Have you heard of a dressmaker’s yard? It’s the best thing since a baker’s dozen! Have you gone to a big box fabric store and puzzled at the amount of time a clerk spends stretching your one yard of fabric right to the 36″ line? Then you get your fabric home and lay out your …
Here is the answer to the often-asked question: where do I find cord for baby/mini piping? First, a note for beginners: the Wrights pre-made piping sold at big box fabric stores is too big for heirloom sewing. The cord inside is two thick and the fabric is to too stiff. You’ll want to make your …
I decided to try pintucks on a plain top I made for myself out of black rayon challis. I was inspired by one of the fabulous costumes on either Downton Abbey or Peaky Blinders. Can’t remember which one. I know – two TOTALLY different shows. But the costumes! Anyway, here’s how I did it. I …
Lace insertion is one of those charming heirloom details that looks intimidating. But it’s really easy! I love using heirloom techniques with modern style. It’s like sewing a vintage-modern mashup. For this project, I kept it simple and just added one vertical lace insertion to each of the sleeves. It’s a hacked up version of …
First of all, it seems like a contradiction to say that I love the energy of the slow fashion movement. But: Slow fashion; fast movement. Have you heard about slow fashion and now you’re wondering what it is? At the heart of slow fashion is its counter to consumerism, i.e. conscious consumerism. Because when you …
Jump in and get started! I love this pattern by Children’s Corner. The first smocked bishop I made was a vintage pattern from the 1950s and I had to modify it to work with a pleater. The Children’s Corner Bishop is designed to work with a pleater or you can pleat by hand. The Children’s …
The Lee Dress for Princess Charlotte The Children’s Corner Lee dress is perfect for a Princess Charlotte pattern hack. Children’s Corner patterns have been around for quite a while . The decades of experience is evident in the quality of the pattern. There are a lot of long-time Children’s Corner fans in the heirloom sewing …
Go make the Betty Dress! The Betty Dress pattern is by Lisa Comfort and her company Sew Over It based in London, UK. I love these vintage style patterns. If you have ever wanted to sew with vintage patterns, you should definitely check out Sew Over It patterns. Many vintage sewing patterns don’t have markings …
How can you tell how old a dress is? Have you ever been to Taft, California? Probably not. Downtown Taft spans about two blocks at most and has one landmark worth noticing: an old Fox theater. Hamburger stands are the best choices for dinner fare. But you can’t beat Sno White’s fries and a good …
Discovering a Silk Velvet Regency Gown (or the Venus de Milo Dress) Read More »
