Cutting Line Design Patterns, Events and Announcements

[nanners]

Louise that is a busy schedule! I just saw the brochure for the Worcester Ma. show and will be looking forward to one of the One Seam clasees. Will be attending with my Mom

[sew_k]

Your jacket sounds very cool....I am looking forward to seeing the photo. I think this jacket pattern may be next on my list to make.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Whoa! it sure is cold here this morning...well, this past weekend...I always think Florida has a faint oder of Moth Balls when the temp gets this low....no wonder that kitties wanted to snuggle this morning...and  thought it was for breakfast...(well, that is a given if anyone has a cat).

I think I have everything packed for the 3 different Sewing Expos. The Puyallup show was shipped last week...14 boxes total) but I always have to pull the items that I need at every show and put them in my suitcase. We pick the van up on Tuesday (eek...tomorrow) and pack it full of fabric, buttons, patterns, booklets, garments, samples, fashion show clothes, portable office...and anything else that will fit and head out of Wed morning. With Tampa only about 2 hours away...really it is less...but giving the 'fudge factor' of getting lost and finding the dock at the convention center...the booth will be set up the rest of Wednesday...this usually takes about 6-8 hours to get all the fabric colored coordiniated and the total booth looking like a little store.

I have printed off handouts so others will be able to find Artisans Square and see all the info that is here.

We sell and teach for 3 days and then do the whole thing in reverse come Sat evening. Drive home Saturday evening, unpack the van and return it to the rental company. Home Sunday and Monday and fly to Seattle to attend the Puayllup show on Tuesday morning,  I teach an all day Sit and Sew on Wednesday, while Sandy sets the booth up by herself. Granted no fabric thereso it is a bit easier, but it will have patterns, booklets, buttons, garments, fashion show clothes (which require fittings on Wednesday mid day). Puayllup is a 4 day show rather than a 3 day show like most Sewing Expos, plus the day before for teaching...then on Sunday night after the show we have  to pull everything down, box it up  and get it ready to ship home. We head to the airport to take a red eye back to Orlando arriving here Monday morning...the cab ride is to the van rental location to pick up the van again and pack it for the Atlanta show. We DO have the rest of Monday free! We head out for the Atlanta show on Tuesday, for the day before Sit and Sew...Sandy gets to set the whole booth up by herself...fabric, buttons, patterns, booklets, garments, samples, fashion show clothes, portable office by herself...with me teaching I am unable to help. Three days of teaching and booth stuff and then pack up Saturday night...if we feel up to it we will get several hours on the road home and finish the drive on Sunday...unpack the van and return it.

Both Sandy and I have garments that have to be finished for the fashion show at the  International Textile Show that is held in Las Vegas 10 days later. When I finally get to sit down and sew, I have to make clothes for Las Vdgas models!!!....I don't even get to wear them . Las Vegas sizes and like no other sizes!!!

Well, I have just today to make sure everything is ready here for the kitties...in the mean time, I hope to see many of you at the different shows.....Worcester is a bit away...I am teaching in Reading, Pa the weekend before and will head up from there. I better get a move on...till later, Louise

[cmarie12]

Louise ~ thanks for sharing your very busy schedule with us!  I hope all goes well at all three expos you are planning on attending!

[Lisa Laree]

Wow...that schedule reminds me just how close the Atlanta Expo is...time is flying...

See you there!! 

[Lisa]

I have printed off handouts so others will be able to find Artisans Square and see all the info that is here.

Louise,

How very nice!  Thank you for including Stitcher's Guild in your materials.    Have a wonderful trip!

Lisa

[Terri K]

Here are photos of the Anything but Ordinary (ABO) Jacket and Top . 

[marciae]

Terri - your jacket and top are gorgeous!  Did you do the tab opening on the top?  I did one with and one without!

Louise - when you se for "Vegas Models" - what size do you have to make?

[cmarie12]

Terri - the fabric really makes the jacket special!  It is very kewl!  And where did you get silk/lycra for the t-shirt?  That must feel so great against your body.  I always love how you take patterns that just look okay to me and you turn them into meaningful fashion statements!

[blue mooney]

Hey, all you Louise fans!
I'm working on the Timmel SWAP, and Julie gives a very generous prize of a free pattern to the people that finish. I intend to finish, and would like to choose one of Louise's patterns as my prize. I already have the one-seams and Less is More. I'm really interested in getting more of Louise's top-notch instructions. I was thinking of the Perfect Blouse. Do you have any other recommendations, patterns with really good instructions?  Thanks for your input!

