Learn How to Make Beautiful Seam Finishes

Sewing is more than just stitching two pieces or two layers of fabric. As you go along, you need to learn the basics and master some intricate seam techniques to improve your sewing skills. Here are some beautiful seam finishes for your sewing pleasures.

Invisible Seam
Some sewing projects like stuffed animals use hidden stitches. Other terms for this kind of stitch is ladder stitch or invisible seam. These unseen seams are useful if you want to stitch a broken pattern or you want an invisible seam on hems and quilt edges.

Here's a video tutorial from RileyBlakeDesigns.com. You may also check out MakeItLoveIt.com for a tutorial on Blind Hem Stitch.



Flat-Fell Seam
Felled seam, or flat-fell seam are overlapping seams commonly found on denims. This type of seam provides durability to secure layers of tough fabric. If you're making a tote bag, a trouser, or a jacket, and you want to make it look neat, use felled seams.

A tutorial from Coletterie.com will help you Sew a Flat Felled Seam without a Specialty Foot.

Photo Credit: thingsforboys.com

French Seam
French seams are used for lightweight to middleweight fabric materials. They're commonly found on thin fabrics (like silk and cotton) made into dresses, blouses, and skirts. It's a useful technique because it makes both sides of the fabric look elegant.

This How To Sew a French Seam tutorial from Craftsy.com is one of the simplest to follow, and

Photo Credit: threadsmagazine.com

Pinked Seam
Have you made a plain seam finished with pinking shears? Using pinking shears prevents fabric from fraying but to make sure, use a fabric that's not prone to fraying. Pinked seams make decorative edges and they look fun.

Finishing seams with a serger also prevents fraying. Here's a combo tutorial, again from Craftsy.com, on how to make Serger and Pinking Seam Finishing.

Photo Credit: lovesewingmag.co.uk

Hong Kong Seam Finish
Hong Kong seams look pretty and polished. They add a different dimension and a splash of color to the insides of a clothing. This seam is a little complicated compared to the previous seams because it uses bias strips of fabric to enclose the edges. It is recommended for jackets, skirts,

Here are some step-by-step Hong Kong Binding Seam Finish guide from BurdaStyle.com and Hong Kong & Bound Seam from Sew4Home.com.

Photo Credit: girlsinthegarden.blogspot.com

If you're interested to watch more Sewing Video Tutorials, go to FabricLovers.com. You can also SHOP from a wide range of affordable fabrics at Fabric Lovers.

Remembering Memorial Day with Fabric Wreaths

There are many ways to remember our fallen brothers and sisters on Memorial Day. For veterans and their families, it is a solemn event that needs prayer and reflection. For others, it's an annual family celebration with food and drinks. But for crafters, it's an opportunity to create new patriotic craft projects.

One simple way to let everybody know that you remember those who gave up their lives in service is to hang a wreath on your front door. Here are some DIY Memorial Day wreaths to inspire you if you're planning to make one. 

This Memorial Day wreath from SheKnows.com is made up of Jersey fabric scraps in red, white, and blue colors. Cut up 3-inch squares and fill in a wreath form.

Here's a wreath from Etsy.com. You may use Memorial Day inspired printed fabrics and cut them into strips. The M plate in the middle makes a great accent. 

Another from Etsy.com, the crafter used pinking shears for finishing fabric edges then added 3 rustic stars for decoration.

Memorial Day Grapevine Wreath by CrookedTreeCreation Etsy Shop. An Easy-peasy project. Grab a grapevine wreath, a flag (or a fabric with flag prints), raffia bunch, and a rusted metal star.

FabricLovers.com has a variety of patriotic fabric that you can use for Memorial Day crafting. You may choose from plain reds, whites, and blues or from fabrics with stars, stripes, and flag prints. The samples below are perfect for inspirational quilts, buntings, throw pillows, and more. Check out the Patriotic Fabric section to view more patterns and designs.

Quilting Blenders Make a Well-Balanced Fabric Stash

Whether you're new to quilting or you've been obsessed with it for years, you will need to stock up on quilt supplies to help you make quilts with ease. You surely don't want to be interrupted in the middle of your work just because you've run out of blender fabrics to fill up the gaps.

When you plan on making a quilt, you will need a fabric stash full of different prints and colors. To make the most out of your stash, you have to develop a keen eye for versatile fabrics. These versatile fabrics called quilting blenders will help you to easily connect or match different fabrics.

Quilting blenders are fabrics that blend well with other prints in a quilt. These are mostly monochromatic (though not solid in color) but a bit mottled, or have an abstract, tone on tone, or washed appearance. The photo below from Craftsy.com is a perfect example of a blender.

