All posts filed under: Tutorial

How to print & tape together a print-at-home pattern

One of the most wonderful sewing innovations of the last decade or so is the print-at-home pattern. It’s allowed boutique, niche pattern companies (many of which make significantly better patterns than the Big 4 pattern companies) to start up with little capital investment, and it allows seamstresses to think of a project, find a pattern that they like online, and have it instantly – without having to go out to a store, and hope the store has it in stock. The printable pattern is a particular boon to those of us on the far flung reaches of the globe: not all patterns are available in NZ, and ordering from overseas can take a week or more. I often sew with very specialised patterns for vintage and historical garments, and these patterns simply can’t be bought in NZ. Being able to purchase a pattern online, print it myself, tape it out and begin cutting that very same day is AMAZING for me. I’m so excited that more and more of my favourite pattern companies are releasing …

Tutorial: How to sew flat lining

Published by The Dreamstress

One of my favourite sewing techniques is flat lining. Flat lining is used extensively in historical (particularly 19th century) sewing and couture sewing, but it’s a technique that is not frequently taught or used in modern sewing books or patterns, which is a pity, because it’s awesome, and opens up many possibilities for design techniques and fabric use. I used it to make thin, flimsy fabrics strong enough to make corsets and jackets out of, and to make bodices that shape and hide squish without adding bulk and weight. Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, flat lining is not quite the same thing as interlining. These days (according to Shaeffer’s Sewing for the Apparel Industry) interlining is used to mean the same thing to as interfacing, whereas flat lining is an underlining, and is never fused. According to the Singer Sewing Book interlining is meant to add warmth and bulk, while flat lining or interfacings adds strength and support, but bulk and warmth should be avoided. When picking a flat lining fabric, pick a …

Tutorial: How to dye leather shoes & handbags

Published by The Dreamstress

My tutorial on how to dye fabric shoes is one of my most popular posts, and lots of people have used it. I thought you might also appreciate a tutorial on how to colour leather shoes, because that can also be done. Technically you aren’t dyeing leather: you are staining it, and this is infinitely more awesome than dyeing, because it means that you can colour almost any colour leather shoe to almost any other colour. A black shoe can become pale blue, a green shoe can become pink, etc. You can also use this tutorial to dye leather handbags, and to refresh leather goods that have become a bit worn with time. What you’ll need: TRG the One Colour Dye & Preparer Leather (but NOT suede or patent leather), synthetic leather or canvas shoes or handbag. Newspaper to protect your work surface A Green Scrubby or other slightly abrasive cleaning pad Gloves (optional, but a good idea) Today, to show you how to do it, I’ll be dyeing/staining a pair of chestnut brown …