One time a boyfriend put together High Tea for me on February 14th. I nibbled on pastries while wearing a tight pink velvet dress I made. Sometime later, in between High Tea and breaking up with him, he told me he didn’t like my dress. The hope of enjoying that dress again after hearing that…
All posts by Sarah Kirsten
Here’s the situation so far. Valentine’s Day. I think I’ve had about three years of feeling terribly lonely, two years of awkwardness with boyfriends I quickly decided I needed to break up with, 26 years of feeling indifferent, and the crown jewel, one year of exchanging silly valentines puns while a gentle romance unfolded. So,…
Rotary Cutter For many years, I was not into the world of rotary cutting. And for many years, I was a great fool for not being into the world of rotary cutting. It’s better, altogether better. The cuts are more crisp. It’s faster. The fabric isn’t as prone to distortion when cutting through multiple layers….
If you have a bit of extra fabric and want to make something equally whimsical and practical, might I suggest a ruffle tote? Here’s how to do it! Step 1: Select some lovely linen and cut out the tote bag pieces. I used midweight signature finish linen in Evergreen. Ruffle – two pieces 4” x…
A few years ago, my brother flew home for his annual winter visit. Shortly after he arrived, we sat around the fire drinking Chamomile tea together. Maybe it was the hardship of the year, or maybe it was the reality of seeing parents and people getting older that made him say, “We should make Christmas…
Four years ago, I found an old brick house that had been a rental property for years. The realtor wasn’t convinced this was a good house for me because it needed so much work. It was a winter day when we first visited, but the yellow sunshine streaming in the big windows made the house…
If you’d like a little extra puff in your sleeve, it just takes a few extra minutes and steps to make it happen. This tutorial uses the lovely free Eva pattern from Fabrics-Store with the 3/4 sleeve option with an extended hem. Let’s jump in! Steps 1. Make a copy of the sleeve pattern out…
Backstitch Backstitch is a short reversal in the direction of stitching used at the beginning and end of each line of stitching to keep the threads from unravelling. Bartack A bartack is a line of tightly stitched, tiny zigzag stitches. It’s used to reinforce seams in strategic places where there is going to be extra…
A few years ago, I started to play with quilting clothes. The first few pieces turned out less than ideal. I didn’t know the paths to avoid the foibles of quilting. But after a few playful experiments and failed garments, things started to fall into place. I’ve put together this tutorial to share the things…
This tutorial is to support the waistband instructions in the Mykonos Pattern booklet found on pages 70-75. To start, make sure all the waistband pieces are cut and the fusing is applied. To make the upper waistband and inner waistband, match the right (AA) and left (AB) waistbands together into two pairs. Sew each pair…
Act One: A Failure in Kindness One time I had to ask the local sheep shearer to come to shear my family’s flock. He is notoriously difficult to work with. Several experiences with him in the past led to me not look forward to making this phone call. Mother and I were so anxious to…
This tutorial is to support the fly zipper instructions in the Mykonos Pattern booklet found on pages 66-69. Apply a 5/8” strip of fusing to the wrong side of the Left Front Pant (Q). Apply the Front Fly Fusing (AD) to the wrong side of the Right Front Pant (P). Fold the fused portions to…
This tutorial is to support the welt pocket instructions in the Mykonos Pattern booklet found on pages 60-63. Position the Welt Opening Fusing (AG) on the wrong side of the pants using the Back Pocket Template (AH). Apply fusing with an iron and transfer pattern markings. On the right side of the fabric, transfer all…
This tutorial is to support the neckline placket instructions in the Cameron Pattern booklet found on pages 27-35. This tutorial uses dark blue thread to clearly show stitching. Be sure to use matching thread when sewing your Cameron. To get started, make sure the interfacing is applied to the wrong side of all four neck…
This tutorial is to support the dart instructions in the Nico Pattern booklet found on page 23. Transfer the dot markings from the Front (Piece A) to your fabric using your preferred method. This tutorial uses small red dots with a fabric pen. Fold the upper strap down to align the dart edges with wrong…
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