Download free embroidery designs to add delicate autumn leaves to table linens (and more). Learn two hemming techniques: narrow double-fold hem with diagonal point corners plus a wider hem with full mitered corners.
It’s a hand-stitching technique! This type of edge finish for a pillow or cushion is not difficult, but for the best results; you need a longer, stronger needle, heavy-duty upholstery thread, and a soft yet stable mid-weight fabric.
A beautiful little zippered clutch is the kind of accessory that’s a snap to make and a joy to give (or keep). This version has a chic vintage look thanks to delicate cross stitch machine embroidery in a variety of soft colors.
We based our tutorial on the words we hear whenever we receive questions about this topic: "How do you figure out how much fabric you need?" "How do you cut all the strips?" "How do you sew all the strips together?" "How do you put it on your project so it looks smooth and pretty?"
This fast and easy pillowcase project demonstrates a construction technique known as “burrito style.” It’s a way to create nicely finished seams inside and out with a quick roll-and-turn method. Give it a go!
We scaled down a traditional laundry duffle to kid size, making it easy to fill and carry to the laundry room. Plus, the super-cute appliqué on the front leaves no doubt about what needs to be done with the bag’s contents!
Prom and wedding season is upon us, which is always a great time to pull out the specialty fabrics for garments as well as home décor items. However, working with these fabrics does require a little special handling; they aren't always as user-friendly as good ol' cotton. We picked four of the most common categories:
Learn the machine stitches and techniques that best mimic the delicate handwork associated with heirloom sewing. We focus on the options that are the easiest to incorporate into garment or home décor projects.
Broken zipper = broken heart! It’s a major frustration because it means something either won’t close or won’t open. The most common element to fail is the zipper slider; this can also be the easier part to replace.
From getting the spacing right, to cutting holes in the fabric, to the actual installation process, we’re here to prove you can conquer this hardware at home and get a professional result. Plus you get to hit stuff with a hammer!
For more basic Janome sewing machines (5mm and 7mm), this a fun, easy way to add little decorative stitch touches in pretty thread colors! Be the flower girl of the sewing accessory world, sprinkling pretty posies over any project.
Generous in size and style thanks to a perfect combination of bold fabric and striking embroidery. Use our free machine embroidery design download or the free printable template for hand embroidery.
Snaps are one of our favorite closures. They're small yet sturdy, like a cute little Corgi dog. But there's not always a lot of variety from which to choose. You can usually find nickel or brass, and the Western favorite: pretty pearl head snaps, every once in awhile, maybe a rhinestone alternative. But that's where
A true Sewing Survival Skill! The word fussy sounds negative. But in the world of sewing, a fussy cut is a beautiful thing. It means cutting in a way that precisely captures a specific section of fabric for a specific purpose.
Neutral tones of canvas and a simple mini-tote style combine into the perfect backdrop for our stunning Lion’s Head machine embroidery design. We offer a free download in six popular file formats.
We love the look and functionality of zippers. But many of us are not crazy about installing them. To get good, you gotta jump in. Let’s start with a conventional zipper, where the fabric meets along the center of the zipper teeth.
In our quest to continue bringing you the information you’re searching for, we’ve been partnering with some of our pals in the sewing community to provide guest features on garment sewing. This is an area we don’t currently focus on at Sew4Home but for which we get a lot of inquiries. It’s not that we
A quilter extraordinaire, our friend Kim Niedzwiecki (aka Go-Go Kim) recently entered the world of garment sewing. She’s alive to tell the tale, and offers up her experiences, pearls of wisdom, and encouragement for you to do the same.
Tufting are those depressions made at regular intervals in a cushion by passing a thread through and pulling it taut. Simple, right? It can be. Start with the right tools and make sure you measure and mark with precision.
Thermal fabrics are the added layer in projects designed to keep hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold, such as oven mitts, lunch bags, shopping totes, etc. We take a look at options for thermal batting, fabric, and interfacing.
If you want a flat, stable base, an inset base panel is the go-to option. It’s easy, but you do need to carefully measure and mark, then sew each side independently during construction. Follow our steps to achieve an expert finish.
Pleats are the origami of the sewing world. And although you don't usually need to fold one into the shape of a swan, there are a wide variety of pretty pleats that add distinct visual and textural embellishments for both home décor as well as garment sewing. Each type provides a different look based on
It gives a fabulous softness to a wide variety of projects, from toys to pillows to blankets and more. Although not difficult to sew with, to create the very best results, it helps to have a few tips and tricks under your belt.
It’s a little bit like the ancient art of origami. You start out with a flat square (or rectangle), and after a few folds, flips, and slices, you have perfect bias strips ready to become custom binding for your next project.
So many choices! This article helps you sort out the most common interfacing options for bags and totes. You’ll like the printable chart we developed. Post one copy in your sewing room and use another when you shop.
Most of the time, sewing is all about soft things, from beautiful fabrics to cushy pillow inserts. However, every so often, something hard comes along. It's not there to torment you; it's a way to inject an interesting new texture into the mix. We're here with a few tips to make working with these trims
Outdoor jackets, yacht covers, baby clothes – the humble snap does it all. They’re easier to use than buttons and more durable than Velcro®. Find out the best tools to use and tips to follow to make inserting snaps… a snap!
If you can imagine it, chances are you can appliqué it! With appliqué, 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.
Explore heirloom stitching by machine. We show two options: hemstitching (if you are brand new) and fagoting (if you’re more advanced). Both offer beautiful borders with mitered corners and an optional monogram.
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.
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 appliqué 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! They’re really not hard once you break it down into individual steps.
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 ’n’ Shade outdoor fabrics. Our step-by-step fabric care tutorial shows how flexible these outdoor fabrics can really be. And, you’ll also get to learn a bit about this interesting company.
How about some lovely custom tulip designs to bring the fun and freshness of Spring to your next machine embroidery project? Free Downloads, plus we show steps for creating our pretty Tulip Garden pillow.
Learn how to do elastic shirring; it’s easier than you think thanks to elastic thread. Then, whip up a super cute summer sundress in your favorite fabric. Includes links to the full shirring tutorial and a matching sun top.
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 – 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.
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