I designed a set of sloper/basic block patterns to fit the DIY dress forms I have on Craftsy and Etsy. I designed them to fit the paper version of the dress form. If you made the stuffed dress form version,…
Blog Archives
Overlocking Obstacles
I have a not-so-great overlock machine – a White Speedylock 1600 – that will no longer do a 4-thread stitch, but it still does an OK 3-thread stitch for finishing seams. I broke it years ago and got it serviced, but…
Posted in Sewing
Sewing machine needle organization
Every time I used to switch to a different type or size of sewing machine needle I would put the used needle in my pincushion and put a brand new one in the sewing machine, since it was hard to…
Posted in Sewing
Thrifty Sewing
These days, at least in the US, it is difficult to save money sewing your own clothes. It’s usually cheaper to buy clothes on clearance or at thrift stores, even if you buy fabric on sale. For me, a big…
Posted in Sewing
Tips for Pattern Drafting with Inkscape
Amy at Cloth Habit wrote an awesome post about pattern drafting for the hobbyist with Adobe Illustrator. If Illustrator is out of your budget, you can try pattern drafting using Inkscape, which is free vector graphics software that can be…
Posted in Inkscape, Patternmaking
Grow Your Own Starch
I recently started using starch when I sew, but I don’t like the high cost, scent, and chemicals in commercial starch, so I make my own. Starching fabric adds preparation time, but makes sewing easier, and you get permanently crisp creases…
Posted in Crafts
More Free Printable French Curves + Hip Curves
If you’re looking for printable French curves or hip curves with measurement marks, here you go. I made both imperial (inches) and metric (centimeters) curves. The inch/centimeter marks are not numbered, so you can decide where you want to start…
Posted in Patternmaking
New Jeans Zipper Fly Tutorial
I am making a rub-off jeans pattern for one of my kids. When I got to the zipper fly, I compared the child-sized zipper to adult-sized ones, and to my surprise, they were about the same width. It varied a…
Posted in Patternmaking, Sewing
New Page: Sewing and Craft Recipes
I added a new page for Sewing and Craft Recipes. So far I have paper mache recipes, a paste recipe, and home made laundry starch recipes.
Knit Hems, Double Needles, and Starch
I just got this free ebook. It has lots of information on hemming. Get your copy! Free download: The Colette Guide to Sewing Hems I’ve been sewing knit hems on T-shirts lately with a double needle (also called a twin…
Posted in Sewing
GrowYourOwnClothes Etsy Shop
Grow Your Own Clothes 