Last week, I had to sew a button back onto my husband's work shirt at the last minute. Once again, my little sewing kit saved the day. If you find yourself in a similar bind, this is what I suggest.
Here are the steps: 1. First use a small needle and matching thread. 2. Start by threading your needle and knotting the thread at the end. 3. To make sure that the button is aligned and straight with the others, place the shirt flat and button it from top to bottom. 4. Place the button that needs to be sewn on next to the corresponding hole. Starting from the inside of the shirt, sew the button in a criss cross pattern - making sure not to miss a hole . 5. Repeat this pattern several times before looping the last stitch on the inside of the of the shirt to make sure that it is strong and won't fall off again.
My husband went happily off to work and I put my sewing kit away until next time. With the above suggestions, I'm sure both you and those you sew for will be just as happy.
I used to complain when my mother or grandmother tried to teach me things such as sewing by hand. I thought that I would never need to know that skill. But, since we did not have a sewing machine and there were 6 kids in the house, there were always a lot of rips and tears to fix.
I recently put my hand sewing skills to good use and I'm glad I paid attention. I had purchased a pair of gorgeous black dress pants on sale that I fell in love with. When I got home I quickly found out the pants were too long for me, but I loved the style so much that I wanted to keep them. So I pulled out the good old sewing kit that my mother gave to me, and that you should never be without. The sewing kit I use has all the basic tools that you need in such emergencies.
How did I fix the problem, and what can you do in such a case? This is what I recommend. First prepare the pants by folding the hem until both pant legs are even to the height you need. J & O Fabric store Fact: In order to insure that you make the right cut iron the hems so that you have a straight line . Cut two inches below the line that you made. Next step, grab a medium size needle with black thread from your kit.
First start by threading your needle and knotting your thread at one end.
Now you are ready to start sewing. You should make your first stitch at the thickest part of the pant leg which is where the two ends meet. Proceed to sew the hem with an in and out motion, being careful that your stitches are all about one quarter inch apart and straight all around. Loop the last stitch to make sure that the hem does not fall out while you are walking. With gentle ironing you should be all set.
Now let everyone see what you learned from mom and take your husband or wife out to dinner in your hand sewn pants.
Fabric. . . it's just delicious. It's soft, comfy and warm. It can be bright and pretty and draw you to touch it. Stretchy or stiff, snug and homely, here at J&O we just love fabric. At our store in New Jersey, it's literally all over the place. We have huge rolls of decoratives stacked on top of each other, a wall filled with tapestries of all kinds, and additional rolls on the floor display. Not to mention our aisles and aisles of novelty cottons from every manufacturer imaginable.
There's something about seeing rolls of beautiful fabric that signifies potential; a raw material with "sew" many possibilities. Could be a summer dress, a pair of slacks, a quilt, drapes, the possibilities go on and on. Meditating on all the possibilities could make a fabric lover go crazy.
Just think, we spend our whole lives wrapped in some kind of cloth. From the moment we arrive in this world to when our fragile shells deteriorate and become apart of the Earth, fabric is apart of our lives. Cotton, linen, cashmere, wool, silk and including polyester and rayon, fabric can be used for everything from apparel, to sails on a sailboat, to becoming a base for a lamp. Every group of people on this planet use fabric, so it can almost be put on the same level as food and shelter (or maybe not, lol).
From another perspective, if you sew, you're appreciation for fabrics may be on a more conscious level than everyone else. Someone who sews is constantly working, touching, manipulating and shaping fabric. So it's normal for a sewer to absolutely LOVE fabrics. Some sewers walk into our store in New Jersey and become overwhelmed at the amount of fabric we have. Who doesn't adore gorgeous fabric, that not only has an awesome surface but is pleasant to the touch? It's perfectly all right to buy fabric just because you think its gorgeous, without any immediate use in mind.
If you're an avid sewer, building up your very own "fabric stash." is an excellent way to stimulate your creativity. There's just something about looking at neatly folded stacks of beautiful fabric that will provoke a sense of calm and serenity. On a side note, we'll let you in on a little secret. . . the fabric industry is in many ways like the ever-changing fashion industry; styles come and go, prints come and go; items go in and out of style. So, if there's a print you just absolutely love, get it before it's gone and discontinued. Even the most popular prints have a cut off point.
