If you tidy up your sewing space and don’t document the occasion with photos, did it even happen? I really admire sewists who keep a beautifully pristine and clutter free sewing room. Mine doesn’t look like this most of the time, which is probably why I want to write about it now. Let this be …
I bought a dress that was the cause of one of my most mortifying and hilarious (now that it’s over) moments of my life. More on that in a sec. I knew I would never wear this dress again, but I would wear it as a skirt. This was the easiest and quickest refashion I’ve …
See three pairs of Philippa Pants in three different phases of designer Anna Allen‘s pattern test in three different denim fabrics. This was a Goldilocks story, and spoiler: this black pair is juuust right. Check out the evolution of this pattern through my involvement in the designer’s testing process and see these tapered pants in …
I took the term “boyfriend jean” too literally. The Morgan Jeans pattern is a women’s slim boyfriend jeans pattern by Closet Case Patterns. I wanted to make jeans for my husband and wondered, “If I modify the Morgan Jeans pattern for him, would he even be able to tell they were drafted for women?” I …
Sewing mens jeans is one of the most rewarding projects because it combines my favorite things: raw denim, top stitching, selfless sewing, and my newly acquired vintage sewing machine. Sewing mens jeans on a vintage machine is a far superior experience to what I’ve experienced in the past. My other machine is a modern cheap …
Stylish and pro-safety? Sign me right up. Cyclists want to be seen on the road, and putting a little extra shine on the bum is a great way to be seen by approaching cars. This is a quick and easy little hack to make your jeans reflective for the cyclist in your life. I’m a …
90’s revival continues! Carpenter pants are back. If you want to give your pants a re-vamp with some sweet cargo pockets and a hammer loop, read on! I’ve drafted some pattern pieces that you can download too. This handy DIY carpenter pants add-on is a quick and easy way to help your “normal” pants hold …
If you’ve already had the chance to look through the book, Pattern Magic, you might find that a lot of the designs might not appear to be very wearable, as amazing as they are. I found that this exercise from the book was something closest to what I would actually wear in everyday life. This …
This top might look complicated to make, but it’s totally doable! Give yourself a sewing day or two, grab your Pattern Magic book by Tomoko Nagamichi and the Ogden Cami Pattern by True Bias and let’s do this! The Details Pattern is Ogden Cami by True Bias, size 10 (two sizes larger than my measurements …
My first experience pattern testing was for the Orchid Midi Dress by Chalk and Notch Patterns. I had no idea what to expect from the testing process, but it really made me work on this dress with much more intention. Gabriella of Chalk & Notch did an outstanding job of organizing the testers and the …