Hot Sewing & Embroidery Posts

How To: Make a denim skirt from jeans

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 at ...

How To: Sew by hand

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 ...

How To: Sew a straight stitch

The video shows us how to sew a straight stitch which is really simple. The needle which is already being threaded and knotted on the other side is made to weave in and out in a straight line. It is done as straight as possible and though the video doesn't show it being done perfectly but its just a demonstration on how the straight stitch works. It is just made to weave in and out along a straight line and is made to end up with the needle on the back side and make a knot. This way you get t...

How To: Use serrated scissors

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.

How To: Use thread snip scissors

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.

How To: Use embroidery scissors

Kenneth D. King of ThreadBanger demonstrates one way to use a scissor known as an embroidery scissor, which is a very tiny scissor with a slightly curved blade. The curved blade prevents the points of the scissors from poking through the fabric, which is very important when you need to trim something close to the fabric. This comes in handy for uses other than embroidery.

How To: Make a flapper coin purse

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.

How To: Use pinking shears with Threadbanger

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.

How To: Sew with a sewing machine

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.

How To: Hem pants so they fit

You will need marking pencils or chalk, scissors, seam ripper, pins and good quality matching thread. Mark desired length on each pant leg. Option 1: Stand on pants and place a pin where fabric hits the floor. Option 2: Fold pants up to desired length & pin. Take pants off; turn the leg inside out. Note original hem size after it is 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Mark pin position/finished length. Rip out original hem stitching using seam ripper or point of scissor. Find right loop to pull & it will ...