Basic Sewing Skills

Want to save money? Learn a few sewing basics and you can laugh all the way to the bank.

Want to create a style all your own? Learn to construct your own clothing.

Want to give your apartment a makeover on a budget? A few bed sheets and our simple patterns are all you need.

Fixing your own clothes isn't hard. It does take some time, but the more you know, the less time it takes to repair a seam or replace a button. And the old adage is true. A stitch in time, when a seam is ripped or a hole appears, really does save nine.

Scissors, needles, thread, a few buttons, a measuring tape and a basic sewing machine and you are in business.

Eventually you may want to expand beyond simple clothing adjustments and repair. Do you have children? Then start with easy summer shirt for a little girl made from a couple of bandana handkerchiefs. Graduate from there to easy costumes for Halloween or for the fifth-grade play.

College students, newlyweds and those of you starting out with your first job, look nice and save money at the same time by constructing your own clothes or remodeling lucky thrift-shop finds.

Use these skills to take full advantage of sales from your favorite store. Often the 75% off racks hold mostly odd sizes. Do the pants fit around but they’re too long? Do you need a size 40 waist but all you can find are 38 and 42? If you know how to shorten pants, or take in or out a waistband, you can buy those pants and wear them, too.

I have a shirt with a drawstring around the neck. What a pain when the drawstring is pulled up into the casing. Not to worry. Fixing a drawstring so it won’t pull out is one of the easiest of fixes.

Complicated projects extend beyond this web site, but watch for our links to grow and include

* putting in a zipper

*identifying the parts of a sewing machine

*replacing buttons both by hand and by machine

*easy ways to patch holes

So don’t worry when a button pops off or the sleeves on that jacket you love are two inches too long. Pull out that needle and thread. With our help you can meet the challenge.

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