Elevate the quality of all your sewing projects with mitered corners! Here are 3 simple ways to sew a mitered corner that you have to try!
Hi Bloggie Friends, Do you have a "thing" for sewing implements, especially pretty ones? Well, I do-don't judge. My mom sewed lik...
Sleeve designs can be a little bit intimidating. Drafting them is kind of a science on its own, and it’s hard to imagine what shape you need to start with if
Mes passions créatives à savoir Broderie,tricot, photos,.....
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Something that’s been in the “planning in my head” stage for the last year was an 1870s tea gown. These were the “house dresses” of the time period, later versions of wrappers, and pre-cursors to dressing gowns. They were meant to be worn around the house before getting dressed for the day, or to wear with the family for breakfast, and sometimes a visit from a close friend. They weren’t as tightly fitted as a day dress, most often not worn with a corset, and was all of one length of fabric, not a bodice and skirt. And they had trains. They were easier to put on and ladies didn’t need a maid to help them get dressed in them. I’ve seen them called princess dresses in catalogs too. Most likely from the long “princess” seams. If you want to do some more reading about them, Leimomi’s blog has a lot of information on them. http://thedreamstress.com/2012/06/terminology-what-is-a-tea-gown/ When a challenge came up to make and wear them at Costume College this coming July, that fit right in to my project. Right now the favored pattern for them is Truly Victorian # 423 tea gown. It’s labeled as 1880s but the style was also being worn in the 70s. The one by the Wisconsin Historical Society (aka Patterns of History), called the Avant-Garde gown from 1881, would have been a nice one but it only comes in Size 10. But I have it, and might try and play around with it someday. http://shop.wisconsinhistory.org/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=273&idcategory=22 This is a drawing I came across showing the interior of one that I think is from Janet Arnold’s books but I’m not sure. Notice that it has a stay belt on the interior that is attached in the back and hooks around your waist in the front to keep it snug. I didn’t want mine to look like a generic plain one, but something a little more elegant. I began collecting photos on Pinterest and found many would be hidden within a fashion plate of multiple dresses that could be worn throughout the day, or sometimes in the corner of a catalog page. I found this lovely 1877 mourning tea gown (as seen by the black edged envelopes) and anyone who knows me, knows I love to make mourning dresses. There’s lots of little details I love on it. So this one may show up in my wardrobe too. There are quite a few extant gowns for inspiration too, and a couple of them are Worth gowns. I finally nailed down this one, identified as an 1870s Worth gown. The two ladies are having tea in a home, and have a visitor show up. The picture is a little grainy but her neckline almost looks like a chemise with a ribbon drawstring, and a bare neckline with a couple strings of pearls. Kind of dressy but still definitely an article of dishabille. The main fabric looks like a brocade, with a solid train, and a lightweight underdress. So I decided this would be my inspiration for a Worth tea gown. My fabric was easy. I found this medium weight polyester, plum colored fabric in a newly opened store in the L.A. Garment District that was heavily embroidered with flowers and vines. It just screamed Worth dress to me. And at $2.99 yard, I bought 10 yards not even knowing how much I would need at the time. It turns out the pattern needs 7 yards, and the pattern pieces are full length so take into account if you have to buy small 3-4 yard pieces you will need 4 lengths long enough to cut from your neck to floor. The center insertion fabric was the hardest for me to find. I first thought a lighter color than the plum but I think it needed contrast, and white didn’t work. After dragging it around in Yardage Town last week, I finally decided on a sheer pale pink chiffon. You can see through it but my plan is to shirr it so it’s opaque. Although bets are on whether I’m going to cut my throat after trying to cut and sew it. I started tracing out the pattern yesterday so I could make my muslin to fit me. I only traced it down to the waistline for fitting. I saw the markings to pleat the Watteau back and thought this is going to be easy and followed the direction to fold them. But then I was politely told just how I *should* be doing those pleats. And it wasn’t like the markings on the pattern seemed to show. WRITTEN IN THE DIRECTIONS, it has you fold the center back WRONG sides together and sew a straight line down to your waist on one of the marked lines. THEN you fold that in towards the sewn center line. BUT NOT ON THE INSIDE of the fabric as I did but on the OUTSIDE. Back to the drawing board. And no, I didn’t read the directions before I started. At least this was just the muslin. I also was fitting this to myself with my corset on but after reading Leimomi’s blog I saw that these were not meant to be worn with a corset but to be comfortable in around the house. Hmmm. I’ll have to think about that for a while because my pattern was cut to fit my corseted body. Now that I’ve got that worked out, I get to start cutting my fabric. Just look at all that pretty! ~~VAL~~
It may seem a little intimidating but with a few simple tips, you can easily master this technique and learn how to sew perfect corners every time.
