ThePatternBarn.com

For many people, sewing is a hobby of yesteryear, a time honored skill that was passed down from generation to generation. Today, while sewing is not a necessary skill it is still one that many enjoy doing, as much for its money saving benefits as for its ability to relax our minds as we infuse a project with our creativity and style. For those who enjoy sewing a pattern can be a wonderful way to make the ideas in our mind come to life.

A sewing pattern lays out each design and allows you to sew from it like a template. Any sewing pattern that you could ever imagine is available in any one of the many fabric stores accessible today. There are also a number of websites dedicated to selling fabric and patterns for online purchase.

When it comes to various sewing projects, a sewing pattern can be used to make everything from clothes to curtains. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, a sewing pattern can help you organize your project. With a pattern you will know where to cut, where to pin, and where to sew. If you are beginner, there are simple patterns that lead you step-by-step through the project. For those who are skilled in sewing, there are more complex patterns that can assist in more complicated projects.

The instance in which such patterns will be particularly helpful is during the making of holiday-oriented projects. Because these are not projects that we create throughout the year, they can be a bit more difficult. A sewing pattern that assists in making blankets and decorations for occasions such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter, can help a user with any sewing ability spice up their home for the holidays.

Whether you choose to make clothing, blankets, or any one of the myriad of sewing projects available, a sewing pattern can ensure that you are well on your way to a successful and enjoyable experience.

When selecting fabric for quilting there is so much variety available in fabric shops, on-line, and in mail-order catalogs that it’s almost difficult to choose. Often, I end up buying fabric whether I need it right now or not. After all, a quilter must always have fabric on hand.

The “magic” comes when you find a fabric that you fall in love with. Finding a suitable fabric usually isn’t difficult for a project you’re working on. Settling on just one fabric is the hard part.

Here are some criteria to keep in mind when making fabric selections: colorfast quality; fiber content; surface design. If you stick to some guidelines about these criteria, then you’re sure to be pleased with the final result of your project.

Surface Design:

The printed or woven surface design and, of course, the color, is very important.

1) Try to pick fabrics with the same color value so one doesn’t stand out in the finished quilt.

2) Check to see if there is a one-way direction in the design; you may need to purchase extra fabric to allow for cutting fabrics with plaids or stripes.

3) The size of the design and the background spaces are also important considerations. Are the designs large, medium, or small? Is the background area prominent? How will this particular fabric look when cut it into small quilt pieces? If the design is too widely spaced, it may be lost in the cutting of the fabric.

Take a few minutes to analyze fabric and keep these questions in mind when purchasing fabric. It is far better to have left over fabric than be working on a project and run out of material. I’ve run out before only to find that the fabric is no longer in stock.

Colorfast Quality:

Avoid fabrics that fade. Pigment-dyed fabric resists light 40 hours. Wet-printed resists light 20 hours. The best thing to avoid having your quilt fade is to keep it out of direct sunlight.

Fiber Content:

The fiber content is especially important when purchasing fabric for quilts. The way fabric responds to manipulation is determined by the fiber content. The standard 100% cotton fabric sold for quilting is easy to work with and this is the best choice.

Cotton blends are harder to work with; they tend to shift while cutting or sewing them. 100% cotton is strong when wet, absorbs moisture, creases easily, irons nicely at high temperatures and wears well.

Beware of Discount Fabric:

For a good finished product, quilters need to purchase good-quality, colorfast cotton fabric from a reputable supplier. I’ve bought fabric from discount stores because I liked the print. Then I had trouble manipulating the material; it would shift and bunch as I sewed it.

The finished product usually reflected the problems I encountered while sewing. No matter how much money I saved on material, my time was wasted by producing a less than satisfactory quilt.

In order to be happy with your finished product, I recommend that you buy what appeals to you, as long as it is good-quality, colorfast cotton fabric that is treated with finishes to control shrinkage, resist soil, and resist wrinkling.

People of all ages are looking to make extra money. Whether you are planning to supplement your current income or looking to replace an income totally, consider using a hobby like embroidery to make some fast cash. Embroidered items are always popular with all types of shoppers, and you can easily begin an embroidery company with a low overhead for those short of start up funds.

When you decide to start a business based on selling embroidered products, you should first consider how you will make the items. Are you planning to purchase pre-made items like shirts, handbags, hats, blankets, or towels or do you plan to make the items yourself? If you plan to purchase items, do you have a source that will supply you with the correct amount you need in a variety of colors or styles? How do you plan to embroider the items? Do you plan to hand embroider the products or are you going to invest in an embroidery machine? If you plan on making many products for sale, consider using machine embroidery to save your fingers and your sanity.

