Great news: You don’t need a serger to sew stretch fabric. I sewed an easy stretch fabric dress for my daughter (no pattern required!) using only a using a sewing machine. Here are my top four tricks to sew stretch fabric: Use a ballpoint needle on your sewing machine — its rounded tip doesn’t puncture stretch fabric […]
There are so many great things about the Brother Q Series sewing machines, one of which being the large selection of stitches, both decorative and functional. Even better? They’re easy to use. When it comes to sewing decorative stitches, you can either customize your stitches —changing the length and the width as you’d like— or you […]
I stopped by Cityline to show host Tracy Moore (scroll down for the video) how to DIY embellished denim. It’s easy to transform your old jeans and make them runway-worthy with these four techniques: Gluing, ironing, punching, and sewing. The best part? This update doesn’t have to cost a lot — all of the jeans I used […]
It always blows my mind to see the new things many sewing machines can do these days. Thinking back to my grandma’s vintage sewing machine or even my mom’s 1980s clunker that she still uses today (ugh, I’ve tried to get her to upgrade, but she just won’t!), sewing machines really have come a long way. Brother’s […]
When I first heard about sideways sewing, I didn’t really understand. Because, for real, a sewing machine can’t sew SIDEWAYS. Can it? Well, brace yourselves… It can! Brother Q Series sewing machines have a super cool feature called sideways sewing, and that’s exactly what it is — the feed dogs move the fabric sideways as you […]
Pillows are an inexpensive way to update the look of a room. By incorporating new colours or fabric trends into your existing decor, or by replacing your soft furnishings entirely, you can change up your style in a snap. And, fortunately, pillows are easy to make! Here’s a pillow that’s easy to sew that doesn’t require […]
I coudn’t count how many times someone has told me “I have a sewing machine — and it’s still in the box!” Seriously! But I can understand why. It can be overwhelming to open something new. You have to figure out what all the pieces are, you have to know how to set it up, […]
Knowing your basic body measurements will help you choose the right sewing pattern size, an important step in sewing a garment that fits. But how do you measure yourself properly? You need the right tool (a flexible tape measure), plus the right technique. Watch here… ***** Measuring yourself is an important part of sewing. You’ll need your […]
Did your pen slip and mark up your favourite shirt? Don’t fret — it’s an easier fix than you think! This video, showing how to get ink out of fabric, is one of my first collaborations with DIY channel Makeful. Watch here… ***** Hi, I’m Denise. I’m a sewing expert and author, and I’m going to show […]
I did a series of educational videos with Fabricana, my favourite fabric store in Vancouver. Learning how to sew a knife edge pillow is an easy project, especially because it doesn’t require a zipper. In this video, I share one of my most-requested insider tricks on how to sew a knife edge pillow: How to […]
