The focus of this tutorial is to teach you how to transform an existing pattern to adapt it to the bell sleeve top design. It’s time to use the patterns you already have and learn how to alter them to come up with different outfits. This tutorial works best if … Continue reading
What’s Sustainable Sewing? The whole idea behind “sustainability” in general and sustainable sewing in specific is that of leaving a minimal impact on the planet. This idea incorporates issues like carbon footprint, waste creation and disposal, and labor practices. Nowadays, producers and designers are always under public scrutiny, and those who … Continue reading
I’m lucky or unlucky depending on what way you look at it. My local fabric store only has about a dozen bolts of quilting cotton, and many of those feature vegetables, so I’m never tempted to buy too much. That means compared to many, I have quite a modest stash … Continue reading
The Hong Kong finish is my favorite way to finish a seam. I discovered it when I was 13 years old on a garment my grandmother wore…a corset. My sewing machine could only do a straight stitch and an ugly zigzag. So I took to using the Hong Kong finish … Continue reading
This is something you may not come across very often, but it’s good to know for the first time that you are called up on to sew a slanted seam. It might be when you are piecing strips for making bias tape or just in a pattern that has diagonal … Continue reading
Different materials may need different handling for a sewing project to be successful. For leather and sewing with fur, however, the key is being prepared. This means trying out the stitch on other material to get it right before you start work on the leather. Mistakes on leather leave holes … Continue reading
In terms of safety, sewing is certainly a lot safer than skydiving, bullfighting, or even just driving a car. That being said, sewing does still present some genuine dangers so sewing machine safety is critical. Today’s sewing machines are run by electricity and have dangerous moving parts like sharp needles; this means … Continue reading
Hello Fabrics for Summer! It is the time of year once again when sewists like us have pulled out our fabrics for summer and think about sewing projects that are not only fashionable but also functional. Indeed, the summer season means sun, sand, and sea, and after the long autumn … Continue reading
It seems there are more ways than one to sew a French seam. Continuing on in my quest to learn more about the various types of seam finishes and getting a nice neat result on the inside of my projects, I’ve been reading several tutorials and books on the French … 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
Looking again today at how to get a nice neat finish on the inside of your projects. This isn’t one technique that might immediately spring to mind and it’s certainly not right for every project, but if you look closely you’ll be surprised how often you might find it on … Continue reading
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