Sewing Tips
Make it better, faster, easier
Sewing with Reds
I love red fabric. Red is powerful: when my parents met at a wedding in Washington D.C. in 1950, my mom was wearing a bright red wool coat. Coincidentally they both lived in New York City. My dad got her…
To Pre-wash or Not to Pre-wash?
That is the question I hear over and over again on online forums. Roughly 90% of the responses are “I always ALWAYS pre-wash, I can’t imagine not pre-washing!“. This tends to drown out the minority who say “Well not always....”.…
How to Clean your Serger
Do you clean your serger regularly? Are you afraid to find out just how much fluff has accumulated inside? Some of my sewing friends have told me they never clean the thread-lint build-up inside their overlock machine because : they…
PDF storage tip: change file names to pictures
Do you get frustrated trying to find a PDF pattern in your files? Do the names start to sound all the same, and you can’t remember if the “Madison” pattern is for the halter-neck-maxi or the boho tunic? Especially if…
Scrunchies the Easy Way
“No woman who works at W Magazine and lives on Perry Street would be caught dead at a hip downtown restaurant wearing a scrunchie!” Carrie Bradshaw, 2003 (“Sex and the City”) …………………………………………………. Proof that what goes around, comes around. The…
My Snaps Journey
Like many sewists, I started making apparel using any pattern that did not require closures. Zippers were out of the question, and buttons and snaps were intimidating because their placement needed to be spot-on equidistant from each other to avoid…
Charity Sewing: Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas
Quick public service announcement: here is an address for sending handmade clothing to support the residents of the Bahama islands whose homes have been devastated by Hurricane Dorian: You can join this Facebook group for more information: Right-click on blue…
“Why are these pant legs twisting?” or “Why Grainlines Matter”
Whether you make your own jeans (bravo!), or purchase them ready-to-wear (me….), or want to know more about grainlines, this one’s for you. ………………………… Have you ever had a pair of ready-to-wear pants (especially jeans) where the seams twist around…
Trueing the Shoulder
Quick post here: I just downloaded a new pattern release with a square neckline, which I love…..however the neckline wasn’t trued at the shoulder front-to-back. “Trueing” is the finishing step in patternmaking that ensures seam corners measure 90-degrees (a “true”…
On Creativity versus Copying
Question: If you knew how to draft patterns, would you use that talent to bring your own ideas to life, to create anything in your imagination….or would you copy somebody else’s unique vision? …………………………………………………………………………. In the endless sea of beautiful…
