Sewing Machine Accesories 101

August 16, 2025August 16, 2025 Sarah

A friend of mine recently purchased a Singer sewing machine for his daughter, who is a tween. That’s the perfect age for learning how to sew. I was sewing on a Singer treadle machine as a young child, and my Mom let me use her ancient 50-pound metal brick of a “portable” sewing machine as I approached my teen years. My first real machine, which I bought myself, was a Singer portable. $100 at the local K-Mart. Thing is, I used that machine a lot – even commercially, for many years.

Singer machines might not be fancy, but they are solid workhorses. Easy to learn on, and easy to repair if needed.

As a Gen Xer, when I started sewing, I got lucky, and all the older ladies unloaded their ancient tools on me, so I didn’t have to buy anything – at first. In my early 20s, there was a place on the island called Masten’s Variety store. It was an actual 5-and-dime store, left over from long ago. One thing in it was an actual sewing section. The tools they sold were all new, but from the 1970s. The packaging was faded, but the items still worked fine. Bolts of fabric that were truly vintage – and everything was US-made. I shopped there frequently until the owner passed away.

I sewed professionally through my 20s into my mid-30s, and those tools were used often daily. They didn’t break or wear out. Sewing goes through periods, it seems, and some years it is hip to do. It’s in a downturn once again – unless, as always, you sew quilts. But at least that means stores still exist for machines and tools – don’t tell them you sew clothing, or they might get all snooty to you. The last upturn was in 2020 during the pandemic years.

In my list of tools, I am loyal to certain brands. Dritz is a good example – they work well and usually hold up. Needles are another case where buying the imported German machine needles is worth any extra cost; they don’t break as often. Some tools are not as important.

He asked me if the machine was a good buy. I felt so. And then I asked if he had gotten her any accessories. And if I were buying them…these are some I would consider. Most will be buy the tools once.

Tools For Sewing:

Bobbins and a bobbin case. Having lots of bobbins means less downtime while actively sewing. I usually keep multiple bobbins loaded with white and back, so I can put a new one in and continue without having to undo the thread to reload the bobbin.

Sewing machine needles. Have multiple sizes on hand for the type of fabric you are sewing.

Thread. Generally, I prefer cotton; I’ve found that cheap polyester thread is more likely to pucker. White, black, and brown are standard colors, along with a few bright options to complement the fabrics you might sew.

Hand sewing needles. Yes, you have a machine, but you will always have sewing that needs to be done by hand. A package of these is often a one-time life investment. I still have the pack my Mom gave me – 40 years later.

A new seam ripper. A sharp new ripper saves time. You will, at some point, be grumbling and have to rip out thread, so make it easier on yourself. Buying off-brand isn’t a good choice. Buy a brand-name product and keep the cap on it.

Pins. You cannot have too many pins, I would argue. From laying out patterns to holding fabric together for sewing, you will need them.

Tracing Paper. Or, otherwise known as wax paper. Yes, there are other ways to mark fabric from patterns, but for learning purposes, this is a straightforward approach. Best for cotton I have found. It’s not messy like chalk is.

Tracing wheels – in serrated and smooth. I use both.

Tiny Fiskar scissors – for snipping threads.

Fiskar sewing scissors. Yes, I own fancy metal scissors, imported from Europe. Yes, they are great. But the truth is? I use the simple Fiskars way more often. They are lightweight and easy to use. Just remember… cutting paper dulls any scissor, so hide them!

Hot hem gauge – if you are making skirts and similar items, this piece of metal will make your life significantly easier. I wore out my first one in my 20s.

Drawstring tools. For pulling the elastic through, this is so easy with it.

Loop turners. If you are making tubes of fabric, turning can be the most challenging part; these simple tools make it far easier.

A simple iron, no need for it to be pricey. It just needs to be able to steam.

A simple ironing board. A small tabletop one will work fine.

~Sarah

Crafting · crafts · DIY · Sewing

Sewing A Bread Bag

February 7, 2022 Sarah

When I was younger I sewed constantly. I went from sewing tops I sold on Shakedown Street at Grateful Dead shows in the early 90’s as a reaction to Grunge music, to creating Medieval and Renaissance outfits where a dress could be 15 yards of fabric, custom sewn. Then it went in to backpacking and hiking gear, and I invented the cloth FBC Cozy. I sold thousands upon thousands of those. I let another lady take over the company after I had the younger boys. I just didn’t have the time to keep up with commercial sewing in those years. And then I basically walked away from sewing. I was burnt out. You’d not think it would happen, but it just does. I used to sew so much. But recently I hauled everything out. It was time again. It will give me something to do while I homeschool with my youngest.

