Today's Sewing Projects
What I'm currently working on in my sewing studio
Sewing: To Up-cycle or Not?
In general terms, I applaud up-cycling, recycling, using what you have instead of buying more. I also believe in the rights of the individual to do whatever you want to with your own private property. You want to buy a…
Why Indie Pattern Quality is Improving
Short answer? Competition Reason? Style sameness Does it seem that multiple designers release very similar styles, sometimes at close timing to each other? It does make people wonder if they coincidentally came up with the same concept, if they read…
“Sewing in-between Sewing”
“Sewing in-between Sewing” is a term I picked up yesterday on Instagram from a post by the lovely Alicia, an Australian designer who has a sewing story all her own. She creates and sells unique children’s-wear to raise funds for cancer research…you…
Pattern Review: Baby Bonnets
NOTICE: update 1/27/2017: a reader alerted me to the fact that the Purl Bee bonnet pattern discussed below has a notification on the pattern: “This pattern and project are for home use only, not for resale”. I completely missed that when…
Painless Pajama Pants (“no fail” method)
PJ pants should be one of the easiest apparel items to sew: few pattern pieces loose easy fit perfection not required as they not usually seen in public Every winter season, I read online stories of confusion, seam-ripping, and utter frustration…
Free Pattern: Bow Headband
The best thing about sewing is making exactly what you want. I was looking for a free pattern or tutorial online for a “Bunny-ear” or “Dolly-bow” headband….but I couldn’t find one with the specifics I was after: woven fabric (since I have so…
Free Pattern: Bias-trim Pocket
Last week I was making the Brownie Goose “Junie” dress and decided I’d like to add pockets, and since I was already making bias tape for the dress, I made pockets trimmed with the bias tape: Rounded pockets are great because…
Charity sewing: for the Angel Babies (Free Pattern)
Recently I posted about a special sewing project, and mentioned that I was cutting up a vintage wedding dress to make a sash. I promised to explain why I was disassembling the wedding gown, so here goes. A lovely heartfelt project…
A special heirloom dress
When I was a child, going to church every Sunday required gloves, a hat, polished shoes, a pretty dress, and a petticoat or slip. Nowadays little girls (where I live anyway) wear bluejeans and tee-shirts to church, except for Christmas, Easter,…