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…
Why Do We Sew Our Own Clothes?
Why do we sew clothes for ourselves in 2016? Ready made clothes are easy to find, affordable, sometimes cheap and the marketing is so sophisticated how can we resist? Sewing your own clothes is the opposite. Apparel fabric is hard to find in person unless you live in a large city, the cost of fabric, notions, […] Read more…
Sew a Mat for Your Pet’s Bowls
My dog is a messy eater and sloppy drinker. He will put his head up, open his mouth wide and let whatever food or water that was in his mouth just fall out. Did he forget he was eating? Did something distract him? “Quick,” he thinks, “dump this stuff, maybe she’ll think she hasn’t feed me yet and […] 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…
Mistakes You Make When Sewing For Yourself
You’re excited to sew. You know it’s going to be great when you’re done. People are going to stop you and ask where you got it. You smile and reply “I made it”. You carve out some sewing time and do your best. When you’re done you try it on and…deflate. It doesn’t look so […] Read more…
How to Turn a Too Tight Shirt Into a Swingy Top
I have a basic shirt that I bought it in a department store. I really like the fabric it is made up in, a soft navy chambray. I don’t like that the chest pockets screamed “look at my breast” so I only wear it under sweaters. I put it on a couple of weeks ago and noticed […] Read more…
How to Apply and Join Together Bias Binding
Bias bound edges are popping up on all sort of designs lately; necklines of dresses, hems of sleeves, the tops of pockets. On some designs they add a cute factor, on others they give a nice polished look to the garment. I’m getting over my past prejudices that bias binding made garments look homemade, in […] Read more…
How to Make Bias Binding
Bias binding is used to bind or cover the raw edge of fabric. Bias binding can be made in self or contrasting fabric as a decorative edge of a neckline, sleeve, collar or other feature. It can replace a full facing as with sheer or bulky fabrics or it can bind and finish seam allowances inside […] Read more…