Just what do fabric stabilizers do? A mainstay for all machine embroidery and mostly invisible in the construction of clothing fabric stabilizers provide the underlying support for many fabrics during the stitching process.

From early spring through the start of fall, when the weather is warm and flowers abound, joyous wedding celebrations seem to happen every weekend. Although so many details need to be considered a few simple wedding accessories to sew bring a unique personal touch to this happiest of times.

Inspired DIY gifts from the heart can be crafted year-round for holidays and celebrations that can become treasured remembrances for the recipients. Gifts can be made quickly and easily with a few fabric leftovers, bits of lace and ribbons for embellishment and of course, creative imagination.

RFID blocking fabric can prevent what is essentially silent and devious electronic pickpocketing. Wallets, purses, and totes can be lined with this fabric rather than the pragmatic but unappealing use of aluminum foil to become a signal blocking container. RFID fabric used as lining is easy to sew.

Not long ago, fabric selvages were considered unusable scraps and landed in the waste basket. Now, the once lowly fabric edges have renewed life. Lengths of various selvages can be stitched together along their long edges to form their own sturdy fabric yardage and sewn into functional items.

Modern commercial sewing patterns are a marvel of precision and engineering. A blueprint for sewers with a wealth of information, standardized markings and symbols and specific written details on how to construct the item step by step. Pattern companies endeavor to decode all their sewing details.

Don’t throw fabric selvedges away! Put those narrow strips of fabric edges to good use instead. Selvedges or selvages (self-edges) are the long factory finished side edges of woven fabric generally less than a half-inch wide. Selvedge edges do not fray or unravel and can be used to make many items.

Fabric trimmed handmade cards are easy to make from leftover scraps and plain cardstock for a uniquely personal holiday or special occasion greeting. Personalized cards can be created in little time and effort. They are sure to be endearingly impressive to the recipient.

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.

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.