Two for one for you! Original concept for this 'one' coat was let's make it long, let's play around with mixing similar prints like color blocking (print blocking), and create shape where possible with gathering.  I did explore the original concepts and achieve them in the final long version design. But inspiration hit as the waist seam was about to get stitched on the longer version. The upper body (bodice) of the coat looked amazing on its own.  What do I do?! Do I proceed with the long or do I make it cropped? Well why not both, cause I can and because I was curious. So here are both versions for you.

During this process, it reminded me that it is completely fine to let a design evolve. Being curious is a beautiful trait. Let yourself be curious in the creative process, it will yield new and exciting results. It could also yield a disaster, but then I just let myself learn from the new mistake. In this post, I go over some of my mistakes but I cannot wait to go forward and make the next versions even better!

In late Feb, I visited Maiwa Supply Store on Granville Island, after having taught a workshop at their School of Textiles. While browsing the store, three separate black and ivory hand blocked fabrics caught my eye. Each was so different and yet they complimented each other well. I felt inspired to create something that combined these fun prints. So I did! If you’ve been following us, you might remember our Draft and Sew-a-Long series for the Tie Knot Bag. Well, we decided to take this lovely combo even further by creating matching coats!

Hand block printing is the technique of imprinting a desired design onto fabric by means of wooden blocks and is one of the earliest known techniques for textile printing. A hand carved wooden block is dipped into color trays and then stamped onto fabric, thus leaving a permanent print design. This technique is applied by use of hands only. You will notice slight inconsistencies in the print, but I think this makes it more beautiful- just like life.

As usual, there are a ton of design elements within these two coats, but I want to focus on the elements that I learned the most about and the elements you can learn from as well. Below, I chat about fake two piece sleeves, how to sew a clean seam finish, experimenting with gathering and how inspiration can hit you when you least expect it.

The sleeve appears like it has an upper and a lower sleeve, but it's all an illusion. It still has an under arm seam but I placed a back seam to provide the visual of a two piece sleeve. This back seam runs right into the placket opening and cuff area. 

Typically a placket opening is finished with a tower or a bound seam finish. But because we have a seam running right into the placket we can simply apply a clean seam finish to the full length of the seam. Never heard of a clean seam finish? To me, it is like a mix between a hemming and a seam finish. It is the complete opposite to a French seam but just as clean and beautiful. To sew a clean seam finish, follow these steps.

1.   With right sides of fabric facing each other stitch seam from top of sleeve cap                   down to placket opening notch.

2.   Press seam open and continue pressing into placket area the width of the                        allocated seam allowance. 

3.   Turn raw edge in and under the pressed open seam allowance and press the                  entire length of seam from top of sleeve cap down to bottom of placket opening          at wrist.
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4.   Edge stitch along folded edge or slip stitch down to garment. 

Gathers can be found in many areas of both coats. I wanted to really explore the element of gathers in a variety of ways. In the short coat, gathers are evenly distributed along the upper back bodice towards the yoke, but at the bottom of the back bodice, I centered the gathers just at the center back above the hem facing. I think in the future it would be nicer to distribute the gathers evenly across the whole width of the back to create more of an architectural silhouette. There are no gathers in the front of the short coat. Going forward I want to put gathers at the bottom of the front bodice to create some shape there. I have worn this coat already and it’s a bit too flat in the front.

With the long coat, I went all out with the gathers. I wanted to see how two gathered pattern pieces would interact with each other. The gathering in the front skirt section worked lovely as it was stitched to a stable bodice with no gathers. BUT the back had gathers along the waist in both the bodice and the skirt. Obvious now, but at the time I thought the gathers would hold with a secure straight stitch while sewing the waist seam. NOPE! This was not the case. I had to secure the seam with a bound seam finish to ensure the gathers would not just fall out over time. 

