Burda Style in English!

I filled out an online form for a free trial of the new Burda Style Magazine in English. Just got my copy yesterday. Yippee! So many patterns and instructions and pdf downloads with instructions and information. I'm so excited about the Magazine. I tried it before in German, but its not quite the same. I need to narrow down my choices and make something for myself!

Getting to Know Your Sewing Machine

Lots of people tell me they want to sew, but they don't know how to use their machine. I can relate! It took me forever to learn that it mattered which way the bobbin went in on the machine. But once I figured that out I was off and sewing. I recommend this video class.




Claudia Miller goes over threading, bobbin winding and insertion, and many other little details to get you sewing.  And best of all the class is free! Its free to register there, too. But you do have to set up a free account. There are many other free classes in other crafty topics, but I haven't looked at them. 

Once you "buy" the free class it is yours to watch as often as you need. Plus, you can ask questions and get help as you go along. You can have your machine next to the computer and go through it with her, pausing if you need to.

If you are looking for a sewing book to get you going successfully, I recommend  The New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making Clothes and Home Accessories Updated Edition with All-New Projects and Simplicity Patterns (Reader's Digest). Take a look at the used books for a better price.

Sewing is such an enjoyable hobby for me, I want everyone to be successful! 

A Hand Sewing Question

I get questions in my email box from readers and I try to answer as honestly as I am able as much as I am able. This latest question I am answering here because it is so where my mind is at!

Diane: 
I found your blog while searching for hand sewing classes in Michigan.  Do you or anyone you know teach hand sewing garments in the style of Natalie Chanin and her Alabama Chanin clothing line?  I have several of her books, but I seem to learn better in a hands-on environment, not to mention that I know next to nothing about machine sewing.  I would appreciate any leads or help that you could give me.  Thanks.   
Cindy 

I just purchased these books for inspiration in my Co-op hand sewing class.  

-One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Fabric Projects; Look How Much You Can Make with Just One Yard of Fabric!, 
-Improv Sewing: A Freeform Approach to Creative Techniques; 101 Fast, Fun, and Fearless Projects: Dresses, Tunics, Scarves, Skirts, Accessories, Pillows, Curtains, and More,  
-Sewn by Hand: Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle & Thread,   
-Alabama Studio Sewing + Design: A Guide to Hand-Sewing an Alabama Chanin Wardrobe, 

I had not heard of Alabama Chanin previously, but the whole thing is pretty fascinating! Have you taken a look yet? Please look.  I find it beautiful, but would never have the patience myself to do it ALL by hand. Just looking at it I plan in my head how I would finish it by machine. On the other hand, hand sewing can be very relaxing, maybe I could do it. I love how they offer a DIY version of the garments.

  

It turns out I won't be leading the sewing class next semester. There were some complaints because my 1 yr old was in the class with me.  I am disappointed, but it is a relief too.  It is a lot of work to plan for the class. There is a wide range of skill and interest levels and it varies wildly by project. I learned a lot and the invitation to teach is open when my kids are older.

Anyway, I chose the books I chose because I was thinking about hand sewing projects and using recycled materials.  I thought the Chanin book could be adapted to use with recycled T's. We could cut a girls fitted T into a shrug and use their embellishing and finishing techniques.

So, I know so far this hasn't helped Cindy very much! Here are thoughts directly for you...

I'd start with something smaller to gain skill and confidence, like the projects in Sewn by Hand. Consider doing some Chanin work on recycled T's or existing garments, less cost upfront, the structure is already there and you can enjoy the embellishments.

As for a class, I don't know of any. But there are several places to get together and ask around. The American Sewing Guild members might know or be able to help you with hands on help with stitches. The Southeast Michigan Crafty Meetups may also be able to help. Either with information or stitch demonstration.

I hope this was helpful. I enjoyed looking at the Alabama Chanin website. Thank you for writing :) 

  

Book: Buckles and Bobbins: A Beginning Sewing Book for Boys

My 7 year old son and I are having trouble sewing together. He wants to make pencil thin rockets and I want him to make real things.  I think we have agreed to try this book, Buckles and Bobbins: A Beginning Sewing Book for Boys .  Then, I hope, he won't feel like I am stifling his creativity, plus he gets frustrated when the things he wants to do don't turn out like he imagines. I try to encourage a large rocket pillow, but he doesn't like my ideas! Hopefully this will give him a better idea about what is possible sewing and we can have fun together!

