5 Common Mistakes that Sewing Beginners Make & the Easy Ways You Can Avoid Them

Sewing is such a fun and creative hobby to learn. The variety of projects you can make are practically endless and can be as small or as grandiose as you are willing to put your time, effort and imagination into.

Like any new skill, learning to sew will be full of small wins, proud smiles and a more than a few moans of frustration. Remember this though: Nobody nails anything the first time they try it. Learning to sew is no exception.

BUT how do you get better at anything if not through practice, experimentation and learning from mistakes?!? The best way to get better at sewing is to keep trying. Like that old saying “If you fall off the horse, get back on”. Don’t let the mistakes dishearten you and stop you from improving. If you’re still unsure whether it’s worth learning to sew, take a look HERE at why sewing is so good for you.

There are plenty of websites out there listing gazillions of mistakes that sewing newbies make. You may even have come across some of those sites already. You might recognise that you have made some of those mistakes too.

I have seen so many mistakes made be sewing beginners that don’t even make it onto these other lists. And I want to help you avoid the frustration of making those mistakes too.

How do I even know that these things are “mistakes”? Well, just between you and I, *wink wink* perhaps, just maybe, I might have made some of them too.

Most sewing mistakes- we won’t call them a “sewing fail”- can be all too easy to make. BUT they are also avoidable with a bit of know-how and paying careful attention (i.e., not being too tired when try to nail that outfit at the last minute!).

Are you ready to learn how to avoid making 5 big sewing mistakes, stop feeling so exasperated, and improve your sewing experience? I’m here to help you! Read on…

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The Simple Way to Sew a T-Shirt Neckline

Whether you are new to sewing or not, getting creative with your sewing projects is one of the awesome things about sewing. YOU get to decide the colour of the fabrics you use. YOU get to decide what embellishments you can make. And sometimes, YOU get to decide which technique you want to use for a particular step.

For instance, T-shirt necklines. There are a number of fabric options you could choose, a variety of different stitches you could use, and even a number of ways to sew the neckline together.

I am going to make it really easy for you and show you the simplest, cheapest way to sew a T-shirt neckline using supplies you almost surely already have in your fabric stash.

This sewing tutorial will walk you step-by-step through the whole “How do I sew a professional looking T-shirt neckline?” process- accompanied by loads of photos!

Let’s do this!

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33 Mega Funny Jokes for Kids That Will Make Them Laugh Out Loud

Who DOESN’T love to have a good laugh? NO-ONE, right?!?

After this past year we’ve experienced, it’s as good a time as any to put on your silly hat, sit down with the kids and share a belly-aching, laugh-out-loud session together.

Sharing jokes with your kids is a great way to spend time fun together as a family. It also gives children a chance to improve their reading and story-telling skills, encourage word-play and of course , cheer themselves up when they’re feeling down.

I’ve put together 33 thoroughly hilarious jokes guaranteed to make your kids crack up and give you a giggle too.

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37 Simple Ways for Busy Moms to Practice Self Care

Valentine’s Day. All over social media there’s love in the air and chatter about what nice things we can should do (and buy!) for the people that we love. But behind all the lovey-dovey talk, there’s a very important person we keep forgetting about.

Ourself.

The mothers of the world work so hard to care for their families 24/7 yet all too often forget to plan in anything nice for themselves. Even just to take a breather.

Quite a while back I touched on why moms should take a time out. It’s definitely time for a recap and to fill you in a little more about practicing self care.

But wait! Isn’t self care really just being selfish?!?

In case you’re a little unsure, keep reading to find out about what self care means, why it is so important- yes, YOU TOO should be practicing self care- and a list of simple, yet beneficial, ways you too can take a time out to care for yourself.

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Cheap & Easy Awesome Activities to Stop Kids Saying They’re Bored

I’ve been hearing from a lot of fellow mums lately, about how hard it is to keep their kids busy and entertained these days. I hear you. (I am one of them trust me! 😉)

For a million reasons not limited to: the kids being at home more, household budgets getting tighter, chaotic work schedules, fewer activities outside of the home being an option, even lousy weather, parents just like you are struggling to come up with new ideas to keep their kids occupied and happy.

Last year I published a great post with tons of fun ideas (Psst! That are not TV!) to keep your children occupied when school’s closed .

In the list you’ll find a range of things for kids to do when they’re bored. There are indoor activities and outdoor activities, sporty activities and quiet ones, as well as social and independent activities for kids of all ages.

No matter whether you have toddlers, tweens or teens in the house not only will the ideas on that list stop your children from saying “Mum I’m bored!”, they are all budget-friendly! Fun and cheap ideas for kids?!? Yes please!!

Because I keep hearing people ask for help on how to keep the kids entertained when they’re stuck at home, I thought it was time for a fresh update of my kid- (and mum-) friendly ideas. But this time I am not the only one here with the suggestions.

I have called on a group of fantastic fellow mums to share their top tips for clever ideas to keep kids busy. I’m really excited to have them all on board, because as we mamas all know, what works for one family isn’t guaranteed to work for the next.

Have fun reading the dozens of ideas in this post and pick and choose as you please, the best boredom-busting activities for your kids.

