WhatTheCraft

New and Featured Tutorials

How to Make a Cheeseburger Pincushion – DiY Craft Tutorial

It’s a cheeseburger! It’s a pincushion! It’s a cheeseburger pincushion! Who knew felt could look so tasty? Speaking of which, I’ve used a wool blend felt here. It’s a bit more durable than the poly craft felt you can buy for a few cents a sheet at the craft store, not to mention it looks […]

How To Make a Slouchy Hobo Bag – Sewing Tutorial with Free Pattern

Today’s tutorial is for a nice roomy bag with a whole boatload of optional details that you can mix and match to suit your needs. Don’t want leather details? Skip it! Add a zipper pocket inside or a crossbody strap for extra functionality. Two important notes before we get started: make sure you grab the […]

Tips for Sewing with Leather, Faux Leather, and Vinyl – DIY Craft Tutorial

I remember the first time I tried to sew vinyl. It was a mess! Wonky seams, uneven stitches, a rat’s nest of thread wadding up in the bobbin case. But once I learned a few tips and tricks, it was smooth sewing from there!

How to Assemble a WhatTheCraft Printable PDF Pattern

I remember being very intimidated the first time I bought a printable pattern. Printing and cutting and assembling all those pages sounded so daunting! As it turned out, I actually enjoyed the process of assembling a printable pattern. It’s not much different than putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, which I find kind of relaxing. […]

How to Add a Tangle-free Wrap to Your Headphone Cord – DIY Tutorial

Step right up, ladies and gentleman, and witness a true miracle. Tangle-free headphone cords! A feat of modern engineering and… well, macrame. If you’ve ever made a friendship bracelet before, then this will be easy peasy. If not, it’ll still be easy peasy, as long as tying a knot is something you consider easy peasy.

How to Sew a Patchwork Minky Blanket

What’s up dudes and dudettes? Today I’m going to show you how to make a snuggly soft blanket with quilting cotton on one side and minky on the other. It’s Fall here in Michigan. It’s starting to get chilly at night, so who doesn’t need a super soft blanket to curl up in?

Hi, I'm Lex!

I’m a writer, craft addict, and former professional seamstress/fashion designer.
I started WhatTheCraft in 2006, because I love sharing what I learn. I’m mostly self-taught. And by self-taught I mean there was a lot of time and effort (and lots of trial and error) put into teaching myself how to sew and draft patterns. But there were also a lot of kickass people out there, sharing free tutorials and tips on the internet. So this is also my way of paying it forward.
Through this site I share my projects, tutorials, and DiY tips, and all the other things (cats, food, life) in between.

Patterns

vintage_style_retro_apron_sewing_pattern

cheeky_bikini_panties_swimsuit_sewing_pattern

ruffle_bustle_skirt_printable_sewing_pattern

How to Make a Cheeseburger Pincushion – DiY Craft Tutorial

How to Assemble a WhatTheCraft Printable PDF Pattern

Once upon a giant pumpkin

When I was six years old, I won a giant pumpkin. The town I grew up in had an annual pumpkin carving contest, and one of the activities this particular year (1989) was to guess the weight of a giant pumpkin. My guess was off by about 4 ounces. Beginner’s luck!

Pattern Review: Simplicity 8084 (Mimi G Style) shirt dress

I was a little nervous to jump into this pattern. I haven’t used a commercial pattern in over ten years, and the fabric I had my heart set on was a rayon challis, which doesn’t have a reputation for being super easy to work with. It’s very fluid and tends to shift all over the […]

Where Have You Been?

Or more accurately, where have I been? It’s been kind of a doozy of a year, honestly. First, I had surgery earlier this year to remove a cantaloupe-sized cyst from my ovary. It was actually — shockingly — not as traumatic as it sounds.