It’s Tassel Mania Time!

 

Before the Industrial Revolution (18th Century), trim was called passementerie. It was made and applied by hand, thus making heavily trimmed furnishings and garments expensive and high status. Eventually machine-woven trims and sewing machines put these specialized trimmings within reach of modest dressmakers and home seamstresses. The result, by the 1930’s, applied trim lost its value and became a signifier of mass-produced clothing.  Today, though most trimmings are commercially manufactured, the creative appeal that they offer have made trims, tassels and cording highly sought after for unique one-of-a-kind creations. A compliment to any fabric project  where that ‘something extra’ makes all the difference, modern day passementeries offer the perfect touch.

“Sewjo Off? How To Know When It’s Time to Put the Needle Down!”

jandofabricsHave you ever noticed how challenging even the simplest sewing projects or most routine steps suddenly become when our emotions come into play? Seems when our mood is light and upbeat, our  fabric  flows thru our machine with more ease, our stitchwork is more on point, even little nuances like ripping out a seam or altering a mistake just seem par the course. But when our mood is heavy and our ‘sewjo’ is off, all hell breaks loose. It’s almost as if our sadness, anger, stress or residue from the day, is emitted off of us and then reflected back to us the same. As a result,  what normally takes five minutes to repair, can take fifteen or even fifty. That dress fabric that you sewed together the wrong way, is now being fixed for the umpteenth time, and it’s almost as if a naughty little elf came and swiped the piece of Baroque trim from the table you placed it on less than two minutes ago. Yeah, the same trim that you scoured the local craft marketplace all day for to complete your sitting room valance. In the midst of all the madness, now it appears your mind is playing tricks on you!