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Last year, I purchased a beautiful piece of Italian silk organza. Absolute perfection in both quality of fibres and colorful print.

I had made a very simple pattern for it in order to showcase the beautiful silk print. It was to wear at the wedding of our dear friends’ son. When I was waiting in the hotel lobby, several people commented that it was an incredible dress. I did not tell them that several days before I had been directing some very colorful language at this dress.It was beautiful in its simplicity, except for the bust darts,  which were just not going to behave.

They looked like the cone bra, created by  Jean Paul Gaultier for Madonna’s Blonde AmbitionTour. It ruined the entire look of the dress. I am not Madonna, and cone bras are just not my thing!

The time it took to fix the cone bra look tested me to within my last ounce of patience, so much so that I actually considered scrapping the entire dress and the beautiful fabric.  I persevered, and eventually the bust darts were tamed into something that was wearable in public.

But what a learning curve! Horizontal bust darts in silk organza— not happening.

Lesson learned!

Even with my years of experience in drafting patterns and fitting high-end garments, designing and manufacturing my own collection of children’s clothing, and now making digital pdf patterns, there are still some painful bumps in the road during the process.

I’m here to simplify things for you with easy-to-follow instructions and down-to-earth support. Having loved to create things with my own hands since I was a child, I have always taken great pleasure

in being able to picture something in my head, put it down on paper, and see it come to life.

Over the past several years, it was a great surprise to me to discover that if a patternmaker learns how to use power tools, she can actually become a fairly competent carpenter! Whether it be clothing, cabinetry,

or a farm table, it’s a great thing to see your ideas become reality and be useful in your daily life.

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