What a difference a top makes! Some people are born to sew couture. It relaxes them they say...
Just a skirt?...
My obsession with sewing has led me to a new place – pattern drafting. I’ve become so interested in achieving the perfect fit attainable only through sewing (or having a personal tailor) that I enrolled in Patternmaking Basics: The Bodice Sloper with Suzy Furrer The end result of the class will be a bodice sloper adaptable for many uses. Suzy Furrer a most competent, serious, professional and well-spoken instructor explains how fashion designers work from a single sloper to create dozens of designs. I often attempt to customize a purchased pattern without understanding how ONE little change affects the entire fit. Additionally,...
How do you like our six inches of snow? We get ridiculously excited about every winter storm warning in the South, wipe out the grocery stores and cancel events in anticipation of snow. This 'winter storm' I hit the sewing machine with a color hot enough to melt the ice off the patio. When the skies turned gray my eye turned to this bright pink boucle on the Mood Fabrics website. It is soft, it is happy and it is well-behaved :) My pattern is Vogue 9022 sewn last month in a color block style with Mood's black and white wool crepe. This time I sewed the pattern...
Dear Readers, Last week I had a disastrous experience padding my new dress form...
Congratulations to N MacGregor, the lucky winner of A Sewist's Notebook! Please contact me at goodbyevalentino@gmail.com by Wednesday, January 21 or another winner will be selected. For readers interested in purchasing A Sewist's Notebook, Beth is offering free shipping through today (January 19) by adding the code SHQ15 during checkout. Many thanks for the great comments and enthusiastic participation! I hope to complete my current project soon ~ my own twist on Vogue 9022 inspired by an Akris Punto dress. Until soon :)...
Dear Readers, I intended to make a correction to my last post on Monday, January 19, when I announced the Giveaway winner. However, upon receiving a comment from the pattern designer Marcy Tilton, I decided the subject needed a separate post. From Marcy: I refer to these as skinny pants, not leggings (or tights or jeggings etc) as they are really a narrow pant. They can be made with very little ease, or, depending on the fabric with more ease. I must have 12 pair in different weight fabrics. Knits like ponte are a natural, but I make them in stretch woven fabrics...
This year the 2015 RTW Fasters are going at it alone, but I would hardly call them a ship without a rudder! It is truly a thrill to sponsor this group of new and returning RTW Fasters on the blog. Why sew rather than buy clothes for one year? I started my first Ready to Wear Fast in 2011 to save money, but the RTW Fast led me on an interesting journey of self discovery and enlightenment. No doubt I improved my sewing skills, but the fast led me to experiment with new styles and colors, develop a sense of discipline and a sense...
I often read and hear conversations about whether one really saves money sewing clothes. It's all relative of course. With the exception my two Susan Khalje garments and Mother of the Bride dress, I've spent very, very little on clothing. Personally, I love comparing what I've spent on sewing and refashioning clothes to what I would spend buying similar garments. Case in point: Sweater: Exclusive for Intermix for Intermix Oversized Boyfriend Crew S...
If you visit the Pattern Review website then you certainly have seen the gorgeous clothes and helpful reviews from Julie Starr. We live on opposite sides of the small state of South Carolina, but I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely woman last year. I was so pleased when Julie signed up for the 2014 RTW Fast and found her post fascinating while reading about the way her sewing is influenced by her daily surroundings. Enjoy...