Another problem I ran into was along the front waist at front opening. I gathered the skirt all the way to the front opening. Do not do this if you have a fold back button/buttonhole extension. When it folds back there should be no gathers in that section to allow the area to lay flat. I still made it work by pressing just so, and hand sewing the back to gain full control over the fabric.

As mentioned above, this was done to secure the seam with a bound seam finish to ensure the gathers would not just fall out over time.

We have an ongoing love for fabric-covered buttons here at the studio. Fabric-covered buttons can add a special touch to any design and are also a great way to use up fabric scraps! You can find a button-covering kit at most fabric and craft stores.

So...initially I was only designing the long version coat. BUT midway through the construction process, inspiration hit and I had to follow. The exact moment came right before I stitched the waist seam of the bodice to the skirt section. I placed the bodice with sleeves on the dress form and it just looked so good on its own that I immediately started drafting a hem facing for a shorter version to be made. I was lucky that I had just enough fabric to cut out a second coat.

I think it is very important to allow yourself to explore and make mistakes freely. This provides you with better insight into your design aesthetic and improves your technical skills in both drafting and constructing. With these two coats, I gained a better understanding about different types of gathering and collar dimensions.

Gathering is essentially a very simple concept— excess fabric pulled together to create shape or volume around the body or in a specific area for movement (ease). As you read earlier, I experimented with different variations of gathers in different seams. Going forward, I would never place two gathered pieces together (ex: bodice and skirt) with a woven fabric. The straight stitch that connects the two does not control the gathers and the gathers will just fall out. You need to secure a gathered piece always into a solid pattern piece like a waist band or in my case; I improvised with binding the interior waist seam allowance to ensure the gathers did not fall out.

A small change I would make to the collar is the width. The collar is currently 2", which is a traditional width for a tailored shirt. However, due to the nature of the garment, a 3"+ width would sit nicer as it rolls away from the neckline. I may also experiment with adding slash lines in the collar to create a bit of flare around the collar. The wider a collar is made, the more flare is required to sit with ease around the neckline of the garment.

​Designing your own wardrobe and wearing your personal creations is an empowering experience. If you would like to learn how to draft and construct outerwear, contact us to book lessons.
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Happy Sewing!
​Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.

Welcome to part 2 of 2 on creating a tie knot bag. In our previous blog post "Draft-a-Long: Tie Knot Bag", we taught you how to draft the pattern for this design. In this blog post, we give you the step-by-step instructions on sewing your very own tie knot bag!

 Learn more about tie knot bags by reading: Draft-a-Long: Tie Knot Bag (Part 1 of 2)

Unfortunately, the rest of my 2020 workshops were cancelled due to COVID-19, but that doesn't mean we have to stop designing during this time. We hope this Sew-a-Long will provide you with some creative inspiration. If you are just joining us, see the pattern drafting instructions for the tie knot bag, found on our Draft-a-Long: Tie Knot Bag (Part 1 of 2) blog post.

You will require the following materials to sew our Tie Knot Bag. This is for the 13” width version.

• 0.40 M MAIN/SELF fabric
• 0.40 M CONTRASTING fabric
• 1 Spool of thread

This bag is fully reversible to allow for a SIDE A (MAIN/SELF fabric) and a SIDE B (CONTRASTING fabric). You will essentially be sewing two bags and having them come together around the openings. This is an asymmetrical bag. One strap is longer than the other so before you begin sewing, ensure you have four cut bag pieces. Each SIDE option should have mirror image pattern pieces of each other. Mark all notches on the wrong side of the fabric. A reminder that notches are points E, F, N and U from your drafting.

​Using the same concept as Step 4, where the right sides of SIDE A and SIDE B fabric are facing each other, pin and sew the exterior handle straps from the top of the strap down to just before the exterior side seam stitch line. Hold back any pesky seam allowances that try to creep in as you get closer to the top of the side seam stitching line. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the stitch line. You should have four seams to sew. They each separately sew SIDE A (SELF/MAIN fabric) to SIDE B (CONTRASTING fabric).

