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…
Category: Inspiration
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…
Samples For Threads
When designing and constructing jackets that will illustrate a magazine article, there is a certain level of anxiety that accompanies the project. Most of my days in the studio are spent designing and testing new patterns or sewing up new clothes to hang in the booth and write about on…
Cleverly Curved Knit Hems
A knit hem option we include in the Clever Crossing Variations (CC) is the curved front hem. It can be used on any double layer front, like the CC Surplice design, to add shaping at the hemline. What can catch you off guard about this hemline is that it needs to…
Scenes from the Expo
Sewing ideas are everywhere at an Original Sewing and Quilt Expo and we are proud to be part of the inspiration. Since we are now on the road south from the Raleigh OSQE to the ASG Annual conference in Orlando, we decided to share with you some highlights from our…
Sew Knits with Clever Crossings
We love to sew knits, and we are happy to encourage you to sew fun knit tops with a new variation to the Tabula Rasa Knit Tee and Tunic. Welcome to the Clever Crossing Variations. You are the first to know! We have called this package of variations Clever Crossing…
Hot Summer Sewing
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…
Finding Beauty and Peace
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,…
Oh So Trendy
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…
Fan-Tabulous! Quilted Jacket
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…