Yes! You CAN Make This!

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 1 person | Log in to rate

Ranked #1,613 in DIY, #29,755 overall

You can make this and we want to help. Sewing techniques, Sewing projects and Ideas

You can make this will try to provide information you will find useful in many sewing and craft areas. Sewing is a creative art and can provide outlets for your creativity. You have endless options of fabric, thread, notions, and design changes. Sewing can save money and provide a way to clothe the family and decorate the home at a greatly reduced cost, particularly if fabrics and notions are bought on sale. Sewing is not particularly difficult and most people can teach themselves to sew using simple patterns and fabrics. As a reference, I would highly recommend purchasing a good basic sewing how-to book.

There was a time when I sewed all of my clothes. I loved picking and changing patterns. I loved looking for the perfect fabric, matching the thread...the whole process is so satisfying. Re-upholstering chairs and other items is more challenging but worth the challenge.
The point of this Lens is to share sewing tips and resources for anyone who likes to work with fabrics, yarn, thread, etc. in any medium. Look for the excellent videos below teaching sewing basic and advanced serger techniques. You can be sewing gifts and decor with a few hours spent at your sewing machine.

Just starting out in sewing? Start with the sewing basics! You Can Make This has some fabulous e-Books for beginners--but even if you're a seasoned sewer, you'll appreciate some of the wonderful tips you'll learn! We carry e-Books to help you learn how to read a pattern envelope, organize your sewing room, learn how to shirr fabric, and get in on the latest boutique tips.
Organize that Sewing Space

You Can Make Gifts 

Hand Felted Wool Pin.

This hand felted flower brooch would make a beautiful, bold accessory for your purse, coat, or anywhere else. The giant flower is a mix of fine merino wool and silk. It measures approximately 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter! Its colors include ice blue, white, and pastel tones. It has a base metal pin back that is sewn on. This giant flower was hand felted individually by me, the funky felter.

You Can Make many beautiful items quickly with needle felting and a handful of roving
which is the yarn used for felting projects.

To learn more about hand felting and needle felting visit this needle felting lens
Another source for information and supplies is at Got Yarn.

We know you are already thinking about gifts you'd like to make for the holidays. Let's get you started with some fun e-Books at You Can Make This.!

Check out my lens

"You Can Make This" - Sewing Projects You Can Make 

Sewing Blogs I Enjou

I picked an easy project (zippered pouches) to keep me mellow
Sewing Saturday
I picked an easy project (zippered pouches) to keep me mellow ...
Sewing Machine - What A Buyer Needs Know
But, with the important of stitching growing exponentially over the last decade in the international market, stitching and sewing of fabric has gained phenomenal popularity across the world. Hence, if you have a creative bent of mind ...
Sewing with Sweater Knits - Sewing Blog | BurdaStyle.com
Sewing with Sweater Knits
We've had some really great warm winter pattern recently, like the Amy sweatshirt for girls, the Amin sweatshirt for guys, and most recently our newest cardigan pattern, but if you're tired of sewing with fleece and sweat shirting, ...
Sewing Sunsets » Blog Archive » Sewing Neck Pillows
Neck pillows can be sewn out of any type of fabric, but I always like to use 100% cotton fabric. Right sides of fabric are pinned together, and again, you have to remember to leave a space for turning right side out. (When I sew neck pillows,
Mish Mash: My Sewing Bags
This is an excellent example of
patch work totes.
Sewing love - Baldwin County NOW - A Gulf Coast Information Source for South Alabama
FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Hearts for God Sewing Circle, a ministry of First Baptist Church, Fairhope make items for the tiniest of our residents: premature babies.
Kim's Big Quilting Adventure: Saturday, Sewing, and Soccer
table topper under the Valentine tree in yesterday's post. I made that one two years ago using three charm packs and some extra fabric for the border. It was a really quick project since I just used one charm square for the center of each block and two matching charm squares cut on the diagonal to form the outer parts of the squares. It's seriously something you can make in a day, and the quilting didn't take long either--I just quilted hearts in each block and then did some echo lines around them to fill in.
ThreadBanger
The first network for people who make Do You Know What DIY Is?
CBS News - New York,NY,USA
Over hip hop music, Corinne and Rob tout ways to make trendy fashion on the cheap, covering everything from the basics, like sewing a button (one of their ...their own fashion. New episodes of

GIFTS You Can Make From SEWING SCRAPS 

Use Your Leftover Fabric Scraps

You can make Holiday Gifts from your Sewing Scraps
All of us who have been sewing for a while have a stash of sewing scraps. It's time to recycle them into holiday gifts. For some ideas visit Cookie's blog. The pictures she shares are adorable. She also shares sewing instructions. To join ribbon, use the same sewing technique we use for lace to lace sewing. Butt the two ribbons together and zigzag them catching the edge of the two ribbons as you zig and zag! Look how quickly you can dress up a tissue ...