​We can't decide which version we love more! Do you prefer the small or large tie knot bag? Tell us in the comment section below. ​

Isn't it so cute?! ​Tag us in your final make on Instagram! If you want to get booked in for a digital live streaming lessons during this time CONTACT us.

The tie knot bag is a small open tote that is meant to be carried over your wrist. The name comes from its unique design. Tie knot bags consist of one long handle strap and one short handle strap. The short handle strap slides over the long handle strap, creating a knot-like closure. You then slide your hand through the long handle strap and voila! Cutest accessory ever! Tie knot bags can be reusable/washable and come in a variety of sizes. They are often used as grocery and lunch bags.

In this two-part blog series, we will share the step-by-step pattern drafting and sewing instructions to help you create your own tie knot bag. Welcome to part one, the draft-a-long.

In these instructions, we will use the starting size for a small bag which is 13” x 13”. This size yields a final bag size of 13” x 6 ½” in the main body area. For a larger size try 17” x 17” as your starting size.

A to B to C to D= Create a perfect rectangle (our example is 13” x 13”). Label each corner with A, B, C and D as illustrated.
E​= Midway of B to C (13” divided by 2= 6 1/2")
F= Midway of A to D (13” divided by 2= 6 1/2")
C to G= ½”
G to H= Measure in 1 ¾”. From H, square down a guideline to E to F line, label I.
F to J= Midway of D to F plus ¾” (6 ½” divided by 2= 3 ¼” plus ¾”= 4”). From J, square in a 3 to 4” guideline
J to K= 1”
K to L= Measure in 1 ¾”. From L, square down a guideline to E to F line, label M.
N= Midway between E to F (13” divided by 2= 6 1/2")
I to O= Draw a 45 degree guideline in the NW direction from I. Measure along guideline 1 ¾”, label O.
M to P= Draw a 45 degree guideline in the NE direction from M. Measure along guideline 1 ¼”, label P.
Draw a curved line connecting L – P – N – O – H. Stay on guidelines at L for approximately ½” and at H for approximately 1”. Level off at the center of the bag opening (M) for approximately 1”. 
B to Q= Draw a 45 degree guideline in the NW direction of B. Measure along guideline 1 1/8”, label Q.
Draw in bottom corners of the bag with a curve. Use any circular item in your home like a pot lid or round plate.
A to R= Draw a 45 degree guideline in the NE direction of A. Measure along guideline 1 1/8”, label R.
Draw in bottom corners of the bag with a curve. Mimic a similar curve you used on the other corner. You can also fold the paper along the N to S line later and use a tracing wheel to transfer the same curve.
G to S= Square a guideline down from G. Measure down a quarter of the C to E measurement. (6 ½” divided by 4= 1 5/8”), label S.
Draw a slightly curved line from S to E. You will need to draw an S style curve for a natural look. S style curve incorporates a concave and a convex curve together.
K to T= Square a guideline down from K. Measure down a quarter of the F to J measurement.
(4” divided by 4= 1”), label T.
Draw a slightly curved S style curve connecting F to T.
U= Midway of A to B (13” divided by 2= 6 ½”)

Mark Sewing Notches= Using a colored pen/pencil highlight points E, F, N and U

Draw in Grain-line= Parallel to A to D line

This completes your working pattern! To create your final pattern to use for sewing, place a blank piece of paper under your working pattern, weight it down and transfer your pattern using a tracing wheel. Ensure that you transfer not only the shape of the pattern but also the highlighted notches and grain-line. Add your desired seam allowance to the final pattern. We suggest using a 3/8” seam allowance. Draw in notches, grain-line and label as follows:
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Ready to cut your fabric? Click this link: Sew-a-long: Tie Knot Bag (Part 2 of 2)​.

