Ah sewing machine tension. It’s one of those ultra frustrating subjects. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “I don’t sew much because my machine’s tension was just off”, I’d have a lot of dollars. Shoot, I gave up sewing for YEARS because I never quite figured…

We’re talking all about types of interfacing today. Why? Because interfacing is one of the key elements to making all of your sewing better. Also, if you go searching for types of interfacing, your head will soon be in a stew of numbers and manufacturers and confusion. I’m not about that. By…

Let’s talk about how to shorten a zipper. Sewing zippers is one of those tasks in sewing where the devil is in the details. One of the problems you’ll run into is having a zipper that’s too long. In fact, many times it’s EASIER to sew with zippers that are too long….

Let’s chat pattern fitting books, but before that, I’m going to say something you need to hear. There is no perfect pattern. People search for it, buy 18 jeans patterns hoping for “the one” and turn up disappointed. Maybe you’ve heavily invested in pattern company P, Y or Q because of the…

We’re digging into basics today with how to sew an invisible zipper. Invisible zippers are one of the most useful types of zippers, but they take a little practice to master. That being said, if you follow the tips I’m going to share with you here, you’ll be an invisible zipper ninja…

Let’s talk how to gather fabric. Gathering fabric is one of those sewing tasks we often end up doing, but yikes, it can often be a headache! Threads can break and gathers can get all uneven on you. On the worst days, you might even miss sewing a whole chunk of gathered…

Let’s talk how to set snaps. Ooh, I love me some snaps. Snaps are a great alternative whenever you don’t want to use buttons. The truth is that some fabrics don’t make sewing buttonholes easy (knits!). And sometimes snaps make it easier for functional things like diaper changes. That’s why you’ll see…

Man I love me some bias tape. It has to be one of the most useful notions in our arsenal as sewists. That’s why I’m showing you how to use bias tape today! Bias tape is one of the first things that I learned how to make when I was a beginner…

Ah button loops. If you’ve never tried them they’re one of the prettiest ways to finish off a neckline. But if you have tried them, you know that sometimes making a skinny little bias loop is a little fiddly. In this post, I’ll break down how to take a piece of bias…

Let’s talk where to buy great knit fabric for kids. My kids love wearing knits. In fact my daughter at age 18 months would throw a fit if I tried to put her in any other kind of pants but leggings. They’re comfortable, they’re easy to sew, and there’s so many fun…

This post is gonna be all about how to use PDF sewing patterns. PDF sewing patterns are great for so many reasons, but like all pattern formats, they come with some quirks we gotta get over. The biggest frustration to PDF sewing patterns is easily the printing and assembly issue. Beyond that,…

We’re busting frustration today as we chat about how to read a sewing pattern. Do you remember the first time you picked up a sewing pattern? Did the room start spinning as you were trying to decipher everything? It’s funny, but learning to read a sewing pattern can be a big hurdle…

Let’s talk about 10 things to sew when you’re stuck at home. With all the shakeup happening in the world right now with Coronavirus, I’m really glad I sew. Sewing is one of those hobbies that occupies your mind as it busies your hands. As such, sewing can really be a great…

We’re diving deep into one of my favorite topics today: beautiful seam finishes. Here’s the thing: at some point in your sewing journey, you’ll start wanting to make the insides of your projects as pretty as the outsides. It shouldn’t be your first sewing goal, but eventually dreams of bias bound seams…

You say DIY denim jacket, I say YES!  Denim jackets are one of my favorite subclasses of jackets.  Why do I love the denim jacket? They go with EVERYTHING in your closetThere’s lots of ways to customize them plusThey have a classic look that will never go out of style Did I…

I’ve always been amazed by how many people shudder at the thought of sewing buttonholes. Maybe it’s that buttonholes are often the last thing you sew. You’re 90% through a shirtdress, mentally already wearing it, and then you have to hold your breath hoping that the buttonholes turn out well? The truth…

As I was writing my email list this week about 3 mistakes that are killing your sewjo, it got me thinking. I firmly believe that the desire to want to sew is not something that you have no control over. You don’t have to be making THE most creative anything to refuel…

I’m pulling out all my best thoughts about how to topstitch. By the end of this, you’re going to want to topstitch all the things. Topstitching is one of those sewing tasks that can make or break a sewing project. Do it well, and those jeans looks better than designer. But if…

In a battle between sewing machine vs. serger, who would win? Well, like a lot of things, the answer is not either/or, but yes. When I was first starting to sew seriously a question I asked a lot was, what is this serger thing I keep hearing about, and do I really…

Do you know about batch sewing? It’s one of my favorite ways to cut out the fluff and be able to make more in the same amount of time. But Elizabeth, I sew for fun. I don’t like to run around my room like a headless chicken. I know! Me too! There’s…

As we’re talking about organizing your sewing room, it’s a good time to give your sewing machine a good cleaning. Your sewing machine and serger and coverstitch if you have one all work really hard for you. To keep your stitches looking the best and your machines running the smoothest, we gotta…

As I write this there’s 13″ of snow out my window, so I thought, what better than to talk about how to plan a sewing snow day. And while it might not be snowing where you are today, there’s a long holiday weekend ahead, so why not figure out how to sneak…

I’ve been shopping Black Friday at Joann for years now. What can I say? The sales are too good to pass up. But getting through the crowds and all that jazz can be annoying, stressful, and otherwise something that makes you want to crawl back into bed. I actually love this sale….

