creative jewish mom

Sewing Tips For Beginners

Above: Giant lonestar quilt made with fleece, a great beginner's project, and an amazing gift, tutorial here.

Once upon a time sewing was a very necessary skill as folks needed to know how to sew their own clothing and household items. Today sewing is generally a hobby rather than a necessity, and it has become a fantastic creative outlet. Wearing or decorating one's home with projects you've sewn (and giving them as gifts) is an amazing feeling! And it can be easy on the budget to alter one's own clothing or re-make hand-me-downs. The quilt shown above was made from old fleece blankets! And of course making your own costumes, well, that is both a money saver and a great joy. That said, starting the sewing journey can be confusing and even difficult, as there are materials, skills and basic knowledge that are crucial to success. Take it from me, the most important key is patience, and sticking to your goal, and of course some valuable tips are always helpful.

So, keep on reading and take a look at these sewing tips for beginners and enjoy sewing success!"

A DIY Dreidel Shaped Pillow For Hanukkah!

I made this dreidel shaped pillow a few year back, but thought I'd share it with you again as it is truly a fun item to bring out for the holiday or give as a gift. Enjoy!

It is true, you don't see a whole lot of sewing projects from me, as I'm quite a rookie, but I just couldn't resist trying my hand at this idea that i've had running around my head for a few years now: a dreidel shaped pillow with a little pocket to hold Hanukkah prizes!  It is a perfect project for those new to sewing (or not) and uses a pillow insert so that you can easily store it flat until next year.

Easy Sewing Projects You Can Do At Home With Your Kids

Above: Felt gift pouches are a great project for a beginner, see the original post here.

Spending time with your kids is essential for their intellectual and emotional growth. You can spend quality time together by playing your kid’s favorite sport or any activity that allows engagement between parent and child. Bonding time can and should include teaching your children something that you love to do such as painting, gardening, crafting or sewing, just to name a few. Stargazing could also be on that list!  I love creative activities that all build small motor coordination as well as skills that are useful in life in general, and one of those is surely sewing! With that in mind, why not introduce your kids to sewing, and at the very least when a button becomes loose they'll have the confidence to sew it back on! 

To get you started, here are some simple sewing project ideas to do at home with your kids or, of course, a few of the cuties in the neighborhood or who have a special place in your heart. For inspiration and patterns, check out Embroidery Legacy—I'm always encouraging giving back through crafting, right?"

DIY Queen Esther Costume Uses Upcycled And New Elements

Isn't our little Queen Esther just the sweetest? And honestly what I love about this DIY Queen costume (fit for a princess too) is not only the rich theatrical combination of colors, but the fact that my now 16 year old daughter wore that same "dress" as a part of a Queen Esther costume I made for her around 13 years ago! Now I'll have to say, this version is much much nicer due to the use of a sewing machine and having a bit of practice under my belt.

Truthfully, sometimes being a pack rat pays off, at least in the costume department. (I'm now currently paying big time for the rest of my pack rat tendencies as I start to clean for Passover.) So dear readers, if you have an attic or an organized garage or a basement or all of these, certainly do save the very best pieces of clothing of all kinds to be used as costumes. I just put aside a fun skirt with huge red roses that my daughter never wore, and am dreaming of a Queen of the Roses costume, with the waist of the skirt forming the top of the dress, just as I've done here, with the addition of some ribbon straps. Got it? Okay, lets make a list of all the items you'll need for this costume, thrifted and created, and hopefully this will inspire you to make your own amazing costumes!

DIY Simple Costume Cloak With Fur Trim

This year for Purim one of my favorite acheivements was designing and whippping up this fur trimmed DIY costume cloak for a toddler, well three to be exact. I'll admit my daughter actually saved the day by commenting that my original design (before I made the front really short) was just way too much fabric for a three year old, and she was sooooo right. This cloak turned out perfectly and apparently was comfortable to wear, as little Queen Esther did not take it off all Purim, which means we got to enjoy seeing her dressed like a queen for hours on end! While I did sew this cloak on a sewing machine, one could glue the seams or even make the cloak from fleece or any fabric like thick jersey (sweatshirt material) that doesn't unravel, and use only one layer. Of course, part of the beauty of this cloak is the purple lining, but maybe your costume will be just fine with a cloak in one color. Go for simple I say, and add accessories, so that no one element of the costume has to be such a masterpiece, but rather the total look is fun and creative. Okay, shall we learn how to make this simple DIY cloak? (I know, I want one for myself too, so will just have to make one next year to wear over the Moroccan robe I wore this year!)