Happy Drafting!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios

Our latest design has the cutest name— Jellyfish Tailored Shirt. The name was inspired by my favorite design element on this shirt, the high side seam slits with ties! The long side ties remind me of a jellyfish floating around the ocean.

​Did you know? Jellyfish is a symbol of love, acceptance, and balance. If it appears before you, it means you should have faith in your heart and follow your instincts! That's exactly what I wanted to do with this design! 

Our shirt design was reverse drafted from a white tailored shirt I bought in Tokyo back in 2018. I am obsessed with the architectural look of how the hem falls and how the collar pulls back gently to reveal a bit of the neck. 

The pattern was drafted in 2019 while I taught a Reverse Pattern Drafting workshop at Maiwa School of Textiles. I was demoing the drafting steps during the workshop. Unfortunately, this year, my workshops were cancelled due to COVID-19, but you can still learn how to draft during this time through our live streaming lessons. Contact us to learn more. 

In late Feb, I visited Fabricana in Coquitlam with tailored shirts in mind. During this shopping trip, I picked up 3 fabrics in total. So far, 2/3 tailored shirts are complete! The Jellyfish Tailored Shirt and the Rainbow Faces Tailored Shirt. Check back for round 3!

​Traditional tailoring techniques are all over this design. Below, I walk you through some of the stand out elements that make this shirt not so traditional.

Traditionally, a front opening extends down to the hem with the left and right front to be separated. Having this design only extend down the center front midway provides a more casual feel. If the placket looks familiar, it is because it is a large version of a tower placket normally seen with a cuff. Instead of a pointed tower, we opted for a square finish.

You have seen this type of button with us before in many designs. I just couldn't find the right button or snap for this top, so no choice- fabric covered buttons for a perfect match.
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Love fabric covered buttons as much as us? Check-out the these blog posts:  Tear-Away Jumpsuit, Plaid Button-Up Skirt, and Plaid Button-Up Dress.

This is what I believe makes the design unique! The lack of side seams (only 2 " from armpit) allows for mobility and the playfulness of a fabric tie. It is also the ties that inspired the name for this shirt-- Jellyfish Tailored Shirt.

Yes you are seeing double! We had leftover fabric from our Beach Vibes Tailored Shirt. Just enough to make another Jellyfish shirt. We are fairly certain many more versions are to come over the next few years. Floral perhaps?! Follow us on Instagram to keep up to date with our designs.

​If you would like to learn how to draft and construct a tailored shirt, contact us to book lessons. 
​
Happy Sewing!
​Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.

​Color is not my go-to but for some reason the color and faces on this print were just too stunning to walk away from. In this case, the fabric was the main inspiration! The energy I felt from this fabric was that we are all unique in our on way and that we should embrace our own uniqueness and that of others.

Drafting this design was not very complex as I already drafted a basic tailored dress shirt in the past. I traced out a copy of that pattern and made the following adjustments to the new pattern.

• Lengthen hem at the center front by 4" and extending down to 6" by the center back. This made for the asymmetrical hem.
• Expand center back pleat to be 3" in width to allow for more movement at the back.
• For even more movement at the back, I cut up from the hem to the top of the  back panel in two areas to create additional flare at the hem. Creating a cape-like appearance when the wind hits you just so.

In late Feb, I visited Fabricana in Coquitlam for the first time. Normally I frequent their Richmond location, but that location has been closed since Oct 2019 for renovations. I do prefer the set up of the Richmond location but it was nice to explore a new store to me. During this fabric shopping trip, my focus was on tailored shirt fabrics. I picked up 3 in total, so be prepared to see more tailoring techniques over the next month or so.

Traditional tailoring techniques are all over this design. Below, I walk you through some of the stand out elements and share a few essential button hole tips I discovered that have changed my opinion on how easy sewing a tailored shirt is.

​The only non traditional elements are the light weight fabric, extra flare in the back and the asymmetrical hem. 

