All About Sewing

All About Sewing I help people learn sewing basics and make easy sewing projects + use organic and natural fabric + DIY fashion. I publish sewing tutorials and tips.
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Confession: I quilted the front panel of this bag three times before I was happy with it.The first two attempts were reg...
05/30/2026

Confession: I quilted the front panel of this bag three times before I was happy with it.
The first two attempts were regular straight stitches. But the quilting looked too quiet, almost like it wasn’t worth all the work.
Then I used a triple straight stitch, and finally the quilting looked the way I wanted — more visible, more defined, and much better on the bag.
Now tell me: are you the kind of sewist who keeps redoing something until it looks right, or do you make yourself move on if it’s good enough but not perfect?
I wrote more about this round bag project, and I’ll put the link in the first comment.

This round purse was made in teal and lavender because my daughter picked the colors.But then I kept thinking… what if i...
05/30/2026

This round purse was made in teal and lavender because my daughter picked the colors.

But then I kept thinking… what if it was purple and lilac with a yellow center? Or green, cream, and burgundy? Or red, gold, and silver? Or pale blue with royal blue?
So I asked ChatGPT to help me try a few color ideas, and now I’m not sure which one I like best.
This is exactly why choosing fabric can take longer than sewing the project.
What color combination would YOU sew this in?
Use one of these, or invent your own — I want to see what you’re imagining.
I’ll put the round purse article in the first comment.

I poked a hole in my finger with the back of the needle while sewing binding on my bag.Not a dramatic injury. Just enoug...
05/24/2026

I poked a hole in my finger with the back of the needle while sewing binding on my bag.

Not a dramatic injury. Just enough to remind me that I own a thimble for a reason.

And yes, I have a favorite one. A comfortable leather thimble. It was nearby. Did I use it?

Of course not.

I thought, “It’s only a short distance.” Famous last words in sewing.

So now I’m asking: do you actually use a thimble when hand sewing, or do you remember it only after your finger complains?

I have an article about modern thimbles too — not just the old metal kind — and I’ll put it in the first comment.

Matching plaids is where fabric starts testing your patience. You line everything up. You pin it. Then the fabric shifts...
05/24/2026

Matching plaids is where fabric starts testing your patience.
You line everything up. You pin it. Then the fabric shifts while sewing.
There are different ways to deal with it — lots of pins, hand basting, glue basting, walking foot, careful cutting, slow sewing, or just accepting that perfection is overrated.
I started using fork pins for this, especially when I want both sides to stay exactly where I put them.
How do you match plaids, stripes, seams, or little motifs? Do you have a method that works for you, or do you just avoid plaid whenever possible?
I’ll put my fork pins post in the first comment.

Every sewist has that one fabric that makes them want to run in the opposite direction 🏃‍♀️💨 Which fabric do you avoid a...
05/24/2026

Every sewist has that one fabric that makes them want to run in the opposite direction 🏃‍♀️💨 Which fabric do you avoid at all costs? 😅

I love wrist pincushions. But which kind is better? A magnetic wrist pincushion is fast.A fabric wrist pincushion is sof...
05/22/2026

I love wrist pincushions. But which kind is better? A magnetic wrist pincushion is fast.
A fabric wrist pincushion is softer, lighter, and you can make it from scraps.
When I’m fitting, pinning, trimming, or moving between the table and the machine, I don’t want to keep looking for the pincushion. Having the pins on my wrist saves a lot of reaching and searching.
Which one do you prefer — magnetic, fabric, or no wrist pincushion at all?
I’ll put my DIY wrist pincushion tutorial in the first comment.

Seam allowances: press open or to one side?How do you decide?Do you follow the pattern, follow the fabric, or do you hav...
05/22/2026

Seam allowances: press open or to one side?

How do you decide?

Do you follow the pattern, follow the fabric, or do you have one method you almost always use?

I know there are strong opinions on this one, especially between garment sewing, quilting, and serger sewing.

What do you usually do?

This version has cotton fabric, cotton batting, thermal batting, quilting to keep the layers from shifting, and a lining...
05/21/2026

This version has cotton fabric, cotton batting, thermal batting, quilting to keep the layers from shifting, and a lining so the inside feels smooth when you slide your hand in.
It’s not the fastest “two pieces and done” oven mitt, but that’s the point. A good oven mitt needs structure.
Have you ever made your own oven mitts, or do you usually buy them?
I’ll share the tutorial in the first comment. 🙂

Have you used a fabric eraser?I use mine to remove chalk marks from fabric, and I also tried it on my cutting mat for li...
05/20/2026

Have you used a fabric eraser?
I use mine to remove chalk marks from fabric, and I also tried it on my cutting mat for little threads and fuzz.
I made a short reel showing how I use it here:
https://facebook.com/reel/1031215596003212/
Have you tried one? Or do you use something else for chalk marks and cutting mat cleanup?

This is the part of quilting that makes many people stop before they start.It’s the moment when the quilt top gets big a...
05/19/2026

This is the part of quilting that makes many people stop before they start.
It’s the moment when the quilt top gets big and you realize you somehow have to push all of that bulk through a regular sewing machine.
That’s why I like the quilt-as-you-go method. You quilt each block separately, then join the blocks together later. Much easier to handle, especially if you don’t have a longarm machine or a huge sewing space.
I used this method for a baby quilt for my granddaughter, and I also like that the finished quilt is double-sided, so the back becomes part of the design too.
Have you ever tried quilt-as-you-go, or do you still quilt the whole top in one piece?
I’ll put the tutorial link in the first comment. 🙂

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