Category / Featured

The Final Touches (And Reinforced Lessons)
by Connie Smith

The Final Touches (And Reinforced Lessons)

Remember on my last blog post when I proclaimed that sewing isn’t baking? In the latest stages of my quilt, I’ve once again found myself facing similar details and thoughts as the ones I experienced earlier. Why? Because — as I said before — guesstimations and “until-it-looks-right” attitudes don’t necessarily spill over from the kitchen to the sewing area.

My homemade backing.

My homemade backing.

You see, I completed all the main lines of a nearly-finished quilt. What that meant, to me, was that it was time to sew on some kind of backing. My tactic for doing so? Getting a flat sheet, cutting it *very* generically around the exterior of the quilt, and trying to fold the excess material down in an appealing manner for the outer edges of the quilt. I ended up with a mess that looked something like this:

Not good, right? And I couldn’t seem to fix the issue with the backing/quilt this way. Whenever I would try to re-pin something so that the massive/slanted corner was more size-and-style-similar to the line leading up to it, the material would twist unpleasantly (like you can see). This blatant issue led me to undoing most of my pin-and-sew work connecting the backing to the actual quilt, in hopes that the lines and corners would better match up.

The process this go-round was a bit more precise, in that the original wrinkles in the sheet had fallen out, and the overall quilt was more carefully positioned under the sheet for more accurate results. That’s right. Under the sheet. Rather than focusing on exactly where the backing would overlap on the front, I concerned myself with making sure that the back portion was somewhat smooth against the quilt blocks. My rationale was that if I could get that territory as it should be, I could flip it over and fold over the ends with more confidence that what I couldn’t see on the back was proficient enough to allow my focus to safely fall on what I could see. Basically, if the backing was smooth, I could do things, like better decide how much material needed to be beyond the quilt blocks to fold over and work with, without worrying so much that the material on the underside was bunched or wrong in some way:

Pins, pins and more pins!

Pins, pins and more pins!

Once I flipped it over, I cut off a bit of the backing material, and I took out the pins from one side (and admittedly—accidentally—a number more!). Some of the quilt had already been sewn (I’m currently thinking of redoing that section, by the way), but beyond that stopping point, I could fold over the excess material, tuck it under itself, and pin it back down so it would create a more pleasing line and corner:

Progress is progress for an early quilter, right?

Progress is progress for an early quilter, right?

Perfect? Eh. But progress is progress for an early quilter, right? And, perfect or not, this strategy seems to have helped.

Still, knowing if the strategy will prove effective throughout the rest of the process might be something I judge later. After all, I’m less than one line into it, and there are over three sides to go (not to mention inner attachments).

In any event, this particular dilemma has led me to another tactic in learning to quilt better, and that’s to look for answers online. I’ve looked at a quilting video before, but a number of things that I’ve attempted to do are details I could’ve found assistance for online. There are charts, for instance, about how big to cut blocks, or how large a certain size of quilt should be. I might’ve literally been the girl who measured a bed with measuring tape (not sewing tape!) to see how big I should make a quilt, which I wouldn’t have had to do if I’d looked at a chart! I wouldn’t be too surprised if I took more of my sewing/quilting concerns online to try and find answers for them in the future!

Hopefully, this quilt will be finished soon, and I’ll be able to move on to another project with the skills and lessons I’ve learned up to this point. And maybe one day, I can become the quilter I want to be!

Sewing My Heart Out
by Stacey Martinez

Sewing My Heart Out

Sewing brings back the unique, the personalized, the imagination, the heart. Everything you can imagine is on the market now. When I was a kid, hand-made gifts were common, and often better than anything store-bought. Now, I see my kids wearing what every other kid is wearing, carrying around the same backpacks and purses with brand names. Nothing seems to be unique anymore.

My passion for sewing started the usual way. My mom sewed household items for our use when I was a kid. She taught me well. But I grew up, got busy, and my sewing machine collected dust for about a decade. When I became a stay-at-home mom, I started sewing again to save money. And I started sewing gifts to friends and family, again for the same reason. I discovered something amazing. They loved my gifts. Really loved them! Before I knew it requests started pouring in. They used them or wore them and someone would say, “Where did you get that?” Pretty soon I was swamped.

They feel loved and truly special because of the effort put into a home-made gift rather than store-bought generics.