After you take in the beauty of the fabric, you will notice the top stitching flowing throughout the entire shirt. Top-stitching is important in a tailored shirt as it holds each area stable and adds strength to over-worked areas such as the armhole, shoulders and back yoke.

In addition to the top stitching, french seams and flat felled seams where applied to all exposed seams in the garment. 

The term "placket" refers to any opening in a garment that opens up for the wearer to easily get in and out of in more fitted areas. Do not confuse it with the hem opening of a garment though. Typically, the placket has a closure of some sort— button, snap, thread/fabric loop, etc. A "tower placket" is recognizable for the tower like point at the top and is one of the most traditional tailoring elements found in a shirt.  If you have ever constructed one, you will know that you have to be extremely accurate in the cutting, marking and pressing of the tower. If you are off by an 1/8" it will make for a leaning tower.

I have made several tailored shirts, so I decided to inject some femininity through a few changes. Added flare to the back panel, and created a larger center back box pleat. No flare was added to the front. I think we could all use a built in cape once in a while! 

Lengthening the hem and creating an asymmetrical hem makes for more of a shirt dress or tunic silhouette as well.

Machine sewn buttonholes can be unpredictable for a number of reasons— fabric thickness inconsistency under the foot, too thick of fabric, and weight of certain areas in the garment pulling it from the sewing foot areas. BUT, it is possible! I discovered recently that if you follow these sequence of steps, your life will be easier!

• Sew the buttonholes along the center front opening prior to the collar stand being stitched to the neckline.
• Sew the buttonhole at the collar stand prior to it being stitched to the neckline.
• Sew the buttonholes along the cuff prior to it being stitched to the bottom of sleeve.

I am so happy to be collaborating with local Vancouver photographer Paulo Miguel (@paulomguel) again. More to come this year, so stay tuned and check out his Instagram page for more lovely shots. Below are our favorite shots of our Rainbow Faces Tailored Shirt from this set. Modelled on @joannazhg.

We had enough fabric leftover, and this is how we made use of the scraps! This design was drafted while working with our client Anita (@anita.early). We drafted a slip top together via her digital lessons and this was the outcome. Pretty fun we think!

This design was a real pleasure to stitch up. Our world got turned upside down very quickly with the spread of COVID-19. Sewing reminded me that we all need our therapy to help process our feelings. This design provided me with time to slow down and enjoy each stitch. May we all find joy in the little moments each day, as they do exist if we open our eyes— kinda like the faces in this design.

If you would like to learn how to draft and construct a tailored shirt, contact us to book lessons. 
​
Happy Sewing!
​Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.

Does this jacket have good jeans or what?! Spring is right around the corner, so we figured why not add some color to our ongoing Denim Jacket Series. In this blog post, we will share the bold details of our latest design— Color Block Denim Jacket.

Inspiration for this jacket came from our marketing coordinator Natasha. While on a trip to Japan in 2018, Natasha fell in love with the bold yet feminine color combos found in Tokyo. Natasha is moved by what she sees, so she wanted to create something based around her travel photography. Pictured below is the photo that inspired this color combo.

Our color block denim jacket has several design details involved. The pattern was first created while teaching two of our clients how to reverse pattern draft their favorite denim jackets. In this section we will go through our top details that make up this jacket.

This was the most important design detail and basically what inspired the jacket. During a studio field trip to Fabricana, white, pink and red denim fabric were perfectly stacked together. The color combo looked so good together, we couldn’t resist. Natasha (our marketing coordinator) was always taught that “red and pink should never be seen, unless it’s in the washing machine”. Well...challenge accepted mom!!!

One of the easiest and most fun ways to create a bold look is to use the technique of color blocking. Color blocking is thought of as the exploration of taking colors that are opposites and pairing them together to make complementary color combinations. Be prepared to swap your thread colors back and forth!

We wanted a clean look for the front of this jacket, so metal buttons were ideal. We even added a bonus button at the hem, just for show! Funny story: Natasha had never installed metal buttons before and she accidentally hammered a button to a rotary mat...WOOPS!!! If it's your first time installing metal buttons, proceed with caution.

