After releasing the Work-from-home pattern bundle a couple of weeks ago, I received a few questions from people unsure about sewing with knit fabric. I completely understand the feeling and I used to be really nervous myself to sew with knit fabric. But, with some practice, knits can be really fun and easy to sew. Over the years, I’ve created a bunch of blog posts and videos with tips for sewing knit fabric. I’ve compiled them here along with links to my favorite books about sewing with knit fabric. Read on to learn more.
101 Ideas for using fabric scraps
Scraps can often be one of the biggest struggles for sewists. We spend so much time selecting and caring for our fabric, that it can feel sad and wasteful to just throw the scraps away. I’m very passionate about sustainability and creating less waste so today, I’m sharing 101 ways to use your scrap fabric. There’s a whole slew of ideas, organized into categories, so that you can skip to the section that sounds most fun to you.
These projects run the gamut from quick and fun to more involved and labor intensive. Where applicable, I’ve linked to existing tutorials on my blog. Otherwise, you should be able to find a tutorial via a quick internet search. Or, let your creativity run wild and create your own pattern.
Sewing Tall Pattern Company Roundup 2019
Pattern companies all design for different body types, proportions and heights. Which, I honestly think is awesome. Every person’s body is so different in so many ways that no one pattern is going to fit every body perfectly. But if you find a pattern company that is a little closer to your shape from the get-go, then it might alleviate some fit struggles and mean fewer adjustments that you’ll need to make.
When I decided to resize the Lou Box Top pattern a few months ago, I also decided that it was time to start designing for a height of 5’10”. When I first started, I wanted my patterns to be accessible to an “average” height and I guess basically fit in with the standards. But as the years went on, I felt like there was a real hole in the sewing pattern market for tall sewists. Initially, I had been worried about backlash but decided to go for it anyway. (I was definitely inspired by this episode of A Coffee With Makers with Amy Nicole.) I am very pleased to report that I have not received any negative comments about changing the height of my patterns and have heard from a few tall sewists who really appreciate it.
So, for today’s post, I’m rounding up a few #sewingtall friendly pattern companies that I recommend. Let me know if there are others that I should add to the list. I also recommend checking out this list of pattern company heights and cup sizes from Chuleenan.
Sewing Tall Pattern Companies
Sew DIY 5’10” (that’s me! Not all of my patterns have been updated yet but I’m about half way there.)
Burda Tall 5′ 9 1/4″
*Megan Nielsen 5’9”
*Colette/Seamwork 5’8" for misses and 5’9” for curvy sizes
Named Patterns 5’8”
Honorable mention to: (“tall” is pretty relative after all)
Threadbare Garments 5’7”
In the Folds 5′7″
*To get super technical, these pattern companies use a fit model who is 5’9” or 5’8” but don’t specifically state that they design for a certain height. Personally, I still need to add length when I use their patterns but I am 5’11”. I also really like both Megan Nielsen patterns and Seamwork patterns so that extra bit of height built in might be why.
And if you happen to be petite (or just sew for one), check out SBCC Patterns who designs for 5′ 1″ and Amy Nicole Patterns who designs for 5’4” and under. Please let me know if there are any others that I should add to the list. I really would love to hear about them and try them out. Happy sewing!