Start your year or next project off right with a clean sewing space. This easy plan of attack will make your next project a dream.
A bit latter than I was aiming for, here is finally the third and last part of my Trello series! After talking about keeping track...
Tracing sewing patterns is my least favorite sewing task. There, I said it. Tracing sewing patterns is a tedious, and I almost always lose steam on a project during pattern tracing. But, I am a com…
The following post will help in your quest to decide which types of sewing stitches are best for your project.
Add a couture touch to your seam finishes with this tutorial. By Katie Whittle.
Seamstress Secret Revealed - You'll never use Needle and Thread like you used to! | sewing needle
My daughter attended Nan Desu Kan 2013 last September. 2012 was the first year she attended but this year she wanted to go in costume! One of her favorite anime shows is “Attack on Titan…
If you’re not a longarmer, it’s tough to understand why the backing and batting need to be so much bigger - especially when one’s already scrimping to piece the backing together from scraps. Here's why...
A bit latter than I was aiming for, here is finally the third and last part of my Trello series! After talking about keeping track...
26th March 2019 I keep this bowl beside my machine when I am sewing and put all cut off threads into it.... ....placed threads on dissolvable fabric... ....made a 'sandwich'... ....and used free machining to secure in a variety of metallic threads.... ....front... ...back... ....rinsed in water... ....front... ...back... ..I prefer the front! >>>>>> On Saturday I went with a friend to see a textile exhibition, it was brilliant and I wished I had money to spare as I could easily have bought some stunning items!! I came back and went straight into my craft room and made these two cards which I am rather pleased with, inspired by some work in the exhibition! >>>>>>> A lovely day here and I spent a few hours in the park with my gorgeous granddaughter where we fed the ducks, had ice cream and I spent a long time pushing a swing!! Just love it!!! >>>>>>>>> Took these photos on my walk down to the bus, such beautiful blossom against the blue sky. Until the next post, have a good week.....
Have a knit sweater in need of mending? Fix it fast with a few sewing techniques like how to darn holes, fix snagged thread and frayed buttonholes.
Use this easy tip to find the right sewing machine tension for every fabric and every project.
It will be hard for anyone except me to appreciate the beauty of this project! But all of us who love to sew travel the never-ending road in search of the perfect fitting garment. Our weight fluctuates, we age, styles change, we fall in and out of love with our bodies and want to show off or camouflage them accordingly...all of these things come into play when it comes to fit. I've been studying Fit for Real People by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto and think it is the best approach for getting a great fit. I embarked upon the odyssey by purchasing the pattern they recommend to make a fitting shell from McCall's 2718, and followed both the book and the pattern directions to make my fitting shell and construct my sloper. As they point out, very seldom, if ever, will we wear a garment as close-fitting as the fitting shell. It is virtually like a second skin, with a minimum of ease built in. Based on my upper bust measurement I used a size 12 pattern and modified as needed. The pattern comes with 5 different cup sizes for the bodice from A to DD. I needed the latter. The patterns that we purchase are based on a B cup size. I don't even think I had a B cup at birth... Aside from grading the waist and hips out, the most significant things I learned from this process were that I need both a wide back adjustment as well as an erect back adjustment. The process is incredibly interesting as adjustments become noticeable based on the wrinkles formed. The erect back adjustment can be seen as the horizontal tuck above the bodice darts. Without the tuck a wrinkle formed there...very interesting discovery! The pattern is first "tissue fitted" which is preparing the pattern with tape and pins and then it is literally "tried on" to see how we vary from the basic pattern size. After making paper adjustments a shell is cut from 1/4" gingham. Further fitting is done on the shell and then markings are transferred back to the paper pattern. This amended paper pattern is your body's "roadmap" and becomes a sloper that can then be compared to any fashion pattern taking the guesswork out of your sewing projects. The premise of this exercise is that skirt + bodice = dress. The skirt is easy enough to fit on your own but you will really need to enlist a friends help with the bodice. I didn't require any further alteration to the bodice front other than the cup size. Below is a picture of the bodice back showing the 1/2" broad back adjustment that I will make as well as the marking for the erect back adjustment. The broad back adjustment is the vertical pleat marked with red dashes. The erect back adjustment is the horizontal red mark at the top of the back dart. It begins as a 1/4" pleat and tapers off to nothing toward the arm. As Pati and Marta point out, depending on the amount of ease that your planned garment allows, some, none or all of the adjustments on your sloper will be used. Once you have made this ultra-close fitting shell from your sloper, anything with more ease will be a breeze. When complete I intend to bond fusible interfacing to my sloper so I will have a permanent pattern showing how my body differs from the standard patterns of the Big 4. I highly recommend this process as a way to get to know your body's roadmap and have more great fitting garments!
I want to thank you all for your sweet comments and encouragement on my last, rather depressing, post. I like to keep it real as much as I am able on this blog and sharing my “failures”…
Did you know it is national scrap week? It is not. I made that up. But it should be a thing. I’m making it a thing. A bag of scraps… Read More
One of our perennial favorite posts is our guide to getting flat bias facings. In the original post we called them bias necklines, which I think is limiting. You can easily use this technique for necklines, armholes, keyhole openings, and more! We've also updated the post with new images taken from the Willow Tank so that you can see it applied to one of our current patterns. You can still see the original post here, or enjoy this updated version. Keep in mind that although we're showing a neckline here you can easily apply this to other parts of the garment! Begin by taking your neckline binding piece and sewing the two shorter edges together, with right sides facing each other, to create a circle. Press the seam allowance open. Align the binding piece around the neckline and pin in place. I like to put the seam of the binding at the center back of the garment, but that's just my personal preference. Head over to your machine and stitch the neckline and binding together using a 1/4
Hi Ihr Mäusäää! Is ja irre, wieder zwei Monate seit meinem letzten Post! Und weil ich in der Zwischenzeit prächtig fleissig war, lass ...
