We receive numerous sewing queries and many require relative short answers, so check out our Q&A for some timesaving tips.

Q: My granddaughter’s jeans keep looking too short for her as she grows taller. Is there a quick way to add length instead of just cutting them off for shorts?

A: Absolutely—when kids grow taller rather than wider, there’s no need to ditch the pants quite yet. Add a ruffle to the lower edge and tie it in with an embroidered motif. Open up the inseam for easy access for embroidering the motif, then measure the leg circumference to figure the ruffle amount needed. Each ruffle piece should be about 2 ½ to 3 times the width of the jeans leg circumference. Cut the piece twice the desired finished length, plus seam allowances.

After embroidering, stitch up the inside leg seam to form a circle and trim off the bulky jeans hem. Sew the ruffle short ends together to form a circle. Fold the ruffle strip in half wrong sides together and press.  Quarter-mark the leg opening and the ruffle raw edges. Sew a gathering thread around the ruffle raw edges and pull up to match the leg circumference. Matching the quarter-points, pin the ruffle to the jeans leg right side, pulling up the gathering thread to match the leg width. Stitch the ruffle in place, then serge or zigzag the raw edges together. Topstitch, if desired. Repeat for the second leg. This adds a few more months of growth room to the jeans!

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Q: I’m scared to put in grommets. Any advice?

A: Grommets can be scary since they’re usually inserted when your project is otherwise completed, so one slip-up can potentially ruin the entire thing. But, never fear, you can do it!

Grommet insertion processes can vary slightly by brand, but here are some general hints:

• Be sure the area where the grommets are placed is reinforced with added interfacing, batting or multiple fabric layers (like a facing) to strengthen it. Your pattern should give you guidance on the best option.
• Carefully mark the center of each grommet location, trace the template and cut the appropriate size hole. Be careful not to cut the hole too large!
• Note that grommets have both a male and female portion and you need one of each for every grommet opening.
• Use the appropriate tool or pliers to apply your particular grommet brand. Test on a scrap of fabric with the same number of layers prior to starting on your project.

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Q: I love the look of invisible zippers, but I never seem to get the stitching close enough to the coils to make it truly invisible. Can you help?

A: Invisible zippers create a professional looking garment when they’re installed properly. The key is to stitch as close to the coils as possible using a specialty presser foot. This foot is can be an accessory for your machine, or some are sold by the zipper manufacturer, and it “rolls out” the zipper coil so you can stitch close to it without catching the teeth. The teeth travel in a groove under the presser foot, and in conjunction with adjusting the needle position, you should be able to stitch close enough to hide the zipper teeth. On lightweight invisible zippers, it helps to hold the coils in their rolled out position as they feed into the foot groove. If you’re not comfortable with your fingers that close to the needle, use an awl for that process to keep them in place for stitching.

If you don’t have a special foot for installation, use your regular zipper foot and adjust the needle position to be right next to the coils, then manually roll out the coils and stitch along the base of the coils.

If your zipper pull doesn’t quite blend with the fabric, think about using nail polish to match it up.

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~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

The first time he walked by me, I wasn’t sure he even saw me. The second time, he did glance my way.

The third time, however, he paused and asked, “Are you OK?”

“Yes,” I replied, and he walked on.

But it was the fourth time that he stopped and said, “What are you doing? Why are you just sitting there holding fabric?”

“Seeking creativity,” I responded.

The look on his face told me he didn’t understand, and no matter what I said, I knew he would never understand. Despite the fact that we have been together for nearly 50 years, he still doesn’t “get” my fascination with fabric. How could he? He has never sewn. He has never held a cozy velour and fantasized about all it could be—a jacket, a top, a robe, even a pair of pants.

He doesn’t understand the loving effort it takes to select the perfect embroidery design to use to embellish an otherwise plain fabric. He doesn’t understand the enjoyment of seeing the design come to life as the stitches form.

How could I explain to him the multitude of possibilities that were racing through my mind for that one piece of fabric? My imagination had been nearly overwhelmed with all the potential. I could make that fabric into anything I wanted. I could select the type of garment. I could select the pattern and cut. I could make changes that even the pattern designer never dreamed of. I just needed time to sit and think and hold the fabric . . . time to dream.

I suddenly had a flashback to my ninth grade home ec class when my teacher told us to ask the fabric what it wanted to be. She told us to hold the fabric and talk to it. I remember thinking she was nuts. I remember the look we gave her.