Once you have identified what items you plan to make and sell, begin working on the business logistics of the plan. Where do you plan to sell your items? How are you going to advertise your goods and get the word out about your fabulous items? Many men and women who start embroidery businesses first start at craft shows. These shows are an excellent way to start your fledgling business, since the money needed to participate is generally low, and you are able to show your items to a great deal of people.

Look to the World Wide Web for selling your wares. Popular online auction sites like Ebay or Yahoo! Auctions are a great place to start, since you can create virtual storefronts while gaining access to the site’s customers. Owning your own internet business is very inexpensive and is a great choice for those who are just starting out or who do not have the resources to rent, buy, or run a traditional store of their own.

Finally, take the old fashioned route and sell your items in a traditional store. If you do not have the resources to open your own shop, ask local store owners about potentially using their space to sell your goods for a cut of the profits. Also, antique stores or shops that showcase goods from local crafters often allow individuals to rent a small space in their store instead of going out on their own.

Once upon a time every woman had the ability to sew. Not just because they enjoyed it; as a matter of fact,that had very little to do with it. Sewing was an vital necessity in the households of times gone by. Mothers,  in addition to their role as caretaker, cook, cleaner and nurse held the role of seamstress, making and mending clothes for the family and linens for the home. Sewing was a skill that was passed down from generation to generation. An essential ability of all up and coming women. Today, with a huge selection of retail stores at our fingertips, sewing is not something we have to do; but, rather, is something we choose to do. And many people choose to sew for a variety of reasons. Chances are, if you are someone who enjoys sewing than you have had many a sewing basket on hand over the years.

We may recall a sewing basket from the days of our grandparents; perhaps you remember one sitting by the feet of your grandmother as she sewed. The sewing basket has modified its look for modern times, taking on a variety of appearances to suit contemporary tastes. But regardless of how it looks, the sewing basket still fits the same purpose, to hold all the items required for sewing.

A sewing basket is a compact space that holds all the tools required for sewing such as needles, pins, thread, scissors, measuring tape, thimbles, and the like. For an organized person, a sewing basket is absolutely essential for a successful and enjoyable sewing experience. It ensures that all that you need is all in one place without you having to search  around to find it.

In order to find a sewing basket that fits your style head to your nearest fabric store or search online. There is such a huge variety of sewing baskets of all shapes, colors, styles, and prices. A sewing basket can also make a wonderful gift for a sewing enthusiast; fill a sewing basket with a variety of different colored thread, needles, and pins, it’s the perfect present for the crafty person in your life.

Has the machine embroidery bug bitten you yet? Do you want to get into machine embroidery, but just don’t know where to start? Do you wonder if the investment is worth it?

About four years ago, I purchased my first embroidery machine, and I have been hooked to the art ever since. I’ve slowly built a library of designs and I’ve learned how to hoop, stabilize, and choose the right thread!

I started by researching the vast array of embroidery machines available, many of which also do standard sewing. Machines are priced anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to many thousands. Search the Internet or go to your nearest fabric store for a demonstration! Choose a machine based upon how much embroidery you want to do and what your budget will allow.

To tell the truth, I felt weird about using machine embroidery at first. I wanted to be the designer and I didn’t want to depend upon someone else’s creativity to make my work look beautiful. Then, I discovered that I had lots of choices and I couldn’t resist the designs that are available. I found quilt embroideries that you can use to quilt blocks in the hoop and get better results than using free-motion or a long arm machine. I found all sorts of vintage looks in redwork, bluework, and even lace that you embroider right on a dissolvable stabilizer in the thread color that matches your project best. Of course there are many modern detailed designs in every theme from babies and kids to holidays and weddings.

Embroidery designs are “digitized” from artwork. While most sites sell artwork that can be picked up by many digitizers, some sites selling machine embroidery files such as SWAK Embroidery and You Can Make This also have designs from original hand-drawn art. This means that those designs can only be purchased from those sites and therefore, you won’t see them just anywhere.

One great thing about embroidery designs is that they have a color palette selected for you in advance, but you can also adjust the colors to your specifications by choosing from color families and tones. Filled designs are those made up of all embroidered stitches. Appliqué designs allow you to choose fun fabrics to add your own artistic expression to the finished product. If you make some cute cropped pants, but need a matching shirt, find an appliqué design for a tee shirt and use the fabric from the pants in the appliqué to add just the right matching touch.

Some designs are really versatile in that a change of thread color can make the design work for any occasion. Take a balloon design and use thread in your child’s favorite colors. Makes realistic looking oak leaves in any color-palette from spring yellows and greens to fall reds, browns, and oranges. Change the colors in a cute cheerleader design or collegiate alphabet to match your school colors. Even merge two designs or add lettering to a design to make it yours, using your embroidery machine or digitizing software.

