wanted to write a book that would be a compilation of fun makeovers and crafty tips and a handheld guide to all you need to know to get your sew or no-sew on, not to mention something that can be accessed regardless of whether or not the Internet is working—sorry unnamed Internet provider whose representatives I’ve spent enough time on the phone with that they can be considered family by now! In these pages, you’ll find some of the most talked-about creations from my blog along with a bevy of new projects and stories I’ve never shared. This is the bring along to craft nights, tote along to thrift stores, have on hand at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, book that fits in a recycled tote or very large purse. (One man’s airplane carry-on is another man’s purse, so what, who cares?!) I’m a highlighter/notemaker/Post-it addict and love having actual books to pull from and reference, so I wanted this to be just that. Somewhere to have all your “dressipes” in one spot as well as places to make notes, keep thread colors, elastic measurements, thrift store recommendations, and the names of awesome associates at Michaels who always help a sistah out.
Each chapter is defined by a unique theme or style. And for each project, you’ll find sew and no-sew options (when available), offering up different routes for you to reach the same end result. We can all be Marthas no matter which path we take toward the finish line.
Does everyone have to own a sewing machine? Pffff, no! Does everyone have to be proficient with a needle and thread? Um, nope! Does everyone have to have an open mind to try and be as creative as possible? Absolutely!
This book isn’t about perfection, it’s about feeling good and trying your crafty best. You can think of me as that really cool teacher who doesn’t give midterms, but instead doles out bright, shiny, sequined stars for participation—and definitely no detention.
To Mrs. Sherman who gave me detention for running in the halls back in middle school, not cool.
I’m a guerrilla seamstress. I didn’t go to fashion school or major in fashion design. I’m a rough-and-tumble, come up with something on the fly to figure it out, kind of gal. For my dresses, I’m just using the skills I learned as a teen and pairing them with tricks I’ve picked up along the way. I’m not perfect, but I make it work, or at least try to.
I encourage you to be creative and not to worry about mistakes—they happen to the best of us. Just know you’ll get better the more you practice. Cliché, yes, but totally true.
The first time I tried to drive I was using both feet and had the brake pedal pushed the whole time, thinking that was fine. Since then I’ve worked my way into Good Driver discount status with my insurance, so that right there is a faux-pas-turned-hur-rah!
Use this book as if it’s me sitting right next to you while you use a seam ripper to remove an appliqué, or glue rhinestones to a purse. It’s a petite version of me to carry around in your bag while you sift through estate sale treasures. I’m very excited to be hanging with you—if only I could actually enjoy chicken sandies at Chick-fil-A and have happy hour with you too, then that would be complete aces.
Filling up a grocery cart is a no-brainer: fruits and veggies, Ben & Jerry’s half baked Fro Yo, Reduced Fat Cheez-Its, and Dunkin’ Donuts ground coffee are my staples. However, what to put in a sewing kit, especially if you’re new to the sewing game, can be a bit trickier than choosing what kind of cereal to get.
I remember sifting through my mom’s sewing box as a kid and looking at the different colored spools and bobbins as well as some weird looking, razor-ruler thingamajig (sliding gauge), metal claspy thingies (presser-foot replacements), and a plastic red thing (thimble) that looked like it should be a piece on my Monopoly board. The idea of a sewing kit full of these random things may be a little daunting to a newbie. At first they were foreign objects to me too. Only years later do I fully understand their purpose. It has taken some time to procure my dream sewing kit, but if you’re impatient (which is usually me on the regular) here’s a cheat sheet for the basics to fill your first sewing kit!
Bobbins: If you use a sewing machine, you know how important a bobbin is. These plastic or metal miniature wheels wind thread and are inserted underneath the needle plate. Depending on how many projects you’ve got going on at once, multiple bobbins with multiple thread shades are a treat to have, just so you don’t have to rewind each time you sew a different colored fabric. If one disappears after an accidental drop (those measly little suckers) you won’t be in despair and forced to wait until the fabric store opens to pick up more. ($1+) (Also see “Bobbins”)
Elastic: It’s stretchy, comes in handy when straps break, and is easy to replace when waistlines become too stretched out. Available in a variety of widths—though usually in white (black and assorted colors can be found as well)—elastic should find a spot in your kit. ($0.50+)
Embellishments (buttons, rhinestones, ribbons, trim, and colorful accents): These are all awesome extras to keep in your sewing kit. Sometimes extra matching buttons are found sewn inside a garment. You never know when you’ll need a rainbow ribbon to make a belt or some rhinestones to cover up a spot!
