I recently took a little weekend trip to Las Vegas and I made some fun outfits for the occasion. It is always nice to have a reason to sew new things, especially for traveling! I’ve had this black and white squiggle print in my stash for a couple years and I have always struggled with what to make with it. When Vegas was the destination, suddenly a lightbulb went off in my mind. This print is perfect! To make this faux-jumpsuit matching set I used our Gilbert Top and our June Pants pattern. I love both of these patterns and consider them to be wardrobe staples. They work really well together ..read more

There are a few ways you can add bra cups to a sewing pattern. We showed you how to add sewn-in cups in this blog post here, and today we want to teach you how to sew pockets for removable bra cups. This method can be used for swimsuits and other form-fitting tanks but we will show you how to do it using the Slocan Tank pattern in the bralette view.  Get the Slocan Tank You will need Bra cups/foam Lining fabric (or extra main fabric) Pattern Adjustments Before we get into construction, we will need to make an extra pattern piece.  Trace or print off another Front (1) pattern pie ..read more

Our new Slocan Tank is a great basic pattern! Of course you can sew it using only your sewing machine and that works really well, but today we want to explore how beautiful it can look if you use a binding attachment on a coverstitch machine. I don’t happen to have a binding attachment, so today we’re going to welcome Anya Cooper from Anna Zoe Patterns to the blog to show us how to use one. Take it away, Anya! Get the Slocan Tank I’m very excited to share what I have learned about using a binding attachment on my coverstitch machine. I will not say the whole process is a breeze, but once yo ..read more

I’m excited to welcome my sister, Tracy, back to the blog! It’s been ages since she’s been featured here on Helen’s Closet (last time was way back when she was pregnant in 2018). We are also shining a spotlight on Tracy’s mother-in-law today because she is the one who made this gorgeous Wildwood Jacket for her. Bravo, Cathy! Get the Wildwood Jacket Cathy is one of those sewists who can make anything. She sews so many amazing projects for Tracy and her kids and I am always blown away by her work. This Wildwood Jacket is no exception! When Tracy told me that Cathy was going to make one for he ..read more

We are back with another maternity pants sewing tutorial! Like with the Avery Leggings, you can easily hack the Nelson Pants into maternity pants. In this hack we will work with the wider waistband piece to make pants that go over the belly. However, for pants that go under the belly—add half the amount of length in step 2 and skip steps 3-4 of the following pattern adjustments.   Get the Nelson Pants You will need:  Front pattern piece (1)  Waistband pattern piece (3)  Extra paper Pen or pencil Tape  Paper Scissors Flat Pattern Adjustments This step is option ..read more

Today, we want to show you how to update your Slocan Tank pattern in this maternity tank sewing tutorial! It’s pretty easy do and does not involve any extra sewing steps—always a win in our eyes! Before you get to hacking, keep in mind that the Slocan tank is intended to fit quite snugly. The body changes a lot in pregnancy and as your belly grows, so will your breasts. We recommend sizing up for this hack and/or choosing a really soft and stretchy knit like a bamboo jersey. Get the Slocan Tank You will need:  Front pattern piece (1)  Back pattern piece (2)  Extra paper Pen o ..read more

We’re thrilled to introduce not one, but TWO new patterns to the Helen’s Closet collection! The Nelson Pants and the Slocan Tank are now available in the shop.  Nelson and Slocan are on sale right now for 20% off! Discount is automatically applied at checkout, no coupon code required. Sale ends February 20th, 2024! Shop Nelson and Slocan Let’s take a closer look at Nelson and Slocan. These two new designs are comfortable, versatile, and quick to sew. They work great together or separately!  Nelson Pants The Nelson Pants are dream loungewear pants that you will never want to take ..read more

She’s back back back again! Laurie is here to share her second Wildwood Vest with you all (see the first one here). She wanted a shorter vest so she could choose which layering piece she needed depending on the weather. She was also excited to try the pattern again, implementing everything she learned the first go-round! Get the Wildwood Jacket & Vest Laurie selected a lightweight cotton denim for the exterior of the vest and a printed quilting cotton for the lining and binding. She wanted to work with cotton after her last version, which was made in a poly suede (for the exterior and t ..read more

Whenever I make a project, I always like to keep the leftovers. I can see endless possibilities for patchwork projects using pretty much any scraps! The ones that get used the most often are the linen and cotton leftovers. Then the denim. Then the knits. Knits are a harder one to find uses for! They can be great for kids clothing and sewing underwear, but they don’t get used for patchwork as often. Today I am here to show you how to make that happen! Psssst—I’m using our Jackson Tee and Pullover pattern for this tutorial, you can get it in our pattern shop. It’s on sale right now for 20% off ..read more

Happy New Year! I’m really excited to see what 2024 brings over here at Helen’s Closet. We’ve got lots of fun patterns in the works and I will also be continuing to pursue my quilting passion over at Cedar Quilt Co! I have a fun blog post to kick things off this year—a Cameron Button Up for my partner, Sam.  Get the Cameron Button Up I know I’m not the only one who purchases fabric with projects in mind for my partner and doesn’t follow through. It’s always so fun to dream about making things for yourself or for others, and sometimes it can take a while before it actually happens. I’m h ..read more