Sergers. For some, the word alone can send them screaming into the darkest corners of their sewing rooms. “The threading… not the threading… make it stop!” Well, perhaps that’s a wee bit dramatic, but the fear of threading the loopers on a serger, “Sergiothreadaphobia” as it is known in medical circles, keeps many a sewer from adding this powerful tool to their compliment of machines. If you’re a regular Sew4Home follower, you know we are an all-Janome studio, and so we are thrilled to tell you about their newest serger: the Airthread 2000D Professional – Serging Simplified. Available now at Authorized Janome Dealers in the US and Canada. 

When a full-coverage apron can feel like too much, our lightweight half apron is perfect for casual cooking and serving. This little beauty is a fast, fun, beginner-friendly project that takes just a couple yards of fabric. Make one for yourself; make one for a friend... make enough for everyone! The design uses a combination of three coordinating fabrics; be creative with your color and design. The waistband and ties are surprisingly easy to make, but give the apron a pro finish. And the three jumbo pockets can hold utensils, recipe cards, or just your hands as you spin around the kitchen, lovin' your brand new apron. 

Start with an off-the-shelf hot pad and mitt set – we found ours for $2 – add some simple fabric and trim details and voila, stye on a shoestring. This fun project fits not only in the Fast Fridays category, but is also an excellent ScrapBusters project since you need just a bit o’ fabric and trim and a couple wooden buttons. 

I love those little emergency sewing kits they have at hotels. They're a life saver if you lose a button right before an important meeting or have another kind of "wardrobe malfunction." But I wouldn't dream of using them for my regular sewing – anymore than I'd open a hair salon that only carried those cute little hotel shampoos. However, for some sewers, especially beginning sewers, their set of tools is at about the same level as the free repair kit. If that's the case with your sewing basket, you have some shopping to do. Having better quality tools and notions actually helps you achieve better results on your projects. It can make the difference between a project that was fun to create and you're proud to display, and one you feel like hurling out the window. This is also a great article to share with friends who are just learning to sew. Helping them collect the right basic tools is one of the best ways to make sure they start off on the right foot. We're making it even easier, and cuter, to get started by giving away one of the new Dritz® Sewing Box Kits with ten top tools in a plastic storage box.