Handmade Not Homemade

I often tell my students that we are making handmade, not homemade, projects. Handmade is a nicely finished project, and homemade is a kindergarten craft project. I’ve had plenty of things to turn out looking like a kindergarten craft project, so I am teaching from my mistakes. There is definitely a difference.  Handmade is in the details.

*Choose the right fabric for your project. Do some research to be sure you are using the correct weight and type of fabric for whatever you are making.

*Trim the loose threads. Nobody wants to see thread hanging from the gift you just gave them.*Push out your corners. There are a few tools that are helpful. I have two that I love. One came in bag of stuffing, and the other came from some Chinese restaurant take out. They both are the same concept and work great. Use what you have, but don’t use your scissors or you risk putting a hole in your fabric.
* Get familiar with your seam ripper. I am good friends with mine. We visit often. If you make a mistake it’s worth the time to pull it out and redo. It is so much better than suffering the humiliation every time you look at it knowing it would have only taken you a second to make it look nice.
*Iron your fabric and project. The rule that I follow is, I iron everything that I have to and nothing I don’t. Just to be clear, there isn’t much that doesn’t have to be ironed, but it makes me feel better to say it anyway.
*Remember, the first of anything is always the hardest. After you make one and understand how it all works, the next million that you make are a breeze.

The only thing that makes you better is practice. Follow these rules and have fun, even with a little frustration. It will be perfect, I promise!

Until next time…
 

Tami
Sew on and Sew Forth