Sewing, embroidery, and serging tips and tricks for beginners that will help teach you to sew, embroider, and serge.
I’m picky when it comes to my quilt labels. I spend so much time on the quilt that the finishing touch of a label needs to be perfect. While there are many ways to make quilt labels, I like to avoid cutting them by hand or using my horrible handwriting. Making personalized fabric labels with…
My new embroidery machine finally has compatible magnetic embroidery hoops, and I love the new possibilities! For instance, I can use my embroidery machine to easily finish quilts without hooping or using stabilizer. I can also work with delicate fabrics like leather or vinyl without worrying about hoop marks. Even projects that used to be…
If you’re new to machine embroidery and feel overwhelmed with the jargon, you’re not alone! The terms embroiderers use are unique and sometimes just plain odd. To help you navigate learning the terminology of machine embroidery, I’ve put together this list of embroidery terms and definitions. And, at the end of the post, you can…
Do you have hand or machine-embroidered clothing that needs a good wash? With two young kids, I always do. So can you even wash embroidered clothes without damaging the design or causing threads to bleed? Why yes, you can! Here’s how to wash embroidered clothes so your garments continue to look their best. Hand vs….
Navigating die compatibility between my AccuQuilt and Sizzix machines was so confusing when I first purchased them! However, once I cemented a few basic facts about die sizes and adapters, it was all much easier to understand. If you’re confused as well, here’s information about whether you can use AccuQuilt dies in a Sizzix or…
Want to personalize your wardrobe? Embroidered clothing is a perfect way to add style and uniqueness to what you wear or gift! So, how do you embroider clothes? What do you need, and where do you start? Let’s talk about how to embroider clothes with an embroidery machine! I’ll cover clothes of all types and…
I despise cutting fabric by hand into intricate shapes, especially repetitive, intricate shapes, and I’m not the biggest fan of appliqueing with my sewing machine. However, I LOVE my embroidery machine, and I LOVE my AccuQuilt Go! Thus, when I saw most of AccuQuilt’s applique dies had FREE machine embroidery applique designs with them, I…
While embroidering stable, woven fabric is a breeze, machine embroidery on unstable, stretchy fabric requires more knowledge, expertise, and troubleshooting. Especially if the fabric is lightweight, loosely knitted, or super stretchy. These knits stretch in the hoop and shift around if not prepared perfectly, which leads to ugly embroidery. However, don’t be too scared! If…
We’ve all made a mess of embroidered items before, right?! Whether it’s because I stitched two sides of the fabric together, used the wrong thread color, forgot to rotate the design, or even got a giant bird’s nest on the material, I’ve found many instances where I need to remove embroidery. While this is not an…
While using sewing scissors when machine embroidering is technically possible, having different types of embroidery scissors in your craft room can make embroidery tasks so much easier! For instance, when it comes to clipping applique fabric, trimming jump stitches, and doing in-the-hoop projects, embroidery scissors help make cleaner cuts. So, what are the best machine…
Tired of embroidering crooked designs in the wrong places? Not sure how to align embroidery designs on your blank? I’ve embroidered my share of doozies over the years! Thankfully, trial, error, and experience have taught me how to center machine embroidery designs without frustration. While some high-end embroidery machines have lasers and cameras to assist…
Embroidery machines are commonly described in terms of their hoop sizes, which help users understand the approximate design size limits of each machine. However, the concept of hoop sizing can be confusing to beginner embroiderers! Why? First, the actual measurements of the hoop itself differ from its named “hoop size,” which also differs from the…
I first purchased an embroidery machine thinking I’d only use it to monogram kids’ clothes and make baby gifts. It wasn’t too long, though, before I realized how many other uses for an embroidery machine there are! Their versatility still astounds me all these years later. Unsure about what embroidery machines are and what they…
Whether it’s a new piece of velvet fabric or a pre-constructed item like a velvet durag, scrunchie, or fun dress, washing velvet properly is extremely important to maintaining fabric integrity. Not all velvet fabrics are constructed equally, so differentiating the care instructions for each can be tricky. Thus, let’s talk about how to wash velvet…
If you want a luxurious fabric with pile, velvet and velveteen are two popular and similar options. But which will work better for your project, and what’s the difference between velvet vs. velveteen? Let’s discuss the similarities, differences, and intended usages for both of these plush fabrics so you know which to pick for your…