Old Sewing Books

Lately, I've become enamored with 1940's and earlier sewing books. I started collecting them almost 20 years ago when I shopped vintage clothing for stores in California, Florida and Michigan. Back in the mid- nineties every church rummage sale had a bunch of them and a sewing machine for $1 on the last day. First with the invention of online selling sites and now with the help of things like Project Runway, more people are sewing and buying on and off the Internet.

I usually don't spend much time perusing the books, I've always just used them to find out how to do something I wasn't sure about. But I will be teaching a Needleworks class at our co-op and, true to form, have been digging through my collection of books for ideas and explanations.

I am especially taken with the sections on remaking and reusing clothing. The 1925 Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences book on Dyeing-Remodeling-Budgets as well as New Encyclopedia of Modern Sewing from 1943 actually have pictures of how to lay out patterns on previously used clothing, much like I did on my denim jacket here.

They describe a number of ways to redo dresses, shirts, jackets and make childrens clothing from adult clothing. Even the current Sew News magazine does an article on how-to upcycle three blazers into one fabulous jacket. What is old is relevant again.

Also neat about these books is how thoroughly they cover the topics. I do believe I get more out of them now than I did 20 years ago because my sewing knowledge is greater. Comparing a 1949 Singer Sewing Book to a new one is like comparing apples to oranges. Both delicious but completely different in flavor, smell and availability. Although this new Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing - Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photos looks interesting! 1200 photos? I think I'll have to check it out!

Watching Project Runway

I'm watching my dvd's for the second time. I have Season 1 thru 5.



I ask for them for Christmas, because at my inlaws we trade names and its hard to shop for each other. And they aren't too expensive $17.49 to $27.95 each. (A month of cable is more!) I think I like them better this time because I'm not guessing about who is going to win. Its more fun to look at what they are doing. I'm inspired by their efforts and humbled by their imagination and abilities under pressure.

The show has a lot of drama, too. Anyone has a breakdown and a fight or a big mouth and that will definately get broadcast. The designers are big characters, I think its a combination of picking good characters and having a lot of interesting people to choose from. Season 2 has Santino Rice and Season 4 has Christian Siriano. Two larger than life people. I wouldn't recommend it for children, there is bad language, drinking, etc., but it is great adult entertainment. Santino (@santinorice) broadcasts on Twitter and I nearly dropped my laptop when he followed me back!

My husband says we may be getting cable, so I might be able to watch season 8 live. I'm not sure if I really like that idea, I will have to wait to see the successive episodes, not just slip in the next dvd!

I'm asking for season 6 and 7 this year! Maybe one of my brothers will buy one for me too :)

week #4



That's green beans in the bag and the squash was really (really!) good, I'm excited about next weeks share, we did get a little rain last week!

Book Review: The Mary Frances Sewing Book by Jane Eayre Fryer

Have you seen this book? I think it is a treat! Originally published in 1913, it takes a young girl through sewing lessons with the help of the thimble people, a sewing bird and other new friends. It comes with 16" doll sized patterns to copy and make too.



It has several glossy color pages and the table of contents includes topics like, I. Sewing Bird, II. Sewing Bird Begins to Teach and XIV. A Loan From the Thimble King. There are 33 Patterns included. From a Doll's Laundry Bag, to Doll's Lawn Petticoat, to a Girl's Collar. Instructions for How to Outfit a Work Basket, a Canvas Sampler and 44 others.



I dug mine out again because a friend has an 11 year old daughter who loves books and is interested in sewing. I gave her some sewing supplies, a Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing book and fabric last summer and she was happy and busy making a chair cover. I was pleased and impressed! She did a wonderful job!

I bought the book when it was re-published in 1997, I had been searching for it on auction sites. I'm not ready to part with mine, but I am going to see if she would like to borrow my copy for the summer. I still harbor dreams of a little girl of my own who might someday like to go on an adventure among the thimble people! :)

More Patternmaking, and Tools

I suggested some pattern drafting and draping books in a previous post ,but I failed to mention necessary tools. A few good rulers, a tape measure and some curved rulers are necessities.



