3/31/12: How to Find Both Ends to a Skein of Yarn -- Video Tutorial

Two video tutorials in two days! My goodness!

Earlier this week I sent in a knitting tip video to AllFreeKnitting.com and they accepted it! The tip is how to find both ends to a skein of yarn--something I struggled with when I was beginning in knitting, back in the summer of 2005. Finding that "center pull" is not an easy thing to accomplish but when I learned the tip (from what source. . . I can't remember!), I was able to start knitting that much sooner.

So here is the link:

http://www.allfreeknitting.com/video-basics/how-to-find-both-ends-of-a-skein/ct/1

And AllFreeKnitting was nice enough to allow me to upload the same video to my YouTube channel. So you can view the same tip here.

While you're there, you can subscribe to my channel so you can always be the first to see when a new video goes up!

3/30/12: How to Make Quilted Potholders -- Video Tutorial

Last year in May I fell head over heals over this cute pair of potholders Melanie Foster, (from the MJCollection) made:

Such a simple statement can mean so much!

"Hearted" these so much that I made my own a couple weeks ago:

A little bit easier text but they still retain that bold and influential line about baking. . . Or eating. Whichever!

And just because I "hearted" this project so much, I decided to show everybody how to make these--with permission from Melanie Foster, of course. I sent a video tutorial to FaveCrafts.com and they have published it today!

Click here to go and see it! The people at FaveCrafts were also nice enough to allow me to upload the same video series on my YouTube channel. You can view it here. While you're there, you can subscribe to my channel and be the first to see new videos.

And send me an email with photos of your finished potholders -- I would love to see them.

1/20/12: Tutorial -- How to Insert an Invisible Zipper without an Invisible Zipper Foot

A few years ago zippers were one of those mini sewing annoyances. In case you don't know, mini sewing annoyances are those necessary steps in sewing we all have to do but wish we didn't. (e.g. Basting, easing in a sleeve, pattern alterations, ironing a mile and a half of yardage. . .)

But over the past two or three years they have, for me, been turning into a diamond in the rough. I've been having more one-on-one time with them lately because of the manyzippers I have to replace and I am learning more about them every time we sit down together.

So invisible zippers entered the picture a couple days ago. Catherine came to me with a twill skirt of hers (from Chadwicks), and said that the zipper needed help. Ever since she got it the zipper has been a problem due to the fact that it wasn't inserted smoothly. It appears that the zipper tape shifted during the sewing process and created a “blind curve” so to speak.

So she gave it to me to take a look at and as soon as I spotted the fraying zipper tape—which was caused by repeated abrasion by the slider going over the “blind curve”--I knew it had to be replaced. “Great,” I thought, “An invisible zipper.” To this date, I have never correctly inserted one of these; by my standards anyway. But because zippers, both separating and closed end, have been showing me their good side recently, I thought invisible deserved my full attention.

One big problem. I don't have an invisible zipper foot. Now how would I do this job? Since I really wanted to get this skirt repaired now I went and did some internet searching. It turns out that invisible zipper feet aren't as simple as I thought they are. They come in different sizes. Different sizes? Yes. It is because invisible zippers themselves differ from company to company, so a Coats and Clark would be different from, let's say, Talon or YKK.

OK, right around then I felt like I must find a way to do this without a specialty foot. You can say that I was kind of impatient but really the fact is I'm cheap when it comes to sewing machine add-ons. I like to do with what I have and buy when it is absolutely necessary.

So I searched and searched some more and I found a nugget of info by way of Kay Whitt from Serendipity Patterns. She wrote a blog tutorial on how to insert an invisible zipper and guess what? She used her regular zipper foot. And as I soon discovered for myself: it works like a charm.

Read more »

5/14/11: Tutorial -- How to Easily Remove Serger Stitches

I suppose I can call myself a pro when it comes to removing seams but when I began serging in 2008, I had a problem. I was good at making mistakes while serging but I wasn't good at removing the stitches and starting afresh! Along came some research and today I have an easy method (which was derived from different sources), that can take away the frustration and hassle that comes with removing serger stitches. 

Read more »

3/09/11: Tutorial -- Sewing an Inseam Pocket + Pattern

Every sewing project I choose to do I ask myself at the very beginning: "What can I add to make it special?" A lot of the time I choose a different hemming or seaming technique, but I've come to realize that I like my pockets, especially inseam pockets. Inseam pockets are pockets that are sewn along the side seams of the garment and are almost completely invisible. I've added this type of pocket to a princess seamed dress, two skirts, and four pairs of pants.

Since I've used this type of pocket so many times I thought it would be a good choice for my second sewing tutorial. Hope you enjoy!

Read more »

3/05/11: Tutorial -- Threading a Needle

Presenting St. Gemma's Art and Needlework's First Ever Tutorial. Ahem. This is a momentous occasion for sure but I think a speech isn't necessary for a number of reasons. So without further ado, I will show you how to thread a needle. It may be true that it is the basic of basics when it comes to sewing. However, I'm sure the newbies out there would benefit and novices might pick up one or two things they hadn't heard before. So keep an open mind those who have been sewing since the age of five! :)

Read more »

3/04/11: Something New

Something new has arrived this week and it actually helped me with my last post about the satin pajamas. I'm talking about a new digital camera! I finally have one. Yay!

I've been waiting for awhile to get one for myself and have been a busy little bee today working on a top secret project with it. Nah, not really, for the secret will be made public this weekend. Make sure you come on back and see what it is. ;)

2/21/11: How-To's and Tutorials I Love

Just like people who adore that one knitting dictionary or that one sewing how-to book, I am an avid fan of internet tutorials. Be it done in video format or written out with big, bright photos. Oh, I do like to look up my many questions in books I own (such as The Quilter's Companion. . . That is one indispensable book of mine), but I am continually awed by the many wonderful people who take time out to produce amazing step-by-step demonstrations on their blogs, YouTube channels, and/or sharing sites.
Read more »