2025 – The Daily Sew
Learn, Life| The Daily Sew
I’ve been sewing for 40 + years, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. Years of mistakes, successes, and detours taught me not only techniques but also how to approach projects, how to spot and dea…| The Daily Sew
Once in awhile, someone will ask me a sewing question and sometimes I get to turn their question into a blog post. Such is the case with Rosemary’s question. Rosemary asked how to shorten a d…| The Daily Sew
I am distractible by nature. Everything seems to get my attention which really means I’m not putting my attention where I need to. This was happening with my sewing too. I never knew what to …| The Daily Sew
I like this skirt from Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2014 collection. It’s the pocket I like the most. Now, I cannot afford this skirt but I really like it. I do have this Burda pattern. The ski…| The Daily Sew
Sewing is a creative process, yet recently it has felt boring and chore-like. It has become a bit stale, and I realized these feelings in me when I actually considered ditching garment sewing for q…| The Daily Sew
You don’t have to store your possessions in plastic shopping bags just because you’re living out of a suitcase. You can bring those nice little touches of home on the road with you, wit…| The Daily Sew
When I was writing about the different types of decorative patches I thought of Alabama Chanin’s embellished knitwear. I know, I know; they aren’t patches, their applique so I didn̵…| The Daily Sew
I use to cringe whenever one of my children earned another scout badge. Ug, sewing those tough little things onto a sash was bad enough, but sewing them onto the chest pocket was the worse. Other m…| The Daily Sew
Me-Made-May is a month long, set your own level, challenge for people to wear their self-made clothing. My Me-Made-May ’17 challenge was to wear one me-made item every day and to mend/alter e…| The Daily Sew
Turning jeans into skirts isn’t a new idea and was certainly never my idea. When I was growing up everything was DIY and clothes weren’t as cheap as they are today so there was a lot o…| The Daily Sew
Forget googling it. It’s right here. A list long enough to keep you looking busy for hours. disclaimer: I have not bought or tried patterns from all of these companies so I can not vouch for …| The Daily Sew
Most patterns (in America) have seam allowance included. The outline you see is the cutting line and the seam allowance is not marked on the pattern. Somewhere in the instructions the size of the s…| The Daily Sew
Sometimes you need some help. And sometimes you just need some temporary help. Help to hold things together until they get the final approval (fitting). Or help to hold things together perfectly li…| The Daily Sew
These necklaces appeared in a half-awake, half-asleep dream one recent Saturday and on the following Monday, I saw them on someone else’s Instagram feed. You can say great minds think alike o…| The Daily Sew
There was a time I would wear whatever I made even if fabric puddled up on the garment in some places or it was too tight in others. I made it, I was going to wear it. The same went for ready to we…| The Daily Sew
It would be nice, or at least a lot simpler, if the way to hem pants was the same for every type of pant. Of course it isn’t, and the technique isn’t even the same for the same pants if…| The Daily Sew
This post is all about how to move the shoulder seam forward because when a shoulder seam is too far back, even just a little, it’s uncomfortable and creates draglines that nobody wants. Moving the seam line forward to match your shoulder is going to give you a better and more comfortable fit. This video […] Read more...| The Daily Sew
This post is about how to relocate a bust dart, but this method works to relocate a waist dart as well. Darts on patterns are all too often not placed where you need them. And when this happens the…| The Daily Sew
It’s true that little things make a difference. Hidden details in our self-made clothing, like linings, special seam allowance finishes, and strap guards, take a garment from fine to special. Lingerie strap guards allow you to move freely without your bra straps peeking or slipping out. And I realize some people don’t care about this, […] Read more...| The Daily Sew
This post is one in a series about getting a better fit from your patterns through simple pattern adjustments. The Small Bust Adjustment, aka SBA, is needed when the garment is too loose across the…| The Daily Sew
This post is one in a series about getting a better fit from your patterns through simple pattern adjustments. The Full Bust Adjustment, aka FBA, is one of the most common adjustments women need to…| The Daily Sew
It is said that 25% of your sewing time (or more) should be spent on fitting. Well, let’s keep it to 25% and no more by starting with the size that will give you fewer problems, checking the fit an…| The Daily Sew
