Finish a Tabula Rasa Knit Tunic with the swing side using a contrasting band hem. This is such a great alternative on a shaped hem that resists a straight finish. Plus, a hem band offers up another place to use a contrasting fabric and provides weight for better drape on…
Category: Hems and finishes
Easy Method for Narrow Hems
Have you struggled to sew narrow or baby hems? Carrie’s adventure into peplum tops lead her to perfect a clever technique for sewing those pesky narrow hems. Fortuitously, one of our retreat participants had shared this technique with Carrie during Fit for Art’s Spring Sew Successfully Retreat. Follow along the…
Sew Beautiful Facings
The Carpe Diem Dress and Tunic Pattern was introduced during the pandemic and we have written about its versatility often. But to my surprise, we have not shown the ins and outs of making a beautiful facing, one of the essential elements of a finely finished and easy to wear…
Back to Basics — Understitching
Today we take a closer look at understitching, the next post in a series about sewing techniques included in our new Glossary of Common Sewing Terms. I was inspired to take on this nerdy topic while sewing a sleeveless Carpe Diem dress, which benefits from understitching at the neckline and…
Neat Front Band Finishes
It is important to save some time and energy for the final step required to complete a Tabula Rasa Jacket project. In our virtual Tabula Rasa Jacket course, front band finishes are demonstrated thoroughly. This prompted me to find a blog post addressing this topic to list as an additional resource. Guess…
Fanciful Linen Hem
The uninterrupted hemline of the Carpe Diem opens up some fun hemline design opportunities. A new linen top, designed and made as spring became summer, is an excellent example of creative energy moving a Carpe Diem hemline to the next level. Plan the Project It started with a stash search…
Dress up a Carpe Diem with Details
It’s time to introduce some more options included in the Carpe Diem Dress & Tunic pattern. This week we are looking at the Minty Fresh Carpe Diem Dress to demonstrate the steps for preparing and inserting the optional cap sleeve, back belt, and pleated hem vent. Doesn’t this dress feel…
Elegant Scalloped Tee
On a trip to New York, I spotted this lovely peach knit with a classic Italian print, only understated. It is a very light cotton jersey and while it is rare that I make a Tabula Rasa Knit top in only one fabric, this one seemed like a great candidate for…
Trimming a Carpe Diem
The Carpe Diem Dress & Tunic is the perfect garment design for featuring fun trim. If you watched the Artistic Artifacts Facebook Live on Saturday morning, you saw a number of trimmed Carpe Diems that have become wardrobe favorites. We are going to look at the Indian Cotton Batik from…
Summer Pants Journey
Like so many women at our stage in life, our bodies are changing. For many months now, I (Carrie) have been complaining to Rae that I am no longer comfortable in most of my Eureka Pants. My discomfort, especially in closely fitted pants, is undeniably a consequence of the disappearing…