Struggling to get even seam allowances? 3 tips that help

Sewing has been on my mind a lot lately, and writing the Start Sewing Guide made me realize how many tricks I use when sewing that I don't even think about now, but didn't know when I first started. Those little tips can make sewing much easier and help get better results. Since fitting all that info into the guide would have made it into a novel, I thought I'd share some of them on the blog instead.

Today I'll tackle seam allowances. What's a seam allowance, you ask? It's the area between the edge of the fabric and the seam (meaning the line of stitches).

Some patterns have a set seam allowance built into them, which means it's very important to keep the seam allowance at that exact measure to ensure the best result. Other times, you'll have to add the seam allowance yourself and then it really comes down to your preferred seam allowance width. I usually sew with a 1cm (2/5") seam allowance, but a lot of American sewing pattern have a 5/8" (1.5cm) already added to the pattern pieces. Whether or not the seam allowances have already been added, and how wide they are is something you should always check before you start sewing using any pattern.

Here are 3 tips that help you keep your seam allowances constant while sewing.

 1) Use the presser foot to guide the seam. Since the most common presser foot is about 2cm wide, keeping the edge of the presser foot flush with the edge of the fabric will result in roughly a 1cm-wide seam allowance. This is the perfect fit for quilting where a narrower seam allowance is best and it's important to keep it consistent so the lines meet up when you assemble the blocks.

I used this method the most. Since I use mostly Burda patterns and self-drafted patterns where I need to add the seam allowances myself, I always opt for a narrower seam allowance. Using the presser foot edge as a guide is the easiest method I've found to keep an even seam allowance.

The downside - less extra fabric to adjust fit. Also, this method can be trickier to follow with flimsy fabrics that require more grip from the sewing machine.

 2) Use the guides on the sewing machine or create your own. Most modern sewing machines have guides built into the needle plate. For example, mine has a 1cm and a 1.5cm line. Just keep the edge of the fabric running along that marked line and you'll get a nice even seam allowance that's exactly the width you need.

If you don't have the necessary width marked on your machine, you can always make your own mark with a sharpie. You can remove the marking with nail polish remover after your done if you don't need it anymore.

You can see the seams I sewed below. 1) using the presser foot as a guide and 2) using the guide lines.

3) Keep your eye on the guide NOT the needle. A mistake I've seen novice or inexperienced seamstresses make is looking at the needle while they sew. I know it seems important to follow the needle, but in reality, it will just pull your attention away from the seam allowance and you can easily end up with a wobbly seam (and uneven seam allowances). It's much more efficient to keep your eye on the edge of the fabric and feed it along the guide, whether it be the edge of the presser foot or a guide on the needle plate. The sewing machine won't stop sewing when you're looking away from the needle, trust me! Just remove the pins before the presser foot runs over them and then there's no need to constantly supervise the needle.

By the way, these tips will also help you get nice straight seams.

If you want to learn more and dream of sewing your won clothing, subscribe to the Start Sewing list below and get the free 15-page Start Sewing Guide. I'm rolling out an awesome program called the Start Sewing Club real soon, and people on the list will get all the info first, plus some exclusive early bird bonuses.

Ok, so... start sewing!
xo. Hanna

5 Tips for Decorating on a Budget (and a book sale!)

When we arrived in Leverkusen about 6 months ago, we only had our suitcases to fill the empty apartment with. There were white walls and 2 working light fixtures. Let's just say we had candle-lit dinners for the first couple of months. We were also both unemployed at the time, so money was pretty tight (and still is). But, we still wanted to turn our first home away from home into a place that would feel cozy and welcoming. Moving to a new environment is stressful to say the least. We needed out little nest to feel like a true home.

Six months in, we're still not even near having this place "done", but there's already so much I've learned about decorating on a budget. Above all else, I've learned that it's a process, and that there really are a lot of ways to save money when you're smart about it. It's definitely not the fastest way to a finished home, but I'm sure we will appreciate the outcome all the more.

The only decor item I just had to take with me from Estonia are the DIY wooden letters we used in our wedding decor. 

Here are 5 ways I've found to build our home on a budget:

 1. Ask around. People have stuff they don't need anymore, so ask around, and you might be surprised what you can get. We've had so much help from friends and complete strangers. When Rein first arrived, a friend of a friend gave us a ton of stuff she didn't need anymore. This stuff became the backbone of our new home. We had pots to cook in, plates to eat off of, and a couch to sit on. At the time, that was huge.