J&O Fabrics is dedicated to doing all we can to keep your sewing possibilities fresh. If you LOVE fabric, celebrate it! Teach someone how to sew, make someone a quilt, or sew your own drapes. Allow yourself to reconnect with something that's very closely woven into our lives.
J&O Fabrics. . . sew many possibilities _______________________________________
If you're in the area, visit our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey, right outside of Philadelphia. The size of a supermarket, we have the largest selection of fabrics in New Jersey! Everything we carry is not on our website, so if you're in the area, check us out and browse our fabric aisles.
J&O Fabric Center 9401 Route 130 South Where Rt.73 and 130 meet Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110 info@jandofabrics.com
Is there even such a thing as no sew sewing???? Did you know that if you don't know how to sew, or don't have the patience to get out the old sewing machine, there are actually ways to attach fabric to another fabric without threading a needle? If you've only seen the thin strips of Stitch Witchery at your local drugstore, thats only the beginning.
There are all kinds of no sew products out on the market now. There are items such as fusible webbing, spray adhesive and fabric glue. For example our Heat N' Bond Iron-On Adhesive will give instant results without a lot of fuss.
Typically if you're making a garment, there's no easy way to get around sewing. For example, you probably will have a hard time making a prom dress without sewing, but if you're just making simple curtains etc., there are sewing alternatives.
Here are a few ideas for the budding craftmasters! - Hem pants without a visible stitch
- Make quick repairs
- Decorate Hat Boxes/ Shoe Boxes
- Make homemade greeting cards
- Create and Attach Appliques
- Fuse Trims to Fabrics
The possibilities for no sew sewing can be as limitless as your imagination and creativity. Log on to our upcoming Notions and Sewing Accessories Section and explore all of our "no sew" possibilities.
_____________________________________ If you're in the area, visit our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey, right outside of Philadelphia. The size of a supermarket, we have the largest selection of fabrics in New Jersey! Everything we carry is not on our website, so if you're in the area, check us out and browse our fabric aisles.
J&O Fabric Center 9401 Route 130 South Where Rt. 73 and 130 Meet Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110 info@jandofabrics.com
What do you do with all those fabric scraps mounting up??????
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You should see the buckets of remnants we develop here at J&O cutting orders all day. For people who make things with fabric it may seem especially hard to throw away the substantial size scraps. One of the most traditional uses for fabric scraps is none other than patchwork quiltmaking. Even though quilting seems to be the end all for what to do with fabric scraps, not everyone is into quilting. J&O has included a list of ideas to lessen that ever growing pile of fabric scraps.
Here's four things to do with all those beautiful and useful fabric scraps. ________________________________________________ Wrapping Presents
For most of our holidays in American culture there seems to be a requirement to buy someone a present. Whether it's Mother's Day, Christmas or someone's birthday, on some level there's pressure to go out and spend money. At times, buying wrapping paper or purchasing a pretty gift bag on top of your gift expenses can be pretty annoying. One simple and "green" way to rid yourself of this annoyance is to wrap presents with your fabric scraps.
Depending on the size of the present and how creative you want to be, just cut your fabric into a square or rectangle and simply gather to the top and tie. If you have time to make it extra special, sew a custom-made fabric bag. Overall, the fabric scrap is out of your hair and passed on to someone else to reuse and do with it whatever they please.
To go along with wrapping presents with fabric, you can also use fabric scraps to make ribbon. Be creative and play around with contrasting patterns and colors as you would constructing a quilt.
________________________________________________ Fabric Envelopes and Cards
This particular use may be a little more "craftier" then making ribbons and wrapping presents, however if you really get into it you can end up making some really incredible cards. To make fabric envelopes and cards, most likely you'll need a stiffener.
If you're interested, check out these few links that give pretty good instructions.
Another idea, if you have a collection of novelty print scraps, cut out a repeat or just one item in the design and attach with glue to plain cards or envelopes. ________________________________________________ Donate!!
