Sewing School Scoop - Volume 2

My sewing teacher shared a tool with me at Sewing School and I was like OH I've seen this before.

I showed my Husbie the photos and he was like OH it's the little thing you attach to your cowboy boots.

And I was like, YEEHAW no way.

Things I've learned lately (NOT a Buzzfeed Listicle, mind you) at Sewing School:

1. You can transfer markings and dart shapes using this little Cowboy Tool! My teacher said to me 'How do you do darts without this?' and I replied 'By sight. And putting my finger where the point of the dart is.' She tutted and shook her head. OOPS. But, while I think I can buy this little Cowboy Tool on the best Chinese online shopping world Taobao, I can't get that green transfer stuff here. Actually, I might ask Adey if she's seen it in Singapore, as that's where my teacher got it from. Both look VERY useful! Do you use them?

2. I usually sew VERY far away from me... I don't know when or how this habit developed, but at school, Teacher Muriel was like "bring the machine closer" and I was like "it's got a sharp needle and it could go in my finger". But I've become brave, and now just sew slower. It actually helped my invisible zipper sewing this week (I finished the Sophia Dress By Hand London last night), getting a little closer to the action. Maybe time to check our sewing ergonomics (is that what this is, leaning forward and sewing with arms stretched out to the machine - that's too far away?)?

3. Finishing a little crop top for a girl (who it's for is kind of unknown because it needs to be someone with a small head) is quick and easy. And I learnt a diffo facing technique, sew shoulders on both pattern & facing, sew SIDES of both pattern & facing, turn the facing to the outside at the lower arm side seams and pin and then sew as high up the armhole as you can right sides together... then you just topstitch it all after you flip it all to the inside... it's pretty damn quick to do. I just had a google and couldn't find the right terminology for this kind of technique, I'll check with my teachers next week.



4. Spending time to measure yourself, find the correct pattern piece to your size (I'm in between size S & M on the Couture Nomad Manado Dress) and then trace your special in between size using some supremely gorgeous tracing paper (not the kind you use in the oven, like I'd used before - EEP)... it's all so relaxingly lovely! Sewing School is the best! Perhaps this is best because there are very large tables of a great standing height (no leaning over the dining table) and there is no children at Sewing School!

AND, I learnt:

 5. That I could browse and hold all Teacher Catherine's sewing supplies all day long:

Look at her lovely ceramic pattern holders (looks like handmade glazed ones! I'll have to ask her) and the lovely pink measuring tape.

I'm usually a little in love with all the vintage stuff from the sewing world, and recently looked at Madalynne's 'The Way Sewing Used To Be' to reminisce about the time 5 years ago that I'd reminisce about the thrifted sewing gear I used to have.  I have a lot of it in storage, but I did part ways with a lot of cool stuff, that I thought someone like me would find in the op shop and just go WOW so beautiful and vintage and old. I got so many great sewing scores from the op shop, so I felt like donating things back so others can enjoy them too.

Anyways, I'm still VERY happy with my sewing classes, they're just perfect and as you can see, I'm sewing my own stuff during the week as well, putting what I've learnt into practice. I just love it.

Have a good rest of the week doll faces!

xo