Kathie Lee and Hoda Learn Sewing Tricks (Video)
The TODAY Show
Guilty pleasure: I watch Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb on The TODAY Show every chance I can! Their show kicks off my day with a fresh, happy start, and I just love their energy together. (I also love Hoda’s playlist!)
It was such an honour when they asked me to come on their show to talk about basic sewing skills as part of their Home Ec Day. And although I was quite pregnant and in Toronto at the time, I packed my bags and my belly without hesitation to join them at the NBC studios in NYC’s Rockefeller Center.
So what did I show Kathie Lee and Hoda? Insider sewing tricks!
– How to easily thread a needle
– How to strengthen your thread so your button won’t pop off
– How to repair a hole in fabric
– How to hem a pair of jeans
Watch here…
*****
Hoda Kotb:
Alright, home economics may conjure up memories of high school, but if it’s been that long since you’ve sewn on a button or folded a sheet perfectly or followed a recipe, you’re about to get a refresher course.
Kathie Lee Gifford:
We asked you where you needed to improve your household skills, and you told us as you always do. So we found just the right people to help you.
Hoda:
Alright. Denise Wild is the founder of the Sewing Studio New York and LoveSewing.com.
Kathie Lee:
Stephanie Sisco is Real Simple Magazine’s associate home editor and Joel Gamoran is Sur La Table’s resident chef–
Hoda:
I like how you say that.
Kathie Lee:
Sur La Table.
Hoda:
Alright, so these are some basic things that we might need a refresher course on. Shall we get started?
Denise:
Absolutely. I’m going to show you some basic sewing techniques that you can use to mend your garments.
Hoda:
Okay.
Denise:
First place to start, threading a needle.
Hoda:
Threading the needle.
Denise:
So it seems pretty simple, but it’s sometimes a little bit challenging. The trick it to cut – are you guys going to–
Hoda:
We’ll do it. But what do you do?
Kathie Lee:
Without my glasses, it doesn’t matter, I can’t–
Hoda:
I have a bad manicure
Kathie Lee:
I’ve sewed all my life. I have sewn all my life.
Hoda:
Here, here. It’s right here.
Denise:
What you want to do is cut–
Kathie Lee:
–but if I can’t see it I can’t do it.
Hoda:
Here.
Kathie Lee:
You want to make sure it’s nice and straight.
Denise:
Exactly.
Hoda:
Tell us what– how to do it.
Denise:
Cut the thread at an angle.
Hoda:
At an angle?
Denise:
And then you want to lick the thread; put it through the eye of the needle.
Hoda:
Oh, I know how to do that.
Kathie Lee:
It’s not sanitary, but it’s important. I can’t even see the end.
Denise:
So those are just a couple of tricks. There are also some tools that you can use; some basic things available at the sewing supply store that you can use to help–
Hoda:
See, I need glasses. Did it get through the hole?
Kathie Lee:
No, it didn’t. Buy glasses before you try it and don’t try it at home if you–
Hoda:
Alright.
Denise:
So, once you have your needle threaded, you want to replace a button.
Hoda:
Okay.
Denise:
If a button pops off.
Hoda:
Yes.
Denise:
The key to replacing a button is to coat your thread in bee’s wax.
Hoda:
Oh?
Denise:
So you want to look for a little trick gadget like this.
Hoda:
Yeah.
Denise:
You take your thread and you run it through.
Hoda:
What does that do?
Denise:
This puts bee’s wax onto your thread and it gives the thread more strength and stability–
Hoda:
Oh! Smart!
Denise:
–so your button won’t fall off.
Kathie Lee:
I never heard of that. That’s great.
Hoda:
She’s so smart.
Kathie Lee:
La, la, la, la.
Denise:
If you don’t have one of these, you can use a taper candle.
Hoda:
Okay. Alright. Yes.
Kathie Lee:
Or lip gloss. Just kidding.
Denise:
The next thing you want to do if you cut off your tags from your shirt and you accidently cut the fabric.
Kathie Lee:
Right.
Hoda:
Yes.
Denise:
So you’ve got a hole in your shirt–
Hoda:
Uh, huh.
Denise:
You want to repair it. You’re going to look for something like this. It’s called interfacing. One side of it has a dried glue. So you’re going to put that glue side on the wrong side of your shirt.
Hoda:
Do you use the hot–
Kathie Lee:
The heat activates it.
Denise:
Yep. Exactly.
Denise:
The heat activates it –
Hoda:
Ah, iron it!
Denise:
You just put on your iron for about ten seconds–
Kathie Lee:
This is so cool.
Hoda:
That’s what I was going to suggest.
Denise:
–it will stay in place.
Hoda:
Okay.
Kathie Lee:
Yeah. Yeah. That is so fun.
Denise:
Then you can do a little zig-zag stitch–
Hoda:
Alright.
Denise:
–to keep it in if you want.
Hoda:
Alright.
Denise:
Next, you want to hem your pants. One of the great tricks is to do an original hem. It keeps the distressed hem on your jeans. It’s so easy to do. The only thing is you do is your flip your hem up.
Hoda:
Yeah.
Kathie Lee:
Uh, huh.
Denise:
You’ve got this fold. And you’re going to sew all the way around the inside–
Hoda:
And then you pull it–
Denise:
Exactly.
Hoda:
–back down.
Denise:
So once you’ve sewn it, you flip it down–
Kathie Lee:
How about that!
Denise:
–you still have that original distressed hem.
Hoda:
That’s so good!
Denise:
Yeah. Easy.
Kathie Lee:
I wasn’t for this whole segment, but now I’m in.
Hoda:
Now I’m in.
Kathie Lee:
Exactly.
Denise:
Exactly. Now you’re in.
Kathie Lee:
Alright. Good for you.
Leave a Reply