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Techniques & Tips

Sewing Pattern Envelope scan of a dress from 1955 with two collar options. Envelope back scan is overlaid on the top.

How to Read a Sewing Pattern Envelope

Invest in These Sewing Tools for Better Projects

Spring Fabric You’ll be Excited to Sew With!

Learning how to sew can be challenging. Learn what the most common problems you'll experience are and how to overcome them.

The Top 5 Sewing Beginner Problems

Anatomy of an FBA, How it works and how to perform the adjustment | Vintage on Tap, Pinup and Sewing Blog

How it Works: Anatomy of a Full Bust Adjustment

Learn how to pick fabric for clothes with this video tutorial, explaining how to approach your fabric search! | Vintage on Tap, Pinup Sewing Blog

Picking Fabric for Sewing: Essential Tips!

Drafting a facing and lining combo on a garment isn't hard with this tutorial! | Vintage on Tap

Intro to Drafting a Facing and Lining Combo!

How to Sew Bound Buttonholes through a facing or lining, video tutorial | Vintage on Tap

Bound Buttonholes Through a Lining or Facing, Video Tutorial

How and Why to Use Tailor's Tacks | Vintage on Tap

How (and why!) to use Tailor’s Tacks, Video!

Intro to Dart Rotation | Vintage on Tap

Intro to Dart Rotation, a Quick Sewing Overview

How to Sew a Corner Seam | Vintage on Tap

How to Sew a Corner Seam, Video Tutorial

How to Sew a Bias Facing, video tutorial | Vintage on Tap

How Sew a Bias Facing, Video Tutorial

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Breaking down one of the Sewing 101 topics that pl Breaking down one of the Sewing 101 topics that plagues beginners: deciphering the sewing pattern envelope! ⁠
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I deep dive on all the deets, walking through what’s been working for me for over 20 years 😜⁠
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Go watch the new video!⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #SewVoT
A little Throwback Thursday to that one time, that A little Throwback Thursday to that one time, that I got a chance to leave the city for a few days 😅⁠
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And I PROMISE I wear more than jeans and simple sewn tops! But, let's be real, it's my lockdown uniform. I'm just happy I'm wearing jeans at all, y'all. ⁠
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The Top is the Portrait Blouse (link to the pattern in my Link in Bio) with #gifted fabric from @myfabricdesigns I got several years back 🥰⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #sewinglovers #SewVoT
Do you know what sewing tools you should REALLY be Do you know what sewing tools you should REALLY be investing in? 💸⁠⁠
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It's super easy to fall into the trap of buying adorable fabric, cheap machine attachments, and a bunch of plastic thing-a-ma-bobs which fall apart within a few uses 😖⁠⁠
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But what REALLY is worth spending your hard earned money on?⁠⁠
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In this week's new video, I'll go into the things I recommend you should save up for (and *hint hint* all of you here on Instagram helped inspire this video!)⁠⁠
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Link in my bio to watch 👉🏻 Because seriously. It's sooo easy to spend a lot of money when it comes to sewing, but some things are VITAL to making beautiful clothes ✨⁠⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #sewingismytherapy #sewinglovers #SewVoT
To say that Frida is an inspiration would be an un To say that Frida is an inspiration would be an understatement 😌 ⁠⁠
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For me, it’s not the paintings she made... but rather the garments she wore and the history and meaning woven into them.⁠⁠
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She wore Tehuana-inspired dresses from Oaxaca, both to lean into her Mexican heritage but also to allow space for medical corsets and leg braces, disguising her daily pain  over 30 operations⁠ and injury.⁠⁠
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If you’re in San Francisco and love sewing, please check out the show at the De Young which runs through May 2nd. ⁠⁠
The dresses are stunning and beautiful to look at, and it’s amazing to see Frida’s stamp on traditional Mexican garb 👗⁠⁠
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I’ve linked a short article about her and her clothing in my bio from the New York Times, if you’re interested in learning a little bit more. ⁠⁠
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The show in San Francisco replicates the 2018 show of her garments at the V&A Museum, and I count myself lucky to have seen these in person 🙏🏻⁠⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #sewingismytherapy #sewinglovers #SewVoT
Holy cow, it's been 3 months since I moved from th Holy cow, it's been 3 months since I moved from the Castro 🏳️‍🌈 ⁠
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Not gunna lie, I think about it almost every day. But I think about it for different reasons every time:⁠
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🏳️‍🌈 I miss my neighborhood. When I see photos of it, or hear news of it, I miss the energy there.⁠
🏳️‍🌈 I don't miss the noise and chaos. My new home is quiet and I can sleep through the night without interruption. It's generally safer. ⁠
🏳️‍🌈 I miss seeing the old architecture-- it fed my romantic SF-lovin' soul... but I don't miss how our old building was falling apart. The roofs leaked and the floor was collapsing.⁠
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I'm thankful every day for the time I had there. I'm thankful for the memories (Albondiga lives there for me, in my heart 💖, and wow I miss her every day)⁠
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But I'm also super thankful to be in a comfortable home now. I'm very thankful for the peace of mind. ⁠
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Just wanted to share, reflecting a Throwback Thursday 🌸⁠
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⁠#sanfranciscoblogger #sewingmachine #sewVoT
ITS TIME TO GET HYPED ABOUT SPRING FABRICS 🌸!⁠
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I'm actually super excited to be working with some new fabrics, welcoming in new materials, new drape, new fiber content and all the bells and whistles 🔔⁠
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Searching for the right fabric amongst everything showing up on online fabric stores can be a bottomless pit though- so my latest video breaks down my recommendations for this time of year.⁠
