Liz Johnson.Editor.Sew4Home, Author at Sew4Home

Long Ruffled + Lush Velveteen Scarf

This is a great project to chase away the winter blues and stay toasty warm. We chose rich colors of patterned velveteen as a lovely Valentine’ s Day gift. No need for wrapping paper; simply tie the scarf itself into a big beautiful bow.

Re-imagine & Renovate: Slouchy Corduroy Book Bag Becomes Retro Linen Cool

My personal choice to “Re-imagine & Renovate” was this book bag. Not only was it super fun to make the first time around, I love the slouchy style. Sew4Home calls Portland, Oregon home, where we have a huge number of cool boutiques filled with locally designed and made fashions and accessories. I know this bag would fit right in with the urban cool kids. And for those of you familiar with the hit TV show, Portlandia, you’ll enjoy the fact that our Echino cotton/linen fabric choice allowed us to, “Put a bird on it!” We hope you’ve been enjoying our R&R series, which shows you how we re-made eight original projects. We also hope it inspires you to experiment on your own with new fabric, trims and notions to make something old new again.

Re-imagine & Renovate: Vintage Style Apron Becomes a Floral Fantasy

This apron shot to the top of our Most Popular list the very day it posted, and although there have been many contenders since it was originally designed and unveiled back in April of 2010, it remains one of our Top Five Projects Ever. Of course, it HAD to be one of our R&R options: “Re-imagine & Renovate.” If you’ve been following us over the last week, you know our New Year’s resolution is to show you how one project can turn out an unlimited number of ways, depending on the choices you make with fabrics, trims and notions. Kick off your own R&R with a shopping trip for some fresh fabric, then use it to put a new spin on a favorite pattern. Our original apron had a very vintage feel thanks to its Simply Sweet fabric by Barbara Jones for Henry Glass & Company. We kept the sweet and added a little spice with a trio of Lecien Fabrics covered in bold roses, polka dots and tiny buds. It would make a dashing Valentine’s Day apron!

Re-imagine & Renovate: Trendy Two-Handed Potholder Becomes Kitchen Kitsch With Happy Hens

Last January, we came up with a number of projects designed to give you great ways to use up your fabric remnants. This “Scrap It” series produced many favorites, which are linked to, pinned on Pinterest and featured on handmade blogs around the country and the world. At the top of the list was our clever two-handed potholder in a splashy combination of fabrics from the Pretty Bird collection by Pillow & Maxfield for Michael Miller Fabrics. To “Re-imagine & Renovate” the project, we decided to search for a more traditional ‘kitcheny’ motif and a narrower palette. The black, red, white and yellow of monaluna’s Metro Market collection with its friendly fowl design was just the ticket. Wouldn’t this make a great housewarming gift? Or, include a few wooden utensils and a spatula, and you have the perfect wedding shower present. Experimenting with fabric is the idea behind R&R. Give it a try; you’ll be thrilled with all the different ways you can put a new spin on a fave design. (By the way… that’s me in the photo above, holding one of my happy hens who approved this new fabric combo.)

Re-imagine & Renovate: Subtle Organic Box Pleat Pillows Become Bold, Modern Accents

It’s Day Two of our 2012 quest to “Re-imagine & Renovate” some of our most popular projects. One project can turn out an unlimited number of ways, depending on the choices you make with fabrics, trims and notions. Sometimes it’s fun to not worry about learning a whole new project; instead, take a fave design and twist it into a brand new look. Today we’re featuring our super simple box-pleat pillow pair, which we originally did in softly serene tones of organic fabric in 2010. Now, graphic fabric from Robert Kaufman in vibrant hues moves them from a whisper to a shout-out of color and vibe.

Re-imagine & Renovate: Ruffled Market Tote Becomes High Art Handbag

Welcome to 2012! After the whirlwind of the holidays, we thought it was time for a little R&R. Not the traditional “Rest & Relaxation” but even better: “Re-imagine & Renovate.” We reached back into the S4H archives and found eight popular projects, then we re-did each of them with brand new fabrics, trims and notions. It’s our way to show you how easy it is to put a new spin on a fave design. We kick off the series with our original Mother’s Day Market Tote from 2011, which we turned into a sleek and stylish bag that makes a dramatic fashion statement.

Java Cup Jackets with Ruffles are Fun & Frilly

There are lots of patterns out there for reusable hot cup jackets, but none with our signature touch: the girly-girl ruffle! Skip that boring ol’ cardboard sleeve and wake up your morning cup of coffee or tea with a fun and frilly custom jacket. Our instructions are for one jacket, but we ended up making three as we perfected the instructions. They are super fast and easy, and you can really get an assembly line going: cut-cut-cut, ruffle-ruffle-ruffle, stitch-stitch-stitch. These would be awesome for a craft fair or as an Etsy item.

