Happiness Through Sewing
Everybody loves a pocket, so why is it that a lot of clothes don’t have them? And tiny, useless pockets don’t count as pockets. Luckily, pockets are easy to construct and add to your store-bought clothes, and they’re easy to draft for your me-mades. There are so many types of pockets that there are entire […] Read more…
It’s easy to change the neckline of a top with no collar. Really. It’s just a matter of tracing off the pattern pieces that contain the neckline and drawing in the new neckline shape you want. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind. The neckline is an external style line, meaning […] Read more…
The neck opening of a shirt can be finished with a collar stand, a collar, a facing, a lining, or a bias binding. While the collars and collar stands are for style, the facings, linings, and bias strips are for function. Linings are usually sewn to a facing, but not always, and function to line […] Read more…
It’s true that little things make a difference. Hidden details in our self-made clothing, like linings, special seam allowance finishes, and strap guards, take a garment from fine to special. Lingerie strap guards allow you to move freely without your bra straps peeking or slipping out. And I realize some people don’t care about this, […] Read more…
When you think bandana you probably think of a black and white printed paisley design with a border. Classic choice. But bandanas come in all sorts of fabric designs and as far as projects go, they may be one of the easiest things to sew. So why not sew your own, in your choice of […] Read more…
A few months ago I made a video How to Hem Dress Pants in which I sewed the hem, as I always do, by hand, because that’s how I learned to sew an invisible hem. But then a lot of people asked, “Ok, but can I do that with my sewing machine?” Ahhh, yes, but I […] Read more…
Invisible zippers, also known as Concealed zippers, are just that: so concealed once they are sewn into a garment that they appear to be invisible. Unlike other zippers, there is no outside stitching around the zipper, no obvious lapped fabric or fly. Nothing but a slim zipper pull gives it away. This makes invisible zippers […] Read more…
I made a set of cloth linen napkins in 2012. We used them every day and washed them every week. The linen became softer, the color mellowed evenly and so I never thought I would have to make cloth napkins again. Until Atlas joined our family. Atlas is our new Rottweiler pup. He’s a wonderful […] Read more…
A pattern piece has a lot of information on it as discussed in a previous post/video “How to Read a Pattern”. You need that information when you are sewing all the pieces together, but you want to transfer that information, from pattern to fabric, at the beginning while the fabric is still on the cutting […] Read more…
A sewing friend recently joked that sewing was actually only 50% sewing and 50% cutting, pressing, and fussing. She’s pretty accurate. But let’s not let that stop us from sewing. We’ll just accept it as part of the process. This post and video are all about the process of laying out your pattern pieces and […] Read more…