Want to make sure your solo dress is alterable in the future? It’s not all about seam allowance. Dress designs with elements that don’t cross from the bodice to the skirt are the most forgiving when it comes to adjusting the length of the dress. Most of us have seen dresses that have been lengthened …
Welcome to the next installment of our community sewer feature, which aims to highlight great work being done in the Irish dance community, and inspire dancers and dressmakers around the world! Name: Caroline Summerfield Where do you live?Auckland, New Zealand Tell us about your sewing experience. How long have you been sewing? How did you …
Our new Waistcoat pattern is now available! While it’s drafted for mens/boys’ figures, we recognize that it will likely be used by female and gender-expansive dancers as well. Some dancers with a developed bust may wish for a vest that is fitted properly in that area. In this post, we’ll show you how to alter …
The term grading refers to the blending of multiple sizes of the same pattern. This is more common than you might think. We humans are too varied and fantastic to fit into 20 standard shapes! Pattern grading is a fairly simple adjustment you can make to get the best fit at different parts of your …
I get this question ALL THE TIME and thought it was time to write about it a little! Full disclosure, I’m not a sewing machine sales-woman. I’m not here to sell you on a specific machine, and there won’t be sponsored affiliate links to Amazon. I’ve been sewing for over 25 years of my life …
One of my biggest pet peeves in Irish dance dresses is how we have lots of seams and areas in the bodice that we can let a dress in or out, but we can’t match this in the skirt! If the skirt portion of the dress can’t be let out, that means we can’t adjust …
Whether you’re building a dress from scratch or embellishing a purchased costume, you’re likely thinking about rhinestones. Rhinestoning is a lot of fun, and it can also be a way for (older) dancers to help create their costume, even if they don’t sew. If you’re unsure where to start, we have you covered with some …
This is the fourth post in our Sewer Feature series, which aims to highlight great sewing being done in the Irish dance community and to inspire those who may be considering sewing Irish dance costumes for the first time. We’d love to feature you too – share your own experience in the link at the …
Hello! In 2022 we published a stand-alone sleeve pattern to simplify your sleeve replacement! Follow along with owner and dressmaker Mattie as she changes the sleeves on her own dress. The first half of the video talks about sizing, with the second half going over installation of the sleeve. If you like this type of …
Whether you’re using machine embroidery, free-hand embroidery, or another method for embellishment, it’s likely you’ll have to work around darts. Modern Irish dance costumes are quite fitted, and darts (or princess seams) are what help us get that precise fit! However, we don’t want to see out beautiful embroidery disappear into a dart or end …
