Sarah Veblen Clothing Originals

Here’s my biggest piece of advice to anyone who is working on getting patterns to fit:

“Take control of your pattern!”

What do I mean by this, and why is it important?

My live Zoom class “Take Control of Your Patterns – Popular Choice” is devoted to this topic. I’ll give precise instructions on a number of straightforward things you can do, including how to walk seams (compare the length of adjoining seams), where to put notches, how to easily and accurately transfer pinned adjustments from your mockup to your pattern, and more. There’s a big bonus, too – taking control of your patterns makes your garment construction smoother and easier!

Join me on Tuesday April 28, 2026 at 3:00 pm eastern.
https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/take-control-of-patterns-pc
If the date and time don’t work for you, no worries! Register for the class before it begins, and you’ll get lifetime unlimited access to the recording.

Do you get an unsightly bubble of fabric at your dart point no matter how carefully you sew it?

Do you know that using two darts instead of one solves this issue?

Do you know that some bust shapes benefit from two darts as well?

Do you understand WHY this works?

Join me as I explore this topic, including step-by-step pattern work, during my live Zoom class “When Two Bust Darts are Better than One – Popular Choice” on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 3:00 pm eastern. https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/two-bust-darts-better-then-one-pc
Everyone who signs up has life-time access to the recording!

Pants fitting . . . .

Well, it can be tricky.
And frustrating.

Especially when the pants legs twist, or when there are diagonal drag lines across the side seams, or when the back of the leg has crescent-shaped sags of fabric.

There are solutions to all these fitting issues.
As well as others that make the pants legs twist.

During my live Zoom class “Solving Twisting Pants Legs – Popular Choice” on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 3:00 pm eastern, I’ll show you how to solve all these issues and many others that cause your pants legs to twist. The key is to read the fabric, and I’ll show you how. https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/solving-twisting-pants-legs-pc
If the date and the time don’t work for you, you’ll have life-time access to the recording when you register for the class before it beings.

I don’t know about you, but I have made a lot of garments that I do not like to wear.

I always feel bad just throwing them away. Some I feel I can donate to a charity. But when I do either, I feel a bit hollow and disheartened. I don’t like the feeling of giving up.

Over the years, I’ve learned that these garments that miss the mark are actually great tools that help me improve my garment making.

Are you curious what questions I ask myself and what my process is to make these no-go garments an important learning tool?

Join me for my live Zoom class “Not Really Successful Garments: What to Do with Them – Popular Choice” on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 3:00 pm eastern. https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/learn-from-not-really-successful-garments-pc
Everyone who signs up before the class begins will have life-time access to the recording.

Pants are a staple in most women’s wardrobes. Even though they are relatively easy to construct, they sure can be difficult to fit!
For instance, do you have too much fabric under the buttocks? Or drag lines on the back of the legs pointing to the crotch? What about that unflattering “pouch” of fabric at the front crotch? I’ll show you examples of these fitting issues – plus more! – and I’ll explain the fitting changes to make as well as lots of examples of pattern work.
Join me for my live Zoom presentation “Common Pants Fitting Issues – Popular Choice” on Thursday, March 5, 20226 at 3:00 pm eastern and learn to identify pants fitting issues that many people encounter and how to solve these fitting issues.
https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/common-pants-fitting-issues-pc
Your questions are very welcomed! Anyone who registers before the class begins will get lifetime access to the recording.

The release tucks on this top add a bit of fullness over my tummy, making it super comfortable to wear – and making me feel less self-conscious about my spreading mid-section.
This is just one example of “Sewing for a Rounded Tummy,” which is the topic of my live Zoom class on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Join me and learn lots of design and pattern tips on accommodating a rounded tummy!
https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/sewing-for-rounded-tummy-pc
If the day or time of the class doesn’t work for you, no worries! Anyone who registers before the class begins will get life-time access to the recording.
My live Zoom classes are about 1½ hours long, so we can explore this topic in depth. Plus, your questions are always welcomed!