At our local grange hall we can offer up classes we’d like to teach (I’ve taught canning), and one that has been super popular this year was making sourdough bread. They hosted it twice! One of the ladies often offers up her sourdough rounds for a donation (and it’s FABULOUS bread). She was mentioning the other week how it pains her to use plastic and I asked if she had a bread bag. A what? Thanks for the segue, where I can drone on and on about making “green” sacks for your bread. Most times if you can find a fabric bag for bread it’s boring cotton muslin. Bland and boring. And you’ll pay a fortune for this lumpy sack. Like $15 to 20!

You can make one however for a low investment (OK, besides your time, but whatever….I like sewing). And you can customize the bag to be you – pick a fabric you love. And the size you need. You don’t need super sewing skills either. If you know how to run a sewing machine, you can make this simple sack.

And…what is a “bread bag” you ask? It’s a reusable, durable way to store fresh baked bread. Be it from the bakery, a friend, or from your oven…once the bread is cooled, pop it in the back, do the drawstring, and fold the excess fabric under. It lets your bread breathe, so it doesn’t get soggy (which plastic wrap and bags can do). The crust stays crisp/chewy, the inside as it should be. Bread that is freshly baked should be eaten up within 2 days for best taste/texture. It’s best for artisanal baking, where the bread has no preservatives added.

How To Make A Bread Bag:

When you buy fabric, look on the selvedge and often it is marked where it was produced. USA fabrics do exist, especially in cotton, because of quilting. In fact, check out quilting shops for wide selections (although they tend to be super snobby which is a down side if you mention you sew clothing, but that’s a story for another day). Otherwise, cotton fabric comes from India.

For a large bread bag you will need 1/3 of a yard, or 12″ inches, cut. Make sure that the person cutting it is doing it right….especially if you are standing in Walmart. People without experience cutting tend to cut going downhill, just like writing on unlined paper….. Which is awful in general, but means your grain is wonky and patterns look off. I unwrap fabric off the bolt a bit to look at how straight the previous cut was.

Now then….a few places (including Walmart) offer 1 yard pieces, all nicely cut for you, and packaged up, in a wide array of colors, for less than $4. No searching for someone to hack, er, cut your fabric and you can make 3 bags out of it.

You’ll also need a package of bias tape or rope, for the drawstring, and a spool of matching thread. Years ago I went to 2 choices: white and black. Makes life a lot simpler.

Once you pick your fabric, take it home, shake it out and wash in warm water in your machine. You MUST wash the fabric. Fabric is loaded with stabilizers and starches. It also will shrink. Once your fabric is washed and dried, spread it out and iron it on cotton with steam to make it smooth.

Fold it in half, selvedge to selvedge. Typically cotton fabric is 44 to 45″ wide, so 22″ when folded across.

On the folded side measure 12″ inches down. To make it easy I use a measuring tape or ruler to make markings along and then draw a line. Easy to cut across. At this point you will have the fold on the left side, 12″ tall and going across will be 22″ or so.

Now you will want to measure going across, from the fold, 17″ inches. Again make a line, going up and down, to make cutting easy. Cut the fabric.

You will have a folded piece of fabric that is 12″ high by 17″ wide.

On each side, sew a ½” straight seam, back stitching on each end. Then sew a zig zag seam, having the foot follow along the straight stitching. That is ¼” seam.

Once the sides are sewn, fold over the open top 1″ inch down. Make sure the seams are facing the same direction when you fold it over. I often use a simple sliding gauge to do this. I inherited this tool from my Mom, and have used it for the past 40 years of my life (My Mom dumped all her sewing stuff on me as a child, because she saw I could sew…and she couldn’t).

Go press the top gently with your iron, to make a crease.

Fold under to the crease, and pin in place. This will make the drawstring casing for the bias tape or rope. By folding under the 1″ becomes ½” and the inside is finished.

