At the ripe ole’ age of 32 and after an almost-ten-year career in teaching, I have recently (and shockingly) found myself in corporate America. While many of you have been walking these fluorescent-lit hallways since graduating from whatever business or engineering program you attended, this is my first foray. I had masterfully dodged these stodgy…
Pattern Review: Sol Set in Heavyweight Linen
When we speak about natural dyeing, it is in reference to dyeing natural fibres of which there are two categories: Plant & Animal. Plant fibres are cellulose-based and cover anything that comes from a plant or the earth such as cotton, linen, hemp, nettle etc. Animal fibres are made of protein and include anything that…
My favorite sewing machine is the second machine I’ve ever worked with. When I was 15 years old, I was given a pretty basic Singer machine by my mother – completely unprovoked. Unsure why I received this machine, I started making simple alterations to my hand-me-down clothes from my sister, but I don’t remember much…
Alex Katz has a crisp, cool, and minimal way of capturing modern life, conveying it with breezy, airy brushstrokes and simple, vibrant colours. From early in his career, he has painted the small, yet enjoyable moments of life as they unfold around him; people at parties, his wife in the snow, buildings glinting at night…
With some warm-weather travel upcoming, I’ve been thinking about sets that can mix and match easily. Sets offer versatility while keeping packing light. A monochromatic outfit will also look effortlessly put together and elegant. The Fabric Store Sol pattern is beautiful, including pants, a “cardigan,” and a tunic. I was immediately drawn to the sophisticated…
Pioneering Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz was a true force of nature, whose daring, provocative sculptures pushed textiles and fibre art in bold and unexpected new directions. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s she worked exclusively with weaving, producing vast and all-encompassing sculptures, called Abakans (a nod towards her surname) that were 5 or 6 metres high,…
As many of you have been asking for advice on how to adjust our patterns for bustier ladies, we thought we’d kick off this new year with a tutorial on how to do a Full Bust Adjustment (FBA) and add a bust fitting dart to dartless patterns. If you’ve been following our blog, you might…
Throughout her long and varied career, American Abstract Expressionist and Colour Field painter Helen Frankenthaler often worked with pale, pastel pinks like CRYSTAL ROSE, letting them spill out across her paintings and prints in fluid, watery stains. With these cool, pale hues spread out across vast stretches of canvas, paper, wood or board she invoked…
There’s something really lovely about working with scraps, especially when they’re soft linen scraps. I love improv-sewing shapes together and whenever I do these kinds of projects, I tell myself to keep going and make more (curtains, pillowcases, shirts, dresses, skirts), but then I clean up my giant mess of thread and fabric pieces and…
Award-winning textile artist Ekta Kaul has a deep-rooted connection to her Indian heritage, which she brings to her London-based practice today. In her hands, India’s Kantha stitching is a deeply tactile means of telling stories, weaving together references to history, place and belonging with tightly bound, intricate passages of thread on indulgent fabrics such as…
This chutney is the main component of Patra Ni Macchi (featured above, look out for the recipe next month), but with some creativity, it’s easy to transform into a dip, a sandwich spread or a delicious accompaniment to a meal. When I was a kid, my mum used to give me this chutney sandwiched between…
American Abstract Expressionist painter Mark Rothko spent his lifetime mastering the emotional impact of colour, playing with how varying intensities of hues, built up in layer upon layer with his distinctive feathered brushstrokes could infuse his paintings and prints with the depths of our raw, exposed feelings. Vivid shades of sunshine yellow like EMPIRE YELLOW…
Slowly I’ve started to spill out bits and pieces of my wedding and dress sewing journey on my social media – things like location (San Francisco!) and potential fabric choice (glittery sparkling tulle!). Our wedding takes place this coming May so I’ve been obsessing over all planning details and it seems like the to-do list…
Self-proclaimed “damage detective” Celia Pym has made darning into a lifelong artistic practice, one that reflects on the close, intimate relationship we form with the clothing in our lives. She has an uncanny ability to transform once tatty, moth-eaten sweaters, careworn socks and even silk costumes through a deliberate and visible act of nurturing repair…
One of the small luxuries of life is having me-made rustic linen tea towels draped about in your kitchen. One on the counter underneath drying cups and bowls, one hanging on the stove handle to lift the hot pan off the stovetop, one tucked into your waistband, serving as an apron while you bake. When…
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