I don’t know about you, my tummy has never been flat, even in my teen years. After having children and as I have aged into my senior years, it has become more rounded. When I mention my little belly, many people’s reaction is along the lines of “You don’t have a tummy!” But I know it’s there, and it makes me uncomfortable to wear clothes that outline it. So over the years, I’ve learned to make clothes for myself that make my tummy less noticeable and that I feel are more flattering — and they are not large, oversized clothes!
In my live Zoom class “Sewing for a Rounded Tummy – Popular Choice" on Thursday February 5, 2026 at 3:00 pm eastern, I'll focus on tops (blouses, t-shirts, jackets) and dresses, but will also briefly address pants and skirts. Whether you have a little, a medium or a large tummy, I’ll give examples of garment styles and pattern work to help you design and make clothes that flatter your figure and make your feel good when you’re wearing them.

I’m eager to share what I have learned, and I hope you will join me! https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/sewing-for-rounded-tummy-pc

If the date and time are not convenient, no worries! Anyone who registers before the class begins will have life-time access to the recording. Plus, your questions are always welcomed.

I love wearing all kinds of raglan seam garments: blouses, t-shirts, workout tops, jackets, and coats. But it took me a while to figure out how to solve the fitting issues I kept getting in those pesky raglan seams. I didn’t like all that extra fabric at the front and back of the armhole, and the drag lines along the sleeves.

Getting a good fit has made such a difference! I really love my raglan sleeve garments now. And I’m eager to share with you how I solved these fitting issues. Bonus! It’s not that hard once you understand a few basic raglan sleeve fitting principles.

Join me on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 3:00 pm eastern to learn all my tricks and tips! For more information and to register, go to: https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/raglan-sleeve-fitting-issues-pc
If the day and time of the class are not convenient for you, no worries! Anyone who registers for the class before it begins will have life-time unlimited access to the recording.

If you’re like me, when I’m sewing just about any garment, some sort of question comes up. What interfacing should I use? Will the fabric I’ve chosen work well? Will the pattern alterations I made improve the fit?
Bring on your questions during my annual live Zoom class “Stump the Chump!” on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 3:00 eastern time. https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/end-of-year-stump-the-chump-2025
If timing isn’t good for you? No worries! The Zoom session recording will be available to everyone who signs up for the class before it begins.
Email me your questions ([email protected]) or ask during the class. Get your questions answered and learn from other’s questions. And if you don’t have questions for me, I've got some really cool garment photos to enjoy and analyze.

Fitting set-in sleeves can be tricky. If you’ve been frustrated getting a beautiful looking and comfortable set-in sleeve with commonly described sleeve pattern adjustments, maybe you need to rotate your sleeve.
In my live popular choice video class “Sleeve Fitting: When & How to Rotate a Sleeve – Popular Choice” on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 3:00 pm eastern, I’ll describe three different types of sleeve rotations, when to use each of them, what they each accomplish, and how to do the resulting pattern work. Working with these concepts is a game changer for sleeves! https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/sleeve-fitting-rotating-sleeves-pc
If the time of the class doesn’t work for you – no worries! The class will be recorded, and everyone who registers before the class begins will have unlimited lifetime access to the recording.

Maybe you’re like me – there are so many fabrics with prints that I am drawn to, but not all prints flatter me or work well for me in my garments.
And what works for each of us varies quite a lot. So how do we decide which prints to use?
In my live video class “Assessing and Choosing Prints – Popular Choice” on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 3:00 pm eastern, I’ll give you the variables — like size, density, color contrast, and definition of motif – that are important to consider, as well as concrete ways to use prints so your garments are successful.
https://www.sarahveblen.com/online-classes-1/assessing-choosing-prints-pc
Don’t worry if the time of the class is inconvenient, because everyone who registers before the class begins will have unlimited lifetime access to the recording of the class.