After making a double-sided tracing cloth using washable crayons, I decided to try making single sided tracing paper as well, since commercially available wax-free paper just doesn’t mark well, and professional waxed tracing paper is expensive and makes permanent marks…
Blog Archives
Girl’s Jalie Jeans – A Happy Accident
A lot of my recent sewing projects have been for my kids. Jeans and t-shirts, mostly. I can’t believe the lengths I will go to to avoid clothes shopping. I would so much rather be doing selfish sewing, but then…
Posted in Sewing
DIY Dressmaker’s Tracing Cloth
Back in the day when I started sewing, the dressmaker’s tracing paper available to home sewers was waxy, similar to professional waxed tracing paper. It made good marks, but they were permanent. The wax-free tracing paper commonly available to home…
Posted in Patternmaking, Sewing
Brother 2340CV Cover Stitch Machine Survival Guide
I’ve had my Brother 2340CV cover stitch machine for about a year. I wanted a cover stitch machine that could make wide cover stitches, narrow cover stitches, and could use a binder attachment. Buying a cover stitch machine was already…
Posted in Sewing, Sewing machine reviews
Half Scale and Full Size Alder Dresses
I bought Grainline’s Alder shirtdress pattern a year and a half ago, but I didn’t get around to sewing this dress until last winter, when it was too cold to wear it. It’s finally starting to feel like summer around…
Posted in Half-Scale Patternmaking and Sewing, Sewing
The White Shirt (finally) and How to Make Perfect Collar Points
I finally finished my husband’s white shirt that was supposed to have been a Christmas present. I procrastinated on working on this shirt for months, since I was terrified of staining that white fabric. I just don’t live a “white…
Posted in Sewing
Speed Draping and the Dangers of Wearable Muslins
The Amazon product links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase something, I will earn a small commission. My husband has been asking me to make him a white shirt. This fall decided…
Posted in Patternmaking, Sewing
Antique Iron Pattern Weights
I sew with treadle sewing machines, so if the power goes out, I can just keep on sewing. However, most of the time when I’m sewing I also need to iron, so I thought it would be nice to have…
Posted in Sewing
Coverstitch Alternatives
I tried really hard to convince myself I didn’t need a coverstitch machine. I tried every method I could find to hem, topstitch, bind, and apply elastic to knit fabrics with a regular sewing machine. I wrote lists of pros…
Posted in Sewing
Avoiding Skipped Stitches on Knits
I’ve been having problems with skipped stitches when sewing on all types of knit fabrics. I looked up tips for avoiding skipped stitches, and I thought I was doing everything right, but nothing I tried helped. I was starting to…
Posted in Sewing, Vintage Sewing Machines
GrowYourOwnClothes Etsy Shop
Grow Your Own Clothes 