The most traditional way to sew a dart in a garment is to begin stitching at the wide seam end of the dart, stitch to the narrow point, backstitch a few stitches to secure, cut the threads and tie off in a double knot to secure. What if stitching were to occur starting from the opposite end?

Some times achieving eye-catching topstitching seems to require artificial intelligence, a machine of magical capabilities, and a juxtaposition of the best thread, sewing machine needle, an otherworldly presser foot and forgiving fabric. It can be done, not by wishing but by knowledge and technique!

The timeless expression - practice makes perfect, is never truer than when applying a machine-made buttonhole to a carefully sewn garment. The best way to ensure a machine-made buttonhole comes out the way it is expected to look is to make a test buttonhole using a fabric scrap from the project.

Despite our best efforts at coaxing our sewing machines to produce a secure, uniform interlocked stitch, frustrating difficulties are inevitable along the way. This highly functional multiple component machine must have everything working in synchronous harmony to produce thousands of even stitches.

We can think of upcycling an item as changing or modernizing it to increase its value and recycling it when we reuse an item to reduce waste. At times the distinction between the use of the words upcycle and recycle is indistinct in common usage.

What can be made with just one yard of fabric? Plenty! Think throw pillows for the couch, chair or bed, squares of fabric hemmed on all edges to softly drape over kitchen countertop appliances, or even a simple table or dresser scarf are just a few projects to consider and of course so much more.

Prims, whimsically shortened from the word primitive, are handmade crafts that are anything but. Prim crafts mostly use natural materials such as berries, twigs, pine, and other woods as well as fabrics in muted tones of red, rust, gold, and brown.

When the only sewing space available is a corner of a room or a tiny closet or even open space under a stairwell then how to accommodate what may be an exponentially growing fabric stash, numerous sewing notions, of course a sewing machine and more? It all becomes a challenge of organization.

Summer weather is a time to think of being outdoors. Whether planning a dreamy picnic for two, a riotous family picnic, attending a company or school picnic - everyone loves picnics as they are truly a celebration of summer. Some picnic items to sew might come in handy.

Using old bed sheets that have drifted to the linen closet bottom or finding thrifted ones to recycle into a variety of needed items is an economical alternative to purchasing new fabric yardage. They can be made into braided rag rugs, pillow cases, fitted crib sheets, duvet covers and so much more.