Glues: For quick adhesive options, glue rules!
• Glue guns are a necessity for adhering ribbon to a clip or feathers to a purse. Easy to use; just plug it in, add a glue stick, and wait for it to warm up. It’s a gun that you can’t get arrested for using … just be careful of the hot metal tip!
Using glue guns often leaves spider-webby strings behind on your fabric. To get rid of these, take a hair dryer, wave it over the strings, and watch them vanish and melt away like the Wicked Witch of the West. Mwahahaha.
• Aleene’s makes a great assortment of non-hot glues: Fabric Fusion fastens trims and fabrics together. Glitter & Gem Glue affixes those blingy rhinestones. Flexible Stretchable Fabric Glue binds ribbons or other embellishments to stretchy fabrics.
• Krazy Glue and E-6000 are both ridiculously strong glues perfect for fixing broken buttons or gluing pinbacks to vintage Bakelite charms or felted flowers.
• Fray Check is a glue-adjacent liquid. It’s not sticky, but when added to the bottom of cut fabric, it stops ragged edges from forming without any sewing. ($1+)
Marking utensils: Chalk, fabric crayons, and Sharpies are just a few of many tools you can use to mark your fabrics. For working on lighter colored fabrics and making marks that shouldn’t be apparent, the best devices are neutral (pencil, fabric crayon, or invisible ink marker) or erasable (invisible ink marker or chalk). A Sharpie can do the trick for making lines that won’t be seen or marking spots to glue rhinestones—but be careful, this ink is permanent. ($1+)
Needles: Basic hand needles, or “sharps,” are about one to two inches long on average, with a round eye (the hole where the thread is pulled through) and a medium-sized point (for sticking through the fabric). It’s always good to have a stash of hand-stitching needles nearby. A pack of assorted hand-stitching needles is your best bet—you’ll get a mix of all sizes and will have plenty of options to choose from, depending on what you’re sewing, as different fabrics warrant different needles.
Sewing-machine needles are sized according to the fabric being sewn. Thinner needles work with thinner/finer fabrics, and thicker needles work with thicker/heavier fabrics—you won’t want a thick needle to pierce a fine silk, leaving holes in the fabric, right? The technical scale works like this—the thinner the needle, the lower the number (i.e., American scale 8, 9 or European scale 60, 70) and the thicker the needle, the higher the number (i.e., American scale 18, 19 or European scale 100, 110). Sewing-machine needles also have a sharp edge and an eye on one end, but have a shaft and a shank area (rounded on one side and flat on the other end) that is secured into the sewing machine. For starters, universal or ballpoint needles are standard enough to work well with your cottons and knits. Start off here and you’ll have your basics, with regard to needles, covered. ($2+) (Also see “Machine Needles”)
Needle threader: Some days the thread just doesn’t want to agree with the eye of the needle. A needle threader comes in handy during these times. It’s a small gadget with a round tin or plastic head and a diamond-shaped piece of wire attached. You put the wire piece through the eye, then loop the thread through the wire, and pull the wire and thread through the eye, successfully threading the needle. This can be found among the notions in the craft store. ($1+)
Ruler/yardstick: You’ll need something to assist in drawing a straight line on your pieces when not cutting freehand. Rulers, yardsticks, or even a phone book will do. (Free+)
Safety pins: For pinchin’ and cinchin’. Any size and color of safety pins will do. Get an assortment to keep on hand for mishaps! ($1+)
Scissors: If you can, invest in a good pair because they’ll instantly become your BFF. You want a pair about six to eight inches in length that can easily cut through different kinds of fabrics, so make sure you feel comfortable holding them, and test them out pre-purchase. Steel or nickel-plated scissors are ideal, especially a pair that can be sharpened when it becomes dull. Budget scissors can also do the trick, but need to be replaced more often. I use my mom’s Singer pair from her college days and they’re amazing. Fiskars, Kai, and Gingher make excellent snippers as well. ($8–$30+)
TAKING BABY STEPS
The idea of cutting through a garment with a pair of scissors can be very scary; however, the more you cut, the better you’ll become! Practice with old dish towels or rags to start, then work your way up to an actual garment. Good thing you can find thrifted pieces on the cheap to test the waters! If you make a few mistakes, no biggie.
