Details Can Really Make a Garment Pop!

I have recently begun to long for a new little dog, a puppy, a little puppy that's brand new to this world. As tempting as a purebred is, it will be a little rescue pup. I've looked at so many rescue sites. While looking last night, there was a little pup that caught my eye, but the angel in my heart whispered, "wait, not yet." The older I get, the more I am learning to listen to that angel who lives in my heart, she always knows best.

A year ago, my Little Bit was beginning to struggle. The stairs were an issue, but she had learned to call for me when she wanted to come down, and of course I would come running to her aide. The tumor in her jaw had also begun to grow. It's still heartbreaking to think about it, but hearts do heal, and mine is mending. It's amazing what time can do :) 

After what has turned out to be a busy summer, things are returning to normal, and I'm getting back to my neglected projects.

Just about a month ago, I shared with you the jacket below that I made using the Islander Fast and Fabulous Jacket pattern. I was very pleased with the finished jacket. 

  

Taking a look at the pattern cover, you can see that I tapered the jacket at the waist. Although I was very pleased with the pattern, I found the sleeves to be a little short and advised to lengthen the sleeve. 

The jacket was designed to be a fast make by serging the seams. While that's great, I wanted do another where a little more time is taken to give the jacket just a bit more pizzazz. 

The jacket below is a linen and denim blend. I purchased a fun coordinating fabric that I used to bind the seams.

I absolutely love how it looks. It's now one of those jackets that I enjoy looking at the inside as much as the outside.

I decided to pipe the outer edge of the jacket. As you can see, I'm not quite finished.

For a little added interest, I included the vent and piped it as well.

I plan to pipe the edge of the welt for the welt pockets, and I think I will also do piped bound buttonholes. Why not, right? :)

I'm going to do one final jacket and this one will be out of suede, and lined. So you'll be able to see just how versatile the pattern is.  

 The Fast and Fabulous Jacket pattern is a great pattern that lends itself to so many fabric possibilities. And...it's perfect whether you want something quick to make, or you want to add a little more detail.

Back to the studio!
Rhonda

The Pant That's Perfect For Even a Novice Sewist

This past week, I once again had the pleasure of hosting a delightful young woman. She came last summer with a shopping list, so thinking that it would once again be on the agenda, I factored it into what I thought we would be doing. The only thing on her shopping list was the need for some new pants to take back to school. I had initially said that we could make pajama pants, but when I showed her the Barb Pant from Style Arc Patterns, that was what she wanted. 

If by chance you have not heard about the Barb Pant from Style Arc, it's a basic, slim fitting pant intended for fabrics with some stretch.

It was even voted the best pattern for 2015 by Pattern Review readers.

I've made 2 pair for myself. Not the best picture of the pants, but they are perfect for pulling on anytime I really want ease of movement. With me below is Kim of The Material Lady. 

  

My little friend was so excited about making pants rather than shopping for them. She ended up with 3 new pair.

I let her go through my fabrics and she chose this fun psychedelic print. It's a cotton and spandex blend. 

The fabric below is a stretch denim. Almost has a yoga pant feel. She's looking forward to pairing them with sweatshirts and sweaters in the fall and winter.

After watching me make 2 pair, she wanted to give the pattern a try, so we purchased another piece of stretch denim and she did an incredible job! I told her that the only problem would now be that when she goes back to school, all of her friends are going to want her to make a pair for them as well. She was so proud of her accomplishment that she wore the pants home on the plane. A true sewist who can't wait to wear what she has made :)

The Barb Pant was offered as a free download just for signing up to the Style Arc newsletter. You can find the link HERE. 

The pants are easy to make and easy to fit, and a great project for someone who is learning to sew. 

So, download the pattern and have a little fun making pants!

Monday Morning Inspiration/Contemporary Threads

A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law who lives near Milwaukee, sent me an article about an exhibit at the Museum of Wisconsin Art. It's located in West Bend, a small town about 30 minutes north of Milwaukee. Although it's a bit of a drive from Chicago, it's well worth the time spent in traveling. I had a little time last week, so I thought I would make the trip.

The museum is rather small and has a triangular shape to the building. The street facing side is a wall of windows, so the museum is flooded with light.

Upon entering, due to the shape of the building, you are pulled in and made curious about what is around the corner.

The exhibit on the first floor is called Contemporary Threads. Four of the featured designers are Project Runway alum, including Peach Carr. 

