Michelle says: When I first found out that I had been given the opportunity to contribute to Home Ec 101, my mind jumped straight to sewing. You see, being obsessive precise comes fairly naturally to me, and I have always enjoyed working with my hands. The very first time I saw my great grandmother hand …
Hello, Home Ec 101! I’m so glad I found you, considering the poor grade I got in school in the class. I’ve managed along over the years, honing my sewing skills, cleaning skills and, ahem, well the cooking part still would get a well-deserved C. Anyway, I need help or suggestions. My beloved husband was …
Dear Home Ec 101, Can you tell me how to clean throw pillows? A friend made me a pillow cover for a throw pillow on my couch, but she sewed it shut over the pillow, so there is no way to remove the pillow to wash it. Are there any options as far as cleaning the …
Dear Home Ec 101, I washed, but did not dry, my 4-year-old’s dress that says it’s dry clean only – who makes dry clean only clothes for 4-year-olds, anyway? I didn’t even think to check. It is 100% silk. It shrank quite a bit and while it was still wet I was able to stretch …
Have you ever wanted to add pockets to a dress or skirt you already own? Learn how.
Heather says: I’ve added an experimental new toy to the sidebar, it’s feed of Flickr pictures. The pictures come from a brand new Home-Ec101 group. Anyone is welcome to join, it’s a great way to show off your own projects. For a long time I’ve wanted to be able to allow readers to share their …
Ivy says: My kids constantly tease me about how many purses I own. Yes, I own a few. Okay, a few too many. And now that I know how to make a lined bag, I probably will own more than a few too many. But, I’ll make them for other people and give some away …
Ivy says: Long has the debate raged about whether ninjas or pirates are cooler. I like them both, but sewing a ninja plushie is a whole lot easier than sewing a pirate plushie. Check this coolness out: Awesome, eh? This project is good for the beginner sewer, and could even be a good first project. …
Ivy says: Technically, this isn’t a quilt, since it’s not quilted. You can quilt it, if you want, but that takes the easy factor down a notch and takes the fast factor down a few notches. As an intermediate sewer, this took me about 4 hours to make. Here’s what you’ll need: 5 total yards …
Heather says: Many thanks to Stephanie of Stop the Ride for letting us host this week’s Make It From Scratch Carnival . It’s a round up for those who are sharing things they have made from scratch. Do you ever wonder where that term came from? A quick Google search suggested it was first used …