If you can imagine it, chances are you can appliquรฉ it! With appliquรฉ, you’re free to incorporate almost any kind of graphic into your project. Learn our favorite tips and techniques for finding designs, cutting, applying, and stitching.
We love the quilting art of superstar, Heather Jones. A while back, she was kind enough to give us her favorite tips on straight line quilting. It provides a clean, modern feeling to a design, and is especially cool when densely stitched.
Explore heirloom stitching by machine. We show two options: hemstitching (if you are brand new) and fagoting (if youโre more advanced). Both offer beautiful borders with mitered corners and an optional monogram.
There are two major curves you encounter in sewing: inward or concave and outward or convex. Learn the keys to a smooth result with both: an accurate seam allowance, proper clipping, and careful pressing.
We love embellishing projects with gorgeous ribbons. One reason is that we have such amazing choices from our friends and sponsor, Renaissance Ribbons. Another is because ribbons inject wonderful color and texture. Third, they're very easy to work with. Since we use them often, we're always thinking about new and unique ways to apply them.
Remember how scary it was to raise your hand in school and ask what you feared would be a "stupid" question? Hopefully we've moved beyond that childhood fear. Questions are great because they lead to answers, and answers are meant to be shared.ย Today's quick measuring tip came from a question in a visitor's email. Someone
Decorative stitches are tiny pieces of thread art. Sometimes when we look at them, we can't believe a single threaded needle made such an intricate design. But even though we all love them, we often forget to use them. When you get caught up in the precise seams of a project's construction, decorative stitches can
Elegant appliquรฉ accents of a teapot, teacups and saucers, and teaspoons grace the skirt and pocket of our pretty half apron. Get instructions and all the tea time templates. So fun to do, you’ll want to make tea for two!
Buttonholes. For many of us, beads of sweat start to form at the mention of the word. “Am I about to ruin everything by botching the buttonholes?” Nope! Theyโre really not hard once you break it down into individual steps.
The job of the presser foot on your sewing machine is to hold the fabric against the feed dogs and guide it in a straight line as you sew. That's why you have to raise the presser foot when you want to move your fabric out from under the needle. You can do quite a
The shirred sundress is a wardrobe standard for summer. But S4H is never one to settle for standard! We spun the traditional one-seam-up-the-side design, taking it from ordinary to trendy by adding a flirty eyelet underskirt and a precious sash with its own flower pin. Both of our classic fabrics have a sweet, old-fashioned goodness.
The turn or twist lock closure is one of those finishing touches that looks so professional, it fools you into thinking it must be crazy hard to install. We're here to bust that myth wide open. We used this closure on our Ribbon Flap Shoulder Bag. Centered within one of the ribbons, this little lock
We worked with Waverly to test their Sun โnโ Shade outdoor fabrics. Our step-by-step fabric care tutorial shows how flexible these outdoor fabrics can really be. And, youโll also get to learn a bit about this interesting company.
As we enter the final phase of making a quilt, you should be proud of all you've learned thus far. If you think back to Part 1 of this Series, you may have been skeptical about adding "how to quilt" to your sewing toolbox of skills. Now you can see it was simply a case
We're back for the second half of our piecing tutorial โ part Four of our Five-part Quilting Basics series. Quilters are very resourceful and innovative. You can see this trait revealed in some of the popular quick-piecing methods that have been developed over time. The mindset behind each is to save thread and/or time. They
Inย quilting, there are special techniques used to sew patchwork pieces into blocks, then assemble those blocks into a quilt. The precise execution of these techniques is paramount to a beautifully finished quilt. It's similar to putting together a puzzle; each piece has to fit perfectly in order for the larger picture to come into view.
