Okay, so there is a little background on choosing Ami. I look for vintage elements in contemporary patterns, something that I have started doing more of, influenced by my love of vintage clothing. I look for vintage clothing when I thrift. The adventure that comes with thrifting can be such a rush. It is one…
Pattern Review: Classic Pants with a Vintage Twist in Earthy Linen, Thoughts?
New York based textile designer and artist Caroline Kaufman takes a free-wheeling, experimental approach to creating textiles, working in an improvisatory way to produce surprising and unexpected results. She is perhaps best known for her recent, wildly complex tufted textiles, which play with madcap colour schemes and zany patterns to produce functional rugs that look…
This tutorial is to support the collar instructions in the Capucine Pattern booklet starting on page 27. Transfer the collar pattern marking to the fabric. Then mark a stitch guide line 2” up and 2” over from the dot marking with a fabric chalk or pen. Note: The line along the collar is 1/2” from…
As a pre-teen, I would cut out images from fashion magazines and create new outfits in a notebook. I made sure they were complete looks; shoes, accessories, you name it. Glowing, I would brag about how I could make better outfits than the fashion editors did. Fashion evolved into painting, then into graphic design, which…
“No artistic success has given me such satisfaction as the sight of a peasant or a worker buying a length of material designed by me.” Liubov Popova Russian Constructivist Liubov Popova was a force of nature, expanding her creative ideas across painting, theatre set design and textiles. But many would say the bold, graphic power…
I think finding your sewing machine can be a love story. When I started sewing, I used a machine that was borrowed from the costume mistress at my ballet studio. It was a pipe dream of mine to own my own sewing machine and so I absorbed all the information that I could. She said…
This tutorial is to support the facing instructions in the Ami Pattern booklet starting on page 39. The blouse and facing should look something like this at this point. On the wrong side of the blouse, mark a line 1/4” from the center folded edge with a fabric pen or chalk. With the wrong side…
As summer winds down in the Northern Hemisphere and we collectively mosey (or for some of us, beeline) towards all things plaid and pumpkin, I decided instead to purchase what one friend called the “loudest” fabric I’ve ever picked to make the floral Fall pullover of my dreams. Moving to a new city back in…
I moved to Los Angeles three years ago after living in Boston for over a decade. Over that decade, this California native learned what winter was, how incredible wool is, and that jeans are NOT the pants I want to wear when it’s humid out. IYKYK. But one of the things I miss most about…
San Francisco based fibre artist Josh Faught makes visceral, tactile artworks that weave together multiple references: craft, sexuality, gender and queer politics. Working with weaving, knitting and crochet, his widely varied practice is almost always sculptural, whether hung onto the wall or strewn across wooden supports. While embracing traditional craft techniques, Faught also pushes his…
This tutorial is to support the instructions for installing the zipper found in the Charlie Pattern booklet on pages 69-71. This tutorial uses dark blue thread to clearly show stitching. Be sure to use matching thread when sewing your Charlie Pants. At this point, the pants should look similar to this — waistband sewn on…
In recent months, I’ve really been trying to break out of my sewing comfort zone. I love florals and neutrals, anything with ease and elastic, especially a flowy dress. I’ve lately made a lot of bright colors from new patterns and silhouettes that have challenged me, so when I got my hands on some of…
The Akira Wrap and Pants made with Mahogany Rose Linen are the most luxurious of loungewear. My daughter Anna was delighted when I said I would make this set for her. With this pattern there are two top options, one is the wrap and one is a cardigan which we chose to make. The difference…
Eileen Fisher and her eponymous namesake brand have never been trend followers. From fashion mission to environmental mission, Fisher has long been a trailblazer of what are now prolific buzzwords – minimalism, capsule wardrobe, sustainable and ethical fashion. Founding her namesake brand in 1984 for just $350, Eileen Fisher stepped away from stints as a…
This tutorial is to support the placket instructions in the Charlie Pattern booklet found on pages 36-39. Dark colored thread is used in this tutorial to clearly show the stitching. While sewing your Charlie pattern, be sure to use thread that closely matches the fabric. After cutting out the pieces, it can be helpful to…
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