2. Thrift. Go to flea markets or look at your equivalent of a Graig's List. For the first month, the E-bay Kleinanzeigen was the first site I opened in the morning, and the last one I closed at night. As a result, we found a closet and our kitchen table for an amazing price. You can find just slightly used things at great prices this way.
Also, in Germany, people put there unwanted furniture on the street at certain dates, and anyone can take what they want. I don't know if there's anything similar to that in your country, but here, it's worth it keep your eyes open. We actually found 2 pieces of furniture just today.

 3. Prioritize. As sad as it is, you can't have it all - at least not at once. We still don't have a bed for example because for us, having a place to hang our clothes, a place to sit down and eat, and a corner for me to craft in were more important. We're still on the look-out for the perfect bed with the perfect price, but it doesn't need to happen today.
At the beginning, I was so excited to decorate the whole apartment in full as soon as possible. But, as time went by, I realized that was pretty unrealistic. At least on our budget. So, we discussed it and made a mental list of things we would need and prioritized it. Of course, sometimes we find things that are further down the line, but we only get them if they are either free or super affordable. Having a list in place has really helped us make smart money decisions.

4. Do it yourself. You knew I couldn't leave that out, now could I? DIY is my lifestyle! I love adding handmade touches to my wardrobe and my home. The good thing is, you can find DIYs that are really low-budget, and even use upcycled materials. My own struggle with finding budget-friendly DIY ideas was what led me to create my e-book in the first place (insert shameless self-promotion). There's a lot that you can do with the materials you have at hand. Also, DIY is a great way to add those small decor items to your home that add to the cozy and pretty factor, but that you could otherwise not justify buying given your budget.
Here's a list of DIY projects you can spot in this post:
DIY sewing table
Restyled magazine folders
DIY wooden letters
Restyled couch
Upcycled flower vases
And a couple from the book as well: a felt coffee cozy, restyled table mats, geometric coasters, restyled memory boards.

5. Have a plan and patience. Decorating on a budget is not a sprint. It's a marathon. You need to have a plan in place, because otherwise you'll just end up buying random things and in the end, your home will also look random. Rather than going for the instant gratification of buying something that's ok now, have the patience to look for the one that you'll love for years to come. When we started, I said to myself that I was only going to buy stuff that we both loved. Sure, we'll have to make compromises along the way, but I still want this home to be a place we both love to spend time in.

I hope this was helpful and inspiring to those of you trying to decorate a home on a budget. I'm cheering you on! And I can't wait to share our home with you, hopefully in the near future.

To give you even more inspiration and ideas, I'm having a 20% off sale for my crafty e-book "Hanna's Little Book of Nesting" all throughout the weekend. You'll be able to snag it for just 7.90$!
Get your book here!

Happy weekend!
xo. Hanna

How to sew knit fabrics with a regular sewing machine

I love knit fabrics! I was one of those seamstresses who just couldn't wait to start sewing with knits. I had no idea how to do that on a regular sewing machine though, which was all I had when I started. Somehow, I figured it out and sewed many awesome stretchy projects before graduating to the big leagues of sergers/overlockers.

Today, I want to pass on some of my tips and tricks to you. There are a lot of seamstresses who are afraid to tackle knits with their regular sewing machine. I hope that after today's post, you won't be one of them. Knits are not as difficult as you might think if you just apply the right stitches and a few simple tricks.

The 4 main stitches used for sewing knits are 

1) the lightning bolt stitch - also called the knit stitch. You can see the little lightning bolt like icon on my sewing machine above. This is specially designed for sewing knit fabric and has a lot of flex built into it. Sadly, not all machines come with this option.

2) zig-zag stitch - this is most often used for sewing knits and it works great if you keep a few things in mind. First, keep the stitch length on the shorter side - this will add flexibility to the seam. Also, you can slightly pull the fabric while sewing to add even more stretch to the seam. It might look a bit wavy when you're done, but a good press will rectify that for sure.

3) 2-step zig-zag stitch - this stitch is most often used for lingerie and swimwear sewing. It's super stretchy and easy to work with. While it's often used as a top-stitch, it can also successfully be used to sew joining seams like side seams or back seams.

