Author Archives: Lisha Vidler

About Lisha Vidler

I am a sewing instructor living near Memphis, Tennessee.

Designing Custom Fabric

Thanks to sites like Spoonflower, it’s easy to have your own custom fabric printed. But how do you design it? This two-part tutorial will teach you everything you need to know. First, we’ll introduce you to the concept of tiling, and demonstrate how to digitize … Continue reading

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Apologies (And a Coupon!)

A few months ago, I updated the software for this website. This update inadvertently crashed the site’s communications features. I had no idea, but all commenting and private messaging has been offline since January! As soon as I realized we had a problem, … Continue reading

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Crazy-Quilted Throw Pillow

I wanted a new throw pillow for our bed, so I made one that’s crazy-quilted. This diary follows the design process, construction, and embellishment of the pillow. New Sewing Diary: Crazy-Quilted Throw Pillow Enjoy!

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Positioning Fabric & Pins

Tuesday’s Tips & Tricks: Positioning Fabric & Pins Sometimes it can be hard to tell which way to position your fabric when you’re getting ready to pin and sew. Here’s a quick way to help you remember! The bulk of the … Continue reading

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Needles & Thread

Tuesday’s Tips & Tricks: Needles and Thread Threading a needle is one of the most basic skills a sewer needs to have. Here’s a few tips to help you out. Thread Thread comes in a rainbow of colors, but not … Continue reading

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Fashion Sketches: Adding a Digital Background

The next time you draw a fashion sketch or illustration, you might want to add a background, so your model isn’t floating in space. This two-part article will help you do just that. From simple backdrops and gradients to grounding lines and … Continue reading

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Reading a Pattern Envelope

Pattern envelopes contain a lot of helpful information. But how can you make heads or tails of the charts and diagrams? Here’s a breakdown of a pattern envelope. Basics: Reading a Pattern Envelope Enjoy!

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Ten Tips For Pinning

Pinning is a vital part of sewing, but it can be hard to know what kinds of pins to use, or which direction to place your pins. Part of our “basics” series, this new article contains ten tips to help you improve your … Continue reading

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Seven Seam Finishes

To produce a high-quality garment, you need to finish your seam allowances. Unfortunately, most patterns don’t include directions for seam-finishing, which means you must learn this on your own. To help you out, here are seven seam-finishing techniques. They range from quick-and-easy to couture, so … Continue reading

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Sewing With Black Fabric

Tuesday’s Tips & Tricks: Sewing With Black Fabric If you’ve never sewn with black fabric, you’re in for something of an ordeal. There are several problems that occur when working with black fabric. Let’s see what they are—and more importantly, … Continue reading

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