Drapery panels at 25 widths each? Have you ever been asked to make a really wide drapery panel? What did you do? Did you turn and run the other way? Or did you accept the drapery panel project and then wonder how you were going to tackle the job? I was recently hired to [...]
If you have grown children, you know they leave some things behind when they move into their new places, right? Trophies, books, papers, and clothing like letterman jackets. Sound familiar? I bet it does! And what do you do with all this stuff? Here's what I did with our son, Justin's Cross Country High School [...]
I hope your year has been a good one too and that 2018 brings you good health and much joy! At Designs by Donna my mission is: To use my passion, gifts, and abilities to bring joy and beauty into the lives of others through exquisite design, teaching, and sharing.
Working with difficult fabrics can be challenging and stressful unless you first determine your course of action. This is the second edition of working with difficult fabrics. I'll show you how I used upholstery weight silk velvet to make narrow bands on silk taffeta panels. Now these are two fabrics that couldn't be more incompatible. [...]
Have you ever had to work with difficult fabrics? If you've been sewing for any length of time, you probably have. You know the ones. The slippery fabrics that move around the table by themselves. Or the loosely woven fabrics that begin to fray the moment you begin cutting. Or fabrics with a nap, such as velvet, where special [...]
When making multi width drapery panels, adding an interlock stitch at the seams will help keep the seams lined up as they hang. Without this stitch the fabric layers may shift making the draperies look untidy or messy. Sewing the interlock stitch is quick and easy when using your thumb to pinky measurement. Here are [...]
I used to be afraid to sew an invisible zipper next to welt cord ............. until I tried it. And it worked well. And all I was able to see was the zipper pull. And the pillow turned out beautifully, do you agree? An invisible zipper inserted next to self welt cord. After several people [...]