Sewing and crocheting are relaxing activities that can be very rewarding and both activities can easily complement each other. Sewing projects can be greatly enhanced by adding crochet, as will be discussed in this article. If you love to sew and crochet, this article will give you some ideas on how to combine the two.

An easy way to start is to find a piece of clothing in your closet that you would like to add some life to. A good start would be a plain blouse. Something really simple, like a crocheted flower, could be added to the front of the neck turning your plain blouse into one that your friends are asking where you got it from. If the blouse is white, a black flower would look great and it would allow you to match it with more clothes in your wardrobe. An additional enhancement could be done by adding a bow made with silk ribbon to the bottom of the flower or some crocheted leafs. If you do not want the flower to be attached permanently to the blouse, add a safety pin and you will be able to use the flower with other pieces of clothing like jackets or dresses. Free crochet flower patterns can be found on many web sites, use your favorite search engine to find them.

Another quick addition you can make to clothes you already have is by embellishing a t-shirt with a crocheted trim sewn around the edge of the neck and sleeves. If the shirt is sleeveless, you can crochet a pair of sleeves with a lacy stitch and attach them to the shirt; it will make a big difference. You can use the same concept to add crocheted trim to the cuffs of jeans. If you really want to spice up an old pair of jeans than add crocheted trim to the edges of the pockets or to the front of the legs.

If you like to sew, you can make unique items by adding crocheted pieces to the clothing you already make. A suggestion for a project is an empire waist top with the lower part of the top and the sleeves made out of crocheted pieces. This would be an original and unique look. Or you could have the upper portion of the top crocheted in an open lacy stitch and add a sleeveless top which is worn underneath. Both of these suggestions would also work for an empire style dress as well.

This web page has a directory of free crocheting patterns, www.crochetpatterncentral.com. The site has patterns to make flowers, motifs and many other items you can add to your sewing projects. Use these patterns to make combined sewed/crocheted items for yourself, family and friends, or even to make some extra income by selling your creations. Enjoy combining your sewing and crocheting projects!