Requests kept me busy for several years now. I still don’t sell any of my creations despite much encouragement to do so. Every item I make is designed by me, usually with a particular person or use in mind. Therefore, every single item gets my time, attention, and a lot of love for each person I create something for. My friends love what I do. They feel loved and truly special because of the effort put into a home-made gift rather than store-bought generics.

Sewing expresses an amazing amount of heart. Whether in a business or as a hobby, sewing is done with love. Love for sewing, love for imagination, love for creating something unique and special for unique and special people.

Sew your heart out, and you’ll be amazed by the results!

by Chyrra Greene

“Pin”ny Time Savers

All you need are clothes hangers, clothespins, and a marker or pen (not pictured).

All you need are clothes hangers, clothespins, and a marker or pen (not pictured).

Whether you are new to sewing and quilting or just love to follow commercial patterns, you quickly find out that once you cut out your pattern pieces, they are EVERYWHERE. Along your pattern cutting journey, you may get a little lost, especially trying to keep track of “which piece goes where” and “what label is this piece?” After all your cutting is done and it is time to reach for your cut pattern pieces to begin sewing or quilting, you find you find yourself spending even more time figuring out which one is “A, B, C” or “1, 2, 3”. Here is a handy solution to help you organize your fabric pattern pieces with items you probably already have at home.

First, use a marker or pen to label the clothespins based on the labels found on the pattern pieces or the pattern guide.

First, use a marker or pen to label the clothespins based on the labels found on the pattern pieces or the pattern guide.

All you need are clothes hangers, clothespins, and a marker or pen (not pictured). First, use a marker or pen to label the clothespins based on the labels found on the pattern pieces or the pattern guide. Using a permanent marker may make it easier to write on the clothespin, especially if it is made out of plastic. When choosing the marker and pen, make sure that you choose an ink that will be very easy and quick to see on the clothespin. (The goal is to make find your pattern pieces easier.)

Second, once you have labeled the clothespins, clip them on the hanger. To make finding the pins easier, place the labeled clothespin in alphabetical and numerical order. Continue clipping the pins onto the hanger until you have all your pins in a row. If you run out of space, use additional hangers until you have all of our labeled clothespins on a hanger.

Once you have labeled the clothespins, clip them on the hanger. Finally, attach the cut fabric pieces to their corresponding labeled clothespin by clipping the fabric to the hanger.

Once you have labeled the clothespins, clip them on the hanger. Finally, attach the cut fabric pieces to their corresponding labeled clothespin by clipping the fabric to the hanger.

Finally, attach the cut fabric pieces to their corresponding labeled clothespin by clipping the fabric to the hanger. For quilting patterns, there may be many pieces that same labels (for example, a repeating quilting pattern). In those cases, clip several pieces with the same label on the same pin. If there are a large amount of pieces with the same label and the clothespin get too bulky, create several clothespins with the same label. Organize the clothespins with identical labels next to each other for convenient and quick access.

Now you can hang the hanger on a door handle, a rod, or a rack. Place your fabric pattern hanger in a location this close to your project a quick reach to start your sewing and quilting. This idea not only helps to organize your pattern pieces, but it also helps to organize your sewing process. It can be such a distraction to have pattern pieces scattered all over your sewing and quilting workspace. A great sewing and quilting project takes focus and time. Organization around you in the workshop help you focus on project and saves you the time of having to search for your pattern pieces and figure out which piece it is.

The beauty of sewing and quilting is its creativity, attention to detail, and precision. Let this handy solution give you the freedom to put all of your time and energy into those things. So check out your closets or laundry rooms for the clothespins and hangers that will save you sewing and quilting time. But, just in case you want to go a purchase new one just for your sewing and quilting space, have fun with colors, prints, textiles, and more. From hardware stores to houseware stores, the possibilities are endless. Spruce up your creative environment with fashionable hangers and fancy clothespins to create a simple gadget that will help to make your sewing and quilting experience less frustrating and more exciting.

How Many Sewing Machines Do you Need?
by Vanessa Nirode

How Many Sewing Machines Do you Need?

A subjective question, perhaps. In the cycling world, of which I am part, the number of bicycles is defined as x + 1 where x = the number of bikes you currently own. I suppose the same formula could be applied to sewing machine ownership. I’m continually fascinated by the scope and design of new machines and confess that, if I could, I would adopt one of virtually every machine I see.
Everyone I know in the film business owns at least one Bernina. For many, their Bernina is their prime machine, the one they use most often.

