5 Step Zipper Tutorial

Zipper packages actually have directions inside but sometimes I find other ways are easier or hearing directions from someone who has done it before can be helpful. 

 First off, here's a foot you would use to sew on your zipper. Don't put it on the machine just yet though. 

Steps:

1. Do not lay down your zipper yet. Machine bast the length of your zipper onto your garment with a 5.5" stitch or whatever the highest stitch is that your machine will allow. Keep your foot down on your garment, move to step 2.

2. Sew the rest of the garment opening (where the zipper will not be) at a 2.5" stitch.

3. Pin zipper face down with the middle of the zipper directly in your garment seam. See below:

4. Put your zipper foot on the right side (you can choose; right or left) and sew (regular 2.5" stitch) down the left side of the zipper as close as you can to the actual zipper part. Then switch the zipper foot to the left side and sew in the same way down the right side of the zipper. 

5. Turn your garment inside-out and slowly rip out (with a seam ripper) the section of garment you have sewn together in step 1. You'll only rip out the length of the zipper... any further and you'll have a hole! 

Quick-Tip: Transparent Thread

Quick-Tip:   When sewing, do not put transparent thread in both the top and bottom of your sewing machine. It's bad for your sewing machine as well as for whatever you are sewing on.

Why This Is Important:   Before I knew this rule I quilted with transparent thread on top and through the bobbin. I thought the reason my thread was always bunching up or "catching" on things was because of me. Then I learned what I should have been doing!

Solution:   If quilting, use your transparent thread on the top and a cotton thread on the bottom/in the bobbin. Also, make sure your cotton thread matches your quilt on the underside because it will show.

Leg Warmers or Tights or Arm Bands! Tutorial

Knee High Socks = Leg Warmers or Tights or Arm Bands!

This project comes about because of some knee high socks that got holes in them but were just too cute to throw out! These end up being perfect tights for toddlers, leg warmers for younger girls, and arm bands for any age youth! If I were in high school I think I'd be a believer in arm bands :)

Supplies: 1 pair of knee high socks

 Steps:

1. Cut the sock at the heel right as the sock starts to turn into the foot part.

2. Fold in the sock about a half inch where you just cut. 

3. Sew down your fold so your project has no raw edges that would fray.

You're done! 

Here's a close-up of the tights/leg warmers:

Quick Tip: Thread

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but once I came up with a solution I felt rather excited about it and wanted to share. Well, I guess it's not really that exciting but if I can help someone else dealing with the same problem, I'm happy.
Let me explain.

Problem: Thread would get caught and pull ending up in breakage while sewing. I brought pictures along to help show what I mean. You know the little notch where the thread is stuck into when you first purchase it? That is what my thread kept getting stuck in!

Solution: Now this is quite simple; when you sew, turn the notch to the opposite side of where the thread will be pulled! No more breakage while sewing :)

Tutorial: Bandana Dress/Shirt

The Bandana Dress!

A simple dress for up to age 3, and then it doubles as a shirt!

Supplies:

1. Spool of ribbon (ideally 7/8" wide)

2. 2 matching bandanas

 How to make this:

1. Fold bandana and pin at 1 3/8" (to allow a seam) and sew. If you'd like to put ribbon along the bottom of your dress, do that now. 

2.Place bandanas right side together and pin 6" down from the top.  

 3. Sew the bandana from the bottom of the dress to where you inserted the pin. This picture shows the opposite but I learned on my second dress to do it this way because then the bottom matches up. Sew on the other side as well.

4. Iron down the seams.

5. Turn right side out.

6. Thread your ribbon through the sewn down folded fabric. I used 39" of ribbon for each bandana. Singe the edges of your ribbon if needed to prevent fraying.

7. Push together the fabric with the ribbon inside until it is about 7" long. This is the neckline. Make sure the ribbon showing is the same length on each side of the neckline and sew down the ribbon. This allows the neckline to stay bunched together, the ribbon to not come out of the dress when it is washed, and for the ribbon to stay the same length on each side. Sew down the ribbon on all four points where the ribbon comes out of the fold. 

Here's my model! She wanted the camera so I couldn't quite get a smile out of her.   

If you'd like to make a flower for your dress/shirt, you can use this flower option, or take the ribbon and sew straight down the middle with the largest stitch your machine can do and follow the same instructions.