I finally got a new serger! To everyone who purchased my half-scale dress form patterns, thank you! I wouldn’t have had a new serger in my budget otherwise. It’s been pretty fun having my sewing turning into a self-supporting hobby.…
Blog Archives
Chainstitching on a Touch & Sew
While I was researching my Singer 401A sewing machine, I discovered that there are vintage sewing machines made in the 1960’s and 1970’s that will sew a single thread chainstitch with the right attachments. I immediately decided I had to…
Posted in Sewing, Vintage Sewing Machines
Treadle-izing My Singer 328K
I’ve been looking for a vintage all-metal zig-zag sewing machine to keep in a treadle base ever since I was confronted with my Singer 252’s limited life expectancy. This search led me to the Singer 328K. My requirements for a…
Posted in Treadle Sewing Machines, Vintage Sewing Machines
A Treadle and a Quilt
After my recent sewing area re-arrangement to accommodate my new Singer 401A, my antique Singer 127 treadle sewing machine is now accessible instead of being buried behind my main sewing machine. I haven’t sewn much on this machine, since the…
Posted in Sewing, Vintage Sewing Machines
Creating Tiled PDFs in Inkscape
Do you want to make professional looking print-at-home PDF patterns? How about doing it with free software? There are many ways to create a tiled PDF pattern. Here’s how I do it in Inkscape, which is a free vector graphics program.…
Posted in Inkscape, Patternmaking
A Surprise Singer 401A
My husband went to the feed store to buy chicken feed, and when he got home he showed me a couple of little things he picked up at a thrift store on the way back. Then he said, “Come out…
Posted in Sewing, Vintage Sewing Machines
New Half-Scale Knit Dress Pattern
I have a new free half-scale pattern on Craftsy. This one is a sleeveless dress designed for knit fabrics. The dress has a one piece neck and armhole facing that is sewn entirely by machine using this method, which I…
Posted in Half-Scale Patternmaking and Sewing, Sewing
Upcycled Kids’ T-Shirts
I’ve been coming up with all sorts of things to do to avoid working on my bra pattern. My latest project was upcycled t-shirts for my kids. My husband came home with a stack of old men’s work t-shirts someone…
Posted in Sewing
Full Size Paper Dress Form
Several people have asked me if my half-scale paper dress form pattern can be enlarged to make a full scale dress form, and I wasn’t sure how well that would work, so I decided to try it. I re-made the…
Posted in Crafts
Beanie Boobies
So, my brother recently signed up as a subscriber to my blog, just in time for a post all about my breasts. Yeah, you might want to skip reading this one, bro. I’ve never been able to buy a bra…
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Grow Your Own Clothes 