Sewing Tips and Tricks for Beginner and Intermediate sewists from a home sewist and sewing instructor teaching garment workshops in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
It’s not as hard as you think! And might actually be worth it if you are fearful of your machine’s automatic buttonhole setting or you don’t want to chance ruining that beautiful waistband on the jeans you just finished. Learn how to use the buttonhole stitch to sew a buttonhole entirely without a machine.
Read MoreGetting kids into sewing is one of the coolest things to watch. Their enthusiasm and limitless creativity makes teaching kids to sew such a unique experience. I (Hali) haven’t been teaching kids classes for long but it never ceases to amaze me how quickly they catch on. From having never threaded a needle to sewing a full project with multiple steps in mere hours! It is very fun to watch and it confirms the popular saying, “sewing is magic” in more ways than one.
Read MoreAdding a drawstring is such a great way to quickly elevate a pair of shorts, pants or a dress if you want a more ready-to-wear (RTW) look and it gives you the opportunity to get creative with the style of ties or make a statement with a contrasting fabric.
Read MoreThis week we launched our first pack of WS exclusive labels and we are so excited to see them in your makes! It seemed fitting to do a tip about a few different ways to attach our labels and some options for modifying them to suit your garment.
Read MoreDo you have this tomato pincushion? Ever wonder what the little strawberry is for?
The little strawberry attached to the tomato pincushion is filled with emery powder and, similar to an emery board for filing your nails, the gently abrasive powder removes burrs from the tips of sewing needles and pins.
Why a TOMATO??
The ever popular tomato pincushion is said to have its roots in the Victorian Era when homeowners would put a fresh tomato on their mantel to guarantee prosperity by repelling evil spirits. When tomatoes were out of season it is believed families would improvise with a red fabric covered ball filled with sawdust or sand which then became a place to store pins. Although this history can’t be officially verified, it is interesting to imagine where this little tomato originated.
Read MoreThere are so many ways to organize things. If you’ve ever gone down the “tidying your space” Youtube rabbit hole you know there are infinite ways to better organize your stuff. The same goes for your sewing space. I have seen several patterns out there for needle books, a way to organize and also transport your needles safely in an enclosed cloth book. I have seen many different types of color coded charts stuck into a clear binder sleeve as well. But if you are like me and just want a low cost, simple solution, here are two ways to organize your needles with things you probably already have in your sewing area.
Read MoreThis is a technique I (Hali) learned in a sewing workshop a few years back and it forever changed how I sew. Chain piecing is typically used in quilting but can also be applied to garment sewing. We often talk about “batch sewing” or batch cutting, which is sewing or cutting out multiple of the same garment at one time. In theory, this makes things more efficient but for some sewists it can be overwhelming to manage all those pattern pieces. Chain piecing is another way to increase efficiency and speed up certain sewing tasks while being able to focus on just one garment. And think of the thread you will save by not having to start and stop so often!
Read MorePro tip: Place a towel or piece of fabric on your work surface to keep all the parts from rolling away. If you accidentally drop the blade it will be much easier to pick it up off a towel than off a flat surface. Most importantly, don’t wipe the oil off a new blade! The oily surface helps the blade to glide effortlessly when cutting.
Read MoreLove ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that they have their uses. I might just be a recent convert as I (Hali) am learning to embrace the necessity and let’s be honest, efficiency/accuracy of hand sewing.
Read MoreWondering which sewing workshop is the right fit for your skills right now? Learn to sew your new favourite garments in a supportive and encouraging atmosphere right here in Winnipeg!
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