10 Interesting Facts About Sewing

1. Archaeologists believe that people used to sew together fur, hide, skin, and bark for clothing as far back as 25,000 years ago.

2. Early sewing thread consisted of thin strips of animal hide that were used to stitch together larger pieces of hide and fur.

3. The sewing machine was invented in 1790 by Thomas Saint.

4. The Singer sewing machine was patented by Isaac Merritt Singer in 1851.

5. Singer's patent was the most dominant firm in the industry compared to other competitors.

6. Early sewing needles were made of bone and ivory.

7. "The whole nine yards," a common phrase, came from the fabric that was needed to make the fanciest coat for a man of fashion.

8. In the 20th century, more than 4,000 different kinds of sewing machines were made.

9. Women began forming sewing society's in the 1860's where they would gather together and make quilts to sell at church bazaars.

10. The 1950's are regarded as sewing's "golden age" because of a strong focus on fashion sewing, designer patterns, and copying Hollywood looks.

Sources: sewingmantra.com, sewmuchmore,biz, historytoday.com, sewnplace.com, sewretrothebook.com, encyclopedia.com

Sewing and Organizing Tips: Tuesday Tips Round II

Every week we post "Tuesday Tips" around our various social media networks.  Our first ten can be seen here.  Our next ten are as follows:

11.  If you develop a burr on your machine needle, you can file it off with the fine side of an emery board.

12.  If your machine needle gets gummed up from sewing through fusibles or glue, wipe it all down with a cotton ball soaked in isopropyl alcohol

13.  If you need a stitching guide on your throat plate, blue painters tape is a good solution - clearly visible and won't leave adhesive residue when removed

14. Sometimes a pair of pants, skirt, or dress fits perfectly but it is just too darn short with not enough hem allowance to let it down the usual way. Here's one way to help with that: Let down the old hem and press out the hem crease, serging the raw hem if necessary.

15. Another way to help let down a hem without enough seam allowance to do the usual way: Sew matching color seam lace to the edge of the fabric on the right side, then fold the seam lace under and stitch in place to create a new hem.

16. Another way to help let down a hem without enough seam allowance to do the usual way: Use matching or contrasting double bias fold tape to encase the raw edge and create a finished hem effect.

17. For buttons without shanks, place a toothpick or pin between the fabric and button. Loop thread around the pin and sew the button on normally. Once the button is on, take out the pin. There will be enough room left between the button and fabric to loop your thread around to create a thread shank.

18. When trying to get chalk or marking pen out of fabric, use only unbleached fabric. Bleach can be activated by water, so when you're rubbing at your marked fabric the bleach could soak through and ruin your fabric.

19. When trying on clothing at the store, your side seams should fall straight down the side of your body. If the seam pulls toward your bust or backside, it is too small.

20.  Keep your pins in different pin cushions (silk pins separate from quilting pins, etc.) so they don't get lost

Sewing and Organizing Tips: Tuesday Tip Roundup I

Every Tuesday on some of our other social media outlets, we publish a tip from Marilyn on how to keep your sewing area organized and efficient, from DIY substitutions to why-didn't-I-think-of-that organizational advice. Below is a roundup of our first ten Tuesday Tips:


1.  Sort and store your fabrics, threads, and notions by color.

2.  Make your own pattern weights using two 5/8" zinc cut washers hot glued together on the flat sides - costs about 30 cents each

 3.  Extend the life of your pattern tissues by keeping them in 9 x 12 manila envelopes. Cut the pattern envelope and glue it to the manila envelope; the tissue doesn't have to be folded so tightly and the patterns go in and out easier.

 4.  Freezer paper is useful as a substitute for pattern paper: sturdier and cheaper. I use the kind that is waxed on one side. Wax paper is also useful as a tear-away stabilizer: If you're sewing a fabric that doesn't want to flow under your pressure foot, back the fabric with it and tear away when done stitching.

5.  Don't forget to press your pattern pieces before laying them out on your fabric - set your iron on synthetic and no steam.

6.  Keep pin cushions at both your sewing machine and your work table - saves jumping up and down for pins.

 7.  Use a tomato pin cushion to store slightly used machine needles - use a marker to divide it into sections for each type (Universal, 60, 70, etc.)

 8.  Don't sew over pins - it can nick both the pin and the needle and cause burrs that then can cause pulls and runs in your fabric

9.  A good substitute for a velvet board is a thick terry cloth towel.

 10.  You can make your own seam stick by going to the hardware store and getting an 18" piece of 1/2" half round moulding

We hope these have been helpful! We will do another round up in a few months, but in the meantime, you'll see our updates in real time every Tuesday on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.

