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…
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,…
More Crossings – a Tulip Sleeve
Clever Crossing Variations, our newest pattern for Tabula Rasa Knits, includes a graceful short tulip sleeve that carries the “crossing” theme into another aspect of the knit top. Construction of the tulip sleeve is a bit different from the regular Tabula Rasa Knit Tee & Tunic sleeve, so we thought…
Indonesian Sarong to Tabula Rasa Jacket
One of my new favorite samples to wear is this Tabula Rasa Jacket based on the Rain or Shine Variations. I made it from an Indonesian cotton batik sarong that I had had in my stash for a few years. (No personal history; just found it in a box of…
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…
Red, White and Blue
As we in the United States wish a Happy Birthday to America, we often sport clothes in the colors of the flag. Red, white and blue is such a classic color combination. Since all our patriotic holidays are in the summer, it’s the warm weather wardrobe that calls for red,…
Eureka! Capris for Summer
This spring I realized that I am down to 2 pairs of capri pants, only one of which I actually like. I am especially sad that my favorite pair of denim capris has gone missing; they had the perfect degree of stretch and were well broken in, soft and comfy…