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Intro to basics of hand sewing

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Hand sewing is a useful skill for repairing clothing and creating handcrafted items such as stuffed toys, curtains, and pillowcases. To get started with hand sewing, you need a few essential tools: needle, thread, and fabric.

It’s important to choose the right needle for the fabric you are working with, as different fabrics require different types of needles. For example, lightweight fabrics like silk and chiffon require sharps needles, while heavier fabrics like denim and canvas require stronger needles like tapestry or upholstery.

The thread you choose should also be appropriate for your fabric, with strong thread recommended for heavier fabrics and lighter thread for lighter fabrics.

While hand sewing may take some practice to get the hang of, it’s a worthwhile investment of time and effort. Not only can you use your hand sewing skills to make handmade items, but you can also use them to repair clothing and other items in your home.

Additionally, hand sewing can be a relaxing and enjoyable hobby that allows you to create unique and beautiful items with your own two hands. So whether you are an experienced seamstress or just starting out, there’s never been a better time to learn the basics of hand sewing and stitching!

Craftbits has a full article on the basics of hand sewing that might be useful to bookmark.

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A Blanket Knitting Pattern Where Yarn Selection is Everything

Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]