As a professional tailor and pattern maker in the film and television industry for about 25 years, I’m always on the lookout for a something that can make my job easier and more efficient. I, as I suspect most tailors do, have a small collection of machines that I consider my ‘go-to’s’, that I can’t imagine doing my job without.

1. Juki High Speed Single Needle Straight Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine

I have an old model of this machine, the DDL-555-4. The beauty of this machine is that it only does one thing: sew in a straight line. And it does it exceptionally well. Even my old model is smoother and more sensitive than many domestic machines. Five layers of denim or a single layer of chiffon emerge from the presser foot with no complaint and straight, even, stitches. I rarely even have to adjust the tension. And the Juki is fast. The newer models have a speed adjustment on the motors so if you want to start out a little slower you can.

Check out the current models, the DDL 8700 and the DDL 5550 N and go test drive one if you can. I think you’ll be able to tell right away that it’s a machine that will quickly pay for itself.

2. Brother lightweight Portable Machine

My SC 9500, which is similar to the CS-5055, is the most incredible inexpensive machine I’ve come across in my twenty some years of sewing. Not only is it lightweight enough to put in a tote bag and carry on your shoulder but it also sews like a champ. I use it most often for its pre programmed buttonholes and stretch stitching. In my experience, a lot of domestic machines produce less than ideal buttonholes. The Brother never falters: each buttonhole is perfect and akin in quality to those in manufactured clothing (where they use a machine that does nothing but buttonholes).

3. Bernina

Everyone I know in the film business owns at least one Bernina. For many, their Bernina is their prime machine, the one they use most often. I’ve yet to find a model, or hear of one, that doesn’t work well. I have an old mechanical model, which is still made in the form of a 1008. The advantages of a mechanical sewing machine lie in its durability and ease of use. I keep my old school Bernina mechanical on the wardrobe truck of whatever show I’m currently working on. I’ve had the same one for twenty years and its never ever failed me – despite years of being knocked around and asked to do impossible things like sewing through three layers of glued leather in an inordinate short amount of time.

4. Reliable Blind Hem Machine

A good blind hemmer that doesn’t snag or pull and is easily adjusted for varying fabric weights is essential to my tailoring work. The Reliable is just that, reliable. The setup is easy and the machine, though technically not a portable, does pack up nicely and can be transported to a work site.

5. Serger

There are so very many sergers to choose from. The first question to answer when choosing which one to buy is: what you will mainly be using the machine for? Do you need something to efficiently finish seams? Or will you be sewing entire garments with it? Do you want a machine that also does a cover stitch?

My favorite is the Juki Garnet Line MO-623 1 needle 2/3 thread Serger. The machine is dependable, smooth, easy to thread, and fast. The automatic rolled hem feature is game changing. As opposed to many machines where you need to change the presser foot, with the Juki, you manipulate the fabric with built in fingertip control.

Country Kitchen Mug Rug
by Stacey Martinez

DIY – Country Kitchen Mug Rug

Country Kitchen Mug Rug.

Country Kitchen Mug Rug.

Mug rugs are extremely popular in the sewing world. They are usually fairly easy to sew and are generally easy to customize. Mug rugs make quick, easy, fabulous personalized gifts. I made a bunch of them personalized to the tastes and colors of each individual for friends and family. It wasn’t long before the requests for a second for work or for a child or friend of theirs came in. I absolutely love designing these. They don’t take long to make and I get to play with all sorts of fabric designs. They’re a wonderful project to add personality and flare to.

“Okay,” you say, “this sounds wonderful, fabulous, awesome. But what in the world is a mug rug?”

What is a Mug Rug? A Mug Rug is a cross between a full size place mat and a coaster. Smaller than a place mat, there is usually just enough room for a coffee or tea mug and a snack. They work perfectly for that breakfast coffee or an afternoon snack of tea and cookies. Typically the front side is the focus of designs and decals. The back is usually just one piece of decent fabric. The back fabric can match the colors or design on the front or can be completely different. If spills occur, just flip it over and finish your cup before tossing it in the dirty laundry.

Country Kitchen Mug Rug

Level: Beginner

Time to Complete: In an Hour

Sewn by: Machine-1/4 in. straight stitch except where indicated

**Tip** Wash all new materials prior to use to avoid shrinkage when you wash it later on.

**Tip** Iron cut pieces before sewing and in between each step. This helps in the sewing process and the end results will look more professional.

Country Kitchen Mug Rug.

Country Kitchen Mug Rug.

