In memory of MY dear Mother – who just recently passed to Jesus’ arms on March 22, 2012 after living with Alzheimer’s Disease for approx 5 years, I’d love to start a ‘discussion’ here with Comments regarding learning to sew from your Mother.

SEW – if that was your blessing, please ‘Ccomment’ to this post in order to share.

My mother definitely taught me!  She used to say “Londa grew up under her sewing machine.”  Honestly, I remember more hand-sewing with her than machine sewing.  I think I watched her so much, that I just ‘learned’…then kept trying with her gentle guidance.

One of the first things I remember watching her make was the ballerina print skirt for the vanity that I sat in front of – primping – for many, many years.  Since her death, I’ve been flooded with memories….what a blessing!

* Pinning a hem on a coral skirt made of home dec fabric for some type of square dance – I was about in the 4th grade.  I was standing on the hassock in the living room.

*The last dress she made for me was a white matelasse ‘shift’ with princess seams, and matching jacket – for my ‘Confirmation’ of my faith in Jesus at this Easter time of year – in 1966 when I was in the 8th grade.  After that – she says “Londa took off with sewing  with a vengeance. ”

*Mom was smart enough to ‘let me do it on my own’!  I distinctly remember the summer – had to be after 7th grade or so – when I decided to make 3 pair of shorts (side zipper and waistband no less!) ‘factory style’ – doing the same step on each pair.  Finally, when I tried them on, I discovered I’d put the side zipper in the right side seam, rather than the proper LEFT side seam!  Mom says that was the turning point – that she knew either I’d persist and fix and be victorious, or I’d give up.  Guess what?  I persisted …as I remember distinctly sitting out on a green awning strip sling chair in the back yard, ripping off each waistband and taking out each zipper – to RE-do them in the LEFT side seam.

*Sewing was just ‘Mom’s thing’.  She did most of it on a black Singer 301 – in the corner of the kitchen.  I watched her slipcover chairs, make most of my clothes (up until 8th grade), AND even earn the money needed for a family (of 5) vacation from Illinois to California to Disneyworld in 1964.  She did that by making ballet costumes for the dance recital held in early June, here at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL.  That was before knits – so every base was fitted with muslin – which then became the underlining for the satin ‘leotard’ with a back zipper.  Hard enough for $12 each?  Not done yet – then it was time to gather row after row of net onto a muslin band to create the TuTu.  WOW!!!

Here are some precious photos…

                  

Marshmallow Ballet Costume - first Ballet Costume made by Mom when I was 6 years old.

Mom designed this red costume - I was in the 8th grade

For more photos – and memories, see my Newsletter in her memory – HERE. 

I KNOW you have memories of your Mom if you were lucky enough for her to teach you to sew!  PLEASE,  write your memories here in the Comments Section of this post.  I’ll approve them and publish them in a timely manner.  Thanks in advance!

Back view - hem is created with many angles.

OK – I have to keep saying it in order to believe it, ‘get my mind around it’ that  I’m blessed to be turning the big 60 this month…so since I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful dancing husband and a great dance hall and friends down the street that we love to go to on Friday nights (when I’m home anyway), I’ve decided the event demands a ‘youthful’ new dress.

I purchased this ‘ruffle fabric’ from Emma Seabrooke at the Martha Pullen show in Orlando in FL.  Yesterday I played ‘designer’ and started draping it on my duct tape double.  I guess I’m so hooked on taking photos of steps as I design and sew – that it was natural to snap some photos of the process.  I had 2.5 yards of this black ruffle fabric – sprinkled with fuchsia glittery sparkles.  It appears that I’ll have plenty of fabric – even enough left over for a top of some type.  This popular ‘ruffle’ fabric is created with horizontal ruffles – which I feel is NOT flattering to most figures.  Diagonals, however, ARE flattering – so I started out draping it over my right shoulder at an angle – then just started pinning, marking and cutting.

After 1 1/2 hours or so of the above, I feel I love what I came up with, and just need dear hubby to pin in a dart on my left side.  I utilized clear Lastin 3/8” elastic pretty tightly around the uppermost edges.  Since the fabric is a knit, I feel I’ll be able to simply pull this gown on – without any kind of zipper or closure.

My guess is once the right side dart is pinned in and some ruffle edges applied at the neckline and perhaps along some other edges, it will be DONE!  This will wait til week after next when I get home from Atlanta Original Sewing & Quilt Expo….  Which, my sewing friend down the street, Tina Colombo was kind enough to help me with.  Thanks, Tina!

