Sewing & Embroidery: Page 11

To recycle an old towel into shorts, fold the towel and cut it into a short leg's length worth of fabric. Cut another piece into a short leg's length worth of fabric. Draw a curved seam on one edge. Stack the towels and pin them to hold the fabric in place. Cut out the seam on both of the towels. Separate the towels and sew up the seams on both of the fabric pieces. Do not sew the top seam and front side seam of the shorts. Instead, sew the front and back side seams together. Thread and...

Beth Johnson explains how to use Needlework Finisher to turn cross stitched pieces into ornaments. Needlework Finisher comes out of the bottle as a thick, white liquid, but turns into a clear plastic coating when dry. No special equipment is required, and Beth demonstrates how to daub the Needlework Finisher onto the cross stitched items with a finger tip. She allows one side to dry before coating the other side. The "wrong" side of the cross stitch can be covered with plain fabric, by using...

In this video, JD, from Tying It All Together, demonstrates how to tie a knot known as a "Ringbolt Hitch". This is also known as "coxcombing". This type of knot was once a common tie used by sailors to dress-up items and parts of their ships. When tying a wheel, a "Turk's Head" knot was used to cover the part of the wheel where the two ends of the ring bolt met, which would firm up the hitch, and help to keep the tied ends from unraveling. It is a nautical tradition to use this type of knot to...

This is a great tutorial for making a simple tote bag from household items. Pick a basic fabric and you're on your way with a lightweight and versatile catch all for books, groceries, etc.

In this video TIAT shows you how to make a rescue belt. Begin by making a basic knot in the center, holding that knot on the top of your ring finger and between your thumb begin making loops. To create these loops extend the strand to the right side of the knot straight out parallel to your thumb, with your right hand curl the yarn first up, than forward, than back down forming a circle that you slid over your thumb. Take the tail of the cord and pull it snug. Repeat these circular loops until...

You start off with a printed design on your doll. Use regular paper, but you have to print the doll in individual pieces - body, hands, legs, head. You stick those on the front of hard materials like thick card stock or some thick fabric. Now you can putt the doll together and make adjustments. You put the doll together by using small thumb tacks. It's even better if you have ones that have a rhinestone on them. Once you've done the joints, you can also add a little tutu or some fairy wings....

Learn the right way of tying the 'Decorative Trilobite Knot', by watching this video. Take a rope and form two bends, as shown. Now pass each bend over a hook to form two loops at the center, resembling number eight. The free end of the rope on the right side is then passed over the lower loop of the eight, to the left. The free end of the rope on the left side is then passed under the rope, just passed from the right. Thereafter, it is passed under the lower loop of the eight, and pulled...

CookiesHugs teaches you how to make an adorable hair bow for girls. For this, you will need a ribbon, scissors, glue gun, a hair clip, and a ruler. Cut 14-15 cm of the ribbon. Put clear nail polish on the ends of the ribbon. Fold the ribbon in half, width wise. Glue one side of the ribbon to the crease in the middle. Do the same on the other side as well. Place glue in the middle and fold the top and the bottom together. Wrap a piece of ribbon in on the outside, in the middle. On the back of...

This video teaches the viewer how to make a bow for your hair. You need a few materials to do this including 12 1/2 inches of ribbon that is approximately 1 inch wide, Two to three inches of contrasting ribbon for your center piece, a glue gun, 5 inches of craft wire and a hair clip. You can chose the colors or create several different ones to coordinate them with your wardrobe. They take only about 5 minutes to complete as long as you have all the materials on hand. Make sure to have a pair of...

This video will show you how to tie a thick string or cord into a snowflake-like knot. Be sure to take your time, as there are a lot of loops to make. Also, you'll have to lightly pull the knots into shape a few times to retain the snowflake style. The instructor takes extended pauses to ensure that you can follow along easily. Near the end of the video, there is also a variation on the last few steps to make a slightly different knot. Whether you're a pro or novice at knot tying, you'll be...

Most of us aren't lucky enough to get clothes tailored for our bodies so to get your skirts just the right length you may need to change the hemline yourself. In one evening you can change a mediocre skirt into your favorite piece of clothing.

The Panel Knot can be used for a number of different occasions. These knots are a great decoration piece and can be done with different styles and colors of rope to get a splash of life in your home. These knots can also be used as an accessory to any outfit. All you need is a piece of sturdy rope, your hand, and about 3 minutes to learn this great trade. This can also be a great activity for your family to enjoy making together.

Learn how to recycle and reconstruct your denim jeans: Craft side Look, Learn and Create with Stefanie Girard and Jean Therapy with Scathe G. Allison demonstrate how to recycle and reconstruct your denim jeans. You can make a bag out of your jeans by using the leg as the strap. Customize jeans by adding patches to the legs and ruffles to the bottom. All the projects use simple sewing machines and stitches and don't require extra tools. A skirt can also be made by sewing together 14 pairs of...

