Tuesday, January 27, 2015

A Different Way to Sew Darts

Last week I demonstrated the basic way to sew a dart, but I picked up The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques, by Lynda Maynard. I haven't gone through all of it, but I did discover a new way to sew darts.


It's a little finicky, but very cool, and makes for a very neat, very crisp dart, and most of the process is very similar.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Blag-a-Bag: Using Patterns

Normally when I post a Blag-a-Bag, it's something that I've designed myself, or based off of a design that I've seen. This week is a little different, however: I figured it was time I followed a pattern.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

How to Sew Darts

Darts are pretty common in clothing construction, and serve to give flat pattern pieces enough curve to give a garment some shape. You can usually find darts at the tops of pants, shorts, and skirts, just under the waistband (if it isn't elastic), and sometimes in the middle of shirts and dresses, too!


Darts can seem a little complicated to sew, but are actually quite straightforward. In this post, I'll show you how to sew a basic dart in five steps, using photographs I took while making my Sherlock Skirt test run.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Blag-a-Bag: Lined Zip Pouch

Last year, I posted about going to FabMo, and showed some pouches that I made with the upcycled fabric. This week's blag-a-bag is an improved version, with a silky-soft liner and handy loops on either side.



Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Stitch Ripping

Ripping out stitches is a huge drag, but sometimes it just has to be done, whether it's to undo a mistake, move a seam, or save a piece of fabric for a new project!


In this post, I'll show you my favourite way of removing stitches, which is fairly quick, clean, and limits potential damage to the fabric.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Blag-a-Bag: 2015!

Happy new year! It was a slow start after a long vacation with family, but once the fridge was full and the clothes were clean(er), it was time to make a new bag.