I have to admit it right out front. Hunting for Tanzanian fabrics was not my main reason for coming to Africa. Instead, my husband and I were there with some friends to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at almost 20,000 feet or 6,000 meters. However, being an … Continue reading
(Author’s note 2021: late summer..this time of year always makes me think of Italy. The sun-baked fields, vineyards, and orchards and the clear blue skies of Tuscany. And, of course, of Florence –so I wanted to bring this article from a couple of years ago to the top of your … Continue reading
It is possible to live without the plastic that leaches into everything around us. Many people, especially those with young children, are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential health effects of all the plastic we are exposed to every day. There are many ways to avoid the use of plastic … Continue reading
All parents would agree that it’s a herculean task to maintain children’s clothes. All the chocolates and cookies that they snack on inevitably leave their mark on that pretty dress or handsome pair of pants, not to mention puddles of mud and dirt cakes. Moreover, the sensitive skin of the … Continue reading
Think Mary Antoinette, Queen Elizabeth, or the recently revived 1950s Rockabilly movement, think Swan Lake and the fairy tale wedding gown. What do they all have in common? You’ve got it, serious petticoat action, brought to you by none other than the trusty, centuries-old crinoline… Let’s take a closer look … Continue reading
I believe that the success of a sewing project lies not just in purchasing the right fabric and accessories. The way the fabric is cared for before the start of the project also has a profound influence on the result of the sewing project. This includes pre-washing fabric and usually … Continue reading
If I am allowed to look inside your wardrobe, I am almost sure that you have some garments made from denim fabric neatly folded inside. And if you had the chance to read our previous article about sewing denim, you should know that the word is actually derived from the French … Continue reading
Well, there’s just so much to say about the history of fabric…It’s almost as basic a human need as food or shelter, truly. Where would we be without our clothing, our blankets, our sofas, our mattresses, our curtains? The list goes on and on. Indeed, many of us might not … Continue reading
I find myself weathering the pandemic in the middle of Chile. Never in my life would I have thought that I’d be here, but the world has changed so much that it’s impossible to know where we will be in a few years from now. One thing for sure is … Continue reading
Last week the embroidered hoodie pattern got many of you guessing how to attach embroidered patches to stretchable velvet. I’m sure the advanced sewists out there got the clues immediately after looking at the fabric swatches. For the others, I’m now going to show you how I did it and … Continue reading
Now any seamstress or hobby sewist will undoubtedly have discarded that little white strip along the fabric edge without a second thought, probably a few hundred times or more. You know that “useless” strip where the manufacturer’s branding is printed…along with a few strange colored circles? Well, there’s more to … Continue reading
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