In applique, fabric pieces are folded and tucked at the edges to create desired shapes, traditionally hand stitched onto a base fabric, today often machine stitched in place. Applique has many uses, to strengthen worn clothing, patch obvious holes and tears or simply beautiful ornamentation.

Sewers use the terms pile or napped interchangeably when referring to fabrics with a raised soft surface simply as having a nap. A piled or napped fabric looks darker or lighter depending on how it is viewed and is said to be directional. The rich surface texture needs a few sewing considerations.

The mellowed appearance of a warm light tint of tea applied to unadorned fabric gives hand crafted sewn toys, bread basket liners, kitchen linen towels, lace trims, fabric roses and more a gently aged, vintage appearance. Tea dying fabric is a straight forward process easy for anyone to accomplish.

Before there were ready made, easy-to-use store-bought dye pigments, natural dyes were the only way to apply color to fabrics and clothing. Historically, colorants were obtained from roots, nuts, bark, shells, insects, some minerals, fruits, vegetables and flowers. Dye fabric using nature's gifts!

Sewing artifacts gathered from times past reveal that sewing tools such as steel needles, pins and elaborate pincushions were included in a bridal hope chest. Their value for a young woman dreaming of marriage and starting a home were included with hand embroidered items and other heirloom pieces.

Whether designing for chic and feminine, artsy, beachy, bohemian, eclectic or simply good vibes, a few fabric remnants and a little sewing time can change a utilitarian dorm room into a student’s relaxing happy place during the upcoming semesters.

All it takes is a little fabric and very little sewing time to create a basic layette for a new baby. Sewing patterns for baby garments have simple lines to follow with just a few seams and sewing considerations. There are also substantial cost savings to sewing baby's first months of clothing.

Just as winter gives up its chilly grip and fades into the first hints of warm breezes and tentative new growths of spring, so too can simple changes in the fabric colors and patterns that cover our cushy decorative pillows promote the new season’s sensibilities.

Thread is thread, right? Practically any continuous spun twisted thin filament can be used as thread when needed. Since thread, of whatever kind, literally holds everything together it is important to try and match the sewing thread to the specific sewing project.

Whether fashioning fabric alphabet letters as a nursery wall decoration, or as fanciful throw pillows for a child’s or teen’s bedroom, or even as living room decorative pillows, there is something delightful and whimsical about seeing the A, B, C’s crafted in an colossal size.