What’s the difference between pressing and ironing? What are the best practices of each? Why is it so important to “press as you go”? When do you need a pressing cloth? So many questions, and we have some answers.
It seems we’re always being told to, “Look at the big picture.” Solid advice, but sometimes… it’s the little stuff that’s more fun. As part of our S4H Tiny Trends of ’22, we took a look at some great little products available right now from our friends at Fat Quarter Shop. FQS truly has some
Being able to clearly see what you’re working on is critical in sewing… truth be told, I think we can agree it’s critical to just about everything! Studies have shown good light is essential to overall well-being. If you or someone you know suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or clinical light deprivation, you understand
A lumpy, bumpy seam screams “amateur” louder than just about anything else. Pressing carefully throughout a project’s construction makes everything better. We love using the Oliso Minis … now available in FOUR cool colors.
Delicious new fabric collections, tempting notions to try, and product surprises to make your sewing and quilting easier. These latest fun finds at Fat Quarter Shop are like opening a fresh box of chocolates. Yummy!
It’s the little things that can make a big difference! You might not give your sewing pins a second thought, simply reaching for them in your pincushion or pin tray where they’re clustered together without much rhyme or reason. But these little bits of steel and plastic have a big job. They’re responsible for holding
Hurry – the BIG savings on this amazing software ends 11/30/20! If you already love machine embroidery, your next step is embroidery software. Seeing your own art come to life with stitches and thread is mesmerizing.
Covered buttons are cool! They add the special touch that says, “Stand back… I’m a home décor professional.” Making them with a kit is easy and inexpensive. We like working with the Dritz kits – available in lots of sizes.
Get centered with this 12” Omnigrip Centering Ruler. It’s one of our Products We Love and makes finding your center point and measuring from it in either direction faster and easier. We use ours for fussy cutting.
Whatever the task, a bit of hand stitching usually comes in… well, “handy.” We’ve outlined the tools needed along with seven of the most common stitches. Simple drawings and steps show how to do each one.
Choosing the right thread for a project is an important factor that determines the final look, feel, and oftentimes, longevity of the project. In this Guest Tutorial, our friends at Sulky offer some expert advice about cotton thread.
That giant display of bias tapes and bindings can be overwhelming. Single fold, double fold, blanket, quilt. Geeze! What’s what and why? The S4H Sizing ID Chart gives the basic facts about the six most common types of bindings.
If you’ve ever tried to work with fabric cuts are that are not straight and true, you know why it’s so important to square-up your fabric. Find our easy folding, aligning, and cutting tips plus ruler recommendations.
Do you loop a tape measure around your neck while sewing? This design capitalizes on the habit, turning a measuring tape into a mini caddy. Scissors on one end and a pincushion on the other – or customize the tools to you!
Pleats have been with us for centuries as a functional and/or decorative way to reduce the size of a piece of fabric. They are firmly ensconced in fashion sewing, but are also perfect in numerous home décor applications, like bed skirts, window treatments, and table linens. We’ve even incorporated them as unique embellishments on a
Remember making paper snowflakes as a kid? You fold, fold, fold, then cut, cut, cut. This fabric cutting technique is the same basic concept, but without the Swiss cheese effect. Grab your rotary cutter and mat, and let’s slice!
We love this unique hand stitching tool. Our step-by-step tutorial shows how it can quickly attach one item to another as well as create an interesting line of stitching as a decorative accent. Great for bag handles!
One of the most satisfying things in the world of DIY is when you get to overcome the mystery of “how the heck do they do that?!” You know what we mean. You’re looking at a home décor item, thinking, “I really need one of those, but it is WAY too expensive for my budget.
We go over our recommendations for what to have on hand if you’re just getting started in the world of sewing as well as a few favorites to add to your toolbox as you move up in your skill level and expand your projects.
When budgets get tight, repairing and re-purposing is the way to go to extend an item’s life. We explore some innovative ideas for using iron-on patches for scarves, t-shirts, pillows, and… of course, jeans.
Large, snap-on plastic grommets are traditionally associated with curtains, but they are a great solution for a variety of projects. Dritz makes the best, and we outline how quick and easy they are to install.
In between the simplicity of gathering and the intricacy of hand-smocking, lives one of our favorite texturing techniques: elastic shirring. You've probably owned a garment or two with shirring on the bodice or sleeve edge. It was the style on those iconic 1970s peasant dresses, and it remains popular in new fashion trends. Shirring is
Rivets can hold thick layers together at points where it would be impossible to stitch with a machine. They’re the tough guys of sewing, but are actually quite easy to apply with the right tools and tips.
