This week is the start of a whole new online series and the theme revolves around the many reasons people start to sew. There are so many stories behind that very first stitch!
How about you? What led you on the path to sewing? Do you remember what got you started? For me it was the simple desire to create clothing that was different from what everyone else was wearing, and the ambitious goal to fill my closet with custom made, one of a kind creations. From start to finish, I reveled in the sheer joy of making garments from "scratch." Beginning with trimming the pattern tissue and ending by stitching the final hem I enjoyed both the journey and the final outcome. Throughout my teen years I would often come home from school and whip up something new and different to wear the next day. Of course I had many other interests and activities growing up but sewing always yielded such tangible results. I wish I had a photo library of each and every piece. Some would be inspiring and some would be good for laughs but they would all tell a tale of many happy hours in front of the sewing machine!
In this new series you'll see many designers and educators share their own passion for sewing and generously share the tips they have developed along their own personal path. The beginning of our sewing journey may start with something big or small, from important life events like weddings to the desire for designer style clothes, the need for creative costumes, disappointment with ready to wear, special occasions, the need to outfit babies and children, the list goes on and on! This series explores these pathways to sewing and many more. Topics include:
How about you? What led you on the path to sewing? Do you remember what got you started? For me it was the simple desire to create clothing that was different from what everyone else was wearing, and the ambitious goal to fill my closet with custom made, one of a kind creations. From start to finish, I reveled in the sheer joy of making garments from "scratch." Beginning with trimming the pattern tissue and ending by stitching the final hem I enjoyed both the journey and the final outcome. Throughout my teen years I would often come home from school and whip up something new and different to wear the next day. Of course I had many other interests and activities growing up but sewing always yielded such tangible results. I wish I had a photo library of each and every piece. Some would be inspiring and some would be good for laughs but they would all tell a tale of many happy hours in front of the sewing machine!
In this new series you'll see many designers and educators share their own passion for sewing and generously share the tips they have developed along their own personal path. The beginning of our sewing journey may start with something big or small, from important life events like weddings to the desire for designer style clothes, the need for creative costumes, disappointment with ready to wear, special occasions, the need to outfit babies and children, the list goes on and on! This series explores these pathways to sewing and many more. Topics include:
- Sewing For Babies & Children
- Let’s Dress Up
- Distinctive Style
- Costume Fun
- Wedding Bells
- Cosplay
- Sewing For People Of All Abilities
- Stepping Out
- Sewing 101
- Decorating At Home
- What’s Trending?
- Fashions & Fit
- Sewing As A Business
Angela Wolf opens the show with an adorable little girl's dress you can sew on the serger in no time flat! Speaking of flat, in this episode you'll learn how to flat lock a hem so you can lace ribbon through the "ladders" that form on the right side of the fabric. You don't need a high-end serger for this technique. An ordinary three thread serger stitch with a few tension adjustments will produce this decorative and functional effect. Angela used the Brother 5432 PRW model. This has got to be one of the most affordable yet full featured sergers ever invented. It has self threaders for the needles, a large extension table for bigger projects, plus a free arm for serging tight spaces. Watch as Angela guides you step by step to making this cute little dress. Next up she shows a quick way to sew spaghetti straps on the serger. This method is a longtime a favorite of mine for making camisole straps out of nylon tricot. The slippery fabric turns easily and in mere minutes you have perfect skinny spaghetti straps.
Sewing for little girls is something I have enjoyed for many years as I watched my many nieces and great nieces grow up. I developed a version of this T-shirt dress that several nieces have worn. Here is a photo of a favorite style I turned into a popular serger class years ago. I like to start with a white undershirt from the boys department, add machine embroidery to dress it up, attach a fabric skirt gathered on the serger, and then finish with lettuce edging on the neck and sleeves. It takes less than an hour front start to finish. It's a darling dress that's perfect for a little girl to "twirl" around in! I thought you might be interested in making one or more yourself so I've added a Free project page to my site. Just CLICK HERE to download the instructions.
In part two, pattern designer Krista Tracy makes a trendy waterproof backpack you can use as a diaper bag or as a pool or gym bag. She has lots of tips and techniques for working with polyurethane laminate fabric, commonly known as known as PUL. CLICK HERE to view fabric options from a favorite online resource, Fabric.com. They have a great selection of solid colors. I must admit I have not sewn with this fabric but I need a new swimsuit storage bag for traveling. Krista has given me the confidence to take the plunge! Excuse me while I pop over to fabric.com to purchase a piece of yardage. I'll share my results in a future blog. Let me know if you have sewn with this fabric. What did you make and what did you learn along the way? I'd love to hear you share your sewing stories!
CLICK HERE to go watch Episode 1001. It's available online until Friday April 1st at noon.
RSS Feed