The Mermaid's Den

Dec 15

Dec 15 The Best Craft & DIY Kits on Etsy

Easy beginner project, Fiber Arts, Product Review, Sewing, Shopping guide

I love doing crafty things. But sometimes when I have time to sit down and work on a project, I just feel overwhelmed by choices and decisions. Sometimes I just want to sit down and make something without all of that extra planning that goes into starting a project from scratch. I started buying craft kits from Etsy, so that I’d have a self-contained projects, instructions, and supplies all together. You could buy these kits to make for someone else for the holidays, or you could get these kits for someone who wants to make them. Or you could get them for yourself!

Jul 13

Jul 13 Free Embroidery Pattern and Embroidery Tutorial

Beth

Free Sewing Pattern, Embroidery

Do you want a free daffodil embroidery pattern? Scroll down to the end of the post for a free pdf embroidery pattern to download. I digitized a vintage embroidery pattern that I found, and I have a few more that I’m working on, so keep an eye out for future posts if you like free embroidery patterns. The top of the post will cover some tips for free motion embroidery on a sewing machine. You can sew this pattern by hand as well.

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.

Apr 14

Apr 14 How to Remove Fused Residue from Your Iron

Beth

Sewing Hacks, Sewing Tutorial

In this post, I’ll share one of my favorite tools for easily cleaning any sticky, fused residue off of your iron. Fusible fabric, interfacing, and hem tape make sewing so much easier, but they come with the downside of sometimes accidentally sticking to your iron. No one wants to have a gunky iron with melted interfacing, foam, felt, wonder tape, or webbing on it. Here’s how to remove it!

Mar 10

Mar 10 Singer 185 Sewing Machine: How to Restore, Troubleshoot, and Use

Beth

Vintage Sewing Machine, Sewing Machine, Restoration

In this post, I’ll go over how to use a vintage Singer 185 sewing machine, the cute little mint green cousin to the Singer 99. I’ll cover how to clean and maintain it, as well as how to troubleshoot and get replacement parts as needed. Then I’ll walk you through the process of using this awesome little straight stitch machine!

Jan 1

Jan 1 Top 10 Sewing Tutorials and Projects of 2018

Beth

Free Tutorial, Free Sewing Pattern, Mermaid's Den

Last year, I did a post reviewing my top posts from 2017, so I thought I’d continue that tradition for 2018. Sometimes I know that a post is going to do well, and sometimes I’m surprised by how well something is received. Every time I think I have it figured out, my readers surprise me!

Dec 31

Dec 31 Easy Embroidered Felt Ornaments

Beth

Easy DIY, Free Sewing Pattern, Free Tutorial

In this post, I’ll show you how to make some super easy embroidered ornaments. I used some of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine and some pretty rayon and metallic threads to embroider these felt ornaments. This post contains a free pdf pattern and a full tutorial for making these ornaments.

Dec 2

Dec 2 Make Your Own Reusable Produce Bags

Beth

Easy beginner project, Free Sewing Pattern, Free Tutorial, Sewing Tutorial, Top 10 2018

In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own reusable handmade produce bags or vegetable storage bags. These are an easy and quick DIY project that even a beginner can make. This will help you reduce your use of disposable plastic bags at the grocery store and adopt a zero waste lifestyle. I adapted this pattern from the drawstring lingerie bags I recently made to help wash delicate items in the laundry. These produce bags are also washable, in case you ever need to clean them.

Nov 19

Nov 19 Sew a Quick and Easy Lingerie Bag

Beth

Easy beginner project, Free Sewing Pattern, Free Tutorial, Sewing Tutorial

In this post, I’ll show you how to make a lingerie bag in which to wash delicate or easily damaged items. I bought one of these, and it fell apart after a couple of washes—it just disintegrated and the zipper ripped out. So I decided to sew a sturdier one, while still making it pretty, of course! I made this one out of lace fabric, cord, and a drawstring toggle, since the zipper on the store-bought one caused problems. Read on for the free tutorial and pattern.

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.