Is it worth the investment? Definitely! What could be better than to be able to make a professional looking embroidery design either on ready-to-wear or hand sewn clothing, quilts, or other projects. Even create a business for yourself by creating embroidered items for others!

At one point or another in your sewing career, you have likely put together a cute little outfit for your son or daughter, only to have it a little tight in the chest, or the arms are just a tad short. A lot of that can be avoided if you know how to take the right measurements prior to making the garments.

You don’t want to needlessly spend your time and effort on something that isn’t done right. If you are too big, then at least you can bring in the seams and try to fix the garment. But, too short, and you use up a whole lot of fabric. This article will describe how to take the proper measurements for a child, so you can get them into the outfit you have sewn.

Measuring for height ? This is probably the simplest one to do, just as long as your child is not wearing shoes. Shoes can add between an inch and 2.5 inches to the height of the child, making your measurements way off. Have your child stand with their back straight against a wall. Measure from the bottom and back of the heel, to the crown of the head.

Chest ? You should measure for the chest around the largest part of the chest. Not when the chest is expanded, but at the part where you will get the greatest measurement around this area. It is most often right underneath the armpits.

Waist ? The natural waist is the best place to measure for kids, but figuring out the natural waist might be the toughest chore. This is usually the area about two to three inches above the top of the hipbone.

Hips ? This one is simple. We all know where the hips are, so we need to measure around the fullest part of the hips. Without an accurate measurement in this area, our kids might not be able to pull up their new trousers!

Arm? To get an accurate measurement of the arm, you need to first measure from the neckline to the tip of the shoulder bone (towards the arm). Make a note of this measurement. Then give the arm a slight bend, and without releasing the tape (from the original measurement), measure all of the way down to the wrist. Subtract the shoulder width from the overall measurement and you have your most accurate arm length measurement.

Trouser length ? You need to measure both the inseam and the outside of the leg in order to get a good measurement for the trouser length. The outside seam will be the overall length, and is the most important for the proper length. This is measured from the waist point to the length you wish the trouser leg to be.

The inseam is for the proper fit in the midsection and crotch area. To measure the inseam, you need to measure from the crotch area to the length you want the trouser leg.

Final tips and hints for measurements:

Don’t be afraid to err on the larger side. Unless you are trying to tailor something to fit perfectly then don’t worry. Also, kids are going to grow, so by making it 1/4″ bigger in one area isn’t going to hurt.

When measuring (especially for leg and arm length), you want to keep in mind the comfort of your children, over making it fit exactly.

When choosing a pattern for your child, match the height of your child first, then the chest, and finally waist and hip measurements.

If your child has measurements that fit between two pattern sizes, go with the larger pattern size.

With a firm idea of how to make proper measurements on your children, you can now go ahead and tailor that new blouse, or a great set of summer shorts!

I still can  recall the excitement of my first sewing course. Since then I have enjoyed gathering sewing tips and hints to save time and money.

Here are few tips and ideas that I would like to share with you:

1. Before discarding trousers, cut off the belt loops and use to sew on the inside of children’s coats and jackets for a coat loop. Fallen coats at school will be a thing of the past.

2. Before sewing on buttons, tape each one where it belongs with a piece of transparent tape. After the first stitches are made you can take off the tape.

3. To avoid pinholes when hemming delicate garments, mark the hemline with tailor’s chalk and use clips or pegs to hold the fold in place.

4. Prevent future errors in sewing by slipping a memo into individual patterns highlighting any size alterations or changes for that item.

5. Prevent fraying by strengthening the hems with a row of zigzag stitching in a matching or contrasting color.

6. Sew a big button on the ends of the drawstring on pajamas and sweat suits. This will keep the cord from disappearing.

7. Keep handy spool of clear nylon thread. As it is transparent it will pick up the color of the fabric. This will also work when a bobbin runs out; just put the clear thread on your bobbin.

8. Place a thin sheet of foam rubber under your sewing machine’s foot pedal to prevent it from sliding all over the place when you use it on an uncarpeted surface.

9. Store a magnet in your sewing box to attract loose pins and attach one to your sewing machine to hold extra needles. You can even glue a small magnet to the end of a wooden yardstick you won’t have to bend over to pick up any pins that fall on the floor.

10. Thoroughly washed and cleaned mascara brushes can be used to clean the nooks of your sewing machine.

11. When letting down a garment hem you can get rid of the crease by applying white vinegar to the wrong side of the fabric and steam press it.

12. Try this economical substitute for custom-cut table pads: Put a quilted mattress cover over your table top and trim with scissors for a custom fit. You’ll have a sturdy, heat-absorbent table pad to protect the finish of your table.

