SewLSC

  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...

Silk Georgette Gown  Silk is wonderful to wear but it can be tricky to sew. These are my favorite tricks when sewing with silk (based on experience with silk chiffon, silk charmeuse, silk dupioni, wool/silk blends and silk jersey): (1) Be sure to have a very sharp rotary cutter and/or scissors. When I sew with silk I always sharpen and/or change blades. Silk slips. A lot. So sharp tools make precision cutting easier. (2) Use a presser foot designed for a straight stitch. (3) If that is not adequate, use a presser foot designed for slippery fabric. I use a plastic roller foot. I've tried my walking foot but I find the walking foot cumbersome when working with slippery fabrics. (4) Start with a fresh needle. Sharps needles work best. (5) Use a fine needle. I typically use Schmetz universal size 70/10 (6) If the fabric is really fussy when cutting, you can tame the silk by laying a piece of tissue paper over it. (7) Press with LOTS of steam. Finger pressing with a stea...

Linen Jumpsuit I love linen. It is soft and comfortable. But linen wrinkles. Badly. There are ways to prep the fabric prior to sewing so linen will wrinkle a bit less. A tip I learned from Sandra Betzina was to iron linen fabric with a very hot, dry iron BEFORE washing the fabric. After ironing, put the machine wash the linen in very hot water. Tumble in the dryer on the highest heat setting until the linen is completely dry. The linen will shrink during this prep ... but the shrinkage will create small, soft folds in the fabric rather than the typical stiff creases that give linen that badly wrinkled look. After sewing the fabric, machine or hand wash in cold water. Hang dry on a wide hanger immediately after the wash cycle stops. Or tumble dry on very low heat taking care to remove the fabric from the dryer as soon as the machine stops.  The results: less wrinkled linen. Magic. Happy Sewing!

  Did you know that bust darts often need to be moved? I did not. I thought I was sewing my darts poorly until I learned the issue was not how I finished the darts but where I put them that was causing my garments to have fitting drags. Typically, I now know that I need to lower my busts darts by about 1 inch, and I need to shorten the top of the fishy eye darts by about 1 inch in most darted dresses or tops. Lowering bust darts are actually common adjustments needed for older women as the commercial pattern companies assume a perky B cup when drafting. Many women find the apex sags lower as we age. Bust darts should point to the apex of the bust. If yours do not, like in these examples, you may need to move the bust darts. To calculate how to move the bust dart, I compare my measurements to those on the pattern piece. In my case, my apex is now about 10 inches from the shoulder seam and about 6 inches to the natural waistline with 6 inches from apex to apex. Tha...

L Looking for a stylish way to repurpose leftover fabric?  Wondering how to make a dress that can have multiple looks depending on the weather? A dickie is a perfect solution! It adds a polished look to your outfit while making use of fabric scraps. You can quickly turn a scoop neck dress into a dress with a toasty warm collar. Here’s how to make a wool Dickie from leftover fabric in just a few steps: Materials Needed: Scrap fabric Tape measure Pins Sewing machine or needle & thread Optional: Hook and eye closure Instructions: Measure & Cut Drape a tape measure around your neck in the shape you want your dickie to fall. Cut a square with sides equal to this measurement. (For a more fitted look, use a slightly smaller square.) Finish the Edges To prevent fraying, finish the edges with a rolled hem using a serger or a narrow hem on a standard sewing machine. Shape the Dickie Fold the square in half diagonally to form a triangle. Wrap & Pin Wrap the triangle around your ne...

  This project is my second entry for the Pattern Review bag contest. I have never sewn with leather before. I had some small pieces of leather gifted to me years ago that I never used. I thought this would be a good time to learn how to sew a leather bag and use up stash. This is the 5th bag I made with this pattern. This month. The first three were muslins made from upholstery fabric gifted to me from my grandmother, may she rest in peace, when she was reducing her stash. The fourth was a mystery fabric that may be "pleather" or vegan leather. This final project accomplishes my goal of sewing a leather bag, although I have no idea what type of leather. This was a small hide. Photos: 1. Front of Bag 2. Back of Bag 3. Sewing details: added interior and exterior pockets, darts for shaping 4. From hide to bag 5. Comparing new and old bags Pattern Description: Simplicity Bags in Four Styles by Elaine Heigl Designs 9803 Slouchy lined bags have indie style. ...

This project is my entry for the bag contest. It is the 4th time I've now sewn this bag. This month. The project is also part of the January 2025 Pop-up Sew-along: Nothing but Stash and a part of my yearlong commitment to the 2025 Fabric fast and 2025 50 Yard Dash . I've never made a handbag before, and I wanted to use this contest to learn how to do so and to duplicate a bag style I love.   Reversible Ergonomic Bag Worn as Healthy Back Bag I made three wearable muslins for this project: • V1: S9803 Sling Bag made with Upholstery Scraps  with Matching Makeup Bag and Matching Coin Purse • V2: S9803 Sling Bag w/ snap front pocket also made with Upholstery Scraps • V3: S9803 Reversible Sling Bag w/ zipper front pocket made with Blue & Printed Denim Scrap The project was made to replace a favorite bag that I used for years until it finally fell apart. The lining was torn and soiled. The hardware of the bag was broken. My cobbler told me to get a new bag. You can...