Hi, Everyone! I’m going back to the basics with this post and the next one (Part 2). For some of you, this will be a refresher on patternmaking tools. For those of you new to patternmaking, this will be new information. But whatever your patternmaking skill level, you don’t have to have the most expensive […]
Web Site Video Tour
Hi, Everyone! I just wanted to do a quick video tour of my new Web site, just in case you haven’t had a chance to explore yet. I want to make it as easy as possible for you to get around. I hope you like my new digs as much as I do. I can’t […]
Web Site Makeover
Sometimes change is hard, even when it’s necessary. I tried to put this off as long as I could, but the truth is – it’s time. It’s time for my Web site to get a new look! So although the technical things that could go wrong make me very nervous about this Web site change […]
10 Sewing Mistakes That Will Make Your Clothes Look Homemade
Handmade clothing is good. Clothes that look homemade-not so much. Why? Because in sewing the word homemade is usually associated with poor quality. It can refer to the way the garment is sewn or a poor choice in fabric, to the way the garment fits. Today, I’m going to talk about 10 sewing mistakes that will definitely give your clothes a homemade look.
Choose the Right Fabric
You altered your pattern until you got the fit you wanted. You cut each piece carefully, making sure to follow the pattern layout to avoid any mishaps. You took extra care in sewing each piece using techniques that would give it a professional look. Then why did it still end up in the “ain’t never […]
How to Fix a Gaping Neckline
In my patternmaking book, Patternmaking Made Easy, Connie Crawford says an adjustment must be made to prevent gaping when lowering the neckline more than 2″ from the original jewel neckline. Have you ever had this problem? Well, today I’m going to show you how to fix a gaping neckline on your sewing pattern.
7 Ways to Make Solo Fitting Easier
One of my readers asked this question: “How can I fit my clothes without a dress form?” A good question, without a perfect answer. But today I hope I can help you a little bit by giving you 7 ways to make solo fitting easier. Does anyone else have the problem of fitting patterns solo? By solo […]
10 Sewing Tips From 2014
Last year, I shared sewing tips on Facebook that I use on a regular basis in my sewing. Because they’re scattered throughout my Facebook page, I decided to put 10 of my favorite in one place so you could refer to them at any time, without having to scroll through Facebook. So here they are: 10 […]
How to Move a Dart on Your Sewing Pattern
Have you ever had a pattern with so many fitting problems, you’re not sure where to begin? I tried to ignore some of them, like the front darts on my skirt being too close to the center front/back and looking really weird, but I couldn’t. If I’m gonna make the skirt, it might as well be […]
Skirt Pattern: Add to Your Hip, Not Your Waist
Just when I think I’m ready to finish a project, I discover several fitting problems. How is it that my waist fits fine, but the hip area is too tight? This is one of the problems I ran into in my effort to make my pleated skirt, (you can see part 1 of the pleated skirt here). […]