4) straight stitch with a twin/double needle - used for hemming knits. The upside of this stitch looks like two parallel lines of straight stitches, but the back (because there's still only one bobbin) looks like a zig-zag stitch. I've learned that I need to up the tension quite a bit on my sewing machine to get a nice zig-zag stitch on the bottom. Getting that zig-zag is really important for the seam to stretch. when the upper threads don't have enough tension, you might end up with just a straight bobbin thread going through, which of course will not stretch with the fabric. Another quick tip would be to keep an eye out for the top two threads. Since they are both threaded through the same way up unitil the needle, the friction while sewing can cause them to twist up and break. So, nice and steady sewing.

I made a video to show you how the different stitches perform when stretched. The quality isn't the greatest, but I hope it's informative non-the-less.

The type of needle you use for a knit project is also very important. If your thread keeps breaking or you're left with tiny holes after sewing, you're using the wrong needle, or you're needle needs replacing. Breaking thread can also be a tension problem, but mostly it's something to do with the needle (or the incompatibility between the thread and the needle). 

For stretchy fabrics, always use a ball-point needle. It usually says jersey or overlocker/serger on the pack. I've found that no.90/14 works for most knits. Same thing with the twin/double needle. Make sure it's made for stretchy fabrics because they also make them for top-stitching jeans.

As for thread, nothing special is needed. There are special threads for sergers that are super stretchy, but I've never used them, and they wouldn't be suitable for a regular machine anyway.

My final tip for sewing knits successfully with a regular machine is to lower the presser foot pressure. This way, the fabric will move more smoothly under the foot, and it won't get dragged by the foot. Another way to do this would be to lower the feeding dogs a bit. 

I hope these tips are useful to you and will get at least some of you over the fear of sewing with knit fabrics. They're awesome, just give it a try!

Tomorrow, I will share a project where you can put all this new knowledge to the test. 

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. Or, perhaps you have another tip you'd like to share with us. 

xo. Hanna

DIY Blog Design // Tips and Resources for Blogger blogs

Last week, I shared 5 lessons I learned while DIYing my new blog design. Today, I tought I'd share my top tips and resources for creating your own blog design on Blogger. A lot of these are applicable on other platforms, too, but since I don't have any first-hand experience with them, I can't really give my word for it. I'm going to talk about the preparation of your elements, and the installment on the blog itself. Of course, everyone's design is different, and you might not find all the answers here, but I've rounded up some of the most used features.

Also, this is not a guide for creating a whole template from scratch, but ways to modify an existing Blogger Template. Most Bloggers will use the Simple template as the base, and I really recommend it. It's the closest you can get to a clean slate on Blogger. My custom template is also built on the Simple template. 

My top tips for creating your own template:

1. Map out the layout. After you've done your design homework on colors, fonts, and the feel of the new site, start mapping out the layout. Where do you want the header to be? The top is the most common place, but I've also seen a lot of cool designs with the header on top of the sidebar. Where do you want your menu bar (or navigation bar) to go? One sidebar or two? Which elements to put into the sidebar and so on. Once you're happy with your vision, make a list of all the elements you need to design. 

Relevant resources:

How to add a custom image to your header

How to replace the template header with a custom header

How to add a custom navigation bar

Ideas for your footer

2. Size matters. Before designing your elements, you need to kno how wide your blog and columns need to be (mine are: total 1100px, sidebar 360px). One thing to know about blogger is that it has a lot of padding (space around elements) coded into the template, which you need to take into account when you create the custom images for your design elements (like header, sidebar dividers, etc.) This is something that really annoys me about Blogger templates, because you have to figure out how wide a sidebar really needs to be to fit a 300px wide element. My experience says you've got to add about 50 to 60px. So, my blog is 1100px wide, but my header is actually 1050px wide, and my sidebar images are all 300px. And, I now size all my images in the posts to be 650px wide. If you're thinking about offering sidebar ads, the most common size is 300px wide (by 250px), so that's also something to consider. 

Relevant resources:

How to remove padding from the header

How to reduce space between sidebar elements

3. Make templates for design elements. When you're working with Photoshop to create your design elements, save a .psd of each item with all the layers, so you can make modifications easily. You won't really get the big picture before you see the element in the whole design, so there might be times you want to change the font size, or color, or you need to make something smaller or bigger. This makes it so much easier. And, keep the psd-file current, meaning save tweaks. I have all my .psd files in a folder, so whenever I need to for example change my navigation bar, or add a sidebar divider, or change up the posts in the favorites category, I can do that easily.

