Barbara Garrett Expert Guru

I am a substitute teacher and a vocational church organist. I have been married 25 years and have a son and a daughter. I began learning needlecrafts and other crafts as a young mother to pass the time. I was soon making gifts , clothing for myself and my kids! Eventually, I started making some money from my finished items. I sold 18 crocheted collars to a dress-shop to buy a swing set, I sewed Barbie Doll Clothing and furniture to buy Christmas toys one year, and soon my husband and I were setting up at craft fairs! I sold a few designs to magazines, and I taught some classes at parks and rec one fall using my own designs. The last few years, after trying every craft known to man, I have settled on sewing (and all related surface embellishment), knitting, and crochet as my favorites, mainly for my teenage daughter. What we enjoy doing together is scouting thrift stores for nice, designer clothing in the wrong size or style that we can “remake” into something wonderful! And, as a fluffy woman, I find that my own designs fit me better than what I can find in the store.

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Quick hemming for Toddler's Pants

Instead of hemming the toddlers'pants, insert a narrow piece of elastic through the hem like a casing and pull it till the pants gather at the ankle like sweatpants, but not too tight. Secure. This saves time and keeps you from having to let out and rehem as he or she grows.

Sewing Tool Extraordinaire! The Lowly Diaper PIN

One tool I wouldnt do without in my sewing room or my knitting basket is a couple of old fashioned diaper pins. The best ones are the ones with a plain closure, instead of a duck or something, but any will do. These are perfect for threading elastic through a casing, holding pattern pieces in place, attaching sections before sewing, and wonderful for stitch holders for knitting or stitch markers. I also like to use them to pin up my husbands pants when he tries them on for me to hem.

Gathering Frustration?

If you need to gather a section for a sleeve or whatever, and you are frustrated with trying to pull a gathering thread, the easiest way is to zig zag stitch over a piece of yarn or crochet cotton. PUll up the gathers and secure. I have even seen elastic attached this way on little girls' dresses sleeves.