How-To Guides about Sewing & Embroidery

In this tutorial, we learn how to make hand warmers. You can make this out of pockets off of an old sweater. First, grab a piece of copy paper and measure over two inches, then fold it in half. After this, measure down 1.5" and then draw a line where this mark was. After this, cut the piece out and lay the paper on the sweater, then draw a line on the paper for the thumb holed. After you do this, you will cut out the area on the sweater, then sew it around on the sides. When you are done, you...

Another hand embroidery stitch that's great for beginning embroidery - the whipped running stitch. It's a simple, quick stitch to work. This stitch is one of many line stitches that can be used for bold or delicate outlines, depending on your choice of thread. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

The stem stitch is a versatile embroidery stitch. It can be used to outline or to fill an area. Learn how to do it yourself with this video from Needle 'n Thread.

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for Portuguese Knotted Stem Stitch. This is a line stitch good for outlining, especially when you want a little heavier line with some texture to it.

Couching is another easy embroidery stitch in hand embroidery, and a great way to create decorative line stitches that scroll and twirl about. It's also widely used for filling areas, and historically was used to great effect during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in a technique called Or Nue. Here's a video from Needle 'n Thread that demonstrates couching a single thread for an outline.

The split stitch is another easy hand embroidery stitch, perfect for beginners and used often by advanced embroiderers. Here's a tutorial from Needle 'n Thread that will teach you two methods of using the split stitch.

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for the double herringbone stitch, which is a variation of the herringbone stitch. Just like the regular herringbone, this stitch can be used as a decorative band or edging.

The cretan stitch is used in hand embroidery to create bands, to fill (any shape - leaves, for example), and it can be worked closed or open, depending on the effect you want. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

Here's another video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for hand embroidery stitches - this one is for the Palestrina stitch. Palestrina stitch is used for outlining or filling and is common in both Jacobean designs as well as in Mountmellick embroidery, the latter because it gives a highly textured line or fill area.

Ladder stitch in hand embroidery can be one of two stitches. There's the surface embroidery technique that creates a decorative band that looks a lot like a ladder, with edges that look like a chain stitch. There's also a drawn thread technique called ladder stitch that produces a ladder-like strip of remaining threads in the design area. The ladder stitch in this video tutorial is the former - the decorative band used in surface embroidery. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how...

The heavy chain stitch used in hand embroidery is a variation of the regular chain stitch, but it creates a wider, thicker chain stitch band. It's an easy stitch to execute. When you want a bolder line, you can substitute it for the regular chain stitch. This video tutorial will show you the basic concept of creating a heavy chain stitch band. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for the double chain stitch used in hand embroidery. This is a quick, easy stitch which creates a wide decorative band. It looks somewhat similar to the closed herringbone stitch, but it's created with the same (few) easy steps used in the chain stitch.

The chain stitch is perhaps one of the most common stitches in hand embroidery. By itself, it's pretty versatile. Add all the variations, and you can do just about anything with the chain stitch! Here's the alternating or checkered chain stitch. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

There are many variations on the chain stitch used in hand embroidery. Here's one that produces a "realistic-looking" chain, with a small link between each of the loops in the chain stitch. It's called the cable chain stitch. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for another hand embroidery stitch - the rosette chain stitch. The rosette chain stitch is much like the oyster stitch, but it's worked in a line, or around curves. The oyster stitch is more often seen individually.

If you are a beginner at hand embroidery, one of the first stitches you will probably learn is the chain stitch. The chain stitch has many variations, and one of them is the wheat stitch, also known as the wheatear stitch. This stitch is simple to work and produces a line that resembles a shaft of wheat. The stitch can be used in all kinds of applications - it would make great background greenery in flowers and gardens, it can also serve as a seam embellishment in crazy quilting, and it can...

The feather stitch is an easy stitch for hand embroidery. It's worked vertically, from top to bottom in a kind of back-and-forth, right-and-left motion. You can use the feather stitch in hand embroidery for edges and borders, it's used often in crazy quilting as a seam embellishment, and it also makes a good foundation of foliage or stems in flower designs, in Brazilian embroidery, and more. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

Variations to the feather stitch make it a versatile stitch for hand embroidery. Like the feather stitch, the double feather stitch is used for foliage, sprigs, greenery, etc., in all types of general surface embroidery, and is especially good for Brazilian embroidery, ribbon embroidery, etc. It works great as a seam embellishment in crazy quilting, and as an edging or border stitch on other work. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

Once you know how to do the buttonhole stitch, it's just a matter of "working it" a bit to master variations of the stitch. In this video from Needle 'n Thread, you'll learn how to work a buttonhole wheel, which can be effectively used in all kinds of embroidery - especially flower-like accents and for adding texture to designs.