This coat caught my eye. From the outside it is striking with its bright yellow color and bold black top stitching.

On the inside, a true statement with the embroidered faces and names of influential women.

Just an incredible piece of work.

Peach Carr had 4 pieces in the exhibit. Fun and quite mod.

I thought that this piece was quite fun with the exaggerated faux pearls.

This dress was created by draping pieces of leather around the body.

Not quite sure of what is trying to be said with this piece, but it's still quite eye catching. 

This piece did not photograph well. Lots of unexpected combinations of fabrics. 

The shoulder pieces are made from buckrum that has been bound.

 Believe it or not, this entire coat is made from plastic twist ties.

I found the mix of fabrics on this dress to be rather interesting.

This gown is really quite pretty.

I love how the designer gave the garment a subtle interest by overlaying a vibrant print with the black lace.

And finally, the end of the exhibit. Loved the drama. The hanging sculptures are Chihuly blown glass.  

If by chance you are going to be in the area of Milwaukee, by all means, check out the museum. There are 2 other wonderful fashion exhibits on display, 

Florence Eiseman: Designing Childhood for the American Century 

The Roddis Collection: American Style and Spirit  

Both will be on exhibit through September 17, 2017.

Next week I'll share the Roddis Collection. The collection includes some of the most amazing vintage designer pieces...and they were found in an attic in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Incredible!!!

Go check your attic, you never know what might be there ;)

Have a wonderful week!

Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

Giving Patterns a Tweak

A few weeks ago, my husband and I were invited to a  very formal wedding. The dress code was, "black tie invited." I knew that some would wear cocktail dresses, but I really wanted to go along with the formal aspect of the wedding.

I had purchased a gorgeous piece of silk charmeuse from Tessuti in Australia.  The print is of Venice and the colors are like liquid floating across the fabric. I was so happy that I jumped on it when I saw the fabric as it sold out very quickly.

Because it's summer, I wanted something that was easy to wear but would still feel formal. So, I ended up with a simple gathered skirt and a draped blouse that I pulled together with a matching sash.

The blouse is also made from a piece of silk.

I had just enough of both fabrics to create the sash. To give the sash some body, and keep it from collapsing, I interfaced it with 1 layer of fusible knit.

To create the blouse, I used an old Tom and Linda Platt  pattern. I liked the drape of the neckline, but wanted more drape and softness.

Since the pattern is for a dress rather than a blouse, I determined just how much length I would need and then cut away the extra from the bottom.

To create the look that I wanted at the neckline, I simply cut the front open along the center and spread it 3".  

The side seams were tapered in as I also did not want a flared hem.

So often we get lured into purchasing patterns that we really already have in our collection. All it takes is a bit of tweaking to get them to be exactly what we want. So I encourage you to do a thorough inventory of your patterns and the next time you see a design that you would like to recreate, look thorough the patterns that you already have and think about giving them a tweak!    

On The Road, Row By Row

I am not much of a quilter. All my life, I have been surrounded, and warmed by beautiful quilts that my great-grandmother and my grandmother made. I have a wonderful quilt that my great-grandmother made, a whole cloth quilt. A while back, I washed it and when I hung it to dry, I could see that the batting was not batting, but another quilt, quite possibly, one that my great-great-grandmother made. I would love to see it, and have thought about taking out the stitches in a corner to reveal the quilt inside. We'll see :)

There's a quilt that hangs in a guest room that my grandmother made when she was 14 years old, a lovely take on a wedding ring quilt. It warms my soul whenever I enter the room. I also have 2 precious little doll quilts that my grandmother made for my mother when she was a child, and I then played with. What's amazing to me is that she actually hand-pieced these little treasures. And to think that I had those little quilts outside, and even wrapped my cat up in them :/ 

Every once in a while, I will put a quilt together, but my grandmother would probably roll her eyes at the fact that all the piecing is done on the machine, as well as the quilting. At the moment, I have one of those "for the rest of my life projects" in the works, a yo-yo quilt. I work on it for a while, grow tired of it, put it away, and then break it out again maybe a year later. One day ;) 

If you listened to the interview I did with Tina of The Fabric Nook in Granby, Colorado, you heard her talk about participating in the Row by Row Experience. It all began in New York state in 2011 when 20 shops came together to create a traveling experience for those who came by their shops. It has now grown world wide with stores across the United States, Canada, and Europe participating. It's just such a fun way to create a lasting memory of your travels!

