Sewing 101 with Shannon, Turning a skinny fabric tube

Hey Y'all, It's Shannon from Shannon Makes Stuff and I'm honored to be here today with Chris sharing my tip for beginner sewers. First off I want to say good for you for starting to sew! You won't regret it. And don't give up! If you are anything like me you'll make a lot of redo's. But that's okay, you learn as you go!

There really is a million and a half things I could share with you. But the one thing that used to drive me crazy while sewing until I figured this little trick out on my own was turning long skinny tubes inside out. Ugh. I used to do the place the safety pin in one end and shimmy it down the tube until it comes out the other end. But really, who has the time? Or the patience? This is so much easier. I guarantee it.

To start out with you will need the piece of fabric you are going to be turning into a tube. This piece is 1 inch across by 25 inches long. Set this right sides down on your work surface.

Take a roll of ribbon. I use the same roll every time. It stays with me with my sewing supplies. Use a 1/4 inch ribbon, that way it will fit in any size tube you make! Lay it out on top of your fabric piece until it comes off the farthest end.

Sew the end of the ribbon to the end of your fabric piece in the middle. Back stitch a few times to secure it in place. You don't want it in your seam allowance space. (I should have sewn mine a little closer to the middle to show you better. I was cutting it close.)

Then head over to your sewing machine. While you sew your sides together to create your tube you need to hold the ribbon to the side with the fold to make sure it doesn't get caught in your sewn line. Sew all the way to the end of your tube.

You now have an inside out tube with a ribbon running through it and still connected to your ribbon spool.

Start to roll up the ribbon on the spool. As you do this scrunch up the fabric tube.

Keep scrunching and sliding.

Once the ribbon is all rolled up you will see the end and the right side of the fabric tube will start to pull through.

Keep pulling the fabric piece to the end.

Completely pull the the fabric until it is right sides out.

Then cut off the ribbon as close as you can to the sewn line without cutting the tube. You could also unpick the stitch if you prefer.

And there you have it. See wasn't that easy?

And if you are curious what I am going to do with this long gold tube, come visit me at Shannon Makes Stuff, and in a few days, you will know!

What a fun tip, Shannon!  There are so many projects that require a skinny fabric tube.  This makes it much easier.  Be sure to check out all of Shannon's stuff!  Her latest tutorial for a plunging neckline cover up is genius, especially if you're living in a hot climate.

Two

My baby turned two yesterday.  It's a little prosaic to say, but the last two years have literally flown by.  To celebrate, we hung up the birthday banner, made cake pops ( more details to follow in that later), and she opened her gift:

A Molly Monkey for our Monkey. We call her that all the time.  She climbs on everything, she escapes from the house and yard (and scares her mom to pieces)...but she also gives the best hugs as she clings to your neck. She loves books and can identify letters already.  She loves her babies and softies.  She is the light of our family and I'm so grateful she is ours.  Despite her mischievousness, she has a sunny disposition.  She skips and hops when she's happy, and just discovered jumping.  She definitely prefers to be home, but is finally discovering there are other fun places to be, like Granny's house.  We're so grateful for our darling girl.

Sewing 101 with C, Alternative sources for supplies

hello, friends. i'm c from on-hand modern, a happiness-conscious blog where i write about making and making do with what's on hand.

two DIY confessions:

i don't like shopping. (really.) and i don't like spending a lot of money.

that's why any time i take on a new sewing project (or any project for that matter) the first question i always ask myself is:

"can i make this with what i have on hand?"

i don't know about you, but for me two of the biggest barriers to starting (and finishing!) a project are 1) time and 2) money. sewing with what you have on hand can be a handy solution to both of these obstacles. (groan. that was bad, i admit it. please--keep reading.)

let's first address the issue of time.

an on-hand approach to sewing means you don't have to run to the store for supplies every time you get an itch to make something. you can start right now. you don't have to fight traffic, wait in line, drag a reluctant child/spouse down the notions aisle, stand paralyzed with indecision in front of rows and rows of multi-hued fabrics--you get the idea. 


it also saves time by potentially cutting out time-consuming steps like pre-washing fabric and hemming, but more on that later.

now let's talk about cost.

sewing with what you have on hand is economical, as well as environmentally responsible. often it involves recycling and re-purposing an item you already own into something new, different, and beautiful.

let's consider some possible places to start when taking an on-hand approach to sewing.

