Recent Blog Posts - The Sewing Workshop - threadWEAR 301

Get the Look: Sew a Barn Jacket using the Chicago pattern

Thursday, 06 July 2017

Living in the Midwest, it isn't unusual to see men and women dressed in what are historically agricultural work clothes. Brands like Carhartt and LL Bean are ubiquitous, their boxy canvas shapes echoing the farms that dot the landscape. Today, bib overalls and fleece-lined barn jackets have walked off the fields and into high fashion. Starting in the mid-1990's, the workwear look started to infiltrate street fashion, and today, proletarian style abandoned the farms and factories to move to New York's 5th Avenue.

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The barn jacket is a classic style whose relaxed lines and comfortable shape have made it a favorite for decades. Our Chicago Jacket has a similar stylistic feel though we have incorporated a number of refined details, including a curved waist seam and diagonal darted seams that continue into the pockets. The minutiae of design elements work together to create a truly sophisticated style.

Making the Florence Tunic in a knit.

Tuesday, 04 July 2017

We love the look of our Florence Shirt. It combines all the classic elements of a button-down shirt with unexpected twists like a draped front tuck and a back band with button details. Though not hard to make, a garment pattern this detailed does take some time. And sometimes, you just want to knock out a new project. Something simple that you can cut, sew and wear in just a day. With that in mind, Erin came up with a variation on the Florence. It has the same great look, but made from a knit and it goes together in no time!

Zayn Shirt Sew-Along Part 4

Monday, 03 July 2017

Welcome back to the Zayn Sew-Along! Today we will be finishing the side and bottom of the drape and making mitered corners. That may sound intimidating to some of you newer sewists, but once you get the hang of it, it is pretty simple. Let's get sewing...

Zayn Shirt Sew-Along Part 3

Monday, 26 June 2017

Are you ready for the next phase of the Zayn Sew-Along? Remember, you can join any time – these posts won't be taken down, so even if you are just following along now, you can sew when it is over. Also, have you joined our Sew-Along Facebook Group? It is a great place to meet new online sewing friends and get help when you need it. And we would love to see photos of your Zayn progress, so don't be shy, post them on the group!

Zayn Shirt Sew-Along Part 2

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Are you ready to start sewing your Zayn top? Hopefully you have already downloaded and assembled the pattern, and cut out the fabric. Now we are ready to breeze through steps 1-5 of the pattern! A few notes: I will be making the Zayn in both a woven and a knit version. Most of the instructions are applicable for both substrates so the bulk of my images will be using woven material. However, if there is a step that is knit-only or woven-only then I will show images of the knit. Look for Woven or Knit in front of specific instructions. Also, don't forget to join us on our Sew-Along Facebook Group. It is a great place to share your project, ask questions and keep up with what everyone else is working on.