Fashion & Apparel Sewing

Why don't they make women's clothing with pockets? I will never understand and truthfully will never forgive clothing manufacturers for the lack of storage space in my clothing. My guy friends can hold their phone, wallets, keys, a can of soda, their favorite novel, and snacks galore with ease. But if I don't want to carry a purse with me that day, I am doomed to hold all my valuables in my hands and just hope that I don't put something important down and forget to pick it back up. (Or put it in the pockets of my male friends as a way of fighting back this unfair system.

Clothing alterations are some of my favorite projects and when I found this dress I knew I needed to share my process to help other people work through their own clothing transformations. This particular dress is made out of denim, which gave me the opportunity to show How to Sew a Flat Felled Seam. This method will work with any non-formfitting piece of clothing though. If you are looking to make the article really form fitting follow the steps in our How to Alter Jeans to be Larger tutorial to learn a more precise way to measure the clothing to fit your body and then come back to this article and start following along starting at step 2. I find a lot of my clothes at thrift stores so obviously I don't get the luxury of being picky about sizing.

Shawls are a great addition to any outfit as a statement piece or simply to add some outer wear to your look. The nice fringe on this shawl makes it easy to dress up or down for any occasion. Just pick your fabric and get to sewing your new favorite piece in your wardrobe.

Everyone has that old pair of sweatpants laying around that are so old the elastic has stretched out to the point where they won't stay up anymore. So, I'm going to show you how to replace that elastic so your favorite and most comfy pants fit like they're supposed to. Exposed elastic and hidden elastic are going to be the most common bands you will see so I am going to be demonstrating on both.

Looking for a new favorite day bag? This simple Origami Bag design makes a great slouchy purse or beach bag. It can be made with any heavy weight fabric and broadcloth and can be made in different sizes. It's currently one of my favorite bags. I get compliments on it all the time and have started making ones for my friends.

New regulations at major stadiums and concert venues call for clear vinyl bags to speed up stops at security checkpoints, but the bags they sell are usually ugly and have big logos on them. So, I am going to show you how to make a clear vinyl bag that doesn't require any kind of sewing. This bag meets most stadium requirements and is a cheap and fashionable alternative to ones you can buy online. It is super easy to make and seriously, who doesn't love a no sew project?

Maxi dresses are a popular item in the summer because they are comfortable but always stylish. You can dress it up or dress it down for a casual look. In this tutorial I will show you how to make your own maxi dress out of cotton jersey.

Got some cold little piggy's? Keep them warm with these Sherpa lined fleece slippers. These slippers are super easy to make and one yard of fabric is enough to make around 4 pairs of medium sized slippers so you can give them away as gifts or just have a few extra pairs for yourself.

Did you grow out of your favorite jeans? Or found a pair at the thrift store that didn't fit great but were to nice to pass up? I recently went through all my clothes and got rid of the things that didn't fit me anymore, but there were a few pairs that I just could not bring myself to parting with. I looked into different ways to make your pants larger, but none of them actually gave me the amount of space I needed to get these super comfy mom jeans on again. So I had an idea.

Sleeveless blouses are one of the top apparel items for summer, and in this tutorial I chose to make one out of challis fabric. To off set the black and white pattern I am using a 7″ lipstick pink zipper to give it some color and contrast.

Living in New England is such a blessing and such a curse. On one hand we have ALL the seasons. On the other hand WE HAVE ALL THE SEASONS (Winter, Fool's Spring, Second Winter, Spring… of deception, Third winter, Mud season, Actual Spring… you get it) Ask my UGG's how they feel about it. They can't answer, because they're shoes but also because they're caked in salt residue. I can't bring myself to replace them though because they are my favorite and they fit me like a glove at this point.

Ruffle skirts are fun to make for adults and children. The one I make in this tutorial is a medium adult size skirt out of a solid jersey knit fabric. You can also mix and match prints and colors for the layers to give it a fun look.

Faux fur, sherpa, fleece, and minky are trendy fabrics that are great for winter wear and blankets because they're soft and very warm. To keep each fabric looking new, they have specific care instructions and should be washed on their own. Here are the best ways to keep them looking fresh and new. Go to the bottom of the page to see the video.

This DIY tutorial will teach you how to make your own cosmetic bag and brush holder out of oilcloth fabric and ribbon. It's an average size and has an easy design making it simple to sew and construct. The size of this makeup bag is great because it will hold all the essentials and is small enough to travel with.