*******************************************************
The handmade scarves I share with you are quick and easy to create, and they each use leftover materials in a beautiful way.
Creating a one-of-a-kind scarf from scratch is also an instantly gratifying project anyone at any skill level can take on. I love making them as much as I love wearing them. Sew or create something unique...here are the directions.
*****************************************************
A quilt is a great way to sew something useful and at the same time use up lots of fabric scraps and leftover material. See some unusual examples of scrappy quilts.
Here is an unusual sewing project:
Sewing - A RicRac Quilt from 1953

We all have someone that we give a bottle to for the holidays. Here's a simple wrap that makes the gift more special.

Gift Wrap Bottle Bags

You Can Make Your Own Clothes 

Make A Lace Collar T-Shirt

You can make a lace collar T-shirt - A Quick and Easy Sewing Project!
You can make your T-Shirts unique to you. It will take about an hour and very basic sewing skills to add a lace collar.

Sewing Supplies: One slightly stretchy, fitted T-shirt, one-half yard of lace fabric in the color of your choice, matching thread, narrow cutting board about the size of the T-shirt, sewing machine with zigzag option so you don't need a hem.

Note: Wash and dry the T-shirt and lace before sewing; iron if necessary.

Step1. Place the cutting board inside the T-shirt, smoothing the shirt so that the shoulder seams fit snugly against the top of the board and the front and back of the T-shirt are aligned. Trace the seam along the neckline with chalk. Then, using a ruler or tape measure, measure 3 inches down from the seam and mark a second collar line.

Step 2. Fold the lace in half so that the design lines up the way you want and the grain matches that of the T-shirt.

Step 3. Pin the lace over both the front and back of the T-shirt, matching up the fold of the lace to the shoulder seams, and pinning the lace to the T-shirt around the chalk lines.

Step 4. Using the zigzag option on your sewing machine, sew the top chalk line around the T-shirt's collar. Stretch the fabric a little while you sew to make sure there is some give in the new seam.

Step 5. Sew another seam along the lower chalk line, again stretching the fabric just a little as you sew and making sure that both fabrics are smooth and do not bunch or wrinkle.

Step 6. Very carefully trim the lace, creating an edge about one-eighth inch from the seams, so that the lace forms a collar around the T-shirt.

Step 7. To make a cut-out lace collar, turn the shirt inside out and carefully cut away the fabric under the lace, creating an edge about one-eighth inch from the seams on the other side. Before doing this, make sure the lace is not too delicate - cotton lace is a nice choice for this sewing project.

Projects You Can Make SEWING WITH PRE-CUT FABRIC 

FAT QUARTERS AND JELLYROLLS

Pre-cut fabrics are extremely popular among quilters because quilting often requires specific sizes of fabrics to create certain blocks. By pre-cutting the fabric, the quilter gets away from the cutting table faster and right to the fun part--piecing and quilting! The added benefit is accuracy. Even the most experienced sewers don't always cut a straight line. Manufacturers and quilt shops can die cut fabrics so they are perfect every time.

A few years ago when I first discovered fat quarters, I was suspicious. I had a hard time buying just a quarter yard, for one thing, and I couldn't quite figure out what I would do with it. The other major thing that struck me was the price. Wasn't I paying more for a fat quarter than what I would for a quarter yard?
If you've analyzed the numbers, you know that you typically pay a slightly higher per-yard price if you purchase a fat quarter. So, if you look at purchasing fabrics purely from the price standpoint, it might seem like you're paying too much for unique cuts. Why pay more when you can just buy a yard of fabric and cut it into quarters, right? Not exactly.

When you start looking at pre-cut fabric, there's more to analyze than just the price-per-yard. The biggest factor is what you get in a package of pre-cut fabrics. For instance, when you purchase a fat quarter bundle you typically get a cut of each fabric produced in the entire line of fabrics. Imagine going to a fabric store, getting a bolt of each fabric in a line of fabrics, and taking them all to the cutting table to have them cut into fat quarters. Now consider the fact that most quilt shops do not order complete lines of fabrics. You might find all of one colorway, or a sampling of a line--but you rarely find every fabric that in a line at one store. Why? Some fabrics sell better than others, and the quilt shop wants to sell the "focus fabric," and a few complementary fabrics along with it. That's what customers buy.