PS Terri, your ABO looks lovely. That's a wonderful fabric.

[template]

Hello Louise. I had been looking fordward to visiting and chatting with in Puyallup and of course showing you my two jackets those pictures I posted a while back, but I just had back surgery (lumbar fusion) and can't made the event. Will see you next year, do I a good time, I know you do even if it is very tiring. Take care of yourself and hugs to the kitties. Bye for now.

[Terri K]

Thanks for all the complements on my outfit.  The silk knit was a remnant I picked up some time ago, only had enough for the top & had to cut sleeves separately along the fold.  I didn't have enough for the round facing piece so I just serged and topstitched.   When I tried it on, the neckline was higher than I wanted so I cut away an inch around and turned under 5/8". 

[LindaL]

Here are photos of the Anything but Ordinary (ABO) Jacket and Top . 

Wow Terry, the jacket and top are lovely.  Love the jacket fabric!

[Terri K]

Interesting that textured and manipulated fabrics were the big topic about the Prada RTW show just posted today on style.com.  Sheeesh,  now I'll have to dig out the rest of my  "Shaggy Dog" fabric from Fabric Mart a few years ago and hope it doesn't have any poison ivy on it.   It's last use was for a "Big Foot" running through the woods in one of my son's short films last summer.   Some of the Prada fabrics looked like smocking or texturizing using elastic thread or washing.   Hilary Alexander, writing for the UK Telegraph said, "She revealed that she had spent months travelling to explore the way people dressed and developing special treatments for fabrics to make them look "fake and cheap".      None of the models even looked happy about wearing the "shapes which were, for the most part, shapeless" outfits.   She certainly succeeded in making even  those young models look like dowdy bag ladies....        Now back to my own texturizing and fabric manipulation projects . 

[Terri K]

Hello from Tampa Florida.   I helped Louise and Sandy this morning at her booth and had so much fun playing with her wonderful fabrics, buttons and fabrics and helping her customers make their selections.    Wow     - Nordstroms had featured really sharp looking black, yellow and white garment combos on mannequins at the International Mall and Louise had the perfect fabric combos to put it all together.     I'll post the photos later - tried on lots of her new garments from the tried & true and newer patterns.     You will love the new booklet " Cutting Across the Country in Style" on travel wardrobes, packing,  style tips and security.     As many of you know, I've travelled the world over the years and I learned new stuff from this!     A must have.   My sister has made a gourmet dinner so got to run - they're starting the first course - more later.

[QueenBee]

Interesting that textured and manipulated fabrics were the big topic about the Prada RTW show just posted today on style.com.  

    Now back to my own texturizing and fabric manipulation projects . 

Terri, this might be better somewhere under fabrics, but when you get back home you simply need to tell about what you've been doing. I love doing that sort of stuff....got together recently with friends, heat guns and soldering irons and had at a variety of fabric. Love to take it & change it....

Rene Marie

[Terri K]

Rene, sounds like a good topic to start - haven't seen one for that before. 

The entire ABO jacket/outfit with a pair of lt. beige 4 ply silk One-Seams was a hit.  As for the fabric I made the ABO jacket from, I got complements from everybody, including the Expo ladies and models.  Many asked how I "made" the fabric, thinking I worked for hours on it rather than just throwing it in the washer & dryer!   

[Terri K]

Photos from Tampa Sewing Expo are up.    I posted some great sunny yellow & white Swiss cotton coordinates and buttons I put together from Louise's collection after being inspired by the Nordstrom displays.   Swiss cotton is hard to find these days.   This fabric looks great with black so I paired it with a black twill skirt I had brought.    Louise has the finest fabrics at the best prices IMHO!   I'm planning a  short jacket and perhaps a sheath dress from the ribbed cotton and an ABO top from the cotton batiste coordinate underlined with white batiste.   I also posted a selection of garments from the trunk show rack in my size.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

We arrived back home last night after breaking down the booth ...starting at 5 and pulling out of the dock at 7pm...good record!Aabout 30 trips to and from the booth to the truck and back. Got to the house at about 9pm with a quick stop to pick up sandwiches...we realized we had not eaten since 7am! The truck took time to unload and take back to the rental company...then I had to drop off Sandy at her home and me back to mine...midnight.