Simple Rustic "Love" Embroidery With Gingham

There is something about this little rustic country-style "love" embroidery that is so sweet, and yet made with minimal effort, so of course I just had to share it with you. I think this would make a perfect new baby gift, or look great as part of the decor at a country-style wedding. And of course it would be great anytime to spread the love!

While this exact little work of art looked perfect in the all wood Adirondack Victorian cabin where we had the pleasure of spending four days and nights, this might not work for everyone. Speaking of everyone, that would include me as well, since our home is more Morocco meets Scandinavia, and gingham might look a bit out of place. But not to worry, one can certainly use this idea, just do keep the rustic nature of it, namely the simple embroidery done on muslin or linen, the antique style frame hung with a scrap of fabric, the little buttons......

I didn't make this, but if I were to make something similar this is how I would do it........let's get started!

Patchwork Fleece Gift Pouch

Patchwork gift pouches sewn from scraps are the perfect little handmade touch, and turn even the simplest little gift into something special. And when they're made from fleece, they're cozy too, which might not seem important for a gift pouch, but the results are really so much fun and perfect for winter-Patchwork gift pouches sewn from scraps are the perfect little handmade touch, and turn even the simplest little gift into something special. And when they're made from fleece, they're cozy too, which might not seem important for a gift pouch, but the results are really so much fun and perfect for winter-time gift giving.

I actually made these striped patchwork fleece gift pouches for my kids for Hanukkah instead of my usual crocheted gift pouches, and the kids loved them, and never guessed that I whipped up three of them in an hour or so. And if you aren't quite as short on time as I was, you can also invest the extra time and make a hidden drawstring, though I actually love the basic craft chord closure that I used here.

Simple Sewing: A Stuffed Elephant Toy!

Yes, at long last I conquered my unfounded fear of sewing, or rather of getting my old sewing machine to work, and sewed a cute little stuffed elephant for my youngest's birthday. Admittedly, I should have made something like this years ago, but better late than never! And now if I can just get the old sewing machine to work without a fault, well you can very well guess I've got tons of ideas I'd love to realize as far as simple stuffed things!

So dear readers, if you're like me and for some reasons despite being very crafty have had some major stumbling blocks regarding sewing with a machine, persevere, a whole new creative frontier is beckoning us, and maybe must maybe we'll be one step closer to making those quilts we keep drooling over?

A First Machine Sewing Project: Felt Jewelry Pouches

Because of my somewhat mysterious aversion to sewing on a sewing machine, which I'm at long last overcoming, (phew!) I am now introducing my almost 12 year old daughter to the idea of how great sewing can truly be in one's life, not just for creative projects but also for simple things like hemming boy's pants, shortenign a skirt, etc. the cost of which certainly adds up, and it takes time to give these things to the seamstress!

With that in mind, and the fact that I finally actually figured out how to properly use an old semi industrial machine I bought a few year ago, my daughter has started playing around on the sewing machine! And she's already imagining all the clothes she'll make for herself!

But for now, she whipped up these sweet little felt purses, (with zero input from me) and I think they'll be perfect for jewelry, especially if we sew a tiny snap inside. And stay tuned for more of her simple sewing projects, I have a feeling sewing is in her genes, as her grandmother was a talented seamstress and her mother has been dreaming about making quilts for years!

Make A Fun Freezer Paper Stenciled Pillowcase For Pesach!

Have you discovered the joys of freezer paper stenciling? There are so many wonderful ways to use this simple technique I see lots more of it in my future! As part of the Pesach Seder, we use pillows at the table to "recline" while drinking the four cups of wine (grape juice for some) during the reading of the haggadah.
I usually use simple pastel colored pillow cases, which look lovely, but this year I decided to take that idea one step further! 

To learn more about this project, with a complete tutorial, head on over to makeandtakes.com where I'm guest posting today. And thanks so much to Marie for inviting me to share a project with her readers!

If you have your eye on the felt rosebud bouquet, a perfect project for Spring, you can find my tutorial for that simply wonderful project here.

All the best, and do take a moment to enter my giveaway at the top of the page! And if you are a fellow craft blogger, take a moment and join my Craft Schooling Sunday international party below, (until Tues) I'd love to see what you've been up to!