You’ve seen set in sleeves, dolmans, dropped shoulders, and raglans, but in 2011 a new design hit the market with the Tabula Rasa Jacket from Fit for Art Patterns by Rae Cumbie and Carrie Emerson. Their unique pattern gives the maker not only an easy, unusual sleeve insertion, but also a pattern that provides a […]
How to make your own bias tape
Bias tape is most often used to finish the edges of garments, especially along curved edges like armholes and necklines. But it can also be used as a decorative element on garments (think pockets and hems for example) or on other projects, like handbags, quilts, table runners and Christmas stockings. You can purchase packaged bias […]
Button and Buttonhole Positioning
Button and buttonhole placements can sometimes be confusing. If the button and buttonhole are placed incorrectly, the garment may be too tight, too loose, or create gaping. The number of buttons on the garment is suggested on your pattern envelope, but it’s up to your personal preference or need. A good guide to start placing […]
Guide for Seam Finishes
You have all of your supplies ready, you’ve adjusted your pattern, cut your fabric and you’re ready to start sewing. Before you sit down at the machine, have you thought about the best seam finish to use for your fabric? This post will help you to choose the best method to assure your seams are […]
Stay “Sew” Safe Online – Safety Starts at Home
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the perfect time to launch our new series of articles and tips to help you stay “sew” safe online! With internet connected smartphones, computers, laptops, iPads, televisions, security systems — and even some of our sewing machines are capable of connecting to the internet — it’s more important than […]
Care and Feeding of your Sewing Machine
As much as we love sewing, some tasks aren’t quite as much fun as others, but they’re no less important. One of those tasks–cleaning your sewing machine. If you allow dust, lint and thread to build up in the machine, you’re asking for trouble, so make a point to clean it on a regular basis. […]
Meet Janet Pray
I Want to Teach the World to Sew! That’s the mantra of sewing icon Janet Pray, educator, designer, and owner of Islander Sewing Systems. Her passion for all things sewing is evident wherever you find her—and she can be found in the classroom, on her website, on Facebook, and on Bluprint. Her comprehensive knowledge of […]
Anyone Can Win 2019 Contest Entries
View the entries from the 2019 Anyone Can Win contest.
Hemming Jeans – the Denim Blues
Perhaps you searched long and hard for the perfect fitting jeans, but alas, they’re too long! Or maybe you painstakingly created a custom pair and it’s time to hem them. Either way, you’re in the thick of it—literally! The hem area of jeans can be up to eight layers thick, depending on how the side […]
Video Interview with Kenneth D. King
Watch our exclusive video interview with Kenneth D. King, couture fashion designer, author and professor at The Fashion Institute of Technology. This lively and informative interview occurred at the American Sewing Guild National Conference 2019 in Boston.
2019 Fashion Show
Enjoy the video from the One if by Land, Two if by Sea Fashion Show from the 2019 ASG Conference in Boston. The show was emceed by Nick Coman from Dragonfly Dyeworks.
Mannequins Throughout the Decades
When mannequins were first introduced to storefront windows around the 1850’s in France, they were heavy beasts made of iron, wood and wax. The latter, as you could imagine, melted and the forms held stiff poses and were easily broken. In America, the stiffness relaxed in the early 1900s but the Women’s Christian Temperance Union’s […]
Meet Linda Lee
Congratulations to Linda Lee on her induction into the 2019 ASG Hall of Fame! Linda has long been one of ASG’s most popular educators at ASG conferences as well as a sought-after speaker at ASG chapters throughout the country. She began her sewing journey at a very young age sewing doll clothes and, by the […]
National Sewing Month 2019
On September 21, 1982, at the request of the American Home Sewing & Craft Association, an industry and trade association supporting the sewing and craft industries, President Ronald Reagan declared September as National Sewing Month “In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.” Subsequent Proclamations in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988 celebrated […]
You Sew, Could You…
Whenever I hear those words, every cell in my body goes on high alert. I never know what will follow, but it is rarely good. “Could you replace this zipper—in my jeans?” “Could you hem my daughter’s prom gown, all six layers with ruffles?” “Could you make floor to ceiling pinch pleat draperies for my […]