The Tying It All Together team, or TIAT, explains the origin of the Rorschach knot and demonstrates the techniques in order to make the decorative knot. The Rorschach knot, associated with psychological testing of a subject's perception of inkblots can become a decorative knot with just one string. TIAT shows how to make "bunny ear" loops consecutively around one another while repeatedly matting and firming the string to keep it in place. TIAT also pauses periodically for the viewer to keep...

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to tie a diamond ring knot. The name refers to the similar appearance of an actual diamond ring. The Diamond Ring knot is the fusion of an Overhand Knot and a tying technique called circling. Begin by making a loop; put one end of the string through the loop and pull it to form a pretzel shape. Continue putting one end the string through the loop. Eventually it will build up and it will just need to be tightened. This video tutorial will benefit those...

This video shows us how to thread a sewing machine step by step. To thread a sewing machine: Place the presser foot in the upward position. Place a spool of thread on the spool holder. Traveling from the spool holder, across the top of the machine, look for a minimum of one thread guide. Insert the thread in the thread guide(s). Now look for a tension mechanism. Bring the thread downward to the tension mechanism, slip the thread between the metal disks of the tension mechanism, and travel back...

By using sewing pattern Simplicity 4670, the author of this tutorial video takes you through the steps needed to produce a great shirt collar. First you should attach interfacing to one piece of the shirt collar. Here you will be using fusible interfacing and taking the facing to the shirt collar iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. Sew a guide line that is 5/8ths of an inch wide along the notched edge of the shirt collar's facing piece. At the dot markings of the collar clip...

This quick tutorial video will show you how to thread an industrial sewing machine. Follow these quick steps to thread an industrial sewing machine: Wind the bobbin thread and pace the bobbin in the bobbin case. Pull out 4" of thread and place the bobbin case in the hook. Now feed the top thread right to left through the eyelet bar and feed through the thread holes around the tension discs and upward through the take up. Go down through the thread guides and through the needle bar thread guide....

The video is about tying a Zigzag braid knot design. At first, make the tag or rope into two by folding it. Take one end and make a small knot at the folded junction. Then take the second and pass it through the first made loop. Then take the other end and pass it through the loop made by second end. Continue the hitches to end the rope. Finish the knot by tightening the rope. Then rearrange the position of the hitches. This is done with care. The knot is made beautiful and prettier by making a...

In this tutorial from the TyingItAllTogether Channel, you can learn how to make double and quadruple looped pendent knots. These knots are commonly found in Celtic designs. Once you learn how to create these knots, you can use them in arts and crafts projects for necklaces or bracelets. To begin, the double looped knot is done by taking a piece of rope and folding it in half, allowing the two sides to be next to each other. With one side of the rope, loop it around the other side of the rope,...

This arts and crafts video teaches us how to make a mermaid tail in minutes. Our instructor tells us how she got requests for this after people saw her video, in which she swims in a mermaid tale. To make the mermaid tale, find some stretchy pants. Any pants that are light and are able to stretch will work. Do not use jeans. To make the tale, you put one leg in one hole of the pants, and then you put your other leg in the same hole. Next, take the other leg of your pants, wrap it around your...

This video from Tying It All Together demonstrates how to tie a river knot. Holding the rope in your left hand, make a loop to the right and bring the rope down so it lies over the loop. Bring it up behind and pull it through the loop. This makes a loose knot with three overlapping loops. Make another loop on the right and pull the end through the lower part of the right loop. Then make another loop on the left and pull it through the lower part of the left loop. Take the rope from the left...

This video is a tutorial on how to weave a solomon bar bracelet with two colors. The author shows how to weave a solomon bar bracelet with two colors where there are vertical loops of one color and horizontal loops of yet another color. Combining this video with the author's previous video on how to weave a solomon bar bracelet (How to Make a Solomon Bar by TIAT) should provide sufficient information on completing a two colored solomon bar bracelet. While this way does work, it is mentioned in...

"How to Tie a Decorative Diamond Knot: Tying It All Together" explains how to tie a decorative diamond knot. The diamond knot is a decorative cylindrical knot, which is also known as the lanyard knot and the knife lanyard knot. Make a loop with one end of the string, and fold the other end parallel in the center of the loop. Feed the end of the right string over the left string and pull down. Fold the right string over and feed through the left side of the loop. Pull a second loop behind the...

TyingItAllTogether explains that, "Pagoda is the English language term for a tiered tower with multiple eaves. Common throughout eastern Asia, most pagodas were built to serve a religious function. The Pagoda Knot was created in admiration of this sacred architecture." In this video, learn how to tie a decorative pagoda knot. Working with a single piece of string, follow along as the string is transformed into a work of art. Begin by making a series of four loops. Cross the tails, then weave...

