We could all use more serenity in our lives. Our Mindfulness Patch rounds out the collection of seven custom machine embroidery hobby patch designs available in our Etsy Shop. If the study of tranquility is part of your daily practice, or of someone you love, this patch is a perfect reminder to stop, breathe, and
Sharing a delicious homemade meal with family and friends is one of life’s richest pleasures, filling our souls as well as our stomachs. This patch gives the chef a shout-out and wishes the entire table, “Bon Appetit!” The included thread chart details our delicious color combination of sunflower gold, geranium red, inky black, and bright
Experts may differ on the exact number of steps you should aim for each day, but they unanimously agree walking is one of the best activities for a healthy lifestyle. Whether you hit thousands of steps on your FitBit or Apple Watch or simply take a lap around the block, getting out and about is
Pets are family. They are important companions who are always ready to offer a wagging tail or a comforting purr. Celebrate your love for a special dog or cat with our colorful custom embroidered faces. As a gorgeous faceted design, they have the look of stained glass. The unique angles and color placement give them
Available in our Etsy Shop in 8 major machine embroidery formats, this custom design features a vintage VW Bus on its way to adventures near and far. Stitch it as a patch or directly onto a finished, off-the-rack item.
If you are happiest when digging in the dirt, this embroidery design is for you. Or, perhaps there’s a Happy Gardener on your gift list. Our design would be delightful stitched directly onto the bib of a work apron or coveralls. Or use it as a patch to apply to a tote, duffle or even
Where will your adventures take you?! This striking design can be stitched as a stand-alone patch or embroidered directly onto the base fabric or project of your choice. Available in our S4H Etsy shop in 8 machine formats.
It’s what we do. When we aren’t actually sewing, we’re thinking about sewing, planning a project, shopping for fabric, dreaming about a new machine… and “sew” much more! This embroidery design cleverly sums it up. Available exclusively in our S4H Etsy Shop, our Eat-Sew-Sleep custom design is a single embroidery file provided in your choice
This year, the month of May doesn’t just bring flowers… it brings Flower Power! We’re excited to debut our newest machine embroidery design set. Thanks to a sponsorship from our friends at Janome America, it’s FREE to you in six major embroidery formats. There are four bold florals along with a companion single element for
You can’t beat the sewing ease and fashion versatility of a classic scarf. There are really only two steps: pick a fancy fabric, finish the edge. We show three ways to hem a square and a rectangle – as well as our fave cutting tips.
You’ve all seen puffer jackets. The look has now shown up on high-end bags! S4H leads the pack, bringing you a DIY version. We combine ripstop nylon and high loft batting, creating the texture with straight line quilting + ruler work.
Ragging – letting your seam allowances show and fray on the outside – is traditionally found on blankets, pillows + quilts. We stepped outside that box to use the technique on a pair of trendy canvas + flannel totes.
The headlines are endless; we should all be exercising every day, getting lots of rest, drinking more water. These intentions are certainly worthy, but for now, let’s look beyond the standard list to some Sewing Self Improvement Goals. We were excited to join a new series from Janome at the beginning of 2024: Sew Smarter.
Add a graceful floral touch to pillow covers, linens, garments, and more. This free embroidery collection includes six different designs, each in two size formats. Cross stitch cloth was a perfect base fabric for the delicate designs.
A set of plants in these cute and clever baskets makes a lovely gift idea. They’d also be fun as table decorations for a family gathering – or set up an assembly line and make matching baskets to adorn the tables at a wedding.
Learn how to create this unique edge finish with a padded satin stitch. It’s an easy technique that works especially well on the bias edges of scallops. The result is smooth, stable, and beautiful. We show it on both napkins + placemats.
If the mention of “scallops” has you dreaming of a tasty seafood dinner, you’re in for another type of treat. Our scallops run around the perimeter of a placemat and are finished with a padded satin stitch. There’s also a companion project available to create matching napkins. Make one or make both. The
In cooking, sometimes it takes just a pinch of this and a dash of that to bring a dish to its full flavor. It’s similar in sewing, where a splash of embellishment can be the finishing touch to make your project shine. For this classic single-layer apron, we used the Janome 3-Way Cording foot to
Make our scaled-down stocking as table décor, use several to hold flatware, create an elegant place card or adorn a gift box. It’s made”in the hoop” with just a single line of stitching to finish. Free embroidery download too.
