Hello, fellow stitchers!

It's hard to believe that June is here already! Spring here in the northeast corner of the U.S. has been strange so far – we've had temps as high as the 90’s during the day, with dips as low as the 40’s in the evenings! I don't remember spring being so extreme when I was going up – do you?

When I was growing up, the sewing machine I learned on had one presser foot. Everything I did on that machine (seams, zippers, whatever) was done with the same all-purpose foot.

Today's machines, though, come with an almost dizzying assortment of special-purpose feet. There are feet for straight stitching, zig-zag stitching, zippers, overcasting, narrow hems, edge joining, cording, beading, and others. They can take some practice to learn how to use, and may seem overwhelming, even to an experienced sewer.

This issue has the first installment of a series I am calling Fancy Footwork. Each installment of the series will explain the use of one or two special feet. I'm going to start, though, with the basic presser foot. It is the one that usually comes standard on your machine, and (as I did when growing up) CAN be used for just about all your sewing needs.

Presser feet are most likely attached in one of two different ways. There may be a holder which screws onto an upright shank, and the foot is a non-removable part of the holder. To change the foot, you change the whole holder. Some machines have a holder that stays attached to the shank, with a separate foot section that snaps on and off. With either system, there are likely to be a number of feet available, both from your machine's manufacturer and from other companies.

The standard foot is most likely made of metal. It has a notch or slot running from front to back, for the thread to slip into. There will be another slot running from side to side, to allow the back-and-forth motion of the needle when doing a zig-zag stitch. The left and right edges of the foot may be both the same width, or they may be different. Once you know how far the edge of the presser foot is from the hole the needle makes, you can use the edge of the foot as a quick stitching guide (On my machine, for example, the right edge of the foot is about 1/4 inch from the center position of the needle. Your machine may be different).

Here is a simple project you can make with the standard presser foot. While I give you directions for a laundry bag, this same idea can be used to make other things: cosmetic bags, evening pouches, wine-bottle or gift bags, etc. Use a sturdy fabric to make shoe cover bags for packing your suitcases when traveling. The possibilities are endless; just change the fabric used and size to meet your needs!
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Laundry Bag (Finished size appox. 22” by 24”)

3/4 yard of firmly woven cotton or cotton-blend 45” fabric (I find this type of fabric works best for a laundry bag, but use whatever non-stretch fabric you have at home!)

1 1/2 yards of cotton cording (also called cable cord), roughly 1/8 or 1/4 inch diameter. (You can also use heavy string, lightweight rope, extra long shoelaces, etc).

1 cord stop (available in the notions department) If you want to use something you already have at home, maybe use a big button on the end of your string. The idea is to not have the string disappear into the bag, and to have a way to close the bag.

Start by washing and drying your fabric. This removes the sizing applied at manufacture, and allows for shrinkage before you start.

Square off the ends of the fabric. You can do this several different ways: by using a rotary cutter and ruler, removing one thread all the way across and cutting on that line, or by tearing across, if the fabric is firmly woven. (Test this method first on a scrap!!)

Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, with the woven (selvage) edges together. Decide which end you are going to use for the top and bottom. The woven edges will be one vertical side of the bag, and the other vertical side will be the fold of the fabric. Using a ½ inch seam, sew along the bottom edge and up the selvage edges, stopping about 2 inches from the top edges. Backstitch to secure the end.

On the unstitched portion of the seam fold about 1/2 inch to the wrong side of the fabric, and press. This will give the edges of the casing a finished edge.

On the top edge, fold and press under about 1/4 inch, pressing to the wrong side of the fabric. Fold and press under another 1 1/2 inches, again pressing to the wrong side. Stitch close to the edge of the folded fabric on the inside of the bag, sewing the edge further away from the top of the bag. Make sure to leave the ends of this “tunnel” open. This is the casing for the drawstring.

Thread the cord through the casing. Pull both ends of the cord through the cord stop or button, and knot the ends, to stop them from fraying.

Turn right side out, and your laundry bag is done! When using it, just slide the cord stop or button along the drawstring and pull the opening of the bag closed.

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As always, I invite you to come share your ideas with us, by joining in our weekly chats (Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern), posting on our message boards, or e-mailing me your pictures to post in our Talent Gallery.

May your fabric bins never be empty, and may you always have time to sew!