Materials:

  • 2 – 12″ L x 8″ W  Front/Back
  • 1 – 12″ L x 8″ W Cotton Batting
  • 2 –   7″ L x 2 1/2″ W Farm Animals

**Tip** I used material in my massive fabric collection. I always get new ideas every time I dig into my stash. It’s a great way to dream up new projects.

  1. Cut out fabric.
  2. Place front piece and batting together, right sides out.
  3. Pin farm animals to front and batting pieces and sew with 1/8 in. seam allowance. Any stitch is fine. I like to get creative and use the more decorative stitches when attaching smaller pieces to the overall product. I used a basic zig zag stitch.

    Panel of common stitches.

    Panel of common stitches.

  4. **Tip** I’ve been experimenting with decorative stitches I’ve never used. My Singer Advance has tons of decorative stitches. The owner’s manual describes the use of each stitch. I’ve also gone online to research stitches and to see how and for what projects others used them. Pay attention to the manual for any adjustments to stitch length or tension. Some stitches require adjustment changes. And, don’t forget to change settings back to auto when moving back to a straight stitch.  
  5. I used a basic zig zag stitch.
  6. Place front and back right sides together. Make sure to mark a 3 in. to 4 in. opening to pull the fabric right side out. I place pins vertical instead of horizontal pins at the opening so I know where to stop.

    Mark area to be left open.

    Mark area to be left open.

  7.  At this stage the cotton batting should be on the outside. We need it inside when we pull the fabric right side out.
  8. Sew with 1/4 in. seam allowance, leaving the open space.
  9. Cut corners. Turn fabric right side out. Shape mug rug and push out       corners.
  10. ** Tip** Cutting a small amount off the corners before turning material right side out allows for better-shaped corners when turned right side out. I use a pencil to shape the corners.

    Cut corners close to stitching.

    Cut corners close to stitching.

  11. Iron. Ironing at this stage is important to flatten material and inside seams before top stitching.
  12. Top stitch with 1/8 in. allowance around entire front side to give it a finished look as well as hold down your seams on the inside. Also make sure to stitch over the opening used to pull the fabric right side out. Iron.
  13. Viola! Finished!

Time to celebrate. Take a well-deserved break, make some coffee or tea, sit back and ENJOY!

Coffee break!

Coffee break!

I hope you enjoyed this project. If you have any questions or comments, please share! Any ideas, shortcuts, or other contributions are welcome.

I would love receiving picture posts showcasing your Country Kitchen Mug Rug creations 🙂

You are more than welcome to suggest project ideas. What would you like to see and learn? Let’s journey together!

Dashing Dish Mat
by Stacey Martinez

DIY – Dashing Dish Mat

Dishes everywhere! I’ve been learning how to cook from scratch. I also made the wonderful journey into the world of baking bread. Yay, so much fun! Boo, so many dishes that must be hand-washed. Oh no, can’t just throw them in the dishwasher!  My beloved husband’s coffee pot may only be moved upon threat of death, so I created a dish mat to fit our small, unique space.

Viola! The Dashing Dish Mat!

Before:

Impossible dish counter space.

Impossible dish counter space.

After:

Beautiful organization, bright space.

Beautiful organization, bright space.

Level: Beginner

Time to Complete: In an hour

Sewn By Machine: 1/4 in. straight stitch except where indicated

**Tip: Wash all new materials prior to use to avoid shrinkage when you wash it later on.

**Tip: Iron cut pieces before sewing and in between each step. This helps in the sewing process and the end results will look more professional.

Materials.

Materials.

Materials:

1 – 26 1/2″ L x 14 1/2″ W     Terry Cloth long part of L- for back side

1 – 13″ L x 17″ W                 Terry Cloth short part of L- for back side

3 – 27″ L x  5″ W                  Colorful fabric strips

3 – 5″ L x 17″ W                   Colorful fabric strips

  1. Measure the area where the dish mat will be. My dish mat will be L-shaped so I had to take measurements for each side. Final measurements – For lengthwise section, 26 1/2″ L x 14 1/2″ W. For L piece, 13″ L x 17″ W. I always use measuring tape instead of a ruler when measuring spaces. Measuring tape is flexible and much longer than most rulers. I add an 1/2″ to 1″ in. depending on the project to account for the material that will be used for seams. Otherwise the end project will be shorter than I want.
  2. Cut the terry cloth for the back side. Cut fabric strips.
  3. Sew two pieces of terry cloth together, right side together 1/4″ with regular straight stitch.
    • **Tip: Make sure you have the smaller L portion of the terry cloth on the correct side. This can be tricky. When you match right side together with terry cloth and fabric sides, make sure they are both on the correct side. I had to rip stitches and sew the terry cloth on the other side. I use a seam ripper with a safety ball so I cut only what I want and don’t end up ripping other areas of the fabric. 
    • **Tip: Don’t let mistakes discourage you. I make mistakes all the time, as is obvious with my terry cloth L error. Rip stitches, go back a step, start from scratch. Sewing is an adventure, and sometimes those mistakes turn into great ideas!

