Tutorials
I have posted numerous tutorials and sewing tips and tricks on my blog. Here are all of them in one page! Enjoy!
Pattern tutorials
Kuura vest
Download a free pattern with a tutorial to make this warm little merino wool vest to wear under your blouses.
Girl's empire bonnet
I drafted this empire bonnet for my daughter. Here is a free pattern and a tutorial on how to make your own.
The camera bag insert
With this tutorial you can turn your regular handbag into a camera bag by making a camera bag insert.
Reflective roses
Winter streets can be deadly. Bring some fun and light into darkness by making these reflective brooches to decorate your winter coats. Or make some as gifts to your friends and relatives. A free pattern is included.
A scissor case
This is an easy tutorial on how to make a leather case for your scissors.
The lunch bag
Make yourself or somebody else a handly little lunch bag that can be attached to a purse or a backpack. Get the free pattern and a tutorial here!
The Kielo jumpsuit pattern hack
This is a free tutorial on how to make a jumpsuit out of the Kielo dress by Named clothing. I love my own Kielo jumpsuit and want to share the instructions…
Tetrahedral bean bag
Follow this tutorial to make an easy tetrahedral shaped bean bag.
How to make a pair of narrow trousers
I show how to take your trouser sloper (or any well-fitting pattern of wide legged trousers) to create narrow stretch cotton trousers.
how to get a trouser pattern that fits?
I describe my journey through the trouser pattern jungle and show how I finally found my perfect pattern by tracing it from an old pair of trousers. I also go through many fitting issues and explain how to get rid of them.
The Pleated Skirt calculator
Create your own pleated skirt pattern using my handy calculator and sew your unique version with the help of my tutorial!
Sandra skirt
Make your own Sandra skirt! This tutorial teaches you to draft the pattern and to sew this lovely lined skirt.
Here are some tricks on how to get thick wool coat seams to lay nice and flat! In Finnish with English subtitles!
I show how to thread the machine (CoverPro 2000CPX), how to produce nice hems and how to use the binder attachment.
I show how to fasten a reversible sequin applique patch on a t-shirt front.
Villakangastakin paksuja saumoja on vaikea saada näyttämään siisteiltä. Näillä vinkeillä onnistut!
Opi poimuttamaan saumurin differentiaalisyöttöä hyväksikäyttämällä ja ompelemaan rullapäärmeitä. Saumurini on Bernina 800DL, joten muilla saumureilla kannattaa tarkistaa ohjekirjasta, miten säädöt asetetaan oikein.
Peitetikkikoneen ompeleen päättely
Tässä lyhyt video-ohje peitetikkikoneen ompeleen päättelyyn.
Peitetikkikoneen syöttäjän hampaiden korkeus on säädettävissä. Korkeuden muuttaminen saattaa auttaa syöttö- ja hyppytikkiongelmiin.
Tässä videossa näytän, miten peitetikkikoneeseen vaihdetaan langat, kuinka peitetikkikoneella ommellaan kauniita käänteitä ja kuinka kantinkääntäjää käytetään esimerkiksi pääntien huolitteluun.
Video clips
My coverstitch machine
This is a short example of what a coverstitch machine works.
Home-made plissé
The great reveal of the end product of my home-made plissé experiment!
How to take a pattern from your old trousers
If you have a pair of well fitting trousers you may want to replicate them. This is how you take a pattern from them!
How to sew on a button using a sewing machine
How to sew on a button using a sewing machine. So fast and easy! You don’t necessarily even need a special foot. A zigzag foot is enough!
An easy way to hem a circle skirt
I think this is the easiest way to hem a circle skirt. No basting, no pinning and I can even do it one-handed! Works for slightly heavier fabrics like wools, tweeds and such. The best thing is that the resulting hem is very neat and drapes well.
Sewing tools and utilities - DIY
Ironing station Ikea-hack
Build yourself a handly moveable ironing station with storing capacit with this quick Ikea-hack!
DIY pinnable legform
Make yourself a lower body double to help with trouser fitting issues!
Ironing board covers
Brighten your housework and sewing by making a pretty cover for your ironing board with this tutorial.
Photography tips for a sewist
Here are my tips on how to take great photos for your sewing blog. Learn about lighting, backgrounds and posing and how to work with kids.
An example of pattern drafting
This is how I drafted the pattern for my wool ruffle dress. I used free pattern drafting software called Seamly 2D and draping on my dressform.
How to organize your sewing patterns?
Sometimes it is hard to decide what sewing patterns to keep and what to throw away. The storage space is limited though, so follow my lead!
How to store your fabric?
The best solution for storing your fabric depends on the size of your stash. I have found it best to wrap my fabrics in bolts. However, no matter how you store your fabrics, you need to protect them from damage.
My presser foot collection - paininjalkakokoelmani
Presser feet are little tools that are easily underestimated. For a long time I used to sew with just two or three presser feet and did not realise how my sewing could be improved with some little additions to my presser feet stash. Now I have over 20...
Bullet journal for sewing
I have been using bullet journal for over a year. I have found it very handy to use it to plan and organize my sewing. Here are a few ideas for other people interested in doing the same.