Relevant resources:

4. Learn basic HTML and CSS. I know, you're probably rolling your eyes right now, and it seems super intimidating. But, think of it this way. When you're going to a foreign country, and you know no-one speaks English there, it makes sense to learn the basic phrases in their native language, right? It's the same thing with doing your own blog design. Unless you hire someone to actually install all the design elements, or get a friend to do it, you need to learn the basics of Internet language. All the things that you see in the internet are actually made up of code, called HTML, and a lot of the things are styled using CSS. Think of CSS (Cascading Styling Sheets) as the garnish on top of the HTML pie. First you need to bake the pie, and then you can add some garnish to style it if you'd like. 

Relevant resources:

The best place for all things HTML and CSS

5. Don't be intimidated to alter code. Once you and HTML know each other a little better, changing your template code won't seem like such a big deal anymore. However, always ALWAYS make back-up of your template before applying any changes, so that if anything goes wrong, you can easily fix it. When you add code, you can just delete what you just added and everything goes back to normal. 

Adding custom CSS is even easier. You can add all the CSS you need by going to Template -> Customize -> Advanced -> Add custom CSS.

6. Make a test blog. I briefly mentioned this in my previous post as well, but you really need to test all the code and the elements you want to create. And by testing, I mean creating a separate private blog and trying to install the whole template like you want it there. Since Blogger has it's own system of building code, it only makes sense to test your template on another Blogger blog. There is a problem however. So, the way Blogger works is that each sidebar element you create is a separate entity of HTML, and has it's own name in the blog template code (like HTML1, HTML2 and so on) based on the order you added them. The tricky thing is, you can't just download the template (from Template -> Back-up/Restore) and then up-load it to your real blog, since the widgets aka the sidebar elements are not embedded in that code. In the template code, those elements are only referenced with their name. So, when you would up-load the template to your blog which already has a bunch of widgets (like your archive, popular posts, follow buttons and so on) that are also named HTML1, HTML2 and so on, it would replace the element that was already named HTML1 on your blog with the HMTL1 from the test-blog. So, when the HTML1 on your original blog is not in the exact same spot as on your test blog, you're in trouble, because all your elements will be in random places. 

There are several options for addressing this issue. You could find out all the names of your blog widgets, and start adding them to the test blog in that order (so that if your archive is named HTML6, the archive would be the sixth element you add to your test-blog). Another way would be to manually overwrite the code in your widgets with the code in you test-blog widgets. This way, you wouldn't be up-loading a whole new template, but rather just updating the old template. This would also mean, you need to take note on which elements you added custom CSS and change those widget names according to the widget names on your original blog. You could also change the widget names manually in the code to correspond to the widget names from the original blog before you make the template switch. This should also eliminate the problem.

Most importantly, make a back-up of the old template before you make any changes.

Other resources:

How to remove "Powered by Blogger" attribution

How to remove "Posts (Atom)" from the footer

How to add a custom "Pin it" button to images on your blog

How to remove shadow and border from all images in Blogger posts

7. Take a course, if you can. If you have the funds for it, take an e-course about designing your own blog. I made my first custom design following the Blog(Design)Love e-course from A beautiful Mess. I learned all the basic coding from there and a lot of the stuff was already coded for me, so I didn't really have to know a lot, just copy and paste. They now have a new version of this course out called Blog (Design) Love 2.0. I haven't taken it, but I bet it's also very good, or even better than the old version. 

I hope some of this will be helpful to some of you. If you have any questions or would like to know more about any other aspects of creating a custom blog design, let me know in the comments. 

xo. Hanna

5 Tips for a budget-friendly wedding

Being two students without a size-able income means that planning a wedding can be financially difficult (to say the least). Needless to say, we had to plan our wedding on a tight budget. That created a lot of boundaries, but it also made us think creatively about how to make our dream day happen. In the end, our wedding day was just what we had dreamed, and we didn't even have to rob a bank. So, I thought I'd share some of the tips and tricks I learned when planning our budget-friendly wedding.