Banded Kitchen Towels with Rick Rack

Moda’s Half Moon Modern Sewing Room: Project Board

In the world of design, a ‘project board’ is a very common, very important tool. It’s used to collect pieces of inspiration, idea starters, color and texture samples and more. You refer to your project board throughout the creative process to determine direction and refine the look and feel of your design. It’s a bulletin board for your brain. They are used by fashion designers, interior designers, fabric designers… and YOU! Our Half Moon Modern project board is bold and bright with a large center area to pin all your ideas plus two handy pockets to hold whatever else you need. The bright, happy colors of Moda’s Half Moon Modern are an inspiration in and of themselves. We kept our project board purposefully sparse for our photo shoot so you could best see how it was constructed; they are usually chockfull with layers of great ideas.

Quick & Cool Holiday Gift: Tasseled Clutch in Faux Leather

During the recent Lush & Plush Trends series we did with our friends at Fabric.com, we got hooked on working with faux leather. We had a little bit of one of the sample cuts leftover and put it to use to make this adorable little clutch purse. With its chunky metal zipper, chic tassel and vibrant cotton print lining, once you clutch this clutch, it will be hard to let go. But, if you can pry it from your own fingers, it would make a dandy holiday gift.

Holiday Gift Ideas: The Mighty Bright Lighted & Magnified Seam Ripper

This terrific tool qualifies as the perfect stocking stuffer for the sewing enthusiast on your list: a seam ripper with a built-in magnifier and light. The Mighty Bright Lighted Seam Ripper comes from the same clever folks who bring us those cool little book lights and wallet magnifier lights. Even if you aren’t yet in the, “where the heck are my reading glasses?!” category, ripping out tiny seams or tone-on-tone topstitching is a strain on anyone’s eyes and patience. This cool tool is a lifesaver.

Moda’s Half Moon Modern Sewing Room: Task Basket

Holiday Gift Ideas: Fiskars Fingertip Rotary Cutter

This holiday season we are concentrating on bringing you fast and easy gift ideas. You may have already noticed our green “Holiday Gift Idea” button on recent tutorials. In addition, we’ve found a number of inexpensive notions, which we think would be perfect for the sewing and crafting folks on your list. Today’s example is this dandy fingertip rotary cutter from Fiskars®. If you can point, you can use this little devil.

Moda’s Half Moon Modern Sewing Room: Tab-Top Butterfly Curtains

Welcome to our second Moda Fabrics Series: a bold and beautiful sewing room in Half Moon Modern. A good sewing space is all about clever organization. Clearing the clutter frees your brain and helps creativity blossom. We love the crayon colors of Half Moon Modern: apple red, sky blue, canary yellow, marshmallow white and more. It’s a perfect match for the simple geometric lines and shapes of the motifs. This clean design is energizing and especially good in a sewing room or any space where everything else is busy; the simple design and happy hues help pull the room together so it appears neater and more contained. There are eight projects in our series, starting with today’s tab-top curtains, featuring a butterfly accent strip and big white buttons. In the coming weeks, we’ll bring you sewing machine and serger covers, an ironing board cover and caddy, a task basket, pinboard, and a sewing and craft apron with pockets a’plenty. In addition, Moda has put together a stunning Half Moon Modern Great Giveaway and has sponsored a free downloadable Sewing Reference Guide.

Chic Ottoman Slipcover

Ottomans tend to get a lot of use, which means a lot of feet, which means they can start to look shabby. Why buy new when you can make a simple cover? S4H to the rescue! Give your favorite ottoman a new lease on life.

Romantic Cottage Style Apron

Free Spirit Artist Trio #3: An Interview with Fabric Designer, Joel Dewberry

First thing every morning, I see Joel Dewberry fabrics. I used two prints from his Deer Valley collection: Antler Damask in Gourd and Architectural in Goldenrod to make a ‘hiding curtain’ in my bedroom. Not only does it look marvelous, my husband and I came to immediate agreement on the fabrics – which we do not always do. In Joel’s collections, there is a wonderful combination of strength and grace – intricate beauty and bold statements. We are so excited to have him as the featured designer for our third Artist Trio feature with Free Spirit Fabrics.

Lush & Plush Trends from Fabric.com: Bobbin Winders Review

One of the more tedious sewing tasks is winding bobbins. I’ll be the first to admit it is my least favorite part of preparing to start a new project. I think my dislike dates back to an old sewing machine that had the worst bobbin winder ever; four times out of five my bobbins looked like big globs of thread. Today, most sewing machines have great built-in bobbin winders. Some higher-end models even have separate bobbin winding motors, allowing you to wind a bobbin while sewing. And there are pre-wound bobbins you can buy, but usually only in black and white. As part of our Lush & Plush Series, Fabric.com asked us to test and write about the two bobbin winders they carry. Both are from Simplicity: the SideWinder Portable Bobbin Winder and the SideWinder Deluxe. I took them both for a spin and recorded my results.