Seam ripper: This is one of my favorite tools—it makes removing stitches (without ripping the fabric) a breeze. It’s basically a plastic stick with a sharp metal point. Another point has a red ball on the end; the end with the ball slides between the seam to cut through the thread. The sharp end is also great for taking out individual stitches, like the ones that keep on embellishments or buttons. This handheld tool ranges in size: I have a mini (two and a half inches) in my to-go kit and a traditional size (five inches) that I use at home. ($2+)
Sewing box: Be it a true sewing box, plastic shoebox, old cigar box (I had one when I was a kid to hold beads), thread organizer, or travel makeup case—whatever works for you—you need something to house your necessities. I’ve got an assortment of plastic flour and sugar jars, photo boxes, plastic compartmental boxes from Ikea, and an old Clinique travel case as parts of my compound in Sew World, USA. Yeah, I see it as a little neighborhood in a very chic village. (Free+)
Sewing machine: The main event! From boutique sewing stores and mass merchandisers to garage sales and online sites, machines can be found all over the place. Try to test them out first to see what model will suit your sewing needs best, unless you’re being given Aunt Patti’s old one, in which case you graciously accept regardless! For more advice on machine sewing, check out this page. (Used $60+)
Stitch Witchery: A no-sew wonder that fuses two fabrics together. This thinner, feltlike material comes rolled up like a spool of ribbon, and once placed between two fabrics and ironed down, it binds them together. For the non-sewers and sewers looking for a shortcut without consequences, Stitch Witchery is like Glinda the Good Witch in this Emerald City of Sewing. ($3+)
Straight pins and pincushions: Pins are a necessity in the sewing game and they keep hems in place prior to sewing. They also work well as temporary holding devices to test locations for vintage patches or appliqués before actually sewing them down. Straight pins with glass or plastic balls on the head, flat heads, or stainless-steel dressmaker pins are all basic options to pick from. Pins range in size—the larger the millimeters (mm), the thicker the pin.
Make sure you’ve got a pincushion to house your pins because it’s not fun to accidentally step on a rogue one. Anything that will keep the pins together works, from the stuffed tomato or Grabbit Magnetic Pincushion to old, holey, rolled-up socks. Well, except for your mouth—it’s not a proper, safe, or sanitary pincushion—no matter how easy and close by it is! (Pins $1+, Pincushions Free–$2+)
Tape measure: A handy, flexible ruler of sorts that can measure fabric length as well as your waist and hips! (Lots of fabric stores hand these out as promotional freebies.) (Free+)
Thimble: A traditional steel or nickel-plated thimble or a rubber thimblette are good to have on hand—literally and figuratively. They will help push the needle through thicker fabric so you won’t poke and injure your fingers. I have one and rarely use it because I think I’m tough, but I curse my stupidity each time I get pricked. Lots of times they come with travel sewing kits. PS: Don’t try to use the one that comes with a Monopoly game. ($1+)
Thread: Black, neutral, and white for sure—other colors can follow. Keep your eyes peeled for 50-wt (this is a pretty universal weight standard) in cotton or polyester (which tends to be cheaper too!). There will be 30-wt and 40-wt’s out there as well, but just keep in mind that the higher the number, the finer the thread. ($1+)
Velcro: Fast fabric fasteners (say that three times fast) that offer a quick fix for making things stick. These hook-and-loop pieces with adhesive backings work like this: One side is fuzzy, the other side is prickly, and when they touch, they stick together! Velcro comes in a variety of styles and sizes, from strips you can custom cut to ready-made circles and squares to use in place of metal hook-and-eye closures or zippers. ($1+)
WHERE TO PURCHASE THE ESSENTIALS?
• Craft stores like Michaels and Jo-Ann’s—you’ll find everything on the list.
• Mass merchandisers like Target and Walmart.
• Drugstores and 99-Cent stores.
• eBay or etsy.com—You can find everything here, just beware of shipping costs.
• Hotels—Many hotels have travel sewing kits (needles, a little bit of thread, and safety pins) in the rooms! Snag some for free next time you’re on the road.
If I can offer any words of advice on the safety front, they are: Don’t Rush! Slow Down!
Even though Paula Abdul told us to “Rush, Rush,” we don’t need to hurry when sewing. The last thing you want to do is pierce through anything other than fabric. (I’m talkin’ ’bout fingers, friends.) Needle through skin is not pleasant, and needle through nail is even more unpleasant—take it from someone who has done just that.
Who’s got two thumbs and sewed right through her index finger? This gal! They don’t call me Olive Oyl for nothing!
This is true not only with your handheld needle and thread, but especially when using the sewing machine. Take your time. Even if you’re supposed to meet friends at 9:00 P.M. to make it to a birthday party before parking spaces get taken and it’s now 8:15 P.M., and you still have more work to finish on your fun party dress, don’t try to sew at epic speeds to make it in time. Screw the parking spaces and just cab it.
