This week we invited our friend Kathy Levy, a retired dressmaker and alterations expert from upstate NY, to write about a wonderful Tabula Rasa Jacket she created for one of the Threads Magazine Challenges. Her ensemble was given the Most Innovative Use of Lace Award and featured in a 2013…
Category: Fabric
Knit Sleeves Tabula Rasa Style
Knits are on the cutting table right now as we prepare for the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Atlanta. We are making some new knit samples and preparing new knit bundles. It is fun to imagine which style of Tabula Rasa Knit Tee or Tunic, Clever Crossing Variations, or…
Silk Sari for the Holidays
A few years ago, after traveling in India, my daughter Meg gifted me with a beautiful red and gold silk sari. It has been waiting for the right occasion to come along so I could stitch it into something special, and this Fall it did. My husband and I would…
Elegant French Seams
It is time to sew up a sheer holiday jacket using your Tabula Rasa Jacket Pattern(TRJ). Now that you know how it goes together, you can try out a challenging fabric or seam technique, both of which are featured in this sample. It is made from 3 fabrics: a geometric…
Cozy Cowl Collar
This is the perfect time of year to make yourself a Cowl Collar Surplice Front Tee! In cold weather I like to have my neck covered. The cowl collar surrounds my neck in cozy warmth without feeling constricted, as it does when wearing a turtleneck. I have recently made two…
Mix and Match TRJ Variations
I was surprised by how much attention this new Tabula Rasa Jacket received at the Fredericksburg and Schaumburg Expos. Many times I found myself explaining which pattern variations were used to create the rayon batik top, and then sending the asker to the Sew Batik booth to get their own…
Swing Tops: Similar yet Different
It is a fun exercise to examine two garments made from the same fabric. In this case the tops are similar Tabula Rasa Jackets (TRJ). I made one for Laura Murray, wearable artist extraordinaire, and one for myself. Look closely at the next two photos and see if you can…
Redesigning for a Special Occasion
It is great fun to find new fabrics and shapes to update a dated garment. So, when Katy, who I regularly design and sew for, brought me the dress she wore to her daughter’s wedding and asked for a redesign, I was all in. She had a wedding to attend…
Fall Tabula Rasa Design
As I return to the studio after almost 6 weeks away, I am itching to sew for fall. It is such a refreshing time to be planning and sewing with the cool nip in the air each morning. A lovely floral linen, purchased at the ASG Conference, was really calling…
Fabulous Sateen Pants
Cotton sateen, with or without spandex, is an excellent fabric for stitching up Eureka! Pants that Fit. The fabric is almost always washable with enough drape and opacity to yield successful pants. I kicked off the early summer season by making some much-needed navy sateen pants. My favorite navy pants,…