When I first started sewing, the indie pattern world was a lot smaller—think elastic-waist pants, puffy sleeve tops, simple dresses, the occasional jeans and not much else. Fast forward to now, and we’re spoiled with choices, with new designs dropping practically every week. It’s exciting to see how far the home sewing community has come,...| the thread
As always, the FS premium Printed Pattern arrived at my house neatly in a tube with a separate box of fresh folded linen full of potential. No matter if you’re a beginner or a pro, this delivery is a super exciting moment for any sewist. The Charlie Pattern comes with 6 items 2...| the thread
If you want to conceal a zipper, or you’re looking for an alternative to an invisible zipper in pants, shorts, dresses, or skirts, consider using a lapped zipper technique. A lapped zipper can give an even more tailored look to your project. Installing a zipper this way might sound intimidating, but I want to share...| the thread
Put simply, drape refers to how a fabric falls and behaves when worn. It can range from stiff and structured to soft and flowing. Drape plays a really important role in shaping the look and feel of a garment. You could sew the same pattern twice using two different fabrics, and depending on the level...| the thread
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During the artist’s so-called Berkeley years, from 1953-1966, American painter Richard Diebenkorn captured the fresh, invigorating air of California with his own inimitable brand of intuitive brushstrokes and playfully vibrant colour schemes. Throughout these years the oceanic blue of the Californian sea was a recurring feature in his art, whether depicting ocean views seen from...| the thread
I’ve been wanting to experiment with hand-painted fabric for a while now, and once I decided to try it out, the next step was finding the perfect base pattern. Enter: the Bruna Shirt. I tried out this pattern collection a couple years ago and was immediately impressed. It’s simple, yet thoughtful details make the finished...| the thread
Ease is the difference between your body measurements and the finished garment measurements. It’s calculated using a simple formula: Finished garment measurement — Body measurement = Ease Ease plays a crucial role in how clothes fit, feel, and function. It determines whether a garment feels comfortable and moves naturally with the body, or feels too...| the thread
RED OCHRE linen has the enveloping warmth of terracotta, a rustic colour that seems drawn from the ground like Italian tiles or dry earth parched by the sun. Yet for painter Frank Auerbach this shade of red, along with sandy yellow and burnt orange, reflects the mood and surroundings of his home in London, with...| the thread
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into sewing? Hi! I’m Shreya, and I’m based in Austin, Texas with my husband and two enormous cats, Juno and Plato. My background is in economics/consulting, and I now work in people strategy and development. I’ve always loved working with my hands! Growing up,...| the thread
Renowned Australian Aboriginal artist Emily Kam Kngwarray (1910-1996) was one of the 20th century’s most remarkable artists, and a current large-scale retrospective at London’s Tate Modern pays homage to the depth and breadth of her legacy. She worked with predominantly with batik, and later acrylic painting on canvas, producing fantastically intricate and brilliantly colourful marks...| the thread
Grading is the process of creating different sizes from a single base pattern or block. It doesn’t alter the design itself but instead scales the base pattern up or down to accommodate a range of body sizes, such as going from a size XXS to a size 4XL. This allows a single design to fit...| the thread
In the eerily quiet world of Andrew Wyeth, warm, rustic shades of brown play a pivotal role, colouring broken tree stumps, shadowy interiors, or mounds of dry, crumbling earth. His barren, haunting paintings captured the raw and honest simplicity of his home town in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and his summer home in Cushing, Maine, throughout...| the thread
At 19 years-old, Mindy Pelz found herself relentlessly exhausted. Undeterred after an initial diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome that could take years to recover from with no known cure, her mother brought her for a second opinion with a holistic doctor. Under the doctor’s guidance, Pelz was able to fast herself out of fatigue’s spell....| the thread
A few years ago I stumbled upon a jacket by the company Flainer. A floral print quilted jacket, on a black background. I’ve been dreaming of this jacket for a while. When the Fabrics-Store created a glorious line of Cotton Poplin, in a print that exudes still life floral paintings à la Jan Davidsz de...| the thread
After making the Capucine bathrobe, I was really excited to make the Capucine pajamas because I knew they were going to be excellent in both quality and feel. I also knew this project was going to work my brain a little harder to achieve the similar thorough details and steps that I worked on with...| the thread
Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m Isabelle, I’m French, half Korean through my mom, and I currently live in France. As a student, I lived in the US for a year, in China for a year, and I worked in Berlin, Germany for three years before coming back to Paris right before Covid. What’s...| the thread
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...| the thread
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Queen of frivolity and excess, Marie-Antoinette led Rococo fashion with huge, poufy hairstyles, enormous pannier skirts and all manner of decorative frills, feathers and bows. The Austrian-born royal was thrust into the heart of Versailles from a young age, and quickly learned how to dress to impress as the country’s new Queen. Often portrayed throughout...| the thread
I had recently been part of a pattern tester team for a beautiful barn jacket that a designer friend of mine put out. I live in Florida, and we only see truly cold temps every few years, so my opportunity for wearing more than a light jacket paired with a sweater doesn’t happen often. At...| the thread
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If you’ve already read Part 1 of this tutorial, you will hopefully have a good understanding of when blending between sizes on a sewing pattern can come in handy. Let’s get into how to actually do it. In this Part 2, I will walk you through the basic process using a few different examples. I’ll...| the thread
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...| the thread
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...| the thread
