Most fashionistas are top-secret wannabe seamstresses. We wish we could figure out how to use a sewing machine, and use it well. We’d love to sketch drawings, piece together patterns, thread a needle, and create a gorgeous new shirt, a pair of curtains, or even just pajama pants. For those of us with great desires but little know-how, Obsessive Beauty has a few handy resources that might help you out.
Madebylex.com is a website run by Alexis Meschi, a Santa Cruz County resident whose inspired and educational blog is a perfect place to start. Meschi writes blogs almost daily and they cover all topics of fashion—from tutorials on how to make an Anthropologie-looking T-shirt, to a clutch, to paper weights and much more. She also details her own journey as a self-taught seamstress, and she even offers up myriad ideas on how to transform your wardrobe and stay current with the trends without going into debt.
Another great resource is The Crafter’s Studio, located in Downtown Santa Cruz. The retail shop/workspace studio offers classes taught by master 
seamstresses who will teach you how to make a ruffled shirt, some pajama pants, a tote bag, and much more, ensuring that you learn every element of sewing. No cutting corners with these teachers.
And another inspiring seamstress is Lotta Jansdotter, a Scandinavian woman located in Brooklyn. Many years back, Jansdotter attended Cabrillo College and later lived in San Francisco. She now has a small empire, jansdotter.com, and a selection of books about sewing and making crafts, sold by Chronicle Books. All of her projects have a Scandinavian influence—simple, modern, and über stylish.
To read about these sewing resources, visit madebylex.com, thecraftersstudio.com, jansdotter.com, or chroniclebooks.com.
