Books

Introducing two new e-books to help you launch and grow your sewing business! First: A complete guide to starting your sewing business including valuable info on business licenses, tax start up, and tons of practical tips from my years of running a successful home based business. Second: Whether you’re just starting a business or have…

Encouragement

My desire is not only to create a space to cultivate your sewing skills, but also offer a place that’s an occasional home to be encouraged, refreshed and brought to life. These are a few of my favorite things that I hope encourage and inspire you also.

Tips, Tools and Resources

Learning a new skill and advancing in your sewing projects will be a lot more enjoyable with a few key tools and resources that can guide you in your journey.

Get Yourself a Mini Iron

By: Linda July 3, 2009February 22, 2021

Alterations, GadgetsHow to iron small items without burning your fingers, How to use a mini iron, what is a mini iron? How to press in small spaces2 Comments

My friend Sharon has a special knack for getting me the perfect gifts for my birthday and Christmas. She seems to know exactly what I need. Maybe it’s because she’s a seamstress too. Mostly, it’s because she is thoughtful and generous. One of these great gifts was this mini iron: They are perfect for those…

Let’s Serge a Hem

By: Linda July 1, 2009February 12, 2021

Alterations, HemsAlterations, dress hem, how to hem with a serger, how to match thread, how to sew with unmatched thread, rolled hem, serged hem, sewing, what to do to match thread2 Comments

This is what a serged hem looks like up close: Maybe you have a dress, skirt, shirt or even a scarf that really needs this type of hem. You can duplicate this look with your serger (and I’ll give some pointers for how to do this on your sewing machine at the end of this…

Rotary Cutters and Mats

By: Linda June 29, 2009February 20, 2021

Alterations, Basic Skills, GadgetsAlterations, cutting mat, Olfa, pizza cutter, rotary cutter, sewing4 Comments

I just love my rotary cutter. Do you have one? They are so sweet. They make your sewing life a breeze. Also your quilting life. They are like a pizza cutter, except that they cut fabric. They are easy to operate. This model is made by a company called Olfa. Dritz and Omnigrid also make…

How To Take In The Bust on a Dress or Top

By: Linda June 26, 2009February 5, 2021

Alterations, Bridalbust alteration, how to make a dress smaller, how to make the bust smaller in a dress, how to make the bust smaller on a dress, how to take in the bust, how to take in the chest area, how to take in the top of a dress14 Comments

This dress came from a mother of a groom and it needed to be taken in in the bust area, so I’d like to show you how to do that. You can use this technique on strapless dresses as well. Do you see the pins in the side seam? There are pins on the other side seam as well. I…

A Quick Fix…Webbing

By: Linda June 24, 2009February 23, 2021

Alterations, Basic Skills, Sew For Doughhow to fix a backpack strap, how to fix a dog leash, how to fix a duffle bag, how to fix webbing that is looseLeave a Comment

One thing I’ve noticed is that many of my customers could do simple repairs on their own machines, but they just lack the confidence that they can do it! Do you have some webbing that is loose or chewed up by the dog? Maybe the dog leash? Maybe a backpack? Duffle bag? Repairing webbing is…

Halter Top or Halter Dress Alteration

By: Linda June 22, 2009February 13, 2021

Alterations, Bridalhalter dress, how do I alter a halter dress? How do I take in a halter dress in the bust?, how to alter a halter top, How to DIY a dress in the top?, How to DIY a halter dress that's too big, how to take in a halter top2 Comments

Have you ever had a halter top or halter dress fit loosely on the side of the bust area? It’s a very common problem. And since halters are so “in” right now, I thought I’d show you how to fix that problem. First, let’s look at the superb diagram below! Aren’t you impressed? It illustrates the basic idea…

My Dad Taught Me To Sew

Today marks what would have been my Dad’s 79th birthday. He passed away two years ago. So, this is to honor him and, being that it’s almost Father’s Day, I figured you wouldn’t mind because there’s some sewing parallels to be observed here. Dad bought me a little battery operated chain stitch sewing machine for my 7th…

Let’s Alter Some Scarves

By: Linda June 17, 2009March 11, 2021

Alterations, Basic Skills, Gadgetsalter, Alterations, how to make a head scarf, how to make scarves shorter, how to shorten scarves, scarves, sewLeave a Comment

A dear friend of mine had a bone marrow transplant for cancer and is in remission. She lost all her hair from chemo and it’s growing back. In the meantime, she is wearing scarves over her wigs and wants the scarves altered. Here is the collection of scarves that I need to alter: Maybe you…

Hand Sew a Hem

By: Linda June 15, 2009February 18, 2023

Basic Skills, Hemshand sew, hem, hem pants, how to hand sew, how to hem by hand, how to sew by hand, how to stitch by hand5 Comments

Recently, a reader inquired about how to hand sew a hem. So, let’s walk that through together. There are many techniques and stitches that can be used, so I just want to say up front that this is not the final word in hemming, but I hope it will help. First, if you would like to look at…

Seam Gauge….Do you have one?

By: Linda June 12, 2009June 19, 2023

Basic Skills, Gadgetshow to use a seam gauge, mini ruler, seam gauge for sewing, sewing machine, small ruler4 Comments

This is a seam gauge. Do you have one? If not, you really should buy one. They are essentially mini rulers. They are 6 or 6 1/2 inches long, depending on the manufacturer. For small measurements, they are so easy to maneuver…much easier than a 12″ ruler, yardstick or measuring tape. And, they have a little…

If you have sewing related questions, click on the magnifying glass icon on the upper right side of any page. Then, type the topic you're interested in into the search box. Titles of the written posts will appear on one or more pages. Just click on the title to the posts that are related to your topic. There are over 100 posts, and more to come! If you still have questions, please email me at TheSewingGarden@gmail.com Please be sure to send me a photo of the garment or item along with your questions. It helps me to see what you are describing. That way, I can give you a more complete answer to your sewing dilemma. Thank you!