Sewing and Stitchery Expo 2015

This year I took a little bit of a "vendor" break and went to Expo to network and help my friend Dana Marie, designer at Dana Marie Designs. If you aren't familiar with her work, it's part wearable art and part rock 'n roll. I know her through my affiliation with the Independent Pattern Company Alliance. Visit her site here: http://www.danamarie.com/












 The first day of the show I wore the new Pendleton design. I got so many lovely compliments and gave out a whole lot of business cards.  

However, my dress wasn't nearly as popular as my shoes! Many people commented- mostly about how comfortable (or not) they thought they must be. One woman came by and said "They told us to take pictures"  so she took a photo of my shoes. I wear a lot of black and white and red combinations, so it's true- these shoes are my all time favorites. I hope they never wear out.

 

The second day I had more opportunity to get out of the booth and wander. I wore Ginseng, a new spring design that will be out sometime between now and the end of March. So many people stopped me, swarmed, commented. It warmed my heart to know that people liked it.

Of course my affiliation with Simplicity meant I wanted to go to the fashion show. I enjoyed it very much. Stopping by the booth, I found they were giving away Simplicity clothing labels! The labels give you a space to write the pattern number, and then it is sewn into the garment. Years ago, they would give those away at the pattern counter. Would you add a label if they made them easily available again?


The business cards represent all the great people I met and talked to, like Carley Struve, instructor at Sew Good. It's wonderful to connect with the many people that do their part to keep the love of sewing alive! See you all at Expo next year!

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Indie with Craftsy: Flirty Meets Sassy, part I

This tutorial was first written for Indie Pattern Month, as I was assigned to write a blog for Christine Haynes. Since we are both Craftsy teachers, it seemed appropriate to apply a related topic.

 

 The Sassy Librarian Blouse

 

Sewing Vintage: The Flirty Day Dress

...I thought it appropriate that my tutorial for Sewing Indie should focus on our Craftsy Class projects. Pairing Flirty with Sassy makes for one adorable outfit, perfect for spring! So here we go with Sewing Indie with Craftsy: Flirty Meets Sassy Part I

Via this tutorial, Miss Sassy has become a jacket, perfect for warding off cooler weather, or a room with too much air conditioning!

This jacket adds some great color to match the dress trim in a fabulous vintage silhouette.

Miss Flirty, also known as Tia #1312, got a make over too! Adapting the trim to mirror the collar and incorporating rows of tucks down the front with a couple of cute covered buttons is perfect!

I've even included some cross tucking on the pocket just for fun.  To get all the details on how to take on the Tia dress adaptations, head over to my blog at It's Sew Chic, but stay right here for the Librarian Blouse make over.

Turning your Blouse into a light weight jacket is really easy, and only requires a few pattern changes. I always start with the top at the front and make my way down the pattern. Always mark on your pattern the changes you made from the original to guide you if ever come back to this pattern and wonder what you did!

Transferring the new neck line to pattern front

Because I knew the neck would be too high for my liking, using the pattern front without the tucks, I lowered the neck at center front by 1/2"redrawing a new line from the shoulder. (I used that pattern to keep all those tucks from getting in my way.) With the tucks closed, I transferred that new line to the view with the tucks.

Cutting this one into a short jacket

Using my bust point as a guide for length, I decide to cut off  7 7/8" from the bottom of the pattern. I am using my grid to draw a cut line perpendicular to the grain line. Draw a line 1" above for your hem mark.

Matching the side seams, front to back

  Mark your back pattern in the same manner, and then close the side dart and check to make sure that your side seams will match up.

Cut the pattern

  Now it's safe to cut away the extra.

Add additional to the collar

 Because I lowered the neckline, I know I'll have to add some additional to the collar pattern. To know how much, I have to walk the collar to the back and front pattern pieces. I had to add 3/8", and if you lower your neck the same amount that measurement will be the same for you also. Size will not matter.

