I have been teaching a group of about 15 elementary and middle school girls to sew at an after school club I started at my daughter’s school. It’s been a fun challenge streamlining projects that can be made by students with no sewing experience. Cost is also a factor since I’m volunteering and working with […]
Cold shoulder mock turtle minidress: Pattern hack from Jalie 2805 Tee
Gigi wanted a cold shoulder top, so I decided to sew her a little stretch velvet dress or tunic. It would be a good item to add to her holiday wardrobe. She can dress it up with tights and flats, or wear it with sneakers and leggings for a cute, trendy look. I looked through […]
Sewing a little girls’ lace overlay bodice
While sewing a lace overlay over a strapless bodice is quite involved for a woman’s dress, sewing one for a little girl is pretty simple. In the past, I’ve only made dresses like this for women and they involves creating a structured, boned corset under a lace overlay. It is very time consuming! But not […]
Sewing a Chantilly lace overlay A delicate subject
Hello readers. After a two month break from blogging I did miss it. It’s the first long break I’ve taken since 2010 when I started blogging. It’s nice to be back. I’ve been taking my time with the latest project and haven’t been working on any other projects this past summer. Except for working with […]
Bootstrap stretch dress sloper with a lace up neck and tips for applying grommets
Hi readers! Last week I got an email about the Bootstrap customized basic stretch sloper pattern. You plug in an extensive amount of measurements on their site. There are even boxes to click about how much your stomach sticks out, what type of posture you have, and what way your shoulders slope. It’s really cool! […]
Fitting bustier muslin 1 & 2
Last post left off with me making the pattern to fit my dress form perfectly. While the form is close to Lily’s measurements, aseach body is just so different even when the measurements are similar. One size never fits all! I wish. Here are the results of our first fitting…I knew the bodice was going […]
Making a strapless bodice pattern: part one
I thought it would be interesting to document a project I’m working on from start to finish. I bought some lovely periwinkle blue lace at The Fabric Store recently, and some navy silk lining. Lily wants me to make her a lace dress with a lace overlay for the school dance. I’ve decided to make […]
Sewing shearling. Exposed lap seam tutorial
I love the look when a faux or real shearling coat has the fuzzy wool inside parts exposed on the outside. Those fuzzy seams make a nice design element on this little coat I made. Today I’m sharing how I made these seams. They’re quite simple, yet make a nice impact. I’ve sewn the seams […]
Draft and sew a pleated flap safari pocket
I’ve been sewing quite a few flapped pockets lately and have experimented with my favorite way to sew them. Here’s how to transform a basic pocket into a pleated safari pocket with buttoned flaps. Or just draw one up yourself. This is the simpler version of the two pockets I made on my DIY Safari […]
Top stitching knits tip: Oliver’s rock climbing sweater
Three words: Tear Away Stabilizer I’m sewing a Merino Stretch Knit Wool zip up sports top for my son to wear rock climbing. The pattern I’m using is Jalie 2212, and I’m really loving all the seams and design details. The directions have you top stitch the seams which is a great idea to keep […]