If you like to sew fine clothing, you must know that pressing as you go is a Best Practice. Here, I must emphasize that the use of a press cloth should be ingrained in your sewing process. It is now a habit with me, even for cottons. You may press sturdy cottons directly, but I… Read More Best (Sewing) Practices #4: Use a Press Cloth on Almost Every Fabric
I’ll repeat slowly: Do. Not. Sew. Over. Pins. I feel shocked, shocked when accomplished seamstresses sew over pins. Pins are useful and totally necessary to hold your seams together before machine stitching. Some may disagree, but that’s okay. The point of this short post is to encourage you to remove pins in the seam as… Read More Best (Sewing) Practices #2: Do NOT Sew Over Pins
Hi guys! My last blog post being on August 10th, I am happy to report back to you. This September (designated as National Sewing Month), I decided to take a break and do the opposite. Also, this cartoon strip from “Crankshaft” fame, hit me right in the gut. That olive rib knit maxi? That was… Read More September as a Non-Sewing Month (Personally Speaking)
The sewing machine needle has a very short life span. You would too, if you were jumping into and out of layers of fabric (of varying thicknesses) at supersonic speed, multiple times a minute. Bear with me while I illustrate this concept with my still elementary drawing skills. Haha. From left: here you are at… Read More Best (Sewing) Practices #1: A New Needle For Each New Project.
If you’re unaware, I sew one muslin a year as a pattern tester for Threads magazine, I follow their general guidelines on the details, style lines and size to include in the muslin —they have standards. Other than that, I am not a muslin maker for myself. I mean, I don’t buy muslin fabric to… Read More A Rare Muslin (aka Toile): What I Include and Ignore
There. The title of this post is saying all I need to say. But you know me. I have more words to write. Header photo credit: Valentino, Fall 2021. Vogue Runway website. Remember the formula for patch pocket placement on a top or jacket – the one I wrote sometime in the before times? That… Read More One or Two inches down from Waist: Side seam pocket placement formula
It’s what I call a buttonhole stitch because it’s configuration is what you would use if you were making a handmade buttonhole (not to be confused with a machine-made buttonhole). If your machine has an array of decorative stitches (not to be confused with utility stitches), this one is bound to be part of it.… Read More Secret in Stitch #26
It tends to be subjective. The answer depends on who you ask and what you read. Just how many ways are there to actually put the shirt neckline and the collar/collarband combo together? I counted four. I’m breaking it down in this post with the assumption that the collar and collar-band have already been sewn… Read More What’s the Best Way to Attach Shirt Collar/Band Unit to the Neckline?
….and there are always more. After geeking out on pocket math in a previous post, I have now added a patch pocket to a pocket-less jacket. I learned more things — yeah, me who’s been sewing for 100 years. We’re going beyond slapping on a patch pocket by machine-stitching it on your summer dress. WHEN… Read More Three Fine Ways to Sew Patch Pockets
Beginner seamstresses, be fearless in your efforts to learn the art and skill of good sewing. This post is for you. Lets say you want to sew up something where two seam edges are NOT a straight line. This non-linear seam may be a purely creative design or an essential structural element in your sewing… Read More Basic Sewing Concept: Clipping the Curved Seam
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