Whether you're team Nikon or team Canon, I think we can all agree that the camera straps are pretty ugly. I'm going to cover an existing camera strap with new fabric and make a detachable lens cover pouch to go with it. This strap makes my camera feel unique and gives it some personality. This project is so easy, you can change out the fabric whenever you feel like it.

Tote bags are super useful and can be made in all sorts of sizes, so you can never have too many! You can make them many different ways, but this tote bag features a recessed zipper to keep the contents of the bag secure. The size I made is perfect to use as a Mahjong bag but you can make it any size you want. (I made these as gifts for my Mahjong-loving aunts! ) You can also add interior and exterior zippers or more pockets to fit your needs.

Yoga mats are awkward to carry on their own so I'm going to make a yoga mat bag. It has a zipper compartment, a pocket, and is fully lined. The zipper opening makes it easy to put the yoga mat in and take it out.

When summer comes to a close and the chill breezes of fall and winter roll in, you know it's time to break out the warmer clothing. On those bitter cold wintry nights, there's no better feeling than bundling up with some cozy fleece fabric. There's no wrong way to use fleece fabric. We've used it for mittens, hats, pillows, and more. Take a look at these fleece DIY projects and think warm thoughts…

Reusable shopping bags are the green way to go! This tote bag can be used as a grocery bag, a farmer's market bag, or a general shopping bag. The ones you buy from the grocery store tend to be pretty ugly and not that durable. By making your own, you can choose the fabric and they're stronger than the store bought bags. If you want to be able to machine wash your bags, cotton or cotton blend fabrics are good choices.

You can make aprons out of many types of fabric, but oilcloth is a great choice because you can easily wipe it clean. Plus it comes in lots of fun colors and patterns. This oilcloth apron is a great handmade gift that's actually useful. Check out our selection of oilcloth and pick some out for yourself or a friend.

You'll find no shortage of bags here at Online Fabric Store. We have burlap bags, favor bags, tote bags, wine bags, and more. Our wide selection of bags covers a range of storage needs including utilitarian, decorative, and practical uses. Whether you're gardening, party planning, or grocery shopping, we've got you covered. Many of our bags are plain, but can easily be customized with paint, dye, markers, twine, and more.

Tote bags are perfect for on the go, or to take to the beach. They're simple to make and you can choose from a variety of prints or solids. The cotton fabric used is durable enough to hold everyday items including heavier things such as books.

Magnetic snaps are a great fastener solution for many types of bags as well as other accessories and clothing. We offer them in two finishes: Dritz Magnetic Snaps (Silver) Dritz Gilt Magnetic Snaps (Gold) Despite the professional look, adding them to your project is easy. Here are a few quick steps for attaching magnetic snaps.

Muslin fabric is a versatile and inexpensive plain weave cotton cloth. It has many practical uses, like bandage wraps and culinary purposes. You can also use it for some décor (theater and photography sets) and apparel projects. While muslin isn't used often for the actual pieces of clothing, it's quite popular for making garment mock-ups.

I say pah-jah-mus, you might say pah-jam-us, jah-mies, jam-ies, jim-jams… however you say it, learn how to make it! I'm making pajama pants out of a fun cotton print using an existing pair as a pattern, and I'll be adding an optional drawstring. These pajama pants make great gifts, especially for that holiday family photo with the matching pairs.

Charmeuse, Habutae (or Habotai), and Satin are very similar lightweight fabrics that drape nicely. They are most often used for making apparel and decorations. Charmeuse and satin are both satin weave fabrics with a matte backing. The main difference is that charmeuse is shinier. Habutae is also similar, but it's a lighter weight plain weave and is known to be the smoothest of the 3.

The terms "netting" and "tulle" are often used interchangeably because they're used for similar projects like wedding gowns, hats, and tutus.

This fleece hat with ear flaps is made with a super soft "bear skin" faux fur lining that's warm and cozy. You can also use smooth minky, sherpa minky, or another layer of fleece as a lining. This is a quick and easy project that's great for gifts for babies, children and adults, especially when paired with matching fleece mittens!

Zipper pouches of all sizes are handy to have around for carrying or organizing many different items, from cosmetics and jewelry to phones and technology accessories. This easy project is also a good introduction to zippers. So let's get started!

Learn how to make a fun and festive Santa hat using faux fur and stretch velvet fabric. This is a simple project that you can easily make for yourself, or give away as personalized handmade gifts!