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A few months ago I purchased an app called Fabric Stash. This app allows you to take photos of pieces of your fabric, add yardage, content, and location of that particular piece of fabric. This has been a very helpful way of organizing, categorizing, and keeping iventory of what types of fabric I have and exactly how much is there. Along with fabric, this app also has a place to catalog patterns. Take a picture of the pattern envelope, then add details such as size, pattern number, and pattern type. This is a great tool to bring along when heading to the fabric store. You'll never buy a repeat pattern again!

 

 

Have you ever needed to hem a skirt or pair of pants in a hurry? Try using Steam-A-Seam. Apply the sticky Steam-A-Seam to the bottom inside edge of your skirt or pants. Fold to where you would like your hem to be and then steam it together! This is also a great product to use when needing to finish the sides of curtains, help stabilize v-neck jersey tops, and more. I have found so many uses for this product, but best of all, it can be a time saver when time is limited. Always remember to test this on a sample piece of your chosen fabric first!

 

 

Flat felled seams are most often seen on jeans and other heavy fabrics. This type of stitching is used for sporty garments as well as tote bags and other accessories requiring strong seams. Made with three layers of stitching, plus encasing the raw edge, these seams are durable and fray-proof. Click on the link to view step-by-step instructions for making professional looking flat felled seams.

 

 

When sewing with knits, there are some seams that you do not want to stretch. The biggest of these being the shoulder seams. Using a stabilizer such as twill tape, ribbon, or clear elastic will keep your garment from hanging incorrectly, or stretching out of shape. Your chosen stabilizer should be sewn directly onto the seam allowance with a straight stitch. Clear elastic will give you the best performance in the shoulder seam area, as it does allow a tiny bit of stretch, but not so much as to pull your garment out of shape.

 

 

Turning tiny tubes such as spaghetti straps does not have to be difficult. Cut a length of twine or ribbon a few inches longer than the strap. When pinning the strap right sides together, sandwich the length of ribbon in between. Baste one short end of the strap closed (with ribbon in between). Proceed to sew the pinned length of the strap being careful not to catch the ribbon in the stitching. When finished, simply pull the ribbon to turn the strap to the right side. Remove the basted end and the ribbon will slide right out.