This Basic Baby Quilt by ThirtyHandmadeDays.com used quilting blenders in green, turquoise, brown, and yellow shades aside from the main animal-printed fabric. It is a good idea to include blenders into the quilt because it makes the main fabric stand out.

FabricLovers.com has a variety a quilting blenders in different shades. These blenders effectively add depth and texture to any quilting project and makes it more beautiful. The quilting blenders are currently on sale so now's the perfect time to grab them and add them to your ever growing fabric collection.

Shades of burgundys and reds for a bold statement

Oceanic Blue shades

Purple Tones for a quilt worthy of royalty

Blender fabric in Olive tones

Different Ways to Store and Organize Fabrics

Do you have loads of extra fabric lying around, leftover fabric scraps and swatches from your previous sewing projects? You might want to start an organization system that will work with your space. If you still have no idea how to come up with your own fabric storage, here are some smart ways to keep those fabric scraps safe and ready for future use.

Why organize at all? Well, organizing your fabric stash will give you a sense of control, make you more productive (yes to more craft projects!), help you save time and money, and more importantly, clear your cluttered mind. Store all your leftover fabric from FabricLovers.com and wait for the opportune time to use them.

DesignMom.com shows us how to organize extra fabric scraps using letter holders. These letter holders not only serve as storage but a wall decor as well. Fold fabric in same sizes to display them uniformly.

We seldom use compact discs or CDs nowadays so put your CD shelf or CD cabinet to good use. You need to cut or fold fabric pieces into same sizes to fit into the shelf. This photo from TwoMoreSeconds.com features a versatile space-saving furniture.

Have you checked out the ClipItUp.com store? They offer quality storage solutions using Clip It Up mounts, bases, and extensions. This setup from KatiesQuiltingCorner.com is great for small cuts of fabric. You can purchase more clips from the online store to fill up the spaces.

Wire bins also make interesting storage for your fabric. ShannonDarrough.com shows how to organize your stash by color. Color coding and labeling are both fun ways to organize. It would be easier for you to search through layers and layers of cloth.

ThinkingCloset.com has this DIY fabric filing that uses Pendaflex hanging folders. Cut the folders in half and hang the folder together with the fabric inside a filing cabinet. This is a great way to keep textiles neat and dust-free.

By getting your fabric stash, craft room, and the rest of your home organized, you'll be surprised to have more usable space (for more fabric). If you haven't stocked up in a long time and you're running out of fabric to use, visit FabricLovers.com for new arrivals.

Spring Break Fabric Craft Ideas

Flowers, bunnies, and eggs are significant symbols of the Spring season. If you're planning to add some Spring-inspired decors into your home, check out these fabric crafts from beautyharmonylife.com that you can do during the spring break.

This Fabric Easter Basket would be perfect for display. It can hold just about anything including dyed easter eggs and flowers. This project uses cotton filler cord as piping, and wrapped with fabric strips in bright pastels.

This would make an adorable Easter gift! Create stuffed carrots in green and orange colors using fabric scraps. Combine different patterns together and stuff them with cotton. Grab a stuffed bunny and attach the carrots to its belly.

Recycle your water bottles and let them be used as molds for these braided easter eggs. Find fabric scraps in pastels and springtime colors. Next, braid fabric strips and wrapped them around the mold. Place braided eggs inside a basket.

Bunny or egg? These fabric bunny eggs may seem to complicated to do but they'd definitely get the attention of your guests this Easter. The materials needed are styrofoam eggs, serrated knife, fabric squares, embroidery floss, glue, pinking shears, small hats, pom poms for nose, beads for eyes, small baskets, easter grass, small easter eggs, and ribbons and trims to decorate hat.

FabricLovers.com has a wide variety of fabrics perfect for Spring. You may check out a few from the FabricLovers Shop.

Top 10 Fun Fabric Scrap Projects to Try

Wondering what to do with piles and piles of leftover fabrics in your craft room? FabricLovers.com collected top ten amazing fabric scrap projects for you to try. These crafts with scraps of fabric are sure to awaken your resourcefulness and creativity.

This shabby-looking curtain from purpleclover-ecohome.blogspot.com will look great as a wall décor or as a door curtain. All you have to do is get a curtain rod and knot fabric strips together to achieve a desired length. You may use one color with different textures or combine several colors together for a whimsical effect.

If you're keeping a stash of fabric scraps in assorted patterns and prints, why not make a map? This one from apartmenttherapy.com used a muslin cloth for stitching scraps together. Use different prints for each state and what you'll get is a colorful piece of art! You can also use it as a teaching tool for your kids.

