In this show you'll see two talented instructors. Both of them give detailed instructions for costume creations.  

Cheryl Sleboda's faux suede corset is the first piece featured in show 1511. This cosplay corset is made from Shannon Fabrics Faux Suede, specifically known as Cuddle® Suede.

​Even if you're not into costumes, learning how to use boning may come in handy one day. This technique is popular for strapless dresses like wedding and special occasion gowns.

Boning is the key element for a corset. Dritz Notions has a whole variety of different types you can choose from HERE. Watch as Cheryl shows more than one way to sew boning. She also shows various Tools for setting grommets. Dritz Notions has many different grommet options. You can begin your search HERE.

Ready for tulle skirt tutorial with
​Emily Thompson?

Tulle is available is so many pretty colors these days. It's something I like to use to create free standing embroidery designs like I did for this knit dress, and for this slip embellishment.

​Emily uses tulle both by itself and mixed with cotton for a skirt fit for a fairy princess or a ballerina! Reminiscent of skirt you would see in a Swan Lake performance, skirts like this are delightful, whether dressing up for play or for a performance!

Emily used the serger to quickly gather the top edge of the skirt. Successful gathering on the serger is easy when you know the tricks. I have a standard recipe for maximum gathers on the serger. Follow these steps in the order listed and then test and adjust any or all of the settings to change the gathers:
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• Use a tight needle tension, (loopers generally stay the same but may require slight adjustment to different fabrics.)
• Set machine for the highest number on the differential feed dial.
•  Use the longest stitch length possible.
• Always trim a scant amount of fabric for the best stitch quality.

By the way, if you check out Emily's show notes for this segment you'll also find her instructions for sewing machine options for gathering.

Brother model 523PRW is frequently used in the studio for It's Sew Easy TV. This machine boasts some really special features. A couple of my favorites are the big flat extension table with storage, and the  free arm option. Features like these come in handy for projects both large and small.

You're sure to learn a lot when you watch both of these 1500 series segments! You'll find show #1511 online for free at www.itsseweasytv.com until noon EST, December 7th, 2018.
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This show has a mix of fashion styles, including a skirt and a top, along with a quick idea for re-cycling a T-shirt.

Angela starts the show with two faux suede skirts. One is a classic A-line that is plain and simple, but very chic. The second skirt features raw edge cut-outs for a two-tone accent.

Both skirts are made from ​Shannon Fabrics Faux Suede, officially known as Cuddle® Suede. Shannon Fabrics is one of the show's sponsors this season and they generously provided fabric for many of the shows. I'll be the first to say that this medium weight suede cloth is a superior quality fabric and one that I have enjoyed using for quite a few different projects. It's surprisingly easy to sew, but I think it's really important to study up a bit before sewing with this fabric if it is new to you. Based on experience, let me give you just a few of my own personal quick tips here:
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• A Schmetz Microtex size 12 sewing machine needle easily penetrates the fabric without leaving large holes.
• Fine Ball point pins slip through the fabric easily and prevent snags.
• ALWAYS use a Press cloth or a strap-on iron shoe when pressing the right side of faux suede. Be sure to test your iron temperature on a scrap of fabric.
• I find that sewing seams is easier with a MuVit™ Digital Dual Feed foot or a Closed toe Walking foot. For top-stitching, consider using the MuVit™ Digital Dual Feed, or a Non-Stick Roller foot or standard Non-Stick foot.

For more tips you can download my free Faux Suede tip sheet HERE.

Cheryl Sleboda sews a peasant style top in part two, using yet another fabric offering from Shannon Fabrics.  This time it is 100% cotton double gauze. I fell in love with this fabric too, after having the opportunity to use it for my Kimono blouses. I love sharing fabric tips, so I wrote a tip sheet for this double gauze as well. You can download it HERE.

Cheryl used an interesting tool for turning tubes on this show. It's called the Quick Turn tool. Visit Dritz to learn more.

Michelle Paganini rounds out the show by turning a T-shirt into a grocery tote. Following her method, you could probably complete one of these from start to finish in ten minutes. What a great way to re-cycle T-shirts that have seen better days!

You'll find show #1509 online for free at www.itsseweasytv.com until noon EST, 11-30-2018.

There are just two instructors in this episode of It's Sew Easy TV, myself, and Angela Wolf so each segment includes lots of details. This show is meant inspire you to change the look and feel of a garment with one simple addition or subtraction making the finished look brand new. It starts with a luxurious textured fabric collar that I added to an ordinary wool jacket. In the second half Angela transforms her basic A-line skirt into comfortable, casual skirt with a knit waistband.

The idea for this jacket came about last fall. I was browsing through a mail order catalog when I found this boiled wool jacket on sale. The price was irresistible, under $20 I think. When it arrived it fit me perfect and the quality was good but it looked a tad boring, especially the buttons. So I started by changing those and then developed the idea for the detachable collar.

The collar is made from the same fabric I used for the cape in show 1504. The buttons are the same too! I have fallen in love with this Luxe Cuddle® Rose fabric, generously provided by Shannon Fabrics. Luxurious yet easy to care for, this fabric could be called a cousin of the popular minky style fabric. However, the whole line of embossed and textured Cuddle® fabrics from Shannon are more "furry" with varying degrees of pile and embossed patterns. If you could see the collar fabric up close you would see that has small swirls that look like little rosettes. Not to be confused with Faux fur, textured Cuddle® has a knitted backing and it can be cut just like any other knit fabric. After cutting you will want to purge the extra fluff by putting the pieces in a dryer set for air only - NO HEAT. Magically, it will shed once and stop. A small piece like this collar doesn't shed much but larger pieces distribute a lot of fuzz as you sew so it's best to "de-fuzz" large pieces beforehand. Download additional care tips for Cuddle® directly from Shannon's website and be sure to take a look at the instructions for the cape for more helpful tips.