When I first began sewing, I saw patterns as silver fitting bullets. Unlike the ready-to-wear garments that gave me conniptions, from their gaping waistlines to buckling busts, sewing patterns were…
If you’re short like me chances are you’ve missed out on buying that great fitting pair of pants because they’re just too long. Did you know taking up a pair of pants if fairly easy to do, with or without a sewing machine?! I’ve made a few video tutorials over the last couple of years […]
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I added more decorative touches to the landing this weekend. It is so satisfying when you are getting much closer to achieving the look and feel that you want. I recently won a giveaway from SweetScarlett Pretty book plates. I was able to chose my own design and wording and Maggie did the rest. Thank you Maggie, I am really pleased with them! Here are some of the things which have made their way to my home recently. This beautiful 1930's mannequin head from Vintage Home recently made her way to my home. She is still in her box waiting for my work room to be finished. I look forward to finding the right spot for her. The detail on her face and paint work is incredible! Pretty tin from Country Cottage Chic Fabric and pins also from Country Cottage Chic Bought for £1 at a fair, not my sort of thing usually but I found myself quite drawn to it, so sweet! Lily of the Valley & forget- me -not small jug Bought for 50p in a bric a brac shop Gorgeous coat hanger from HenHouse . I love the pattern and the colours. Meet Larry. He was determined to get into my pictures every time I tried to photograph something for this post. Especially when I was photographing the kitten fabric, pins and floral tin. Fame at last, he made in to one of my blog pictures. He tried so hard, I couldn't let him down! And so as to not be left out, here is Lilly. She is quite shy! Lilly & Larry are brother & sister. They are lovely kittens with great individual personalities! We adopted them from the RSPCA in January. They are 10 months old. I have not been able to make anything for a while as all my fabrics, craft bits etc..are all packed away in boxes whilst my workroom is being worked on. I really look forward to making things again soon... And finally... A BIG THANK YOU to all you who left such kind and thoughtful messages on my last post. Your words meant a lot to us. Phoebe is amazed at how many of you left a comment. She also said how nice that all these people were thinking of her. It put a big smile on her face, thanks to YOU. A bientôt! Isabelle x
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With a full silhouette that sweeps the ankles, The Winterberry Cape free sewing pattern fulfills all of my winter needs perfectly.
I took my time when creating these dye samples. I gathered plenty of yellow onion skins to fill my dye pot completely. I added water to my pot, boiled the skins for 30 minutes, and allowed the skins to soak in the bath for a few days. I strained the skins from the bath and added my (pre wet) fabric. I brought the dye bath back to a boil for 30 mins with my fabric, keeping an eye on the surface making sure to release any air bubbles from the fabric. I allowed the fabric to soak in the bath overnight. This amount of time isn't necessary to achieve color results, but it is how and why my colors are so saturated.
Gaze at one hundred years of people knitting.
I often get a question from my readers - how to sew straight? In this guide, I will show you how to easily keep stitching lines straight. I will talk about topstitching mostly because keeping seam allowances equal is a different topic. Have you ever had problems with crooked stitching lines? I bet you had. Even intermediate sewists are struggling sometimes to do it and had to rip and redo stitching. But sewing in a straight line is much simpler than you think. And I want to help you to sew straight every time.
By Stefanie of Girl. Inspired. for I Heart Nap Time. Hi again! If you've spent much time on my blog, you know I like to get a lot of projects done in as little time as possible.
Hems are a great way to finish garments and household items. Learning how to sew a hem with a sewing machine can take a bit of practice.
I long for an haute couture sleeve. That is, I crave a sleeve that is custom-fitted to my arm and shoulder and that works within the garment’s armscye. After years—or…
In this National Sewing Circle article, check out these five great ways to organize and store all of your sewing supplies.
Learn to make a different kind of side seam pocket.
Are you tired of confusing pattern sewing instructions in today’s sewing world? Or do you want to design your own clothes or patterns, but aren’t sure how to actually sew them together once you’ve dra
Don't stress over the tension dials on your sewing machine. Find out when and how to set and adjust thread tension.
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This video presents ten expert sewing tips that you may not already know. Watch and learn as some helpful tips and tricks are demonstrated!
Learn about the different types of sewing machine needles and sizes, and when to use which type with this guide from The Creative Curator.
Finding time to sew can be tricky when you're a busy person juggling a lot of things. Here's 15 ways to make time to sew no matter how busy you are.