      Example of strip stitching.

      Example of strip stitching.

  4. Sew the vertical strips together, right sides together. Sew the horizontal strips together, right sides together. Then sew the vertical strips and horizontal strips together, on the right side.
  5. Sew the terry cloth back and the striped front together right sides together. Leave one end open to pull the fabric through.

    Outside pieces facing together.

    Outside pieces facing together.

  6. Cut off the corners before pulling the fabric through.
  7. Pull the fabric through. Iron.
  8. Top stitch all the seams for the strips. This adds a professional look as well as making sure the seams don’t cause problems later. Iron.
  9. Top stitch all around the outside. Make sure to sew the side that was left open to pull the fabric through. Iron.
    Top stitching seams.

    Top stitching seams.

    • **Tip: A creative use of thread colors can really make a project pop. Top stitching any of the seams in different colors or in a color that would really stand out against the fabric can be that “extra touch” that makes everyone say “Wow, you made that? Could you make one for me?”
    • Place on your kitchen counter and enjoy washing dishes!

I hope you enjoyed this project. If you have any questions or comments, please share! Any ideas, shortcuts, or other contributions are welcome.

I would love receiving picture posts from you showcasing your dish mat creations 🙂

Oui, Oui – A Sheer Evening Bolero With French Seams
by Anne-Marie Clark

Oui, Oui – A Sheer Evening Bolero With French Seams

When the weather gets warmer, weddings and graduation party announcements arrive. This means strapless dresses, tanks, low necklines and open backs that get chilly in air conditioning and cool nights. An evening bolero or cropped jacket sewn with sheer fabric is a terrific solution: Small and light, you can fold it into your purse when the dance floor calls and pull it out again for a walk in the moonlight. Plus you can brag about your sewing skills to anyone who compliments your look.

What could be more evening elegant than a bolero by Vogue?

What could be more evening elegant than a bolero by Vogue?

Lace, chiffon, silk voile, and layered tulle are good choices for an evening jacket, but working with delicate fabric often requires French seaming, a couture technique that hides ragged edges and stray threads that would otherwise show through and destroy the elegant effect. The pattern I chose for my bolero, Vogue 8885/View C, required only one French seam (and only one big piece to cut), so I dared give it a try. In my sewing stash I found a few yards of black chiffon from Mood Fabrics. I’d fallen in love with its zigzagging details on a January evening when I’d been strolling their aisles. In retrospect, black wasn’t a good color choice for a first French seam attempt. A light color would have been easier to see and sew precisely.

After cutting the pattern piece – a gigantic parallelogram – with a one-half inch seam allowance and transferring marks with white tracing paper, I was ready to attempt my début French seam. Here’s how it works:

  1. The first step in sewing a French seam is to put the wrong sides of the fabric together. You must disregard the worry you’re sewing on the incorrect side. You are sewing on the incorrect side. Sew just one-quarter inch from the cutting line, then trim close to stitching.

    French seams hide ragged edges and stray threads.

    French seams hide ragged edges and stray threads.

  2. With low heat, press the seam to one side. Then flip to the wrong side. You will see the “right” side of the seam on the wrong side. This is normal, so don’t panic.
  3. Fold the fabric along the seam and stitch again at one-half inch. This hides the seam inside another seam. The new seam is on the wrong side as it should be. Press the French seam to one side. That’s all there is to it!
A sheer black bolero compliments a camisole.

A sheer black bolero compliments a camisole.

With the French seam complete, I had to finish other aspects of the bolero such as stitching a narrow hem along the edges. For this I used a rolled hem foot that came with my Singer Quantum Stylist. Rolling the hem is fun once you get the hang of it and the results are astonishingly professional. If you don’t have a rolled hem foot, you can buy one at sewing shops or online at Sewingmachinesplus.com. I also had to stitch along the back of the bolero and gather a section by pulling along the bobbin thread. The chiffon was uncooperative – I should have used a longer stitch length to make it easier. As a last step, I joined the center back section together to create “sleeves.” Doing this caused the French seam to present itself in a diagonal direction through the back, which looks pretty cool.

