to be symmetrical or do just one leg to create a unique look.

Combine It

You can do either of these DIY jeans projects alone and wind up with a fabulous pair of jeans or you can combine them to create a pair of jeans like none other. I love both of these DIY projects because no special machinery or equipment is needed. Patches are inexpensive and I can use up some of my fabric stash.

If you give either of these DIY jeans projects a try, share the pictures of your results. I’d love to see them!

by Charlotte Kaufman

DIY Ironing Board Ideas

I recently decided to upgrade my ironing station from two towels placed on top of my new DIY work station to something fancier. I went from this:

I recently decided to upgrade my ironing station from two towels placed on top of my new DIY work station to something fancier.

DIY work station.

To this:

Fancy, right?

Fancy, right?

Fancy, right? Before I made my own ironing station I did a little research. Here’s what I learned.

Be Creative

Images from left to right: BH&G, Hometalk, Crazy Mary Revista, Sew We Quilt.

Images from left to right: BH&G, Hometalk, Crazy Mary Revista, Sew We Quilt.

Images from left to right: BH&G, Hometalk, Crazy Mary Revista, Sew We Quilt

The sky is really the limit when planning where you want to iron. Do you want to be able to iron a lot of fabric at a time? Go big. Do you want to save space? Go between the studs or hang from the wall. Almost anything with a flat top can be converted into an ironing board.

Thing Long Term

Images from left to right: Flaming Toes, Stitchery Dickery Dock, A Diamond in the Stuff, A Crafty Fox.

Images from left to right: Flaming Toes, Stitchery Dickery Dock, A Diamond in the Stuff, A Crafty Fox.

Images from left to right: Flaming Toes, Stitchery Dickery Dock, A Diamond in the Stuff, A Crafty Fox

Will you want your ironing board to always be on display? Consider the fabric you choose and if it coordinates or clashes with the space you’ll be ironing in.

Consider the fabric you choose and if it coordinates or clashes with the space you’ll be ironing in.

Consider the fabric you choose and if it coordinates or clashes with the space you’ll be ironing in.

I made my cover removable. It snaps firmly into place on my work station, but I can slip it off in a moment if I want the whole space.

Be Resourceful

Want to save money? You can line your ironing board cover with many things. Try using old wool blankets, receiving blankets, towels, or the innards of your former ironing board covers. Layers of batting work as well. If you want to use Insul-Bright, make sure to include a layer of batting to absorb extra moisture.

Go Vintage

Images from left to right: Simply Pallets, Recyclart.org, The Rustic Pig.

Images from left to right: Simply Pallets, Recyclart.org, The Rustic Pig.

Images from left to right: Simply Pallets, Recyclart.org, The Rustic Pig

If you are retiring a vintage ironing board for a newer one, don’t let the old board go to waste.
Use it as a wine station, to store your thread, or for holiday decorations.

Have Fun!

Have you ever made a DIY ironing station? Tell us about it!

Have you ever made a DIY ironing station? Tell us about it!

Have you ever made a DIY ironing station? Tell us about it!

—————————–
Charlotte Kaufman is a writer and sewist in Mammoth Lakes, California. She specializes in marine and home interiors and continues to fall more and more in love with quilting. You can follow her at charlottekaufman.com.
by Connie Smith

Spicing It Up! DIY Skirt Alteration

Sometimes, there are things in life that are pretty fantastic, but a bit of extra effort could make them even more so. That mentality can lead to furthering an education or moving to a different city…

This skirt belongs to one of the nieces & the sparkly glam is enough to make me jealous!

This skirt belongs to one of the nieces & the sparkly glam is enough to make me jealous!

Or adding fabrics. What looks remarkable in and of itself can take on a whole new level of beauty with a bit of thought or creativity. Example? This skirt. It belongs to one of the nieces, and the sparkly prettiness is enough to make me jealous that I don’t have a skirt like this one. What I do have though is material from my own clothing that zipper-made holes ruined, and the color scheme was kind of perfect to go along with the niece’s pretty, sparkly skirt.

Well, there was no sense in throwing away usable material that could be a sewing project, right? This might or might not have been my logic before diving into said project.

So, let’s break this down, shall we?

Let’s begin! Step-by-Step

The mission: Use the zippered-up material on the already wonderful and sparkly skirt.

The process: Simple, but effective!

Step 1: Cut the zippered-up material into usable pieces. To do this, I first cut away the zipper territory, then cut along the clothing’s seam. That seam was easier to follow than an imagined line, so there was less chance of me getting waaaaay off in my cutting. The results weren’t small enough to use at this point, but they were flat enough to help me gauge what I needed to do for the future.