How do you feel about wearable muslins? It’s a thing in the sewing community to make your first attempt of a garment in a slightly, what? cheaper? less-liked? fabric in case it doesn’t …| The Daily Sew
I’m very grateful to have a space in the house I can leave my machines up and ready, that I can dedicate entire pieces of furniture to storing sewing notions and patterns, and that I can call…| The Daily Sew
We all want to look good. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, if you’re in a satisfying relationship or looking to date, if you are social or shy. If you won the genetic lottery…| The Daily Sew
And that’s my pledge this year. I’m done with sewing clothes that don’t work for me. And buying patterns when I own more unused patterns than used patterns. It’s time…| The Daily Sew
My introduction to Michelle was online, through Stasia’s Style School alumni Facebook group. She was all color; bold, graphic, fun color. It was admiration at first sight. I enjoyed getting to know…| The Daily Sew
Earlier this week my local quilt shop hosted a charity sewing event. I think it was the highlight of my week. It wasn’t that it was a morning sewing with others in a fabric store, no l…| The Daily Sew
What kind of paper should you use for pattern making and altering patterns? Well, technically, any kind of paper would work but different types of paper have different qualities and some papers are…| The Daily Sew
Invisible zippers, also known as Concealed zippers, are just that: so concealed once they are sewn into a garment that they appear to be invisible. Unlike other zippers, there is no outside stitchi…| The Daily Sew
Where your dress or skirt falls on your legs impacts your overall look. Even just a couple inches longer or shorter can change the entire an outfit from off to great. Since most of us benefit from …| The Daily Sew
Finding a hole in your sweater doesn’t mean the end of your sweater. Taking just a few minutes to mend that hole will let you continue to wear your sweater for years to come. Those few minutes will…| The Daily Sew
Sewing on a button. My dad might say, “There’s a right way and a wrong way” but really, if you got that button reattached, with thread, then you succeeded. You “sewed”…| The Daily Sew
There are a lot of steps to sewing a garment and one of the biggest steps is choosing fabric for your garment. It’s a big step because the type of fabric you choose to use is critical to the look o…| The Daily Sew
It’s June and Me-Made-May is done. MMM, as it’s frequently referred to, is a popular “challenge” among those who make (sewn, knit, crocheted) wearable items. The basic premi…| The Daily Sew
Suddenly I am alone. Not the kind of alone I chose or even anticipated but the shocking, sudden abandonment that came out of the blue and has left me dazed and a little confused. No, my family and …| The Daily Sew
There are times when you need to sew quite a ways in from the edge of the fabric. Further in than any seam guide marked on your machine. How do you know where to line your fabric edge at to sew 1.5…| The Daily Sew
I have friends who keep their sewing machines in a closet and it’s not because they don’t want to sew. They do. It’s just that sewing on their machines can be frustrating. They wo…| The Daily Sew
There are many, many times when you will need to fold over and press up a certain width of fabric. You may be pressing up a hem, pressing over fabric for a casing or pressing in the raw edges of a …| The Daily Sew
Let’s simplify our lives and have one go-to stitch for sewing seams and repairing. That will be the back stitch. Once you master the back stitch your life will be ever so simplified ;-) But s…| The Daily Sew
As much as my sewing machine (it’s more like a computer with a needle) can do, there are situations and techniques that require a hand stitch. This video will show you how to stitch three bas…| The Daily Sew
Little holes appear in my knit tops too frequently and I want to be able to patch the holes without the mend being obvious. I know how to patch woven garments so the repair is almost invisibl…| The Daily Sew
Question via email: I have a pair of stretch denim jeans made up of 98% cotton and 2% spandex. The holes and wear are in the crotch. Please advise. My answer: Hello,This is a tricky area to patch j…| The Daily Sew
The stay stitch, the understitch, and the basting stitch are techniques you will come across frequently when sewing garments. This short video will explain what, why, and how of all three. Or read …| The Daily Sew
What can I say that you don’t already know about making a pair of shorts from your jeans? Well, I think I can help with a few pointers and tips. Like how to cut so you remain covered, how to mimic …| The Daily Sew