old clothing

old clothes are a great resource for free fabric and notions. before you donate an item or throw it away, consider whether you could turn the materials into something else. men's shirts can become toddler pants, for example. flannel pajamas can be transformed into party favor bags. embellishments and buttons can be removed from old clothing and used for other projects--i once cut the drawstring out of a pair of worn-out pants and used it to make a crown for my daughter's birthday. think outside the box. sewing with what you have on hand gives you the chance to get really creative.

linens

sheets, tablecloths, towels, curtain panels--take a look inside your linen closet and consider whether you could use what you find as yardage for a sewing project. here are just a few ideas:

tea towels can be used to make kid-sized aprons (no hemming needed)

curtain panels can be transformed into twirly skirts and toddler backpacks

pillowcases can become dresses (search the web for "pillowcase dress")

and so on.

save the scraps

of course, there will be times when shopping for sewing supplies, including fabric, is necessary. just make sure that when you cut the fabric you save the scraps, which can be used for a variety of future projects. (beanbags and bookmarks are a couple i've blogged.) you'd be surprised at the possibilities--click here for a whole series of ideas from crafty contributors around the world.


and that's it. my humble contribution to the sewing 101 series here on PSC. thanks, chris, for inviting me to participate! i hope your readers will share some of their own creative ideas for sourcing supplies and sewing with what's on hand.

Thank you, C.  Your thoughts on using what you have on-hand really got me thinking as well.  Check out on-hand modern.  You'll be glad you did.  

Sewing 101 with Kari, Quilting Basics

 Today we welcome Kari, from Handmade Mommy.  I love to read Kari's blog, we have a lot in common.  She shares the basics for a modern take on quilting.

Thanks to Chris over at Pickup Some Creativity for asking me to be a part of her Sewing 101 Series! 

I've got the Basics of Quilting to get you started on your first quilt. 

You'll need: 
-about a yard and a half total of prewashed/ironed cotton fabric (this will leave you plenty of extra)
-a piece of batting or flannel measuring roughly 30" x 20" 
-optional: rotary cutter, mat &; quilting ruler
-basting spray and disappearing ink pen

Cut 5 strips of fabric, each measuring 18" x 6".

You can cut across the width or along the length but not on the bias (diagonally) as it will stretch too much.

Pin the strips right sides together on the long sides, in the order you want them.

Sew together using a 1/4" seam allowance.
{If you want to make more than one quilt in your sewing lifetime, definitely invest in a good walking foot}

Press your seams to one side, toward the darker fabric like below.

Now cut your middle layer (batting or flannel) a little bigger than your quilt top.
Cut your bottom layer (the quilt back) to match the batting.

All three layers stacked together make your "quilt sandwich."

Now you'll baste (read: stick together) your sandwich to keep the layers in place for sewing. Some people pin baste beautifully but I use basting spray - quilting magic in a can. It's quick and easy on my hands. This is how I do mine, but written better.

First, stitch in the ditch like so in the 4 seams joining your strips.

Then mark and sew some more random lines to stabilize the three layers.

Here are a couple ways I like to hold the quilt while it's on the machine.
Just don't tug too hard or you'll break a needle.

Oh, and the goofy gloves I'm wearing are quilting gloves and they are awesome.
The fingertips are coated with rubber to help you grip the fabric. I use them on a lot of my projects, not just quilts.

 Wondering how to wrangle a quilt through your machine?
Just roll up one side to fit it in the machine and adjust as you go.

Trim your excess batting and backing.


It's time to do your binding (to encase the raw edges). Don't be scared! You can either buy premade binding or make your own. I like to make my own using this amazing tutorial. And this tutorial is great for attaching your binding to the quilt.

Here are the basics...

what double fold bias binding looks like

attached to the front of your quilt

folded over the raw edge and pinned to the back

You can either handstitch or machine stitch it down, but I prefer handstitching with this coated cotton thread.

Finished binding

Now you get to wash and dry it!
My dryer always seems soooo slow when there's a new quilt in there...
Have you ever wondered why quilters get all gaga over a freshly washed quilt?

Before

After

Your quilt would make a great gift as a wall hanging; customize it to a nursery color scheme or someone's interests and give it with a couple of hanging clips.
And it's easy to change the design, add an applique, embroider a name, learn to piece blocks, etc. etc.

I hope you enjoyed my very very long tutorial...
Good luck with your first quilt! I'd love to see what you make.

Chris here....thank you so much Kari.  It wasn't too long, either!  This really is a simple way to make a beautiful quilt.  I hope you'll consider making one.  Check out Kari's blog for more fun ideas like these beautiful quilted canister sleeves and easy-peasy jammy pants. 