At the end of it all, if you still have a ton of fabric scraps; too much to even save for other crafts, DONATE IT :). There are a number of non-profit organizations that accept fabric scraps. Some organizations have a size requirement and may only accept fabric that is a of a particular material. Check out these links for more detailed information.
Project Linus, a volunteer, non-profit organization with a mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."
AIDS Baby Quilts, a international voluntary network program to make and provide baby quilts to infants with HIV/AIDS
Art Therapy Connection, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving children who are at risk of failure in their school setting. Participating children visit therapists during their regular school day. By making art, they develop a language of expression.
Many local Day-Care Centers accept fabric scrap donations , to use during arts and crafts projects.
Overall, making good use of your fabric scraps can prove to be very rewarding. It will push your creativity and foster the idea that everything can have a use. ________________________________________________
If you're in the area, visit our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey, right outside of Philadelphia. The size of a supermarket, we have the largest selection of fabrics in New Jersey! Everything we carry is not on our website, so if you're in the area, check us out and browse our fabric aisles.
J&O Fabric Center 9401 Route 130 South Where Rt.73 and 130 meet Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110 info@jandofabrics.com
For generations of fabric shoppers in the Delaware Valley and Tri-State areas, the only place to go for fabric was the famous "Fabric Row" located on South Philly's 4th Street. At the time, those shops must have seemed like the only game in town when it came to fabrics. Fabric Row isn't quite what it used to be and it might take hours of searching through small fabric shops to find what you are looking for. Where can you go for a family business environment that is at the same time convient?
With J&O Fabrics you get an ideal combination of family business values and modern ideas. One of the ways this can be seen is at our online fabric store: www.jandofabrics.com. Behind all of the technology that goes into running the web site, however, is a staff with many years of experience that is capable of helping you with virtually any fabric project you have in mind.
The convenience of our web site can't be beat, but if you prefer to see the fabrics in person feel free to pop into our store in South Jersey. We are minutes from the major bridges such as the Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross and Tacony-Palmyra. We are also only about 45 minutes from the Commodore Barry Bridge.
Once you find your way here you will find a larger selection of fabrics than we have even on our web site.
The tip of an iceberg might only represent one ninth of its total mass, the rest being submerged. With J&O Fabrics, our fabulous online fabric store is similarly just the tip of the iceberg. Our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey has an even more extensive amount of fabrics than that which we carry online.
For a store that exclusively sells online it is easy to loose focus on the customer. However, at J&O Fabrics the customer is our primary concern. In fact, a considerable portion of our customers are simply walk-ins who want to browse and feel the fabrics for themselves.
Our longtime customers know - and our new customers soon find out - the benefits of being tended to in person by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. If you need help figuring out the yardage for drapes, valances, seat cushions or any other item, you can find a helping hand in our store.
We are conveniently located off less than 5 miles of off such major thoroughfares as the New Jersey Turnpike and I-295. Off of the N.J. Turnpike take Exit 4 towards onto Route 73 West towards Philadelphia. From I-295 North take Exit 36-A onto Route 73 West.
In about 30 minutes time or less (depending on traffic) we can be reached from Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Mt. Laurel, Berlin, Gloucester Township, Delran, Deptford, Voorhees, Camden, Burlington, Philadelphia (Philly) etc. In only about 45 minutes or less, you can also reach us from Hammonton, Ewing, Mount Holly, Trenton, Pitman and other points in Burlington, Camden, Cumberland and Pitman counties. In about an hour and fifteen minutes customers from Princeton, Atlantic City, New Brunswick, Lakewood, Toms River, etc.
Once you get here you will find an incredible range of fabrics of every type. We carry drapery, dress, upholstery, quilting, craft and novelty fabrics. Our huge stock includes some of the most prominent names in the fabric industry as we carry the wares of such companies as Michael Miller, Timeless Treasures, Alexander Henry, Peachtree, Covington, Waverly, P. Kaufmann, Robert Allen and Maharam. Here is a selection:
J & O Fabrics is a leader in online fabric stores with hundreds of discount fabrics including: upholstery, quilt, quilting, drapery fabric, fleece, decorator, felt, retro, upholstery fabrics and more!
