Are you intimidated by sewing zippers? As small as they are, zippers can present some big challenges for many seamstresses, me included. I always had a hard time following the images printed on the z...
Do you dread having to shorten the hem of a skirt or dress? It can be such a challenge to make sure the hem is even all around the skirt. Traditionally tailors pin the front of the skirt to the corre...
Have you ever come across the term "understitching" when sewing with a commercial sewing pattern? Often times the diagram used to show understitching can be confusing. Below you will find a f...
Okay, I think we can all agree that skirts are easier to fit than pants. After all, we have the waist, and hips to fit, but the crotch is mercifully non-existent for this garment, making the process ...
For Cutting: Fabric Shears: A good sharp pair of shears. OR Cutting Mat and Rotary Cutter: It is easier to cut accurately with a rotary cutter and mat, but it is a more expensive option. For Sewing: ...
CHOOSING YOUR FABRIC Darker fabrics or fabric with texture or patterns will hide small mistakes, so that most will be unnoticeable. The no side seam style that we use for the first skirt takes very l...
Many of you probably already understand pressing, but I would like to go over a few rules before we continue sewing. 1. Pressing is up and down. Put your iron down on the fabric, hold in place for a ...
I am of two minds about tissue fitting, and I will explain my reasons in this lesson. There are good and bad points to the practice, and although I prefer NOT to tissue fit, there are those sewers wh...
We have already looked at length adjustments and where they fall for fitting, now it is time to look more closely at width adjustments. To illustrate how width and length combine to cause confusion i...
Wrinkles are caused by the simple problems of too much or too little fabric. This fabric is either in the length, width or a combination of the two. By understanding where the most commonly needed ad...
Here are the steps for creating a sleeve cowl. Beginning with a basic sleeve pattern, draw a line across the elbow area (Step 1). Draw a line from the center of the sleeve cap to the elbow line.Draw ...
You could make this high cowl with slash & spread, but there is a simpler way. Just draw it in, mirror it, and add a bias grainline - thats it! Just make sure to make your neckline wide enough to...
Some cowls incorporate dart shaping into the folds of the cowl, like the illustration shown here. The technique is more involved, but looks fabulous. Beginning with your basic sloper, cut out your pa...
The basic cowl technique adds a cowl to any pattern piece or garment without incorporating shaping from the garment into the cowl. Beginning with a basic sloper or pattern piece, align it with a draw...
For a fuller cowl, or to control the drape and folds of a cowl more effectively, you will want to use the slash & spread method of designing a cowl. As you will see, this will curve certain seams...
Woven fabrics DO ravel, so you will have to choose a seam finish for your pants. In this lesson, we will work with the basic seam finishes for pants, and in our advanced lessons, we will discuss addi...
Before cutting out your pants, do any of the adjustments we have discussed so far, and lengthen or shorten your pant legs, if needed. If you prefer a tapered leg, follow the instructions in the prece...
If you prefer a pair of pants with a side seam for your next pair, use the instructions below to convert your current pattern. Make sure that you use a copy of your pants pattern, not the original. M...
Here is a good spot to record the measurements you will need to alter and perfect your pants pattern. Even if you have a software program that requires a different set of measurements, I suggest that...
Our next pair of pants is from a woven fabrics, which expands our options for care and fiber blends. To protect our fabric from raveling in the washing machine (if you use this option), we want to se...
Lets discuss how to choose the right woven fabric for your next pant project. Here are a few things to consider. Darker fabrics or fabric with texture or patterns will hide small mistakes, so that mo...
Everyone has personal ease preferences. Some women love to wear close-fitting clothing, while others prefer loose or very loose garments. Sometimes this is a matter of the way a garment looks, other ...
Not all patterns (or garments) of the same size from the same company will fit you the same way. Why? Because of ease. Ease is the extra amount of fabric that is put into a garment, so that you can m...
As the cycle of fashion rolls around from stark, sleek lines to feminine and frilly, the flounce always returns. Flounces may be created by taking a pattern piece, and slashing and spreading to creat...
If your fabric is not too tightly woven, and has good texture, you may want to consider fringe-finishing the edges of your cape/wrap. It is even better if the selvedges of your fabric are fringed as ...
It is easy to create a shawl from a basic rectangle of fabric with the edges finished, but it is more difficult to create a lined shawl that will stay put. That is where this easy design comes in. I ...
This wrap can either hang long or short, depending on your preferences. This is a nice addition to a strapless evening gown for the holiday in a festive sheer. A drapey fabric will fall and hang nice...
This pattern is designed to be custom-fitted, so I dont expect this pattern to fit everyone as-is. In fact, I dont really expect it to fit anyone exactly as it is. The pattern has been posted in size...
Just as there are several options for finishing a seam with this top, there are several options for finishing the hems. 1. Cut them off. Knits do not ravel, and if this is simply a knock-about top, t...
This will be the first fabric version of our shirt. It is easiest if you can make this in a fabric that you are not worried about ruining. The reason is that I would like you to feel comfortable mark...
You are no longer following . Undo?