This week, I have a wonderful little friend visiting with me. She came last year and as I was taking her back to the airport, I asked what she enjoyed most about her time in Chicago. She replied, "our sew day." So, she's back, a year older, 17 and still wants to sew! In fact, I had planned for us to go downtown last night for a concert and she opted to stay home and sew. Amazing!!!

Before she arrived, I popped into a little quilt shop that is in my neighborhood to pick up their Row by Row kit as I thought it would be a nice memento for her to take home. She was so excited when she saw it. I told her that we could make a pillow if she liked, rather than a quilt panel. She told me that she would have a sofa in her dorm room this year and she would love to have a fun pillow.  

Here's the front of the pillow. Thankfully, the cityscape came pre-cut with the fusible backing already applied. Score!!!

The pinwheels were supposed to be on either side of the cityscape, but since we wanted a pillow, we opted to use them as the back of the pillow.

If you are visiting Chicago this summer and would like a fun little remembrance of your visit, you can find all the information on Second City Quilts HERE.

I was in Colorado the first of July and I made a point of visiting the 2 quilt shops that are in the area.  "On The Go To Baldy" is from Cabin Quilts and Stitches, a fun store in Grand Lake which is just on the border of the Rocky Mountain National Forest. 

The row beautifully depicts all that the area has to offer.

Then I stopped in to see Tina and pick up her design. It really warms my cowgirl heart :) You may remember that we talked in the interview about how the cattle were actually driven through the town of Granby at one time. 

Tina's Row by Row kit comes in this fun heavy paper envelope. It was tied with a cute string, but not unlike a child at Christmas, I couldn't wait to take a look inside!

Of the 3 kits that I've purchased, Tina's is by far the most detailed. Fabulous instructions, a template so you don't get lost in where what goes. And even better, the cowgirl as well as the cows have been laser cut, so they are all ready to go, WOO, HOO!!!

You can find Tina HERE at The Fabric Nook. If by chance you do stop by, be sure to ask for Tina as I know she would love to meet you :)

I'm going back to Second City Quilts to get another kit for myself. It's just so much fun to put these together!! For the first time in quite a while, I REALLY want to put a quilt together. 

As If By Magic

We've all heard of the so called 'overnight sensation.' Those with that title would be the first to say that if years of hard work are considered overnight, then okay, but it didn't seem like overnight to them! 

And then we've also heard that it all came together, "as if by magic." Again, there's a tremendous amount of work that must take place in order for the outcome to seem "magical."

What brings about magic? Determination, dedication, and a continuing pursuit of knowledge are key components that work together to bring about a magical outcome. The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals is an organization that is devoted to offering a wealth of knowledge, and resources for anyone who desires to enhance their skills as a sewist. Each year they make all of this possible by offering exceptional classes at their conference. This year, the conference is entitled...

                                             

2017 ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE

ORLANDO, FLORIDA  

OCTOBER 19-22, 2017

WYNDHAM LAKE BUENA VISTA RESORT  

The registration opened July 1 to members, but as of yesterday, August 1, 2017, registration has been opened the public. Here's your opportunity to discover what the organization has to offer without making a commitment to join.  

For those who have thought about the possibility of going through the process of becoming certified as a Master Sewing and Design Professional, there are a number of classes that are designed to help you along. 

Below are the classes that are being offered at this year's conference.

Susan Widawski 
Apparel Design By Flat Pattern Method

Robin Mazzola

Social Media

Branding, Planning and Reaching Your Customers

Mary McCarthy

Be a Great Sewing Teacher

Louise Cutting

Know Your Half Measurements and How To Use Them

Carla Mathis

The Triumph of Individual Style

Dianne Frewer

No Fear of Numbers with Excel

Helen Haughey

Standards of Quality

**Chic Sheath For All Body Types 

Sarah Veblen

Being Profitable with Custom and Alteration Work

**Nuance of Bodice Fitting

The classes above marked with the double ** which are being offered by Helen Haughey and Sarah Veblen are post conference classes and each class is a day and a half long. 

You can find more information on the conference on the ASDP website HERE. On the right hand side of the page, you will see a link to the conference where you can discover more and download a registration form.

There's 1 more class that is being offered, a 2 day intensive workshop on Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop which I will be taking. Can't wait!!! 

It would be fun to see you there :)