Cut off the underlining black fabric from my ripper-ruined clothing.

Cut off the underlining black fabric from my ripper-ruined clothing.

Step 2: Cut off the underlining black fabric from my ripper-ruined clothing. This way, it was completely separate from the pattern I wanted to use, and it was handy for an underlining detail for the skirt. Win/win, right?

Step 3: Pin the underlining material to the skirt using straight pins. Luckily, it didn’t matter (since I didn’t think about it) if the line from my sewing matched to any line in the skirt because the floral pattern would cover it anyway. I just needed to make sure I stayed in the vicinity of the skirt’s already-present hem in order to not go so off-base with my sewing that the end result looked crooked.

Step 4: Hem the underlining fabric and make sure it came together when it needed to overlap at the end of its line. Again, it’s a good thing no one is supposed to see this piece of material because the section I used needed an extra piece sewn on to make it all the way around. That random addition might stick out, but who knows if I don’t tell them, right? Hey! You live and learn! I also made sure to cut away extra bits of material after I’d sewn so that there wasn’t excess falling well below the hem I’d created.

Step 5: Move on to the patterned fabric! After I looked over my options with the material I had, I decided on the piece that was at the bottom of the underlining black material so I could make use of the manufactured hem of the fabric. In addition, the material would already be set up for equal enough proportions since it began and ended in generally the same way from start to finish. All I needed to do was follow the same lines of the material to get a decent look for the skirt.

It's time to straight pin the skirt!

It’s time to straight pin the skirt!

Step 6: Once I’d selected the fabric I would use, it was time to straight pin it to the skirt! I kept it loose enough that the skirt didn’t bunch (if you pin it too tightly, you might end up with a pinched look you don’t care for) and made sure the fabric was being sewn above the underlining material. I also considered, this round, where my seam would be since A) I actually remembered, and B) it mattered since people would be able to see it. While the seam isn’t in exact line with the skirt’s side seam, at least it didn’t randomly show up in the front or something!

Almost there…

The final step of the process!

The final step of the process!

Step 7: Sew along the general area of those straight pins, and to piece together the floral fabric itself at the right moment when the sides would overlap. I did, however, have to make sure that the edges at the very bottom of that overlap would even out by adding a small hem. Since the overall hem was already there from the original clothing’s design though, that would be the final step of the process!

And, there you go! A pretty, sparkly skirt that has been upgraded into a pretty, sparkly skirt with matching material as an accessory!

What do you think?

Shopping in the New York City Garment District
by Vanessa Nirode

Fabric Shopping in the New York City Garment District

Shopping in the New York City Garment DistrictWhen I first moved to NYC a lifetime ago, I worked for very little money as an assistant to a crazy hat designer in the heart of the garment district. The only upside to the job was that I spent a good part of every day out on the streets gathering fabric swatches and button and trim samples. There was another assistant who had been there for almost a year already and she took me around with her and introduced me to all the people and stores. The two of us had a great time digging through bins of buttons, wandering deep into the back corner of NY Elegant Fabrics, and convincing the nice people at Mood to let us into their “secret” warehouse (it really does exist).

I only stayed at that job for about a month, though it felt like a year, and the other assistant (who has since moved back to Korea to head up a fashion company there) and I still keep in touch. I don’t go to the garment district as often as I once did but I do have a list of must visit favorite places.

Mood – 225 West 37th Street

I’ll get this one out of the way first since most people at this point have heard of Mood which lucked into some amazing advertising when it became the fabric store featured on Project Runway. One of the coolest things about Mood is the building its in and the old elevator, still manned by an actual man, that you have to take up to the 3rd floor. Once up there, the rows and rows of fabric reach from floor to ceiling. Things are pretty well organized, the selection is large, and most bolts have swatches already cut and attached to the ends that you can take.

One little note about swatching in most all the stores in New York City: If someone asks if you are a student, say no. They’re asking because most stores have specific hours for student swatching and won’t allow you to do so if its not during those hours.

Also of note: Mood has a public restroom in the back right corner. 😉

NY Elegant – 222 West 40th Street

I love NY Elegant for its selection of light weight cottons, organdies, and batistes. NY Elegant is a family run store and is the last standing fabric store on 40th St. They also get a lot novelty fabrics – fake furs and things with glitter and sparkly threads.

Paron Fabrics – 257 West 39th Street

This is one of my absolute favorite family run fabric stores in the city. Sadly, they closed their doors for good just last month. I’m only including it to remind everyone to try and support their local fabric stores and if, you have the chance, come to NYC and shop in the garment district. You really can find almost any kind of fabric there by visiting the larger stores and just wandering down 39th street and stopping in to the small stores that still remain.

