Join us, along with our friends at Janome, as we pull together information, tutorials, and projects to rekindle sewing as a real life survival skill. Now is the time to remember, re-learn, and teach others how to create from scratch.
The official word has come from the CDC: everyone going out in public should be wearing a face mask. If you or someone you know does not sew or if you simply need a super fast (5 minutes) alternative, this easy, no-sew project is for you.
Updated 04/08/20 – Face Masks + Hair Covers + Gowns. The call goes out, and Makers are ready to help. We’ve created a single article with links to free patterns, information, and more.
Any endeavor that turns into a passion comes with its own set of terms, phrases, abbreviations, and secret handshakes. Well, maybe they don’t all have a secret handshake… maybe just a decoder ring. Sewing is no different, and although we do try to make sure we define the more unusual words we sometimes toss around, we can
I love buttons. Always have. In fact, although I don't recall much about the two-year-old phase of my life, I do remember my white sweater with the little duckie buttons. I can close my eyes and see his chubby yellow body and orange feet. I can even remember the feel of the raised, painted surface
We pick YOU to be our Valentine, and we’ve put together a sweet bundle of fabric and notions to say, “Thanks for being the best sewing and craft friends, fans, and followers on the Internet!” The red, pink, and gold color theme of our Giveaway bundle celebrates Valentine’s Day, but it’s a lovely color palette
We just found out from our friends at Sulky that our Webinar and Bag Kits are still available, but just for a limited time! We originally did the Webinar live this past Fall as part of their Sewing Online with Sulky series. The live event was recorded and archived and is still available! Once registered,
We all love little cheats and hacks! Our super popular S4H Cheat Cards cover important, need-to-know sewing tips and/or techniques in a handy business card size: 2” wide x 3½” high. That’s small enough to tuck into your wallet or tack up on the bulletin board in your sewing room. All the individual Cheat Cards
We’re proud to be able to bring you the latest news about Fat Quarter Shop’s 7th Annual Charity Quilt Along. We’ve helped promote previous quilting-for-charity events, but this…
In honor of the new year and the new decade, we've put together our list of the top twenty sewing misdemeanors we all try to get away with when we think no one is looking. But this year, we're resolving to kick these bad habits to the curb. True, the sewing police aren't going to
Let’s all raise a New Year’s Eve glass to our Top 9 Projects of 2019! It’s always hard to limit the number of articles to highlight each year, but even as an entire decade hovers in the rear view mirror, we know you’re unlikely to be interested in a Top 100 list to wade through.
We get asked a lot about our “favorite things.” Many of you are interested in what we choose and use on our projects, and we’re always happy to share. The most common questions are about sewing machines – probably because a machine is likely to be the most expensive item in your sewing space. However,
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Sew4Home! It’s a glorious day for family, friends, and food. But if you’re searching for an excuse to sneak out of the…
Who loves pillows? We love pillows! Actually, we think it’s safe to say that everyone loves pillows. How could you not? They’re soft and pretty, and their flat…
At the risk of sounding a little cheesy, don’t you love it when you re-discover a been-around-forever kind of product that is inexpensive, natural, re-usable, and super versatile?…
Have you ever seen anyone so happy about ironing? Yep, that’s me in the photo above with our new Oliso Mini Project Iron. This little marvel started hitting…
When you focus on one thing, you get pretty darn good at it. One summer during childhood, my pal, Marilyn and I spent every day going around in…
Hearing about new sewing machines is always exciting, but when you hear about a model that has been specifically designed with the comfort and needs of the power…
Dead center. Center of attention. Front and center. Being smack dab in the middle of the action is as important in sewing as it is in life. The new Omnigrip Centering Ruler from Omnigrid® makes finding your center point and measuring from it in either direction faster and easier. The ruler is 1½” wide and
If you own a Horizon Quilt Maker Memory Craft 15000 or a Horizon Memory Craft 9450 QCP, you already know you have a feature-filled machine. But you may not know the ins and outs of all those features. Dig into those delights with the help of a Janome Workbook that includes tips, tricks, and step-by-step instructions
Our friends at Fat Quarter Shop are experts when it comes to all things quilting, but that is certainly not where their creativity ends! You may have seen our recent article about their full selection of Cross Stitch products and projects, and of course they have an excellent array of options in substrates other than
To say life would be hard without pillows would be putting it mildly. Where else would we hide a tooth for the Tooth Fairy? What else would we hit each other with in a harmless fight? Beyond their practical function as a headrest when we sleep and a way to soften hard furniture when we
If you’re a Sew4Home regular, you know we brought you news of this great Janome Presser Foot series earlier this year. We're back with a review of the latest addendum, covering the Cover Pro Presser Feet. Many people rarely change out their presser foot, often because they’re just not sure what to do with that
A blind hem is exactly what it sounds like: a hem with stitches you can barely see. It's perfect for window coverings, the hem at the bottom of a garment, or anywhere you want a clean finished edge. When I first started sewing, attaining a perfect blind hem was like finding the Holy Grail. And
Does this look good with that? What about color? Too much, too little? Each season, fabric manufacturers release their latest collections of beautiful fabric filled with fresh new prints. Mastering the proper mixology of color and motif is something designers spend years perfecting. But there are basics everyone can use to create a fabulous look.
