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May 20, 2022

Cleaning Vintage Textiles (brief)

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 […]

March 4, 2022

Single Layer Construction

Photo courtesy of Bernina

One Layer at a Time There are times when more than one layer of fabric really isn’t necessary or desired—think bulky hems, facings, etc. Single-layer construction techniques to the rescue! Fabric Choices Many types of fabrics are suitable for single-layer construction, but those that are most commonly used are sheers, laces, handwovens, fleeces, boiled wools […]

Tagged With: coat, sewing, single layer construction

February 25, 2022

Fabric Sources: Minerals — Spandex, Regenerated Cellulose/Rayon

Stretch jeans on woman doing yoga

This article is Part 2 of the Fabric Sources: Minerals series and is the final article in our Fabric Sources series. Plants (part 1) | Plants (part 2) Living Things: Silk | Living Things: Wool | Other Living Things Minerals: Acrylics, Polyester, & Nylon (part 1) | Minerals: Spandex and Rayon (part 2) Spandex (Lycra) […]

February 18, 2022

Sewing Projects: Making Multiples

Do you showcase your DIY projects at craft sales or bazaars, make things for charity, or make dozens of handmade items for gifts? No matter what time of year, making multiples of the same or similar item can be simple and quick with a few helpful hints. Streamline your pattern. If you’re making lots of […]

Tagged With: sewing business, sewing project, sewing tip, sewing tips

February 11, 2022

Moving the Dart to Create a Princess Line

Bust dark drawings

If good fit is important to you, especially when sewing with woven fabrics, you already know the significance of a properly placed and well-fitting bust dart. Darts shape that two-dimensional fabric to fit around your three-dimensional body. Even for the less-endowed figure, when darts are the correct size and pointed to the correct location, they […]

Tagged With: bust dart alteration, dart, sewing

February 4, 2022

Storing Sewing Patterns

Sewing Tip for folding patterns

There’s nothing more challenging that having a burgeoning pile of pattern tissue and trying to fold it all neatly back into its original envelope without tearing either the pattern or the envelope. It’s one of those “How did they get it all in there?” questions. (Truth be told, a machine does it at the factory.) […]

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