Corset Month: create bespoke Corsetry

Corset Month!! This was one of the biggest Sewing Pattern and Kit releases I had managed to date, it took me months of prep and sampling to be happy with. The Corset Kit has a re-usable graded Pattern for a Victorian inspired Over Bust Corset, with an Instruction Booklet which covers every aspect of making up the Corset including tracing …

Enlarging Vintage Patterns and Using PDFs

I’d like to talk a little on alternative methods of Patterning i.e. Scaling up Vintage Patterns either from a print out or book or dealing with PDF Patterns. The internet presents rather an enormous resource for free Patterns, if you know how to deal with them. Often they are simply illustrations with measurement guidelines and it is intended that the …

Pattern Month!!

I am declaring September to be Pattern Month! I’m starting to teach Pattern Cutting Classes, and in response to suggestions made by my wonderful followers I am going to be blogging alongside my classes with tutorials, advice and information, give-aways and competitions, reviews of and interviews with independent Pattern Companies such as Grainline Studio, By Hand London and In House Patterns to …

50s Couture Summer Dress Pattern

My Sewing Group and I are going to start making up Tap Pants, or Petti-Pants this evening, so I have just been searching online for free patterns- there are so many out there! (I would recommend proceeding with a search only if you have some pattern knowledge as many of them need re-sizing or adjusting however they are limitless)- and …

Notions: Herringbone Stitch.

Illustration from McCalls Sewing in Colour, 1960.  I know this seems complicated but I use Herringbone Stitch for all my hems. I first got taught this technique when I was working at the- now sadly closed down & sold off for parts- BBC Costume Department in West London. The reason it was being used on costumes was twofold… firstly it …