A design composed of one or more letters, typically the initials of a name, used as an identifying mark. Often embroidered on fabric to personalize articles of clothing or home décor.
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Nature Brights Kitchen: Quilted Hot Pads
I ♥ hot pads! I have tons of them. In fact, I’m zany enough that when I throw a dinner party, I actually coordinate my hot pads with my table setting. Yes… I need professional help. These awesome quilted hot pads are super simple, and each one uses just a 10″ x 10″ square for the front and back. You might have some scraps laying around that would be perfect. Our design is reversible, which is a two-for-one deal, and the insulating batting between the layers makes them functional as well as fabulous.
Nature Brights Kitchen: Triple Border Dish Towels
If you want to jump start a project, start with something off-the-shelf and add your own sewn touches to make it unique. That’s what we did with this set of clever dish towels. We started with plain white towels from Crate and Barrel, then added three fabric bands with contrasting topstitching. The color and pattern really pops off the crisp white background. I can’t guarantee folks will be fighting to help you dry the dishes, but I can promise the towels will look fabulous hanging on the rack.
Jazzy Ironing Board Cover
You’ll see from our instructional photos below that we made this jazzy ironing board cover while working in our booth at January’s CHA Craft Super Show. So I don’t want to hear any more whining about having no time and no space to sew. This tutorial is proof positive you can have success in the smallest of areas. An ironing board cover might seem like a rather mundane project, but think about it – you look at your ironing board a lot. Wouldn’t it be easier on the eyes if it had a cheery cover?
Valentines: Wrap It
I have to give credit for these cute wraps to my mother. She was the original recycler. She saved every little scrap of fabric, every button, every too-short piece of ribbon, old wooden spools, and she even cut out and saved her favorite parts of old greeting cards. You never know when they might come in handy. So, thanks for instilling the habit, Mom. Here’s what I did with MY stash of bits and pieces.
ScrapBusters: Sewn Paper and Fabric Envelope
Yesterday, I created the Valentine card that coordinates with this envelope. While the envelope looks a bit complex, it’s really not difficult to make. In fact, it took me less time to make the envelope than the card. It’s such a lovely way to deliver a valentine.
Valentines: Fabric Wrap Photo Mattes
Create a pretty fabric mat for an inexpensive frame and turn a favorite photo into a showpiece. We patchworked eight squares from a charm pack, and added some ribbon for accent, but you can use the fabric of your choice. We think using a selection of fabrics from a wedding would make a great memory piece. Covering the mats is easy, even for a beginner, and they make a perfect gift for family and friends.
Valentines: Appliquéd Vase Wraps
A little bird chirps a heartfelt message to someone special. These sweet vase wraps turn fabric scraps into your personal message board. Tweet it as we did, or say it your way.
Valentines: Charm Pack Vase Wraps
Upscale a plain cylinder vase into a sweet Valentine gift by using a few squares from a charm pack. These vase wraps are easy and quick to make. Mix and match charm squares to see the many different patterns you can create.
Valentines: Heart Happy Woodland Delight Pillow Trio
These three throw pillows look very different don’t they? Look again. They are the exact same pillow pattern – just with different fabric combinations, and one with a ruched flower embellishment. Clever mixing and matching isn’t just for your clothes closet.
Patchwork
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Patchwork or “pieced work” involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design.
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Valentines: Heart Happy Apron (Men’s Version)
On Wednesday of this week, we featured our Heart Happy woman’s apron. Today it’s the guy’s turn to shine. Made in the same longer-style French baker’s cut, our men’s version goes even further down that road, using a smooth white cotton twill with cream linen ties. You’ll notice the cream linen matches the woman’s apron ties, and we used a scrap of that apron’s Paula Prass Woodland Delight in Brown Bloom for a coordinating pocket heart. You know, they say the couple who cooks together in matching Sew4Home aprons is 47% happier than the average couple. Don’t even try to prove that stat.
Fabric Stains: Preventing and Treating
A white tablecloth floats silently onto the antique rosewood dining table like a wintery blanket of freshly fallen snow. Topped with sparking china, spotless crystal and polished sterling, it becomes the pristine foundation for a magnificent holiday feast. And then… the doorbell rings. Hello, stains!
Valentines: Happy Heart Apron (Women’s Version)
Patterned in the longer style of a French baker’s apron, our woman’s Valentines apron is the perfect accessory to don when lovingly whipping up a dinner for two. Believe it or not, it takes just a single yard of fabric thanks to our clever cutting plan. We even supply you with a pattern to download to help you cut the arm hole curves. Start to finish, you can easily make this apron in an hour. In fact, check back this coming Friday to see our matching men’s version. Make them both and cook together in style.
Vintage Rescue: The Denim Jacket Pillow
Every once in awhile, I’ll open my closet and see something that causes me to shake my head and wonder, “What on earth was I thinking, and why do I still have this?!” What seemed like a great idea at the time, would now be fashion suicide should I actually slip it on and leave the house. Sometimes the item goes straight into the Goodwill bag, but there are also times when my Vintage Rescue lightbulb goes on. I see beyond the jacket’s silly majorette neckline and wild, stacked cuffs and envision what could be a cool home decor project. My denim jacket lives again as a whimsical throw pillow.
Tiny Totes for Terrific Treats
It would be an understatement to say we love the handmade gift here at Sew4Home. But even we run short on time during this busiest of seasons. So, how about a store-bought treat in a handmade tote? Of course, we’d still vote for homemade inside handmade (like a riddle wrapped in an enigma), but these tiny, two-tone felt totes are so cute, they’ll make anything you put in them just as adorable.
Visions of Sugarplums Christmas Pillowcase for Kids
The holidays are all about traditions, so here’s a fun idea for a new one to start this year. Whip up a special pair of Christmas pillowcases for each of the kids on Santa’s list at your house. This project is super fast and easy, and it uses just 1½ yards of main fabric and ½ yard of contrasting trim fabric. It will be a special day each year when the holiday pillowcases make their appearance on all the beds in the house. Your kids will also love helping to pick out their own special fabrics.
Kwanzaa Table Mat
Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, community and culture that combines traditions from many African cultures. It marks the harvest and emphasizes seven principles of strength: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. The ‘mkeka’ is a place mat, on which the mazao, bowls of fruits and vegetables, are placed. It is traditionally made of straw or cloth and represents culture and history. It is the symbolic foundation on which the holiday stands. Our Kwanzaa table mat is based on this tradition.
Pretty Prints Please: Star Pillow
For this very uniquely shaped pillow, we wanted specific parts of our fabric designs showing on each panel. We also wanted each set of coordinating panels to match. To make this happen, we had to ‘fussy cut’ the triangles from our fabric, which means we centered our triangle pattern on the exact part of the fabric we wanted to show. We maneuvered the pattern piece until we had our fabric design element centered just the way we liked it. Then we pinned and cut. This process takes more time and more fabric, but the result is a dynamic, perfectly symmetrical pillow.
Hanukkah Gift or Wine Bag
Hanukkah gift wrap can be very challenging to find. So we decided it would be fun to show you how to make your own. We found some actual Hanukkah fabric at our local Jo-Ann Fabrics, as well as a nice combination of Hanukkah colors: blue velvets, silver cottons and rich gold satin. Then, we combed through our resources for the fastest, easiest gift bag project we could find. Happy Holidays!
Pretty Prints Please: Cotton Gauze Bed Curtains
The beautiful, billowy bed curtains we associate with elegance and style, actually have a rather ordinary and functional history. In those drafty old European castles of old, the lord and his family slept in the great hall along with all their servants, because this hall was one of the few areas of the castle where the fires were kept stoked for warmth and light. The noble family’s sleeping area was separated from the rest of the riffraff by curtains. Originally, the curtains were hung from the ceiling, but as the bed evolved, a frame was added to support a canopy from which the curtains hung.
Well … there’s nobility involved in that story, which qualifies as ‘princessy’, which makes them perfect for our teen room makeover. They also add a strong vertical element to counteract the many horizontal surfaces in the room.
Installing Cable Wire for Hanging Curtains
I had to bring in the big guns for this project as my own ‘power tool’ experience leans more towards sewing machines than drills. So, I asked my husband Bob (who is always a good sport and really tall) to bring his years of experience as a builder to the table to show you how to install this very cool cable wire system. It’s a great option for hanging lightweight, decorative curtains, which add height and drama to our Pretty Prints Teen Room. This type of system would also work well to create a room divider or even to hang a curtain for an especially long run of windows.