Finishing this post after several weeks inbetween – precious, memory-filled weeks of the last of my Mom here on this earth, and adjusting to that loss.  We buried her 2 days before my big birthday, so it was bittersweet.  Nonetheless, I finished the dress – the day of my birthday.  I added one of the ruffles – gathered, all around the neckline – and just wish I’d made the gathering fuller so that it would have stood up at the neckline better.  See the closeup photo below.  I’ll probably re-do that detail.  Thank you Mom – for the gift of teaching me to express myself through sewing!

Me and my HANDSOME hubby

Starting to drape ruffle fabric at an angle.

Diagonal bodice draping of ruffle fabric.

Pat's back locker patch recycled into Pocket

Isn’t this GREAT!?!  Pat – a super helper of mine at the Houston International Quilt Festival totally ‘wowed’ me last fall when she turned up with her super cute ‘sweatshirt jacket’ that sported this amazingly creative pocket from that extra layer ‘locker patch’ that is always a challenge when designing jackets on a sweatshirt base.

Look closely and note the following:

1.  the back neckline of the sweatshirt itself serves as the ‘band’ on the pocket.

2.  She bound the lower curved edge of the pocket with bias binding.

3.  She replaced the label of the sweatshirt with her own label!

Here’s her great jacket:

Pat in her Chosen™ Sweatshirt Jacket

Make your OWN great jacket with my ‘Chosen’ talking pattern™!  It’s easiest to use a knit to create this collar!

• Chosen Talking Pattern ™- pdf delivery
• Chosen Talking Pattern™ – printed version

Chosen™ features my Method 1′ of fit – removing the excess under the dropped sleeve, yet leaving the sleeve dropped.  You can certainly elect to make ANY of my patterns that feature that technique (Transformed™, Living™, Celebration™, Worthy™) simply by utilizing my pattern pieces for Front, Back and Sleeve as found in my Book, Genesis Too™ or Refined Too™, or Casual Jacket Pattern™…or, even ANY simple jacket pattern that YOU might have that will fit on the ‘fabric’ you have in s size 2XL sweatshirt!

To SEE both methods actually done – my Creative Jacket Journey DVD is the way to go!

Have fun – and send me YOUR jacket photos.

WAY to GO – PAT!  Thanks for sharing your creativity!

“This show could be as big or bigger than Project Runway for the future of sewing!”

The latest Style Network show takes a revealing peek into the world of fashion prodigy Cecilia Cassini, a 12-year-old girl with an incredible knack for fashion design.

Despite her age, Cecilia’s talent for style has turned her into a national sensation, and her work has been worn by some of Hollywood’s hottest stars. Now, the cameras follow Cecilia and her supportive family as they prepare for a major trunk show and attempt to expand her line.

See Confessions of a Fashionette this Thursday, February 23 at 6:30 pm. Watch the Style Network to discover when the first season will start.

Also visit: Cecilia’s blog and Cecilia’s facebook  “

Confessions of a Fashionette is just one of the TV show examples of young fashion sewers that will no doubt inspire the next generation.

Nifty Necklines

Creative Companions

The TALKNG portions of these 2 brand new Top Priorities booklets on sewing knit tops are READY – says my tech guy/talented dear son.

Enjoy!!!  It was so much fun designing these garments and working out all the details of each technique for you.  I have one pattern booklet yet to do for this series – featuring hems, flowers of all types, flounces, etc…but in all reality, I’m just not sure when I will be able to get to it with shows/travels/guild dates upcoming.

Nifty Necklines Booklet Front Cover

Building upon the basic techniques taught in my Booklet: Upscale Techniques for Knit Tops, these techniques will embellish your knit tops and T’s in a very fashionable manner. Besides that, this is FUN and OH – SEW $-saving!!!!
These neckline embellishment techniques are given in an order from EZ skill level to a more challenging skill level, so select accordingly. However, with the accompanying Talking Pattern™ audio as you look at even more photographs available at the link below at any time, day or night, I’m confident you can easily and confidently create ANY of these necklines, regardless of your sewing experience.
For even more information, Photos and Audio with my personally-recorded directions, a dedicated website has been created, and is given to you inside the pattern booklet.

Again – these techniques BUILD UPON the basic techniques taught in my first product Upscale Techniques for Knit Tops, therefore those techniques will be referred to, though NOT REPEATED in this Booklet.
Pattern: I have utilized Pamela’s Pattern #104: The Perfect T-Shirt for all of my testing and garments.