Machine sewing is our stock in trade at Sew4Home, but sometimes, stepping back to take handmade at its root meaning is a personal, tactile experience that is both relaxing and rewarding. Our friends at Fat Quarter Shop recently let us know about their new cross-stitch focus that includes a dedicated YouTube channel, special pattern and
We've been asked numerous times by Sew4Home visitors, "How do you get your double rows of stitching so perfectly even?" We've quietly given out our secret to several of you. But now we've decided it's time to reveal it to the world. The way to get perfectly even, super close, double rows of stitching is...
The new AcuFeed™ Flex Professional Grade Foot (HP2) and its matching Professional Grade Needle Plate from Janome have been gaining quite a reputation for their precision stitching. Well alrighty then… it’s time we took the set for a little test drive. Follow along to see how we put this specialty set through its paces, testing
A straight line. It seems like the most basic thing you can do when sewing. But we’re amazed by the number of comments and questions we get from S4H visitors who want to know how to do it better, easier, and more consistently. We don’t have any magical powers to make our seams and topstitching
Most sewing projects require at least a small amount of hand sewing. If you've left an opening in a seam to turn an item right side out, you may need to hand stitch the opening closed. Hems are often hand stitched. Or, you might need to hand stitch a facing in place. Whatever the task,
DIY sewing projects are rarely just two layers of quilting weight cotton floating through your machine with ease. In garment construction, pattern pieces can come together from all angles, overlapping layers and seams. With three dimensional projects, like bags, fabric baskets or heavy cushions with piping; bulk and thickness are everywhere! Keeping seams straight, needles
We use traditional tassels often as a fun embellishment for linens, cushions, bags, and more. But in true Sew4Home fashion, we weren’t content to settle for traditional. So we have two unique tassel styles for you: the Broomstick Tassel with a sleek, floss-wrapped hanging loop, and the fantastical Yarn Chubbies, which we think look like
One of the most common requests we receive is for help selecting the best thread for a project. The types from which you can choose can seem almost endless when you’re staring at the hundreds of pretty spools at your favorite retailer. We turned to our friends, Ellen March and Pamela Cox from Sulky America for
“I don’t have time for that.” “No one will notice.” “I’ll fix it later.” A million excuses usually lead to a million regrets. We all make mistakes, and sometimes stuff just happens beyond our control. But some mistakes can be avoided with proper planning, attention to detail, and the wisdom to slow down. It’s no
There you stand in the fabric store, staring at that giant display of bias tapes and bindings in front of you, the shiny cellophane packages glinting in their neat, color coordinated rows. Single fold, double fold, blanket, quilt. Geeze! What's what? Do you just throw a dart and hope for the best? No! You study
Buttons are the perfect finishing accent to so many projects. Not to mention the fact they are also a very functional closure. But if you have to sew on a lot of buttons by hand, you might think twice about using them. I personally find sewing buttons by hand tedious, time-consuming, and I can sometimes
Puckered seams. Misaligned panels. 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. This is a technique that belongs in everyone’s sewing toolbox. Read on for our easy folding, aligning, and cutting tips plus ruler recommendations. When you
A skosh, a wee bit, just a hair... sometimes, the distances we want to work with when sewing aren't quite as precise as the engraved inch and millimeter markings on our machines. Wouldn't it be great if there was a foot you could manually adjust to perfectly align with the exact distance you wanted? There
Life can get a little sticky sometimes. In general, that statement covers a vast array of scenarios. But in the world of sewing, we’re usually talking about laminates, vinyls, faux leather, oil cloth, and the other sticky fabric substrates that look cool but can be challenging to sew. The surfaces of these specialty fabrics love
Going in circles doesn’t have to be a bad thing! In fact, when it comes to pretty stitching embellishments, the circle is always a winner. But… how on earth can you stitch in a truly perfect circle?! Even following a drawn line can lead to bumbles and bobbles. Our secret: the Janome Circular Sewing Attachment.
“Up against the wall.” “We’re stuck on you.” “If these walls could talk.” The introductory lines came fast and furiously for this article about the new designer wallpaper from Hawthorne Supply Co.. But what it finally came down to was: Wow. Just. Wow. We’ve always loved wallpaper – just not putting up wallpaper. In fact,
Paper envelopes were originally developed in China, where paper itself was invented prior to the second century BCE. Up until 1845, all envelopes were handmade, each individually cut to the appropriate shape out of a single rectangular sheet of paper. Makes you kind of impressed by the ol’ envelope doesn’t it?! In today’s digital world,