Saturday, September 8, 2007

Easy Sewing Projects

By Kathy Uehling

If you’ve ever played around on a sewing machine, or know someone who sews often, you probably know how many really neat things you can do. There are so many easy sewing projects that even a beginner can do quickly. Here are some of the cool things you can create through sewing.

Gifts and Home Décor:

You can create custom made gifts for your friends, family members and even your co-workers. Everyone loves a hand made gift that has been crafted out of love. I don’t mean some hokey little Kleenex cover that no one will use. I mean real, cherished gifts. You can easily create things like gorgeous roman shades, or even custom tailored clothing that will fit better than any clothing purchased at a department store. Imagine yourself sewing home décor for next to nothing, and the recipients will think you’ve spent hundreds of dollars. It’s fulfilling to see the happiness and surprise that a gift this beautiful will evoke.

Clothing:

You can make custom tailored clothing for yourself or your children very easily. Even a beginner can create couture style clothing that will look like it cost hundreds of dollars. The benefits of clothing that you’ve made yourself are numerous. You can use whatever colors and shades that you want. Don’t you hate when you’re trying to find something in a specific color and it just doesn’t exist? You are creating it specifically tailored, so it will fit so much better than store bought clothing. We don’t all have the exact same body styles, and each of us has our own unique little differences. Custom tailored clothing looks much better when we wear it, as well.

You can save money:

If you were to have your clothing or your children’s clothing custom made, you would spend hundreds if not thousands for a piece of clothing. With easy sewing tips, you can create the exact same articles of clothing for less than you would spend for clothes at a discount store!

These things are all possible, even if don’t have experience sewing. There are so many ‘sewing how to’ guides and sewing online tutorials that will give you the secrets to create these types of things. Of course, you could spend months learning how to sew with complicated sewing tutorials, but why not do it the easy way? We don’t all have months to waste on learning how to sew. There are some really great sewing tutorials and sewing how to guides that will show you how to complete easy sewing projects that just look as if they’ve taken months.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to sew, don’t fret. Learn how to sew the easy way, with easy projects that make amazing and gorgeous results. Be careful, though. After a few gifts and projects, your entire group of friends and family will be submitting sewing requests! If you’re a practical but creative person who would love to create amazing gifts and do easy sewing projects for yourself, this is the perfect thing for you. Utilize online sewing guides and tutorials to create beautiful clothing and gifts for yourself and the people you love.

I'm a freelance writer who writes about a wide variety of subjects. I like to help people discover ideas, products and services that will benefit their lives.

http://www.squidoo.com/easy-sewing-projects

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Purchasing A Sewing Machine - What Do I Need To Be Aware Of?

By Linda Keaveny

Purchasing a sewing machine can be intimidating if you don’t do your home work. There are several things to consider, most important would be how will you be using the machine. Are you a serious sewer, occasional sewer, just need it for repairs or are you into embroidery, tailoring and decorative finishes.

How much do you want to spend? Do you have a brand preference, are you aware that several brands are actually manufactured by the same company. Are the attachments standard or specialized (which could cost more for accessories).

If purchasing a replacement sewing machine, will all the feet and accessories you currently have fit the machine you want to purchase. Be sure the machine you are considering has all the features you want or need.

Does it have a buttonhole attachment?

Can you drop the feed dogs for free machine stitching?

What type of maintenance is required?

Does it come with a warranty? What does the warranty cover?

What type of support does it come with? Are there classes provided or available for your new machine?

Does the machine have an automatic needle threader? How easy is it to thread?

Where is the bobbin located? Is it easily accessible?

What is the heaviest fabric the machine can handle? Will it handle several thicknesses of denim? How does it sew on lightweight fabrics?

Does it have a free arm for difficult to sew areas?

Take a poll of your friends who sew. Find out what brand machine they use, are they happy with their’s? Find out what they do and don”t like and why. Ask to try their machine.

Do most of your initial legwork on line. Most machine manufacturers have web sites, where you can gain valuable information regarding features and costs. Next, prepare a list of all features you want and start visiting the different sewing machine stores and get a feel for the different machines. Don’t over buy and pay extra for features you will never use.

Choosing the right machine will be easy if you are prepared, it all comes down to requirements and budget. If your budget will not purchase all your needs you might consider a re-manufactured machine, but check for warranties and support.

You could try negotiating a lower price with the dealer, you never know until you try.

To Creative Endeavors

Linda Keaveny

Linda Keaveny operates http://www.sewingquiltingcrafts.com a blog all about sewing. quilting and crafts. She loves giving away free stuff. and is now giving away memberships to her newsletter.
You're not going to believe what you get when you sign up...and it's all free! More information here:http://www.sewingquiltingcrafts.com

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