When it comes to sewing machine maintenance, knowing how to clean and oil your sewing machine is something everyone who owns a sewing machine should know. That’s not to say you shoud never be taking your sewing machine to be serviced, but maintaiing the health of your machine at home will mean less damage to …
I recently made a DIY corset top for my Drape & Contour for Beginners course, which teaches beginners new to draping how to drape a bodice block, skirt block and corset style top. I show the process of designing the DIY corset top using a larger sized adjustable dress form and in May this year …
Leather is a natural product being a type of material (not a fabric type) that is made from the hide of animals. As it is a natural product, you’ll find that it will vary in both color and texture from one animal hide to another. Leather is also susceptible to damage, especially from sunlight and …
If you’ve ever worn an item with stretch factor in the fabric, chances are that you’ve worn elastane. But what is elastane and how does it differ from other stretch materials like spandex and lycra? And is elastane toxic to wear or perhaps sustainable? That’s what this article is about! What Is Elastane? Elastane is …
Have you ever wondered how many different types of socks there are? Or when the first sock was created? For such an integral part of our clothing, the humble sock is often overlooked. Which is why today I’m going to share with you a history of the sock, as well as a variety of socks …
Today I’m going to show you how to draft a sailor collar pattern, which is a collar type inspired by the uniforms worn by sailors. Who’d have thought it? This collar style is classified as a non-convertible collar type – you can learn more about collar types here! – and is an easy enough collar …
I’ve got a lot of fabulous sewing tutorials on the website which will help anyone new to sewing get started, but for those who are a little more practiced and want to know how to sew high quality clothes I thought a quick guide covering some more professional sewing tips was in order. These are …
We all know that time is money. And owning a fashion business usually means that your business’s income is limited to the amount of time you have available. Sure, as your business grows and you increase the number of employees or outsource manufacturing further afield you personally have more time, but you also have more …
Who ever thought we creatives would actively be *wanting* some stay-at home business ideas? And yet, since the pandemic started back in the spring of 2020, a significant number of people around the world have had to start working from home. While not everyone has enjoyed being home 24/7 alongside their partner and / or …
At my last count Lisa Johnson was a woman with more than six recurring revenue streams. She is a woman who attracts people to her with her consistent refusal to conform to what the online-business world likes to dictate – in my words: an MLM-like pyramid scheme based on exploitation and a lack of ethics. …
It’s been a long time coming, but I recently spent time at an exhibition, something I haven’t done in several years due to the worldwide pandemic. The exhibition was ‘Viva La Frida’. Featuring many of the garments worn by Frida Kahlo as well as some of her most famous paintings, the Frida Kahlo exhibition in …
Gabardine fabric is a type of textile with a twill weave and is used heavily in tailoring. It can be woven with natural fibres such as cotton and wool, or as a blend. It is viewed as a durable fabric. Historically, gabardine has been used as a fabric for garments since the 15th century. With …
I’ve just added a free side seam pocket pattern to my shop, and thought I should show you how to sew the side seam pocket using it. This is a great tutorial for you if you need to add an inseam pocket to the side seam of pants, a skirt or a jacket – so …
We’re continuing with the pocket tutorial series, and today we’re focusing on the accordion pocket, which is also known as a bellows pocket or a cargo pocket. The tutorial is quite in-depth as this is one of the fiddlier pockets to create so you can either follow along with the photo steps or scroll to …
There seems to be some confusion when it comes to welt pockets in the sewing community and while I would love to state that a welt pocket is not the double lipped variety that people seem to think it is, the confusion is partly down to geography. A traditional welt pocket (in the UK at …
Another tutorial in my pocket tutorial series, this jet pocket tutorial will guide you through the process of creating one of my favorite pocket types! Also commonly referred to as a double welt pocket, the jetted pocket is an inset pocket where both edges of the pocket opening are bound. Similar to the way bound …