HeyJaredThe Orange Projects
Sewing clothes, thoughtfully. A newsletter by Norma Loehr, founder of Orange Lingerie, covering project planning, fabrics, patterns, fit, and wardrobe sewing.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 4
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- Sep 19, 2026
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- Jul 11, 2026
Latest issues
The Penalty Box (opens the original)
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In the storage closet of my sewing studio, I have a large box full of sewing projects. Most are nearly or completely finished, but something about them isn’t quite right. I may know what the problem is, or I may not. Either way, each is worthy of reevaluation. Just not now.This is my “penalty box,” a holding place for garments I want to revisit later. Some need fit changes. Some have construction problems. Some are useful references. And a few simply need enough time to pass before I can figure
How to Get More from a Sewing Class (opens the original)
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I recently took a three-day class to make a ready-to-wear-style tailored jacket. I showed up the first day with my jacket cut, marked, fused, and ready to sew, so I was surprised to see several students arriving with only a muslin in hand.It had taken me a long couple of days just to get to that point. With only three days of class time, I knew those students would spend a significant portion of it cutting, marking, and fusing rather than practicing the techniques being taught while they had fir
Project Notebook: Bias-Cut Linen Pants (opens the original)
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I’m constantly taking notes while sewing. I record key construction details, procedures, resources, and methods I used to make a garment. These notes help me successfully recreate it in the future, or help someone else working on the same project.No matter the project, I always have notes, and because I sew most days, I have accumulated quite a lot of them. I thought it might be helpful to start sharing some here.After finishing a button-up shirt and a shirt dress, I wanted a simple palate-clean
Make, Borrow or Buy? (opens the original)
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With several formal events packed into a few days and my dress sewing projects off the rails, I decided to rent the necessary dresses instead. It was a huge relief! Not only did I know I would have something appropriate to wear, but I was also free to move on to the other projects waiting in my sewing queue.That experience got me thinking about how I decide whether to make, borrow, or buy something.Of course everyone will approach that decision through their own lens, but I thought it might be u
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