Once all folded under and pinned, position the foot on the edge and sew a straight stitch, backstitching the start and end, leaving a thumb width open (you can see it in the photo below.

Using a bodkin or large safety pin, drag the bias tape or rope thru the opening and gently work it thru, till it comes out. Smooth it out and trim the tape, leaving a generous amount hanging out. Knot the ends.

And there you have it…a bread bag. Simple as can be. And functional. Yet pleasant to the eyes.

~Sarah

Crafting · crafts · DIY · Gardening · Herbalism · Homeschooling · Wildcrafting

Tye-Dyeing With Fresh Indigo Leaves

September 30, 2020July 17, 2024 Sarah

As part of the hybrid homeschooling we are doing with our local school district, the boys get to attend the farm at the school in person. Last week we had an instructor come and teach tye-dyeing with Indigo leaves. I hadn’t done it before, so it was very fascinating to learn. Glad we had cover at the school farm though, because the fall rain showed up that day, and was very heavy.

Indigo.

We were given a couple plug starts in late spring and I potted it up. It grows easily, and needs nothing more than sun and water. I am hoping to get seeds from it before the cold comes.

Soaking the fabric in the dye slurry. The boys opted for gloves, as it does stain your hands (but not synthetic fabric).

Rinsing it well in tubs of water.

Finished product.

Gorgeous color from nature.

I borrowed the hand out we were given, with the details below to do it yourself. We used silk fabric scraps to dye.

Dyeing with Fresh Indigo leaves
The plant we are using is called Persicaria tinctoria (also called Polygonum
tinctoria) or Japanese indigo.
Inside the leaf of indigo plants is a molecule called Indican. The leaf also contains
enzymes. When blended together, these two things combine to create indoxyl.
Indoxyl plus oxygen combine to create indigotin. Indigotin is the main blue
substance of the color indigo.
Indican + enzyme = indoxyl
Indoxyl + oxygen = Indigotin or indigo or Blue!

Materials and equipment:
Indigo leaves
Buckets
Blender
Cold water
Protein fiber (silk or wool) – washed
Gloves (optional)
Salt (optional for process #2)

Process #1:
1 – Harvest the indigo plants about 6 inches above the ground. Do this first thing
in the morning when the plants are coolest and contain the most juice.
2 – carefully strip the leaves off of the stalks
3 – put some leaves in the blender and fill halfway with cold water. Blend on high
until well pulverized like a smoothie.
4 – Pour this liquid into a container and add your fiber or fabric. Depending on the
size of your fabric, you may want more than one blenderful. Note – you may
want to strain the liquid through a fine mesh or cloth bag if you are dyeing
something like wool yarn to prevent the plant fibers from sticking to the yarn.
5 – Gently rotate the fabric in the liquid for 20 – 30 minutes
6 – Rinse in cold water and hang to dry

Process #2: Salt method
1 – Harvest the indigo plants about 6 inches above the ground. Do this first thing
in the morning when the plants are coolest and contain the most juice.
2 – carefully strip the leaves off of the stalks
3 – Put a big handful or two of leaves into a large bowl. Add some salt (like a
tablespoon). Massage the fabric and leaves for 20 -30 minutes. Until the leaves
have released their juice and the fabric has turned blue.

~Sarah

Crafting · DIY

Handcrafting Beeswax Candles

December 16, 2019 Sarah

Beeswax candle making is an open ended craft. Make as little or as much as you have need for. Use what containers you like or have around. And best of all, it requires no experience or deep learning to make a rustic light for the upcoming Winter Solstice. No need to add scents, beeswax candles smell of honey drifting across.

Beeswax Candles

Supplies:

Directions:

Add beeswax to a candle melting pot (or a large clean tin can). Fill a heavy saucepan with water no more than half full of water, add in melting container*. If the container threatens to float, pour off some of the water.

Turn stove on to medium and let the wax melt gently. If the water starts to bubble, turn down a bit to medium-low.

Place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper on your work space. Place containers on it.

Dip the bottom of the wicks in the melted wax and put into the container, pressing it down to stick. Drizzle in a little wax to set it up.

Pour wax in slowly, holding the wick upright.

To keep the wick straight-ish, use clothespin to keep upright.

Once wax has cooled and solidified, trim the wicks.