Add length to the sleeve

Next, I added 8 3/8" to the bottom of the sleeve, which also includes 1" for the hem. You may need more or less length depending on your arm.

Copy these changes to the facing

Be sure to make the same changes to your facing piece. Lay your pattern right on top matching the edges and trace those off.

The facing now matches

Trimming away some of that neck front left that edge a little bit sparse, so I reshaped that curve on my facing. If you wanted to line your jacket, you can cut a lining from the front without the tucks, but you'll still need to use this piece to cut an interfacing. 

Now that your pattern is ready to cut out, let me share with you a few tips to get those tucks perfectly aligned and sewn without measuring.

Clip into the fabric

 Following the pattern markings, clip into the fabric at the top and bottom of each column. You can clip both, but the fold line is the one you need to keep track of.  

Press the fabric

 Holding your fabric at these ends, fold the fabric in half along these clips. The grain will help you line these up perfectly. Press each fold line before ever sewing a stitch.

Set your guide

Put your pattern under the sewing machine and put the needle down into the stitching line. Using a guide, set the distance to match the fold perfectly. Tape is a poor man's substitute, but these guides work better than the bumper rails at the bowling alley!

Thanks for joining me in this Flirty Meets Sassy tutorial! If you have questions you can find me on Facebook,and Twitter: @sewchicpatterns. Now head on over to part II http://sewchicpatterns.blogspot.com/2014/05/sewing-indie-with-craftsy-flirty-meets_25.html

Sewing Indie with Craftsy: Flirty Meets Sassy, Part II

For Sewing Indie Month my assignment was to pair up with Christine Haynes (patterns) who is also a Craftsy class teacher...

 

 The Sassy Librarian Blouse

 

Sewing Vintage: The Flirty Day Dress

So I decided that my tutorial would combine our projects into ONE adorable outfit that YOU can make for yourself!

With a few quick pattern changes, I've turned Miss Sassy into a short jacket.

And Miss Flirty got a make over too.

I raised the neckline, changed the trim to mirror the collar on the jacket, added tucks down the front, highlighted by covered buttons.

 I even added cross tucks to the pocket to continue the theme.

You can find the jacket tutorial here:
Sewing Indie with Craftsy: Flirty Meets Sassy, Part I 
But stay right here for the Tia Dress tutorial, so here we go!

First we are going to raise the neckline. Whenever you want to make an alteration from the original pattern, I recommend that you first trace off the pattern piece in your size. If you make a mess of it, no problem. You can always come back to the original and try it again!

Here are my pieces traced off. Next, mark the seam allowances around the neckline. And pin them together as if sewn, leaving the bottom of the princess seam spread out.

Use a grid ruler to draw in a new cut line. I'm going to raise my neckline 5/8" and flattened that top curve just a little, raising the center to about 3/4".  For more modesty, you can raise the neck more, and flatten the curve or go straight across for a square neckline.

What was the cut line, now becomes the sewing or seam line (easy for me!). I've extended the pattern cut lines for all pieces and shortened the shoulder piece to match with my new seam line.

This is what my new pattern pieces look like. Be sure to make a notation on your pattern so that you will remember what you did when you find this pattern again years from now! Next, I want to add pleats down the front at the same interval and depth as my jacket pattern.

Rather than cut my pattern up to add the tucks permanently, I'm going to make the tucks first, then cut the pattern. This is a great way to add may kinds of details and get them positioned exactly. Using a small square of fabric large enough for my pattern and the wide enough for the tucks, I've marked the edges of my fabric with chalk so you can see it, but normally I would just make a clip with my scissors. These marks are 1 3/8" apart from each other. I've left about 1 1/2 to the selvage. Be sure that your tuck marks follow the grain!

Fold the pleats along the marks and press. Your grain will keep these perfectly straight. Now sew your tucks at 3/8" from the fold line.

To keep these tucks straight, use a guide, not your eye, or a piece of tape. Cutting 2, one set of tucks will be pressed to the right right, and the other to the left.