Next--think about the labor involved with cutting fat quarters. In our example above, you might have up to 40 bolts of fabric from one design line and want fat quarters from each one. It would take hours! The manufacturers and shops are taking on the labor and time involved in cutting the fabrics so that you can save time.

Now consider what kind of time it would take you to cut, say, 80 strips of fabric at 2 ½ inches wide. Would they all come out perfectly straight the first time? Would they all be exactly consistent from one fabric to another?

The next critical piece to look at is what you intend to do with the fabric. If you love piecing or appliqué--go wild! You'll find all sorts of uses for those strips and charm squares! If you want to challenge yourself to use different tones and colors than you might normally use, find a layer cake that has a colorway you wouldn't normally order from a line, and experiment away! Boutique sewers will find that Jelly Rolls (especially those with all one solid color) make the most perfect ruffles and gathers, not to mention binding and trim. If you love to make toys or aprons, fat quarters are perfect! Charm squares can also be a great way to sample a fabric line. They don't cost much and you'll get a chance to feel the fabric and compare the colors before buying yardage.

Shop the bundles carefully. You'll find that some fabric lines are so highly stylized that they only go with each other, which wouldn't make for good stash fabs if you want to use them for lots of projects. Look at the whole line of fabric online at the manufacturer's website before you purchase a bundle and make sure you can use what's there. I recently purchased an FQ bundle that had lots of polka dot prints, which I use all the time, so it was a great value for me.

Another key to successful pre-cut fabric shopping is to calculate the price-per-piece. Some shops carry slightly different sets of one line than others, so one might have an FQ bundle with 40 fabrics, while another might have 43 in theirs. Some bundles contain a main panel (a larger piece of fabric with a design that is meant to be the center of a quilt or wall hanging) as one of the cuts. And of course, the number of fabrics-per-bundle varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and line to line. Some sellers break up lines into colorways, and others might offer bundles of various fabrics that don't belong to any one line or manufacturer. These are all important factors in judging value.

Finally, always try to find the best value for any fabrics you choose, but consider both the cost and your budget. Determine what you can spend before you shop. If you have $60.00 and find a gorgeous fabric you love for $20.00/yd--get it as long as it's a good value and works with your budget. If you love a line of fabs and have lots of ideas for them, go ahead if it's in the budget. This will help you to make good quality choices on fabrics that work for the projects you want to do. Your stash will be smaller, but you'll finish more projects and like them better.

Here's a rundown of the current unique cuts of fabric available at stores and online across the fabric world:

Some Projects You Can Make Photos 

hemming (311/365.2) by sleepyneko

hemming (311/365.2)

Texture by Brittany G

Texture

Mom's Chemo Quilt - In Progress 2 by knitgirl63

Mom's Chemo Quilt -...

Miniature Quilt Swap - Sent by knitgirl63

Miniature Quilt Swap...

Mom's Chemo Quilt - In Progress by knitgirl63

Mom's Chemo Quilt -...

automatically generated by Flickr

You Can Make Holiday Napkins With Mitered Corners 

How to sew mitered corners

I don't remember where or when I learned how to miter corners on napkins, runners, quilts, etc, I have been asked to help miter corners on various projects, however. I recently ran across a beautiful blog that explains and shows in detail the whole process of hemming holiday napkins with mitered corners.

This process can be used for any sewing project, not just holiday sewing, that requires finishing square corners. Enjoy!

Sewing Ideas You Can Make For Christmas 

Home Made Gifts you can make for special friends and family will be treasured for the tme and love you invested in them.

Pt. 2: How To Make A Simple Dress 0 points

How to Make a Holiday Punchneedle Ornament 0 points

Crochet Christmas Wreath - Holiday 0 points

How to Sew a Handmade Christmas Stocking : How to Sew a Christmas Stocking Together 0 points

How to Make Fabric Christmas Decorations : How to Sew Felt Christmas Frames 0 points

ORGANIZE YOUR SEWING PLACE 

Do you want to simplify, tidy, or completely re-do your sewing area but are overwhelmed by the task of organizing? Fret no more! Organize That Sewing Space will take you through the entire process, step by step, from sorting through everything sewing related, to how to store it efficiently - and keep it that way. With some simple tips and techniques you can transform any space from a frustrating mess into a functional and beautiful place to sew.