As the final step, I tried it on! The loose fit looks a little better on my dress form (her name is Aretha) than it does on me, so here’s Aretha:

I’m happy with the bolero, but I’m curious about some of the other views included with Vogue 8885. It looks like a few yards of lace and more French seams are in my future. Here’s to Paris . . .

Top Fashion Trends To Sew for Your Wardrobe This Spring and Summer
by Millie Green

Top Fashion Trends To Sew for Your Wardrobe This Spring and Summer

Top Fashion Trends for Spring and Summer 2016

Top Fashion Trends for Spring and Summer 2016

It’s an exciting time for home sewists, as many of the top fashion trends are easy to produce at home.  Even beginners can sew fashionable wardrobe pieces easily this year.

This season, a Victorian influence runs strong, as seen in ruffles and florals everywhere.  An Art Spirit also prevails, with garments adorned by embroidery, 3D artistic and rich architectural details.

Top Fashion Trends for Spring and Summer 2016 include:

  • Shoulders bared: You’ll see them in off the shoulder dresses and tunics, as well as in pieces featuring neck straps or laces to gather the neckline, and even through cutouts. An off-the-shoulder peasant style top  may be one of the easiest garments to sew.  Bare shoulders are equally easily to achieve using straps, laces, or ribbons through a casing, as in pillowcase dresses.
  • Mixed patterns, especially mixed florals: The trick for mixing various patterns is for each fabric to have one color exactly the same; do this and pull off mixtures of many and widely varied patterns. Think both patchwork—with dresses or other garments constructed with many differently patterned pieces—and also separates of different patterns.
  • Ruffles: From wide ruffles adorning dress bodices to ruffled skirts, sleeves, even ruffled capes, these are everywhere.  FYI, a serger both gathers and hems ruffles beautifully and with ease.
  • Wrap skirts: These are popular this year with a narrow A-line, in both mini and midi lengths. You will also see these with asymmetrical and layered treatments.
  • Midi skirts: The most fashionable skirt length right now, with mid-shin hems that bare ankles, but not knees. This length is flattering for every body type!
  • Paper bag waist: You’ll find these on both skirts and pants.
  • Smaller pleats: Small, accordion style pleats on dresses, blouses, skirts, even the aforementioned off the shoulder, tied at the neck dress.
  • Gingham: Especially large ginghams and also large plaids.

    Striped fabrics are all the rage.

    Striped fabrics are all the rage.

  • Stripes: Both horizontal and vertical, wide stripes, multicolor stripes.
  • Shimmer and shine, both bold and subtle: If you have ever wanted to sew a garment from metallic fabric, this is your year to do so. If you prefer something more subtle, add shimmer to black or neutrals with sequin or bead trim.
  • Denim: Dresses, skirts, blouses made of lightweight denim with design details such as ruffles, narrow pleating, subtle patchwork, layers, paper bag waist.
  • Fringe: Seen on dress hems, from shoulders and more.
  • Suede: Small pieces for warmer weather—plain, patchworked or fringed vests, tank bodices, and shorts, together or paired 70s style with patchwork or floral.
  • Orange anything: Bold Tangerine is hot.
  • Spanish Red: Spanish style is trending this year, especially in Red. Make a bold piece, perhaps a suede vest or a pleated cape.
  • Easter egg pastels: Robin’s-egg blue, dusty pink, marigold yellow hues make a soft statement this year.
  • Waist ties: Sashes of all widths are in, and we couldn’t be happier about it. A sash is suitable for a very first sewing project and is satisfying to make. Sashes are a fabulous way to feature a special fabric and improve a boring outfit.

    Silk, satin, and even batiste cotton are paired with sheer or lace panels in black, white, nude, or buff pink.

    Silk, satin, and even batiste cotton are paired with sheer or lace panels in black, white, nude or buff pink.

Other Current Looks in Fashion:

  • Wrap dresses: Nicole Kidman was featured in a sultry and silken robelike dress by Louis Vitton in the April InStyle magazine; this dress also featured mixed fabrics.
  • Floral pillowcase dresses: As easy to sew as a dress could possibly be!
  • Nightgown and lingerie style dresses: Silk, satin, and even batiste cotton are paired with sheer or lace panels in black, white, nude or buff pink.
  • Half moon bag: You’ll see bags of this shape everywhere now. Sew one for yourself by cutting two same sized semicircles, a long narrow rectangle to join the round sides, and two shorter same length rectangles, joined by a zipper, for the top and a strap.