Place the center front with the cut line 1" from the first row of stitches, or 1 3/8" from the first fold. Once sewn, that will leave you with 3/8" to the center front seam line. Don't forget to add the interfacing after your fabric is cut, just as the pattern instructions direct.

 To add the trim, make yourself a pattern piece following the Craftsy class, or for those of you not in the class, here is what the pattern piece will look like with the measurements. Cut one, then cut in half, will be enough for both sides of the bodice.

Cut your trim, folded in half, and make sure that your end is square.

 Sew the end and trim. Fold right side out. the pin designates the pattern marking on the front.

 Matching the finished edge to that pin, pin, then baste into place.

Pin your center fronts together at the tuck seams so you know they will be the same distance from each other when sewn.

Also, before you sew, make sure that your trims match up perfectly at the beginning point. The X is where you'll put your needle down through all the layers.

Make your pocket in the same way, sewing the tucks first, then cutting the pattern. This one will be trickier than the bodice, because you'll be stitching those tucks on the bias. Be as careful as you can be!

Folding under your outside pocket seam will take some patience also. Use your bishops ruler to fold under and press, measuring from the pleat stitching, not necessarily from the pattern edge. No one will notice if your pockets are not exactly the same, but if your edge gets wide and narrow from your tuck, that will definitely be noticed!


Even if you aren't in the Miss Sassy class, I encourage you to read the part I tutorial anyway. I give you more tips for sewing perfectly aligned tucks!
http://christinehaynes.blogspot.com/2014/05/sewing-indie-with-craftsy-flirty-meets.html

The full bust adjustment in 10 easy steps

We might think there is enough information out there about the FULL BUST ADJUSTMENT, affectionately known as the FBA, but it's fair to say the the majority of questions I get from students in my Craftsy class are centered on this very important alteration. To try and clear up any confusion you might have about how to do this adjustment, I've made up a hand out showing how to do this alteration, in 10 EASY steps.

• Get the alteration measurements from a cup size chart
• Using my Tia pattern, I show you how to do the alteration step by step
• This method is the same for all princess seam patterns. 
• This downloadable instruction is more detailed that the class video. 

 Whether or not you need to do this alteration, I will leave for another post !

 Link to the handout from my website here:
 http://www.sewchicpatterns.com/images/Sew_Chic_FBA_instructions.pdf

Behind the Scenes at Craftsy

The project I'm teaching at Craftsy is this Tia Dress

 "So how was your trip to Denver?" my son asked me. Having filmed and edited movies before, he wanted to know the "behind the scenes" in making a Craftsy class. "You mean there is no script?"  The outline that my producer and I had sketched out weeks before was as much a script as there was.  This outline helps the producer evaluate the content to keep each lesson within the maximum time allotment and ensures that the critical elements are included.

Once on the set, the things I had yet to perfect were more movie-like than academia, things like remembering the format for introducing each lesson. It turned out to be a tongue twister to say "Sewing Vintage" instead of "Vintage Sewing." A sign taped it to the camera  helped me out immensely.  

With two cameras trained on me at all times, it's appropriate to:

• speak to the camera whenever possible
• when sewing, keep my left hand flat
• don't talk to just to fill space
• if I need to stop, turn statuesque (and don't move anything!)
• move slowly so the camera has time to follow
• keep all tools/step outs close at hand

We would start the day as soon as make up and wardrobe was complete. The goal was to complete 3-4 lessons in a day, and though video can be picture perfect (retaping again and again), it's a tight schedule to keep, and frankly, it's unnatural to be too scripted. It's the Craftsy way to share the teachers eloquence and skill as it happens, just as it would be in a classroom experience. However, the last day was a rough start for me, continually stumbling over my words. I was able to begin again and soon I had my rhythm going.

