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The Ruffled Purse®

Discover the Joy of Sewing

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A Beginner’s Guide to String Piecing

April 8, 2020 By Nicki 2 Comments

Imagine if you knew a sewing technique that would provide an unimaginable amount of design opportunities and could be used in a slew of projects from quilting to clothes making to home decor projects. That technique is string piecing. What is String Piecing Strings are strips of ... [ Read More ]

How to Make Square Corners

April 3, 2020 By Nicki 2 Comments

Getting a crisp corner isn't hard if you know the perfect storm of ingredients - pivoting in the right place while sewing the seams, trimming, and pushing/pulling out the corner. If you want to see tips on knowing where to pivot and trimming different types of corners including inward and outward ... [ Read More ]

How to Chain Piece – It’s Not Just for Quilters

April 13, 2020 By Nicki 4 Comments

half-square triangles

Have you ever been sitting at the sewing machine and become aware that you seem to be lifting and lowering the presser foot and cutting threads more than you are actually sewing? The exact details about the first time this happened to me are a little fuzzy, but I know it happened when I was ... [ Read More ]

Memory Items: Sewing Unique and Personalized Projects

September 15, 2020 By Nicki 2 Comments

Clothing is a part of everyday life. Many times we gravitate toward a particular article of clothing or type of fabric. As a result, friends and family members may connect us to that certain fabric or garment. With sewing skills, you now have the ability to create unique memory items from ... [ Read More ]

DIY Face Masks – Do They Work and Should You Make Them?

May 4, 2020 By Nicki 4 Comments

Update: May 4, 2020 - As the benefits of face masks become clearer, find out how you can have fun with handmade face masks. Note: Past updates to this post are noted toward the bottom right before the tutorials. If you've been reading and hearing about the face mask shortages and want to know ... [ Read More ]

Hand Sewing for Beginners

March 12, 2020 By Nicki 4 Comments

Sometimes hand sewing is better for a project than machine sewing. There are several reasons for this including, but not limited to, your machine can't do a certain stitch or it's impossible to get the fabric under the needle for the particular task you want to do. Regardless of the reason, ... [ Read More ]

How to Finish a Stitch in Hand Sewing

March 12, 2020 By Nicki Leave a Comment

Have you been doing some hand sewing and aren't 100% sure how to finish a stitch as you near the end of the thread? If so, you're in the right place! You'll learn multiple ways to securely tie off a thread in hand sewing. In addition, I'll show you two ways to make sure your finishing knots ... [ Read More ]

How to Whip Stitch by Hand

March 12, 2020 By Nicki Leave a Comment

When an invisible stitch (like the ladder or blind stitch) isn't critical, the whip stitch could be the hand stitch you want to use. The whip stitch is a visible stitch that can be used to hold 2 edges together (finished edges or raw) or hold a raw or flat edge against a flat surface. I've ... [ Read More ]

How to Sew the Blind Stitch by Hand

March 12, 2020 By Nicki 2 Comments

Do you need an invisible stitch, but the ladder stitch just won't work? Chances are the blind stitch (also called the slip stitch) will get the job done. In the quilting world, this barely-there stitch is called the blind stitch. It's often used in applique, attaching bindings to the back of ... [ Read More ]

How to Do a Running Stitch

March 12, 2020 By Nicki Leave a Comment

The running stitch is a straight stitch that can be worked in both straight and curved lines. Believe it or not, it can be both practical and decorative. It's one of the basic hand-sewing stitches you want in your sewing skills toolkit. Gathering, tucking, mending, and fine sewing are some of ... [ Read More ]

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Hello, I’m Nicki!

Welcome to The Ruffled Purse® where you can discover (or rediscover) the joy of sewing! I want to inspire you to use sewing to bring to life creative ideas as well as a way to solve everyday problems. With sewing, you can create wonderful things for yourself, your home, and others. About me...

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Recent Posts

  • Easy Cardigan Sewing Pattern
  • How to Fix a Hole in the Back Pocket of Jeans
  • How to Backstitch by Hand
  • Better Than a Sewing Planner
  • How to Fix Crotch Holes in Jeans

Safety Disclaimer

Use caution when working with sharp tools and objects including, but not limited to, scissors, needles, pins, and rotary cutters.

Read and follow safety instructions in the sewing machine instruction manual.

Do not use the sewing machine as a toy. Close attention is necessary when the sewing machine is used by or near children.

© 2017-Present Nicki Hibbits. All rights reserved. Legal Disclosures.