Category: Fashion Sewing Club

June Garment Photos

Another month has flown by-hope you are enjoying the wonderful spring (for a day or two yet) weather and some fun summer sewing projects.
A big thanks to Kathy and Cheri for filling in for Kristin (China vacation) and filling in gaps for Laurel after her mother passed away. Our condolences to Laurel and her family.

Kathy and Cheri took a cue from our current Club challenge-mini wardrobe building-and showed us how easy it can be to have many outfits with just a few pieces.

Kathy's Mixit Jacket

Kathy's Mixit Tank

Kathy's Trio Tee

Kathy's Scarf (instructions in next blog)
Cheri's By Popular Demand Jacket and Ikina Pant
Cheri's Pure & Simple Shell
Jacket, Shell and Swing Skirt
Pant Design Addition
Debbie's Liverpool Shirt
Debbie's Vest
Fabric Embellishment Detail
Debbie's Summer Nightgown
Godet Detail
Laurel's Blouse

Happy Summer Sewing! How about some competition for the Gingher Scissors (prize for the mini wardrobe challenge :))

Good Sewing Weather

For those of us that love to sew AND garden, we’ve been given a bit of a reprieve. This gloomy, cold weather makes it easy to stay inside and get creative. It seems I have lots of ideas and get things done but then when I go to my closet-there’s nothing to wear!

Sewing for Paris gave me great go-to outfits for winter but now with this new season it seems I’m starting from scratch. I sew something and finish it and then question whether the garment fits my lifestyle right now. Let’s not even talk about whether I have the shoes, undergarments, etc! How do people look put together all the time?

To that end, and because I am working on my travel wardrobe for China, we’ll be offering up a challenge for the summer months. Come to Fashion Sewing Club next week and find out the rules and regulations (or you can make up your own rules). And come with suggestions for how you put your sewn garments together so that you have things to wear.

For those of you with iPhones, Sara posted a comment about Pattern Pal. I uploaded (or did I download:) it and have been giving it a try. It costs $3.99 which is a bit on the more expensive side but I compare that with the cost of a pattern and you know where that gets me. The app allows you to take a picture of your pattern and gives you lists of pattern companies, notions, a place to enter yardage, etc. You have to add words (like 18″ zipper, shoulder pads) but then it will appear as an option next time so over time you accumulate a good list of options. The patterns can be sorted by number, company, type and a few others so that’s easy. You still can’t zoom the picture which would be good for seeing the back of the pattern envelope. You can enter two photos so you could also include the fabric you have used. I had a few problems with the app closing as I was entering data which was annoying. Otherwise it seems to be a good option. I think I’d still like it as part of Fabric Stash so it would all be in one place. If you try the app, be sure to go to the site and post your review of it. That way maybe they’ll give us what we want in updates.

We still have room in the Saturday, May 8, Beach Cover Up/Robe Class if you are interested.

That’s all for now, I’ve got to get back up to my machines! Happy Sewing and Happy Mother’s Day if it applies!

March Fashion Sewing Club Garments

The March installment of Club brings a wide variety of garments-






And some great Sew and Tell-

Cheri is wearing the new Louise Cutting's new My Heart's A' Flutter

Fashion Sewing Club meets monthly and features garments with design changes, pattern review and sew and tell. All are welcome. Cost is $10. Click on Club to see dates, times and locations.

February Fashion Sewing Club Garments

Despite the bad weather we had a fair turnout and lots of great show and tell. One of the Treadle attendees got motivated to add four pieces to her wardrobe giving Marcy Tilton’s new tee pattern a try. A few of the Bloomington attendees were busy with children’s and American Girl doll garments.

Debbie's tee and 8th Ave skirt

Shapes Three Fold Vest

Three Fold Vest back view

Fifth and Final Felted Mittens

Debbie's Ruffled Shirt and Simplicity Trousers

Ruffle Close up

Three Fold Vest and Marcy Tilton's Skirt

Marcy's Tee and Skirt

Laurel's Mix It Top

Laurel's Blouse

Marcy's Skirt-Short Version

Ripping Stitches and Beyond

So I’m working on Marcy Tilton’s t-shirt (V8497-see Laurel’s version in January Club Garments post) and I think I’ll be clever and use my new roll of one inch fusible interfacing (a Sewing and Quilting purchase) to mark the hem and give it more stability. Well, I kept getting puckers on the right side fabric of the hem. Did I mention I’m using my Babylock coverstitch? I tried using the differential feed but that didn’t help. As I’m ripping out the hem stitches for the third time, I decide to look in some of my serger books to see if there’s an easy way to rip coverstitch. To quote Singer Sewing With Your Serger, “Remove cover-stitch threads just as you would remove chainstitch threads. With a seam ripper or a straight pin, remover the last two or three stitches formed by each of the needle threads. Turn over the fabric and gently pull on the looper thread until all the stitches unravel. Remove the loose needle threads.”