I own a set of Fairgate rulers, plus a bunch of misc. ones.



I've also acquired some additional books because I went and looked and bought some after the last post...


I picked up a copy of The Practical Guide To Patternmaking For Fashion Designers: Menswear because I also am interested in sewing for Men. The suggested books at the bottom lured me in and I got Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear too, because I made a man's costume jacket once for a relative and had trouble with the construction. Menswear has different rules than womenswear, because suits are much more structured for men that women.

I also now own a copy of Donald McCunn's book How to Make Sewing Patterns. Mr. McCunn has a Yahoo! group dedicated to making patterns and makes himself, as well as many other talented individuals, available for answering questions. He is also offering online classes, I signed up for the first one, but became ill and was unable to participate. And things have been too busy around here to try another one this year. The concept of the first class was unique, we were to draft aprons for a wine bottle. It was a cost saving idea, a wine bottle is much cheaper to obtain than a 1/4 size dressform, yet still requires darts for proper fitting.

Book Review: Life in the Little Black Dress, by Christine Jonson

I've done a short review of The Little Black Dress on Pattern Review and I thought I'd add some more personal stuff here.

I worked as a little sales girl in Christine's Retail Store in Royal Oak, MI starting in 1995. The story about "Button Decisions" in the book brought back memories from that time. Christine would have Susan cut out the collection, and then it would be sent to the sew-ers (I wasn't allowed to sew way back then!). One woman would do the serging and we (me and or Susan or Christine) would have to press up hems and press/shrink the fabric and then one or more sew-ers would finish the hems and topstitching. After everything was finished and pressed and hung on hangers Christine would pull out the buttons. It was a big production and everything had to have the perfect buttons. I think many of Christine's customers enjoyed the attention to the buttons as much as the fit of the garments.

I also remember the joy Christine takes in choosing beautiful fabrics, that much hasn't changed!

Much of what I do in sewing is from watching and listening to Christine, I think I learned to really sew from her Patterns. I love the easy way her patterns go together and especially the fit of the armholes. I often find myself adjusting other patterns to make them easier or more friendly, eliminating facings, pins, serging darts,etc.

The article "Clip Those Threads" actually gave me a chuckle, it is one of my bad habits to leave some threads hanging, it is actually the thing that I get the most comments about! I do try to be neat, but I chronically leave the threads at the start of hem seams. I think I do end up getting them, unless I'm on a tight deadline and working really fast. People do end up not complaining after a while, so either I get better or they give up!

I also love Christine's take on "The Little Black Dress" and how it relates to sewing "...it signifies all the good things about clothes. If you have the perfect little black dress in your closet, life is good. It is something you can depend on. You can be in your comfort zone the second you slip that dress on. It's a state of mind."

All and all I really enjoyed the book, if you are looking for some fun informative reading about sewing I highly recommend it!

Book Review: Julie Parker's "All About...."

I discovered these books quite a few years ago at a Sewing Expo. They are a wonderful resource for those of us who are fabric challenged, buy from clearance racks or thrift unlabeled textiles. There is no substitute for actually feeling a fabric in your hands!

There are three Volumes in the Fabric Reference Series by Julie Parker:

All About Silk

All About Cotton

All About Wool

The best part by far is the swatch of fabrics included. Each description is accompanied by the corresponding fabric. A nice sized 2 1/2 X 4 inches. I find no substitute for seeing and feeling each fabric to compare what I have and help to accurately indentify each piece.

A sample of an entry goes something like this:
-Name of the fabric (My sample page is Flannel)
-Description of fabric
-Swatch on page
-Explaination of how "brushed cotton" is created
-Short "how to use"
-Description of several other similar related fabrics
Example:A page on Flannel includes a short description of Canton flannel, diaper flannel, flannelette, and outing flannel
-Sewing rating
-Suggested fit
-Suggested styles
-What to expect
-Cost per yard
-Wearability
-Suggested care
-Where to find
-Box with additional info
Example:This page on flannel has info on Flame retardant finishes

I am only fortunate enough to own the first two in the series All about Silk and All about Cotton. I will pick up the third someday, and I am looking forward to seeing all the fabrics and reading the pages to build my knowledge of fabrics and textiles.

The books can also be found on ebay under the publishers I.D. Rain City Publishing.