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…
Category: Inspiration
Wow! Wearable Art
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…
Quilted Jacket Journeys
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…
Jeans – The Defining Details
I am teaching a class titled “Jeans – the Defining Details” at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expos (OSQE) this Spring. In order to prepare kits for this class in Atlanta, I used the templates and patterns in our Sporty Details pattern to adapt the Eureka! Pants that Fit front…
Knock-out Knits
We are in the throes of getting ready to head out tomorrow to the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Atlanta, GA. Our heads are totally immersed in planning classes and presentations, picking jacket, knit and pants samples to take, and packing the van with merchandise and booth display equipment.…
Imagining a “Spectacle” Jacket
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…
Playing with Color
Mixing fabrics in a garment is one of my ongoing passions. Take a tour of our gallery pages to see some examples. I never tire of seeing the interplay of color and texture as I collect fabrics for a new project. Last fall my eyes were diverted by a color matching…
Featured Sewist – Glenda Barnes
We love to feature sewing friends who are having fun creating with Fit for Art (FFA) Patterns. Today we want to introduce you to Glenda Barnes from Rocky Mount, NC who personifies that description. I first met Glenda in 2015 when I taught a Tabula Rasa Jacket (TRJ) class for the…
“Fashion – A Confidence Building Pleasure”
How does fashion influence us as home sewers? It seems like a good question to consider at the beginning of a new year. January is often a time to evaluate your size, shape and wardrobe efficiency as you set goals and make resolutions. At Fit for Art, we hope your…
Knit Details – Rounded Collars
We love sewing knit tops the Tabula Rasa way with the pattern’s easy square armhole, some interesting knit fabrics and a fun detail or two. Take a look at our knit gallery pages to inspire you to jump on the knit bandwagon. Today we will take a close look at…