We are pleased to announce that we are giving the Tabula Rasa Jacket a bright new face! It was time to print more TRJ Instruction books, so we decided to put new art on the cover that is more consistent with the TRJ Variation covers. Many thanks to our excellent…
The quilted Tabula Rasa Jackets in my closet are real favorites when the weather is cool and crisp. Deep in the “dog days” of a Baltimore summer, I am wishing for fall weather and thinking about designing clothes to freshen up my fall wardrobe. When this urge to sew for…
This June we are delighted to have several teaching opportunities. We sure do love to teach classes that revolve around our patterns! This weekend I presented a trunk show at Sew Right Sewing Machines in Queens, New York followed by teaching a two-day Tabula Rasa Jacket Workshop. It was great…
When working a booth at a sewing show or expo, we are frequently asked where we get our beautiful fabrics. This is typically followed by a lament that “there are no good fabric stores where I live.” Rae and I are indeed lucky to have an excellent fabric store near…
Sewing shirts has become one of my favorite things. I got addicted last spring using my Tabula Rasa Jacket pattern modified with the Shirt Variations. The shirts are pretty easy to sew and very easy to wear. As the weather in Baltimore gets warmer, I just throw one on with…
Choosing the perfect buttons for your jacket can be a challenge when you are open to a variety of possibilities. I do love solving button quandaries though, so in this photo-filled post, we are going to choose buttons for a very colorful Tabula Rasa Jacket (TRJ) that I am making for…
Sewing basic jackets might seem boring after last week’s blog post about a colorful, pieced and quilted vest, but it is a good way to get started with a new pattern and to test the fit of your Tabula Rasa Jacket pattern. We met lots of new friends at our…
In the Fun in New York City post and on the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo blog “The Makers Experience” posted on February 6, we talked about the fabulous sheer bundles we have available in our Expo booth. They are perfect for stitching up a Tabula Rasa Jacket with Swing Variations. The new…
One of the last steps in completing a Tabula Rasa French jacket is to apply the trim. I love the way trim personalizes the jacket; trims can keep the jacket conservative and predictable, dress it up, provide an artful edge, or give it a fanciful finish. Whichever direction you choose…
The Tabula Rasa French jacket pieces are quilted to the lining and the bouclé seams have been sewn on the machine. Reaching this place is satisfactory because after hours of basting, fitting and quilting there is actually a jacket. But one look at the inside reminds you that there is…
