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June 24, 2022

Sewing Q&A

Light box from Amazon

Welcome to this edition of sewing questions and answers: Lightbox Q. How do I use a light box? A. Light boxes are handy additions to a sewing room and they can be used to trace appliqué patterns onto fusible web, trace pattern pieces for altering, draw embroidery designs onto a garment, check placement of paper […]

June 17, 2022

Soft, Easy Dressing

Although the fashion industry keeps trying to dictate what we should be wearing, our lifestyle and our style of dressing has changed over the past 2 years. Comfy, flow-y clothing has dominated our stay-at-home and work-from-home wardrobe. Now, as we venture out again, we may enjoy keeping the loose and relaxed look with clothes that […]

Tagged With: flowing garments, soft drape, style

June 10, 2022

Sewing Machines: The Need for Speed

Whether you sew slowly and diligently or you speed on with reckless abandon, your sewing machine can help with speed control. Most every machine has a speed control of some sort, but sometimes it’s overlooked. These handy regulators look different depending on the machine brand, but the function is the same—to act as a governor […]

Tagged With: sewing machines, sewing speed, speed regulator

June 3, 2022

Sew Cool, Sew Linen

Linen pants

With temperatures already heating up, your summer wardrobe fabric choices can make the difference between being sticky or stylish. Enter linen, a breathable summer fabric that can easily transform from elegant to casual and sporty. Always on-trend, linen continues to be an attractive and comfortable choice and brings with it an air of relaxed sophistication. […]

Tagged With: linen, textiles

May 27, 2022

Cork Crazy: Sewing with Cork

Daphne Bag from Sallie Tomato

You’re likely familiar with cork as a stopper for wine, but cork is equally at home in your sewing room (with or without the wine)! With an interest in sustainability, sewists have embraced cork fabrics (also called cork leather) with open arms. A cork tree can live for 200 years and when the bark is […]

Tagged With: cork, sewing cork

May 20, 2022

Cleaning Vintage Textiles (brief)

Antique wedding dress

Antique stores, thrift stores, garage sales, and grandma’s attic often have a treasure trove of old textiles that may include linens, tapestries, handmade quilts, or needlework projects. You may also come across christening gowns, wedding gowns, and other cherished garments from days gone by. These items are wonderful to look at and fun to consider […]

May 13, 2022

All About Drawstrings

Ronan bag from Sallie Tomato

We see them everywhere—from hoodies to waistlines, necklines to sleeves. What are they? The humble drawstrings. A simple, but oh-so-functional, fashion touch that we sometimes take for granted, but there’s a lot to be said about drawstrings. These handy pull-strings can be made from fabric, cord, flat trim, braid, ribbon, twill tape, thin rope, bias […]

May 6, 2022

The Allure of Beads

Containers of different color beads

What is it about beads that make these shiny objects so alluring? Take one bead by itself and nothing much happens; group several together and you’ve instantly created an eye-popping sensation. Bead embellishment has been around for hundreds of years, appearing in everything from ethnic costumes to haute couture. In fact, beading has become so […]

Tagged With: beaded embroidery, beading, embellishment

April 29, 2022

Zippers as Trim

Zippers from Ghees.com

Sometimes things normally found in our sewing rooms end up with surprise uses. Such is the case for zippers! With the myriad types of zippers available, they can definitely do more than close a garment. Think about them turning into jewelry or becoming piping or a surface trim. When grouped, they can also cover an […]

Tagged With: National Zipper Day, sewing, zippers

April 22, 2022

Preparing Your Fabric

Even though it may seem inconvenient and a waste of time, preparing your fabric before sewing ensures that your finished garment will look, hang, and wear well. Laundering: Many fabrics will shrink or pucker along the seams the first time they’re laundered, so it’s a good idea to wash or dry-clean it before you cut […]

Tagged With: fabric care, grainline, preshrink

April 15, 2022

Pick-up Sticks: Creating Artistic Fabric

Two bags made with artistic fabric

Perhaps you remember that challenging childhood game of pick-up sticks where you had to carefully remove a stick without disturbing the others around it? Well, that nostalgic game has inspired a fun sewing technique showcasing brightly colored channels inset at various angles onto a base fabric. Whether you use this technique to create artistic fabric […]

Tagged With: artistic fabric, artwork, bags, fabric, garments, quilts

April 8, 2022

Rib-it!

Ribbing on a jacket cuff

Sometimes a hem just doesn’t cut it—maybe you want something a little snugger, a little warmer, or even a contrast color. Look no further than ribbed cuffs to make all those things happen. They add a professional looking finish to any garment from outerwear to sport and loungewear, including our beloved joggers. But, how do […]

April 1, 2022

The Gilded Chain of Chanel

Chanel jacket illustration

The gilded chain is an attractive, decorative trim on the inside of most Chanel jackets at the hemline, and is one of the most Chanelisms (the term used by the editors of Vogue Magazine to describe distinctive Chanel techniques). The chain is generally made of brass or heavy metal and is used instead of inexpensive […]

Tagged With: chain weight, chanel jacket

March 25, 2022

S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G it! Everything you need to know about choosing elastic

Photo courtesy of Bernina

We all know the convenience of elastic—it allows us flexibility around the waistline for that extra helping of dessert and also holds up our undies in style. But there are so many types of elastic it’s hard to know which one to choose for what. Some elastics are hidden inside casings, while others show themselves […]

Tagged With: elastic

March 18, 2022

Shirt Chic

Shirts

Custom shirt expert, Pamela Erny shares her sewing tips for achieving impeccable results, as well as ideas for adding a personal twist to traditional silhouettes. Pamela told us that many of her techniques can be used with both men’s and women’s shirts. Men’s shirts, women’s shirts, and children’s shirts all present countless opportunities for boundless […]

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June 30-July 3, 2022

Marriott San Antonio RiverCenter
101 Bowie Street
San Antonio TX 78205
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