Whether you are learning to sew, returning to sew, or a long-time sewing enthusiast, the use of specialized presser feet that are available for your type sewing machine can make your sewing project quite unique as well as speed along your sewing efforts.

Fold, twist, pleat, ruffle, ruche, crinkle, applique, embroider, smock, gather, pin tuck and shirr are just some of the various methods for adding interesting depth, ornamentation and texture to fabric. Dimensional and textural detail on fabric applied by hand or machine adds a sense of uniqueness.

Stenciled designs on fabric can be created by daubing on fabric paint, inks or dyes, even the power of the sun, applied to a stencil template. When the template is removed, the resulting image will be visible on the underlying surface. A wonderful fabric embellishment technique to try.

Beautiful cotton fabric prints in summer’s riotous colors beckon the sewer to create a few easy-to-sew projects to dress a summer picnic table that will be sure to add to any happy outdoor gathering. Assemble a fabric teepee for the little ones too!

As long as our mechanical or electronic gadgets work well, they tend to mesh beautifully with the fabric of our busy lives. The very moment they cease to perform the function for which they were intended, or perform that function poorly, our tensions rise!

Buttonholes and their ever-present button companions often go unnoticed on the many garment types that use them for secure fastening. Functional, practical, simplicity itself, buttonholes are the understated mainstay of the sewing world.

Whether participating in equestrian, western pleasure or trail riding events, rodeo events, wagon train rides, or pioneer day events recreated from the old American West, sewing your own western apparel to wear can be a real cost-saver.

Sewing is a form of the verb, to sew, commonly to enclose or join securely with stitches while the art of sewing references a noun giving us the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

The contemporary form of today’s commercialized bandana is thought to have originated in India in the 1800’s, woven of silk or cotton with designs of white on colored backgrounds of red or blue. Today this cheery square of fabric is produced in every color of the rainbow with many design elements.

Consider the phrase 'thinking outside the box' as a challenge to do the same with sewing. The catchy expression is often associated with innovation, seeking original solutions, or going beyond the status quo.