In some areas of a garment we may want substantial support and we need to figure out a way to create that structure with interfacing. We want that structure to not compress, squish down or lose its shape over time.   We don't want that interfacing in the seam allowances though because that will make them thick and bulky.  The choice of structure in a collar for instance, could be something ..read more

Once I have fused all the fabric and it is cut out, the pieces need to be marked. The style lines need to be seen from the right side of the fabric and some areas need to be stayed to prevent stretching out. Since we are in the fashion fabric, that means most of the marking is done by hand. This coat will come apart after the fitting, so it is essential to have everything marked beforehand.Here ..read more

 Getting to the fitting stage.I was going to get one fitting for this costume. Seven years ago I made mock ups for the first fitting because a lot of decisions get made at that stage, ones I could not anticipate, and it is much easier to correct for fit and allow for design decisions when you aren't cutting into expensive fabric. Mock ups save time- mostly in sewing time, because putting together ..read more

Isn't it funny how when you are busy you can find more time to do things than when you are not busy?  Four months flash by.....I was working, but boy things feel strange theses days. I need to get back to my posts about making my coat and my thoughts on pattern drafting for women. but I am ignoring that right now and talking about something new.Anyway, onwards and upwards.I received a call mid ..read more

To continue with my coat adventure, I thought I would step back a little and look more closely into the pattern development.I usually draft for men, and the process is direct as in I draft a shirt, or a waistcoat or a jacket from scratch. Tailoring doesn't start with a basic block, but women's wear does; a basic block is drafted and all the subsequent patterns are derived from the basic block. So ..read more

 Time seems so fluid these days, I can't believe a month has passed since I last posted.  I was thinking the other day about how the pattern making process is a mystery to a lot of people.I don't take the process for granted, yet I am at a different vantage point regarding pattern making than the average or even experienced home sewist.  I have almost 30 years of experience doing this, intensive ..read more

It seems that spring is here, and it is time to switch out the winter clothes for something slightly lighter. That makes me remember that I had another lockdown project I can tell you about. I made a coat for myself. I still have the first coat I ever made for myself, way back in the early 1980's. It was a Vogue pattern, I believe, I bought the fabric at Duthler's in London Ontario- they had nice ..read more

     I have been trying out some new things this past year of Covid woe. For someone like me who is used to having problems to solve on a daily basis, this year has been a challenge in the absense of a sense of purpose and accomplishment.    One of the things that I am using for a brain exercise, is learning some new things on the computer. I have been seeing so many patterns by Indie designers ..read more

 On this International Women's day, I want to acknowledge all the fellow women I work with, and have worked with over the years.Women who are tailors and seamstresses, cutters, dyers, milliners, craftspeople. Women who make jewellry, and boots, who dress the actors, stage manage the shows, buy the fabric, make the props, sell the tickets, manage the patrons, run the facilities and do a lot of the ..read more

      I am sure that it is something many people already know, but for me I am not routinely inserting zippers into coats, but when you need to do it, you figure it out and get on with it. This sample represents a coat with a centered zipper, an offset facing, and has a Peter Pan collar. It was also quilted, but that is neither her nor there really, just an added layer!Step one. My pattern is ..read more