Looking to alter a solo dress for the first time? Thinking of buying a used dress? Check out these tips from Earnest Threads dressmaker Mattie Ernst. 1. Never assume that there’s let-out. Unfortunately not all dressmakers build with alterations in mind. Many new dresses have little-to-no extra seam allowance. If the dress is fully lined, …
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 …
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 …
What is the style that you’re calling “flippy skirt”? The “flippy skirt” style has grown in popularity over the last couple years, mainly due to its use by Eire Designs/Gavin Doherty*. I was asked to draft one last month, so I thought I’d create a little tutorial so you can draft your own at home. …
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 …
Our new 4th Ed. Irish dance solo dress pattern offers a Bust Cup Adjustment add-on! Our fashion line also includes these options, but we’re thrilled to be able to offer this feature in our Irish dance patterns too! I thought this was a great time to talk about why cup adjustments are amazing, how different …
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 …
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 …
In this post I’ll go over some pattern drafting techniques you can use to modify the shape of the skirt. These all involve cutting, splicing, or trimming the pattern piece. I’d recommend tracing a copy to use, so you don’t destroy the original. Note: This post was created for an earlier edition of the pattern, …
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, …
