A gal can never have too many baskets or two many sewing machine feet, can she? I finished the raw edges this fold up basket as an excuse to use my overcast sewing machine foot and show you how! Learn how to finish your seams as well as all kinds of raw edges using the overcast foot that your sewing machine hopefully came with.
This week I had the chance to play with the overcast feature on my new Janome 14000 (there are 5 different overcasting stitches!) and sew up 3 new FQ Fold Up baskets using some gorgeous Bwindi Forest fabric from Blend.
In my Fat Quarter Sized Fold Up Basket tutorial I show you 3 different ways to finish the edges on your baskets… and here’s one more way. I used the double overcast stitch U15 on my sewing machine. It’s very likely that your machine has a similar stitch and even came with the foot that you need.
For my machine, this is foot ‘M’ that is specifically for use with the overcasting stitches because it has a fabric guide and 2 ‘stitch fingers’ that keep the thread from wrapping the edge too tightly.
I even made a short (less than a minute) video to show you how the overcast foot works. The video should play automatically in the video player in this blog post. If it doesn’t, you can watch it on my YouTube channel.
One of my favorite things about these baskets is that they open up completely flat when I’m not using them. But that’s like never because I need a basket for everything! 🙂
So, what have you been sewing up this week? Did you make something with one of my free sewing tutorials or patterns? I would love to see! Tag me on Instagram @sewcanshe.
Sew an organizer covered with pockets that you can hang in your closet! This easy sewing project is great for organizing sewing and craft supplies, fashion accessories, bathroom necessities, gift wrappings, and more. There are pockets on both sides plus a big interior pocket so every bit of space is used. I’ll show you easy step by step instructions for sewing this organizer and putting it to use in your home. Get sew organized today.
Are you sewing a Closet Organizer with me? I hope so! This is Part 2 of our free sewing tutorial for an amazing organizer with a coat hanger inside so you can hang it anywhere.
If you are getting started, make sure you start at Part 1 of the free pattern.
Be a basketmaker! Sure, you can sew, but did you know that you can make amazing baskets too using your sewing machine, some fabric and the same materials that you use for your other projects?
Have you fallen in love with Quilt as You Go yet? It’s a fun technique for quilts, of course, but I’m having lots of fun using it for pouches and tote bags too.
I’m so excited to share with you the pattern for our first mini quilt of 2018… Flora! This beautiful little quilt was designed by the very talented Lauren of Molly & Mama…
At my daughter Chloe’s high school (can you believe my baby started high school???), the lunch lines are so long that she has been skipping lunch! She’s always starving by the time she gets home because she doesn’t want to carry a big lunch bag as well as her heavy backpack – poor girl!
Looking for free table runner patterns? I gathered up all my favorites in one place – here are free quilt patterns for table runners for fall, winter, spring and summer!
I am so in love with the beautiful look of simple patchwork quilts with lots of squares. This is the perfect way to use up fabric scraps like I did, or you can make a beautifully coordinated quilt with pre-cut 2 1/2’’ square fabric pieces that come in mini-charm packs.
I’m also in love with the process. If you feel like quilt making is your escape from the world and sitting down to sew for a few hours makes your troubles fade away… this is the quilt for you!
Sew an easy beautiful apron with this free sewing pattern that only uses one yard of fabric! Whether you are sewing for yourself or for a friend, an apron always comes in handy and makes a great gift. This blog post includes a link to a free template that I digitized for you.
Disclosure: some of my posts contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of those links I may receive a small commission, so thank you for supporting SewCanShe when you shop! All of the opinions are my own and I only suggest products that I actually use. 🙂
I love classic quilt blocks! Each is a piece of our history as quilt makers and artists. You can make a whole quilt out of a single repeating block, or make a sampler with lots. Use reproduction fabrics to make a quilt like your great, great grandmother could have sewn, or stitch them up with fresh modern fabrics and the blocks come alive again in new ways.
I am so happy when I see projects that people make with my free sewing patterns. Ali from Arabesque Scissors made this absolutely darling pencil case with my free Zola Pen Case Pattern.
I LOVE this tutorial! It’s one of the most popular projects in our Flickr pool. I used it again this week so I could donate a few more handmade items to the little ‘Holiday Store’ that my boy’s elementary school…
In the sewing world, some people consider a serger machine to be an essential piece of equipment. It is typically used for finishing raw edges and seams on woven fabric by creating a tightly bound edge that will not unravel or fray. Some fabrics, such as knitor stretchy fabrics are great for sewing with a serger because the serger makes a stretchy seam. If you are thinking about buying a serger and want to make sure you really need one, the following blog post will help you figure out if you need a serger!
So in this blog post I will explain the purposes of a serger and help you decide if you really need one. I won’t go into the details of how to thread and use a serger, but I will discuss how it works with different types of fabric.
Big surprise! TODAY I am flying to Cleveland to the It’s Sew Easy TV studios to film a few segments. This cute Fish Beach Bag is going to be a star and next season you will be able to see me make him too, not just read about it. I can’t wait.
It can be hard to sew for a tween, but I am not worried. Chloe is getting a new Kindle (because she’s a total bookworm) and to go with it I sewed her a Zip It Up Case.
7 Comments
Hi Caroline! Nice basket tutorials, and you are correct – who doesn’t need more baskets?! ~smile~ Roseanne
Great inspiration, Carolyn. I have been sewing for a long time and this never occurred to me. I am thinking of this as an alternative to serging the edge. I love how pretty it looks. Thank you so much!
Hi Carolyn, I’ve made several of these baskets so far. The first 4 were throwaways because I kept reading the instructions wrong but now that I have it figured out I love them. I was wondering if there wasn’t a way to stitch the openings that you weave your ends into a little bit better. I keep thinking of those openings as oversized button holes and I’m trying to play off from that. Thoughts. ;o)
Hi Caroline! Nice basket tutorials, and you are correct – who doesn’t need more baskets?! ~smile~
Roseanne
Some one I need help with the adding a picture. I have tried several times and no luck.
Your browser might be blocking the button – sorry!
Great inspiration, Carolyn. I have been sewing for a long time and this never occurred to me. I am thinking of this as an alternative to serging the edge. I love how pretty it looks.
Thank you so much!
Thank you!
Thanks for your great link party! I’m hosting my first link party: https://www.sewhistorically.com/sew-it-cook-it-craft-it-link-party-1/ I’d be glad if you stop by! 🙂 Happy Easter!
Hi Carolyn, I’ve made several of these baskets so far. The first 4 were throwaways because I kept reading the instructions wrong but now that I have it figured out I love them. I was wondering if there wasn’t a way to stitch the openings that you weave your ends into a little bit better. I keep thinking of those openings as oversized button holes and I’m trying to play off from that. Thoughts. ;o)