1. Use your friend-sources. Asking for help is harder for some than others, but using the resources you have is essential to planning a budget-friendly wedding. If you're running on a tight budget, but still want to have your dream wedding, get creative with your resources. Do you have a friend who loves to style hair? Why not collaborate on your wedding hairdo. Talk it through, do some testing, and if it doesn't work out, you can always still hire a professional, but if it does, you'll save some money (plus all the fun hair-dates you get to have with your friend). Maybe you have a friend who's good at make-up, or knows how to sew, or knows somebody who knows how to do these things. Get in touch and ask them for their help. Those savings might look insignificant, but believe me, when it comes to a low-budget wedding, every cent counts. And cents turn into euros/dollars real quick.

If you're hesitant asking for help, because you feel your "using" the other person, then think about it this way. Would you be offended when a friend asked you for help on their wedding? I personally would be more than willing to help make their day as special as it should be.

We had a lot of help from our friends, and of course, our family. A friend of a friend did our hair, our flatmate Mari Krõõt was the the commander-in-chief on the actual wedding day making sure everything run smoothly, our families helped us put up decorations and prep the ceremony area, Rein's mom made my wedding dress, our friend Anneliis painted our guestbook/tree - just to name a few areas we had help in. Using our friend-sources was the biggest money-saver of our wedding, for sure.

2. Prioritize your budget. The harsh truth is, that when you're on a tight budget, you can't have it all. You might have to skip the chocolate fountain and the ice sculptures. And that's ok. Looking back at your wedding, the emotion of the day is what you'll remember the most, not the elaborate details. Think about what the key details of your wedding are, what you aren't willing to compromise on, and plan your budget accordingly. Also, think about what you're willing to ditch when the need arises. Because, no matter how well you plan, chances are, you're going to have to make sacrifices when you want to stay on budget. When planning your budget, add about 20-30% to your initial estimate. There will be expenses you can't or don't know to include in your original budget, so plan for those changes and extra expenses in advance.

For us, the most important things were people and food. We knew we wouldn't be happy when we couldn't share our day with all the people we love. It was not important to us to have 200 people at our wedding, but it was essential that all the really important people could be a part of it. We also knew we wanted our guests to be happy, so food and drinks were high on our priority list. Everything else was optional. Yes, even my wedding dress. When you keep your priorities in mind, you won't mind making changes and giving up some ideas, because you'll know that everything that's really important is taken care of.

3. Be creative. Once you've got your priorities set, you'll also know where you want to spend the money you have. With the rest of the things, get your thinking cap on and step outside the box. This goes for everything from the venue to the wedding favors.
It can be easy to get stuck and only consider the venues that are wedding-oriented. But, think about other options. Someone's backyard, a park or public garden, a random field somewhere in the countryside, ask a farmer to use their barn, or look for cool abandoned houses that could be turned into a rad wedding venue. Our wedding ceremony was in my parents' backyard, and the reception was held in the local culture centre located in an old manor. A manor sounds glamorous, but in reality, the centre was reconstructed during the soviet times, and hasn't had a decent renovation in decades. Luckily, the facade was renovated a few years ago, so it looks good on the outside. In the end, the selling point for us was that it was cheap and near the ceremony location, and also, in my home village. I knew the reception area wouldn't be as pretty as I had once dreamed, but that was a compromise I was willing to make.

4. Be your own wedding planner. I bet a wedding planner comes in handy, but doing it yourself is totally manageable when you don't have the funds to hire one.
We planned our entire wedding ourselves. And, although it can be stressful at times, it's really not that difficult. The internet is full of great articles and inspirational wedding ideas to help you. Talk to your friends who're already married and ask for advice. Planning a wedding can be intimidating, since you're probably doing it for the first time, but when you gather all the experiences and lessons learned from your friends, and combine them with Google, you're all set.
Get your family and friends involved in the preparations, and it'll all be way easier. Our family and friends were incredibly helpful to us during all the stages of prepping for the wedding. From making the decorations, to setting up the ceremony and reception are, to cutting fruit, to helping us clean up afterwards. The truth is, you don't have to do it all by yourself. Ask for help (like I said before) and everything becomes more manageable.

5. DIY what you can. Besides being your own wedding planner, doing as much as you can yourself or with the help of friends and family can help you save a lot of money. Also, for me, DIY added so much more meaning to our wedding. It's such a joy seeing all the creations you've made on your wedding day and feel that you truly worked hard to make this day what you wanted it to be. For us, I think the biggest savings were my wedding dress, which was sewn by my mother-in-law (it cost me about 100€ in materials), and the wedding decor, which was made with the help of friends. Again, I can't stress friend-sources enough. My dear friend Kärt-Katrin not only helped me cut out a lot of paper circles, but offered to sew our ring pillow. And it turned out so beautiful, too (see photo above).
I'll do a post on our wedding DIYs in the near future.

