Sewing Archives - Gently Sustainable

20MarMarch 20, 2020

How to Make and Use Cloth Toilet Paper

Oh lord! Is this what we've come to? Well, maybe. Whether it's used in a crisis situation or as a part of your sustainable home, let's talk about "How to Make and Use Cloth Toilet Paper". You may have heard "cloth toilet paper" referred to as the "Family cloth". That term disgusts me. It's the reason I didn't try cloth toilet paper sooner. So, clear your head of any bias and hear me out. With the exception of the Chinese, who have records of using something like toilet paper around the 6th century, toilet paper as we know it has only been around for...

By kmorrisDIY Personal Products, Sewing, Sustainable Home, Veteran0 Comments

12NovNovember 12, 2019

How to Make a Simple Infinity Scarf

I love making and giving homemade gifts! I also love being able to spruce up my own wardrobe with simple patterns! Let me show you "How to Make a Simple Infinity Scarf"! So many times, beginning sewists are intimidated by sewing "lingo" and complicated patterns! I remember when I was trying to learn how to sew, I just wished someone could sit next to me and just tell me if I was doing it right! That's why I made this tutorial for you! I explain, step-by-step, how to make this super cute infinity scarf, the way I need to learn as...

By kmorrisAccomplished, Fabric Arts, Newbie, Sewing, Veteran0 Comments

05NovNovember 5, 2019

How to Sew an Easy, Double-Sided Baby Blanket

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to whip up a quick, hand-made gift for someone you care about? It's very doable with this simple sewing project! Let's learn "How to Sew an Easy, Double-Sided Baby Blanket"! I like making this size because it doesn't require much fabric! It can be used as a nap blanket for a baby or a toddler, or even a play blanket for babies who aren't walking yet! You could set their little toys on it while they play! What's really awesome about this project is that once you understand the basics, you can adjust it...

By kmorrisAccomplished, DIY Personal Products, Fabric Arts, Newbie, Sewing0 Comments

08FebFebruary 8, 2019

How to Save Money on Sewing & Craft Supplies

The US creativity market is a 44 billion dollar industry, if you can believe it! If you love to craft, you can easily find yourself spending more than you ever intended for a project! But it doesn't have to be that way, let's take a look at "How to Save Money on Fabric & Craft Supplies". Crafting is such an important part of running a homestead and/or being sustainable! But it doesn't have to put a strain on our budget! Most crafters are inspired by a picture that they see. The next step is usually to run straight to the craft...

By KellyFabric Arts, Financial Resilience, Knitting, Sewing, Sustainable Home0 Comments

27JanJanuary 27, 2019

How to Make Easy Cloth Napkins

One of the simplest and quickest ways to make your home more zero-waste is to make your own cloth napkins! They are so fun to make and so let's learn "How to Make Easy Cloth Napkins"! Eliminating Paper Products is a Must for a Sustainable Home! Making and using cloth napkins not only saves money and reduces trash, but it gets you out of the habit of buying "single use" items. I hate the feeling I get when I use something for a few seconds and then pitch it...feels really wrong to me. Paper napkins also take natural resources to produce and...

By KellyFabric Arts, Sewing, Skill Building, Sustainable Homehow to sew cloth napkins0 Comments

10JanJanuary 10, 2019

Re-purposing Ideas for Everything You Own

I'm excited to introduce you to Jo M, one of the owner/operators at "The Cockeyed Homestead" with her post "Is it Dead Yet? No, not Quite!" Jo M and Melody M are two 60ish year old widows with a common goal, to live the most organic and self-sustainable life possible! While Mel is a converted "city gal", creative designer and builder, Jo has been an urban homesteader for 40+ years! Together, they have combined forces and are turning a once abandoned acreage into a homestead! Here's their post "Re-purposing Ideas for Everything You Own"! Is it Dead Yet? No, Not...

By KellySewing, Sustainable Home0 Comments

04JanJanuary 4, 2019

How to Make a Simple, Reusable Market Bag

Since we're focused on "Using It Up" this week, it's a great time to get more acquainted with how to re-purpose and/or up-cycle clothing! Let's learn "How to Make a Simple, Reusable Market Bag", we can sew this up in about an hour! I can hear some of you mumbling that you don't have a sewing machine and you don't know how to sew. I understand. But can I encourage you to make the leap and find a starter machine to learn on? I see nice machines all the time on Facebook for under $50. From there, just jump on YouTube!...

By KellyFabric Arts, Homemaking, Sewing, Skill Building, Sustainable Home2 Comments

22DecDecember 22, 2018

How to Make a Simple Envelope Pillow Cover

It's bound to happen...you take off your pillow covers to wash them, and they just don't come out of the washer the same way they went in. Yeah. No worries! Let's learn how to make a simple envelope pillow cover that will look even better than the original! Fortunately, I have the former pillowcase to measure from to make my new pillow. However, if you don't have the original pillow case, you can simply measure across your pillow, length and width, and add an inch to each end. My pillow case measures 25x15 inches and I have two pillows to re-cover....

By KellyFabric Arts, Sewing, Skill Building0 Comments

05DecDecember 5, 2018

The Benefits of Crafting for your Homestead & Mental Health

There's nothing that I look forward to more than picking up my knitting needles at the end of a long day's work on the farm. Knitting, or any form of crafting, can be so relaxing for our minds and bodies, as well as a great way to unwind. But the benefits of crafting for your homestead & mental health go far beyond that! Everything including cooking, food preservation, fabric arts, gardening and baking are all creative activities, and I'm just scratching the surface! "Back in the day", our grandmothers and great-grandmothers even made the family's clothing and quilts as a matter...

By KellyFabric Arts, Homemaking, Knitting, Mental Health, Sewing, Skill Buildingcrafting, knitting, mental health6 Comments