Keep your sunglasses hidden while taking a dip or building a sandcastle with this compact, versatile DIY beach towel. Follow the steps below for this fun project and happy summer! Materials: Brother Sewing Machine 1 Beach towel Pins and thread Instructions: Step 1: Fold over one of the short sides of the towel, leaving 8” … Read More
DIY
Quick Tip: Straight Stitching on Sheer Fabrics
There are a variety of options for sewing on super fine fabrics like chiffon. Knowing the accessories available for your Brother machine, along with recommended machine settings for straight stitching on fine fabrics will help you achieve smooth seams and hems on sheers. Are you ready? Let’s go sew! Here are some basic tips: Begin … Read More
Back to School Project: Quilted Lunch Bag
August is here, which means it’s time to start preparing for back to school already. I can’t believe Helena (my daughter) is starting First Grade this year! Seriously, where does the time go? This year, I decided to spruce up my daughter’s school swag by creating some next-level quilted lunch bags for her. And, like … Read More
Get Creative with a Customized Cell Phone Case
Need a little pizazz? Time to get busy and dial in your own cool style with a customized cell phone case! Supplies: Fabric, felt, pins, Brother Sewing Machine Note: Smartphone sizes change so quickly, so we recommend basing measurements to the size of your preferred phone model. This sleeve is supposed to fit very snugly … Read More
Organizing Appliqué Designs for Stitching
Whenever I start a new design, one of the first steps is to select my fabric and thread for the appliqué design. I frequently use the same fabric in different blocks. To make sure I am using the same embroidery thread, I create a “Fabric and Thread” chart which helps me organize my fabric and … Read More
Sews & Crafts Crossover: Hello Summer! Banner
Brother Sews gets together with Brother Crafts to welcome summer with a fun and festive Hello Summer! Banner. You will need: Brother sewing machine, ScanNCut DX machine, around 1 yard of colorful fabric, stiff felt, Brother iron-on appliqué sheets, thread, quilt batting, small 0.25” wooden dowel, yarn or rope, iron, SummerBanner.fcm Steps: 1. Measure and … Read More
DIY Funky and Fantabulous Reversible Bucket Hat
With summer in full swing, the need for a hat to protect my noggin from the sun’s rays has become apparent. So, I decided to make myself a reversible bucket hat with a tutorial so we can all both take care of our heads and look super cute and stylish. What you’ll need: Two fat … Read More
Patriotic Bandana Picnic Bag
Now that we have mastered the dish covers, it’s time for some more patriotic fun! We do need something fun to carry these dishes in and why not keep the bandana theme going here. I always have a stack of them handy because they can be used for simple projects like this picnic bag. Get … Read More
Stylish Embroidered Cork Cuffs
Make stylish and adorable cork cuffs to complete your summer look with this easy embroidery tutorial. I love embroidery because the machine does all the work for you! You can add any design or words to your cuffs to make a personalized summer accessory. Perfect for teens and their friends. Supplies: Brother NS1150E Embroidery Machine … Read More
Fun with Fonts on THE Dream Machine
If you remember the days when a fancy electric typewriter had, maybe two fonts to choose from, you will be as dazzled by the number of fonts now available to us for machine embroidery. Software from Brother like BES 4 and PE-DESIGN can even convert a computer’s word processing fonts to stitch data, expanding the … Read More
Just in time for summer! DIY Reusable Dish Covers
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays and Summer is my favorite season. We look forward to being outside more and enjoying the “dog days” of summer. We often get together with our neighborhood and do pool parties and barbecues. It’s standard to bring your own prepared dish to share. In the … Read More
Mission Ready! Cosplay Utility Belt Pouch
With the very cool and fashionable Utility Belt Pouch, you can carry all your necessary items for your next cosplay adventure. You will need: Brother Sewing machine Use Stitch #1 on your machine. ½ yd. fabric (we used waterproof canvas) Scissors Downloadable GenCon_blog_Pattern.pdf Permanent marker Step 1. Download the GenCon_blog_Pattern.pdf and trace each piece onto … Read More
Handy Summertime Tote Bag
It’s summer, which means I need a new bag. And by need, I mean the “wintery” one I made last fall is now not new anymore. I’m a bit compulsive when it comes to having a new bag each season. Good thing I sew them, or my husband may not like my new bag habit … Read More
Functional DIY Phone Cross-Over Pouch
Whether it’s the pool, beach, or lake, summer break for my family means spending a lot of time around water. Both my kids are on a swim team and I’m a timer for the meets, which means getting splashed a lot! So, I wanted to make a simple/small cross-over pouch with a clear panel to … Read More
Look Dapper with a Well Groomed Vinyl Dopp Kit
With Father’s Day swiftly approaching, my brain started noodling easy breezy gift ideas to share with y’all. It didn’t take long for a lined vinyl dopp kit to enter my brain and, as soon as it did, I knew I had a winner on my hands. What you’ll need: Half yard vinyl Fat quarter lining … Read More
20-Minute Adjustable Apron
As of late, I’ve been doing a bunch of cooking for the family. As I cook, I’m finding that the tastier the meal, the more I get on my clothes, which may or may not be related to the number of times I taste it as it cooks. I’ve never really owned an apron before, … Read More
In-the-Hoop Embroidered Label for Quilts and More
Create a quick and easy label using any number of embroidery designs and font style combinations. This in-the-hoop label features a colorful kite design included in the BES 4 Dream Edition Software program. The Frame Design Menu in the software is full of beautiful options. Since they’re highly re-sizable you can create a decorative combination … Read More
Foot of the Month: Fabric Folder with Piped Edges
Finished folder measures approximately 9 1/2-inches wide X 12 inches high. Why settle for boring folders when you can make a pretty fabric folder trimmed with piping! For this project we used our featured foot of the month, the adjustable zipper and piping foot. Piping is a great addition to so many hand- crafted items! … Read More