Owl & Drum's Sew Very Modern

  One of the many benefits to sewing is you can make a number of items that you would otherwise buy in a store - making you self-sufficient, stylish and, of course, unique! However, when making garments you want to make sure that your sewn pieces will withstand quite a bit of wear and tear. One way to prolong the life of your creation is to use a seam finish on the edge of the your fabric. We have outlined below a variety of helpful techniques to finish those edges. From easy to a more involved, these finishes will add professionalism...

Ever since Owl & Drum opened five years ago, we have been delighted to find customers have flocked to our wide variety of organic cotton fabrics. With great designs from such leading companies as Birch Fabrics and Cloud 9 Fabrics, organic cotton has become quite a game changer in the quilting industry. Not only do they feature some of the most unique, exquisite designs available, but they also have some advantages that other fabrics do not. So, what exactly is organic cotton - and what makes it different from other cotton fabrics? To be classified as organic cotton it starts...

Knowing how to sew mitered corners can be a very useful skill. Mitered corners are used mainly when making cloth napkins, but they can also be used for such other household items as blankets, table runners and placemats. Luckily, getting that perfect mitered corner is very easy. All you have to do is follow these steps! 1 - Fold all of the four sides of your fabric. For my napkin, I first pressed each side 1/4" and then I pressed a 1" fold. Of course, you can adjust your measurements to meet your specific needs. (A typical napkin will measure...

Another week is coming to an end, so you know what that means . . . it's time for Fabric Friday on Sew Very Modern! This week's features fabric collection is from many customers' favorite designer - Sarah Watts of Cotton + Steel. Her latest collection, Magic Forest, features characters from an enchanted forest. From luminescent flowers to colorful bees, these prints are entirely made of whimsical illustrations. And, as with all Cotton + Steel collections, they work beautifully with their basics, plus blenders from other collections.   I hope you are feeling inspired by these beautiful prints to make...

It's that time of year again - Back to School! To celebrate the kids returning to class, I have created this fabric textbook cover, so your child can have a unique book cover!  Materials needed: 1/2 yard fabric, sewing machine, rotary cutter, ruler, cutting mat, other basic sewing supplies and, of course, a text book. 1. Open your textbook to measure the length and the width. 2. To determine how much fabric to cut, we will add 2" to the length and 6" to the width. For example, my book is 20.5" by 11", so I cut a piece of fabric that...