13. For a make shift needle threader: push the needle through a sheet of white paper, the eye will be easier to see.

14. When shopping for accessories for a recent sewing project, staple a small fabric sample to piece of card and carry it with you to the stores.

15. To organize loose buttons: String them on wire twist ties and twist the ends together for an easy way to store them.

The sewing machine has been around for two hundred years or more now and is still as popular today. Most families have a sewing machine, whether it’s ornamental or for taking care of those sewing tasks.

The sewing machine was invented to help secure fabric together using thread in order to make clothes. To create stitches, which are used to join pieces of fabric together, these machines take two threads and join them together within the machine and push them through the fabric.

There are so many different model sewing machines available today and many of these can create a great variety of plain and patterned stitches that include cross stitch, chain stitch, and zig zag stitching. Regular sewing machines use a lockstitch. This stitch is created by using two threads. Older model sewing machines may have used chain stitches and sergers.

There are absolutely hundreds of models of sewing machines and they all vary hugely in both price and performance. The more expensive models are “hi-tech” electronic machines that are also computerized. Even with all this technology however, these machines still work on one main principle, and that ’s the loop stitching system.

Sewing machines comprise of a number of  components and these include the electric motor, the spool holder, the tension disc, the drive wheel, the bobbin holder, the needle, and the foot pedal. Of course these are only the basic parts, there are many more. The motor on sewing machines is controlled by the foot pedal which lets the user vary the speed they require when sewing.

Sewing machines do take some practice and patience especially when it comes to threading your machine. Perseverance does have its rewards and in no time you could be mastering the art of sewing and creating your own clothing and masterpieces.

When I first learned to embroider, I used a needle and embroidery floss. I learned to do counted cross stitch and to follow the pattern printed on a piece of fabric.

If you walk into a needlepoint area of a craft store now, most of what you see is counted cross stitch. You won’t find many patterns calling for a satin stitch or French knot. If you want something more detailed than you can get with a counted cross stitch kit, you are severely limited to what you can find for patterns.

When embroidery machines came out, at first they were too expensive for a hobbyist to own. Businesses had them and would sell either pre-embroidered items or they would embroider items to order. With the cost of the machines going down, now you can buy an embroidery machine for home use. Though chances are, you’ll want to sell the results of your work. With these machines, you are only limited by your imagination. You can get results similar to what you would buy in the store, ‘Grandma shirts’ with your children’s or grandchildren’s names, a blanket with flowers or other design and your wedding date, or the date of your child’s birth. Or maybe you want your company’s logo on a cap or shirt pocket. Maybe you want a bag with an embroidered dog or cat, a pumpkin for Halloween, a bunny for Easter or a Christmas Tree for Christmas. You can embroider a tablecloth and napkins to surprise someone for a wedding or anniversary.

With an embroidery machine, you get to see the pattern take shape before your eyes. Seeing it go from a clipart picture to a file on a computer to an result that you can touch is thrilling. Watching your pattern form as quickly as a machine will embroider is truly rewarding. It won’t take days or even weeks to get the results that you have planned. You can get your project done in minutes to hours depending on how much there is to the pattern and how many items you are doing.

With an embroidery machine, you get to choose what you want to embroider. If you can’t find the digital file for it either online or in a store, you can have the file specially made for you or you can digitize your own embroidery pattern.

Even with the steep learning curve, the challenge of digitizing your own embroidery pattern can be as addictive as watching your embroidery take shape. Knowing that you made a project from start to finish will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment. All you need is a plan for what you are wanting to do, and an embroidery machine to start you off in the right direction.

Today’s youngsters are excited about the hobby of sewing. Sewing has caught on with children of all ages and even excites those in their late teens.

Sewing is now considered a great hobby, fashion-minded folks are designing and also making their own clothing on a regular basis.

Driven by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and P. Diddy and other famous people, young people are adamant about dressing themselves like the people they look up to.

It doesn’t just stop there though. Many go a step further and take a shot at designing their own creations for the market as professionals. This can evolve into a profitable career in the fashion industry.

As a result of all of this sewing awareness and creativity, sewing and stitching classes are very popular these days. This allows enthusiastic individuals who enjoy sewing as a hobby to turn their needlework and pattern creation into a profitable business.

Creating different patterns and sewing individualized hand bags are just some the items that are in demand. You can also transform left over scraps of cloth into unique gifts and one of a kind items for friends or family, especially for Christmas presents.

Being able to sew and wear clothing items as wearable art, makes sewing fun and can also turn into a profitable hobby.  For those with passion and dedication you can decide to treat it as a business and make yourself a lucrative income.