Indiesew's Blog

A few weeks ago, Leslie from  Threadbear and I traveled to LA together for an overnight trip. I was excited to reconnect and show her what the LA Fashion District and  overstock fabric were all about. When I source fabric in LA, I typically travel alone, in one day. But having another apparel sewist and pattern designer on my sourcing trip was an incredible asset. And this fabric batch, Texture, . . .

March is such a weather and mood rollercoaster – particularly when you live in the North. Much like Spring break, a palate cleansing knit project is the perfect antidote to weather and attitude fluctuations.  A quick and easy knit project in a refreshing color provides a brilliant transition from winter to spring. For my palate cleansing knit project, I chose two knit tee dress patterns: the . . .

Between making them for my son, husband, and myself, I’d say sewing shirts is one of my favorite projects. So it was such a pleasure to write up this post for Shirt Month —and, finally find the shirt for me. Read on for my new favorite, the Willamette , plus five tips for sewing your first shirt!         I’ve tried a handful of collared shirts over the last year but none of them were quite what I . . .

We’ve all been there—you finish your latest make and, with excitement, throw it on. You immediately feel “oh so fancy” and couldn’t be more proud of your new me-made essential. A few weeks go by and you realize you haven’t worn it since. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?  For me, every time I wear something I create—like this buttonup—I want it to feel special. But no shirt can hold up under that much . . .

Today, we're super excited to take a quick break from Shirt Month to introduce you to the 2019 Indiesew Contributor Team! A few weeks ago, we introduced the 2019 Indiesew Blogger Team , and we're over the moon to introduce nine more women we'll be working with this year. You might be wondering how the Contributor Team and the Blogger Team differ. Our Blogger Team is exclusively sewing bloggers, . . .

One of my very favorite ways to finish a button-up shirt or shirtdress is with a bias-bound hem. We thought  #shirtmonth was a great time to bring you this tutorial! My mother was the person who taught me this trick; for curved hems this is her go-to process. And while she typically makes her own contrast bias tape, I always lean towards the store-bought variety. Either way, the finished result . . .

It's week two of  Shirt Month 2019 and we're so excited to see how many of you are participating in the  #shirtmonth event on Instagram. It seems that nearly all of us have a  button-up shirt or  shirtdress on our to-sew lists this year! Today I wanted to bring you a tutorial on block fusing interfacing. Over the past few years, I have found this technique to be incredibly useful in shirt-making, . . .

One of the reasons I love sewing button-up shirts and shirtdresses is that there are so many choices for fabric. You can use a crisp cotton shirting for a traditional look. Choose a drapey rayon crepe for dressed-up attire. Or go with linen for a casual look. Structured or flowy, the fabric you choose for your handmade shirts and shirtdresses will have a big impact on the final garment. Below is . . .