Sew Your Own Wardrobe with Basic Patterns

My Weekly Craftsy.com Blog Post

I've missed posting here a number of recent blog entries that have been published in Craftsy.com. Today's blog is on a more hardy approach to gathering long stretches of fabric, like when making shirred tiers on a skirt. While there are many ways to gather fabrics, I use plain ole household string to aid in accomplishing this ordinary sewing technique. Read my post to learn what this is all about. Here is the link: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/03/gathering-in-sewing/

Last week's post had to do with investing in a small set of patterns in basic silhouettes that can serve as templates for creating many of today's fashion looks. It's surprising how many of the styles you see in the stores these days are created from very simple, easy to make garment silhouettes. Its the fabric and choice of styling elements that make them into modern day designs. You can re-create those same looks from basic patterns that have been fitted to you. Read how to build a wardrobe from a set of basic patterns. Here is the link: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/03/sew-your-own-wardrobe/

A few weeks ago I offered some tips on how to set in a sleeve.
Many sewers struggle with this sewing technique. Problems mostly arise because of the fabric and not the technique. Learn a number of tips to help insert a perfect sleeve every time. Here is the link: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/02/sewing-in-set-in-sleeves/

Meeting Kenneth D. King

Whew! I'm embarrassed at how long it has been since I last entered a new post. It has and still is a busy month for me. I have several new magazine articles in the works which means putting together a half dozen new projects. I have done several new samples for upcoming classes and best of all I met Kenneth D King. 

What a fun couple of days that was. The fabric store where I teach here in the Detroit market, called Haberman Fabrics, hosted an event featuring the great Kenneth D. King. The celebrated couture designer, FIT professor and contributing editor for Threads magazine is, indeed, as vivacious and colorful as he comes across in his writings and many teaching videos. I can't believe how much I learned from him.

The event included a full weekend of instruction and hands-on training by Kenneth. Sewers from surrounding states and fashion design students from Kendal College in Grand Rapids along with many Detroit areas sewists were in attendance. 

I attended Friday's opening event that provided an interesting look into how he came to be who he is today. It included a showing of many of his celebrated designs that have been featured in many Threads articles and in his books. I was blown away by his creativity and ingenuity. His creations are truly pieces of art and rather awe inspiring. 

Saturday's event concentrated on teaching the room how to draft and complete shawl and notched lapels. His instruction was superb  - detailed, logical, and practical.  He must be a fun professor to have at FIT. I haven't tailored a jacket in some time so his presentation brought back all that I had once learned, and re-inspired me to put his tricks and tips to work. 

What I especially enjoyed was his review of how to draft a sleeve. That's an area I continue to struggle with. Getting my sleeves to fit and hang perfectly off my forward leaning shoulder has been a constant challenge. No matter how hard I have tried I just can't seem to get them perfect. He explained both the math and art to them, so I am hoping his instructions will finally solve my issues once and for all.

Throughout the day he offered many helpful tips about sewing in general. Lots dealt with taking an out-of-the-box approach, which I was so glad to hear. I have found through teaching so many first time sewers, the methods and sewing techniques sewing books and textbooks advocate are not always the best or easiest way to do things. I have  re-engineered many techniques and was so glad to hear Kenneth espouse many of the very same sewing alternatives I teach. How fun is that!  

All in all it was a fun couple of days. I learned a lot and got to connect with other sewists who share the same passion for sewing as I do. Kenneth's enthusiasm for  sewing was wonderful to witness and though only for just a few hours it was great to be a part of. 

On Newsstands Now! - My Article in Sew News magazine

Fresh off the presses, my article on sewing darts in reverse fashion is in the February/March 2014 issue of SewNews magazine. This article is based on a blog post I featured here on my website last year. The article serves as a primer course on darts (types and purpose) but more importantly, it offers a new way to sew them - in reverse fashion.  

As a sewing instructor I often times look for easier ways to execute fundamental sewing techniques that first time sewers can do on the first try. Darts is one of those techniques. For new sewers sewing them from the usual wide base to the end point is hard. Getting the darts to end at precisely the prescribed end point on both sides of a garment, is especially hard.  After watching students repeatedly ripping out so many darts, I was compelled to teach them an easier way. And indeed I did. I taught them to sew the darts from end point to the base or wide end, instead.  That is the central point of the article - on page 54.

  

I'm especially proud of the article for the simple reason that the technique came about from teaching new sewers to sew. When you've sewn for so many decades as I have you take doing certain sewing techniques for granted. For any experienced sewer sewing darts is, frankly, a no-brainer. One, two, three and they're done. But, I had to tackle them from a new sewers perspective. Now, I sew all my darts this way. So, in a way, the students taught the teacher. I hope you read and enjoy my article.

3D Embellishments: Cutouts & Couching in Sewing

My Weekly Craftsy.com Blog Post

This time I'm offering 2 super simple ways to give a flat print fabric some 3 dimensional elements. Both require just a basic sewing machine and some zigzag stitching; no fancy embroidery machines for special tools. Easy peasy, done! Here is the link:http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/01/sewing-cutouts-and-sewing-couching/
 

Exposed Zipper for a Handbag Pocket

My Weekly Craftsy.com Blog Post

This week's post instructs how to insert an exposed zipper - this time the kind you see inside (and sometimes outside) handbags. They are the kind used to secure pockets. They are a cinch to do. Here is the link for the step by step instructions:
 http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/01/handbag-pocket-zipper/

Grainline - Making Fabric Thread Perfect

My Weekly Craftsy.com Blog Post

I had two posts this week. The most recent ran this past Saturday - Crafty's biggest day for readership - Yeh! for me. My post offered instructions on how to make fabric thread perfect (when a single crosswise thread can be pulled across the width of the fabric) and how to check to see if fabric is on grain.  Here is the link to the post: http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/01/grainline-of-the-fabric/

Be sure to check out the next post which will offer ways to correct material that is off grain.

Serger Alternative: The Lock Cutter Attachment

My Weekly Craftsy.com Blog Post

I'm a bit behind on updating my website with regard to my posts on the Craftsy.com blog site.  Last week's post was on this device that came with my Singer sewing machine - The Lock Cutter. I call it a serger alternative because it cuts and sews at the same time just like a serger. With this device it sews a zigzag stitch instead of an overcast one trimming the seam as it sews.  I like to use it to finish my seams that have already been sewn with a straight stitch. I have gotten alot of comments on this device.  Here is the link:  http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/01/lock-cutter-attachment/