If your candles have internal holes (it happens), you can melt more wax and gently fill in, then let cool again.

Cleanup:

I have a dedicated melting pot for beeswax as I process so much, so I don’t worry if I have leftover wax, I just let it cool and set aside in a dust free area. However, if using something you need to clean, use paper towels to wipe out when warm any leftover wax

How much wax:

That can be very open ended. It depends on your container and how many candles you want. I did two 3-ounce jars. You can as I mentioned above, store leftover wax in the melting pot, or pour it into silicone molds for later use. I melted a pound and made extra candles not shown, in mason jars.

Safety Disclaimer:

*DO NOT LEAVE WAX WHILE MELTING. DO NOT HAVE ANIMALS OR YOUNG CHILDREN NEAR YOU. IF WAX WERE TO CATCH ON FIRE, COVER WITH A LID AND TURN OFF THE HEAT SOURCE. SALT OR BAKING SODA WILL EXTINGUISH IT.

And voila! Pretty candles to light up the longest night of the year…..make one for everyone in the family.

~Sarah

Crafting · Essential Oils · Homesteading · Soap Making

Hand Milled Soap

February 1, 2019 Sarah

Cold process soap is a fascinating hobby (or business) to get into. Long ago, when my oldest was a baby I taught myself how to make soap. In the pre-internet days (for me), it was so much harder to learn. There wasn’t videos, and books were sparse at best. As I taught myself how to do it, I found a side niche I enjoyed, which was making hand milled soap from the cold process soap.

And what is hand milled soap? It is taking cold processed soap an extra step. You are left with custom bars of soap that are often much harder than first batch is. It saves on essential oils, but also allows one to make multiple types of soap from one base.

First, you must have soap base. Either make your favorite cold process soap, and let it cure fully – or find a soap maker who can sell you bars.

The not as fun part is grating the soap. It takes time. Use an old school metal box grater, or if you have it, a food processor with a cheese grating option. Or beg older children to do it…..

I use 2 pounds grated soap (weighed after grating). You will need a large stainless steel double boiler (though you can do this in a large heat safe glass mixing bowl in a pinch, however an actual double boiler is easier to use). Put a few inches water in the lower pot, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Put the double boiler over the water, add in the soap and ½ cup filtered water. Lower the heat to low and let slowly melt, stirring very gently with a silicone spatula, as needed. If the soap looks dry, add another ¼ cup water and mix in. The longer a soap has cured, the more water you may need. This isn’t a bad thing though. You learn after a few batches how to “read” how much water is needed.

You can use goats milk, but realize your soap will need to be used up much faster. Water gives a nearly indefinite shelf life.

As the soap softens and melts down, gently stir. It will go from looking like grated cheese to where it is a spreadable thick mixture, and pockets may appear slightly clear. Once all the soap appears melted, stir in any add-ins and essential oils. I use 100 to 120 drops of oil, you may prefer more. The smell won’t be strong at first, however as the soap cools and hardens over time, the heady smell of the soap goes away, and the essential oil smell becomes dominant (especially if you store your soap in plastic totes later). Add more if you are unsure, even up to 200 drops. I keep the add-ins at ¼ cup or so.

Scoop melted soap into a silicone rectangle mold (they are bread pan shaped), placed on a small cookie tray. Spread each scoop across the mold and gently rap to pack it in tight. Once all the soap is in the mold, smooth out the top, and rap firmly on the counter.

Let cool and set up overnight.

To unmold, place a piece of parchment paper on a cooling rack and turn the mold over gently. Pull the sides gently and press the bottom to release the soap. Remove the mold, and let the soap sit for another day, turning over halfway through, so all sides get a chance to dry.

Honey Oatmeal Orange Soap & Peppermint Soap.

Using a soap cutter, slide it through the soap to the size you prefer. I trim the ends as well, giving a uniform look to the bars. I cut between 5 and 6 bars, depending on which rectangle mold I use (one of mine is a little narrower and longer)

Separate each bar, and let sit for up to a week to dry.

Once the sides feel dry, line a storage tote with parchment paper and place the soap inside, and cover. Keep in a cool, dry and preferably out of direct sunlight. Once fully cured you may wish to box or bag the soaps individually.

This soap is Peppermint (peppermint leaves, dried and crushed, and peppermint essential oil).

~Sarah