We get a lot of questions about zippers. They seem to live at the top of many people's lists of Sewing Phobias (ziphobia!). In an effort to calm these fears, we already have three step-by-step tutorials for inserting standard zippers, tackling invisible zippers, and putting in an inset zipper. We're adding to the zipper toolbox
Left: Faux Leather Shopper, Right: Trendy Faux Leather Handbag Back in the 1970s, I wanted my mom to buy me a real leather jacket. Unfortunately, she was only prepared to spend for one made of synthetic leather. As much as I wanted to believe it looked genuine, it just looked fake. Today's fake – excuse
Simple panel window coverings are often one of the first DIY home décor projects people attempt. Figuring out how best to hang those pretty panels can be more of a challenge. Dritz offers three drapery tape solutions.
If you’re a Sew4Home regular, you know we don’t traditionally present a lot of projects in the wearables category. Of course, there are all our super popular aprons and a few other easy items, but in terms of fitted garments, we tend to leave those to other experts. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t love
There are lots of embellishment ideas out there, but for our money, it just doesn’t get much more fun and versatile than pom poms and tassels. If you’re a regular Sew4Home follower, you know we’re fans of both, and have already done our own step-by-step tutorials on making each. But we’re always up for learning
This earns our Sewing Survival emblem because learning the ins and outs of all types of hardware options is key to adding a more professional finish to your next bag project (and more!). The secret is precise measuring.
Pom poms are fun for so many projects. Whether you need one great pom or dozens, a Clover Pom Maker simplifies the task, and each one will be as perfectly puffy as the next. Find some yarn and get ready to get fluffy.
Broken zipper = broken heart! It’s a major frustration because it means something either won’t close or won’t open. The most common element to fail is the zipper slider; this can also be the easier part to replace.
Natural fabrics are amazing and beautiful. But sometimes… you need an option that has a few more “super powers” to help it perform in non-traditional situations. This is the first of a series of projects we’ve developed using Oly*Fun™ from Fairfield World. The fibers of this woven synthetic have been fused to create a flexible,
Want to make the beautiful bag above? Then you’ll need some yo-yos: a small, ruched rosette. The easiest way to make them is with a yo-yo maker. We love these Clover options that come in a variety of sizes.
Snaps are one of our favorite closures. They're small yet sturdy, like a cute little Corgi dog. But there's not always a lot of variety from which to choose. You can usually find nickel or brass, and the Western favorite: pretty pearl head snaps, every once in awhile, maybe a rhinestone alternative. But that's where
Buttons are among the most basic methods of fastening one thing to another. They also make a pretty embellishment all on their own. We love them lots… until they come off. And, they almost always come off, especially from store-bought items, which often seem to be sewn with some kind of “quick release thread.” If
We’ve pulled together our top ten articles that show a variety of ways you can keep things closed. Locks, snaps, zips, buttons, and more. If you need closure, we have some great ideas. Let us know which are your favorites.
Accurate pressing is one of the most important parts of the construction process. Having a tool that holds precise, narrow folds and clean angles is critical. And, if that tool allows you to do that without your fingers getting dangerously close to the iron, it’s a must-have in our book! One of our favorite pressing
Tufting are those depressions made at regular intervals in a cushion by passing a thread through and pulling it taut. Simple, right? It can be. Start with the right tools and make sure you measure and mark with precision.
Thermal fabrics are the added layer in projects designed to keep hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold, such as oven mitts, lunch bags, shopping totes, etc. We take a look at options for thermal batting, fabric, and interfacing.
Often, the most exciting notions look rather nondescript inside their cardboard boxes and cellophane wrappers. Our goal with the Products We Love series is to break open the packaging, show you how to use these cool tools, and inspire you to add one or more to your own sewing basket. The Clover Hot Hemmer is one of the
New project – new needle! It’s an important part of the process because a good needle in your sewing room is like a good knife in your kitchen. Learn the basics about sizes, styles, types, even the anatomy of a needle.
Creating beautiful handmade projects is what we all love to do. However, we probably don’t put in quite as much effort thinking about how to keep them looking beautiful. So we spent some time with our clever friends at Dritz to explore their Clothing Care category, coming away with nine products that help smooth, dry, repair,