Try your hand at just one or many of these fashionable looks this season. Sewing your own wardrobe pieces makes fashion fun.  Happy Sewing!

Boost Your Sewing Skills To Professional Quality In One Quick Step
by Millie Green

How To Boost Your Sewing Skills To Professional Quality In One Quick Step

After learning to use a sewing machine, the best thing you can do to produce more perfect and professional projects is to use a serger. The serger is the sewing machine’s best friend and it will be yours too.

Sergers are fast! Save time in production & cut down your fitting time. Not only that! A serger will create professional finishes & immaculate seams.

Sergers are fast! Save time in production & cut down your fitting time. Not only that! A serger will create professional finishes & immaculate seams.

What is a Serger?

A serger, which is also known as an overlock machine, produces professional finishes on garments and other projects. It does this by a process of knitting, rather than sewing.

A Serger is Fast!

The serger accomplishes all its tasks quickly and easily. It is the real workhorse of the sewing room and will speed a great many tasks immensely.

While most regular sewing machines can stitch between 700-1100 stitches per minute, a serger beats this by a lot, and can make up to 1700 stitches per minute.

What Can a Serger Do?

Serge your way to becoming a sewing pro with a serger in your sewing room.

Serge your way to becoming a sewing pro with a serger in your sewing room.

In a nutshell, a serger can:

  • Neatly bind and finish seams, and cut excess fabric from seams at the same time
  • Professionally finish unlined garments
  • Perform rolled edge finished hems
  • Make beautiful, delicate narrow, pucker-free seams
  • Make decorative edgings such as ruffled edges and scalloped trims
  • Flawlessly hem ruffles with rolled edging
  • Neatly and easily attach lace and other trims
  • Automatically gather
  • Sew stretchy knit fabrics with ease, including finishing sweater knits
  • Add strength with stretch seams
  • Decoratively and functionally seam fabrics by flatlocking
  • Create reversible items
  • Finish garments without facings
  • Feed 2 layers of fabric perfectly (the serger’s secret to handling knits)

The serger, with its rolled hem option, hems skirts beautifully in just a couple minutes!

With an overlock machine, you will have no more unraveling messy edges, either when you pre-wash your fabric or inside your finished garments or projects.

You can sew knits with ease with a serger.  If this were the only thing that a serger could do it would be well worth it to get one right now! But lucky for us the serger can do lots more!

Serging is Easy!

There is a myth that the serger is complicated or hard to learn to use. This may have been true long ago. But today many well-designed, user-friendly, high-quality sergers are available. There are features that make some sergers literally a breeze to use.

The Janome 634d, with its Jet Threading, is truly a breeze to use!

You Can Do It!

I was scared myself and hesitated to buy my first serger. I was reluctant to take on the task of learning something new which I feared as difficult.

As is often the case, all this procrastination and worry was silly; I was serging projects the very first day I got my serger! It was not complicated to learn: it was easy and straightforward. There was no learning curve to get started and I only regretted not buying one sooner.

I had never sewn on knit fabric successfully before– I tried but made a mess using my sewing machine! But I followed a pattern and made my first t-shirt pretty much immediately after I got my serger.

I learned more and more as I serged on, and I was continually amazed by how many new things my overlocker enabled me to do.

Having a Serger Offers and Opens Options Galore!

  • thick thread coverage for decorative edgings
  • sparsely covered seams for less bulk in seaming
  • narrow width and
  • wide width seam choices
  • flat or
  • rolled hems

Your skills and finished products will increase in quality and you will be able to make these nicer, better professional quality projects more quickly than you’ve made things before.

If you don’t have your serger yet there is no better or more important investment to make. No sewing room is complete without a serger, and having one more than doubles your production capability.

Janome’s 7034d Magnolia model is an easy-to-use entry level serger at a very affordable price!

Buy Yours Now!

If you want to create more professional quality projects in less time, you need a serger. And if you want to, you can do it, I promise!

Get your serger now and your skills will soar.

We have the best sergers on the market here at Sewing Machines Plus, from easy-to-use, quality entry level models to the jet threaded deluxe models that literally thread themselves.