Hope these tips a helpful to those of you planning your dream wedding.
xo Hanna

Photography by Kerli Halliste and Hanna Saar

An easy fix for a gaping back on jeans/trousers

Most of the jeans I buy have the same problem. Everything fits fine, except the back. I've had years of experience with gaping backs, and I've tried several options for fixing them. A belt never works, and reconstructing the waist at the back takes a lot of time that I really don't want to spend on an alteration.

After some trial and error, I developed this method. To some of you, this might be reinventing the wheel, but for me it was a game changer, and I really wanted to share it with you. It's super easy and works for almost all waist problems, whether it's an overall too wide waist or just a gaping back.

You will need:

• wide elastic (the width should be 0.5cm less than the width of you waistband)
• safety pin
• sewing machine or needle and thread (in matching color to your jeans)
• scissors
• pins

1. First, cut an opening for the elastic. Make a vertical cut about 2cm from the buttonhole and in the same place on the other end of the waistband. The cut should be wide enough to move the elastic through. I recommend not cutting closer than 0.5 cm from the edges of the waistband. Make sure to only cut the inner layer of the waistband!

2. measure the needed length of you elastic. Just put the elastic around you waist where the waistband hits, pull the elastic tighter until it's a comfortable and supporting length. From that length deduct the length of the waistband that the elastic won't be going through, and cut. Attach a safety pin to the one end of the elastic and guide it through the opening. Guide the elastic through the waistband until you reach the other side. Make sure to pin the other end of the elastic to the side of the opening, so you won't just pull the elastic out from the other side.

3. Tuck the end of the elastic into the opening. About 1cm of the elastic should go towards the button(or buttonhole) side of the waistband. Sew the opening shut with a zig sag stitch (to prevent fraying). Make sure you sew over the elastic as well since this is going to secure it in place.

Done! It's harder to explain than it is to do. After one try you'll be able to fix a gaping back in 10 minutes tops. I hope this tutorial helps.

5 ways to save money on crafting

Crafting has been my favorite hobby for the past 10 years, so I'm not new to fabric hoarding or compulsive craft supply shopping. It seems that every time I discover a new craft, I go a little nuts. Like that period back in my early sewing days where I just couldn't walk by the fabric store without stepping in and buying some cute fabric. Then, when I discovered knitting, I would buy skeins and skeins of pretty yarn (most of it still unused). And after that there was jewelry making - I just had to have all those pretty beads, clasps, earring findings, elements etc. Does that ring any bells?

It's easy to get carried away when you're passionate about something. At one point I realized how much money I was spending on my hobby. The saddest thing was, I didn't even use most of the supplies I bought. I still have loads of fabric from my early shopping days, and yarns from way back when.

Over the past few years I've developed a few golden rules that I try to follow to save money and keep my passion from taking over my bank account. Today, I thought I'd share some of my rules, and other tips for saving money on crafting.

1. Make a craft plan. Oh, yes I said it. Plan your craft projects. Having a realistic craft plan is the key to saving money. First, make a list of things you want to make. I usually scribble down all my ideas and then pick one or two I want to work on in the next week or two. Then evaluate your time allowance - do you have enough creating time to make those projects? The plan only works when it's realistic :). Once you have a plan in place, buy only the supplies you need for the next 2-3 weeks. Of course, this doesn't mean I never buy anything outside my craft plan, but it has cut down my spontaneous oh-what-a-pretty-fabric type of purchases.

2. Plan projects with supplies you already have in mind. Another big one. The more you use the supplies you already have, the less you spend (duh). It's a no-brainer, really. But, in all honesty, haven't we all bought a new fabric, because we just couldn't find that perfect match for this new pattern we want to make from our stash? I can totally relate, but, instead of running to the fabric store, you could let your current stash inspire you. Instead of starting with the pattern, why not start with the fabric? That goes for other crafts as well.