You saw the appropriate tools and other stuff needed for basic quilting in Part 1. You leaned how to properly (and safely) rotary cut your fabric for patchwork piecing in Part 2. Now, you get to discover how to use those pieces you cut (squares, rectangles and triangles) to create some of the most popular
Quilts start out as lots o' little pieces. So it makes sense the first thing you should learn about in quilting is how to cut your fabric! If you ask any quilter what she/he feels is the best cutting tool for the job, the answer will be: a rotary cutter. Many compare it to a
The word "quilt" or "quilting" has many different meanings. It's a special word because it can be both a noun and a verb. Quilting can describe the overall craft itself. What type of sewing do you like? I like to quilt, or I like quilting. It can also mean the act of quilting, which is
We've made it to the finish of our seam finishes! In this final installment of the series, we venture into the world of the Hong Kong Finish and the Bound Seam finish. If you're not a 'finishing aficionado' (don't feel bad... few people claim that title), you may have been under the impression these techniques
We are not yet finished with our series of finishes! If you've been following along, you know we are working through the ways to make the inside of your projects look as great as the outside. Today, we're moving into a couple more unique options: the mock (or false) French seam and the French wrapped
A number of years ago, we had a French intern working with us... the daughter of a friend of a friend - you know how those things go. She was a sweet girl with a lovely accent, and we had fun asking her for the translation of things we tag as "French": a French braid
In sewing, there's a difference between stitches you use for construction and ones you use for finishing. When youโre first learning to sew, your immediate focus is getting all those pieces to fit together correctly. From the moment you cut the fabric, youโre concerned with maintaining the shape of the pattern pieces. You tediously concentrate
Velvet and velveteen are definitely members of the fabric world's Specialty category. But, that doesn't mean they're too "special" to be part of your sewing stash. All you need is a little help learning how to properly handle, sew and care for them. And that's what your friends here at S4H are for, right?! Below
Zip-A-Dee-Ay! Please meet one of our favorite zipper friends: the invisible zipper. Remember, this zipper is shy, and likes to stay hidden in the seam line of your projects. In fact, with the exception of its slender zipper pull, youโd never know it was there. It likes it that way... and you will too!ย In
Today's popular laminated cottons start out as basic woven 100% cottons, which are then coated with a Phthalate-free laminate. They're ideal for any project where you want some waterproofing or the ability to wipe the finished item clean with a damp cloth. Think baby bibs, changing pads, raincoats, outdoor tablecloths, reusable shopping bags, and more.
Search the Internet for โhow to make piping," and you're likely to find yourself smack dab in the middle of a cake decorating class. It seems learning to pipe frosting into something decorative is a highly sought-after skill. Well, so is making and attaching piping to sewn projects! Watch out, cake decorators; next time you
Is there anything worse than a lumpy pillow? Well... yes, there are probably lots of things worse, but ya gotta admit, a lumpy pillow is a real bummer.ย You may be under the assumption all fiber filling is created equal, and that you just punch it in to the pillow cover like you're stuffing the Thanksgiving
Before you start to panic, this technique does not require a bathing suit or a surfboard; all you need is your sewing machine... and a desire for unique texture and style! Weโve shown you numerous ways to take fabric from flat to fancy: pleating, gathering, shirring, and pintucks to name just a few (see the
A knife pleat sounds dangerous, but it is actually one of the easiest and, we think, prettiest members of the pleat family. In a knife pleat, the folds are pressed to one side in the same direction, which is why they are also sometimes called side pleats. More than likely, you've seen knife pleats on
For many of you out there, childhood memories of "shiny-like" fabrics around the home probably revolve around upholstered kitchen chairs (that made you sweat if you sat too long), tablecloths (often with a blurry gingham pattern printed on them), appliance covers (that one with the giant, scary chicken on it that covered the toaster), etc.
We use binding on many projects here at Sew4Home, and we always get lots of compliments about how nice it looks. We also get lots of questions about…
Today's faux fur gives you the luxurious look and feel of real fur at a fraction of the price and without harming any animals. And, because of recent improvements in fabric manufacturing, it comes in an amazing array of rich colors and lush textures. It truly starts out beautiful on the bolt. But if you
Ah, sheer fabrics. There's nothing like them for that light, airy look when you want simplicity with elegance. But many sewers avoid using them because you can't sew with them quite as easily as you can regular fabric. Yes, it takes some care and patience, but there's really no reason to fear the sheer. You
Tassels are are the "jewelry" of home dรฉcor, adding an elegant finish to your project. And, like jewelry, they can be quite expensive to buy and the selection of colors can be rather limited. No problem for you! Because tassels are actually very easy to make, and the embroidery floss you use to do it
This is a technique we've used in several tutorials. It's so popular, and so fast and easy, we made a separate tutorial so you can refer to it whenever you need it. It's a great way to finish the edge of a blanket, a table runner, a wall hanging โ just about any flat square
Bias tape is a great and much-used accent for all types of home dec projects. But how many of us have braved the hours of tedious folding to create a good amount of it, or burned our fingers trying to iron the perfect crease? Well, snuff out those burnt fingers, because there is a great
Every athlete knows it all comes down to the finish. It's the same with sewing โ just not as sweaty. A smooth, beautiful hem makes everything look better and more professional.ย The simplest of hems is the double-turn hem, which you can use on almost any edge where you want an easy, clean finish. Double-Turn Hemming
At Sew4Home, we do everything possible using a sewing machine. It's so much faster. However, there are times when hand sewing is necessary. Instead of searching the junk drawer for that needle you thought you saw awhile ago when hunting for the tape, stock up on these five basic types of hand-sewing needles. Hand sewing