When sewing the buttonholes, we found that the denim was too thick for the machine. We really had to push to help move the fabric through the presser foot. This is common when working with denim. For an easy guide to help you sew stubborn buttonholes, click HERE.

Top stitching gives this bold jacket a clean finish. All thread colors match their corresponding pattern pieces.

Sewing Tip- When using top stitching thread (thicker thread), use regular size thread in the bobbin if you are having trouble with tension issues. Keep the upper thread thick though.

The most traditional pockets found on a denim jacket- a box pleat pocket with a flap. This design element is our personal favorite. At first, we considered keeping the flap the same color as the box pleat, but figured that would be too boring. This jacket is a statement piece, so go big or go home right?!?

The cropped body on our denim jacket is both flattering and versatile. We paired it with white high waisted pants to complete the full ensemble. How would you style this?

We’re obsessed with the back view of our color block denim jacket! This is actually our third time making this denim jacket. So far we have made it in all white and all blue- the usual denim suspects. Our next version will be as colorful as this one...once we throw some paint on it!!! Coming soon...

Color blocking is one of the easiest and most fun ways to create a new look. If you would like to learn more about color blocking in garment construction, contact us to book lessons. 

​Some trends never die, and the blazer is definitely one of them. Dress it up or dress it down, the blazer has remained the ultimate preppy fashion statement since the 1950’s. No matter where we go, we seem to run into them! This tailored trend inspired us to design our own, but with a twist— Over-sized doubled patch pockets. Keep reading to see how we made this basic wardrobe staple, not so basic.

​We recently visited Atex Designer Fabrics in Gastown. They are our go-to for quality wool. If you’re in town, say hello to the Dave the shop owner! This is one of many wool fabrics we picked up.

This blazer was drafted when Sheila taught a reverse pattern drafting workshop at Maiwa School of Textiles on Granville Island. Sheila has offered this workshop for 5 years in a row, among others. This one always sells out. In fact, this year’s March workshop is already sold out! 

Drafting Tip: A super hack for those who pattern draft their own designs, is to use what you have. There is no need to draft from scratch for every design. Look at your past drafting and see if you can modify a design to create a whole new look or a variation of an already drafted design. For blazers, try experimenting with different types of lapels, pockets, and lengths. In this case, we modified the pocket to create the over-sized double patch pocket. 

​Anytime we design with wool, we think its best to line the garment fully. Who wants to scratch all day? Certainly not us, so silk charmeuse only made sense! Pink silk charmeuse lining was purchased from Fabricana.

Pairing natural fibers together will lend to the garment aging in a similar fashion. Pictured below are the MAIN and LINING pieces before "2 become 1"- Spice Girls.

Used in women's and menswear, a notched lapel is commonly used on single breasted jackets and blazers. A notched lapel is sewn to the collar at an angle, creating a triangle or step effect between the two.

​The size of the notch can vary - when it is very small, it is referred to as a “fishmouth”. We personally think it looks more like a bird with their mouth open.

“Pocket-ception”— a pocket within a pocket. On her last trip to Tokyo, Sheila noticed that over-sized double patch pockets were all the rage. It was double trouble on every turn! This inspired us to experiment with the drape of this visual element. Our blazer design features an over-sized double patch pocket on both side seams. The second larger pocket hangs past the hem.

​Not all pockets are supposed to be functional. Although, we did test it out and YES, you can fit a tablet in the larger pocket.

This is our second time experimenting with over-sized double patch pockets. Check out our Military Culottes to see this element applied to pants.

When pressing, to ensure fibers bend the way you want them to, hold them as they're cooling. Its during the cooling process that sets the fibers in place. Think of styled hair... when you curl it, you typically hold the curl in place before setting it with hairspray. 