Knitting Nancys (a.k.a. French knitters, knitting nobbies, spool knitters, etc.) have become something of an obsession for me this week. I’ve been thinking about what …
Scrap Attack block, scrap quilt, scrap usage, The Summer of Scraps,
Learn how to draft pattern blocks with Pattern Making Basics! A text course with one lesson per day you can start making your own pattern blocks or slopers!
The dreaded topstitching of the button fly…. It’s scary because it’s one of the most visible parts of the pants. The good news is there is an easy method to get the stitching looking good every time . Topstitching the fly was the main thing that held be back from making jeans. I was fearful the f
Well, as an antidote to that rather heavy last post - and to show I'm not taking myself or any of this too seriously... I had to share this amazing thing I found thrifting. It's a tin vintage sewing box, and it actually contained some vintage sewing gear. It's one of those things that I usually see other people finding and always grumble to myself that I never seem to be able to luck into around here. I'm also taking a stab at sprouting. Here's the jar on day one (the soaking stage): And here it is on day three - we actually have sprouts! I don't know why I didn't expect this to work, but it seems to be going OK. An initial overnight soak and then two daily rinses - one morning and one evening. The only thing I am changing up is the draining device on the lid. I started out with a piece of cheesecloth, but I think I'm going to replace that with a piece of screen cut to fit the top of the mason jar since the cheesecloth has been staying soggy and getting a little funky. I also think I'm going to have to divide this crop in half and put some in a second jar. I didn't expect them to increase quite this drastically in volume. These are mung beans, which I've read are pretty easy to work with (and experience thus far bears that out), but I think for a subsequent sprouting adventure I'm going to try alfalfa or broccoli seeds since I'm more a fan of those as a finished product. I'm so pumped about being able to have sprouts, though, since I love them but rarely buy them because they're so expensive. And... expect perhaps a bit of radio silence here for a bit while I work on getting my doula business up and running. The momentum on that has been absolutely nuts, and I'm working like mad not only on my certification, but also on designing a webpage and business cards and taking care of things like contracts and fee schedules. Exciting, but... yep. Fast.
Quilter Tom Chowder in Montana made this quilt as a birthday gift for a friend. And here it is attacking him in the Montana wind! Click on the link to see more about this quilt. Tom says this is his favorite quilt photo. He looks like a quilting action figure!
How to attach a free motion (aka darning) foot and draw with your sewing machine. Learn the different types of darning feet and how to get different effects.
Start your year or next project off right with a clean sewing space. This easy plan of attack will make your next project a dream.
Notched lapels are one of the hallmarks of good tailoring, and there's no reason to consider them impossible.
Tutorial on how to use scraps of fabrics to make a magic quilt that sews itself as you are making another quilt.
Seam finishes are one of the best things about sewing! Here's 13 different ways to finish a seam that'll make the insides of your projects beautiful.
Here’s an easy tutorial that will show you how to add a fun bartack detail to your shirts using your sewing machine.
Remnant Revivals Part Two: Play with your scraps to create patchwork and recomposed textiles. By Christi Johnson.
Today I'm going to show you how to sew the waistband facing in two different ways for your Tania Culottes!
One of my latest projects has been to reshape the shoulder line on two Chanel jackets for a client. These are not couture but from the Chanel RTW line. Chanel does produce some of the very best RTW…
Accomplish a cleanly-notched jacket lapel with simple sewing, trimming, and pressing techniques.
When all else fails, whether earthquake, tornado, terrorist attack, the rapture, or an alien invasion from outer space, you have only to grab your survival doll and run.Concealed within this innocent-looking, seemingly worthless doll is everything you will need to survive just about anything that could possibly happen...This tutorial has been moved to our sister website 'Homesteading Advice'...Click Here To Visit Homesteading Advice Now
Learn how to sew a dress that will turn heads with the help of this page, 75+ Free Dress Patterns for Sewing. You'll find free little girl dress patterns, free pillowcase dress patterns, and other simple dress patterns in this stylish sewing collection. If you're looking for instructions on how to sew a dress for summer, the holidays, or special occasions, look no further. Learn to sew dresses for yourself, your kids, and even babies with these free patterns! Sewing dresses has never been easier with our collection of DIY dresses. Our free baby dress patterns are simply the cutest, and our summer dress patterns are so on-trend that you'll never want to spend your money at the mall again. We could go on, but we'll let you browse our selection yourself! Whatever it is you need to make, whether it's for your own closet or for your little girl's wardrobe, you're sure to find a suitable dress pattern here. And with this much variety, your closet will be full and fabulous. The most difficult part will be narrowing down your next few outfits. Speaking of variety, join our weekly newsletter for the best sewing tutorials, projects, and resources. Sign Up for Free Patterns Plus! If you're new to sewing, don't miss our video tutorial on how to make a body form. It's a great way to make clothes to custom-fit your body!
It’s not always easy to find cute sleeping bags for the occasional glamping trip or a weekend sleepover. Lucky for you, it’s easier than it looks to make your own for yourself or someone in your family! I made two sleeping bags for my two older kids as they may soon be spending a little more…
Start your year or next project off right with a clean sewing space. This easy plan of attack will make your next project a dream.