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8 Essential Tools You Need in Your Sewing Kit

Happy New Year! I’m not sure whether you dared make any plans for this year. (Last year put the brakes on a lot of people’s plans.) My goal for this year is to create create create! One thing I love doing is sewing unique clothes for my kids. But another thing I love creating is super helpful tips and fun ideas for my busy readers!

I have been asked before about what types of machines and tools I can’t live without for my sewing projects. There certainly are a few that I love! So how about I share my list of essential sewing tools with you, right here, right now?!?

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What’s Christmas like in…? Fun Christmas Traditions Around the World

I’ve got a real treat for you today! I am taking you on a sleigh ride to peek at how people celebrate Christmas around the world! And you don’t even need to pay for the fare. It’s my feel-good Christmas surprise for you!

I’ve got a bunch of expat friends and bloggers together to write about what Christmas is like for them in their respective adopted countries. It’s a really fun insider’s look at this lovely time of the year.

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Have you ever wondered how people celebrate Christmas in other countries? Maybe you didn’t even know that the 25th December is not always a big deal in holiday celebrations at this time of year. Well then, buckle up and come along for the ride to explore Christmas traditions around the world with me!

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How to Sew: The Ultimate Handmade Relaxing Neck Pillow

Just the other week I shared with you a list of great gift ideas for book lovers, when you want to avoid giving them yet another book. (Didn’t catch it? Read the list here.)

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There was one suggestion in there in particular that I know caught a lot of attention: that funky-looking neck support pillow. Remember? The one that was shaped a little like a dog’s bone?!?

They are so practical AND cute. You can use it as

> a neck rest (lean back and relax!)

> a book stand

> or just a comfy pillow to snuggle up with.

“What else is so good about a neck support pillow?” I hear you asking. Well, they’re ideal for a personalised, unique gift for any occasion (Hello, Christmas gift! Hello, birthday present!) for friends and family of all ages. And who doesn’t like comfort when reading?!?

What’s also super cool about these relaxing reading pillows is that they are SO easy to sew! Yes, even for beginners! (Trust me 😉)

And I’m here to share the details with you, how YOU too can DIY one of these super comfy, relaxing neck support pillows!

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Guide to the Greatest Gifts Book Lovers will Adore!

I love my kids. I love how they constantly have an abundance of creative ideas! And I love how they are always asking about Everything’s Famtastic and offering me ideas of what I could write about here. This post is the result of exactly this type of enthusiasm and brain-storming. Well, sort of…  in a roundabout way… 😉

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All 3 of my kids are MASSIVE bookworms. My 2 daughters have been so for a loooong time. And my son, who just started school this year and always had an affinity for books, can now proudly read for himself. Suffice to say, that this bilingual household is overflowing with German and English children’s books!

A while back my eldest daughter wrote a (now very popular!) post about super books series for girls aged 9-12. And then my younger daughter published her list of must-read book series for girls 6 – 9 years. So naturally, they keep prodding me to write even more blog posts here about kids’ books.

But this article isn’t about books per se, rather about creative gifts for the book lover in your life. These gift ideas are perfect for bookworms of any age, especially if you are trying to avoid adding to the already sagging bookshelf!

So, what present do you give a book lover, if not books?!? Well, in this list we have thought of all the things an avid reader needs to stay comfortable, undisturbed and busy in their reading “happy place”! There’s also printables to keep an eye out for.

Be careful though! These gift ideas are SO GOOD that your bookworm may get so settled, you might never see them again! Take a look for yourself…

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5 Easy Steps to Sewing a Reversible Loop Scarf

So Easy, You can Sew it in Less Than 30 Minutes!

Well, hello! Great to see you here checking out this latest sewing project. Today I am going to show you the exact steps you need to sew your very own, simple yet stylish, reversible loop scarf!

A while back I published a tutorial on how to sew a patchwork infinity loop scarf which is great fun to put together. But if you’re looking for something even simpler, then this reversible scarf is it!

The cold weather is coming, there’s no stopping it! Which means more sewing, yes, of course! (D’Uh!) But not those pretty dresses and light and breezy blouses of summer. No! We are into creating those warm and cosy clothes that you can look great in AND snuggle into. Mmm, can you just imagine it, a beautiful soft and warm, handmade scarf?

Oh! And did I mention it’s also reversible? 2 looks for the price of one! Aaaaand there are 3 sizes of this scarf for you to choose from, so you’ve got the whole family covered! 😉

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But wait! What?

Think you’re too busy to start a new sewing project? Think again! Trust me, this one will take you less than 30 minutes to complete!

Or perhaps you think you’re too much of a beginner and don’t feel confident to try any *tricky* sewing projects? Number 1: everybody else who you see conjuring amazing sewing creations had to start somewhere and so do you! Don’t be scared 😊. Number 2: this is one of the easiest sewing projects you will EVER find! Truly!

Or maybe you’re gonna tell me you don’t want to go out shopping for more fabric when you have so many leftover pieces hiding in those cartons? I hear you! This project is perfect for using up those smaller pieces, especially when you can coordinate them with an item of clothing you already sewed for yourself!

So, are there any more ifs and buts? Or shall we get started sewing?!?

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