sewing tips Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Everything's Famtastic

August 31, 2023September 1, 2023

Sewing: how to get creative & learn lessons for life

Since I embarked on my sewing journey a few years back, my life has been enriched by my newfound creative outlet and plenty of “Look at this, I made it myself! I’m so proud!” moments.

What began with much uncertainty and bundles of nerves has grown into a much-loved hobby that continues to teach me lessons away from the sewing machine and wobbling piles of fabric.

People start sewing for all number of reasons: financial necessity, social connections, self-expression and more.

For me, it was wanting a creative outlet, to meet like-minded people and to discover whether I was able to make clothes for my children that set them apart from all the store-bought clothes everyone else seemed to be wearing.

As I reflect on my sewing progress, I can see that I have learned much more than *how to thread a needle*. I’ve also gained qualities that help me personally and while managing a busy family household.

In this blog post, I’m sharing with you my top 5 lessons learned via my sewing adventures.

May 25, 2023May 24, 2023

Unlocking Sewing Success: Why Tracking your Sewing Projects is so Valuable

Does the phrase “Dear Diary…” bring back any teen memories for you? Those youthful moments of recording your wishes, worries, dreams, and memorable experiences? 🥰

Keeping a journal isn’t just for teenagers anymore and there isn’t only one right way to write out your plans, gratitude and hopes.

Just search around online and be prepared to be overwhelmed. 😳 You’ll find all sorts of ideas from bullet journals, gratitude journals, dream diaries, travel diaries and more.

But what does this have to do with sewing? 🤔

Do you ever find yourself knee-deep in a whirlwind of exciting projects and ideas, always buzzing with inspiration and itching to create something awesome?

Well, my creative friend, I have a little secret that can help you make the most out of your creative journey: keeping a sewing journal.

March 9, 2023March 28, 2023

Sewing Made Simple: What Sewing Beginners Should Know Before Starting

One of the best things about sewing is that you never stop learning! But everybody has to start that learning somewhere, right? What are the most important things that every sewing beginner should know? What tips and tricks can help to soothe sewing nerves and set you up for sewing success? What sewing tools do you really need to have at home? And what are some of the common sewing mistakes you can avoid?

Sewing is supposed to be fun, not overly-stressful! But like any new skill, it’s good to have some basic know-how before diving in.

Not everyone is able to attend a sewing class in person, so having basic sewing tips and terminology within easy reach can be a lifesaver when you are just starting out!

In this blog post you’ll discover links to loads of pages with easy-to-understand sewing information that you’ll refer back to over and over again. Hint: save this post so you can get back to it every time you need more sewing support. I’ve got your back! 😉

February 9, 2023March 28, 2023

Avoid a sewing disaster! How to easily clean & oil your sewing machine at home

If you own a sewing machine and hate the idea of it, or any of your precious sewing projects getting damaged, there’s a really simple way for you to not get stuck halfway through your creative joy: cleaning and oiling your sewing machine!

It is easy to do, quick to finish and clean up, and your sewing machine will love you for it! 😍

In this post I’ll walk you through how to give your sewing machine some regular care and attention. Read on to find out how (and how I found out the hard way why maintaining your machine is so important!)

January 26, 2023May 15, 2024

13 Smart & Simple Sewing Machine Hacks You’ll Love

If you know anything about me at all, you’d know that sewing is a passion of mine. I think that being able to sew is an awesome skill to have and a brilliant hobby for anybody to fall in love with. 🥰

Which is why I can’t stop talking about it!

But you may not already know this: I do remember (not so long ago) when I was a complete sewing newbie. I hadn’t even touched a sewing machine until I’d already had 3 kids of my own.

And I remember being VERY nervous the first few times I sat down to sew. I mean, what if I pressed something wrong? What if I broke something? What if my fabric went sailing sideways out of the machine and I just ruined everything?!?

Because I think that sewing is so fantastic and I want to help you to feel more confident when you sit down at your own sewing machine (without fear of pressing the wrong thing!), in this post I am sharing a bundle of helpful sewing tips and hacks that you may never have heard before.

Are you ready to enjoy your sewing time with more confidence and less stress? Then take a few minutes to read through this list of sewing tricks before you take hold of your sewing machine!

