STEP 1: While wearing the T, have someone help you to mark the center back with a straight pin where the gather will go; it works best right below the bust line.

STEP 2: Take off the T, and turn it inside out - be carefull not to knock out that pin! Transfer the pin marking to the inside back of the shirt. Now, fold the shirt in half lengthwise, matching shoulders, sleeves, and bottom edges. Double check that the pin is on the center fold, and move it over if you need to. Using a ruler, measure over about 4" from that center pin, and mark with another pin.

Carefully flip the T over to the other side, and repeat.

STEP 3: Open up the shirt, and you will have three pin marks - one in the center, and one 4" on each side. Cut a piece of 1" wide soft, stretchy elastic to 4".

STEP 4: Remove that middle pin marking the center, and pin each end of the elastic to each of the remaining pins. Tack stitch each side of the elastic to the shirt using a narrow zig zag stitch on the sewing machine.

STEP 5: Now comes the fun part! To stitch the elastic down to the shirt, s-t-r-e-t-c-h out the shirt with both hands until the elastic is about even with the shirt.

Practice how it feels to hold the shirt stretched out with both hands a few times BEFORE you put it in the machine to sew. Use a standard zig-zag stitch (lenght about 1.5-2mm, width about 3-3.5mm), and sew right down the middle of the elastic strip, stretching as you sew. Here's what the finished stitching will look like:

STEP 6: Now, just sew two more rows of stitching the same way, one at each edge of the elastic, stretching the fabric out as you go. When you're done, turn the shirt back the right way and check out your stitching!

Now there's no excuse for wearing baggy T's!

And, here's a few extra tips to help you get started:

Don't forget to use a ballpoint needle for stitching with knits - a sharp needle will cut through the knit fibers making holes while a ballpoint needle will go in between the fibers to keep the fabric intact.

Use a really soft and stretchy elastic, it is easier to stretch when sewing and feels much better next to your back than the super stiff stuff made for waistbands.

The amount of fabric gathered in the back of the shirt depends on how much you measure and mark from the center. I used a very big shirt and gathered a total of 8", measuring 4" over from each side of the center back. For a shirt that is not as roomy, try gathering just 6" total, or 3" over from each side of the center back.

Hello, Everyone!

I am so pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you about the excitement the 8 Series launch has created here at our BERNINA consumer event. It was such a proud moment when after six years of development, we were finally able to reveal this incredible machine and share its features with the world. The engineers and developers in the BERNINA factory in Steckborn Switzerland have worked countess hours to create a big, beautiful BERNINA - spacious and comfortable, speedy and full of benefits that will make the creative sewers world more enjoyable and more efficient… that nothing compares to the feeling of its debut.

And now, you too can experience all the precision and exclusive features the 830 has to offer here on bernina8series.com. This enlightening and interactive website provides everything you will want to know about the 8 Series, including videos that illustrate its outstanding space, unsurpassed speed and ergonomic genius.

So go ahead and check out the machine that has changed the history of sewing. We hope it inspires you as much as it has everyone here at BERNINA.

Talk to you soon! And remember to keep checking back for more entries and details on the magnificent 8 Series.

These are two of my favorite Amy Butler patterns, the Swing Bag and the Drawstring Purse from the In Town Bags.

This is the Drawstring purse, and was made from four coordinating fat quarters of Benartex Woodstock fabrics plus a scrap of repurposed ribbon for trim. You can actually get enough fabric for TWO of these bags if you add another fat quarter for the lining of the second project! Super cute, and very suitable for summer.

I just love this project, the Swing Bag. I used different coordinating Benartex City Girl fat quarters for each side of the exterior, the interior, and the ouside and lining of the handles for a total of 6 fat quarters. This is actually a fun way to construct the bag, because you can make two coordinating but different sides to the bag, and just flip it over for a different look.