B & J Fabrics – 525 7th Ave #2

B & J is your best bet for high end linens, lace, and silks. The store is extremely well organized and always seems extraordinarily well lit in comparison to other garment stores. They are a little pricier than some of the other stores but the quality of the fabrics they stock is superb.

Lou Lou Buttons – 69 West 38th St

Lou Lou Buttons sells only buttons. They have bins and drawers and barrels full of buttons. They have wood buttons, shell buttons, mother of pearl buttons, and every funky, unique kind of button you could imagine. The people who work there are helpful and friendly and don’t seem to mind if you spend hours looking.

M & J Trimming – 1008 6th Ave

There are a lot of small trim stores in the garment district with beautiful things but M & J has by far the largest selection of trims in the city. And, unlike a lot of the garment district stores, they’re open on Sunday (you know, for those weekend trim emergencies.)

Tinsel Trading – 828 Lexington Ave

Shopping in the New York City Garment DistrictTinsel Trading recently moved out of the garment district to this new location on Lexington. They stock the most amazing unique vintage and new trims you’ll find (unless you’re shopping in India or Southeast Asia). Their stuff is expensive but much of it really is one of a kind. If you like metallic thread, fabrics, and fringes, this is the place to go.

If you’ve never had the chance to shop for fabric in New York City, I encourage you to plan a trip if possible – you won’t regret it. And, if you come during the month of December, you can also go visit the holiday windows at the retail stores along 5th Avenue – Bergdorf’s (always my favorite), Saks, etc.

by Sarah Woodard

Grateful for Sewing

I don’t get enough time to sew these days, but when I do, I’m incredibly grateful for it. Sewing is unlike any of my other crafty hobbies. I can express myself and discover myself in ways I can’t with any other hobby.

Truly Alone Time

Grateful for SewingWith my other craft hobbies, such as knitting, I tend to do them in front of the television surrounded by my boyfriend and our four four-legged children. While this is a great way to combine downtime with family time, it also means I don’t truly shut down. When I get the chance to sew, everyone else is out of the way. The four-legged babies don’t like the noise of the machine and since I’m not in a communal family area, my boyfriend doesn’t feel compelled to join me.

Creates Space

Our house, while adorable and comfortable, is also small and sometimes feel crowded. When I bought it, I was single with two fur babies. When I met my love and he moved in with his two fur babies we quickly realized finding our own space would be a challenge. I can create space for myself working on a sewing project and he creates space for himself by practicing archery in the back yard.

Unique Clothes

I’m not a clothes hound by any means. My wardrobe is small, but I do enjoy making it pop with a few really unique pieces. For me, the most fun way to do this is to buy a pattern I love, find the perfect fabric for it and make a dress, skirt or shirt no one else will have. Add on the compliments and feeling of success I get each time I wear something I made myself and I’ve got the perfect way to punch up my wardrobe.

Helping Others

Being able to sew is a skill fewer people have these days. Being able to sew affords me the opportunity to help others. Whether it’s fixing a zipper or shortening a head for someone I care about or making handmade items for charity, I’m grateful for the chance to use my skills to help others – and save them the cost of buying new clothes when the item could be repaired.

Creative Outlet

I write for a living, but I write factually based things, not fiction. I’m not known for an amazing imagination, but I am creative and that expression needs an outlet. For me, sewing is one way to let my creative side play.

Why are you grateful for sewing? What else are you grateful for?

Beginner Sewing Project: Felt Flower Pincushion
by Millie Green

Beginner Sewing Project: Felt Flower Pincushion

Felt Flower Pillow Pincushion

Felt Flower Pillow Pincushion

A pincushion is one of the first things you need for sewing. You will love yours if it is a pretty one and you make it yourself.  This project is super easy and it makes a perfect first project at your new machine.  This pincushion is a generous size and you won’t find one quite as nice for sale at the store.

If you are not an absolute beginner, you can whip up this pretty pincushion quickly for yourself or for a friend.  This makes a sweet gift.  You could even make these for friends who don’t sew by filling with lavender flowers instead of stuffing so that they can enjoy it as a pretty sachet instead.

Even non-beginners appreciate a fast project. Making one or a few of these might be a nice pick-me-up on an otherwise dreary afternoon.

Though it does make a pretty sachet, this project was designed as a pincushion, and it is my favorite of the many in my room. I sewed snaps on the back of mine and made a permanent place for it on my sewing room organizer curtains.

Pin it

Speaking of pins, here’s an important word to the wise: All pins are not created equal!  I highly recommend you further beautify this pincushion with head pins.  Really, I can’t stress this enough- do yourself a favor and arm yourself with this kind of pin. Pearl or flower head pins are easy to see, find, and remove from your project while sewing. Plus, they are pretty!

