Sewing & Fabric Essentials

The basic use for sew-on snaps is to hold overlapping edges together. They are nickel plated brass and come in various sizes. There is a flat surface on one side and a rounded surface on the other. These snaps are found in a lot of hand bags, coin pouches, and can also be used in apparel.

Bias tape adds a nice trim to a project. You can use a solid color or a print. You can also use a bias tape maker or just fold the edges over manually and iron. The bias tape maker helps with control and makes a nice and neat fold.

Sewing with sheer fabric can be difficult. Learn these simple tips on how to create a beautiful stitch on a fabric that is very slippery. Needle For best results, use a sharp #70 needle. This needle is made for lightweight fabrics and will sew smoothly without puncturing big holes in the fabric. It may also help to use thin paper such as tracing paper or wax paper to put under the fabric when sewing.

Rit Color Remover is a great product designed to remove colors from fabrics without having to use harsh chlorine bleach. Regular bleach damages the fibers in fabrics so if you go to re-dye them a different color afterwards, your results may not be consistent or may not turn out how you are expecting them to. Rit Color Remover works on cotton, linen, silk, wool, ramie, rayon and nylon and leaves a blank slate that is ready to be dyed.

Sequin is a trendy fabric that can be used in a variety of projects from décor and crafts to apparel. But while it is beautiful and great for adding lots of sparkle and dimension to your project, sewing sequins can be a little tricky. Weather it be a dance costume that's being made from scratch or your favorite party shirt that your friend ripped when they borrowed it last, you might need a hand in sewing it just right (and this is important) the first time. Here's a guide to help you through it.