Sewing & Fabric Essentials

Piping adds a nice finishing touch to projects like cushions, pillows, or upholstery. The cord that is inside piping is referred to as cording, welting, piping cord or welt cord. It comes in many thicknesses. 1/8" is a common size. The core can be made of various materials like cotton, cellulose paper fiber, or foam.

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.

A mitered corner is when two sides come together at a 45 degree angle. You can use this technique to create a polished look on many sewing projects, like napkins, tablecloths, blankets, quilts and curtains. You can make mitered corners just about any size. This example will have a 1" mitered corner.

Last time we covered a variety of basic seams, so lets try some more complex ones! Here I'll be going over how to sew a French Seam, a Double-Top Stitch Seam, a Flat-Felled Seam, a Welt Seam, a Tucked Seam, and a Lapped Seam. This set of seams are all reinforced and some enclose the selvedge within the seam. All of these seams add durability and finishing touches to your work.

As I've been sewing more, I'm finding that I'm using techniques that i don't even know the names of. I figured it's time to go back and learn some basics. I'll be going over some simple seams including a straight seam, a double straight seam, a curved seam, a cornered seam, a basting seam, and bar tacks. You may recognize some of these seams from my previous projects.

The invisible stitch, also known as the ladder, slip, blind, or hidden stitch is a commonly used hand sewing stitch. In this example, I'm using it to sew closed the opening on a pillow cover.

An overlock stitch is a great way to hem the edges of your fabric so they don't fray. You will see this type of stitch on the inside of a lot of manufactured clothing. It is often sewn using a Serger machine, but it can be done by hand, and we will show you how. To sew an overlock stitch, you will want to want to match up the edges of your fabric. I have seen this done with only one piece, and that will help to prevent fraying, but for this demonstration I will be using two so I can sew the pieces together while also creating a nice finished edge.

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.

Shirring, is a method used in sewing that gathers fabric and is often used in garments like dresses and blouses to give them shape and add some textural dimension. Shirring can be done easily with a sewing machine, elastic thread, and medium to lightweight fabric. Here's how.

A dart is a method used in sewing to add shape to a garment. Darts are often used on the busts of dresses and blouses, skirts and to minimize gaping at sleeve openings. There are a few parts of a dart that are important to understand before sewing them into your garment.

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.