Organizing your sewing space will save you valuable time, money, and frustration, while allowing you to put more energy into what you really love - sewing! There is no right or wrong way to organize, so several methods and alternatives are presented throughout this eBook to appeal to every budget and style. Whether you sew occasionally or often, on a kitchen table or in a private studio, you will benefit from the lessons and tips presented in this eBook!
Organize that Sewing Space


***********************************************
Who is curious to get into someone else's sewing room?
This is one gal's step by step process to her new and
organized sewing space.New Sewing room and Tulip festival -

Sewing Tips And Tricks And Hints 

Sewing Tip:
Myra has a neat hint to thread a needle, a new one on me. She says to first fold the end of the thread over the needle. Holding the thread taught, slide it down off the sharp point of the needle, keeping that point pinched up tight. Now, push that point you created right through the eye of the needle. It works great.

Then, while laughing, she reached down, picked up a discarded envelope, cut a very narrow needle-pointed section of its folded edge - about an inch long - then opened that dart-shaped wedge and said, "just lay your thread right in this fold and slip your paper point through the needle's eye." As you grasp the thread, pull the paper back out, leaving the needle threaded. Now I must tell you that was a new one on me.

Sewing Pattern Downloads 

FREE! Make Twirls for Girls for "Toys for Tots!" | Featured Products | YouCanMakeThis.com
Use your time and talents to be a part of something very special. Make and donate tiny twirls for the Toys for Tots Program! Patterns and instructions for 2 different skirts - a patchwork twirl and a wrap skirt - are included in this download.
Quilt block patterns
WebWire (press release) - Atlanta,GA,USA
QuiltBlockLibrary.com offers free quilt block pattern and new video showing how to sew the Bread Basket Quilt Block. Since November 17 is Homemade Bread Day ...

Free Sewing Patterns 

Free Quilt Related Sewing Projects

http://sewing.about.com/od/quilteditems/Free_Quilt_Related_Sewing_Projects.htm
Free Patterns and Projects Sorted by Degree of Difficulty

By Debbie Colgrove, About.com Guide to Sewing
http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects/u/freepatternbyskilllevel.htm
Sew a Cell Phone Case
http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects/ss/cellphonecases_2.htm

New Feed My Search 

Feedmysearch needs your opinion, help and advice
Dear feedmysearch user, Feedmysearch would require some serious server upgrade and a bit of developm...
powered by FeedMySearch

Sewing Patterns 

Scrap Fabric Sewing Patterns | All Free Crafts Blog
Use up your fabric stash to one or more of these scrap fabric sewing projects, including a machine-sewn crazy quilt pillow, fabric towel topper, pin cushion ring. Scrap fabrics can produce some of the most beautiful sewing projects.

How To Sew With A Serger 

Don't miss these fabulous videos that show you how to use your
serger...basic and advanced techniques and ideas.
http://www.sewingwithnancytv.com/index.html?bcpid=1155399719&bclid=1243637993&bctid=1171872933

SEWING FOR CHARITY - Make A Quilt 

You CAN Make a Quilt

SEWING A QUILT

These are not any ordinary quilts. The uniquely designed squares feature a variety of textures and designs that will help people with Alzheimer's disease heighten their senses. The quilts are part of a project Wilson, a senior at East, started in September after being chosen for a community service scholarship last year. The goal is to sew 25 quilts and send them to Alzheimer's patients served by the Hospice of Central Iowa.

Quilting is fun and can be a very social event.
We started the morning looking like a rummage sale in a church hall! These are fabrics donated for us to make charity quilts. We were selling some of them to raise money to buy the threads and batting... it was fun.

New YouTube vids You Can Make Blind Hems 

No matching videos found
automatically generated by YouTube
 

Reader Feedback 

submit
  • Reply
    JanSwartz JanSwartz Nov 3, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
    Great site!
  • Reply
    Jan S. Jan S. Nov 3, 2008 @ 5:12 pm
    Very informative site. I love to sew so will be checking back often.

Special Sewing Blogs 

PuddinPop: Christmas sewing
Christmas sewing, sewing projects, last minute sewing

Sewing Fabric Scraps 

How to Use Scraps of Knit Fabric to Make Origami Squares, Part II - CraftStylish
How to Use Scraps of Knit Fabric to Make Origami Squares, Part II ...
Pin the origami squares and blocks along the neckline, playing with the design until you're happy. Pin them directly to the finished edge of the neckline. Use the bar tack feature on your sewing machine to hold them in place. ...

