It's Sew Easy TV Show 1508: Sewing Gifts Save The Day!

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.