Author: Earnest Threads

Featured Sewer: Taryn Wong

We’re excited to be starting a Sewer Feature 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.  Watch our blog and social media for new interviews dropping periodically, and share your own experience in the link at …

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Tutorial for Tiaras & Headpieces

Hello!  We’ve had some requests to make a tutorial for our tiara and headpiece embroidery files…so here you go!  This method could work with free-hand embroidery too, or with any design that you digitize yourself. Supplies: – Fabric for background – anything opaque including gabardine, satin, and velvet. – Dress stiffener or extra-heavy interfacing.  We …

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Introducing the 4th Edition Solo Dress Pattern!

We’re so excited to share this pattern with you.  With improved sizing and new features, we believe it’s our best yet!  Read more about it below, or click here to purchase. Shape Built on entirely new blocks, this pattern offers great fit while creating a garment that moves and sits well on the dancer.  New …

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Welcome to Earnest Threads!

Hello!  We’re so glad you’re here. We’re currently working on a pattern sloper and will soon be looking for testers for our first two women’s fashion patterns.  We’re excited to begin offering a variety of sewing patterns including wardrobe staples, artful accents, and practical accessories. We began developing patterns for Irish dancing costumes under the name …

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Constructing Skirt Pieces

Hello! I’ve got a photo tutorial for you today. I’ll go through the steps to construct lined skirt pieces, such as those used in Skirts II, IV, V, VI, and VII in the 3rd Edition of the pattern. Each piece of the skirt is made of 3 layers:1. Fashion fabric – Our top layer, the …

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Lining and the Center-Back Skirt Seam

The center-back seam allowance of the skirt is never pretty.  The skirt gets lined, usually in beautiful contrasting fabric that flashes when the dancer kicks, but the bulky seam allowance always stands out, looking gross and un-finished.  Due to the way the skirt is constructed, and the fact that the center-back is an alteration point, …

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Choosing the Right Fabric

There are many types of fabrics commonly used for Irish Dance costumes.  These are a few of the most popular. Gabardine Gabardine is a great option for a non-velvet dress.  It has a more matte finish which doesn’t show every wrinkle.  Most gabardines are fairly sturdy, making it a great option for team costumes as …

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