Happiness Through Sewing
Sometimes you need some help. And sometimes you just need some temporary help. Help to hold things together until they get the final approval (fitting). Or help to hold things together perfectly lined up (underlining). Or just an extra hand to hold things together without using every pin in your pincushion. The basting stitch is […] Read more…
Let’s simplify our lives and have one go-to stitch for sewing seams and repairing. That will be the back stitch. Once you master the back stitch your life will be ever so simplified 😉 But seriously, the back stitch is one handy, all-purpose stitch that can take a lot of strain, pulls, tugs and general […] Read more…
As much as my sewing machine (it’s more like a computer with a needle) can do, there are situations and techniques that require a hand stitch. This video will show you how to stitch three basic hand stitches, two knots and the best way to thread a needle. The Close-Ups and Details The Running Stitch; […] Read more…
They say you don’t really know something until you try to teach it. True. Stumbling while I explained to a group of middle school students how to sew was eye-opening. As I taught them, they taught me because sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to point out things you never thought of. 14 […] Read more…
What if the seams on your pattern are not true? What if the side seam of the back bodice is longer than the side seam of the front bodice? Or if the shoulder seam is way off? Or how do you fix a seamline that becomes wonky after you added length or another alteration to the […] Read more…
There is nothing wrong with Liesl + Co’s Cappucino Tunic pattern. It’s cute. It’s easy to sew. The instructions are clear. However, there is something wrong with my Cappuccino Tunic. It’s probably the wrong style (or size) for me but the stiff fabric is making it worse. (and the first thing I thought when […] Read more…
Are your seams different lengths? You know that the front and the back are supposed to be the same length at the side seam. And you know that the back shoulder seam is supposed to match the front shoulder seam but…. it doesn’t. Or does it? There are two common reasons why your seams may not […] Read more…
Interfacing Recognition and Retrieval Do you know what interfacing you have, right now, in your stash? Can you grab a specific type of interfacing with the speed and efficiency of a Hostage Rescue Unit? I mean, my way of storing interfacing was basically a crime scene. Each piece was fighting for its survival, mixed up in […] Read more…
Suddenly I am alone. Not the kind of alone I chose or even anticipated but the shocking, sudden abandonment that came out of the blue and has left me dazed and a little confused. No, my family and friends are all fine. It’s more personal, that only another sewist, like you, would understand. My fairly […] Read more…
What kind of paper should you use for pattern making and altering patterns? Well, technically, any kind of paper would work but different types of paper have different qualities and some papers are just better for pattern making, drafting, altering and/or tracing. In the video, I show you some of the more popular types of […] Read more…