Sewing 101 with Tasha, Be brave.

Today we welcome Tasha from Creation Corner.  Tasha's theme for her blog is "a little bit of me and a little bit of you."  She shares her creations, but also features others that she finds...she has a great eye.  So, take it away Tasha.

If I can say anything about sewing it would be: Don't be afraid to make mistakes and mess up. It is part of sewing. You will make mistakes. Guaranteed.

Some projects will turn out fabulous and some projects...not so much. So, if that is what has been holding you back don't let it. We all do. I can promise even the most amazing seamstresses out there make mistakes and mess up. It is inevitable. Today I made a shirred skirt. It ended up too big. Frustrating. But, now my pregnant sister gets it. Happiness for her. I have thrown out projects before (salvaging as much as the fabric as possible). But, just like all things in life, if you keep going you end up with some amazing projects. Practise, practise, practise....keep trying. The more you do something the better you get. The same thing goes with sewing.

My advice. Start small. Pick a pattern or tutorial that looks simple and easy. Straight lines are good. Not very many steps. Make a couple of them. Then move to another pattern/tutorial with a few new steps. If you cannot figure out how to do one of the steps, google it. I have learned you can find many things from google and YouTube in the sewing/craft world. They are great.






And if you want to find a quick and easy tutorial to make a bookmark I recently posted one on my blog. Straight stitching, not too many steps. And, if you mess up you didn't waste much fabric.
Speaking of fabric. It is also my belief that if pick great fabrics you can make the simplest of patterns/tutorials and your end result is amazing.






A couple places I love to look for fabric are:
The Fabric Shoppe - Jody is the amazing lady behind this shop and she always gets me inspired. Always. I love her bundles. You can see some of the new and trendy fabrics in her shop.
Etsy - There are so many fabulous fabric shops on etsy. When I am in need of some inspiration or new fabrics I often go and google my favorite fabric brands. I am never let down.
Fabric.com - This is another place I can often find fabrics I like and get them for a little less. Especially since I get their emails with coupons.
Some of my favorite fabrics come from Heather Bailey, Amy Butler, Moda, Michael Miller....I could go on. But, good fabrics really do make a difference. And of course I often end up at Joann's because it is close to my home.
I hope you are feeling a little more confident to try out some new projects!

Thank you Tasha for some great advice.  Sewing takes daring and patience wrapped up together.  Check out Tashsa's fun blog for more great ideas to grow on.  

Sewing 101 with Larissa, Basic Alterations

Today's featured guest is Larissa from mmmcrafts.  Hers was one of the first blogs I found when I was introduced to craft blogging, and it was love at first site.  I know you'll agree.  She shares some tips for altering t-shirts for a better fit.

We all have them. Shirts we fell in love with but leave hanging in our closet because there is something wrong with the fit. I have a long, sad history with T-shirts in particular.

I love a well-fitting T-shirt, but actually finding a nice tailored one that fits me right off the rack is nigh unto impossible because of my wide shoulders and average trunk. If it fits my shoulders, it is too loose in the arm holes and body. If it fits my body, it is too tight in the shoulders.


Here is an easy fix for that kind of 'too loose' (now you say Lautrec) fit problem, or for any T-shirt that you would like to make more tailored. It doesn't require a lot of sewing experience or a serger. Just a regular machine with a *zig zag stitch. I don't even switch my needle to a ball point for this.

*Why does it have to be a zig zag and not a straight stitch? Because knits stretch, and so will a zig zag stitch. Straight stitches, not so much.

The Problem: T-shirt that is too roomy.

The Fix: A simple zig zag seam up both sides and arms. So easy you'll be tailoring all your T-shirts in record time.

Try your T-shirt on. Pinch the excess under your arms with your fingers and determine how much you need to take it in to make it fit better. Knit is forgiving, don't sweat this too much. If it is still too loose or too tight after sewing, just add a new line of stitching and then remove the old one if needed. I usually end up sewing a 1/4 to 1/2 inch seam.


Turn the shirt inside out and lay it flat. Smooth it down with your fingers, but don't stretch it. Pin the sleeve and side together at the seam so that the hems are aligned.



Using a small zig zag stitch (small stitch length as well as width), start at the arm and sew your way down. Be sure to back stitch at both ends to lock your stitches. Important: don't stretch the fabric or pull it as you are sewing. Let it go through at its own pace.



If the fit problem is just in the chest, you can taper off your seam.
If the fit problem is in the entire body of the shirt, you can run your seam all the way down the side.

