Blouses, dresses, skirts, jackets, pants, shawls – you name a garment and you can make it in cotton. And you probably know all that is needed to sew with it. So one would think that this post on sewing with cotton fabric is superfluous. You may be surprised. The main reason is that cotton fibers … Read more
An Armscye (also known as arm scythe) is the curved opening in a bodice where the sleeve is joined. Armhole curve is the full curved seam line where the sleeve is sewn in (used for sleeve matching). This is armscye on a sleeve pattern. If it sounds to you like ‘arm’s eye’ it is no … Read more
Flared sleeves Step 3 Cut the short sleeves For the flared sleeve here, the sleeve is cut as 2 portions. For a more detailed post on sleeve drafting check out How to draft a sleeve A-B = Take the measure around your arm at 7 1/2 ” down from your shoulder tip. Add 1″ Step … Read more
Zig Zag stitch is one helluva versatile stitch. There is no end to the things you can do in sewing with this stitch, with its wavy zig zag lines. So, even if your sewing life can exist without this stitch (A Straight stitch is all that you need for most of all sewing), you may … Read more
A “Set in Sleeve” is a sleeve cut separately and stitched into the armhole of a finished bodice so that there is a comfortable sleeve cap ease for better fitting. The set in sleeve fits the armhole smoothly without puckers. This is the method used in sewing best-tailored clothes like formal shirts and jackets by … Read more
This post is about the most commonly used stitches you should know. Most domestic machines come with a straight stitch, a zigzag stitch, and several zigzag variations that work as decorative stitches. For the longest time, I used only the straight stitch, but once I started the others, there was no looking back. Here is … Read more