My sewing studio is my refuge and lately I want to hide there. Last Wednesday I went to the studio in the morning and turned on the radio to keep me company. The news was bleak and after catching up with the breaking news that included shootings, fires, and wars, I had to turn it […]
Sewing hems in knits always involves a machine finish. I am not sure I have ever put a successful hand-hem into a contemporary knit garment. Machine hemming is part of the process of taming your knits to look effortless and insuring they will live a long life. So, let’s take a look at several types […]
I have been sewing for years, over 55 at least. It began with hand stitching while my mom sewed on the machine. She was great at conjuring up hand sewing projects for my dolls in an effort to keep me away from her precious sewing machine. But, as soon as possible, I started cutting and […]
If you follow fashion you know that each season the magazines identify trends to help you curate a wardrobe that is “Au Courant”. We don’t usually think of our pattern collection and design direction as trendy, but this year some of the spring and summer trends fall right in line with our Fit for Art […]
Blog Post – Dots and Notches Flat pattern notations are like a special language. If you have sewn for a long time using commercial American flat patterns you probably speak the language fluently. If you are new to sewing, it might seem like a foreign language. We are busy finishing up the details of a […]
New York City always beckons and usually my visits include shopping and a visit to an upper east side art museum. However, on my most recent trip I went a different direction, heading to the Brooklyn Museum to see their current exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe, Living Modern, through July 23, 2017. It was actually my husband’s […]
Sewing together is such fun. You are energized by the projects and ideas of the friends and teachers sewing around you and better yet, there are no distractions that take you away from the sewing machine. Well, perhaps eating diverts you, but in my opinion it is almost as fun as sewing. We were delighted […]
When I was learning to sew, the word “Tailoring” put the fear of God in me. It represented sewing on a higher level than I ever imagined for myself. The thought of stitching up jackets with lapels, hair canvas interfacing and bound button holes seemed impossible. My mother, who had taught me to sew, did […]
Since January, it seems we have been very knit happy. We have been busy testing and developing a new knit variation for the Tabula Rasa Knits pattern which we hope to have ready this summer. And, 2 weeks ago, Carrie and I each carved out some time to make a new knit top using the […]
Every time I am asked to speak on the topic of wearable art or art to wear, I reflect on the relationship between art and clothing. My background as a custom dressmaker leads me to prefer the phrase artful wearables. Clothing needs to be functional and well-fitting first. Then if it’s fabric, design or embellishment […]
