Matching thread color with the color of the fabric is a crucial part of hemming a dress. One helpful hint is to choose a swatch of material the color of the dress and use that as a guide when purchasing thread colors. It’s possible to hem a dress either with a regular needle and thread or with a sewing machine. The next most important step in how to hem a dress is determining dress length before hemming. Measure the dress length from waist to hem. [click to continue…]
As you begin your search for the perfect wedding gown, you’ll notice one thing right away: the wedding magazines are full of photographs of slender models with perfect smiles wearing a gown that, aside from being gorgeous, can cost the moon to own. Not everyone has a Hollywood stars’ budget to spend $10,000 or so on her wedding gown, but every bride has the ability to get a similar look! Here are some suggestions how you, too, can get that designer look without breaking the bank. [click to continue…]
A great 1960’s A-line dress …just like the one “Jackie O’ might have worn while she was at The White House. It may fit or maybe it needs to be taken in a little. The color is great but maybe a little faded in places. What’s this…a small hole…maybe a moth bite?
All these things may happen if you choose to purchase a used vintage dress from your local vintage store. I love vintage clothing and vintage stores, don’t get me wrong! [click to continue…]
Are sewing patterns copyright free? The simple answer to this question is no, although what you are allowed to with your sewing pattern will vary depending on the pattern itself and the company that made it. [click to continue…]
Today most colors are produced chemically in great quantities from coal tars or aniline, oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, and many other organic and inorganic substances, giving a tremendous variety of many more brilliant hues than were possible in the past.
THE MEANINGS OF COLORS [click to continue…]
Sewing is a well-known craft that dates back to olden times. Its beginning stemmed from as early as the Paleolithic age. The advancement of sewing machines had made sewing procedures much quicker and simpler. There are various stitches and methods used. [click to continue…]
When dress designer Brenda Betalia of BB’s Salon (of Savannah, Georgia) goes to work on a custom-made dress, she thinks first of her vision by using Ott-Lites in her salon.
“You’d think that with the economy the way it is right now that custom dress-making would be a business that was struggling,” says Betalia, “but it’s not.” Betalia explains that since the economy began to slow down, more and more customers who used to buy only at the designer label houses are now coming to her to customize dresses and suits for them. “Many of my customers are looking for a local American dressmaker to get the tailored custom look they want without worrying about haute couture prices. Some actually have told me that they are now only going to buy American.” [click to continue…]
In many cases, the wedding dress is obtained from a shop. The bride will browse the internet for styles and shop online. They could also walks down the street and pick designs from bridal shops. It is very consistent and fast to obtain a wedding dress this way but there are shortcomings as well. The design may not exactly fit the desires of the bride. She may want to do little modifications on the dress may these can also interfere with the original design. Again, a dress may be too big or to small or not just fit right because the designer did not take the original measurements of the wearer. So many brides will lie o have dress sewn by their dressmakers. [click to continue…]
Visitors to Marrakech will be stunned by the beauty and the richness of Moroccan craftsmanship, which occupies a crucial place in Moroccan society. Moroccan crafts reflect the rich culture and history of this country. Traditional hand dressmaking in particular is one of the most attractive areas representing the creative skill and savoir faire of Moroccan craftsmen, who have signed their positive and effective contribution to the development of this art in preserving its original style. [click to continue…]
For generations the art of dressmaking has been passed down from mother to daughter. Over the last few decades though this once proud tradition has begun to fade away. With the rise of worldwide markets and textile manufacturers that offer cheaper and better goods, the need for home sewing has all but gone away. Nonetheless this is still an art form that we need to teach our children even if it does not seem as relevant today. [click to continue…]