The Mermaid's Den

May 15

May 15 Grainlines and Sewing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

When I first started sewing, I had trouble remembering which way my pattern pieces were supposed to go on the fabric, where the grainline was, and which side had the selvedge. For the first pattern I sewed, I didn’t even realize that the pattern pieces needed to be oriented a certain way on the fabric (see the lessons I learned in my first year sewing for more helpful tips)! If you’re in the same boat, you might be struggling to understand these things, too. Read on because all of this will become much clearer to you over the course of this post.

Jun 16

Jun 16 The Easiest Way to Thread a Needle by Hand

Beth

Sewing Hacks, Sewing Tips, Sewing Tutorial

In this post, I'll show you the best sewing hack I've ever discovered to help you easily thread a needle by hand. You don't need any special tools or extras—just your thread, needle, and hands. You'll learn how to thread a needle quickly and easily every time. This works for all kinds of hand sewing: mending, embroidery, bead weaving, needlework, etc. This post has a video tutorial as well as a step-by-step written tutorial with photos.

Jan 13

Jan 13 How to Find Cheap Fabric for Sewing Projects

Beth

Sewing Hacks, Sewing Tips

Here's a guide to finding cheap fabric for your sewing projects. Sometimes you'll find cheap fabric that's just as nice as full price fabric, and sometimes you'll find pieces that you can experiment on without feeling guilty if you mess up. I've seen a few posts on finding cheap fabric, so I'll try to add to what's out there without repeating too much, and I've included a list of other fabric-buying guides at the end of this post.

Jul 8

Jul 8 Mermaid's Den Craft Room Tour and Organizational Tips

Beth

Mermaid's Den, Sewing Tips

In this post, I'll show you the current state of my craft and sewing room, plus I'll offer some tips for organization and storage. Just so you know, my craft room doesn't always look this nice. Recently, it got so bad that it was basically nonfunctional. It looked like an episode of Hoarders was hit by a tornado. Projects and ideas were piled on top of each other, and I couldn't find anything. It took the better part of week, working every day, to get everything organized, but I think I've got it set up in such a way that I'll be able to keep it (mostly) clean from now on!

Jun 30

Jun 30 How to Repair Tears in Leggings

Beth

Sewing Tips, Sewing Tutorial, Repair & Reuse, Everyday Mending

Don't you hate when a pair of leggings gets worn out? Once the fabric starts tearing and getting little holes, it's only a matter of time before they start to become so frayed they're unwearable. In this post, I'll show you how to repair your leggings by adding a new seam with a serger or sewing machine.

Apr 3

Apr 3 How to Start Sewing for Free

Beth

Sewing Hacks, Sewing Tips, Shopping guide

In this post, I'll break out all my best tips for finding sewing supplies for free (or really cheap). I wanted to get into sewing for a long time, but I kept putting it off because the hobby seemed expensive. Getting a sewing machine looked like it was going to be at least $100 or more, and then you still need thread, needles, fabric, patterns, an iron, and so on just to get started.

And then what if it turns out you don't really like sewing? You've spent all that money just to be disappointed. So I kept hemming and hawing over it.

Well, I'm going to tell you how to get started without spending (much) money. If you're patient and attentive, you can get almost all of your supplies for free. I do recommend buying thread and needles, but I'll tell you how to get the best deals on those.

Feb 3

Feb 3 How to Sew in a Straight Line

Beth

Sewing Hacks, Sewing Tutorial, Sewing Tips, Top 10 2018

In this post, I'll go over my best tips and tricks for sewing in a straight line. When you first start sewing, you might notice that it's difficult to make sure your fabric feeds evenly, so that you can get a nice straight line of stitches. Even if you've been sewing for awhile, you might have trouble with this! Honestly, when I stop paying attention or sew too quickly, I still get wobbly seams sometimes. But if you follow these tips, and you pay careful attention, you should be able to sew in a nice straight line.

Nov 24

Nov 24 17 Lessons Learned in My Second Year Sewing

Beth

Sewing Tips

I thought I'd share some of the lessons I learned as an advanced beginner. These are the lessons I learned during my second year of sewing.

Jun 23

Jun 23 How to Use a Serger: A Comprehensive Guide to the Singer ProFinish

Beth

Product Review, Serger, Sewing Tips, Sewing Tutorial

I used to think that sergers were super expensive machines. Then I snagged a cheap Singer ProFinish Serger, and I don't know how I ever lived without it.

May 25

May 25 How to Make a Custom Dress Form

Beth

Sewing Hacks, Sewing Tips, Sewing Tutorial, Tutorial

In this post, I'll show you how to make a dress form by creating a custom sized bodice block and padding out a mannequin.

Mar 26

Mar 26 How to Make a Stitch Sample Book for Your Sewing Machine

Beth

Easy beginner project, Fabric, Sewing Machine, Sewing Tips, Sewing Tutorial

In this post, I'll show you how to make a stitch sample book in order to test out all of those fancy stitches and learn what your sewing machine is capable of.

Feb 21

Feb 21 Tips for Sewing with Leather and Review of the Layla Bag Pattern

Beth

Pattern Review, Sewing Tips, Sewing Tutorial

I recently came across the lovely Layla Bag Pattern, and I knew that making this cute purse would be a great way to use up some of my surplus leather.