- Natalie Elizabeth 1 Comment

Eight Reasons to Sew Your Own Clothes

Making your own clothes may seem like a forgotten art but dust off your sewing machine because here are eight reasons to  and sew your own clothes. 8. Sewing your own clothes is an eco-friendly option You’ve probably heard that our landfills are growing rapidly because of yesterday’s fashion.  Clothes are made cheaply and sold cheaply, that means what looks great today could be falling apart within a few weeks.  It all heads over to the dump, but no worries,[Read more]

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How To Sew In Elastic-Make Gather with Sewn in Elastic

Sewing gathers with elastic is a great way to add texture to your project without sacrificing comfort.  Sewing in elastic is quick and easy.  Here is a tutorial on how to sew in elastic. It is perfect for leg holes and waistbands in baby clothes because it allows for free range of motion for little ones. I use is all the time when sewing baby clothes or cloth diapers. Step 1: Cut Elastic Cut a piece of elastic shorter than[Read more]

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How to Sew a Rolled Hem

rolled hem

Sewing a rolled hem can add a beautiful edge to your hem, pocket, ruffled edge, and so much more. The rolled hem is a really fun and easy method that will save you time finishing your projects.  So, happy sewing, and post in the comments some of the projects you have used the rolled hem method! What You Will Need: -Sewing Machine -Fabric or Garment You Are Working On (It’s always a good idea to practice new techniques on scrap[Read more]

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Why I Left Facebook

And other news from my year away from social media… We’ve all heard the security and privacy reasons for kissing Facebook goodbye, but I actually turned mine off about two weeks before the scandal hit the news. After about six months without it, you couldn’t pay me to get back on.  Here’s what happened. I had been wanting to shut it down for years.  What started off as a fun way to show off dumb photos my senior year of[Read more]

- Natalie Elizabeth 3 Comments

Upholstery Basics: Remove Old Fabric

Step 2: Removing Old Fabric The second basic step of upholstery is to remove all existing fabric and making a note of the order in which you remove that fabric.  Everything taken off will have to be put back on in the opposite order. 1.   Find out how much fabric you will need.   2. Remove old fabric from furniture noting the order in which you remove panels of fabric. 3.  Replace new fabric in the opposite order you[Read more]

- Natalie Elizabeth 2 Comments

How to Choose Upholstery Fabric

Choosing the right upholstery fabric for your project depends on two things: the amount of fabric and its weight. The Three Basic Steps to Upholstery 1.   Find out how much upholstery fabric you will need.  If you Google “upholstery chart” you will find many guides to determine how much fabric you need for your particular project.  I always buy more than I need especially if it has a pattern that I want to match up. 2. Strip furniture noting the[Read more]

- Natalie Elizabeth 2 Comments

Upholstery Basics Series to Brighten Your home This Spring!

Upholstery can add color to any room and breathe new life into old furniture.  Upholstery is a much less expensive option than buying new furniture.  Beyond that, the sky is the limit as far as patterns and materials so you always end up with a custom look! I, like many, was intimidated by the upholstery process but this winter decided to delve into it headlong! Although it does take some time none of the steps in upholstery are particularly complicated.  If[Read more]

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DIY Autumn Wreath for Under $10

Fall is here! That means it’s time for warmer wardrobes, hayrides, and autumn decor!  But even small home decor items can add up to costly sums when you are sprucing up your living space.  Here is a beautiful autumn wreath that costs less than $10 to make and is fun for the whole family! What you will need: One Wreath (I have one wreath that I am constantly changing the decor for.  If you have an old Christmas wreath lying around[Read more]

- Natalie Elizabeth 1 Comment

How to Get Out Of Debt Quickly

If you are like me you probably have roughly $20,000 debt you are eternally paying off.  Are you wondering “How can I get out of debt more quickly?” Never ending monthly payments and interest seem to be keeping you broke even though you have a good paying job. Student debt is becoming a national crisis with more graduates than ever leaving college thousands of dollars in debt and no job prospects to speak of. We had been plugging along nicely paying[Read more]