Nine different lessons means nine different outfits. I had to stay away from  solid white, black, stripes or small prints, and that ruled out much of my wardrobe. Wearing a microphone also meant that my clothing had to be capable of both hiding the wire and clipping to something- a pant, skirt, or some kind of belt. I packed my suitcase with anything and everything that had possibility. One thing that didn't work in my favor was dress linings and taffetas. I had put on the Beatrice dress in plaid and was ready to start the lesson when the camera man stopped me. "I hear something" he says. He fiddles with my microphone and goes back to his post. I begin talking, and again he stops me. Puzzled, he says "What do you have on under there?" The stiff lining made crackling noises!


I hope you'll take my class, set to debut in October. I am teaching some very unique vintage sewing techniques using the Tia Dress, # LN 1312, and you get the pattern sent to you free with the class purchase. Next week I'll show you some of the special features that we'll be doing in the class. And as we say at Craftsy....

I'm Laura Nash, and THIS is Sewing Vintage!

Side Zipper Sewing Problems and Solutions

I wore Beatrice to church one Sunday and a friend of mine, noticing it was a new dress, inspected both front and back carefully and was very complimentary, saying it might even tempt her to try sewing again. Then after a moment of silence, she asked hesitantly "How do you get into it?"


Yes, a side zipper can easily go unnoticed (AND is easy to reach!), but I also love a side zipper because:

• Tucked neatly under the arm, a side zipper in an off color is less noticeable
• A 14" length (vs. 22" for a back zipper) is less expensive
• No dealing with neck edges and facings
• A lapped zipper is easier to sew 

However, a flawless installation does not happen automatically. There are several problems to watch for, and I'll go through them one by one:
 Problem A: The stitching is puckering up on one side and you have extra or not enough fabric on one side or the other.
What is happening: The front and back side seams openings are not the same length.

 How to check it: Match the front and back to each other the entire length. You can see that one side is much longer than the other. Now let's talk about problem B, which has the same solution.

Problem B: The waist seams don't match up.

What is happening: You may have the same length, front to back, but the top to bottom are offset just enough to keep the waist seams from matching correctly.

Solution to problem A and B: You need to find out which piece is too long/short. Is it the front or back/ bodice or skirt?

Pull out the paper pattern and match it up to both the skirt and the bodice, both front and back, to find out which one needs the correction. In this case, the bodice allowance isn't accurate. Start by ripping the seam out back to the point where the seam diverges from the pattern.

 Place a pin to mark the match point.

Pin everything back together and check it to make sure it still matches. Now sew.

Problem C: We've got both sides the same, but sewing the lapped side of the zipper with a perfectly matched waist seam is difficult!
What is happening: You've pinned  your lap to the zipper tape over and over again, but still the waist seams do not match up once sewn. Figuring out just where and how to perfectly match seam to seam on the zipper tape, along with the natural drag of the zipper foot can  easily put everything completely out of alignment.

Solution to Problem C:

Mark your waist seam line on the zipper tape with a pencil, chalk, or erasable marker. We have marked two lines because we need to center the piping.

Sew the seam allowance to the zipper tape to make sure everything stays in place.

Then check your work before topstitching.

Use a walking foot to top stitch, measuring an even distance from the fold. Make sure you've given enough clearance and that the stitching will be on the right side of the teeth. A walking foot picks itself up with every stitch, which means the fabric is feeding evenly the length of the zipper.

Problem D: No matter how hard you try, there is always a "bump" in the top stitching at the end because the zipper pull gets in the way.
What is happening: You can't figure out how anyone could have straight stitching at the end of a zipper! The pull is too large. The zipper foot can't get past it,  you have an unsightly zag in the stitching.

Solution to Problem D: 

 Stop your stitching BEFORE you get to the zipper pull. With the needle in the DOWN position, raise the foot and push the zipper pull well past the foot.

 Lower the foot.

 Finish sewing to the end, pivoting at the corner just past the top stop. Use this method of moving the pull any time it keeps you from sewing a straight seam.

We have one lovely side zipper we can be proud to wear! Don't you just love a dress that looks great both coming and going?