To make a Kinky Lover's knot, first hang or keep the tag on something. Then take the first end. Tie it by keeping a loop. Then take the second end and pass it through the loop by leaving a loop. Then take the second end, which was taken earlier , through the loop made by the first end. Then pass the second end through the loop, which was made by the second end. The knot is ready! All we have to do now is to tighten the knot by pulling the two ends. Make it beautiful by arranging the tag clearly.

This video demonstrates how to sew a Victorian skirt. First take a cotton cloth and cut a rectangle piece twice the size of your waist. The length would be depending on your choice of height you require. Hem the top and the bottom of the cloth. Then use elastic thread to create 12 rows of shirring. Each row can be 1/4th inch apart. This is for sure a tedious task but it will look beautiful. Then take a chiffon cloth and cut the same size as your skirt. Hem one side of it and on the other side...

Learn how to use bent handled trimmers: Kenneth D. King of ThreadBanger Quickies and NextNewNetworks explain how to use bent handled trimmers for working with fabric projects. Bent handled trimmers are great for cutting out fabric patterns and designs. The scissor itself slides along the smooth plane of the cutting table and it lifts the fabric just enough to successfully cut the pattern out. Bent handled trimmers make a very accurate cut. Never ever use your fabric scissors for cutting paper.

TyingItAllTogether presents this interesting video that shows you how to tie the Celtic tree of life decorative knot. To do this, you make a series of intertwining loops, until they form a circle. This wordless video is very easy to follow along. Watch, and master the art of knot-making with this great video. For more great videos on decorative knot-making, search on WonderHowTo.

This video is basically about how to make felted flowers with Craftside. For making felted flower things we will need are assorted felt, assorted rhinestones (any size), embroidery floss (any color), a needle, some tacky glue and a pair of scissors. First of all cut out the shape of the flowers from the felt using the scissors. Try experimenting with different shapes and sizes for variety. Then stitch the detail on the petals using the embroidery floss. Use the backstitch for this; then glue...

Need a place to rest your head on the go? Just check out this quick vid to find out how to transform your hoodie into a porta-pillow. Seems like it'd be great for late night bus rides!

It's not difficult to transform a hoodie into a quick little backpack, you just gotta think outside the (sweater) box! Follow the steps in this video and you'll be on your way in no time!

Vicky Taylor from The Crafts Channel teaches us how to transform an old pair of jeans to a trendy denim mini skirt. Get a pair of denim jeans and cut the front side from the end of the zipper downwards to the crotch. Do the same at the back making sure that it is at the same length on the front. Measure the length of the skirt you wanted. Cut it off and make sure they are the same length. Overlap the flaps created at the front and stitch them together. There will be a triangular open part...

Watch this video to learn how to sew by hand! You need scissors, thread (or floss), a needle, and fabric. First, stick your threaded needle through the cloth and pull the thread through. To make a running stitch, push it back through to the opposite side. Your stitches should look like a dashed line. For a whip stitch, keep pushing the needle through the fabric from the same side each time, near the edge. It will wrap around the edge. To tie it off, push the needle back through the loop of a...

Thread and clothing designer, Kenneth D. King, give quick instruction to us on the importance of our cutting tools, more especially the serrated scissors. Here we learn what makes this particular style of scissors so efficient and necessary to our sewing work, as well as what types of materials they ought to be used on. He also gives warning that we should never use our fabric scissors on paper. Great tips for the beginning designer in us all.

Thread banger, Kenneth King shows you how to save your good fabric scissors by using thread snips, a simple but important tool you must always have in your sewing workshop. Thread snips are small pairs of scissors that are specifically used for trimming off any excess thread in your material. Kenneth explains that using fabric scissors to trim these excess threads eventually causes them to wear dull spots. Always keep your thread snips handy and do all your thread trimming at the machine.

Put needle in place anywhere you are starting a stitch.

Need a new purse but no money in the budget to go out and by one? Missa from fashionclub.com will show you a do-it-yourself option. In this instructional video, you will learn how to make a flapper 1920's style purse. Step by step instructions take you through the materials you will need, how to make a pattern for the purse and how to construct the purse. You will need a basic sewing machine and sewing skills to complete this design.

Pinking shears are scissors with an blade that is spiked instead of straight across like a regular pair. Pinking sheers are used to finish off fabric that does not necessarily need a strong hem. They can be used for any type of material that will not unravel - such as silk or charmeuse. This tutorial from Threadbanger will show you how to finish off your fabric by pinking, which is actually incredibly simple to do.

Want to learn how to use that sewing machine? This video will teach you the basics on how to use a sewing machine. This video is part of a series and shows the basics of sewing, reversing the machine, and the basic mechanisms of the sewing machine. She will also show you what to do at the end of your fabric and proper hand placement on the machine while using the machine (no sewn fingers here!). A good step-by-step guide for first-time sewers.