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The Jo-Ann concept store is a great start for satisfying a new generation of sewists, but I think the retailer could go further. Here’s how the big-box craft store could level up for garment sewists. […]
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Tracing sewing patterns is my least favorite sewing task. There, I said it. Tracing sewing patterns is a tedious, and I almost always lose steam on a project during pattern tracing. But, I am a committed member of Team Trace (vs. Team Cut That Stuff Out). By tracing sewing patterns, you preserve the original pattern, […]
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Sewists: We’ve got to talk about gifts for sewing lovers. If you’re not a sewist, buying gifts for sewing lovers can be tricky. That’s why I wrote this guide of 53 (!!!) gifts for sewers and quilters. I want to make it easy for our non-sewing friends, family, and colleagues to choose amazing gifts for sewists. […]
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Here they are: my first pair of jeans! They’re the Mia jeans from our British friends at Sew Over It. I’m DELIGHTED with how they turned out, my sewing homies. […]
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How many times have you heard that sewing is cheaper than therapy? I am pretty sure I see that weekly in the online sewing community. This quip inspired me to explore sewing for depression and anxiety. […]
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Where do you stand in the knits vs. wovens battle? And which do you like to sew more? Let’s compare the two types of fabrics by looking at two dresses. […]
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There’s a new sewing room setup in town, my stitching friends! After years of talk, I finally made over my sewing room. It’s optimized with chic new IKEA furniture (there’s a new IKEA in my town, so how could I resist?), and the result is an airy and highly functional sewing space that practically begs me for quality time. […]
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The Lucent visor from Pattern Fantastique is a piece of work, and I mean that in the best way. When I showed it to the hubs, he called it my “bonnet,” but quickly added, “It’s a cool, modern bonnet.” I’ll take it! I refer to my Lucent visor as my “urban bonnet,” in homage to the urban sombrero on “Seinfeld” — except the Lucent visor is no joke. […]
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Boy, it’s been a minute since I sewed a Big 4 pattern! I bought Simplicity 8379 in summer 2017 during one of Jo-Ann’s infamous 99-cent pattern sale. The voluminous side draping (aka, the manta ray “wings”) and minimal pattern pieces (dress, neck binding, and armhole binding) intrigued me, so I thought, “What the heck. Get […]
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I love a sewing magazine. So when I spied the March 2018 issue of La Maison Victor sewing magazine at Jo-Ann, and it jumped in my cart. (That happens with a lot of things at Jo-Ann, ha ha.) […]