People say, “I can’t even sew on a button.” to mean they don’t know how to sew at all as if sewing on a button is the easiest thing in the world. And, yeah, it might not be hard to sew on a button …| The Daily Sew
Because I rarely attend dress-up functions I don’t want to spend weeks sewing something I’ll only wear a little (unless, I really want to make that particular item, or it’s a very special occasion)…| The Daily Sew
You’re excited to sew. You know it’s going to be great when you’re done. People are going to stop you and ask where you got it. You smile and reply “I made it”. You c…| The Daily Sew
When you think bandana you probably think of a black and white printed paisley design with a border. Classic choice. But bandanas come in all sorts of fabric designs and as far as projects go, they…| The Daily Sew
This simple drawstring backpack is similar to the type companies give away as a promotional gift. The swag versions are usually made from a nonwoven fabric with a silkscreened name or logo, big eye…| The Daily Sew
Backpacks don’t last forever but they can last longer with your help. It’s easier than you might think to replace a buckle, attach a zipper, or replace it, mend a rip, and patch a hole. Three…| The Daily Sew
Sometimes it seems sewing machines can start acting up out of the blue. It’s sewing fine, and then it isn’t. Ug! There is a magic trick to fixing 90% of your sewing machine troubles, an…| The Daily Sew
This post has affiliate links to products that I use and always recommend. You can buy them from anywhere but if you buy through the link (and Amazon) I receive a tiny percent back from that mega-r…| The Daily Sew
Hemming men’s trousers was my first side hustle. It’s a pretty common task and one you can do with professional results even if you don’t have much sewing experience. You just need to follow a coup…| The Daily Sew
Note that while this post is about taking in a lined, sleeveless dress along the side seams there are some basic tips for altering any garment included, mostly in the first two sections. Do I Keep …| The Daily Sew
In this post I’m going to show you how to sew stripes around the sleeve of a cardigan. Of course, this method can also be used on shirts, pullovers, and jackets. What it involves: Hand Sewing…| The Daily Sew
Also referred to as a “modern silhouette” (who made that up?) the boxy woven top is now ubiquitous on every sewing and sewing pattern site. As great as they are sometimes they need to b…| The Daily Sew
There is nothing wrong with Liesl + Co’s Cappucino Tunic pattern. It’s cute. It’s easy to sew. The instructions are clear. However, there is something wrong with my Cappucc…| The Daily Sew
Written by Mary Making a throw pillow with a zipper closure isn’t as hard as you may think. With a few simple seams (in fact, you could sew this pillow cover entirely by hand if you want), a couple…| The Daily Sew
How do you finish the top of a zipper? If you’re following a pattern there will be instructions but if you’re without a set of instructions or you just need some further clarification, …| The Daily Sew
Topstitching by its very nature is suppose to be seen. Whether for construction or decoration, wobbly or straight it’s on display. And you would think it’s easy to sew a straight line of stitches, …| The Daily Sew
Did you know you can easily shorten a nylon zipper? No special tools required (unlike shortening a metal zipper). And to be clear, a nylon zipper is a zipper with nylon zipper teeth; not metal teet…| The Daily Sew
A zipper sewn in by hand is a beautiful thing. Sometimes it’s a necessary thing too. But never is it daunting or frustrating. I’ll put in a zipper by hand especially if it’s a cen…| The Daily Sew
With just half a yard of Halloween-themed fabric and an hour or less of your time, your little goblin or princess will have a treat bag they can use for years to come and unlike the classic plastic…| The Daily Sew
Let me just be upfront: making a dog bed, especially a large dog bed, is not a cost-saving project. Instead, it’s a project for getting exactly what you want, whether that’s a particular size…| The Daily Sew
Costume time! In the last post, I showed how to make a hood that you could attach ears or horns to and now it’s time to make the wings or a cape – because we all need a cape sometimes. This i…| The Daily Sew
This post has affiliate links to products that I use and always recommend. You can buy them from anywhere but if you buy through the link (and Amazon) I receive a tiny percent back from that mega-r…| The Daily Sew
It took me a long time to switch over to pattern weights from pins – not just because I really liked my scissors but also because I didn’t want to pay for pattern weights. They didnR…| The Daily Sew
A wise woman once told me, when we dress for bed we dress for ourselves. I never thought of it like that. We’re not dressing for others. There is no dress code written or implied, or even soc…| The Daily Sew
