Yesterday during Janome Week it was decorative stitching; today it’s embroidery. While nearly all sewing machines include at least some decorative stitch options, only embroidery models can create…
Once the crocuses and daffodils poke through winter’s chill, it’s official. Spring has her new sandals on, her toenails painted, and she’s headin’ our way. With Spring comes…
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
During our recent DIY wedding series, A Rustic Wedding with Fabric.com, we developed a little bit of a crush on burlap and were looking for a reason to…
This past summer, we created a Romantic Bedroom Retreat with our friends at Free Spirit and Rowan Fabrics, combining a number of designers, collections and substates. For today’s…
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or even Graduation Day… a pretty case for eyeglasses or sunglasses makes a great gift. You need just a little…
We're back for the second half of our piecing tutorial – 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
In 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.
Today in our Rustic Wedding series with Fabric.com, we move from decorating the wedding environment to decorating the wedding party. Several trends are showing more color for the…
Perfect for a rustic wedding! We combined five very different fabrics for an awesome blend of color and texture: from rich cotton to frothy tulle to ruched taffeta. There are even accent roses in silk dupioni with burlap leaves.
What's a more charming answer to the crepe paper streamer? A beautiful and unique garland! While researching the top wedding trends, one of the items that came up again and again was the use of garlands as a decorating component. We saw them as hanging elements, as table decorations, even as accessories on wedding gowns
We’re proud to be an all-Janome studio here at Sew4Home. They have been sponsors since day one, and we literally wouldn’t be able to do much of what…
We blended two unique substrates – voile and linen – in a wonderful zig zag patchwork and with lusciously long bullion fringe at either end. It’s reminiscent of the popular furniture covers of the 1930s and ‘40s.
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
One of the best reasons to sew – some people would say the best reason, is to take a break from life for an hour or two. For…
If you’re a regular Sew4Home visitor, you know we are apron enthusiasts. A quick check of our Project Index shows nearly 40 entires in the Aprons category, and…
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 Re-imagine & Renovate series is our chance to show you how one project can turn out an unlimited number of ways, depending on the choices you make…
At Sew4Home, there’s little time for the traditional R&R: rest and relaxation! Instead, we have our own definition; in our studios, R&R stands for: “Re-imagine & Renovate.” It’s…
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
Three tabletop projects in one! A long patchwork table runner plus generous reversible napkins with pretty ribbon wraps. We outline how to measure to best fit the runner to your table and how to adjust the patchwork if needed.
The classic pillow shape is the square. But if that seems a little too, well… square for your home décor happiness project, soften it with a beautiful ruffle.…
We get quite a few compliments on our samples and photography, which makes us blush and makes our day! Some of the most common notes are about how…
This throw is a wonderful way to use bold motifs. The patchwork is very easy, and the quilting is done with a 9mm decorative stitch at each seam line, adding an extra splash of color and texture and uniting all the floral blocks.
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
It’s a handsome, functional style anyone would love, Generous pockets both front and back, an extra zippered pocket in the front for secure storage, an inset zippered closure at the top, and a divided pocket inside the lining.
We call this our favorite “flora and fauna” set. The lush and plush pillows feature botanicals on one side, animal prints on the other. We originally used one of Anna Maria Horner’s most color-packed collections: 2012’s Field Study for FreeSpirit fabrics. Although no longer readily available, you really can never go wrong when browsing Anna
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
I admit to being a die-hard book fan. I love the smell of books, the soft crack of a new spine being opened, the crisp turning of pages.…
Welcome to the first day of Winter 2012-2013 – the shortest day of the year! I don’t know about your corner of the world, but here in the…
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
Skinny little carryalls getting you down? Then it’s time to go big and bold with today’s jumbo tote! With its 6″ base and sides, you can fill it…
I have a small scar on the inside of my forearm from the Great Cookie Tray Debacle of 2009. If you're a multi-tasker, and most creative folks are multi-taskers, I'm sure you can relate. Just because you're doing your holiday baking doesn't mean you aren't also doing three or four other things, such as talking
In sewing, there's a difference between stitches you use for construction and ones you use for finishing. When you’re first learning to sew, your immediate focus is getting all those pieces to fit together correctly. From the moment you cut the fabric, you’re 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
Just a little fancy cutting and a bit of clever seaming, and you can turn a simple fabric border design into an elegant frame with a center medallion.…
As you’ve probably noticed during our first week with Amy Butler’s new Alchemy, we totally love the innovative substrates she’s brought into this collection for Rowan Fabrics. There…
When we talk with our friends in the industry about how to entice new people into the world of sewing, everyone seems to agree a pillow is the…
Recently, you may have noticed many of your favorite fabric designers are starting to offer their new collections in different substrates (or fabric types). It used to be…
We love sewing by machine! It’s fast, it’s easy, and when you have great machines like the Janome models in our S4H studios, it’s almost effortless. But it…
One square foot of fun! At just 12″ x 12″, these plump little pillows pack a design wallop twice their size. This project shows you how much fun…