Writing my THREADS article

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I got to write an article for THREADS. It is in the current issue, click here to buy it!

It is basically about being frugal. My mother taught me how to make garments using much less fabric than the pattern calls for. It is a fun challenge and is something I do all the time. I HATE to have tons of left over fabric ... so wasteful.

​The funny thing is ... to write this article and to be able to make all the "in progress" samples needed I had to buy LOTS of extra fabric ... sigh.

Here are the patterns and fabrics I chose. Since some of the garment sections will be made of two pieces of fabric cobbled together, I wanted one to have a print to match another one a plaid. AND one needed to be using expensive fabric.

It is possible to sew and save ... just takes a little planning.

This is how I planned out my pattern layouts.

This is how I presented the layouts I used to the editors at THREADS.

I don't know how other people do it, but the only way I can get a perfectly matched plaid seam is to use LOTS and LOTS of pins. 

I poke the pins exactly where the machine needle is going to go and don't pull the pin out until the needle is on i's way into the fabric. Yes you do have to sew carefully and have extra machine needles on hand.

I hope my article gives people ideas how to manage with less fabric and figure out a way to "make it work" ... as Tim Gunn would say.

Let me know if you read the article. I am open to any and all comments and criticism ... always trying to improve