Category: Dressmaking
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What is interfacing? (and why do I need it in my sewing?)
Interfacing, interlining and linings all sound very similar, and it can therefore get a bit confusing when you first discover them, especially as these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. But they do all serve a slightly different purpose, and your sewing will improve dramatically if you begin to understand and apply them to best effect.…
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What is interlining, and why do I need to use it in my sewing?
We’ve all done it; fallen in love with that beautiful fabric because of its colour or print, but then when we come to use it in our dressmaking, disaster! It curls up as you try to sew with it, or is too bulky, or creases the minute you touch it. And your finished outfit has…
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How to use the button hole foot on your sewing machine
Of all the different feet that can be attached to sewing machines, I think the button hole foot may be one of the most intimidating. Its usually fairly big and bulky, and may not instinctively make sense as to what you are supposed to do with it. But its also really handy, and can speed…
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How to shorten a flared skirt: gathering method
Like many things I write about on my blog, trying to tackle a curved hem when I first started dressmaking left me feeling frustrated and defeated. The hem would always pucker, and I’d never be able to avoid tucks and kinks no matter how hard I tried to keep it neat. But I have since…
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8 Reasons You Should Transfer Your Sewing Patterns
Exciting as it is to buy a new dressmaking pattern, and keen as we always are to just get sewing, it always pays to take some time to transfer your pattern onto a separate piece of paper first. Yes, it delays the point at which you can start sewing (never an appealing thought), but you…