beginner sewing tips


Tea Time: How to Dye Fabric Using Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea both make eco-friendly fabric dyes that smell wonderful and are also affordable. The beautiful beige, light brown and orange shades that can be achieved are perfect for reviving a plain white garment! They are also useful for distressing and aging fabric for a costume. This article will demonstrate these natural dyes on ... Read More

At Your Service: How Often Should I Service My Sewing Machine?

Experienced sewists know just how important it is to keep your sewing machine clean and in tip-top shape, but new sewists and quilters may not realize the necessity of servicing your sewing machine until an expensive issue arises. If you’ve ever found your machine struggling due to a buildup of dust and other residue, you’re ... Read More

Pure Jean-ius: 9 Types of Denim You Need to Know

Sewists are familiar with how important the composition of fabrics is to the sewing process and overall garment construction, as different fabric weights and stretch (or lack thereof) can drastically affect a finished garment. If you’ve been dreaming of sewing your own pair of perfectly fitted jeans but feel lost when you enter the denim ... Read More

Everyday Luxury: A Beginner’s Guide to Sewing Satin

Satin is such a beautiful, luxurious fabric, which is why it’s often chosen for formal wear and home furnishings. Unfortunately, it can be hard to sew sometimes because it’s relatively slippery and lightweight. Luckily there are some easy solutions to satin sewing issues! To better understand this fabric, let’s discuss the types, how to sew ... Read More

So Fresh and So Clean: Why You Need to Prewash Your Fabric Before Sewing

If you’re new to sewing and have found yourself asking how much of a difference prewashing really makes, you’re in the right place. We’re here to break down why you should prewash your fabric, what fabrics can skip the washing machine, and if this same rule applies to quilters. Plus, we’ll also cover some potential ... Read More

6 Thrifty Ways to Find Sewing and Quilting Books

Hello again, thrifty sewists and quilters! We know how much our readers enjoy our Thrifty Sewist’s Guide series, which is why we’re so excited to share our budget-friendly guide to finding and buying sewing and quilting books. If you love flipping through the glossy pages of a new pattern book but hate spending a fortune ... Read More