How often do you buy a dress pattern, vintage or modern, and wish it had a lining? I love to line my dresses – they sit more smoothly on the body and the fabric holds its shape better, plus it just looks and feels nice from the inside! My sixties shift dress that I sewed […]
Read MoreThe dress I am making at the moment, Butterick 2669, has one of each of the main dart types. So time for more tricks of the trade – about darts! Our flat pattern and fabric are only two dimensional, but with darts we introduce a third dimension so garments fit our body curves better. Dart […]
Read MoreHow do you prefer to press side bust darts – do you press them upwards, or do you press them down? I was taught to press them upwards, the theory being they were less noticeable from the outside. I don’t usually sew commercial patterns, but I notice the vintage ones I’ve sewn recently all indicate to press […]
Read MoreI can’t do without tank tops during summer, and since it is almost here I thought I would try and replicate my much-loved racer-back tanks from Max – that are now limp, faded and strictly relegated to the painting and decorating wardrobe! Plus, can you believe I don’t actually have any white tops?! I used my knit top block […]
Read MoreYesterday I managed to get my trenchcoat cut and fused. There are so many bits and pieces! I almost completely forgot the epaulettes and the belt – luckily there was still a piece long enough to cut it in one piece. I thought I had plenty of cloth, but there is practically none leftover. Plus there is […]
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