Sewing Tips
Make it better, faster, easier
Updated Striped Swallow “Coachella” PDF
I am so pleased to learn that the Striped Swallow “Coachella” shorts pattern (kids’ version only so far) has been updated for Summer 2018! In June 2016 (https://7pinedesign.com/how-to-eliminate-crotch-bunching/) I reviewed the “Coachella” pdf. While the design was undeniably super-cute, the fit…
“Advice from a Singer Sewing Manual” Real or Hoax?
If you are on social media at all within the sewing community, chances are good that you’ve seen this infamous clip, possibly dozens of times: ( source: Tater Patch Quilts.com) I’ve seen this on Facebook so many times that I…
Pattern Fitting Issues? a new blog for you to follow!
Since most of my current sewing is in kids’ sizes (for my Etsy shop) I don’t refer to women’s patterns in my posts. Readers do ask if I will please write about “grown up” fitting. So I am thrilled today to…
Good Drafting but Poor Grading?
Apologies in advance for my erratic posting schedule…or lack of schedule! Sometimes I have one big idea that requires a lot of analysis and research. Other times a single concept has several smaller aspects and it seems better to break it…
Why Ease should be Proportionate to Size
I just read a message from a very popular pdf pattern company, announcing updates to an existing pattern, and one of the revisions is: “Even grading for exact ease in all sizes”. This is an improvement for sure, because their…
What is “good” pattern drafting?
I saw this question online: “What exactly is good drafting? How do I know if a pattern is any good? What should I be looking for?” Good drafting refers to proficiency in understanding the shape and proportions of the human…
Charity Sewing: Dresses for Haiti
It’s always an honor to share one’s talents and abilities with those less fortunate, and the art of sewing gives many of us a way to give back. There are many opportunities to sew for people who need help: children and babies, the…
Whose pattern is it anyway?
I’d like to comment on a legal issue currently stirring online in the independent pattern design world, and that is: “When a pattern designer is employed by a business, or is an independent contractor hired for a business, who owns the patterns…
How to Upcycle a Wedding Gown into a Christening Gown
Up-cycling is one of my favorite sewing challenges: It’s good for our environment to use existing materials, instead of producing more landfill Working within limitations can boost your creativity (as Tim Gunn says on Project Runway, whenever the designers have no…
Why are Indie Patterns Tested in Every Size?
Anyone who reads this column regularly knows that my pet peeve is inconsistent pattern grading. I’m annoyed by it, confused by it, and continue to ask “HOW does that happen? It’s not even possible to have inconsistent shapes and angles…
