Stabilizing Seams
Some seams need a little extra TLC to prevent them from stretching out and losing its shape, or to give the seam extra durability. Some examples of areas that you would commonly reinforce are armholes, necklines, bias seams, or areas like the shoulder that bear the weight of the garment.
Show and tell: A vintage drafting workbook
My amazing intern, Anna brings fascinating things to show me each time she arrives at the studio. The other day she brought along the most beautiful collection of vintage pattern drafting workbooks that she acquired online. They are exercise books created by a woman who attended a drafting school in Italy in the 1950's. The pages are as delicate as crisp leaves, and the care that went into making them is just admirable. I wanted to share a few pages because they are just gorgeous.
Gail's sewing spotlight
MADELEINE SKIRT
I love Gail's punchy red version of Madeleine and I think it looks lovely without suspenders. She's got the hot librarian thing down pat!
Shibori Stitch Resist
One of my passions is textile design. I don't get to do it enough these days, and I was thrilled to be able to take a natural dye class at The Workroom taught by Julie Sinden, a fantastic textile artist. This course blew my mind!!! I'm fascinated by process, and how people have figured out how to do the intricate techniques involved in so many crafts, so this class was right up my alley.
New Studio : The View From Up Here
I’ve finally moved into my new studio! I'm so happy to be here. I already feel so much more productive, and while this place is slowly getting organized, I’m managing start work on some new designs. It’s a bit too soon to show you around the space, but in the meantime, I took some rooftop photos to show you the view from my building.
Fancy Seams tutorial
The type of seam that choose to sew can not only make a garment look beautiful from the inside out, but they can also enhance the life of a garment, as well as your pride in what you've made. This little guide will give you a basic rundown on a few seam finishes starting with the basics, and then we'll get into the fancy stuff! I'll give you some pointers as to when to use each seam finish. When you make clothing with beautiful seams, you'll be so much happier wearing it!
Thread drawings by Amanda McCavour
I was taking a stroll down in the Junction, a beautiful neighbourhood in Toronto, when I came across a store window installation that glowed with a fluorescent green light, and which made my jaw drop! Hanging from the ceiling were hundreds of beautiful and delicately sewn snowflake like medallions.
Presenting the New Victory Patterns Line Up!
Hi, I’m Kristiann, and I’m super excited to present my first line of patterns today! This has been an intense labor of love over the past year, and I couldn’t be more excited to share this with you!
The Smocked Honeycomb Skirt Tutorial
I'm sorry to say, but I'm no knitter. However, I always wish that I had a project I could take with me on the go. This is one of those transport friendly projects if the size of fabric isn't enormous. The technique is called direct smocking, and you can apply it to home decor, clothing or accessories.