Sewing * Handmade * Eco-Conscious
I want to start making an effort to video and share some tailoring & alterations tutorials with y’all. I figured I’m doing this stuff all the time for clients anyway, might as well turn it into some great and helpful content for the blog! This one is a big one that can seem quite scary, so when I had to do it for a client recently I made sure to video the process to talk you through it.
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As a short person, I am often hemming my pants. Sometimes I will even leave a pair of jeans a little long because I like the way they look with a turned up cuff. This habit has taught me that exposing my ankle makes me look more polished and dare I say a bit taller? I also really love the look of the weight of a turned cuff rather than a simple hem.
Today I am going to be sharing my tutorial of how to get that clean cuffed look without showing your seam allowances. This is a permanent cuff method that will leave your pants cuffed at all times and keep you from having to constantly roll them up.
As a new sewist, zippers can be quite scary. But they don’t have to be! Invisible zippers can really add an element of professionalism to your project. They keep your garment closed but cannot be seen from the outside. Might sound tricky to instal, but hopefully this video will demystify it a bit for you.
In sewing garments there are several different ways to finish your seams on the inside. It is a true labor of love to make your handmade garments as pretty on the inside as they are on the outside. Plus a well finished seam will extend the life of your handmade garments.
Confession: This is not something I have to do often (i.e. never). However I am often shortening patterns which follows the same basic steps. I wanted to focus on adding length in this tutorial because with my own pattern line (coming so soon I can’t believe it!!!) the patterns are drafted for petites. So I wanted to make sure all my tall ladies have ample instruction for adding length to their Amy Nicole Studio sewing patterns. Watch this short video to find out how its done!
Following all those pesky dotted lines when cutting out patterns can be stressful. Luckily many pattern companies these days (including mine!) have formatted their pdfs with size layers. That means you can easily “de-select” all sizes except you own. So when you print your pdf you are only looking at one line to cut from. It cant get any easer! Often this saves you time as well. You do need Adobe Reader to use this feature so be sure to download it here. And watch this short video on how to de-select layers once you’ve opened your pattern in Adobe reader:
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When you are a solo sewist, measuring yourself can be tricky. Sure, you may have a spare family member around who could possibly help, but they don’t always know the ropes. And what about all those times you are home alone and ate too many cookies and need to re-take your measurements for this new pattern came out that you have to start RIGHT NOW. (… just me?)
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Everyone has there own way of doing things. Today I’m sharing how I print & assemble PDF sewing patterns in this handy little video. I’d like to tell you I’ve gone through a lot of trial and error developing this super special method, but to be honest this is just the way I’ve always done it. I find it saves on time & tape – two things I hate wasting.
This is a great project for all those too-big-for-you sweatshirts you’ve been hoarding. Whether they are from your high school ex or your 80’s memorabilia collection, sometimes you love the design or the sentiment behind a sweatshirt but they are just too frumpy for out-in-public wear. This tutorial will help you turn an oversized sweatshirt into a trendy sweatshirt tee with cuffed sleeves and a high-lo hem.
If you follow me on instagram I hinted at doing this tutorial a little while back and well… here it is! One of my many side gigs is doing alterations for the locals in our small town. Recently I had a rush of bridesmaid clients and this is the second time I’ve had to do this particular alteration so I figured it would make a nice tutorial.
This particular alteration is helpful when you need to let out a dress in the bust/torso area but there is no room in the seam allowance to do so. One solution would be to find a matching fabric and add panels on the sides. But rarely is it possible to find a perfect match and this solution does not always look great. If the wearer is up for it, I’ve found a great solution is to add a corseted back in place of the zipper. This gives the wearer adjustable breathing room and doesn’t look like an awkward addition to the dress.
Want to see how its done? Keep reading!