It’s the call of the wild! Our adorable lumbar pillow pair features a Gregarious Gator and an Amiable Elephant. You’ll find all the steps for three different appliqué techniques: outline and stitch, raw edge, and reverse.
Applying initials to something to identify it as undeniably yours dates back as far as the signet rings of the ancient Romans. Today, machine monogramming makes it easy. Janome expert, Anne Hein reviews a variety of options.
What’s the difference between pressing and ironing? What are the best practices of each? Why is it so important to “press as you go”? When do you need a pressing cloth? So many questions, and we have some answers.
Bright and fanciful designs can add a splash of freshness to linens, garments, and more. Pick a Grapefruit, Papaya, Pineapple, Watermelon or Grapes. Use one or collect them all as a set. Free downloads in 8 formats.
We took a classic, box-style zippered case and embellished it with a blend of Sashiko style straight stitching and Sashiko style machine embroidery. Learn the techniques to simulate this beautiful handwork tradition with your machine.
Sashiko means “little stabs” and references the running stitch that is a defining feature of this traditional handwork. The style can be created by machine using a Triple Stitch, often found in your machine’s utility stitch collection.
We took at peek at some favorite cross stitch options from the experts at FQS this past Spring. The good news is: patterns are still in stock and many of the Stitch Alongs are available in their YouTube channel archives.
When you want to keep a seamed edge sharp and clean, you understitch the inside piece to the seam allowance so it won’t roll to the outside along the edge seam and look all messy and unprofessional. Learn the steps.
Join us, along with our friends at Janome, as we pull together information, tutorials, and projects to rekindle sewing as a real life survival skill. Now is the time to remember, re-learn, and teach others how to create from scratch.
We’ve alphabetized 20 terms into a mini glossary. If you’re a pro, buzz through and see how many you know. If you’re new, use them as great vocabulary builders as well as to impress your non-sewing friends.
Covered buttons are cool! They add the special touch that says, “Stand back… I’m a home décor professional.” Making them with a kit is easy and inexpensive. We like working with the Dritz kits – available in lots of sizes.
We all love little cheats and hacks! Our popular Cheat Cards cover important, need-to-know sewing tips and/or techniques in a handy business card size: 2” wide x 3½” high. Get the six card set for just $1.99 in our Etsy Shop.
Our beautiful abstract flower design is full of flourishes – perfect to render in the soft texture of a quality wool blend felt. When done in striking solids, this appliquéd pillow makes a stunning statement.
One of the signs of a truly well-made project is that it looks nearly as good on the inside as it does on the outside. Finishing a project’s inside raw edges elevates the final appearance and adds to your sewing toolbox.
Create a square pillow with an embroidered peace symbol and a coordinating rectangular pillow with the word PEACE embroidered in a gorgeous floral flourish. Our custom embroidery designs are offered as free file downloads.
Mistakes happen to the best of us. The good news: ripping out a seam and starting over is something we all do all the time. With a little care and patience, it’s an easy fix and no one but you is ever likely to know it happened.
Learn to achieve tip top topstitching and enviable edgestitching. For embellishment or assembly, stitching visible from the right side is an important detail and its precision can make or break the final outcome of your project.
Learn our tips for using a pair of standard hemostats to quickly, easily, and smoothly turn tiny ties. Once turned, we also show you how a thin piece of cardboard is the perfect template jig for pressing the tie flat and even.
Sometimes the perfect webbing or strapping you’ve selected for a project is simply too darn wide for the D-ring or Swivel Hook you really want/need to use. Try this quick trick to bring your wide webbing down to size.
When you want a professional look for your best bag or tote plus the security of a full closure, you can’t go wrong with the recessed inset zipper. Follow our step-by-step tutorial to see how easy it can be.
No matter what kind of sewing you do, sooner or later, you will likely have to sew a dart. To get the perfect contour a dart should provide, follow our professional tips for marking, stitching, and pressing. We review 6 styles.
Ah – decorative stitching… as long as you’re going straight, all is well. Then the corner approaches. If making a turn with a decorative stitch has you puzzled, we’re here to help with several ways to make a turn for the better.