Back to the sewing machine!

 

After a few years break - going back to work teaching, I've finally got my sewing machine out of the cupboard, dusted off and set up!

Kids growing up and moving out has helped to make a little space, and I've just started my Christmas / Summer holiday here in Cairns, so should have a little time to reacquaint myself with my machine!

Happy Days!

Jill

AAARRGGGGHH! Security Update!

 

UPDATE:

I think I've fixed all the tutorials and they should be now available  again for free download.

Please let me know if any don't work!

Thanks

Jill

I just found that Google Drive has applied a security update to all my free tutorials that are available for download from this site, which means that nobody can access them currently!

Sorry, I'm working on fixing this and will endeavour to make them freely available once again as soon as I can!

FREE E-BOOK! Teach your kids to sew with a pair of jeans

 

I have now made the second of my sewing e-books available for free download!

'Teach your kids to sew with a pair of jeans'

I made a YouTube video explaining a little about what the book contains and showing the items you can make using the tutorials contained within.

To read more about my e-book, click here.

The link to download the book is also on that page.

I've decided to make this e-book available for free-download to try to encourage as many kids (or adults) as possible to use what they've got and learn a new skill.

I encourage you to download this e-book and have a try at sewing any or all of the tutorials within. My kids had a lot of fun learning, and made some fun and useful things along the way.

I'd love if you shared this post, or the YouTube video and help get this e-book out there and as help as many people as possible to learn, teach and encourage others to sew - especially kids!

It is so empowering to make something for yourself. I have tried to make the tutorials as clear and simple as possible with lots of photos.

So click here to read more about this FREE e-book and to download a copy for yourself!

Thanks for your support!

FREE E-BOOK! Make your own Eco-Friendly Handbag Shopping bag

Today I have made my E-book, with tutorials showing you how to make your own Eco-Friendly Handbag Shopping bag, available for free download!

I made a YouTube video showing exactly what the handbag is like, plus all the shopping bags that you can make to fit inside it, to ensure you never again forget your reusable shopping bags when you go shopping !

To read more about my e-book, click here

The link to download the book is also on that page.

I've decided to make this e-book available for free-download to try to encourage as many people as possible to use what they've got and make something that will benefit not only themselves but also the environment by taking away any need for plastic shopping bags!

I encourage you to download this e-book and have a try at sewing any or all of the bags from the tutorials within.

I'd love if you shared this post, or the YouTube video and help get this e-book out there and as many people as possible to STOP using plastic bags.

It is so empowering to make something for yourself. I have tried to make the tutorials as clear and simple as possible with lots of photos, so even with limited sewing knowledge you should be able to give it a go!

So click here to read more about this FREE e-book and to download a copy for yourself!

Thanks for your support!

Upcycled reusable kitchen towels

 

I finally got around to replacing my reusable kitchen towels!

About 8 years ago, I cut up an old towel and made myself some which have been very well used! Look at how much they've faded and worn!

This time I chose the simple option of just squares with finished edges instead of bothering with velcro to make it all look like a kitchen roll wrapped around a wooden pole!

I'm really happy with the result:

14 kitchen towels made from just one old towel that was ripped and no longer in use!

I can have just a few sitting in my kitchen at any one time - and more ready to replenish them as they get used and thrown in the wash!

If you're interested, I made a video of the process:

Click here to see the video

Or if you'd like to see the original tutorial, click here

Happy sewing!

Long time no sew! A new peg bag

 Well hello there! I haven't been here for quite a while - but I'm back!

With a video tutorial for this peg bag

Having not done really any sewing other than fixing and mending for several years, it felt good to get back to my machine and create something.

My old peg bag was definitely on its last legs..

I made this one 5 years ago and created this tutorial :

Flowers on Denim Peg Bag

So I downloaded the pattern, chose some fabric from the single box I have left in my cupboard and set to work.

I'm really pleased with the result, and happy to have a nice new peg bag.

I videoed the process and have added this tutorial to my YouTube channel for anyone who prefers a video to a written tutorial.

So once again here are the links:

Written and photo tutorial with downloadable pattern

YouTube Tutorial

Welcome!

'Use What You've Got'

I hate to throw anything out and have always kept all manner of things as I"m sure they'll come in useful one day for something.

I was lucky enough to learn to sew as a child as my mother and grandmother both sewed and taught me.

I have taken this skill and developed it to upcycle and create things from the resources I have and find just as our grandparents generation did. Their actions were borne out of financial necessity; ours today to do the same thing, should be borne out of necessity to stop the waste and the subsequent damage we are inflicting on the environment in which we live.

I use old clothes, fabric remnants and anything else that I can put through my sewing machine to create things my family and friends need, want and can use.

Creativity is the key to using what you've got.

Over 6 years of blogging I have written and built up a collection of over 150 free sewing tutorials, suitable for all levels of sewing ability. Anyone can sew if you're willing to give it a go. A large proportion of these tutorials have been made using upcycled materials.



E-books

I have also produced 2 sewing e-books 

One to help teach your kids to sew - and upcycle too!

And another to make your own set of 
Eco-friendly, upcycled and reuseable shopping bags .

In all I do, I try to encourage others to 

Use What You've Got

I would love you to follow my journey on social media - just click one of these buttons...

I have also written one more ebook..

"How to turn what you've got into what you need."

Which includes 3 sewing tutorials.

weekly newsletter.

To arrange purchase of any or all of my ebooks, 
click here to go to Amazon.

Contact Me

If you have any comments or questions about things I've blogged about, my tutorials, or anything else, I'd love to hear from you.

You can email me on:

jillinamillion@y7mail.com

I hope you will explore my blog - there's so much to find from sewing tutorials and clothes upcycling to recipes and posts abut creativity.
Enjoy and don't forget to 'Use What You've Got'!