Bold, vibrant colours are a defining feature in the art of British abstract painter Sir Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017), a powerful means of conveying his innermost memories and emotions. “Don’t paint the thing itself,” he wrote, “paint the effect it produces.” He often brought dazzling shades of red like Firecracker Red into his paintings, laid liberally…
FS Colour Series: FIRECRACKER RED Inspired by Sir Howard Hodgkin’s Hot Fire
Let’s be honest—finding a sewing pattern that perfectly matches your measurements is pretty rare. And that makes sense! Every body is unique, fit preferences vary, and each pattern brand uses its own sizing system. If you find yourself falling between sizes, you’re not alone. But the beauty of sewing is that in these situations, you…
What if you could challenge the expectations and societal structures permeating all aspects of life, big and small? Examine, question, and reconstruct your interactions and experience with the world and community around you? These, and questions alike, are the foundation of what author and serial entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid sets out to help women resolve through…
The Riva Trousers are such a classic cut. They are a straight leg design with a mid-rise height. I have made them before exclusively in linen, both the shorts style and full length style. I’ve even sewn them for commissioned projects for dear friends. So this FS Premium Pattern has gotten its use for sure….
Born and raised in Scotland, I grew up surrounded by tartan, a pattern associated as much with kitsch Scots traditions and nationalist tartanry as punk rebellion and goth subculture. Despite this complicated duality, there’s no denying that tartan is interwoven with the history of Scotland and Scottish identity. Yet it is also a worldwide phenomenon…
One of the most empowering choices I make in my sewing and adjacent crafts practice is to track and analyze data. Every year I keep a robust spreadsheet that contains detailed information about each project. At the year’s end, I ask myself, What stories are here? What do I want to know? I then use…
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do. Hi, I’m Courtney—sewing pattern designer, wife, and mom to two little ones. I’ve loved creating ever since I was a little girl, and that passion has only grown over the years. Why do you sew? Sewing was modeled to me by my mom growing…
Tell us a bit about yourself. I grew up in the south with a father in finance and a mother who was a chemist so how I ended up in fashion is still kind of a mystery. I did grow up around multiple generations of women who sewed, crochet and quilted, like most of us…
Since launching her eponymous fashion label in 2009, French designer Olympia Le-Tan has earned a cult following for her whimsical, playful and artisanal approach to making accessories. From the outset she has been producing stylised ‘storybook bags,’ hand-woven clutch bags in the same size and shape as limited-edition books, featuring ‘covers’ with references to pop…
Starting a new sewing project is always exciting. But there is nothing more frustrating than running out of fabric halfway through… or ending up with scraps that aren’t quite big enough for anything useful (trust me, I’ve been there! I have a whole drawer full of pieces like this). If you’re working with a commercial…
One might say that tartan runs through my veins! I’ve always had a deep and personal connection to the Scottish Arts. Growing up with a bass drumming dad, I was surrounded by kilts, bagpipes and Highland Games. From a very young age, I was completely mesmerized and hooked. Since the age of three, being fitted…
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into sewing? My name is Antigoni and I live in a small town just outside Athens, Greece. I am an engineer by trade and I work (from home) as an AI/speech expert in a research institute. I have always been a crafty person,…
Fashion in the late Middle Ages was an essential tool for marking one’s social status, with the more opulent and impractical denoting those of higher rank and nobility. Art of the era can tell us much about the types of clothing people wore, and what those garments said about their position within society. Notably, art,…
There are certain garments that I never intended to sew myself. We all have them- the “no fly” zone of patterns. For some, it’s bathing suits or basic tee’s. For me…it is athletic clothing or loungewear… like a bathrobe. But here I am – sharing my completed robe experience! I recently made the Capucine Robe,…
I think often cotton poplin invokes the image of dress shirts and preppy clothes. When I was asked if I wanted to review this fabric, I was excited. I love to try think outside the box to what might be thought to do with fabric. I have used a lightweight cotton poplin before and its…
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