Trendy Faux Leather Handbag

Soft, supple faux leather is much easier to sew with than the real thing. Use it for our elegant handbag – clean and casual enough for the office, but still posh, pretty, and compact enough for a night on the town.

Lush & Plush Trends from Fabric.com: Minky and Satin Baby Blankets

Lush & Plush Trends from Fabric.com: Faux Fur Blanket and Pillow

We love all the projects we get to create here at Sew4Home, but there are some that rise to the top. Certain special ones we want to keep for ourselves to decorate our own homes as opposed to just display in the S4H studio. Today’s faux fur throw and pillow certainly make that list. So easy yet so luxuriously elegant, we couldn’t stop hugging them. Part of our specialty fabric series sponsored by Fabric.com, the steps are so simple, you’ll spend more time vacuuming up all the stray fur than actually sewing. One or both would make great gifts… that is if you are able to let them go once you’re done. We couldn’t! Make two… there’ll be less crying.

Sewing with Faux Fur

Butterscotch & Rose Pretty Piped Pillow #3 – Framed ‘n’ Fabulous

The final entry in our Pretty Piped Pillow Series is a gorgeous octagon, which features a double framed square and clever corner triangles. As with the other pillows in this series, the patchworking looks much more complex than it really is. Make sure your initial cuts are precise, and assembly will be a snap. We show you how to add the piping and how to alter your pillow form to fit the unique shape.

One Hour Wonder: The Placemat Tote

Half Hour Wonder: Fab Fall Belts

Belts are all over the torso this year. From hip huggers that add shape to a shift, waist-cinchers for a pretty feminine look, and empire waist belts for a figure-enhancing trendy look. Pick your position, cut, sew and go. These 30-minute wonders are easy and satisfying to make; a classic plaid adds a lovely touch of fall to your wardrobe, especially when mixed with something unexpected.

ScrapBusters: Key Fobs

This ScrapBusters project is not only really fun to make, it is an awesome low-cost gift idea. We found the key fob hardware at Ribbon Retreat, one of our Shopping Directory vendors, for just 50 cents each… 40 cents if you buy a bunch. If you have fabric and trim scraps on hand (and who doesn’t???), you can make a super cool little gift for under $1.00! We made a version for Mom and one for Dad as well as a trendy Teen version and one as the perfect Teacher gift. Fast, fun and inexpensive… it’s a triple treat.

Butterscotch + Rose Round Piped Pillow

The Hostess Apron Comeback Series: #4 – Be a Grinch!

You’re a stylish one, Mr. Grinch. If I were a Who down in Whoville, this would be just what I’d wear to whip up my holiday feast. The fourth in our series of retro hostess apron tutorials is the all-out-fun of Be A Grinch! Created with three of Robert Kaufman’s whimsical Suess® prints, the bib and skirt of this apron are actually two separate pieces that button together along the waistband.

Sewing Room Safety: Needles and Pins and Blades – Oh My!

A sewing room sounds like such a tranquil place filled with lovely soft fabrics. But, there are plenty of sharp and pokey… and hot things lurking, and plenty of ways for things to go wrong if you don’t think ahead.

The Hostess Apron Comeback Series: #3 – Let’s Do Brunch

Shall we sit and have a sip, and chat about our chums? The third in our series of retro hostess apron tutorials is the sheer magic of Let’s Do Brunch. Like the perfect brunch blend of steaming coffee and sticky cinnamon buns, this lovely hostess apron mixes wispy organza and crisp cotton into a delicious design. Its beautifully transparent skirt features four French seams plus accents at the waistband, bottom border and pockets in the fresh, floral Pick A Bunch print from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

The Hostess Apron Comeback Series: #2 – It’s a Graveyard Smash

We have a monstrous crush on The Ghastlies collection from Alexander Henry Fabrics. “In Ghastlie Manor on Ghastlie Street, there’s a Ghastlie family you need to meet.” The designs are reminiscent of the work of Charles Addams, who brought the quirky Addams Family to life in 1938 in The New Yorker magazine and spawned a decades-long fascination with Morticia, Gomez and their fabulously freaky family. In fact, we can totally envision svelte Morticia wearing today’s It’s A Graveyard Smash Halloween Hostess apron. This is the second in our new series of retro hostess apron tutorials. With a fluttering batwing organza overlay, velvet waistband and a poison rose accent, you too can be hauntingly haute couture, serving bubbling potions to your ghastly guests.