Now repeat the same thing on the other side of the T-shirt. I find that most times I do not even need to cut off the old seam. Knit is very forgiving and the new seams lay flat and feel comfortable. If you do cut off the old seam, be sure to overlock the raw edges to strengthen the new seam.


See ? That was easy. Done!


Thank you, Larissa.  Easy, and flattering fit.  Be sure to visit mmmcrafts for a little bit of everything, sewing, paper crafts, and my favorite, softies. 

Sewing 101 with Christine, Choosing your machine

Hello everyone!  I am Christine from Design Esquire.  Chris asked me to share how I chose my sewing machine.  I bought a new machine last summer when I started sewing, so I thought this topic would be perfect!  I should preface this post by saying that during the process of looking for a machine, my goals changed from wanting to get something as cheap as possible, to buying a mid-level machine that I could grow with.

That said, I would like to start by saying that if you're new to sewing and not sure how you are going to like it, I would highly recommend borrowing another person's sewing machine and practicing on it for a little while before investing in a new one.  That way, you won't end up with a new machine still in its box sitting in your basement.

Unfortunately, I did not have any friends or family with sewing machines that I could borrow.  After taking an intro to sewing class at Joann's Fabrics, I really wanted a machine to start sewing with so I started looking to purchase one. 

First, I looked on Craigslist and called around to sewing repair shops in my area to see if I could find any good used machines cheap (I am a bargain hunter to my core).  I feel like Craigslist is very hit or miss.  I will admit I was impatient to start sewing, so I only looked through the ads there for about two weeks and didn't see anything that was worth buying (it was all overpriced or very, very old).  My husband also pointed out that since I was a beginner, I should think about buying a machine with its user manual so I would be able to troubleshoot when something acted funny on the machine and so I could learn new features.  (He is so smart!)  There are not a lot of sewing machine repair shops in my area, and the ones that were still open, didn't have any machines to sell.

I then called around to specialty sewing stores that sold sewing machines, to find out the price range of the machines.  Most had some sort of basic model that started at a little over $200 and then had fancier machines that would cost more than $1,000.  One advantage of going with a specialty store is that they may offer free classes when you purchase a machine and, of course, they are likely to be very knowledgeable and help you purchase the right machine for you.

Around this time, I remembered that one of my favorite bloggers, Darby from Fly Through My Window had done a post about a year earlier on buying sewing machines.  You can find the post, HERE.  Her father bought her a Kenmore sewing machine from Sears.  So, I emailed her to see how she liked the machine a year later, and she emailed me back that she LOVED it.  (Can I just mention how much I love blogging - people are so generous with information!).  As you may know, Kenmores are made by Janome, so they have a reputation of made well. 

Darby had the Kenmore 19233 from Sears.  Sears carries a number of Kenmores and many other brands in a wide price range and Sears allow customers to post reviews of their products online.  After Darby's endorsement and reading the reviews online at Sears, I thought about purchasing the same machine.  My research showed that I could get more of a machine for the money from Sears than from a specialty store -- but, that meant I was losing some of the "intangibles" that those specialty stores offer like free classes to learn how to use your machine and having an informed salesman help me purchase my machine. 

Before pulling the trigger, I did some more research at the website Pattern Review.  It is free to sign up, and you can access all sorts of information.  There is a comprehensive sewing machine review section where "real" sewers review different machines. 

I was very happy with the reviews for the Kenmore 19233, so that is the machine that I ultimately ended up buying.  I love it and have been very happy with sewing with it.   

While it was about $150 more than I originally thought I would spend, I thought the price was fair for the number of features it came with.  While not cheap, it cost me around $400 on sale, it was computerized, came with about 9 feet, a DVD instructional video (great for a me as a beginner) and lots and lots of features that I could grow with as I learned to sew.

I also purchased the extended warranty, because I was terrified I was going to break the machine somehow.   The warranty also included annual cleanings, which I thought might be useful.

So, that's my (long) story!  There are so many good machines out there to buy, and this is just my tale on how I ended up with the one that I have.  I would just like to add that 1)  I do not work for Sears and 2) this process is not "one size fits all".  Luckily, there are lots of good places to get a machine to fit your needs.  Chris, thank you again for asking me to be a part of this series!  I am truly honored to be included with all the other talented bloggers!

Thank you, Christine!  (Love your name by the way.)  Check out Christine's blog, Design Esquire, and see all the fun projects she's completed like this bag and these kitchen accessories.