Wreaths made out of scrap material, like this one from makezine.com, look complicated but they're so easy to do. Buy a wreath form, cut fabric into same sizes, and glue them on. Finish it with crocheted flowers. Handmade wreaths make beautiful accents on walls and doors.

Here's another inspiring craft project from pauletpaula.com. Jazz up your kids room with a mobile using scrap cloths from your previous sewing projects. The materials needed are hoops or rings, strings, felt, and pre-cut fabric. Be creative with different shapes (animals, flowers, butterflies, clouds, etc.), colors, and sizes. You can also make one for your room, you know!

Check out this interesting owl pillow from etsy.com! It's made from muslin and printed with black ink. The owl's body is covered with fabric scraps, perfect for an owl themed bedroom. You can also make your own DIY pillows using some leftover scraps.

Totallytutorials.blogspot.com teaches bookworms to take pleasure on creating their own bookmarks for their reading adventures. This one's made of two pieces of fabric strips (you may add felt as backing too), sewn around the edges and trimmed with a pinking shears. Be proud to share your finished project with your fellow bibliophiles!

Add spice to a plain wall with a wall mosaic. This fabric mosaic project from thecartbeforethehorse.blogspot.com looks like a thousand bucks. Recreate this design by preparing a wooden box frame (painted white), bits of scrap fabric (choose colors which will work together), and Mod Podge. This is also a great activity for kids – let them make their own and hang it on their bedroom wall.

This fun and festive rag garland from favoraffair.com is one cool party idea. If you're planning to throw a DIY party at home, make use of those unwanted bits of fabrics to create a frilly birthday banner. Tip: The color combination should match the theme and they should be cut into same lengths.

Old fabrics, new skirt. This oh sew pretty tutu skirt for little girls from Pinterest.com is such a delight to make. The idea is to layer your choice of different fabrics to create a ruffled effect. Imagine the range of fabrics you can use for different themes – rock star, fairy princess, glam queen, and flower child!

These silk and bead bracelets from lottsandlots.blogspot.com looks fabulous. Slide beads with big holes into silk strips, make knots on both [bead] ends to secure the beads and attach a few more small beads using jewelry wires. You can make these bracelets as gifts for friends and as party favors.

For new sewing and craft projects, you may check out FabricLovers.com for a wide selection of unique and quality fabrics in interesting prints and patterns.

Hoot Hoot Hooray! Owl Theme Rooms for Kids

These odd yet adorable creatures of the night have become quite a popular theme for bedrooms and kiddie parties. The owl theme bedroom works for both boys and girls, so if princess or sports themes are too mainstream for you, it's time to give this hootin' style a try.

FabricLovers.com suggests that aside from the main [owl] theme, you also need to decide on what color scheme to follow in order to set a particular mood. Do you want to create a happy, stimulating play place for your kids or you simply want to build a bedroom with a relaxing atmosphere to promote sound sleep? Bright colors create a cheerful atmosphere while darker hues give off a more serene vibe. You may also mix and match colors as you wish to create harmonic shades, following of course the rules from the color wheel.

This first inspiration from kidsthemebedrooms.com features a bright and jolly bedding set with matching curtains. The owl and tree appliques are almost everywhere, embroidered in white, lime, and turquoise cotton fabrics. It has a fun and carefree ambiance that most kids love.

Turn your little girl's room into a neat haven with soft shades of pink and green. The printed owl bedding creates an elaborate look without being too owl-verwhelming. A desk cabinet painted in green is also a cool addition to the room as it draws the feeling closer to nature. Photo from kidsbedroomideas.net.

The nursery below from imsaid.com is one interesting woodsy wonderland. The beautiful color palette of plums and browns has a unifying effect, thus creating a calming atmosphere. Complete the theme with tree and flower wall decals for that extra pizzazz.

Decorating your kids room requires a great deal of effort and creativity. When you're out of resources, you can add just one element and make the rest clean and simple. For example, you can focus on the bed and make it pop, just like this photo below from optea-referencement.com. Make a big owl pillow, then use a printed owl fabric for the bed sheets and blanket. We suggest that you use bold and bright colored fabrics.

You can make your own bedding sets using our available owl-printed fabrics. This Bermuda Owls fabric designed by Ann Kelle is perfect for a child's quilt.

The printed Hoot Roll Call from Hooty Hoot Returns Collection by Riley Blake Designs will also make a great blanket for little boys.

Let the other animals join in the fun when you get this graphic animals print on a cream backdrop, also from Riley Blake Designs.

 

Use FabricLovers.com owl fabrics for pillowcases, curtains, quilts, and throw pillows to create your own fun themed room.