Available to ship on Tuesday, Feb. 14!!!  Coming soon…….Creative Companions – Twin sets with a creative twist!

Titanium 'Roll the Gold' Rotary Blade

PS.  I have an amazing new product coming….coming…..coming……with EIGHT projects in it!

WALMART 

1.  Stopped selling fabric at majority of stores in 2008 – now in spring 2011 they announced that fabric, along with other so-called ‘heritage’ product categories like firearms, fishing poles…etc, were being added back in.  This is part of their strategy to turn their nine consecutive quarters of falling revenues around,  (however picked up in latest quarter).

2. They now have fabric – that will be cut be employees (not just pre-cut pieces) in over 2000 stores – goal of 3500 in first quarter of 2012.  The product mix is more inclusive of different types of fabrics – and to this I can attest.  I honestly found fabric at our Walmart  store in Savoy, IL that I almost purchased for my recent creative play with knit tops, T-Shirts.

3.  They are carrying 8 yard bolts – just as JoAnn’s has gone to for more selection.

4.  They will continue to compete on price, but will also have better quality and higher priced fabrics as well.

5.  Traffic is up in this department for them, so it is being well-received by customers.  Realize, in some more rural areas, Walmart may well be the only access to fabric, notions, etc. for a locale.

JO-ANN

1.  This chain is considered to be quite a competitor by your local independent fabric shops.  Their massive coupon campaigns are especially well-received in these economically tough times.  Previously thought to be dingy and somewhat outdated with poor quality fabrics, that is changing since the purchase of the chain’s 750 stores last year for $1.6 billion by Leonard Green & Partners, which also owns such major retail brands as Neiman Marcus, Whole Foods Market and J.Crew.  Many stores have been renovated, already, with many more to undergo that renovation in the future.  This includes my local store here in Champaign, IL.  It appears that the major target market for this chain is the hip DIY generation and big-=spending quilters.

2. The mantra of independents that the greige good (fabric base) of quilt fabrics in chain stores not being at all the same as that in the independent quilt stores is seeing an end.  Starting at the Houston Quilt Market in 2009, Jo-Ann wooed fabric manufacturers who have only sold their fabric to independents.  At the time, they already were carrying fabric from Alexander Henry and Donna Wilder (Stonehill collection for Fabric Traditions).  Quilting icon Denyse Schmidt agreed to design four fabric lines a year under the label DS Quilts Collection for Jo-Ann.  Fabric Traditions – the former parent company of Free Spirit is supplying these fabrics, though at a higher price than is usual for chainstores – $9.99 per yard – but that is before the infamous discount coupons.  Though Westminster (who Schmidt designs for) were not happy, Schmidt agreed she wouldn’t advertise Jo-Ann fabrics.  Not a big deal since her followers have found them at the chain resulting in the first 2 collections selling well.  Though this line Schmidt has designed for the chain is not as sophisticated as her other lines, the success of it is mentionable.  Many quilt fabric manufacturers have held out to Jo-Ann’s attempt to add them to their lineup – opting to remain in the independent stores only.

3.  I noticed (and also bought a piece myself) of another new line by April Johnston, a finalist in last season’s Project Runway competition at Jo-Anns.  This apparel fabric includes some textured poly and spandex fabric priced at $14.99 and shows the intent for Jo-Ann’s to compete not only in the quilting realm, but also fashion goods.

4.  The re-models and some stock upgrades haven’t totally transformed Jo-Anns though, as the quality fabric is still mixed in with ‘normal’ chain store goods.

FABRIC.COM

1.  If you didn’t already realize it, Amazon bought fabric.com in 2008, since which the number of their products has doubled or tripled.  Though owned by Amazon, founder Stephen Friedman says that they run pretty much as they always have without much interference from Amazon.

CONCLUSIONS

1.  Regardless of the movement towards more similar quality fabric, chain stores are still lacking what good independents have always claimed is their ‘claim to success’:  The ability to offer SERVICE and COMMUNITY.  Only the independents can offer the classes, the personal touch, the ‘place to go’ that is ‘home away from home’ for a creative soul.  I know those hallmarks are what I always strived to keep alive and well during the 13 years I owned a fashion and quilting fabric shop/machine dealership.

2.  The movement has been successful:  witness even 60 Michaels stores (of 1000 plus stores) now testing fabric sales – ala at this time just in precut yardage.

