Owl & Drum's Sew Very Modern — tuesday's tip

Whether you are a quilter, sewist or crafter, you probably use a rotary cutter. Rotary cutters help with accuracy, speed and efficiency. Plus, they're just so handy! In fact, your creative world was probably turned upside down when you first used one - and it's hard now to imagine a time when we all had to rely solely on scissors. So, as we use our rotary cutters in most projects, it's time to share some of the basics of rotary cutter care and use: Keep it sharp. Your rotary blade should always feel like its gliding through butter. Whenever you feel...

As simple as it sounds, sewing a straight line can take time and practice. While most sewing machines will have seam allowance lines these lines can be short and often hard to see. Our solution? Washi tape!  First, you will want to find a bright, fun and cheery printed washi tape or masking tape. Second, determine your seam allowance. Next, cut off a piece of tape that is around 2-3 inches. Following the seam allowance guide on your machine, lay the piece of tape along that line. Make sure the tape is as straight as possible - this will now...

If you've been sewing for any length of time you know how important it is to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to reinforce the stitches so they don't come undone. Well, here's a little tip to make your backstitch serve you well by preventing the machine from eating your fabric:   When you start a seam, place the fabric under the presser foot so that the needle is about a half an inch in from the back edge of the fabric, and backstitch to the edge of the fabric before stitching forward, rather than starting right at the edge. By...

Sewing a zipper? There's a handy dandy way to make it easier. Keep a glue stick on your sewing kit, and its your new best friend when its time to install that zip!  Washable glue stick is just strong enough to hold a zipper in place on the fabric, and it washes out, just like the name says.  Apply a little glue stick along the edge of the zipper tape before you position each side into place. Add a couple of pins if you think it needs it, but you can even go pin-less. Look at you, you sewing rebel!...

How can a spider help you with sewing or quilting? Well, don't worry, we're not talking about arachnids! A "spider" - also called a "leader" and/or an "ender" - is a scrap of fabric that you run through your machine at the beginning and end of each seam. The spider ends up attached to your fabric by short threads, and then you just trim them off and use the spider again and again. The funny name comes from how it looks after its been used - with lots of thread "legs" hanging off.  Spiders help in many ways:  They save thread because less is wasted at each...