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How to Draft and Sew a Neck Facing
Learn to change a neckline in a sewing pattern Learning how to make a neck facing pattern from an existing bodice pattern means that you aren’t limited by the shape of the neck in that particular pattern. Once you know how to make a facing pattern, you can alter the shape of the neckline in…
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Small sewing space organisation
Yes, you can have an organised small sewing space. Maybe you live in an apartment with roommates, or perhaps you had a sewing room that’s now pulling double duty as a home office or virtual learning space and you had to rearrange things. You can make a small sewing space work. I’ve seen sewing spaces…
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Shorten a jacket sleeve by hand
Shorten a jacket sleeve without a sewing machine Shortening a jacket sleeve is one of the rare times I do an alteration by hand. It is possible to shorten a jacket sleeve using the sewing machine. (I once worked with someone who would do this, but it involves opening up the jacket lining in the…
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How to dye fabric with onion skins
An introduction to a more sustainable way to dye fabric. Ever have a piece of clothing or other textile that you felt had potential, but you wish it was another colour, or maybe you just want to change it somehow? Dyeing the fabric can be a fairly straightforward way to give something old a new…
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9 Time-saving sewing tricks
So much to sew, sew little time. Here are a list of time-saving sewing hacks I use to make sewing projects go faster. I’d love to know if you do any of these, or if you have any time-saving tricks to share! Use weights on your pattern I used to pin patterns to fabric before…
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How to make and sew piping
Sewing level: Beginner to intermediate Piping is way to add an extra design element to any sewing project – I’ve used it for details on clothing (like around a neck opening, the lapel of a blazer, waist seam between a bodice and skirt for example) and also for upholstery. While I usually sew clothes, right…
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Heart Basket Ornament
I always loved these heart basket Christmas ornaments. As a child, I would see lots of these at Christmas functions. Making a heart basket ornament is a common Christmas craft in Scandinavian countries (I have a Norwegian background), usually made out of shiny paper. Wrapping paper or construction paper works well – this tutorial could…
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Fabric Words: What is a grain line?
Grainlines. Bias. Cross grain. The world of sewing and patternmaking has a lot of words that a beginner or intermediate sewist might not be clear on what they mean – and this can affect the outcome of thier sewing projects. I thought I would devote a blog post to dive into some of these words…
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Quick Gifts Sewing Summit
This post contains affiliate links. Last winter I designed this cozy flannel scarf. It’s quite warm, and I like that it offers good neck and shoulder coverage without being dangly/having to be re-wrapped. It buttons over the shoulder, and is almost like a cross between a scarf and a shawl. I will be presenting a…
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Sew a patch pocket on anything
Beginner Sewing Project – Upcycle Clothing Tutorial Patch pockets are pockets sewn to the outside of a garment – not pockets in the seams. Because they are one of the last steps in the garment making process, they can be added to nearly anything that you can sew. Patch pockets could also be added to…