More Intern Adventures at the Sewing Design Studio

My interns are hard at work on their pillows and are beginning to really understand the importance of a good pattern. I'm hosting a holiday par-tay for them tomorrow afternoon. I’ll bring in some home-made cookies and other goodies along with holiday cheer. We should have a good time before I send them off for holiday break.

Halloween Babies and the Sound of Music

I just got back from North Carolina where I spent the weekend being a grandma to my adorable new grandson, the Halloween baby! Of course he's the most adorable baby ever!!

I left my studio in the biggest mess ever as I literally finished the costumes at 7:30am last Friday after 2 all-nighters so I could deliver the Sound of Music costumes before leaving to visit my son's family for the weekend. The costumes weren't actually due for a few more days, but I so wanted to see the new baby I moved the deadline up and made it happen. Once finished, I ran home, packed, and hit the road.

What I'm not looking forward to is all the clean-up--piles of scrap fabric everywhere, patterns to sort out and file away, floors to vacuum.... Oh, well. Part of the job and it was totally worth it!

The Adventures of the Interns at the Sewing Design Studio

Things are moving along and picking up speed as my trusty interns, Brittany, and I pump out costumes for Sound of Music. We'll fit the principals' costumes on Thursday.

My interns learned the intricacies of pattern sizing and tracing this week as they prepped the uniform patterns for the Von Trapp girls' dresses. They learned to use a serger, too!

We reviewed and discussed their design projects this week. They're learning it's not so easy to bring a 2-D design from a sketch on paper to a 3-D reality. They have to show the front and back views of their designs and then come up with a materials list. The final step is to describe in detail how it will be constructed.

In all, a very interesting day! But then, nothing's ever dull at the Sewing Design Studio.

My Holiday Calendar

Hello, again! Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner?! Wasn't it just Easter? Anyway, I wanted to share with everyone the important dates coming up at the studio, as well as performances where you can catch a bit of my work and enjoy some holiday cheer in the process. I'll try to keep this as organized and readable as possible! Also, don't you just love this "thread tree" from All Sorts'? What a great idea!

Sunday, 11/16 - Sewing Lounge! A fun, drop-in chance to use professional machines, work on random crafts (no sewing required!) and get expert advice for personal projects. 1-4 PM, $10/hour, wine and hors d'ouevres.

Thursday, 11/20 - A FREE Performance of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's Salon Show At the Howard County Arts Center in Ellicott City, MD. Visit http://www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com/ for more details.


November 14-16, 20-22 - MAD Theater's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" MAD is the Music and Drama Club at the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, MD. Visit http://www.madtheater.org/ for more information.


Thursday, December 4th - New York City Fabric Tour Once a month I lead a small group around NYC's Fashion District to tour the shops and teach them the ins and outs of the industry from a professional's perspective. December's trip will undoubtedly be very festive, so join us! Call 301-604-4139 to reserve your spot!


Tuesday, December 9th -- On Purpose Network's Holiday Sale On Purpose Network for Women is holding their annual Christmas bazaar at the Hawthorne Community Center from5:30-9:00 PM. I'll be there selling my own designs and taking orders for custom work.

Saturday, December 20th -- Marriotts Ridge HS Madrigals Perfom at the National Gallery of Art I made the costumes for these amazing singers and am thrilled that they're going to perform at the National Gallery. I recommend getting your holiday shopping done early so you can avoid the mall and head down to... well, the Mall! The National Mall, of course! Performance is at 1 PM.


Sunday, December 21st -- Sewing Lounge! Take a break from holiday madness (trust me, my studio is a great place to hide!) and relax with other women. My daughter is making her famous (infamous?) mulled wine cider and there will be lots of fun holiday goodies, both to make and eat. Again, knowing how to sew is not a requirement. 1-4 PM, $10/hour, wine and hors d'ouevres.


Well, I hope that was decipherable and I hope to see you at one of these events! And, as always, you can visit www.sewingdesignstudio.com or call me at 301-604-4139 for more information.

Sewing Lounge Returns!

Remember those old sewing cricles from yesterday? They're back!

The Sewing Lounge at the Studio will start up again in September! It's a really nice treat for me to spend a relaxing afternoon with old and new friends just working on our pet projects. Bring your sewing, crocheting, knitting, embroidery -- whatever you're working on! And feel free to make use of the Studio's equipment if need be. These are some of my favorite events at the Studio, and I hope you'll join us.

The next Sewing Lounge will be September 21st, from 1-4 PM. Sewing Lounges will continue after that on the third Sunday of each month -- just in time to work on a special gift for the holidays (maybe for yourself!). Treat yourself to an afternoon off, just being creative in a nuturing -- and well-stocked -- space. We hope to see you soon!