Yoga Mat Sling Bag
Over the shoulder and off to class. This yoga mat bag is a great carry-all for your mat, towel and flip flops. It even has a handy outside pocket with a Velcro closure for a wallet, phone and keys. Our tutorial gives you great step-by-step directions for how to perfectly match the pocket fabric to the bag fabric. Haven’t you always wondered how they do that?
Pretty Prints Please: Flipover Floor Cushion
Down on the floor is the place to be for lounging, studying, and painting your toenails. You can’t really expect a teen to climb all the way up into a chair, can you? (Insert eye roll here.) This easy, reversible floor cushion would be a great addition to any room. Simply change out the fabrics to match your decor. Make a whole set for extra seating in your family room. It’s a perfect, low-to-the-ground option for a toddler’s room. And, if you’re feeling friendly towards Fido … wouldn’t one make a darling pet bed?!
Pretty Prints Please: Zebra Butterfly Fleece Throw
This very cuddly, very cute fleece throw is another no-sew project to which we added a dash of sewing … so we didn’t feel so guilty about including it on a sewing site. The basic instructions could be winnowed down to two steps: 1) cut fringe around two big squares of fleece; 2) tie together. It’s still just that easy, but we’ve added a soft appliqué to the front in the shape of a giant butterfly. This motif tied in perfectly to the fabric palette for our Pretty Prints Please teen room.
Embroidery Week: The Many Ways to Get Embroidery Designs
So, you’ve been following our Embroidery Week articles, and now are excited to get started with your own fantastic embellishments. The next step is finding all those awesome designs. You’ll be amazed at the amount of pre-digitized designs available and the many ways you can access them. Actually … overwhelmed might be a better word. There are thousands of options; thousands-squared if you decide to learn how to create your very own designs. Read on to get a taste of just how easy, inexpensive and fun machine embroidery can be.
Embroidery Week: Machine Embroidery Hoops
Mesmerizing. That’s what it’s like the first time you watch an embroidery machine stitch out a design. Sure, you have to get everything set up and threaded, but once you push that Start button, whoa … it just takes off on its own. Imagine if all you had to do was put ingredients in a bowl, then step back and watch them become a frosted three-layer cake. Whatever your task, having the right tools makes your work easier, and your success more assured. The most crucial accessory to successful machine embroidery is the hoop.
Embroidery Week: Wristlet
We debuted this fun wristlet project just last week on Sew4Home, and knew it would look cuter still with a dash of embroidery. So, we return during Embroidery Week with Wristlet Deux: same great design, a new set of fabrics, and with the personalization of embroidery. You can keep the one you like best and give the other to your sister for Christmas.
Embroidery Week: Adding a Personal Touch to Hand-Crafted or Store-Bought Projects
Embroidery adds an extra dimension to home decor projects. Literally. The raised stitches give a 3-D boost to flat fabric. The rich thread provides a pop of color and a dazzling sheen. Admit it. Embroidery is cool. If embroidery was a person, it would be Johnny Depp – flamboyant and scene stealing; but in a suave, charming, and fashionably dapper way.
Wristlet
Sometimes you want to travel light – with just the essentials at hand. For this, you need: the wristlet. A tiny, tidy tote that hangs from your wrist. It’s just 5″ x 7″, but holds all the necessities with room to spare. Zip up your spending cash, a couple o’ credit cards, maybe a bit of makeup and a comb. Ours has a detachable strap, so you can unclip it, and drop it into a bigger bag, like a handy wallet. So versatile, so itty-bitty cute, and with our excellent step-by-step instructions and photos … so easy!
Pretty Prints Please: Ribbon Memo Board
The lowly bulletin or white board is so yesterday. You deserve a much more stylish way to display your notes and favorite photos and all the other stuff that’s too cool to throw away. Find a frame you love, ours was a mirror in its previous life. In fact, we had two, which allowed us to leave one intact, turn the other into a memo board, then hang them side-by-side. Look at me, look at my stuff, look at me, look at my stuff. This almost counts as a no-sew project, but we decided to piece together our fabric covering, and so pulled out the machine. You could, of course, use a single piece of fabric … but where’s the fun in that?!
