For sewing enthusiasts, wool is a fiber that inspires creativity and rewards effort. It offers boundless opportunity, as it is available in knits and wovens, blends and pure options, and…
Boiled wool jackets and coats look sensational—and expensive. Their textured fabric is timeless and lends itself to silhouettes from body-skimming to full and swingy. With boiled wool, you can create…
Editor's note: For the Huon Dress pattern by Muna and Broad, author and designer Leila Kelleher includes the holy grail of frock design features: sizable and secure side-seam pockets. What…
Every holiday season, Threads suggests gifts intended to celebrate and share your love of sewing. Whether you are shopping for yourself or a friend, there are thoughtful choices to consider,…
The crotch curve is often referred to as the saddle of the pants. It is where your body “sits” within the pants, and the correct fit along the curve is…
For many men, finding a button-front dress shirt that fits correctly can be difficult. If a shirt fits at the collar, the sleeves may not be the correct length, the…
I’ve always liked the idea of tracing patterns without seam allowances, marking the seamline the old-fashioned way with tailor’s chalk. But I also like cutting folded fabric and having precise…
Gloves have long been useful to needleworkers. Originally, gloves were used for warmth: They kept fingers nimble in poorly heated homes. While they still serve this purpose, gloves and hand…
Pillows are a great way to learn—or brush up on—essential sewing skills. That’s one reason a pillowcase is often the first project assigned in a sewing class. Even though pillow…
Sandra Lee Chandler, owner of Sandra Lee Design, feels grateful to have made sewing her profession for four decades. She inspires others through live and virtual lectures and workshops, television…
Give delicate lace fabrics an edgier application and incorporate them into more hard-wearing and functional styles. It’s easy to do by applying lace overlays with cutaway “reveals” along construction seams.
Q: I have been a Threads subscriber for many, many years. I’d like to ask: How do I adjust a pants pattern for knock knees? —Marie Brookes, via email A:…
The alpaca’s fleece is one of the most sought-after fibers in the world, with characteristics similar to cashmere. The fiber is soft, light, and lustrous. Fabrics made with it are…
A style reminiscent of the 1950s, this wrap-front dress is fitted through the shoulders, bust, and waist and flared from the hipline to the hemline, which ends just below the…
Sew inset lace appliqués onto a solid-colored garment with cut-away “reveals” around all the construction seams. This large-scale inset lace appliqué technique makes the lace appear to frame the garment’s…
Whether you’re a novice or experienced sewer, you’re likely to make garments with a straight waistband. This traditional style is not contoured to your waist; the pattern is a plain…
Women’s coats in the 1920s tended to have a simple silhouette. A prevalent style was a roomy, surplice-front wrap, often with a single-button closure at the left hip. This intriguing…