3. Get thrifty with your materials. Thrift shops are a great place to get new materials. You can find pretty vintage fabrics for real cheap there, and you get bonus points for being eco-friendly. The earth wins, and you win :). Perfect for home decor and fashion projects.
I've also gotten a lot of fabric from friends and family. Many of them have fabric they bought in the Soviet days to get clothing made, but haven't used.
Another way to get thrifty with you materials is to reuse them. Made a dress that just didn't come out right? Be sure to unpick the zipper, remove the buttons, and if you can, reuse the fabric for another project. Same goes for store bought clothing. If you ruined a perfectly good shirt with you iron, remove the notions and reuse them. Or, if your purse is too warn out to wear, remove all the hardware.

4. Have a craft budget. For me, this was a really big step. In the early days, it was really easy for me to get carried away and not think about the money I was spending on my hobby. I mean, what's 2€ on a zipper here, and 5€ on fabric there. But, at the end of the month it added up to more than I was willing to admit. So, now I set myself a crafting budget for the month. When I haven't spent that amount this month, I can transfer it to the next month. Or, if I'm over my budget this month, I take it off from next month's budget.

5. Sell, and trade materials with fellow crafters. So, we all have materials that have been sitting on the shelves for years, and we know we're probably not going to use them, ever. Why not sell them, or trade with other creatives.
Clothing swap parties are super hot (and I've also spotted a few fabric swaps), so why not have a craft supply swap party? Invite some friends over, and have fun sipping wine and trading your supplies.
If you don't know any creatives, or just want to get rid of the supplies and not accumulate more, why not try and sell it online or at a flea market? If you sell your supplies, you get at least some of the money back, and you can invest it in future projects.

I hope you got some ideas on how to keep your creative fire from burning a hole into your wallet.

Organizing Jewelry and Make-up

Time and again I promise myself that I'll get more organized and tidier. Truth be told, that rarely happens. I guess it's one of those resolutions that never gets done. But, I do have my moments. Lately I've been in a nesting phase and trying to find new ways to make our apartment a home. And I think organizing is an important part of it. If things are put away nicely, it's prettier, cozier and homier. It's still a work in progress, but the first steps are done.

I used to keep all of my make-up is several toiletry bags I'd collected over the years. They were neither pretty nor very practical, because the stuff ended up on the table within days. I just couldn't find anything and ended up emptying the bag to get what I was looking for. Now I keep my make'up in a vintage sewing box I got from my Grandma. It was brand new, just sitting in her attic, so I asked if I could have it. At first I thought I'd used it to organize my sewing supplies, but I realized they would never fit in there. So, I found it a better use.
It's super practical and so comfortable to use. I keep all my everyday make-up in the top compartments, and the fancier stuff in the bottom compartment. I love how I can just pull it open, get what I need, and put it back in a matter of seconds. It really tidied up my dresser top. And I always now where everything is. It has just enough separate compartments to keep everything organized.

It seams I've been looking for a better way to organize my jewelry for the longest time. I've seen lots of tutorials and ideas, but most of them have the jewelry out in the open, exposed to air, which could mean fading and oxidation. And I didn't want to take that risk. After making a jewelry box out of an old chocolate box (tutorial here), I turned another box into jewelry storage. I got some body lotion and other goods in a nice black simple gift box for Christmas, and it was just the perfect size to be turned into a jewelry box.

I stacked 2 containers from chocolate boxes into the black box. I simple cut the containers into the right size and layered them into the box. They tend to fall into each other a bit, so I'm thinking about glueing some cardboard under one of them to separate them better inside the box. I like that I can get a quick overview of my jewelry, find pieces easily and keep them from tangling.
I use three leather boxes as well to organize my other jewelry. I keep silver and gold jewelry separately, and I keep all my big bracelets in a round leather box.

One of these days I'm going to have to tackle my closet and my sewing supplies. Oh my!
Do you have any tips for getting organized?

Refashion Basics: Tips for sewing knits with a serger/overlocker

Tackling your first refashion projects can be challenging, especially when you're not an experienced seamstress to begin with. And even if you are, refashioning existing garments can create challenges that you don't encounter when sewing from scratch. You might need a few tips and tricks to help you along and to give that extra confidence to get started. I've been there and done that. Every skill I have, has come through trial and error and a lot of practice. And I'd like to share that knowledge with you. So, I've created this new series called "Refashion basics" where I'll be sharing my refashioning tips and tricks.

Today I'd like to focus on sewing knits with a serger/overlocker. Sometimes all you need is to take in the side seams of a sweater to make it wearable. Or you might want to use a sweater to make yourself a winter skirt or some socks.
I know not many of you have this type of machine and there will be a post about sewing knits with a regular sewing machine as well.

