Advance Your Sewing Skills Class + DVD & FREE Book

Once you’ve mastered your beginning sewing skills it’s time to take it to the next level. In this course, produced in conjunction with National Sewing Circle, Ashley Hough will expand on basic techniques you already know as well as teach you new techniques that you can apply to both home decor and garment projects.

Ashley Hough will begin by covering several types of stitches as well as different stitch lengths that are commonly used in sewing. You will learn when and why to use each of them and why it is important to use a variety of different stitches throughout your projects, rather than just sticking to one you may be the most familiar with. In addition to learning what the stitches are and why to use them, Ashley will teach you common names for some of the stitches, including stay-stitching and ease-stitching, so you can easily recognize the terms in any sewing pattern.

Darts and pleats will also be covered in this course. You will learn about several different types of darts and pleats, how to sew them and where they are best used. In general darts and pleats are great for adding shaping or texture to your project, depending on whether it is a garments or home décor project, however using the right one can help you better achieve the desired result.

No matter what project you are working on, you are bound to run in to a corner or a curve that needs to be stitched. Ashley will give you tips for confidently tackling both curves and corners, including how to get crisp corners on bulky fabrics.

Ashley will teach several different seam finishes in this course, including ones that can be done during construction of a project and others that can be done after. The seam finishing method you choose to use can depend on both the type of project you are making as well as what kind of fabric is being used. She will explain what to consider when making the right choice of seam finishing technique.

In addition to seam finishes, you will also learn several different hemming methods including no-sew and blind hems. Blind hems are commonly used when hemming pant legs, but can be used on other garments as well. No-sew hems are a great option if you need to quickly finish an edge or if you don’t want to see a line of stitching.

No matter what your next project is, whether it’s a garment or something for your home, the tips and techniques you will learn in this class will help bring that project to the next level. Also included are downloadable PDF resource documents for additional tips on using fusible hem tape along with a stitch length reference guide.

NOTE: You’ll receive this Class video instruction in two forms: As on-demand streaming video (in your NSC Account); and as a physical DVD, mailed to you.

FREE Ultimate Thread Guide ($15 Value)

Always choose the right thread! This amazing 64-page reference guide features a handy thread use key (organized by thread manufacturer) that shows the most common uses for the wide variety of threads commonly used by quilters and sewists. This valuable information will help you determine which one is right for your project. Plus, get the inside scoop on thread types and fibers, thread weight, choosing the correct sewing machine needle, and how thread is made.