The Swing Bag is the perfect size for holding all your goodies at the farmer's market, the craft store, a day trip to the beach, or any other summer outing that requires a few extra props.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of other quick and easy things to do with those fat quarters. I have a few other fav's for using up those stocks of fat quarters that I'll post about soon!

I created with page with scraps of fabric, buttons, and clear vinyl, couched metallic cords, and a rotary cutter with a wavy blade. Stitched on my faithful BERNINA sewing machine, of course. Click here for instructions for the techniques I used to create this page.

This would be a handy apron for all sorts of crafts - painting, drawing, cooking, scrapbooking, and, of course, carpentry. Just be sure your fabric is sturdy enough to support whatever will be in the pockets. This fabric is a bit heavier than most quilting cottons; otherwise I'd have backed it with a contrasting fabric for added strength.

Basically, it's just a rectangle of fabric folded in half, plus a long strip of fabric for the binding & straps (cut on the cross grain). I turned under 1/2" at the short sides of the rectangle, then bound the long top edge with Bias Binder #84, leaving long straps at each side. I made a double hem in the other long edge, stitching it in place with Edgestitch Foot #10. Then I folded the long edges together, aligning the top edge of the hem with the outer edge of the binding. Remember the 1/2" folds at the sides? I lined up the folds at the sides of the apron, then edgestitched them together, again using Edgestitch Foot #10, reinforcing the stitching at the upper corners by stitching back and forth a few times. One final line of stitch up the middle to create the pockets and it's done! Now I just have to find some soft treats that won't wreak havoc on my senior pup's digestion...

I had no idea how to put in a zipper, or work with a fabric with a nap like corduroy, or even how to make gathers. My teacher was absolutely the best, and took time to work with me on all the details, even sewing in the zipper. I worked so hard on that skirt, and remember ripping out the gathered seams again and again until they were just right. I was so proud when I finished it, with a zipper and everything! I haven't seen that skirt since High School, and although I looked high and low, I couldn't even find a picture of myself in the skirt. But, let me assure you, it isn't forgotten! And neither is my teacher, who through her patience and kindness, helped me to learn to love to sew.

"I was thinking about my first project and how far I've come with my sewing. I was 19 years old when I took my first sewing class at Jacksonville State University. Sewing was not remotely related to my major, but I had an internal desire to create and signed up for a basic clothing construction class. I had wanted to sew since I was a little girl and was elated at the prospect of unleashing my creativity.

"Many of us call college the "lean" years. I seldom had extra money for a potato, much less fabric. I remember getting just enough fabric for the project and praying it wouldn't go over budget. The project was a classic button down shirt, topstitched with precision on a Bernina 830 (a machine in the school's sewing lab). Every seam was carefully constructed and finished with an overlock stitch on the serger. An edgestitch foot was used to topstitch around the edges. Wearing the shirt was a huge highlight, especially when someone found out that I made it (what a self-esteem booster!). I keep the shirt in my closet and occasionally slip it on to remember the excitement of my first class and what I learned from a basic shirt. I'm so thankful that my school had Bernina machines because I know the superior machine contributed to my success and promoted my love of sewing."

I was around 11 years old, still in 4-H, and still remember going fabric shopping for "kettle cloth." I'm still not sure where "kettle" comes from, but it's a woven cotton fabric that's easy to work with and presses well. I made this on the sewing my parents bought in 1965 - a Riccar that came free with the purchase of a $79 sewing cabinet. It went forward and backward - straight stitch only - no zigzag - and it's what I sewed on until I was 12 or 13. All of my seam allowances are straight stitched 1/4" from the raw edge, then hand-overcast - miles and miles of hand-sewing, that took forever! Now I zip right along on my BERNINA and Overlock Foot #2, or - better yet - use my serger to trim and overcast at the same time. But I did a good job, even with so much hand-sewing, and won a purple ribbon at the county fair :)

What was your first project? I've been asking some of my friends, and will be posting some of their stories over the next few weeks.