Today we are talking buttonholes...and I know, I really do know.  Some of you are still afraid of them.  I was.  I would *conveniently* ask my Home Ec. teacher to "show" me how to do a buttonhole over and over and she would end up "showing" me but doing the whole thing for me.  It was my trick for years.  And then later it was my mom...until one day, I said that it was time to learn the buttonhole.  That was years ago and now I laugh at how scared I was of something....but it seemed so ... View the Post

How to Gather: Today we are going to continue our "What I Wish I'd Known When I Started Sewing" series with a day dedicated to gathering. Because we like big skirts and full dresses we kind of have gathering down to a science so we are excited to share with you a technique that we use ALL THE TIME. Now before we show you how to gather we want to talk a little bit about what gathering is. Gathering is a technique that helps control fabric fullness.  It is a process that draws a given ... View the Post

Today we are going to tackle how to read (and understand) patterns and pattern pieces. Garment patterns that is...quilt patterns are an entirely different beast...an easier beast in my opinion but still different.  So with that in mind, let's get started! And if we are going to get started it's best to start at the beginning...with the outside packaging of your pattern. Believe it or not but the exterior packaging of your pattern contains some of the most important information that you will ... View the Post

How to Thread Your Sewing Machine & How to Wind A Bobbin:  2 Easy Tutorials Ok...here's the deal...I'm no Martha Stewart. I'm not even Julia Child.  (Although I do talk kooky, occasionally appear to be a little tipsy, and enjoy good cooking.) But I did make some videos. I'm not saying they are great...but if you want to see a simple demonstration on how to thread a sewing machine or how to wind a bobbin they'll do in a pinch. So here they are: How To Wind A Bobbin (using your sewing ... View the Post

Fabrics are fascinating!  There are so many types, so many colors, so many patterns!  But just because they are fascinating doesn't mean that they sometimes aren't tricky.  So, today let's talk a little about fabrics and their properties which can be so helpful when you are picking out fabrics for different projects. Let's first start with the Natural Fibers. Well, let's define the word fiber first.  A fiber are the long slender threads or filaments that are woven together to make up fabric.  ... View the Post