Sewing Basics

Learn the essential sewing skills every beginner needs to get started with confidence. This category covers sewing fundamentals such as fabric types, tools and equipment, sewing terminology, cutting and pressing techniques, machine setup, and simple stitches. You’ll find step-by-step tutorials, practical tips, and troubleshooting advice designed to build strong foundations for garment sewing, pattern drafting, and DIY projects. Perfect for beginners and a helpful refresher for experienced sewists looking to master the basics and improve sewing accuracy and results.

Handmade women’s fitted jersey T-shirt with clean neckline and smooth waist fit

How to Sew a Fitted T-Shirt for Women Using a Custom Bodice & Sleeve Block

Leave a Comment / Sewing Basics, Women Clothing /

Sewing a fitted T-shirt that actually fits is difficult when you rely on commercial patterns. In this beginner-friendly guide on how to sew a fitted T-shirt for women, you’ll learn to create a custom jersey T-shirt that fits your body perfectly using a bodice and sleeve block drafted to your own measurements. This tutorial builds directly […]

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Completed DIY t-shirt sleeve block for stretch fabric sewing

How to Draft a T-Shirt Sleeve Pattern (Step-by-Step for Stretch Fabrics)

Leave a Comment / Children’s Clothing, Pattern Drafting, Sewing Basics, Women Clothing /

In this beginner-friendly tutorial, I will show you how to draft a T-shirt sleeve pattern step by step, designed to match a custom T-shirt bodice block. This sleeve drafting method uses stretch jersey measurements and creates a sleeve block that fits the arm comfortably without restricting movement or overstretching the fabric. This tutorial builds directly on my T-shirt bodice block drafting

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Natural fabric washing and preshrinking before sewing to prevent shrinkage

How to Pre-Wash and Prepare Natural Fabrics Before Sewing

Leave a Comment / Home Textile, Sewing Basics, Women Clothing /

After following my previous post on natural fibres, you went out and bought some wonderful cotton, wool and rayon fabrics and are itching to get started because the fabrics are so beautiful. But wait! Before you go near the colourful stash with the shears, you need to prepare and prewash the natural fabrics before sewing to

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KAM snaps

Uncover unique and creative fastener materials for reusable pads

Leave a Comment / Reusable Items, Sewing Basics /

In the final instalment on materials for reusable pads I will delve into some predictable and some creative options for closure materials for reusable pads. Some options will include what you already might have in your fabric and notions stash. If you wanted to catch up in the previous posts in the series, here is

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Stack of top layer fabrics

Ultimate Guide: Tested Top Layer Materials for Reusable Pads

Leave a Comment / Reusable Items, Sewing Basics /

In the first post of the series on the materials for reusable pads I explored the backing layers of the reusable pads. The second post was dedicated to the very important absorbent layers. In this post I will delve into the various options of the top layer materials for reusable pads, sharing with my experience

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Stack of absorbent fabrics

The most reliable absorbent materials for reusable pads

Leave a Comment / Reusable Items, Sewing Basics /

Welcome to the second part of the four parties serious on best materials for reusable pads. In this post I will go through the most popular and reliable options, highlighting the pros and cons of each and explaining where and how I would use either material to achieve the required customisation to create sanitary, maternity

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Stack of backing fabrics for reusable pads

5 unique and effective backing materials for reusable pads

Leave a Comment / Reusable Items, Sewing Basics /

When I first started making reusable pads, choosing the backing material felt surprisingly overwhelming. Most commercially available pads used a stay-dry top layer paired with PUL (polyurethane laminate) backing, so naturally that was where I started too. At first, I was perfectly happy with it. But after using reusable pads long term — through regular

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