A tower-style sleeve placket is used on men’s shirts, but some of the women’s shirts also use this same type of placket. I think it is suitable when you want your shirt to have a more masculine, strong, powerful look. It looks a bit intimidating, but like any technique, with some practice, you will be […]
When it comes to a seam that conceals all raw edges, French seam and Hong Kong seam finish seem to be first that come to people’s mind. But I think the flat felled seam deserves equal accolade. Flat felled seam is, well, flat. Unlike French seam and Hong Kong seam, there is nothing that sticks […]
Someone requested that I write about sewing a dart. This is not a topic I think about writing, so I appreciate feedback from you all. I use this method *most* of the time. As you can see below, there’s some limitation. But we don’t have to go into all the other scenarios now. We will […]
You may encounter a project where thin, skinny, fabric loops will be required—spaghetti straps, button loops, waist ties, shoe laces or whatever. These loops are usually made of fabric cut on the bias, sewn together with right sides together, and then are turned right side out. There are many ways to turn loops, way more […]
I have been admiring the strong and beautiful back welt pockets that store-bought trousers/slacks have. They are different from the (single) welt pocket that you find in the front. They are also different from what we usually see in sewing tutorials. What’s different about them? They are attached to the waistband in the back and […]
Does this ever happen to you? The pattern calls for 5/8″ buttons, but you see some 3/4″ buttons that are just PERFECT with your fabric of your shirt? What do you do? Let’s be honest, sometimes I just slap the 3/4″ buttons on, making the buttonholes longer, and call it the day. No one can […]
I always thought the positions of button and buttonhole are pretty self-explanatory. But more than one occasion, I have seen buttons that were placed a bit too close to the edge of a garment. I haven’t seen anyone discussing the topic in a blog post, so I thought I could contribute a little to the […]
I know that some ladies intentionally show their bra straps for some garments they wear, but it’s very annoying to me when my bra straps peep out of my clothes without my approval. One way to combat this disobedient behavior is to sew on a bra strap holder. There are actually no-sew solutions out there […]
Even though my favorite zipper is the invisible zipper, occasionally, I’d venture into other types of zippers for different looks. Today I want to go over how to install a lapped zipper with facings. Many tutorials out there go over the installation of the lapped zippers using different techniques, which are fine and dandy. However, most […]
In the previous post on Hong Kong seam finish (Part 1), we talked about the basic of making a Hong Kong seam finish, and now we are going to something more advanced: how do you finish a princess seam allowance using the Kong Kong finish technique? Because of the curves involved, typically a princess seam is […]
The Hong Kong seam finish is an exquisite seam finish. Being a person originally from Hong Kong, I am not aware how this name came to be. In fact, if you mention Hong Kong seam finish in Hong Kong, I bet everyone will stare at you like you are speaking gibberish. I imagine you’d probably receive a similar […]
I love my Tierras Woven Joggers. Once you got the fit tailored just right for your body and preference, you can make many pairs in no time. You can also get fancy on these; one of the ideas came from the beautiful and talented Camelia of Calcedonia Sewing—ankle-zipped joggers. I love that the zippers are […]
