Author: Olga Balasa

Hi, I am Olga. I'm passionate about sewing, quilting, and embroidery, and I want to share my knowledge and enthusiasm with others who are interested in learning how to sew. Thank you for making me part of your day - I'm so very excited to have friends like you by my side. Feel free to comment or reach out with any questions - my email is [email protected] If you want more information about me or my site please visit my About page

  • Most common types of silk fabric

    ByOlga Balasa

    There are many different types of silk fabric and it is very easy to get confused with all of them. It depends on the type of weaving, quality of silk threads, the country where silk was manufactured, and many other factors. You can’t easily find many kinds of pure silk in fabric stores ( like Joann fabrics in USA and Fabricland in Canada for example) to compare them, to touch them and to feel the difference.
    To me, most distinguished types of silk are Charmeuse, Dupioni, Chiffon, Organza, Velvet, Raw Silk, Jersey Silk, Silk Mesh. I have all of them and can see the dissimilarity.
    But I am really puzzled about other types of natural silk fabric like Shantung, Georgette, Crepe, Satin, Habotai, Crepe de China, China Silk, Noil, Taffeta, Brocade, Broadcloth, Faille, Duchess Satin, etc. So let’s try to research more and define them.

  • How to sew a personalized dog drying coat/towel

    ByOlga Balasa

    In this sewing tutorial I want to show you how to make a hooded towel for your dog. There are so many tutorials on hooded bath towels for babies but I didn’t find any tutorial on hooded towels for dogs. So, I hope this post will be very useful for you if you are a dog owner. Or you can make it as a gift for your favorite dog owner, right?

  • 15 Hemming Tools For Sewing Curved Hems and Edges Easier

    ByOlga Balasa

    I think people who sew are always interested in any tool that could help to save time and improve accuracy.
    There are myriads of sewing tools, accessories and notions on the market now. And the assortment is all the time expanding, new inventions are created constantly to greatly simplify the work and help in mastering some sewing techniques.
    In this guide, I will tell you which sewing tools and accessories will definitely be needed for sewing curved hems and edges. I will not describe all common sewing tools and notions you already have like sewing machines, needles, threads, scissors, etc. I will share only those tools that, in my opinion, can be useful to sew curved hems, that can make sewing easier and more enjoyable and your projects look more professional.

  • Foundation paper piecing tutorial

    ByOlga Balasa

    When I first heard about foundation paper piecing from my friend and saw the quilt she made I thought that paper piecing is complicated and time-consuming. How to sew on paper? What is it?

    But I was intrigued for a while and in the end, decided to try this method. And I am glad I did! It’s not complicated at all, it’s actually quite simple and allows to make blocks with the greatest accuracy.

  • Zipper pouch tutorial

    ByOlga Balasa

    This is my first attempt to make a zippered pouch. And I honestly thought that this is the easiest thing ever to sew, it’s such a little thing, right? But I was mistaken. The zippered pouch with lining turned out a pretty complex thing to make. Yes, you can make it in 30 min if you don’t mind the funky dented corners at the top of the pouch. But I wanted my corners to look very neat. So what is the secret to making a pouch without dented corners? Read the tutorial to find out.

  • DIY last-minute Christmas gifts

    ByOlga Balasa

    I think there are no better tools than your sewing and embroidery machines for quick and lovely gift ideas. You can make unique one-of-a-kind gifts to show your friends and family that you care.
    Check out these attractive, useful projects you can sew! The best part is that they don’t require a complete workshop and years of sewing experience – just a few common sewing tools and some old-fashioned sewing machine.