3.  The fact is that the chain stores are usually more visible due to their huge advertising budgets – so new sewers generally end up there initially.  THEN…they find the small independents as they want to LEARN more.  In fact, one argument in favor of the chains adding more quality goods is that doing so will increase the ‘appetite’ for the whole marketplace – more quality and variety that the chains won’t be able to provide.

INTERESTING facts and thoughts to ponder.  Ponder as you go out and support your local INDEPENDENT store!

IMPORTANT:  Always buy a 9” nylon coil zipper – even if you desire only a 7” opening..you’ll see why”make sure center front is parallel to grain line of front.  If it is not – you need to make it so, and take front tucks deeper or a dart to make up any difference.

1.  Cutting:  change pattern front so that you have a 2” extension from the center seam and 9” long.  For accurate and ample top edge when the extension is folded back on itself, fold this extension back on the original cutting line on pattern to trace the top edge.

2.  Mark -  the following points:

•  Point A which is the center front (CF) seam line.  Snip in at top edge to mark.
• Point B – 5/8” out into the extension from Point A – (which would be the cutting line if the extension had not been added).  Snip in at top edge to mark
• Point C is on the seam line, 3/4” above intersection of extension and crotch cutting line.  Stick in a pin, and mark that point with a Frixion Marker (will disappear with heat!)
• Interface the extension area on the Right Front as shaded in the diagram.

Add extension to center front.

3.  Stitch the center front crotch seam from point C to within 1” from cut inseam edge.  Do this as the entire crotch seam should be sewn after the inseams are joined, for wearing comfort).

4.  Press extensions as they will lay – see my first comment:  women’s zippers lap right over left…

• Press 1 3/8” under on the left front, or a line from the clip at Point B down to the raw crotch line edge.
• Press under 2” on extension on the right front, or a line from the clip at Point A down to Point C.

Stitching left side of zipper to left front folded along original seam line - Point B marked this line.

Next, get situated for easy sewing:

• Attach zipper foot to the left of the needle
• Lay the work with the top edge of the fabric towards you.
• Realize you will ALWAYS stitch from the bottom to the top of the zipper.

5.  Lay the folded underlay on the left front next to the left side of the zipper coil, placing the bottom tab of the coil below marked Point C.  Stitch 1/8” from the fold.  Now you see why a 9” zipper is best:  the tab will be laying way up off the edge of the pants at the top (towards you), so there is no bump for you to maneuver around.  Remember, stitch from the bottom of the zipper to the top waist edge.  See Diagram above this step.

Flip right front over to the left so you can secure right zipper tape to right front extension inside.

6.  Lay the overlap, or right side down over the left side matching up Point A clips.  Pin through all layers on the fold as they will lay when finished.  Fold the right side of the pants over to the left.  With the zipper foot now to the right of the needle, stitch through the zipper tape and the right extension as it lays on top of the zipper.  You will be able to ‘feel’ the teeth through the extension, and the  stitching will be along the right edge of the zipper coil.

Pin all in place and do curved fly front topstitching through all layers on right front.

7.  Flip the right side back over to the right, so that the right side is right side up.  Topstitch through all layers 1 1/4” from the center front fold, beginning with a curve at the bottom Point C.  The bottom zipper stop should be below Point C, causing no problems in stitching.  Leave long threads so they can be pulled to the inside and knotted.  Use a Frixion heat-disappearing pen to sketch in this bottom curve and then a straight lie on which to stitch.   You might even want to create your own ‘template’ to lay along the folded edge along which to draw a line.

8.  Be sure to have the tab pull on the zipper pulled down (the zipper open_ when the waistband  or facing is applied.  The waistline seam will be sewn OVER the zipper coil, shortening it exactly even, and leaving no unsightly ‘hole’ between the top of the zipper and the bottom of the waistband.

1.  Sen. Paul’s suits fit TERRIBLY at the neck – WAY too big – tonight and every time I see him.

2. WHO dressed Diane Sawyer????  Yellow?  Definitely NOT her best color – how yucky, boring…on such a beautiful woman.  And – I just don’t get ‘crooked’ parts in a hairdo – and her’s doesn’t seem to be on purpose either…

OK – I said it.  Comments?

Oh – and I personally miss Rep. Michelle Bachman’s  always lady-like professional style on the stage.   She gets my ‘ata girl’ for her appearance – every time she was on the debate stage!