Learning how to sew darts in fabric is an essential sewing skill no matter whether you want to sew clothing or bags. Darts are much more commonly sewn in clothing to mould the fabric to the curves of the body, but darts can also be very useful in bag-making, to turn flat cloth into a shape with volume to give space inside your bag. In this article I’ll share with you my easy tips for…
A magnetic snap is one of the most commonly used pieces of purse hardware and is usually used as a closure at the top of a bag, purse or tote, or to secure a fold-over flap to the front of the bag. The magnetic snap or sometimes called magnetic button closure is my favorite type of bag hardware because they are affordable, easy to find, and easy to install. One of my soon-to-be-released purse patterns…
I’ve been wanting to make this style of flat zipper pouch for such a long time, but it’s taken me a while to get this sewing pattern just right. The first time I tried to create what I had in my mind, it was so complicated to sew and so fiddly, that I almost gave up. But after several revisions and a different construction method, I eventually made it a lot easier to sew and…
This is a quick step by step photo tutorial today on how to join straight binding strips when you need a piece longer than the width of your fabric. If using quilting cotton, which is probably most likely, our usable fabric width will be 42-44 inches but even for quite small projects, you will often need to join two or more binding strips to get the complete length you need. If you simply sew the…
One of the really valuable things to do when sewing bags is to become familiar with different interfacing and stabilizers, so you can make your own informed personal choices about which would work best when sewing a bag. I love to use fusible woven interfacing on almost all of my projects, well probably all of my projects, so here I am comparing different brands of fusible woven interfacing to see how they differ. There is…
Does your machine come with an automatic needle threader? Sounds like a great idea right, until you realise that it can actually be a little tricky to use it. The secret to threading first time, every time, is to fully understand how the automatic needle threader works so you work with it to catch the thread. I’ll do my best to show you in the video below. I carried on trying to get a photo…
Have you grabbed your copy of the sewing practice sheets yet? This 7-page printable document is perfect for those learning to sew or refreshing sewing skills that might be a bit rusty. The pages can help you become comfortable and proficient with using your sewing machine and changing the settings. There are pages for practice in sewing straight lines, sewing with the zig-zag stitch, turning corners and sewing curves. It’s one of the first things…
Anyone need to learn how to sew a zipper bag? Then I have the perfect easy zipper pouch pattern and video class for you. Introducing the Malvern Zipper Pouch. Malvern is a set of 4 different sized zipper bags with an easy-sew construction method. The Malvern Zipper Pouch is a simple sew, doesn’t need many materials and will be your go-to zipper bag to sew. Use it as a phone pouch, a clutch bag, a…
The invisible ladder stitch is an essential hand sewing stitch to learn for bag makers. This is a simple stitch to learn and master once you’ve practised it a few times, and you can get into an easy rhythm with it. This hand sewing stitch is perfect for closing the gap left in the bottom of your lining or pocket without it even being visible when you’ve finished – hence it being called ‘invisible’. Why…
At last I’m delighted to bring you the first new sewing pattern on my site. Introducing the Bampton Drawstring Bag pattern. This cute drawstring bag is perfect for beginners and those new to sewing, kids or returning to sewing after a long break. These bags are perfect for so many uses. Since I just finished mine, already they are in use and I could do with more! I think I’ll get to work on some…