I’ve been a user of sewing pattern magazines almost as long as I’ve been sewing. The styles are always so fashion forward and they’re jam-packed with patterns in a small space. But sewing magazines bring up STRONG feelings in people. I have to trace what now? How do you see all those…

Sewing without a pattern has been my reality this past week! I’ve been locked away ticking dragon and Viking bits off my plan for our Halloween plans, and freewheeling has been a total necessity. But this whole process has got me thinking about just how good it is to sew without a…

I’ve got 9 days to pull off Halloween for Team Farr, and my sewing room is a tornado zone which reminds me that it’s never too late to start sewing with a plan. Definitely a little planning will go a long way to help you in your sewing. A lot of our…

Let’s talk how to make bias tape! Bias tape is one of those useful little sewing notions that has so many uses. It’s totally not just for quilters! While you can buy bias in those nice little neat packages, making your own has a lot of advantages. So why would you make…

After writing all my tips for savvy fabric shopping online, I wanted to put together a guide to online fabric stores that would be a great companion for sewists. I really wanted to be as comprehensive as I possibly could be. This post is the result of a ton of research, and…

There’s a lot to love about fabric shopping online. For those of us who don’t live near a garment district, it let’s you still get the benefits without expensive travel. You can order things at weird hours of the day, and you can cash in on some pretty awesome deals. But being…

One of the things I think a lot of sewing beginners ask is can you sew knits without a serger? The short answer is yes, and the long answer we’re going to talk about. I always believe with using what you have vs. buying the next greatest big thing. We’re tackling all…

When you first start out sewing knits, you might be wondering what are the best stitches for knit fabrics? It’d be nice if you could go with your good old reliable straight stitch. But with knits, straight stitches are not your friend here. The good news is that your regular home sewing…

As I’ve been writing my raglan tee series, I kept thinking, but wait, there’s a lot of basics that I’m not covering like: what are the best needles for knits? It’d be really nice if you could pop one needle in your sewing machine and use it for every project. But at…

What beginner doesn’t need a little sewing encouragement? I know when I first started seriously sewing, I needed a whole lotta hand holding. I distinctly remember Diana Rupp and Sandra Betzina’s books and videos giving me the cheerleading that got me through so much frustration. Here’s the deal: There’s a lot to…

If I had a dollar for all the times that people ask me how I find time to sew, I’d have a lot of dollars. When you’re a Mom with 4 kids, it’s true that time is short and with a lot of moving parts. I’ll admit to feeling resentful at times…

Can I get a hand for all the dread your sewing UFOs dredge up for you? I know we all have those secret corners of shame in our sewing spaces where all the unfinished objects live. Maybe we find those projects years later and forget why it was that we abandoned them….

Sewing fails are coming for you. No matter how long you’ve been sewing, no matter how good the advice you follow, once in a while you’ll have a project completely and utterly fail. Every time it happens to me, it’s like a total surprise. Haven’t I learned anything? I thought I had…

So, what’s the best sewing advice you’ve ever heard? There’s tons of great sewing tips and tricks out there, but what are those helpful nuggets that have become part of your sewing credo? I’ve read and heard lots of memorable tidbits from experts over the years, but today I’m talking about 7…

With so many helpful sewing tools out there, which are the best sewing tools out there? As the daughter of an engineer, a good gadget wins a lot of appreciation for me. And I’ll be the first to admit that I probably have too many sewing (and kitchen) tools. But if a…

Sewing efficiently is a sport to me. Every Black Friday, my kids and I wake up at the crack of way too early and truck it over to JoAnn. They’re in it for the donuts afterwards. I’m in it for the bargain basement prices on flannel. It’s a little crazy, but afterwards,…

I’m telling you to sew without pins, and you’re already freaking out. There you are on the other side of the screen with all the dagger eyes. I get it–pins make us feel safe as sewists. But pins are slowing you down and making your sewing not super accurate. I’m going to…

When I went to go find something to wear for church this morning, I thought I’d pop on the Colorblocked Vogue 1027, a version of my Background Dress that I made in the spring.  Guess what people–it not only still fits, it’s way comfy, and now that I think about it, it’s a perfect…