I have already unpacked new fabrics that arrived while I was gone and they will be coming to Atlanta...Super 120's tropical weight wools from Neiman's and some new twill weave tencel for One Seam Pants. I now have to unpack my suitcase, from Tampa, repack for Puyallup and Sandy and I head out Tuesday AM.

Thank you Terri for the great help in the booth Sat AM...if you think her ABO looked great in the pix Terri posted, you should have seen it in real life!!! If I had that fabric I could have sold 100 yards of it! I love to see ladies arrive at my booth in patterns I designed.

Got to run...lots to do today and I want to see the Oscars tonight of course for the cloths. till later, Louise

[DeniseM]

Terri, thanks for the photos. It looks like you all had a great time.

Louise, hope you save some of those great fabrics for Worcester. Wish I could be at the Atlanta Expo, too. It's snowing heavy here and we could use some of that southern sunshine.

[Fabricarts]

Wow, Terri, thanks so much for sharing your Tampa pictures with us. I appreciated seeing Heading For Adventure on a person! It looked so good on you - even the color appeared perfect for you.
Robyn asked earlier about advice on which pattern to get when the SWAP ends. Consider By Popular Demand. It is such a versatile jacket and a great top.  I could imagine you would use both of them many times in many ways - and it would never look like you've made the same thing over and over.  Louise's patterns go so nicely with each other to build your wardrobe and can be used for a variety of fabrics. All of them come with instructions that will teach you good sewing techniques.  By the time the SWAP is over, there may be a new pattern available from Louise so that may become your choice!
Miriam

[Lisa Laree]

I have already unpacked new fabrics that arrived while I was gone and they will be coming to Atlanta...Super 120's tropical weight wools from Neiman's and some new twill weave tencel for One Seam Pants.

OOooooo...gee, and I have classes first thing Thursday morning!  Hope there's still some left to drool over (not on! ) when I finally make it to the vendor floor.

Terri, loved your photos!  I've got so many of those patterns... I'm feeling inspired now; just need some more time....

[Terri K]

I agree that the Heading for Adventure is a real "sleeper".    I also loved it in a cotton red with white polka dots that she cut it off like the ITT jacket.    Then she took the fabric tie and just knotted it at each end after it's pulled out of the casing (modify the pattern by putting this around the jacket at the waistline).  This to shir the waistline up - looks so fashionable.   Louise had a wonderful lightweight ribbed cotton that had black thread at 3" squares, like 3 thread weight embroidery floss, in white with black and another combo that would make a great long duster.     I went out and got some more Steam-a-Seam at Hancocks and some for my sisters as well.   

Since I've got a little more time to type, Louise has another new concept and product that she introduced at the Tampa Expo.   These are to-scale templates of the fronts of all her patterns, so they work with one another.    You can take them and work out your wardrobe before you cut into the fabric by copying them onto scrap-booking papers, for example.    Great for SWAP planning.

[QueenBee]

Since I've got a little more time, Louise has another new concept and product that she introduced at the Tampa Expo.   These are to-scale templates of the fronts of all her patterns, so they work with one another.    You can take them and work out your wardrobe before you cut into the fabric by copying them onto scrap-booking papers, for example.    Great for SWAP planning.

First, Terri, thanks for sharing all the pics, both Tampa and your others as well. It looked like you had fun. I needed the boost today; little sick cat remains at vets & not responding yet. He looked so sad this morning!

Super idea from Louise! I've been doing something like that with the line drawings from pattern sheets for years, but they are not all to the same scale & it can take some fidgeting with the copier to get some consistency. Cut out the window, lay it over paper or fabric to get an idea. You can copy it onto the decorative paper, cut out the shape, and almost have paper dolls! When JoAnn or Michaels have the scrapbook papers priced at 5 or 6 sheets for $1, it's great fun to shop for *substitute fabric*. Who needs to scrapbook to need scrapbook paper? Not me!

It will be nice to have a good matched set of Louise's designs to work with.

Rene Marie

[blue mooney]

Thanks, Miriam, for the feedback!

[marciae]

Terry - thanks for posting photos of the Fl. event!  I have 'most' of Louise's patterns.  I've made several - others are just 'waiting' I guess!   Someday.......

