This morning I've been heads down filming content for our newest Action Lab.  Instead of doing huge courses that would take up a bunch of time for everyone, I'm focusing in on one skill at a time to keep the instruction short and actionable - because what good is education if it isn't packaged in a way to show you how to take Action?  So what's the current Lab about? It's about rolled hems on formalwear. Lots of folks are able to buy a dress that is *close to fitting right* but generally ...

Sewing Alterations is a trade that doesn't get advertised even as much as trade school does, because there isn't a "trade school for Sewing Alterations"  You can go to school for Textile arts and design, but that is NO WHERE NEAR the information you'd learn on the job from a mentor - which is literally why I do what I do.

This day sneaks up on me every year. Partly because its a day that does not really feel like mine to celebrate, because it is a story of my mom, Carolyn, coming into her own, and I get to be along for the ride. #grateful When Carolyn was in high school, she was failing chemistry, but could be found in the Home Economics room sewing away at a 5 piece suit. While everyone else sewed a simple skirt, she managed to do a jacket, vest, skirt and pants while sewing a shirt to go with it at home. When ...

I'm busty. A quick look through our website and you'll see a fair amount of discussion on boobs, bra fit, and the importance of having a good foundation garment. Something that I personally am overly conscious about is the fit of T-shirts, because they generally aren't designed with busty people in mind. Being somewhere around a size 18/20, most "feminine cut" shirts don't come large enough and when I finally do get a circumference that will go around my bust, the shoulders are obnoxiously large because shirts are typically proportioned for "men" or a "unisex" fit (which means no boobs).

Learn how to achieve the perfect fit for your clothes with these 10 tips for sewing alterations. Measuring accurately, choosing the right fabric and thread, and practicing on scrap fabric are just a few of the tips provided in this blog post. With these tips, you'll be able to save money and add a personal touch to your clothes. Happy sewing!

If you're like me, one of the rabbit trails I've definitely gone down on the internet is the vintage drafting books that are past their copywrite dates and are in the public domain. This is one example of what you can find on the internet if you dig hard enough. Various archive websites have these nice viewers that you can embed anywhere such as this book:  My FAVORITE book on the internet though, was part of a website that existed many years ago and through much digging, I was able to ...

I graduated in the year 2000 and I'm on the older end of the generation that is labeled as Millennials; I turned 40 last year. However, I'm also from an American Midwest farm, which means there are aspects of my upbringing that align with the typical upbringing of a Gen Xer. Farm culture in this area used to involve having someone in the family with sewing skills, as farming was financially uncertain and buying new clothes was a luxury. Fast fashion only emerged in the 1980s, so sewing became ...

A couple of social posts for you today. I loved the song in the first (hence the repost). As for the second post, I love what Kristian is doing in creating Slo fashion movement, literally designing pants to be genderless (because measurements should be enough) and have pockets no matter what your body is. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kristen Kemp, Sewing Alterations Educator (@krstnsews) yep @kristianfrommntn #duet with @ericdalessandro The revolution is ...

If you don't already know, I'm on Instagram @krstnsews and I try to share shop projects in my stories so I can save them to my highlights. Follow Along!

School closed for the snow today, but since the shop is connected to the house and there's no shortage of work...