Sewing machine maintenance
If you sewing machine keeps ugly noise or misbehaves it is often due to lack of oiling and fluff accumulation. As we use our machines we must also regularly maintain them. Sometimes even the most misbehaving machines can be fixed with some oil…
DIY Tailor's pressing tools
Make your seams smooth and achieve professional finish using these tailor's ironing tools. Sew yourself sleeve rolls, make a simple wool dauber and fashion a tailor's clapper and a point presser from wood.
Sewist's notebook
Get free printable pages with realistic body templates. Add a notes section or a page for body measurements. Store the pages into a ring binder or learn how to make them into real notebooks!
Sewing tricks and tips
Tips to make a teeshirt bra
Here are some tips on how to cover pre-formed foam cups to make a teeshirt bra. Learn also how I cover my straps with fabric and add lace details to my bras and panties.
Adjusting a sewing pattern: My green jersey top
You don't need a perfect sewing pattern to make a garment that you have on your mind. With adjustments you can modify details and adjust the pattern so that it has all the features you want.
How to handle lace in lingerie sewing
Lace details look gorgeous but how to handle lace so to preserve the pretty scalloped edges when making a bra and panties. Here are some tips!
Winter coat 5: the collar, sleeves and the lining
Now it was time to make the collar with pad stitching, draft and construct the sleeves and make the lining.
Winter coat 4: SMOOTH SEAMS AND WARMTH
Here are tips on how to achieve beautiful smooth seams with thick wool fabric and how to underline a wool coat to make it warm and wind proof.
Winter coat 3: Cutting and interfacing
Tips for interfacing a coat with some tailoring techniques.
Winter coat 2: The toile
It is important to make a toile to test the fit before cutting into previous wool. Here is a description how I adjusted the pattern.
Winter coat 1: Planning
Here is how I approached planning for my winter coat. I turned an old tailor-made coat the wrong way around to learn about how it was made.
Tambour beading and embroidery
If you have ever looked at haute couture fashion shows, you have seen the breathtaking embroidery designs that combine thread, sequins and beads to create fantastic elaborate designs. In this post I try to learn to do this myself!
How to make your handmade wardrobe more wearable (Part 1)
How to make smarter choices when choosing the patterns, materials and techniques for your handmade wardrobe to avoid spending time and money on garments you never wear? What can I learn from my successes and failures…
How to make your handmade wardrobe more wearable? (Part 2): 10 questions to ask when choosing a sewing project
The picture in the garment envelope or on the website looks nice. You are instantly transferred into day-dreams about Regency-era and imagine swishing around gardens in you empire waist ballgown surrounded by handsome gentlemen in their frock coats… Wait! Is this style something that you will actually venture…
How to make your handmade wardrobe more wearable? (Part 3): 10 very sensible sewing patterns to make
So, my challenge to myself and for anyone else wanting to take part is to make a set of basics that I will actually wear. I selected 10 patterns that I think will fit in this category and I’m going to make all of them…
How to make plissé - Pliseeraus kotona
Did you know that you can do plissé at home? Check out how!
Tiesitko, että kankaan voi pliseerata myös kotikonstein. Tämä tutoriaali näyttää miten se onnistuu!
From knits to wovens
10 things to know
Have you been sewing only jerseys for a while? Are you hesitant to abandon the stretch and to move into wovens that require more tailoring. Read my tips to get you started!
Padding a dressform
Learn how to pad your dressform to your unique measurements. Cover the dressform with a beautiful fabric and mark all the important positions with a ribbon and you don't need to hide your dressform anymore!
10 sewing tricks that you didn't know
Some sewing tricks that make your life easier are never mentioned in any sewing book. They aren’t necessary expensive or require anything that you don’t already have in your closet. Here is my collection of 10 sewing tricks that I have found very useful…
My trench coat project
I made a tailored trench coat and documented the whole long process from making toiles all the way to the finished coat. These posts contain tons of information on tailoring and coat construction processes.
Sewing a piped collar and a button band
I found this lovely pink piping as I went through my stash of trimmings and it fitted the colours so well that I decided to use it for the button bands and the collar. In this post I give a lot of details on how to achieve a neat result.
How to bone a bodice
There are different types of boning and different ways of sewing them on. Very often it seems that the boning either comes or is sewn in to a narrow casing. For my lightweight summer dress with pretty much straight seams, it was enough to fasten the boning only from the top and the bottom. Here is how to do it.
Neat understitching with an edge stitching foot
You can achieve a beautiful understitching using a right presser foot. Elevate your understitching to the pro-level with my tricks!
Combining two shirt patterns
Often I feel that one pattern has a really nice fit and the other has very interesting details and that I’d like to have both in the same garment. In this post I describe how I combined two pretty different shirt patterns to make a shirt I really wanted.
A useful sewing trick for piping
Piping has to be sewn in very close to the piping cord. With zipper-foot the piping tends to slide away from the seam line. I have noticed that using an appliqué presser foot the piping goes on like a dream. Check the short tutorial!
