Sahara’s Reviews > Make, Sew and Mend: Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes > Status Update

“Don’t let a fear of imperfect stitches stop you from getting your hands on some sewing.”

“Understandably, dressing as unapologetically Korean as I do is not the comfort level for most people, but I cannot fully express the strength and grounding that comes from embracing one’s own heritage, whether visually viewed outward as I do or internally as a stronger sense of self. By layering myself in history, tradition and culture, I have found a new path that I could not be prouder to be on.”

Fascinating learning about there being different sizes of straight pins! Here I was thinking they were all the same size / there was only one type!

“Waxing any type of thread can be useful for additional strength or to prevent the thread from twisting as you sew.”

items to purchase: a block of beeswax

“Linen thread will need to be coated with beeswax before use to smooth the rough fibers, which will otherwise catch in the fabric and weaken the thread. It is usual to then wrap the coated thread in paper and press with an iron to allow the wax to be absorbed by the thread.”

Interesting to learn that Linen thread is now no longer so easy to come by as it was back then!

“I truly believe that every time we get dressed, we make an artistic statement about the person we are, or rather the person we want others to see.”

I firmly believe when it comes to dressing nicely, you really do dress nicely for your own self first and foremost.

“My goal is not to make things quickly, but to make them in a way that is right for me. And that is true of the finished garment as well as the process.”

“To avoid accidentally stitching bubbles into your seam or letting the fabric shift out of place, it is best to pin first, then baste your seam, then sew it finally into place.”

“Remember that placing pins into your material will subtly warp your fabric. This isn’t a problem for most simple seams, but this can begin to cause great problems on tasks requiring smoothness and precession, such as when trying to layer two pieces of material smoothly (in linings, for example) or when working with wobbly fabrics, such as charmeuse or organza.“ +

Parallel pinning = hand sewing best friend