It Starts With Envy: Up until recently, my sewing supplies were semi-organized in drawers, and bins, and shelves and I was content. Sure things would hide in the back of the drawer, slip down to the bottom of the bin, or fall off the shelf. That’s just how the world works, a little natural disorganization, […] Read more…
How a Little Style School Can Inspire Your Life
Do you ever think you know what you’re doing and then mistake after mistake your confidence slowly erodes away and you think, geez, I’ve been fooling myself and everyone else. I know nothing. My hand is raised. This happened to me, surely more than once in my life, but definitely recently when I realized that […] Read more…
Tutorial Review: Noodlehead’s Open Wide Zippered Pouch
After seeing these pouches on Pinterest over and over again, and on a quest to use up the little cuts of fabric in my stash, I decided to try out Noodlehead’s Open Wide Zippered Pouch tutorial. (No, wait. Cut to reality – It wasn’t as organized and leisurely as that sounds. It was a last […] Read more…
Reconstructing Garments; What, Why and How
How many clothes do you have in your closet right now? If you’re typical you would say your closet is too small for all your clothes. Did you know we consume 60% more clothes annually than we did even 10 years ago? It’s the era of disposable clothing. Worn today, trashed tomorrow. When garments […] Read more…
Sewing Book and Pattern Review : Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style & it’s Kiomi Top Pattern
Since I first saw an article about her in Sunset Magazine (in the mid 1990s) I have admired Lotta Jansdotter’s work. So no surprise that I really like her new book, Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Style; Key Pieces to Sew. Yes, it has patterns, and yes that’s the first thing I noticed and yes, those nine patterns, for […] Read more…
A Guide to Pressing Tools
Pressing as you sew is the key to a good-looking final project. How many times did our professors tell us this? Any time they could. After sewing any seam go to your iron and press that seam in the opposite direction from which it was sewn and then press the seam allowances open if possible. […] Read more…
Twill, Tweed, Lurex, Lawn: A Simple Way to Know What’s What
Why was I, after adjusting a pattern for fit and putting time into my sewing, still ending up with garments that were not quite right? I couldn’t quite figure it out and it didn’t happen every time but it happened enough not to be one bad pattern or one cut off grain fabric. If anything […] Read more…
A Line Skirt: You Sew Girl! Pattern Review
You Sew Girl! patterns by Nicole Mallalieu are all about teaching you skills while you make something you can be proud of. Although the bulk of You Sew Girl! patterns are for handbags they do offer a few garment patterns and it’s their A-Line Skirt pattern I’m currently in love with. Style details: This A-line skirt […] Read more…
Gifts for People Who Sew; 2015
Do you know someone who enjoys sewing? Do you want to give them a gift? Do you want to give them a gift they will use? Do you need some ideas to point you in the right direction? I’ve been sewing (of my own choosing) for many, many years and maybe the things I want are […] Read more…
Pattern Review: Easy Wristlet Purse by Sue Kim
What I sewed: Wristlet Zipper Purse Pattern found in Bags the Modern Classics by Sue Kim and published by Stash Books Bag sewer and pattern maker Sue Kim of ithinksew.com has been making bags since 2007. She published Bags the Modern Classics in 2011. I recently picked it up used. I liked a few of the […] Read more…