Ho hum! You may never give much thought to your ironing board—it works fine for pressing and that’s all you need…or so you thought. There are lots of options for this important sewing room tool. Depending on the amount of space you have, the ironing board can be freestanding, fold down from a wall cabinet, […]
Grams Per Square Meter – Why Does It Matter?
GSM stands for grams per square meter and is a standard industry-wide method of measurement of the density or weight of a fabric. (In the US, because we haven’t embraced the metric system of measurement, you might see this measured as oz/sq yard.) The GSM measurement is not thread count, which is a different method […]
Decorative Stitches, Part 2: In the Hoop
Have you ever tried to use the decorative stitches on your sewing machine and some of them bunched up or didn’t stitch evenly, or you ended up with crooked rows? The really wide stitches can be especially tricky to keep centered where you want them. The best option for a quality result is to bring […]
Fabric Sources: Wool
This article is Part 2 of the Fabric Sources: Living Things series Plants (part 1) | Plants (part 2) Living Things: Silk | Living Things: Wool | Other Living Things Minerals: Acrylics, Polyester, & Nylon (part 1) | Minerals: Spandex and Rayon (part 2) When you think of wool, you probably think of sheep, but […]
Pressing Tools—Clapper and Sleeve Board
It doesn’t matter whether you tailor fine wool jackets or make casual everyday wear, or if you’re a quilter—getting a good press is of the utmost importance for a professional-looking project. There are tools to help with that process. Let’s take a look at two tools that work for all sewers and quilters—a clapper and […]
What I’m Sewing: Alba Jacket
Thank you to Kim Caywood from the Central Illinois chapter for sharing her information on working with the Alba Jacket pattern from Sinclair Patterns. We love this unique jacket. And it looks quite cozy, too! Q. Item Created A. Jacket Q. Independent Pattern Designer A. Sinclair Patterns Q. Name and Number of Pattern A. Alba […]
Pinking Shears—A Cut Above
Chances are good that if you’re serious about your craft, you have multiple pairs of scissors and shears in your sewing tool arsenal, and that may include at least one pair of pinking shears. These specialty shears have blades that cut fabric in a mini-zigzag or sawtooth pattern instead of just a straight line like […]
How to Use a Chisel to Open a Buttonhole
This short video shows you how to use a chisel to cut open a buttonhole and mark notches. ~Sheryl Belson
Fabric Sources: Silk
We are continuing our Fabric Sources series of articles with education on fabrics made from living things. While we are all familiar with leather being used in fashion and home décor, for the purpose of this article, we will only be exploring the sources that create woven or knitted fabrics. In this 3-part section, we’ll […]
The Diverse and Wonderful World of Bralettes
The first word that comes to mind when thinking about bralettes is comfort. The key is “no underwire.” From lounging around to dressing up, there are a variety of options and occasions for wearing bralettes. There are conversations about a certain disappointment after purchasing or trying on a beautiful bralette in a store or online, […]
Sewing Machine: Using The Built-In Specialty Stitches
Have you looked at advertisements for new sewing machines lately? One boasts of 729 built-in stitches! The designs consist of holidays, seasonal references, geometrics, flowers, plants, bugs, scrolls, animals, lettering, and just about any topic you might be looking for. They are quite impressive, but where can they be used? In this article, Beverly Betz […]
FAQ’s: Cleaning an Iron | Home Décor Fabric | Rotary Cutters
What’s the best way to clean my iron? If you’re using fusible sewing products like webs, interfacings and stabilizers, there’s always that errant portion that finds its way to the soleplate of the iron. If you don’t take care of it right away, the fusible goo can transfer to the next thing you’re pressing and […]
Best Pressed…Without an Iron
There are times when you need to press something flat or press a fold, but for one reason or another, you don’t want to or can’t use an iron. But never fear, there are other ways. We all know the importance of pressing to set seams, make crisp edges, etc., but some fabrics don’t like […]
Fabric Sources: Plants (part 2)
This is article 2 of a multi-part series focusing on three categories of fabric – fabric made from plants, from living beings, and from minerals. Part 2 covers some of the more unusual and unexpected plants that are used to create fabric. Plants (part 1) | Plants (part 2) Living Things: Silk | Living Things: […]
Meet JoAnn Krause
During the summer of 2019, I first heard of JoAnn Krause and began my quest to learn more about this behind-the-scenes sewing icon. You may not recognize the name, but as a sewer, you have probably benefited from some of her pioneering efforts. The story of JoAnn Krause of JKOriginals, is of a woman whose […]
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