How to Make Your Own Tassels

Tassels are the “jewelry” of home décor, adding an elegant finish to your project. And, like jewelry, they can be expensive to buy and the selection of colors can be limited. No problem for you with our no-hassle DIY tassel tutorial!

Moda Fabrics’ Lil’ Rascals Storybook Bedroom: Twin Size Tied Patchwork Quilt

Do you remember your childhood bedspread? Most people do. Maybe it’s because we always felt so safe and cuddly under those covers. And we all know when you pull the bedspread over your head, you are instantly protected from any monsters who might be trying to get you! Moving from a crib to a ‘big boy bed’ is a momentous occasion in a toddler’s world, and deserving of a special bedcover. Our twin size patchwork quilt tutorial fits the bill. The Gang fabric within the Lil’ Rascals collection by Chloe’s Closet for Moda Fabrics is a fantastic easy quilting pick because the design already includes a four-patch motif, making your finished quilt look like you’re quite the piecing professional.

A Terrific Trims Tutorial

Moda Fabrics’ Lil’ Rascals Storybook Bedroom: Tufted Floor Cushion

Down on the ground is where all the cool stuff happens. It’s where cars race and roll, where balls bounce best, and where building blocks can spread far and wide. At 25″ square, our tufted floor pillow tutorial is just the right size for a lil’ sittin’ or snoozin’. And, there’s a handy carry handle so you can take it along on your next adventure. This is just one of the eight projects in our new Storybook Lil’ Boy’s Room Series sponsored by Moda Fabrics and featuring the nostalgic Lil’ Rascals collection by Chloe’s Closet.

Bedtime Picturebook Caddy

Keep favorite bedtime books handy with our cute caddy. It slips between mattress and box spring, held in place by the mattresses themselves as well as gripper fabric. Two generous pockets can hold plenty of lil’ literature.

Insulated + Laminated Lunch Bag

A Zippered Pencil Case Goes Back To School

Fall is upon us, and with it comes the classic sights and smells of the season: golden falling leaves, cool foggy mornings, and freshly sharpened yellow pencils. This clever pencil case tutorial is based on our original wristlet project, but we increased the size and added a cute front-buttoned pocket and a bright key ring. Try it in a soft, tiny wale corduroy like we did or experiment with washed denim or crushed velvet. Your pencils are looking forward to it.

Moda Fabrics’ Lil’ Rascals Storybook Bedroom: Sleepytime Pillowcases

Vintage, Retro, Old School… or simply, “Hey, I remember that!” Designs with a nostalgic flavor go by many names, but are universally appealing. We start a new tutorial series today called Storybook Bedroom. It’s sponsored by our creative friends at Moda Fabrics and features Lil’ Rascals by Chloe’s Closet. From a chubby-cheeked cowboy to a bespectacled pug dog to a mischievous monkey… the characters of Lil’ Rascals are all up to something. Don’t know about you, but I want to collect my graham crackers and milk, find my favorite picture book, and settle down for a much-needed afternoon nap. Over the next few weeks, we’ll unveil eight tutorials to outfit a toddler’s bedroom. We envisioned a boy’s room, but this collection’s soft color palette and playful designs would work for any lil’ rascal in your life. Today’s project: easy pillowcases sure to make everyone look forward to slipping into the land of nod.

Embellishment Tutorial: How To Make Ruching Strips & A Ruched Flower

In French, a ‘ruche’ is a ruffle or a pleat. That’s pretty much what it means in English too. But everything sounds so much fancier in French. La Ruche est une merveilleuse technique (see how cool that sounds?!). Use it to add decorative effects to all kinds of sewing projects. Our embellishment tutorial shows you the basic way to create strips of ruching by machine. Then we show you how we turned a single ruched strip into a pretty spiral flower to use as a pillow accent.

‘Found Fabric’ Tutorial: Vintage Handkerchief Pillows

This ‘Found Fabric’ tutorial is for all our S4H friends out there who, like me, have a hankerin’ for hankies. Although I haven’t used one lately to blow my nose, mop my brow or bestow as a favor on my knight in shining armor, I still love them. They’re little squares of highly-concentrated beauty, like miniature works of art. Dig out your collection and turn them into a set of one-of-a-kind vintage pillows.

Queen Quilt Fat Quarter Cut-Up

A beautiful quilt thrown across a country fence to catch the golden summer sun and a gentle breeze. A pretty picture to be sure. But even better is the fact that this quilt tutorial is simply the easiest way ever to make a queen-size quilt! It’s perfect for a beginner. The Fat Quarters, which we cut for our blocks, make it look like you’ve been saving scraps for years. And, a machine-stitched binding keeps the overall time requirement pretty darn low.

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