Voila! Blazer finito. We could even say this design is... blazing hot!?! We plan on making another wool blazer to match our plaid wool skirt, sans the over-sized double pockets. Stay tuned.

Tailoring techniques involve attention to detail at every step from marking the fabric to pressing.  Contact us to book lessons in tailoring techniques.

​Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.

Basic t-shirts are just that- basic! So we decided to change a few elements to our basic t-shirt pattern. Now, its not so basic. In this blog post, we will share our insights into the make up of our V-Neck Crop Top and several things to keep in mind.

Our not so basic t-shirt has several fun design elements including a cropped silhouette, a retro inspired rib hem finish, mid length sleeves and a V neckline. What is your favorite element?

This design was inspired by a knit t-shirt pattern we drafted in the past. This time, we took the plunge by swapping out the neckline to help while instructing how to install a V-neckline.

Achieving a perfect V-neckline takes practice. Here are the sequence of sewing steps to achieve your next perfect V. Please note a 1/2" SA was applied to neckline seam. A regular sewing machine and an over-lock sewing machine are required:

​1. With wrong sides of the fabric facing each other, over-lock the raw edges of the neckline ribbing together, do not cut anything off. This stitch will act as a stay-stitch. Overlap the CF ends of the Ribbing when sewing to create the V.

2. On the Front Shirt stitch a security stitch using 1.5mm approximately 2" out from V pivot point. This will mark the V for you to follow and strengthen the area when we clip into SA.

3. Carefully clip the SA towards the pivot point stopping 1/16" away. This will allow you to pivot easily when attaching Ribbing.

4. Mark pivot point on Ribbing, and extend markings 2" out from pivot point along SA.

5. Pin and sew Ribbing onto Front Shirt starting 2" out, pivot at V point. Note- you will only be able to pin one side of V, other side will get pinned after pivoting at the machine.
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6. Pin the remainder of the Ribbing to Front Shirt and over-lock at your allotted SA. Make it a point to line up over lock stitch to the straight stitch.

If you're interested in a more detailed tutorial on how to sew a V-neckline, let us know below.

Cropped and Cuddly. This design features a cropped fit with a slight cinched waist. Crop tops are typically on the tighter side. We didn't want this, so we gave ourselves extra room with extra ease, creating a semi over-sized silhouette. The perfect combination of cute and comfy!

We're big fans of this silhouette and it shows in our designs. This is actually the fourth time we've made this crop top! Previous designs that have used this pattern are shown below. 

If you do not own a cover stitch machine, ribbing or self bound hem finishes are the best! This type of finish is also great for lengthening a garment that is too short.

In between lengthy and complex designs, it's fun to sew up an easier design to provide you with motivation. Easier designs include accessories, basic knit tops (like this one!), 2D tops, etc. Check out our Blog Archive HERE for stress-free sewing tutorials!

​Learning how to sew a basic T-shirt design like this can be easy and fun! If you want to learn how to achieve a perfect V-neckline, contact us to BOOK lessons.

​Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.

This design might look sneakingly familiar! WHY? Well it is because we combined two designs into this hybrid dress. Remember the tailored tear-away jumpsuit and the plaid button up skirt? We combined the bodice of the jumpsuit and the skirt to make this dress. The only drafting involved was adjusting the front opening of the skirt to be aligned with the surplice bodice opening. This created an asymmetrical front opening on the dress.

A super hack for those who pattern draft their own designs, is to use what you have. There is no need to draft from scratch for every design. Look at your past drafting and see if you can modify a design to create a whole new look or a variation of an already drafted design. Many apparel manufacturers do this to decrease development costs, why can't you!

Did you know? This type of dress can also be called a jumper? A jumper is technically a dress that you throw over another piece of clothing like a blouse or shirt. Also, you can jump around in this dress!

 As mentioned above, the only drafting involved in this design was adjusting the front opening of the skirt to be aligned with the surplice bodice opening. This created an asymmetrical front opening on the dress.