Unusual Sewing Ideas 

Tattered Worn Towels Can Be Recycled & Saved
Tattered worn towels can be recycled to give them a second life. Find how to save tattered towels here.
Kelli Nina Perkins: Quick Holiday Gift Wrap
Quick Holiday Gift Wrap
By Kelli(Kelli)
I've been needle felting some free form flowers but they were going nowhere, so I pulled together some cute day of the dead skellys made out of cloth/paper. They are attached to black felt and then stitched. I added some embossing to ...

}
}
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Kelli Nina Pe
reuse sewing pattern tissue paper » whip up
Handcraft in a hectic world. Blog about creating craft items.
reuse sewing pattern tissue paper

Sewing Classes 

Sewing Class

Here's the first student for our new sewing class at Clarkston Community Center! She's a refugee from Bhutan, but she has lived the past 15 years in Nepal. She speaks Bhutanese, Nepalese, Hindi, and English. Oh, and she can embroider, knit, crochet, cross stitch and make paper flowers out of candy wrappers. So what is she doing in our sewing class?

Sewing Etc. 

Find Yarn
This Squidoo Lens with sources for buying yarn of all kinds including roving; also needle and other yarn related supplies.
Needle Felting
I enjoy a Needle Felting lens which has a video showing details for making fingers and toes for needle felted dolls.
Quilling Magic
Quilling is having a RESURGENCE and Quilling Magic is
the authority on quilling techniques and resources. Quilling or Paper Filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. a craft from the past that has recently revived.
Sewing Tips For Newbie Quilters
How to quilt: the beginner's guide to quilting.
Sew a Duffel Bag - Free Pattern and Step by Step Directions
Have a bag ready for any quick get away! Personalize your duffel bag so you can find it in the airport luggage. You'll find free pattern and directions here.
OUCH!
My solution of coarse involved making my own oven mitt by first making my own quilted fabric.

* Free Pattern and Directions to Sew an Oven Mitt
* Create Your Own Quilted Fabric
Sewing Discussion at Stitcher's Guild Sewing Forum - Index
Heirloom and Hand Sewing
Cross-Stitch, Hand Sewing and Embroidery, Embellishing, Lacemaking, Knitting, Crochet and Other Needle Arts
CraftPudding: patchwork sewing basket tutorial
I will show step by step how to make a pretty patchwork lid for a basket. You can use it to put your sewing supplies inside, crochet, crafts or whatever you ...
Sewing on the Bias ? Sewing Blog | BurdaStyle.com
Sewing on the bias isn't anything to be scared of, though - you don't have to be Charles Kleibacker to make a beautiful and flattering bias-cut dress!
Sewing Basics
By Leslie Roberts
THE HOMEMAKING ARTS: SEWING
Sewing Basics
Choosing a sewing machine and basic sewing supplies...
Thanksgiving Blessings
1 Thessalonians 5:18
"In everything give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."Have you stopped to think about it?
What DO you have to be thankful for?Like the words of this old hymn ...
Count Your Blessings
When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are
The Dish « The Sewing Divas
couldn't find a pattern for the first one I saw several years ago: a quilted insulated casserole carrier with handles. There are some clever versions to make. Now I can carry that pie in style. It would make a great gift, too. You can dream up your own versions easily.
Preparing Your Fabric for Cross Stitch | DoItYourself.com
The following provides tips on how to get fabric ready for cross stitching.
What's new?: Sewing for the girls
I thought some of you would like to see Kadence's quilt all finished and on her new big-girl bed. This is the first time she's ever had a room all by herself, and she seems pretty pleased. She and her...
Simple Sewing - Origami Pocket Pouch - Swap-bot
Simple Sewing - Origami Pocket Pouch

The sewing is VERY simple, good for beginners but still a fun project for more experienced sewists. I discovered this pouch on a blog called My Little Mochi and the pattern is used by permission (thanks, Myra! ...

You Can Make This Sewing Newsletter 

Find some sewing ideas

You Can Make This
Do you need a gift. do you need a costume? Do you need some inspiration? You can find it all here!
Sew something today.
If you have never seen "You Can Make This" you are in for a treat! They have patterns and kits, lots of pictures and ideas and specials.
You Can Make This!

DOWNLOADABLE PATTERNS AND INSTRUCTIONS YOU CAN MAKEE

by finale

Natural Cures and Home Remedies with Aloe Vera. Aloe The Miracle Doctor, boosts your immune system
and reduces many food sensitivities, has healing an... (more)

Explore related pages

Create a Lens!