The detached chain stitch, also known as the "lazy daisy" or just "daisy" stitch, is a pretty popular embroidery stitch. It's perfect, of course, for flowers, but can be used in lots of different ways. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

The spider web stitch and the ribbed spider web stitch are both "woven" embroidery stitches, either used as isolated accents or used in clusters. They aren't a line stitch or a filling stitch, and they aren't really a "small" detached stitch that can speckle a background lightly, either. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

The bullion knot needs a little practice to get it just right, and to be able to vary your technique to get the results you desire. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread and get some great tips so you can do it too!

The colonial knot is used in hand embroidery in the same applications as the French knot. Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread to help you get the hang of the colonial knot.

The oyster stitch is an isolated stitch. It is a combination stitch using the twisted detached chain stitch which is "surrounded" by an "open" chain stitch, or even a fly stitch. The oyster stitch makes a filled oval shape, suitable for flower petals or individual buds and accents. Watch this video from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

There are many dimensional embroidery stitches , but one of the most fun is the woven picot. You can do a lot with it! It's an easy embroidery stitch - it looks more advanced than it actually is! It's a great stitch for adding texture to your embroidery project, and it doesn't necessarily have to be free standing. See how it's done in this video from Needle 'n Thread.

In detached buttonhole filling, you don't pass through the fabric as you work the buttonhole filling. In attached, you do. Attached buttonhole filling gives you more scope for varying the placement of stitches, so that you can create effective filling patterns. The detached buttonhole, though, gives you a bit more room for dimensional effects, since you can take out part of your foundation fillings and fold the buttonhole area back on itself - or make petals or leaves that stand away from the...

Lattice work is used as filling or for backgrounds. Worked on a plain ground (with only the fabric behind the lattice stitches) it can be easily managed by beginners. Adding a colored background (for example, a background worked in satin stitch) kicks the stitch up a notch to intermediate level. Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread on working lattice stitch over a satin stitch ground.

Bokhara couching is a filling technique used in surface embroidery. Unlike regular couching, Bokhara couching uses only one thread, which serves as both the laid thread and the couching thread. Watch the video from from Needle 'n Thread to see how it's done.

Here's a video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread for a rose bud made out of bullion knots. The bullion knot can be used to make beautiful roses and rose buds, and, believe it or not, they're actually really simple to make once you get the hang of it!

The fly stitch can be worked both horizontally and vertically. In this video tutorial from Needle 'n Thread, you'll see the fly stitch worked vertically.Besides working fly stitches in horizontal rows or vertical columns, the stitch can also be isolated, to create "filled" (loosely filled) background areas, or to create small accent-like stitches across a "canvas." Experiment with it! It's a fun and quick stitch!

Whether you are gardening, cooking, riding a motorcycle or just want to cover up on a bad hair day, doo rags are easy to make and fun to personalize to suit to your style. If you would rather just download the durag pattern click here.

Written Instructions with accompanying video for anyone who wants to make a basic pant exactly to your measurements! Please get your correct measurements before you begin from How to Take Your Measurements.

Start with an old pair of jeans and some scrap fabric. Then, using a few small sewing notions (scissors, thread and a decorative button) and the pattern given in this video, transform this old fabric into a super cute and useful lined handbag.

Unlock the secret to clothing design. If you can draft and sew a basic bodice you can design virtually any kind of t-shirt, blouse or other top! Attach a skirt and you now have a dress! Take your measurements by using the guide in the " How to Take Your Measurements" section and let´s get started! If you would rather just whip up an easier beginners t-shirt go to How to Design a Quick T-Shirt.

As the cooler weather starts rolling in your pet will need more than just his natural coat to keep the shivers away. Take him out in style by designing a simple yet elegant tailored coat that will fit him perfectly. Here is an easy lined tailored coat with a nice thick comfort strap to keep him snug. Watch this video and follow the accompanying written instructions.

This is a trouser belt, but can also be applied as a bag strap, maybe used as a camera strap, etc.