I tried. It didn’t work. Several times, I tried. I’m wondering if the Babylock stitch formation is different? I settled on this method: Slide seam ripper between needle threads and under looper stitches on the wrong side. Pull needle threads out-they should come easily in one piece. Use your serger tweezers to pull out small pieces of looper stitch to save your fingers and get a few more at a time.

Getting back to the hem-I removed the fusible interfacing from my hem and the problem went away. Maybe the puckers wouldn’t have happened if I had applied the interfacing at the 1″ hemline and above but then it wouldn’t have saved the measuring. Or if I stitched the hem with the hem allowance/interfacing next to the presser foot, would that have helped? But then I’d have the looper side of the coverstitch showing on the right side.

Any suggestions? Ripping out coverstitch or turning up a hem with fusible interfacing strips are the challenges for today.

Looking for fashion forward events?

U of M’s Design Department has its senior student style show, Insight, this Saturday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 and 8. Tickets are $15 purchased online.

Fashion Sewing Club meets next week-Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Treadle Yard Goods in St. Paul and Thursday and Saturday, Feb. 11 and 13 at Associated Sewing in Bloomington.

Dress Your Best is Saturday, Mar. 6. Pick up fashion, makeup and image tips from several speakers.

Christopher Straub from Project Runway, Season 6, will speak at The Sampler in Chanhassen on Friday evening, Mar. 12. Call to reserve your $30 ticket-952-934-5307. At last look, it wasn’t on their website.

January Garment Pictures

With no major snow or electrical outages to put a damper on things, the January meetings of Fashion Sewing Club came off without a hitch. Here are the pictures of the garments plus a few show and tell items. If you are a subscriber and didn’t make it to the meeting, email us and we’ll send you copies of the sheets. Otherwise they are available for $3.
Enjoy!

Guest sewist, Hilary's, Project Runway Vest


Brenda's Sewing Workshop Trio Collection

Carrie's Fancy Lining-Silhouette Wrap Skirt

Laurel's Circle Vest

Laurel's Marcy Tilton Tee

Debbie's Sweater Knit Tee

Debbie's Cuffed Blouse

Debbie's Half Zip

Kristin's Fleece Car Coat

Unfortunately, Zach’s vest is on its way to California and the Ruffled Pajama Top is on display at Treadle. Will do better next time.

Procrastination as an art form

If you subscribe to that belief then I am an artist-just kidding! Procrastination is one of my strong suits and this being very close to the end of the year, I have a few ends I really must tie up.

First off, Material Girls is on Marcy Tilton’s list of websites to check out (click here to see her December newsletter). Thank you, Marcy! Her newsletter is great and includes more Paris info and some great things that I missed.

Second, the new Threads magazine features our favorite ponytail holder technique and alot of other very cool ideas.

And third is the first installment of the December Club garments. Debbie’s pictures have been in my possession for longer than I care to admit so here they are. If weather or Christmas chaos kept you from getting to Club, you can get the sheets by email for free if were are a subscriber–$3 if you not. Click here to email.

Debbie's gored skirt with ruffled lining
Debbie's gored skirt with ruffled lining

Debbie's black crepe jean jacket and Silhouette blouse
Debbie's black crepe jean jacket and Silhouette blouse

Detail of blouse fabric
Detail of blouse fabric

Detail of jean jacket lines
Detail of jean jacket lines

Cowl with Parisienne tuck
Cowl with Parisienne tuck

Laurel and Kristin’s garments will be added before 2010 🙂

November Garments

November has been a busy month but very productive. Expo was great. We hope to see some new faces.
Here are garment photos to help you remember what the Club sheets are talking about. As always, we can send you the electronic copies free if you are a subscriber or $3 if not.
Remember that Silhouette patterns tend to run small in the arms and Decades of Design measurements may be the finished garments.
Photos in order of appearance should be:
Debbie’s ruffle lined jacket
Debbie’s sweater with ribbed bands
Laurel’s boiled wool jacket
Laurel’s Decades of Desgn jacket
Kristin’s swing dress
Kristin’s silk blouse
Kristin’s boiled wool jacket
Kristin’s wrap skirt
Kristin’s corduroy bias jacket