For the Love of Sewing

There really is no excitement that can equal the experience of being together with thousands of other people who all love sewing! We talk of sewing, we teach of sewing, we see and experience great products and in our head we conjure up images of our next grand project. We share our hopes, dreams, and desires with each other and so many times, bond new and wonderful friendships! 

  The Sewing and Stitchery Expo 

The Sewing and Stitchery Expo is a great opportunity for you and I to meet up and enjoy our craft together. You can meet me in class while I'm teaching of course, but when I'm not in class, you can find me at the Showplex, vendor space #935 (yeah, they changed that from #933). In actuality, you will find me in both booths because I am combining with my next door vendor, Susan Liane Kennedy of The Smuggler's Daughter.

She sells fine fabrics online, and together we hope to amp up your expo experience! This event is Feb 25-28, 2016 at the Washington Star Fair, 110 Ninth Avenue SW, Puyallup Washington, USA.  

 

Finding Your Way Around

Finding vendors and classes can sometimes be a problem, so I've tried to give you a quick guide through the showplex in this image.  The yellow highlights where my two classes are, with the exception of the Thursday afternoon Etsy class- that will be in room L, which I believe is a tent, and will be across from the Pavilion. The Pavilion is next to the showplex and houses more vendors as well as the fashion show area upstairs.

 

 

Classes

My favorite subject! I will be teaching a class on Vintage patterns called The Vintage Pattern Collection. We will discuss how the sizing and directions, competition, and technology played a huge role in how patterns were produced, marketed, and sewn. I'll be sharing examples so you can see for yourself how patterns have changed over a 50 year period, from 1930's to 1980's. If you're are at all itching to become a collector, or would like to start sewing with older patterns, this class will help you know what you are getting yourself into! We will both have to get up early for this one.  There are only a few spaces left in the Thursday class, but here are the links to sign up:

Thursday, 830am

http://www.sewexpo.com/shop/c/p/1650A-The-Vintage-Pattern-Collection-Thursday-1650A-830-AM-x10852950.htm 

Saturday, 8:30am

http://www.sewexpo.com/shop/c/p/1650C-The-Vintage-Pattern-Collection-Saturday-1650C-830-AM-x10852951.htm 

 The other class I'm teaching is on starting or building a business with Etsy called Success with Etsy. The show producers are continually asked for classes on Etsy, so it must be a popular topic! The first year I applied to attend this expo, I proposed an Etsy class, but they didn't accept it. This year they didn't accept my other proposed topics, but wanted me to teach this Etsy class instead. In this class I must tell you about the business side of my life, which does include an Etsy shop. I will share with you what I've learned about Etsy culture, preparing your business for start up, and how to gain and keep your customers, and the many ways that Etsy helps to automate a busy persons life. I don't talk about my business side much, so I hope you'll come and share this time with me. The Friday class is almost sold out with only 20 spaces left.

Thursday, 1:30pm

http://www.sewexpo.com/shop/c/p/1651A-Success-With-Etsy-Thursday-1651A-130-PM-x10852952.htm

 Friday, 10:30am

http://www.sewexpo.com/shop/c/p/1651B-Success-With-Etsy-Friday-1651B-1030-AM-x10852953.htm

 Sunday, 10:30am

http://www.sewexpo.com/shop/c/p/1651D-Success-With-Etsy-Sunday-1651D-1030-AM-x10852954.htm

  

The Smuggler's Daughter

 Susan Kennedy of the Smuggler's Daughter is also teaching a class called  The Wonderful World of Online Fabric Shopping on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 4:30 in the L tent if you would like to know how to better shop for fabrics on the internet. 

https://www.sewexpo.com/module/search_content.htm?form_version=2&showSearchResults=1&search_keyword=susan&image.x=0&image.y=0

 Come See Me!

Look for these promotions and many many more:

• Enter the "Pick your Pattern" giveaway and win any pattern of your choosing.
• The Tia pattern for Craftsy will be sold at $5 each 
• Buy a pattern and get 10% off your fabric
•  Need accurate measurements? Let me take your measurements and help you assess standard alterations you may need. We have measurement and alterations sheets ready to go and free for the asking!
•  Look for our pairings of gorgeous fabrics and fun and feminine patterns to inspire your next creations! This photo above is only ONE example of the lovely fabric/pattern combos.
• Notions and trims will be available to make my exact outfits.

We had hoped to do a fashion/trunk show on the free stage, but since that didn't work out, you'll just have to come to the booth to get the full affect!

As always, I look forward to seeing you again, or meeting you for the first time. Please come introduce yourself and I promise to do my best to remember my manners and be charming!

Have a great Sewing Day!

Laura

Sewing with a "Stay"

When sewing with woven fabrics there are times when a seam just wants to stretch out and won't stay put....now keep that word "stay" in mind while I explain...

Today I am making the lovely and fashionable Fifth Avenue dress pattern

http://www.sewchicpatterns.com/fifth.html 

and  because the fabric is a bit thick, to keep down the bulk I decided to use organza in place of the traditional interfacing the pattern calls for.

 

 With Organza being an actual woven fabric, that little dip in the sweetheart neck was going to be prone to stretching, so I used a "stay" to stabilize that portion of the neck. This method can be used any place you want to prevent stretching on any seam, such as shoulders, waist line, necklines, pockets, and can even ease in a seam that has already stretched.

Grab some rayon hem tape to match your fabric. Mark your seam line on the pattern. (See our red line?)

 Pin your hem tape to match your seam line, yup, right down the middle, and cut to match.

At both ends of the tape I mark and X with pencil where the seam lines will cross,

Sewing with the tape toward you, and the garment to the feed dogs, stitch the tape down the middle  over your previously sewn seam, making sure the cross points match at the connecting edges. This is the only way to be sure that the garment matches the pattern sizing exactly. Clip, trim, and understitch as usual. Now your seam will "stay" where you want it!

"Stay" is a good name for it, don't you think?

Have a wonderful sewing day!

Laura

Wardrobe Contest

 Who needs a new wardrobe?

 I DO!! You would think for all the sewing that gets done around here that I would never want for anything, but my personal wardrobe is not so very posh. If you are longing for an excuse (and an incentive!) to make yourself a coordinated wardrobe, look no farther than the Wardrobe Contest on Pattern Review.

I am gladly sponsoring this 2 month long contest requiring a 10 piece coordinated wardrobe of your own making. The contest started Feb 1 and will run until March 31. The first and second place winners will be chosen by member vote, with prizes of up to $100 and $50 in product of the winners choosing. If this sounds like something of interest, then read on (the rules!) and start planning out your wardrobe!

http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/ContestRules.pl?ContestID=251