Look for this fabric locally but if you can't find it I suggest you check out *Fabric.com as a supplier. You only need some simple supplies to make a collar like this and it requires NO pattern making skills.

Sewing this collar is easy too! Click on the above image for detailed instructions. You can also re-watch the video if you like.

In the second half watch Angela use the sewing machine and the cover hem machine to stitch an attractive waistband for a casual knit skirt. She starts by showing you how to convert the pattern and finishes by demonstrating step-by-step instructions for the ribbed waistband.

I think this would be a great addition to a pair of casual knit pants too! And, I can see this working really well for pajama pants too!

To watch the show visit ​itsseweasytv.com. this show airs until noon EST, 11-23-2018.

Just about any time is the perfect time to gather gift ideas and this show is sure to inspire you with a few new possibilities.

Segment one begins with Rebecca and a lesson on Pojagi, a single layer patchwork technique. She shows two ways to piece patches that can be used as a fabric gift wrap, or turned into fabric sections for garments, crafts, and home decor. Rebecca never fails to amaze me with her interesting ideas gathered from other cultures and faraway places.  

This Pojagi piecing technique is an offshoot from a utility seam known as a felled, or flat-felled seam. It's a sturdy, strong seam, easiest to perform on straight or gently curved seams. For a traditional felled seam you start by sewing a standard seam with wrong sides together. One seam allowance is trimmed and the other is pressed under, then the entire seam is topstitched along the folded edge that wraps over the trimmed seam allowance. Construction of men's shirts usually include this method for side seams and for setting sleeves into the armscye.
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​There are different versions of felled seams and even faux felled seams along with various presser feet to aid in the stitching process. Rebecca shows a simple method stitched with a standard foot. 

​If your fabric is on the thick side you may want to consider using a Bi-Level foot. Brother recently introduced a left and right version complete with helpful red markings for accurate stitching in the left, right, or center needle position. Added to that, this all metal foot has a curved toe for better visibility and a full 1.5mm ridge on the underside of the foot to keep the foot level on thicker fabrics. CLICK HERE to watch a short You Tube video showing this foot in action and watch for a future project from yours truly to show the full benefit of this foot.

Carolyn Critchfield is the next guest instructor. Watch as she stitches an entire small clutch Using an In-the-Hoop embroidery design you can download for free from the It’s Sew Easy TV website. Click on the image below for the free download.

​Her featured fabric is cork bonded with a fabric backing. I have lots of machine embroidery friends who’ve been having fun with cork. My friend Reen Wilcoxson of Embroidery Garden has done lots of cork bags and our mutual friend Molly Madison has coordinating SVG files for cork on her MollyMadeEMB Etsy Shop.

I admit that I haven’t jumped on the cork bandwagon and stitched with this myself, but I have been intrigued and I’ve explored the various options. Price can vary on this product depending on the source and the quality. In fact, I did purchase a piece of cork print fabric from fabric.com. It’s very pretty and I like the fact that It will sew just like normal fabric. Take a look below.

The fiber backed cork is similar in nature to faux leather or vinyl with ravel proof edges. This can be a distinct advantage for some projects. Caroline’s detailed instructions include a link for a cork retailer and exploring the site will teach you even more about this eco-friendly and sustainable since the cork bark grows back on the tree after harvesting. Okay, I've talked myself into trying some cork :-) I'd love to know if you have stitched any yourself or if you are waiting on the sidelines until you get more info and inspiration before taking the plunge. I promise to report back once I’ve completed a sample or two.

Watch the show HERE on the It's Sew Easy TV website. It's currently showing until noon EST November 16, 2018.

If you like to stitch knits you're going to get a lot of good information watching this show.

Sarah starts the show with neckline and hem techniques suitable for more stable knits like Scuba and Ponte knit. While I've sewn quite a bit of Ponte, I've yet to find a piece of Scuba knit locally so it's still on my "want to stitch" list. Seeing her beautiful green dress made me want to go on the hunt as I remember her wearing this dress in the studio and it looked positively lovely. I promise to report back when I find Scuba knit yardage in the right color at the right price.

A couple notions to note in this show, the first is a relatively new thread called Eloflex by Coats. I have successfully stitched straight stitches and found the seam to stretch and recover nicely.
 
Sarah also mentions a marker that I assume is a FrixZion thermo-sensitive gel pen. I’d like to add a few cautionary words that apply to all markers used on fabric. While I use them myself regularly, I like to follow my self-imposed “to test is best” rule. The ink in some markers can be set with heat, and some others come back to life when exposed to detergent. Most wash out and even disappearing markings require rinsing with clear water before laundering. I like to test all markers for removability and for wash ability on a scrap of fabric before using on a project.

In the second segment Londa Rohlfing shares a variety of techniques that result in smooth and professional finishes for knits.

​She shows how to stitch standard elastic and clear elastic too, along with a few ideas for balancing bulk while constructing garments. Londa wraps up with guidelines for getting out of a serger snag with tips for re-threading so you can resume stitching.

​In part three of the show Angela returns to present yet another skirt variation. 

This time it’s a knit maxi skirt. The maxis seem to be holding their own in the list of mainstay fashions. In fact, this trend has lasted quite a long time. I hope it continues because I think it is a flattering look, especially for summer.

By the way, if you’re looking for more in- depth knit sewing instruction, you may want to check out Angela’s Essential Guide to Sewing Knit Tops online course.

Visit www.itsseweasytv.com to watch the free show this week. It airs until November 9th and changes at noon EST. When you visit the site be sure to check out Sara and Londa’s instructions that coordinate with the show. Enjoy!