To make this beginner project pincushion, you need:

Two six-inch fabric squares

Felt scraps, for cutting petals.  I made mine using purples, greens, and blues.  You could make a more realistic flower using all one color of felt, or perhaps several shades of the same color.

A button for the flower center

Embroidery thread

Polyester fluff or other stuffing

To make the flower:

I cut my petals into pointy football shapes.  I tapered the petals at both ends to reduce bulk behind the button center.

Six graduated layers of six petals each make a nice, full flower.  Use the six largest petals for the back layer, stepping down to the smallest set of six petals for the front layer.  Also cut a small, one-inch circle of felt to place in front of your smallest layer of petals as the flower center.

Cut a three inch backing circle from the same color of felt as the back layer of petals and assemble all layers atop this circle and stitch them down by hand through the center.  Then place the button at the flower center and sew the button down using embroidery thread in a contrasting color.  I used a metallic silver thread in this example.

Now, set the flower aside.

Assembling the pincushion

Place the right sides of the 6″ squares together.  Sew around the square, leaving an opening for turning. Be sure to back-stitch the beginning and end of this seam.

After you’ve done that, clip off the tiny corner triangles outside of your seam, and turn the pincushion right side out. Use a point turner or other tool to push the corners out well.

Now stuff.  Stuff it nice and full, and then top-stitch to close your opening. I like to continue the top-stitching and go all around the entire square using matching thread.

Center your flower on top of the pincushion. Affix it by hand-stitching the backing circle to the cushion.  The larger petals will prevent these stitches from showing.

And now you made a pretty pincushion and completed this easy project that fast.

What will you make next?

Sew It Straight and Square
by Angela Porter

Sew It Straight and Square

I wanted to take an opportunity to tell you about something I learned very early in my sewing experience. Hopefully, it will help when you have to square off fabric for blocks or other things.

When I resumed by sewing hobby after being away for several years, I found many things have changed. Well, me for one, because I started out thinking I would make a few things, have a sewing machine available for mending, and leave it at that. I wanted to make a shirt or two.

But, never, in my wildest dreams, I thought I would have an interest in quilting. Being able to buy many different fabrics, mix them up, find harmony between them, and create an awesome piece of art was exciting!

So my first fabric obsession started with “fat quarters”. You know, they are bundles of one designer’s collection, or curated by someone else mostly sold in online fabric stores offering 10, 15, 20 or more pieces that have the same colors or coordinating fabrics! Oh… shopping online!! A whole other obsession!! Sorry. I got distracted!

But, I knew right off, I couldn’t cut them with fabric shears or pinking shears. It would take years off my life.

So, today I want to share how I learned to share how to cut “ fat quarters” for multiple precise pieces all at once.

Three tools necessary for straight and square pieces:

  1. Rotary cutter
  2. Acrylic ruler – my favorite 24 x 6 inches, but I also love 14 x 8 inches. Another handy one is 12 x 6 inches. I use them all.
  3. A self-healing cutting mat, measured in centimeters and inches. One with measurements is the KEY here.

Most Important!

RULE #1 – Never Cut Toward Yourself or Sideways with a Rotary Cutter – Always Away from Your Body

RULE #2 – Measure Twice and Cut Once

  1. Open 21 x 18 inch piece. Press with iron flattening fold creases. It makes a difference, you will see!
  2. Cut away selvage edge. You will have the longest part on the mat. Do not double the fabric and trim as close to the edge of the selvage as possible.
  3. Refold the length piece in half by taking the left side and match the edges on the right side where the selvage was.
  4. Square right hand edge with ruler and mat. Take off just a little sliver. Then trim the opposite side for threads. Not much to do there if it is square.
    • Now, the left has a fold, the top is folded two times giving you 4 layers of fabric. The top folded pieces have to be shaved too and the left side so you will still have exactly 9 inches on those two sides if you are careful.
    • Are you still here? Almost done!
  5. Line up the longer piece with the ruler, and trim off the small 2 inch piece to have 4 perfectly squared 9 x 9 pieces. The best part is you only lose about 1 ½” of the fabric by cutting it this way.

However, if you are feeling bold… and you put:

Beautiful 8 x 8 inch napkins ready for your next meal or party.

Beautiful 8 x 8 inch napkins ready for your next meal or party.

Right sides together, sew up the sides at ¼ inch leaving an inch or two (somewhere close to the end but not the corner) to turn them to their right sides, press seams, pin opening closed and top-stitch around all sides.

Then you have:

Beautiful 8 x 8 inch napkins ready for your next meal or party.

I would love to hear your comments or questions. Stop by and see me again soon!