Is sewing for summer different from sewing in the cooler seasons? If you live in a seasonal climate like I do, the answer is yes. Hot and humid weather calls for clothing that is effortless, light, airy and washable. No opportunities to get lost in layers of facings, interfacings, linings and heavy fabrics in the […]
As we in the United States wish a Happy Birthday to America, we often sport clothes in the colors of the flag. Red, white and blue is such a classic color combination. Since all our patriotic holidays are in the summer, it’s the warm weather wardrobe that calls for red, white, and blue additions. Newspapers, […]
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 […]
We have a handful of quilted jacket samples that draw oohs and ahhs at every show, folks wishing to buy or make. So, Fit for Art is creating a series of directions for “Specialty Quilted Jackets” that provide step-by-step instructions to replicate some of those admired jackets. Currently we have two specialty directions available, for […]
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 […]
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 […]
Sewing quilted jackets was the topic of conversation this weekend when we had a booth at the Baltimore Heritage Quilters’ Guild 2017 Quilt Expo. This was the first time in Fit for Art’s history that the biennial show was held on a weekend we were home and could support our local quilting friends. The Tabula Rasa […]
A detachable hood is the perfect accent for a spring coat like the It’s a Spectacle Jacket we have been considering for the last two weeks. (Week one was about designing the jacket, week two took a close look at the zipper and collar details.) It’s easy to see the engineering on this hood because […]
A colorful bundle of Echino fat quarters came to me as a gift from my daughter several years ago, and I immediately wanted to make them into a Tabula Rasa Jacket (TRJ). But, fat quarters (18” by 22 1/2 “) are challenging when designing garments, especially if you want to feature the fabric in large […]