Velvet fabric is luxurious but also fluffy, slinky, and slippery. As such, it is more challenging to cut velvet fabric than other fabric types. And once cut, certain types of velvet fabric fray and shed like crazy. Notice these issues with your velvet? Let’s talk about how to cut velvet fabric the right way and…
Thanks to the plush pile on its front surface, velvet fabric is tricky to iron and press. Improperly ironing velvet can not only flatten the fluff of the velvet and leave permanent marks, but it can even melt certain types of velvet. So, how do you prevent these issues? Read along for tips on how…
For beginner sewists, sewing velvet can be tricky. Not only does it creep and slip while stitching and mar easily from mistakes, but it can also make a fuzzy mess of your sewing space. However, velvet is such a luxurious, gorgeous, drapey fabric that it’s worth the attempt! Want to sew velvet upholstery, curtains, garments,…
Accurate measurements when sewing are crucially important to the success of a project. People, home decor, pattern pieces, fabric lengths, and even hems and seam allowances must be measured correctly. So, how do you measure these items? Using the right sewing measuring tools, of course! That and remembering always to measure twice and cut once. …
Learning how to sew ripstop nylon fabric can be difficult for sewing beginners. For instance, ripstop is notoriously slick and prone to slippage. It also frays and can leave your machine a mess. Other potential issues include seam puckering, skipped stitches, and even lightweight pieces jamming in your machine. Want to learn to troubleshoot these…
Buttons play functional and decorative roles when sewing clothes, home decor, and other accessories. As such, buttons for sewing come in different sizes, shapes, colors, and materials and even have different methods of attachments. Curious about the different types of buttons for clothes and sewing? Wonder no more, and figure out the most common uses…
Pins, while tiny, play a big part in sewing projects. They do everything from holding pieces of fabric together before sewing a seam to keeping pattern pieces in place while cutting fabric. If you’ve been sewing for a while, you’ve probably discovered that not all pins are created equal. Pins for sewing come in a…
Sewing buttonholes is an integral part of the garment construction process! Not only are buttons and buttonholes an important fastening method, but they can also add a decorative touch to sewing projects. There are so many different types of buttonholes beyond just your basic shapes, too. If you’re new to sewing, knowing when to use…
I love making pillowcases. They’re easy to construct, don’t require much fabric, and are a fun way to add personality to a bed or room. I used to always sew pillowcases with my sewing machine, but now that I have a serger at home, it’s faster and easier to use it! It creates the seam…
If you’ve always used solid cotton as your go-to fabric for applique, then you’re missing out on some really fun machine applique fabric choices! While possibly the most common and “best” fabric for applique is a sturdy, woven cotton fabric with a compatible applique backing, go ahead and take a peek around your fabric stash….
Glow-in-the-dark thread is perfect when you want to embroider or sew something that’s going to be in the dark! For example, Halloween outfits, party outfits, pajamas, Christmas ornaments, sportswear, and even nighttime workout clothes. You can use glow-in-the-dark thread when doing decorative stitching or quilting with a sewing machine. Or, you can load it into…
Water-soluble stabilizer is one of the niftiest inventions for machine and hand embroidery. Also called wash-away stabilizer, this product can function as a backing or topper for your embroidery projects. Not only does it help provide a clean stitch out on tricky fabrics, but it also leaves no trace on the back once removed. If…
You’ve just finished stitching your beautiful embroidery project, so now what? Just like with sewing, a good pressing, of course! Ironing embroidery sets the design and gives it a more professional appearance. And, in the case of machine embroidery, a quick pressing can even fix very minor embroidery mistakes. For instance, if tearing away stabilizer…
Knit fabric, especially single-knit jersey, is known for its characteristic curling or rolling at the fabric edges. Typically, jersey knit selvages roll toward the “wrong” side of the fabric while cut edges curl toward the “right” side when the fabric is stretched. While this annoying rolling helps differentiate the fabric front from back, it makes…
If you’re new to machine embroidery or the Cricut universe, understanding the similarities and differences between these two machines can be challenging. Unless you have experience with both machines, you likely have many questions! Thus, I want to explain in detail what a Cricut does and how this relates to embroidery. I love my Cricut…