Lengthening or shortening a commercial pattern is easy to do and necessary if you tend to find patterns generally are too short or too long for you. This is a good way to customize your pattern so that it fits you perfectly. Watch our tutorial and we'll show both options for lengthening and shortening a pattern.
Lengthen or Shorten Pattern
Videos
Jacket Facing
If you've wondered what facing is, wonder no longer. Our tutorial shows you what it is and how to use it.
Twill Tape Waistband
Professor Pincushion demonstrates how to sew in the twill tape in order to create a clean looking waistband for your project. This same technique can also be used with satin ribbon.
Jacket Collar
Need help putting in a collar for your jacket? Check out this tutorial to see how easy it is to sew one to your garment. This demonstration takes you from pattern pieces to it attached to the neckline.
Top Stitch
A top stitch is a finishing stitch, usually sewn on the edge of pieces that have been sewn together. It's commonly found on pieces connected to a facing, like with collars. It can take a piece from looking amateur to professional.
Adding Trim to a Hem
Don't want your hems to look plain? Jazz it up with some trim and make those hemlines pop. This demonstration shows you how to add a flat trim, like ribbon, braiding, or lace, using your sewing machine.
Centered Zipper
Don't be afraid of sewing in a zipper. One of the easiest methods is putting one in the center of the seam. Sew around the zipper sides, remove the seam stitches, and voila! A working zipper. Watch this video for a demonstration.
Shifting a Dart
Want to move the dart on your sewing pattern to a different spot? You can and it's actually very easy to do. Grab your pattern, some tracing paper, and a pencil and let's move a dart together.