That was the same look on his face. Oh no, did he think I was losing it? Was he going to start watching me for signs of dementia? I quickly recovered and said, “I’m just tired. I got this fabric out to make something and am just resting a minute before I climb the stairs to the sewing room.”

Relief flooded his face. Resting for a minute was something he could understand. “Oh,” he said, and off he went to his computer.

No, he would never understand my fascination with fabric or the process of creativity. He would not be able to talk the talk of designers. He would never just sit with me and experience the feel of a fabric. This was not something we could ever share. But that was OK. I was not alone. I picked up the phone and called an ASG sister.

There are just some things that only another sewer can understand.

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Sometimes, we dig through the archives and find an oldie-but-goodie that we feel needs shared again. This article was written by Rosemary Fajgier who was a Princeton, N.J. Chapter founding member, was president of her chapter for four years and also served on the ASG National Board of Directors (BOD) as well as serving as National BOD Chair.

Every card is a smile waiting to happen—but when you sew your own, you’re not just sending a message, you’re sending a handcrafted masterpiece.

Remember all those decorative stitches you just had to have when you purchased your machine? Maybe you have some fabric scraps that are too beautiful to toss, or leftover quilt squares. Cardmaking is a great place to use all of it with aplomb, so fire up your sewing machine and let the fun begin.

Getting started

Visit a craft store or shop online for card blanks. These are die-cut card stock available in various shapes—with frames in square, rectangular, circle or other cut-out shapes. These frames are also often available in the photo department of a store as the same item can be used to showcase photos, but we’re going to use fabric pieces instead.

Double check that your frames are tri-fold, meaning that there’s a section of the card stock that goes behind whatever is showcased in the frame opening. That extra fold hides any stitching on the underside and makes it unseen by the card’s recipient. If the card frame isn’t a tri-fold, then you’ll need to plan something like a decorative paper panel to go behind your addition.

You can carefully cut your own card blanks with an X-Acto knife, or if you have a die-cutting machine, it’s easy to make your own card stock frames.

Many card blanks come with matching envelopes, but if not, check the craft store for coordinating envelopes in the proper size.

You’ll also need a glue stick or tape to anchor the stitched piece to your card frame.

Once you have the paper portion of your project selected, let it speak to you about what kind of stitched piece should go with it.

Almost anything is fair game for cardmaking—small bits of colorful fabric collaged together, pieced ribbon bits, leftover quilt blocks too good to throw away, machine embroidered test pieces, or specific pieces made for the card shape. It’s also a good opportunity to showcase novelty threads and embellishments of all sorts—from sequins to trims and everything in between.

Stitching up

If you’re hand stitcher, cards are a great place to showcase your stitchery. The space is relatively small and things sew up fast for framing.

If you prefer a quilted inset, use all or part of a leftover block to feature.

For machine sewers, the world is your oyster for stitch combinations to embellish the small size piece needed for cardmaking. Cards are also ideal just for showcasing a beautiful piece of fabric—sans any stitching.

• No matter which technique you plan to use, it’s a good idea to stabilize the featured piece. A lightweight iron-on stabilizer is ideal for most circumstances, and a lightweight batting is great for quilting a small fabric block to fit your frame.

• Before you stitch your featured piece, trace the frame opening size onto the fabric right side using a removable marker. This gives you lines to stitch within.

• Extend any embellishment—stitching, trim, etc.—1/4” beyond the traced line and anchor all the threads securely. Then trim your finished piece 3/8” beyond the traced line with your feature area centered.

• Open out the tri-fold section to showcase the frame opening, then place the featured fabric piece under the cut-out in the desired position. If you’re including ribbon or trim on top of the fabric, this is time to place it into position. Carefully apply glue or tape to the extension area underlap area only.

• Before finishing the card, you can stitch around the opening shape if you want to. Use a small sharp needle and a medium stitch length. Too small of a stitch may damage the card stock. Bring threads to the underside and tie off to anchor—don’t backstitch.

• To finish the card, fold the third panel over the underside of the fabric piece and lightly glue the corners in place. This hides the underside of your stitching. Allow to dry thoroughly.

• Finally, write your heartfelt sentiments inside the card using a colorful marker and send it on its way!

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All photos, except where noted, are reprinted with permission from Bernina

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .