I think anyone who has ever worked with a sewing machine has had problems with it at some time or another.
Like any kind of machine, sewing machines need regular maintenance to keep them running along smoothly.  Changing needles, cleaning the lint and oiling your machine will do a lot to keep it going for years.
But what happens when the thread starts breaking, or the fabric starts bunching up under the foot?
First of all, stop, un-thread the machine and completely re-thread it.  Lots of sewing issues can be solved by making sure the thread path is correct.
Did that help?  If not, …read more

It’s the time of year again when I browse through my archives from the past year and pick out my favorite posts – as well as your favorite posts!
The all-time reader favorite post from this year has to be the free pattern to sew your own snuggie. This post has got to be one of the most popular ones I’ve ever written!
My ribbon roses tutorial is another top reader favorite – month after month, people still enjoy it… even though I wrote it in 2007!
In no particular order, here are some of my favorite posts from 2008:

I’ve gotten a few …read more

“Thrifty” is the hot topic in the crafting world – actually, I think it’s a hot topic anywhere these days!   I’m really putting an emphasis on thrifty Christmas crafting and sewing this year – it just makes sense to be a little more frugal.
One of the biggest things I’m doing to be a thrifty Christmas crafter is “shopping my stash”.   That means that I’m tailoring my gift projects to use up fabric I already have.
Four years of working in a fabric store and a lifetime of being a fabric-aholic has left me with a pretty extensive stash.  So …read more

I’m getting into full-blown sewing and crafting mode for Christmas!
It can be overwhelming sometimes to think about everything that you want to get done before Christmas and the holidays – so many presents… so little time…
One thing that I use to help myself stay organized is a simple page on my computer that I have everyone’s names listed on, what I’m making them.  I sometimes also list the fabric and pattern I’m using.   I normally just use a basic word-processing program – but you can use whatever you’re comfortable with.
I find it really helps to keep everything written down, …read more

In a perfect world, every fiber artist would have a big, well-lit studio, complete with natural light, sinks, electrical plug-ins where ever we need them, custom-made sewing, cutting, ironing and work tables…
But since this isn’t a perfect world, and my fabric has to live in a separate room from my sewing machine – let’s talk about some options!
I used to cut out fabric on the floor.
In a house with five dogs, several birds and a variable number of cats.
It got a little frustrating when one of the dogs would run across a fragile paper pattern, or the cat dived head-first …read more

I recently got an email from a reader, asking for help because she couldn’t mend blue jeans on her small sewing machine.
There are a few things that can make your life easier, especially if you have a small sewing machine, or a machine with a small harp or large base.

First of all, try rolling up the pant leg as tightly as you can – reducing the bulk can make your life easier.
Use safety pins to hold the rolled areas together – that way you won’t have to worry about holding them together tightly. Just make sure you don’t sew …read more

guest post from Kelly Saunders of Thrifty Mommy 

My name is Kelly Saunders and I write with my best friend, Karen, over at Thrifty Mommy. Our goals are to save you time and money in your everyday lives. Recently, I have begun a quilt. It was the biggest mistake I could have ever done because it is very addictive. I love to sit down and relax with my handwork. But I hated it when my thread would get tangled up and I would get so frustrated.
Then a co-worker told me about Thread Heaven. You …read more

As, promised – here’s the new shirt I just finished for my DH:

I don’t think that the extra seam on the front facing is going to be missed… and the button holes look pretty good too (okay, so I should have ironed it again)!

Noreen left an excellent comment, reminding me of another favorite short-cut. When you’re cutting out shirts, place the back on the center fold of the fabric, instead of cutting out two halves of the pattern. You’ll save an extra seam down the back – and I think it looks just fine:

images: C Findlay-Harder

I’ve finished my DH’s new shirt (you’ll see it tomorrow) and wanted to share another tip that helps me when I’m sewing shirts with lots of buttons (like men’s dress shirts).
I’ve sewn the button holes, opened them up (I like to use a stitch ripper to open button holes).  I’ve laid the shirt over my ironing board and folded the front of the shirt to mark the button placements:

Instead of just marking them with a fabric marker or chalk, I like to insert pins through the button holes, and into the other side of the shirt front (just the front, …read more

Have you ever needed to glue, oh say – a chunk of leather to… let’s say a ceramic vase – and then had no clue what to use to accomplish your task?
Okay, so I haven’t actually needed to do that – but if I did…
Well, I just discovered this cool website called “This To That” that will tell you exactly what glue you’ll need.  Just enter what you’re gluing, and the website will give you the answer.
Too cool!
image: Stock.xchg