Tangled Thread

June 27th, 2008

my sewing experiment of the day - or the two-hour, no pattern skirt

I’ve been hankering after a peasant-style skirt for awhile now, but haven’t taken the plunge and bought a pattern yet.
I got the bright idea to try sewing one without a pattern - after all, they’re just a series of rectangles, gathered and sewn together, right? How difficult could it be to make a simple, […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 26th, 2008

tip of the day - short cuts for sewing shirts

I will freely admit to being an impatient seamstress - I won’t cut corners if it’s going to negatively affect the finished piece… However - tips & tricks that save a little time - are just fine with me :-)
I’ve sewn quite a few men’s shirts over the years, and generally the patterns call […]

By Chloe -- 11 comments

June 19th, 2008

need help with finding flattering patterns?

Do you find it overwhelming to browse through a pattern catalog?  Not sure what’s going to flatter your body shape - or do you even know what body shape you are?
My Shape is a website I refer to frequently to help me choose the best styles for my body.  You begin by entering your body […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 12th, 2008

happiness is…

A big pile of fabric that’s been cut out and ready to sew!

It’s amazing how much fabric you can go through if it’s printed off-grain and wrapped onto the bolt crookedly…
For the record, that’s four shrugs and one shirt - now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some sewing to do!
image source: C Findlay-Harder
Tags: clothing, […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 12th, 2008

Free pattern for a nursing cover

Angela, from b5media’s Breastfeeding 123 just emailed me about a fantastic free pattern that she found.  It’s to make your own nursing cover - and she’s posted a great tutorial on her blog.
Go check it out!
Tags: free-patterns, How To, links, sew your own nursing cover, sewing, tutorialsShare This

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 10th, 2008

new poll - do you use the pattern layouts?

I’ve got a new poll for all you lovely readers :-)  The results from the last one were pretty clear, everyone said that they have to alter their patterns!
Because I’ve been sewing so much clothing lately, from new patterns, I’ve looked at a lot of different layouts that pattern companies suggest you use.  I’ve found […]

By Chloe -- 2 comments

June 9th, 2008

crocheted ties

I’m working on sewing a new summer wardrobe for myself at the moment.  I’ve got a busy busy busy summer and probably won’t have a lot of extra time for sewing until September.
I just discovered a pattern from Burda that’s turned into my new favorite shrug pattern.  I was able to cut it out […]

By Chloe -- 2 comments

June 4th, 2008

new poll - how well do commercial patterns fit you?

I’ve been having a productive day in my studio - I just finished a tunic (Simplicity 4632) from the cotton gauze I dyed earlier this spring.
It’s the first time that I used this pattern so I checked my measurements against the pattern size.  I’m a “pear” shape, with shoulders narrower than my hips, so I […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

April 28th, 2008

sew your own baby bibs

I have to admit, I’m not in the market for baby bibs quite yet at my house (unless I can convince my dogs to wear them) but Angela, from Breastfeeding 1-2-3 (another b5media blog) has posted a great free pattern for making your own baby bibs.
Here’s the link :-)
Tags: baby bibs, free-patterns, links, sewing baby […]

By Chloe -- 2 comments

April 2nd, 2008

how to accurately resize a pattern

There are times when you can’t just “wing it” when you’re trying to re-work or resize a pattern. You can end up with wonky shoulders & necklines or funny bulges - not good!
This site shows how to accurately resize a pattern - either larger or smaller. You can even resize down to a […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments