No sewing machine? Try hand stitching, especially for smaller projects.

[eShirl]

http://www.perestroika.ca/html2/vest/handstitching.php

HAND STITCHING
There are times when even the most dedicated machine sewer needs or wants to do some hand-work on a project, and it's useful to have a repertoire of stitches for different purposes. For the 20-minute vests, which can be sewn by hand quicker than you can thread your machine, these stitches will provide endless variations. For the seams, try a quilting thread, which is heavier than machine thread, so you need use only a single thread. If you want the stitches to be decorative, try cotton embroidery floss or a light weight knitting yarn. Use a short needle (easier for small stitches), with an eye large enough for the thread or yarn to move easily through.

(diagrams and written instructions for 11 by-hand stitches)




another link w/ diagrams from Coats and Clark: "Backstitch, whipstitch, hemming stitch, and inside blind- stitch are the four most commonly used hand stitches for sewing, joining edges or hemming."
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Sewing/Howtos/Hand+Sewing.htm

[pipi_k]

1. Sometimes

hand stitching really is the way to go.

I've made stuffed animals, dolls, and sock monkeys by hand.

It's very relaxing, actually.

[Nay]

2. I make quilts entirely by hand. Right now I'm working on a wall hanging for the entryway. It will

measure about 16" by 23" and is completely cut and pieced by hand. It's very soothing to do it that way, and the finished quilt truly looks hand made, which is all good!

[kcass1954]

3. I quilt - mostly by machine.

But I always have some sort of hand-sewing project in a small box ready to take with me. If I'm waiting at a doctor's office or at basketball practice, I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile rather than playing on the internet on my phone.

My go-project right now is an English paper-piecing scrappy half-inch hexagon something. I don't know yet just what or how big it'll end up, but it's very relaxing and helps me feel like I'm making progress on a "forever" type of project.


I love Coats & Clark's website. It's a great reference place, and a few free projects.