SewLSC

Can you use sheets as fabric to sew clothes? IMHO solid colored sheets are great for many garments. I’ve used them to make shirts, dresses, flowy pants, PJs, nightgowns and even a bra, which I reviewed here. The drape of sheets are often more similar to target fabric than actual muslin, which can be quite stiff. Per yard, sheets are often a LOT cheaper than muslin. Moreover, I like to sew wearable muslins so I can fit the pattern after wearing the test garment a time or four. I think the reason garments made with old sheets look like old sheets is twofold: mismatch drape and outdated color combination. The first is when the drape of the sheet does not match the drape of the fabric intended for the garment pattern. It is the same problem as with use of quilting cotton for garments. If the drape is similar, quilting cotton can be stunning in garments such as skirts and dresses. Not so much if the sewist uses quilting cotton in place of charmeuse or chiffon. Or knits. ...

An advanced beginner sewist recently asked what can you short cut/speed sew and what can you not? That question got me thinking about sewing efficiency.   I took a class on Craftsy years ago called Sew Better, Sew Faster . The class explained industry techniques for sewing efficiency. Sometimes I like to go very slow and sew couture level detail. I did that for my MOG gown that took months. ( And I took a class to learn to sew couture too). Most of the time I sew RTW style for myself and my family. This is a concrete decision to let go of perfectionist tendencies and not hold myself to a standard that exceeds what I would accept from most shops. I’ve sewed almost all my clothes since 2011. Not all garments I wear need to be couture quality. Sometimes good enough is good enough. Here are my prime takeaways for increasing efficiency: 1) Using a serger is quick and gives a nice seam finish. 2) Presser feet are engineering miracles. The correct foot for the job helps. Stitch in th...

  Scarves and belts are great accessories that can elevate an outfit. Both are also easily made from leftover fabric from your sewing projects. Designing the Scarf A scarf can be any size or shape you want. Typically scarves are made as small or large squares or as long rectangles..... but the size is really limited to your imagination and how your want to use it. I recently made a scarf to go with an off the shoulder dress I made from Vogue 1674. The purpose of the scarf was to convert an evening to day look, to add modesty to the dress when needed and to provide warmth if the room was cold. I decided I wanted a large rectangular scarf instead of a large square.  I made my scarf a rectangle so I could tie it and wear it in a multitude of ways.   Cutting the Fabric for the Scarf To make the scarf, I cut a piece of 26x44 inch silk and then used my serger to make a rolled hem. I had between 1/2 and 2/3 yard of fabric leftover from a blouse I had made years ago, so the si...

Pattern Review just introduced a feature called My Top 10 List as a feature of the pattern stash. Last year alone I sewed over 200 different patterns. I can pick only 10? Challenge accepted. I began by listing patterns be type. Then I evaluated how often I sewed the pattern and even more important, how often I wore the garments.  My most sewn, most worn patterns are all dresses. Not a surprise. Dresses are my most worn garment. For business. For casual. For travel. I love how I can put on a dress and be done. I also love how I can vary my look by changing shoes, scarves, jewelry and toppers. In a world where there is too much to do, I like easy decisions when getting dressed. Pardon the bad pun. Since I had a difficult time confining my list to just dresses, let alone 10 patterns period, I present my favorite patterns by type: Tops: I have 41 tops reviewed on Pattern Review. Of those, these are the patterns I've sewn and worn again and again: Simplici...

Patternreview is sponsoring a contest requiring participants to use "What Was I Thinking?" fabric.   Hmmmmm. I just discovered I have an abundance of “what was I thinking fabrics.” There’s a pattern. Not enough fabric. The fabric was expensive but stunning. No particular project in mind but it was a have-to-have fabric. I did not buy enough. What was I thinking? Too much fabric. I bought a bit of extra fabric for an important project. Now I have leftovers that are not quite enough to make something. What was I thinking? Disappointing fabric. Ordered online for a planned project. The fabric arrived and was not as expected. Many reasons for this category. Could be color was off. Or fabric hand was wrong for the project. Or stretch was not as described. Or just looked/felt less lovely than it did online. Ugh. Disappointing purchase. What was I thinking? Seduced by type of fabric or designer . Example. Sale on silk. I love silk. This is reall...

Is there any style more elegant than a classic sheath dress?  For years I could not wear a sheath dress because I found few in petite sizing. Once I started sewing, I could make the styles that I want. TNT McCalls 7085 Sheath dresses are comfortable to wear and easy to sew. I often get asked what are my favorite patterns for making a sheath dress. I have a few. Only two are currently in print:  Butterick 6624 has lovely princess seams. I've made this pattern up in stretch cotton sateen and denim with lycra. McCalls 7085 has great shaping with darts. I've made this up in cashmere, wool, cotton sateen, batik and silk. I've sewn both in different hem and sleeve lengths to get very different looks from a basic pattern. A number of my very favorite patterns are now out of print but can frequently be found on Amazon, Ebay and Etsy. Here are my favorite out of print patterns for making a sheath dress: OOP McCalls 7714 This pattern has a straight and a-line skirt options. I've...