Designing Custom Fabric

Posted on April 21, 2015 by

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 and color a simple motif. Then, we’ll take things up a notch with more complex designs. You can even witness the creative process for yourself, following along as I design my very own custom fabric.

Designing Custom Fabric, Part I
Designing Custom Fabric, Part II

Enjoy!

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Apologies (And a Coupon!)

Posted on April 13, 2015 by

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, I put my tech-savvy husband on the case, and he’s just informed me that communications are back up.

If you’ve tried to contact me for any reason in the past four months, please try again! You can use the Contact Me form, or you can leave a comment.

You have my sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. To make it up to you, I’m offering a special coupon for new students. If you tried to sign up for classes and couldn’t, because of the site’s crash, try again and you’ll get $10 off your first class!

Please print this coupon and present it at your first class to receive the discount.

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Crazy-Quilted Throw Pillow

Posted on April 13, 2015 by

Flowers

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

Posted on April 7, 2015 by

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 fabric always goes to the left of the sewing machine.

Basically, the inner area of the sewing machine should never be filled with fabric.
Another way to remember it is:

  • The seam allowance always goes to the right of the needle.

What if you’re sewing something small? The same principle applies. Even if you’re sewing a narrow strip, the larger portion goes on the left.

Positioning Fabric

Positioning Fabric

Continue reading →

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Needles & Thread

Posted on March 31, 2015 by

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 all spools are alike. There are different types of thread for different purposes. Stick with an all-purpose thread, unless you’re doing something that requires a specific type of thread, such as embroidery or quilting.

Avoid “bargain” thread at all costs! It breaks easily, and it will deposit lint inside your sewing machine, which will have to be professionally cleaned out.

Cotton and cotton/poly thread used to be common, but these days, it’s hard to find. Actually, cotton thread really isn’t necessary unless you’re doing heirloom sewing or authentic historical costuming. Most of the time, 100% polyester thread will do nicely. If you’re working with silk, you might use silk or rayon thread.

Thread

Spools of Thread

Continue reading →

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Fashion Sketches: Adding a Digital Background

Posted on March 14, 2015 by

Complementary Gradient

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 intricate scenery, you’ll learn several easy ways of adding backgrounds to make your sketches look more professional.

Fashion Sketches: Adding a Digital Background, Part I
Fashion Sketches: Adding a Digital Background, Part II

Enjoy!

 

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Reading a Pattern Envelope

Posted on March 5, 2015 by

Fashion Sketch

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

Posted on February 15, 2015 by

Pins

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 pinning skills.

Basics: Ten Tips For Pinning

Enjoy!

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Seven Seam Finishes

Posted on February 8, 2015 by

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 there’s something for every skill level.

Basics: Seven Seam Finishes

Enjoy!

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Sewing With Black Fabric

Posted on February 3, 2015 by

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, how to deal with them!

Continue reading →

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