Basic Hemming

Hems! What are they good for? Absolutely most things!

I'm pretty sure those are the actual lyrics of the song. No? OK they aren't. But hems are great, not just for garments, but for just about anything that isn't being turned out.

You probably know how to do a basic hem, but in case you want to see pictures and don't want to use bias binding, here's how you can add one so your edges don't unravel.

Pincushion Tutorial

I've been wanting a new pincushion for a while, and I realized I could repurpose a jar very easily to suit my needs. So here's a simple, 10-minute craft that requires no sewing whatsoever, but yields one very cute pincushion!

Supplies:

• one 4 oz wide-mouth canning jar
• 5"-6" diameter circular piece of fabric
• polyester fiberfill

Dressform WIP

Last week, I ordered a Dritz dressform and a Fabulous Fit foam package. I've attempted a few times to size her up properly, and each time there is the smallest improvement. This is her in her current glory:

She's wearing one of my tightest fitting dresses to test out her shape. So far, I am not satisfied, but it's getting better.

Finish with Bias Binding

Back in February, I made this lace and knit top, which turned out really well. I used bias tape to finish the neck opening, sleeves, and hem, but took a bunch of photos during the process, so I could turn it into a tutorial eventually.

Bias tape is, as the name suggests, cut on the bias, which gives it that tiny bit of stretch. (Last year when I started this blag, I wrote briefly about bias.) That stretchiness allows bias tape to bend to different curves in sewing, which makes it ideal for finishing all sorts of edges.

Da Roma!

I haven't had time to sew in the last couple of weeks, because one week, we were getting ready to go to Rome, and then the following week, we were in Rome! We had a fantastic trip, mostly in Rome with one daytrip to Pompeii, celebrating all sorts of birthdays.

But of course, what trip could I take without buying some fabric? After all, we were in Italy. I managed to hit two negozi di tessuti, and came back with a fairly restrained number: only three cuts of silk.