Here we go again with our recent plaid obsession. We graciously thank Atex Designer Fabrics for killing it in their plaid choices as of late. This plaid has a much looser weave than we normally work with. While sewing the seams, we hand wheeled over pin matched plaid seams to ensure the lines would line up from piece to piece. 

Do you notice the slash pocket? As usual, we matched the plaid from front skirt panel into the pocket facing. To achieve this perfect match follow these steps.

1. Mark pocket opening line on pocket facing paper pattern piece.
2. Cut out your front skirt pieces.
3. Press back the seam allowance along the pocket opening of front skirt pieces.
4. Hovering over uncut fabric, place front skirt piece down on matching plaid area.
5. Slide under pocket facing pattern to line up the pocket opening line.
6. Pin and cut pocket facing.
7. Repeat to opposite side. Remember to flip pattern piece for a symmetrical look.

You may have noticed we love to line our wool designs with silk. In particular silk charmeuse. Pairing natural fibers together will lend to the garment aging in a similar fashion. What are your go-to lining fabrics? Let us know in the comments below.

This jumper is definitely cute and wearable. Wearable being key here. We loved the surplice bodice of the tailored tear-away jumpsuit, but despised the time it took to button and unbutton to go to the restroom. This dress solved all our problems.

Learning how to pattern draft for your body is empowering and fun! If you want to learn how to pattern draft a dress, contact us to BOOK lessons.

Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.

We recently visited Atex Designer Fabrics in Gastown. They are our go-to for plaids, wools and all things warm and fuzzy. It also helps that the owner Dave is a super chill dude. This is one of many plaid fabrics we picked up. Lets just say we are exploring a very 1970's and/or 1990's vibe right now. Read on about our latest design- Plaid Button-Up Skirt.

Drafted from skirt blocks, we kept the silhouette simple but amped-up the quality of the design elements. We kept some waist darts to maintain shaping, got rid of the traditional CB seam and extended the CF edge to create a front opening.

Anytime we design with wool, we think its best to line the garment fully. So in turn, facings are an important element. Although they cannot be seen, facings are all around in this skirt. Separate pattern pieces were drafted for the front and back waist facings because of the  curved waist and the darts. Along the center front (CF) button extension, we drafted a built in folded facing. Same on the hem. The waist facings and the CF facings were interfaced as well to provide stability to these areas. 

Front openings on garments of all sorts are so in right now! It makes a simple plaid skirt not so simple anymore. What do you think of this type of opening? Do you prefer back, side or front openings on a skirt?

You may have noticed we are in a fabric covered button phase right now. Well get ready for more because we bought wholesale a large pack of buttons to fabric cover. This is the perfect choice when you just cannot find the perfect button to match your fabric.

There is no way we are going to design a plaid skirt and NOT have the plaid match perfectly around the body.  

Tips for matching plaid fabric.

• If it is your first time matching plaid, pick a fabric where the plaid repeat is smaller and closer in repetition.
• Plaid matching is best for designs that are more linear or straight in nature. For example, you cannot achieve a perfect plaid match along flared or very curved seams.
• When lining up vertical seams like a CB seam, avoid placing the most solid stripe right on the CB. Use the negative space in between to achieve a more flattering overall look. 
• If your design involves, exterior pieces like pockets, flaps, collars, cuffs etc. Cut those pattern pieces after you have cut out your main pieces. For example, if you are creating a patch pocket on the front of a blazer. Press back the top line of the patch pocket placement on the front blazer. Hover this piece onto uncut fabric until you find the exact plaid match. Weigh front blazer down on fabric. Grab patch pocket paper pattern piece and line up top to the folded edge. Now you have a match!

We are loving this subtle plaid print! So much that we are making a matching tailored blazer. Stay tuned for that one in the new year.

Matching printed fabric is challenging! We would love to have you in studio for a lesson on how to match prints on your next design. Contact us to book lessons!
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Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios.