Sewing & Tailoring
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Quilt Binding
This tutorial will give you all the steps needed for quilt binding by hand or with a machine. The pictures shown are from a Baby Quilt tutorial I put together while making a blanket for my nephew using the Quill quilt pattern. Binding gives the edges of a quilt a finished border that helps protect the edges from wearing over time. You can buy ready made binding at the store, or make your own. Making your own is easy, and allows for more freedom of design. What You Will Need to Make Quilt Binding: 2.5 inch wide strips of fabric, enough to run slightly longer than the perimeter of your…
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Make the Perfect White Shirt from a Men’s T-Shirt
Perfect White Shirt The perfect white shirt is comfortable. It fits loosely but maintains its shape. It’s casual chic and both warm and breathable. This tutorial will give you the steps needed to make the perfect shirt from a t-shirt you probably already have. We’ll go over how to make both a v-neck and crew neck style. Old T-Shirts T-Shirts are one of the most common wardrobe staples. Most people have a drawer full of them at home. White T-shirts are part of a uniform for many working women and men. Shirts made with 100% cotton are cool and breathable making them perfect for all day wear. My last job…
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How to Hem a Dress
This tutorial on how to hem a dress will give you insight on an essential sewing technique. After this tutorial you will understand how to hem pretty much anything, and you’ll also be able to hem other things like pants, skirts, and shirts. What is a Hem? A hem is the edge of the clothing material turned under and sewn. Why Hem? Most clothes bought today, with the exception of some men’s pants, already come hemmed at a predetermined length. So, you would want to hem your own clothes to make the length shorter. Hemming also prevents fraying. How to hem depends on the type of material: Knit: Most apparel fabric…
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Making a Fur Purse
This is a tutorial for upcycling vintage furs into cross body purses that close with a flap. These purses are perfect for days when you just need the essentials, unless you like to travel light! This purse and similar items are available in the Lady Ruth Design Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/LadyRuthDesign Design Process My favorite part of any project is the design phase. It’s also what I spend the most time on. What do I want the purse to look like, and how will I do it? As can be seen below, the materials I have to work with always guide these answers. Upcycling Vintage Furs The fur I am using…
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Sable
This vintage sable fur is material I’ve used on many handmade items. The fur is vintage and has a lovely antique charm. Backstory A few years ago I bought two antique fur stoles at a neighbor’s garage sale. My neighbor said that they belonged to her grandmother and that they were mink. I had the idea to sew them into a coat or something, but nothing ever came of it. Recently, I decided to open an Etsy store to sell rabbit fur purses and other handmade items. It was then that I remembered the stoles and decided to make cute purses out of them. The first thing I did was…
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Blue Fox
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Blue Fox
This vintage fox fur is material I’ve used on many handmade purses. The fur is vintage and has a lovely antique charm. Backstory A few years ago I bought two antique fur stoles at a neighbor’s garage sale. My neighbor said that they belonged to her grandmother and that they were mink. I had the idea to sew them into a coat or something, but nothing ever came of it. Recently, I decided to open an Etsy store to sell rabbit fur purses and other handmade items. It was then that I remembered the stoles and decided to make cute purses out of them. The first thing I did was…
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Sable
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How to Make Curtains
Learning how to make curtains will allow you freedom of design in color, length, and style. If you’re looking to change up decor in a major way, new curtains can give a whole new look to any room. It is also less expensive than buying ready made curtains. Step #1 Measure Windows Standard finished curtain length is 84 inches. To achieve standard length, add at least 10 inches for a length of 94 inches unfinished. This is because you will want 4 inch folds at the top and bottom for weight and stability (1 inch tucked under to hide the unfinished edge). If you want curtains shorter or longer than standard…
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How to Take in Side Seams
This tutorial is for adjusting a shirt at the side seams for a better fit. As long as your shirt fits you well in the shoulders, you’ll be able to tailor it elsewhere. This is a linen shirt from Land’s End. Linen is my favorite fabric for summer, because it’s super lightweight and breathable. I liked the style so much that I ordered it in two different colors; striped cream and indigo. The problem is that the waist and hips of the shirt are baggy on my frame. The shoulders though, fit perfectly! So, I was able to take in the shirt at the side seams. Tools: Sewing Machine or…
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Repairing a Vintage Quilt
This narrative tutorial goes over steps that can be taken when repairing a vintage quilt. My Vintage Quilt My aunt made this quilt 30 or so years ago. She is a business savvy and adventurous lady, but she’s not someone who does much sewing or crafting. To me, that makes the quilt all the more special that she put so much work into it. The age of the green and blue fabric can be judged by the 70’s era design. The doll applique is a Sunbonnet Sue pattern which has been used on quilts for over a hundred years. The blocks were hand appliquéd, and the quilt was tied by…
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How to Put Pockets in Shorts
This is a tutorial for adding pockets to loose gym shorts or pajamas that are already commercially finished. If you are making your own pants or shorts, there are easier ways to add pockets. These are Under Armour brand gym shorts. My boyfriend asked me to add pockets to them because he wants to keep his phone in his pocket at the gym. Since these don’t have pockets, he almost never wears them. When he does wear them, he quickly remembers why he never wears them. Pockets are super convenient. If you have a pair of shorts or pants that fit great but are annoyingly absent of pockets, then read…