An overlocker is a very handy machine to have when you sew a lot with knits. I bought mine 6 years ago and have never regretted the decision. However, this machine is not a miracle worker, especially when it comes to thick sweater knits. The main problems with sewing thick knits are stretched and wavy seams and missed stitches. Here are my top tips for sewing with knits:

1) If possible, do a test seam. If you're going to cut a sizable piece of the sweater off, you can test the seam on that portion, leaving room for the final cut.
2) Turn the gather/stretch nob to maximum gathering. This will help to prevent wavy seams.
3) The thicker the knit the longer the stitch. I use the maximum length on sweaters. Again, it helps to prevent wavy seams.
4) Make sure you loosen the 1 and 2 thread (the needles) tension a little bit when sewing thicker knits, compared to regular jersey knits or other fabric.
5) Hand-basting close to the seam line can also prevent stretched out seams.
6) It can be tricky to obtain a straight seam line. Mark your seam line with tailor's chalk or a piece of soap (work wonderfully on darker material) to make it easy to follow.
7) Don't cut any excess material before sewing. The existing seams will help hold  the layers in place giving you better lined edges.
8) Pin the layers together about 3cm from the seam line. I usually pin every 5 cm along the seam line. This keeps the layers in place, so you don't end up with mismatched edges.
9) Use a tapestry/wool needle to hide the thread ends. Leave long tails when sewing, thread the needle with the tail and push it through 5 cm of the seam. Cut the excess thread.  I learned this tip from Zoe.

I hope these tips are helpful! If you have any tricks to add, do share them in the comments.

Style Tip and Pearls & Scissors' Fall Lookbook sneak peek

I have big news! I'm making a lookbook for the first time in my life. The lead star is my personal supermodel, the lovely Marianne of course. Pearls & Scissors' Fall lookbook will be ready very soon (fingers crossed). Until then, here's a little sneak peek into the shoot...

Marianne is wearing the fabric rose earrings and the knitted bow brooch from my upcoming collection

And my style tip for you today: use your brooches/pins creatively! I styled my pink knitted bow brooch with a skirt not a sweater. You could also use it to embellish a plain pair of pants, or the pockets of a coat. Or, you could use it to nip in the waist on the back of a cardigan (I actually used this trick on the crochet vest in this post). There are so many possibilities!

Do you think brooches are a little bit old fashioned or do you still use them? What's your favorite way of wearing a brooch/pin?

Thoughts on time management

So, it's been a week since I announced my time management experiment. I've made small updates along the way via Facebook and Twitter, and I thought it was time I did an update here as well.

How was my first scheduled week, you ask? And what did I learn? Well, let me tell you...

1) Make a list. I rediscovered my love for writing lists. It's an instant feeling of productivity, as if  making a list is already an accomplishment. A list makes me feel so much more organized and therefor less over-whelmed. Also, a list helps to see the bigger picture - what sort of projects/tasks need your immediate attention and which ones can be pushed back if you lack time.

2) Break down the list. Another important thing I've learned so far is to break all the things on my list down to small tasks that can be done in not more that half an hour. I need small tasks, because I'm an all over the place kind of person. I jump from one project to another whenever I feel like it and get the inspiration and it really helps to have small manageable tasks to deal with in this case.

3) I hate plans, but they help. This connects to the last statement. I'm more likely to follow an inner surge of inspiration than my plan. Also, there's a saying "People make plans, God laughs". My days can be hard to predict, especially on weekends, and that makes scheduling my tasks hard. That being said, I still think that a plan is better than none. It helps me to visualize how much I can realistically get done in a day. I can always juggle things around during the day if need be, but at least I have a framework to start with.

These are the 3 things I took away from this week. I'm definitely going to continue with the time management experiment and find new ways to make my days more productive and most of all more fulfilling.

Have you tried a time management system? Any tips, suggestions, lessons learnt you'd like to share?

Style Tip: A belt is a bracelet is a belt

A belt doesn't have to be just a belt. Here's a clever way to make the most of your skinny belts - use them as bracelets! Just wrap it around your wrist and you'll get a fabulous statement bracelet, and double the action for your money.

Style Tip is a new blog series here at Pearls & Scissors where I share styling ideas and inspiration.