The contour waistline has the look of the faced waistline, but it shapes the top of the pant with a separate curved band fitted to the body rather than being shaped with darts. Usually the contour waistline sits below your actual waist.

Marta first discovered this 2-in-1 QUICK METHOD in the 1970s, using a loosely woven men’s tie interfacing as a surefire way to set in a sleeve in hard-to-ease Ultrasuede.

Tips on how to sew with fur from Palmer and Pletsch.

Pati is passionate about sewing and wearing wool crepe. It is lightweight and can be worn in most climates; the twisted yarn has so much resilience that the fabric is almost wrinkle resistant, and it is almost bulletproof to sew.

Cargo pockets are like patch pockets with a pleat in the center (to hold more cargo!). Usually they have square corners. Often they are placed over the side seams just above the knee.

If you’re simply cleaning out your closets or you're a dyedin- the-wool thrift store junkie, chances are good you have some old sweaters that need a new life. Move them to your sewing room and think outside the box for your next sewing project. Believe it or not, all the bags featured here were made from thrift store sweaters by Linda Turner Griepentrog, and we think they look fabulous. Here, she teaches us the finer points of upcycle sewing.

Each year plaids herald the return of the Fall season. These wonderfully historic cloths have become a beloved tradition in fashion, and each year fabric manufacturers strive to bring us new and updated versions along with the classics! Thanks to their efforts there’s a plaid for every taste and age; and now is the time to update your wardrobe with a few new plaid styles!

Thread guards are lightweight lingerie guards that are generally used for evening wear, transparent and lightweight fabrics and designs with narrow shoulder straps or when ribbon guards are too heavy, or more than one pair of guards is needed.

Claire Shaeffer from Vogue Patterns magazine shares her tips to making the perfect neckline.

A Valentino favorite, elastic shoulder pad stays are another useful device for controlling the neckline. The elastic is inserted into a narrow silk tube, with the ends of the tube sewn to the front and back of the shoulder pad to form a loop that fi ts snugly but not tightly under the arm. I frequently use these stays to control the necklines. Surprisingly, they are not uncomfortable.

Claire Shaeffer from Vogue Patterns magazine shares her tips to making the perfect neckline.

Have you ever wished you could anchor or glue a neckline in place so it wouldn’t slip and slide around unattractively? Dream no more. You can apply some hidden techniques from haute couture to accomplish the same result and ensure that the neckline will maintain its position without shifting or gaping.

Claire Shaeffer from Vogue Patterns magazine shares her tips to making the perfect neckline.

One of the most common questions that I get asked is why the designs that I sell/advertise look different to those stitched by customers. More often than not, the answer is simple – its thread choice!

A common theme in embroidery designs are flowers, and other elements such as sky and grass. Despite the fact that we see these elements in nature every day, most of us have trouble choosing the right thread colours for these elements. Below are some hints that should help you master this technique.

Multi-tonal threads are a wonderful addition to our embroidery thread collection, but if you are like many embroiders, you will purchase this fantastic product, and then the threads will wait for months in your stash waiting for a design that will suit them. Below are a few tips and suggestions for picking the right designs for multi-tonal threads.

Tips for sewing snaps.

There is nothing more frustrating than having your thread break whilst you are embroidering. However when it does happen, it helps to know why the thread is breaking, and how to fix it.

Purchasing your first embroidery is generally an exciting and expensive prospect. Added to that, once we have our machine, we need to begin looking at stabilisers, snips, and most importantly thread. Whilst we all dream of going into a shop and purchasing one of each available, to most of us, this is an unattainable dream. The tips below should help you to get started, and form the basis for your thread collection

Pati & Marta share some tips for sewing jackets, from the Palmer & Pletsch Fashion for Real People e-Magazine.

Custom shirt makers give you their tips on how to care for your shirts

In this weeks tip from Vogue patterns magazine, Jean Hass reveals the secret to creating the perfect fitting pants.

In this tip from Vogue Patterns magazine Sandra Betzina demonstrates how to insert an invisible zipper.

In this first tip of the week, from the Autum/Winter 2009 Issue of "Fashion For Real People" you will find fashion and sewing ideas to update your new Autum/Winter wardrobe with six new patterns from Palmer/Pletsch.

Pati Palmer talks about her pattern designs and how to appear slimmer by adding detals to the back of your clothing.