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And you should watch it. Why? I walk you through the fabrics themselves, I show you examples, and I go into their applications and what sorts of garments you can make with them.⁠
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Even experienced people will learn something with the video.⁠
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Link in my bio, so you can check it out.⁠
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What fabrics are *your* spring go tos? If you've watched the video, which one do you want to use for your next make?⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #sewingismytherapy #sewinglovers #SewVoT
EVERYONE STRUGGLES WHEN THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO SE EVERYONE STRUGGLES WHEN THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO SEW! 😖⁠⁠
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It's a rare day indeed when I speak to someone with some level sewing experience who hasn't...⁠⁠
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🧵Had a project go sideways-- even if they've been sewing for years!⁠⁠
🧵Skipped over the instructions, thinking "I know better"-- only to be proven wrong (😉 has happened to me more than once!)⁠⁠
🧵Ignored their iron, or worse, rushed pressing those seams open!⁠⁠
🧵Picked the WRONG fabric for the job and ended up with a potato sack as a garment⁠⁠
🧵Selected a size incorrectly from the pattern instructions, only to find out it was 3 sizes too big....!!!⁠⁠
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All of these mistakes are common, all of them can be overcome with time and patience!⁠⁠
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Want to get past them faster? I break down HOW to work through these extremely common problems in *actionable ways* (YES) ⁠⁠
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Click over to the link in my bio and go through to the video where I talk about these.⁠⁠
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Seriously, another dress thrown into the trash because one of these tips were missed? No one wants that, especially me 😖 We should all be Stitching Our Best Life!⁠⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists  #stitchwitch #sewingismytherapy #sewingmachine #sewinglovers #SewVoT
I'm not one to have a lot of UFOs, but sometimes.. I'm not one to have a lot of UFOs, but sometimes... it happens 😅⁠⁠
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This #HarlowPajamas set has been sitting in my In Progress pile since at least October, back when I was still in my old Castro apartment. ⁠⁠
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Last night, I said, "enough!" and went ham to finish this set. And I'm so glad I did!⁠⁠
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Comfy, breathable voile, hand stitched frogs, my own clothing tag to recognize the back of the pair of pants 😝⁠⁠
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I can't wait to wear this outside with a cup of coffee or iced tea when the weather continues to turn to spring 🌸⁠⁠
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What's the oldest UFO in your sewing room? This set was at least 4 months old (my oldest at the time!) ⁠⁠
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#charmpatterns #patternsbygertie #vintageinspiredsewing #gertiesworld #sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #SewVoT
Beginner Sewing Problems sharing time: Me cutting Beginner Sewing Problems sharing time: Me cutting directly down the center front of a dress, not knowing what the Cut on Fold pattern marking meant 😅⁠
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I've lost count of the amount of beginner mistakes I've made when I was learning how to sew. Shitty fabric, not pressing a single seam, and all number of things which looking back on it I'm like... "wtf was that about?!"⁠
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There tends to be the same kinds of mistakes which crop up over and over again for beginners-- and they ALL can be overcome!⁠
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Check out my new video about this, where I break down the TOP 5 based on responses by the Vintagettes here on Instagram. ⁠
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I go into how common those mistakes are, why they happen, and give you some tangible steps for how to work through them.⁠
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Let me know if any of the tips I gave resonated with you and I'll be sharing some of those in future videos!⁠
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#sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #sewingismytherapy #sewingmachine #sewinglovers #SewVoT
This blouse was NOT easy to get right 🤪 Even wi This blouse was NOT easy to get right 🤪 Even with 20+ years sewing, it was still a mess!⁠⁠
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If you're watching my Insta Stories (which I'm sure you are, right??) then you know I had *insane* struggles attempting to get this blouse to fit correctly 🤯⁠⁠
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A few of the issues included:⁠⁠
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🤔 The darts being a hot mess after doing an FBA.⁠⁠
🤔The bust point *never* being in the right position, even with multiple adjustments.⁠⁠
🤔Even after doing an *ample* FBA, the center front *NEVEEEERRRR* matched correctly. ⁠⁠
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I shit you not-- it was a 15 hour ordeal. And I'm experienced! ⁠⁠
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There is absolutely a point where you just have to call it done and move on. And I did. ⁠⁠
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But the sewing video afterwards... *chef's kiss* ⁠⁠
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That one came together like tea and honey (or peanut butter and jelly 🥪!)⁠⁠
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Go check out the sewing walk through video, which shows you step-by-step how to stitch this vintage 1950s peplum together! ⁠⁠
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Lots of love (and 15h of fitting!) went into it, and I would love to know what you think 😘 Would you make this blouse?⁠⁠
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#vintagelife #vintagegirl #everydayvintage #vintagelove #sewingblogger #millennialsewing #sewcialists #stitchwitch #sewingismytherapy #sewingmachine #sewinglovers #SewVoT

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