[Lisa Laree]

I *did* get the In The Trenches skirt and top finished in time for the expo!  I've got some photos posted on the blog.  I'd just spent all day (7:30 - 4:15) at church...two services, and we had a visitor's luncheon that DH and I helped serve and clean up...and we had dishwasher problems...anyway, that should account for my kinda frazzled look (I wanted to take advantage of DH's availability as a photographer).

I got the review up for it, too...wonderful instructions, as usual!

I'll wear it to 'the Atlanta restaurant' Thursday night...

[LOUISE CUTTING]

I am now in Atlanta.... home for about 16 hours after a redeye from Seattle to Orlando...only to pack the van full of fabric and other goodies and to drive here yesterday. I am teaching all day today and Sanday is setting up the booth. 

Puyallup was a great show...so many with so venders so much to see/buy.

I look forward to see many of you here in Atlanta, just like I did in Tampa and Puyallup.  I have handed out stacks of flyers at each venue about this website. I hope many are visiting already...and will not just stay guests and register to post. I don't 'bite' and it is a grand way to get answers to so many questions you might have about your sewing and pressing needs.

till later, Louise

[nanners]

Louise I have signed up for One Seam pants at the Worcester show. Hopefully it will be warmer by time you get here. I have never been to the show, bringing at least my mom too. I am very excited after seeing the pics of your booth!

[RobbieJo]

Louise -- Loved, Loved, Loved the "Fresh View" in 'Hotlanta.  You are the Snoop Queen and we appreciate your sharing your knowledge with us.  Can't wait to get my saphire tencel sewed up.

[Terri K]

Back from my business trip in the DC area.    I was at G Street Fabrics last evening looking around, waiting for the Friday traffic to die down before heading into Bethesda.    G Street had the exact same textured ivory matelasse that I used for my ABO jacket.    The price was $60 a yard and they had it featured on the mannequin in the designer section since Monday and sold all but 2 1/2 yards at that price.      I looked over all the fabrics and I've got to say that Louise's are much higher quality at better than a third of G Street's prices.    They had some really rough linen in crayon colors that said "Ralph Lauren" that looked & felt like burlap you'd make mulch sacks out of.  Couldn't believe they were selling that in the designer section and I didn't even look at the price.   It's also interesting that the Rockville store has clearanced/discarded 80% of the independent patterns they used to carry.  Guess they weren't selling.  They are still selling Louise's Cutting Line Design, Sewing Workshop,  Diane Ericson and Loes Hinse patterns.   Two women complemented me on my tropical wool slacks and then they bought the One-Seam Pants pattern after I told them what they were.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

I am back home and have hit the floor running. I have 7 boxes in the front hall just back from Puyallup (new UPS guy...just left them on the front step...ugh).. .I sent about 20 boxes out...3 have the garments in them....and l had to bring them all in....now the doorbell just rang...FedEx was delivering the One-Seam Pnats boxes...13 of them...at least I was able to have them dollied around to the back.

I'm in the process of getting orders out today and anything else I can cross off my list...I am trying to sew later this weekend! And maybe next week. Sandy and I have to get the garments ready for Las Vegas Fashion show at the end of the month. I love sewing garments I would never even have been able to wear in 2nd grade! But they are the model sizes.

Great to see so many of you with your badges on at the Atlanta Show. Hope to see the same at the Worcester show next month.

Terri, don't you love to see something you have made at another store. Thanks for 'helping' sell the One Seam Pants to the ladies at G street. Just wearing them (I can't tell you how many times I have my jacket up over my head showing the waist casing...so many ladies just don't believe that they don't have a bunch of fabric around their waist like they do in ready-to-wear elastic waist pants.

lots to do...till later, Louise

[DeniseM]

Louse, I hope you're coming to the Worcester Expo. I expect to buy some wonderful fabric from you there.

[Doris W. in TN]

Louse, I hope you're coming to the Worcester Expo. I expect to buy some wonderful fabric from you there.

She does!    Fabric and . . . . . buttons!!!   Gorgeous to-die-for buttons.   

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Well, half is true...Yes, I am coming to Worcester, and I will have buttons...but no fabric on the bolts. I am flying and not driving...we usually have 200 bolts of fabric when we drive and Worcester is too far to drive for a 3 day show. I will have samples to order from though. Then when I get back I will cut and ship. So, it is almost like having fabric there.

Off to the post office to get all the order out. till later, Louise