August 25, 2022June 11, 2024

How to Sew Your Own Bean Bags in Less Than 15 Minutes!

Who doesn’t enjoy a good old fashioned bean bag toss? And in America a few rounds of cornhole is a popular must-do game too.

But did you know that there is a SUPER easy way to make your own bean bags?

You can whip up a few bean bags with your sewing machine and be outside playing already in less than half an hour!

Even sewing beginners can make these easily because there is so little stitching and just straight lines! Sounds good, right?

You don’t even need to go to the fabric store to buy new fabric like I have seen elsewhere online. Just dig through that lonely, left-in-the-corner collection of fabric scraps. You’re sure to find enough for this quick sewing project! I can tell you, I’ve got loads of leftover pieces, many of them from the latest DIY sewing kits in my Etsy shop!

So, are you ready to play? Then read on and follow along with this short sewing tutorial now!

June 2, 2022June 1, 2022

What You Need to Know: Serger vs Sewing Machine

What can a sewing machine do? What about a serger? And an overlocker, coverstitch machine, embroidery machine, and more?

The number of machine available for sewing fans is brilliantly distracting and enticing. And also confusing!

Never mind the number of brands of all those machines on the market!

And all the sparkly fancy sewing tools you could buy for your sewing space. (Psst, you don’t actually need to buy allllll the tools, you know! Take a look at these 8 essential sewing tools you need to have.

But when it comes down to it, which type of machines are really necessary for you to get on with successfully completing your sewing projects?

In this blog post you’ll find all the goods on the big 2 machines: what a sewing machine can do for you, what a serger can sew, and what the differences are between the 2.

You’ll also be able equipped to decide whether you need one or both machines to fit your big sewing dreams!

Ready? Read on…

May 19, 2022May 18, 2022

Love Sewing? 11 Reasons Why You Need A Sewing Machine

Did you know that sewing is one of the oldest types of textile arts? People started sewing thousands of years ago using animal sinew for thread and bones for needles to create their clothing and housing.

Humans are still sewing to this day, but thankfully we don’t have to go stripping animals to be able to do so! Modern sewing machines have made creating clothes and other fabric products a snap compared to way back when!

Sure, sewing by hand is still an option for some projects and a beautiful art form.

But I’ll be honest with you: I just don’t have the patience to hand sew anything! Which is why I own a sewing machine for my sewing projects.

If you want to get creative with fabrics and, like me, don’t have the patience to hand sew everything, here’s why you need a sewing machine too!

January 13, 2022January 20, 2022

Sewing Tutorial: How to Make a Fabulous Dragon Costume

Today I’m sharing with you some really cool ideas and hacks to sew a dragon costume for your kids!

If you have looked around my Everything’s Famtastic blog you have surely seen that I do love a good sewing project. Especially the type where I have sewn something really cool by modifying an existing pattern which didn’t fit exactly what I needed.

I tell you, THAT is the beauty of being able to sew! Have an idea of what you want to create and being able to find a way to make it happen!

What you might also have noticed around this site is the variety of kids’ costumes I have sewn over the years for my own 3. In Germany here we celebrate Karneval early in the year and then there’s Halloween in October. Add in any dress-up wishes and that all ends up being a lot of costumes that I’ve had to deliver! Hulk, animals, spooky, funny costumes … I’ve covered quite a range!

So, do you want to see that super dragon costume and take a peek at some other kids’ costume ideas too? Read on…

November 4, 2021January 26, 2023

Beginners Sewing Dictionary Part 3: Sewing Machine Terms Easily Explained!

In case you missed it, the last few blog posts here have been all about getting back to the basics of sewing and learning (or maybe just jogging the memory) some of the most useful and important sewing terms.

Because, let’s be honest, the more sewing vocabulary you know, the more confident you will be when it comes time to sit down with your fabrics (see HERE for fabric terms) and sewing patterns (check out THIS post for sewing pattern definitions) and your sewing machine.

And don’t you just LOVE the feeling of knowing what you’re doing?!?

Oh wait! We haven’t talked about all those fancy sewing machine terms yet, have we?

There’s no better time that the present to start! Let’s jump in!