Pretty Prints Please: Genie Pillow
If your favorite teen were granted three wishes from her/his own personal genie, what would they be? Twelve fingers to allow for faster texting? A school day, which started at noon and ended at 1:00 with an hour for lunch? That all days would be good hair days? The options are likely as endless as a late-night phone call. Whip up a few of these darling tufted and tasseled genie pillows and see what wishes come true for you.
Thanksgiving Place Card & Favor Bags
Welcome your guests to their seats with a stylish place card and a little surprise. These favor bags are so easy and quick to make; it took only one hour to make and finish enough for six place settings. This is a great fabric scrap project. One bag uses just a 6″ x 13″ piece of fabric. Use up leftovers from our Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts style napkin tutorials or try contrasting fabric.
Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Style Napkins
Square fabric napkins are super simple, especially when you follow our easy directions for how to make a perfect double-turn, narrow hem with clean corners. This holiday, pass on the paper, and make your own beautiful cloth napkins.
Thanksgiving Tablecloth with Arts & Crafts Style Panels
Our Arts & Crafts inspired holiday tablecloth features a unique panel design, which incorporates the beauty of a placemat into the tablecloth itself. Three highlight strips provide the perfect backdrop for your best china and flatware. We selected two gorgeous fabrics from Joel Dewberry’s Deer Valley collection. The striking patterns and interlocking architectural motifs create an elegant Thanksgiving theme.
Pretty Prints Please: Butterfly Pillow Shams
Pillow shams are a pretty way to keep things tidy up top. Bigger than a toss pillow, they not only contain a regular size bed pillow inside, they’re large enough to cover up other pillows in regular pillowcases underneath. Our four-patch shams mirror the design of the Pretty Prints Please Butterfly Duvet. But of course, you can create your own design to match your room, someone’s favorite colors, or even to celebrate a favorite hobby or animal or school: patchwork ponies or volleyballs or team mascots.
Fabric repeat
The distance between the beginning of one complete motif, and the beginning of the next one. It can be horizontal or vertical.
Monogram Week: What to Shop For in a Machine That Can Monogram
Shopping for a first embroidery machine can be a little intimidating to the uninitiated. There are quite a few options to choose from at a wide variety of price points. Fortunately for you, we did our homework in preparation for Monogram Week, and have broken down the necessities to a few top-level considerations.
Monogram Week: Picking the Right Thread, Stabilizer & Other Special Notions
Like any sewing project, using the correct materials is crucial to success. Monogramming and embroidery use their own special set of notions, which aren’t necessarily used in other types of sewing projects. We created a list of the materials you’ll need, with an explanation of their use to help you become an educated shopper – before you start your first monogramming project.
Monogram Week: How to Monogram a Plush Towel
Monogrammed towels lend a lush and elegant accent to any bathroom. And they make fabulous gifts for newlyweds or an anniversary. The only problem is they’re often far too pretty to actually use. I’ve gotten past this problem by pretending my bathroom is really part of a luxury suite at a five-star resort. This image is usually shattered when my teenage son wanders through the door in his boxers looking for toothpaste. If monogrammed towels keep me close to my dream … I’m usin’ ’em!
Monogram Week: The ABCs of Machine Monogramming
A monogram turns an ordinary household item into a treasured heirloom. There is simply nothing more personal and elegant than a monogrammed towel, napkin, handkerchief, or anything else for that matter. The monogram is the symbol of success and privilege in our collective imagination. Think of the Wall Street exec with his monogrammed cuffs, the jet-setting movie star with her matching monogrammed luggage, or the luxurious bath towel and robes in a five-star hotel. Bringing this kind of stylish luxury into our own homes – and making it affordable – is what DIY is all about. And so, we bring Monogram Week to Sew4Home to celebrate the art of this most tasteful of embroidery accent for the home.
Citrus Holiday: In-a-Word Pillow
There’s one in every family. The helpful host/hostess who just won’t rest – always rushing around to make sure everyone else is in tip-top shape. You know who I mean, don’t you? This special holiday pillow is for that special holiday someone. Toss it his or her way and demand they ‘SIT!’ Bold red letter appliqués and matching red piping make a statement even Helpful Hannah (or Hank) will have to stop and pay attention to. The pillow is reversible, so when they pop up again to refill your glass, you can flip it over and try again later.