Don’t put it off anymore, buy yours today. You’ll be so glad you did!

DIY - Bias Tape with a Bias Tape Maker Tool
by Anne-Marie Clark

10 Steps to Making & Sewing Bias Tape

Gardening Apron, pattern from “Sewing for All Seasons” by Susan Beal.

Gardening Apron, pattern from “Sewing for All Seasons” by Susan Beal.

You might appreciate a well-stocked sewing shop, but don’t you get bored with the limited choices for bias and binding tape? The standard spectrum of hues leaves little room for imaginative and interesting ideas.

If you’re sure the best binding for your project isn’t on the notions shelf, consider making it yourself. Although it’s possible to create tape with only an iron and your fingers, the process will go more smoothly and be more fun with a special tool called a bias tape maker. These little aluminum color-coded gadgets are sold at most sewing shops, including Sewingmachinesplus.com. They come in widths ranging from two inches all the way down to one-quarter inch and can be purchased individually or as a set. Save the instructions that come with the tool—you’ll need its measurement guide when cutting strips.

With a small tool that costs under $10, you can conquer the bias tape bores.

My curiosity about homemade tape led me to Susan Beal’s book “Sewing for All Seasons,” where I found a pattern for a canvas gardening apron made with DIY binding tape. My tape edging was folded from a poplin just slighter lighter than the canvas used for the apron body. I used a three-quarter-inch bias tape maker by Clover, and I even have some tape left over for a matching hat.

When making your own projects with DIY tape,
follow these 10 steps:

  1. Select similar fabrics. Cut swatches from your stash and consider how each would work as either the tape or the body fabric. As a general rule, your tape should be the same weight or just slightly lighter than the body fabric. Avoid using silky fabrics because you’ll have trouble keeping the tape in place when sewing. Also avoid transparent or translucent material that will show seams and frayed edges.
  2. Determine measurements. Refer to your pattern’s specifications – what size bias or binding is required? Use the guide that comes with your tool to determine how wide your strips should be in order to achieve the proper finished size. For example, if you need three-quarter-inch binding, your strip width (for medium weight fabric) would be one and three-eights. Make sure you have the right size bias-making tool for the size you need.
  3. Measure and cut your strips. If your tape will be sewn around curved edges, such as with a circle-shaped potholder or Christmas tree skirt, your strips should be cut on the bias (at a 45-degree angle against the fabric grain). If your project is made of only straight lines like the gardening apron in the photos, you can cut strips horizontally from selvage to selvage.
  4. Prepare the strips. If your pattern requires many yards of tape, you can sew long strips together with a three-quarter-inch seam allowance. Open and gently press the seam before using the tool.

    Run the strips through the tool to create perfectly folded tape.

    Run the strips through the tool to create perfectly folded tape.

  5. Press perfectly. Use an iron at the appropriate setting for your fabric to flatten the tape as you pull it though the tool. Take your time and use your fingers to hold the tape in position before applying steam. Store the finished tape so it doesn’t lose shape when you’re working on other aspects of the project.
  6. Check your machine’s needle and thread. You’ll be sewing through many layers, so make sure your needle is up to the challenge. Likewise, consider your thread color. A thread that looks good with the body fabric might not look as good when sewn into your bias tape.
  7. Pin the tape into position. Use plenty of pins with the head accessible in the direction you plan to sew. Use small pins that won’t distort the shape of your project. The flatter, the better. In some cases, you might want to baste the tape into place.

    Create a folded angle at corners.

    Create a folded angle at corners.

  8. Be careful at corners. Fold the tape at an angle, making sure it doesn’t slip. When sewing on the machine, sew one half of the corner and stop to pivot the project to the other direction before beginning again. Do not rush—take your time and concentrate on keeping the tape in place.
  9. Cut with caution. If your pattern asks you to cut the tape at particular points, don’t cut exactly flush to the body fabric. Leave a millimeter or two in case the next part of the process pulls your tape more taut than expected.
  10. Press gently. Resist the temptation to vigorously iron the tape after it’s sewn on. Give the project some time to settle into its seams, then use light steam to gently coax out lumps and wrinkles.

With a small tool that costs under $10, you can conquer the bias tape bores. New doors open with tape made from abstract prints, solids, florals, and plaids. A fancy or patterned bias edge against a plain fabric is a fun and interesting take on cosmetic bags, T-shirts, placemats, table runners or blanket edges. Make your own tape and take your project from OK to extraordinary.