Cutting Line Design Patterns, Events and Announcements

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Hello Louise. You have done it again, love the detail on the shoulder. I can picture a silk scarf looped through it. Do let us know ASAP when it will be available. Hugs to the kitties, and do remember to rest. We are headed for our 3 days of over 103, Redding in N CA reached 117 yesterday, hotter than Phoenix AZ. If anyone tells you that SO OR has a mild climate they have not visited in the summer time. Bye for now.

[Lorraine K]

I for one love dropped shoulders, and have been frustrated with today's fitted styles, since I don't have a fitted kinda body  .  I saw a sample of the shirt/jacket at the Worcester Sewing Expo and I can't wait til this is available. Thanks for postig the photo.

Lorraine

[Karla]

I just saw the sketch for the new pattern.  Louise, isn't that the shirt/jacket I admired on you a few years ago in your store - cream colored?  You said at the time that a pattern was under consideration, so I bought fabric from you (silk/linen, I think) that has been patiently waiting for the pattern's appearance.  Finally!!!!    

[cmarie12]

I, too, like the new pattern and can see where fabric choices and touches of embellishment, can make the pattern unique to the person making it!  Louise, you will have to tell us when it is available for purchase through your site!

[redhead]

I am definitely a fitted clothing sort of person, but even I like this new one.  I like where the seam hits on the shoulder and the fact that the body is still a little close-fitting.  This is the first time Louise has really caught my attention.  I am looking forward to seeing this one made up.
Sarah

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Yes, Karla that is the one. If you are signed up on the website to receive the newsletter. Thist is where I let the world know it is just about ready. and may be pre-ordered. Usually this is when it is at the printing co. and I know it is about to be shipped to me...I don't process the pre-orders until I have the patterns 'in-house' I hope to see them at the end of July...maybe before. The envelope is ready to have me sign off on it and the instruction sheets the same. One more read through...I hope never to fine a typo at this point.  They can then go to the printers and be on the presses. Not everything has to be there all at the same time. The last thing...and this is the time hold-up... all the little labels that are on the tissue have to be taped in place by hand on the graded vellums.Every single SM and XL everything!  By me....hours of work there. But I will keep you posted....

I show the jacket in the illustration buttoned up high...the 'collar' button doesn't have to be buttoned and then the tips of the collar can turn down in the front and the collar still be standing in the back of the neck...the jacket will have a 'wing' collar effect. Or the collar button and the neck button can be left unbuttoned and the collar tuned down all the way around the neck. It will look like a regular shirt style collar. So all of you who say I can't have anything high up around your neck can sit back and yes, you too can wear this jacket.  Well back to a new booklet I'm writing....more on that later, Louise

You can always make things a bit more fitted. I suggest when I am teaching class, the best way to place yourself in a size is to look at the FINISHED garment measurements.  Not the sizing chart. This way you can look at the size that is about 4" -6" (or the amount of designer and wearing ease) that you personally like.

The jacket and for that matter, the top can also have vertical darts in the front under your bust points and up the back where your shoulder blades are for a more tapered look.

[LindaL]

I like the new pattern to be.  Will be looking for it at ASG.  Suitable title!

[MN_SwimMom]

Hi Louise -

I am looking for a jacket/coat pattern that could be used with a heavy wool doubleknit sweater fabric.  Your new ABO pattern looks like it might work if I lengthen it.  How deep are the armholes?  What fabric do you recommend for it?

BTW, will you be at the Sewing Expo in November in Bloomington, MN?  Saw you there several years ago and enjoyed a few of your seminars.  Hoping you'll be back!

Thanks,

Janet in MN

[LOUISE CUTTING]

>>>>>>>I am looking for a jacket/coat pattern that could be used with a heavy wool doubleknit sweater fabric.  Your new ABO pattern looks like it might work if I lengthen it.  How deep are the armholes?  What fabric do you recommend for it?<<<<<<<

Sorry all, I have been so busy trying to get the new products ready and to the various printers so that everything is ready for the next shows. I think ABO will be wonderful for a coat...it will be easy to make longer...I too want to do one maybe as a topper length The sleeves are not real, real deep...you would be able to wear a jacket or sweater under this jacket with no problem. If the sleeve is deeper than what you are looking for, you can always 'arc' it up higher in the underarm/side seam. It is on the printing presses right now. I will be sending out a newsletter special as soon as webboy get it on the website. This way the pattern may be ordered at the intro special price.

>>>>>BTW, will you be at the Sewing Expo in November in Bloomington, MN?  Saw you there several years ago and enjoyed a few of your seminars.  Hoping you'll be back!<<<<<

Sorry, not this year...'webboy' is getting married that weekend. I have seen the child grow up (well, almost) in the neighborhood for over 15 years so I really have to be there.

Well, back to getting more stuff done. till later, Louise

[LOUISE CUTTING]

I will be putting a newsletter together in the next few days to all who are on the mailing list for my website

Now I have to get back to my other project...till later, Louise

[Terri K]

I received your newsletter and look forward to seeing you and all the trunk show at ASG next week Louise.   I understand you're ahead  of schedule on the ABO pattern.   I'll be picking it up there and have some requests from sewing friends here to do some shopping and "fill some orders" at your booth.     Didn't sleep for ___ last night so I'm draggin today and can't type what I mean to say!

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Hello Louise and all. I just finished the jacket from Anything but Ordinary. Whoa. Will try and post the picture sometime tomorrow. I did move the drop shoulder up 1", adding it to the top of the sleeve, made the jacket 1" longer so it would hit on top of one of my bulges and not between two of them, you know what I mean and compensated for my round upper back. First time I have ever tried some many alterartions on a pattern but this pattern was very easy to work with. I did decide to use the large size instead of the extra large and am very glad the way the jacket fits, the Xlge would have been way to big. I came across the fabric in June and fell in love with it, one of those time when you look and feel a fabric and "it calls to you take me home'. I made a pair of one seam pants and was very please with the drape and lookl of them. While on vacation I order Louise latest pattern and it was home when I returned. As soon as saw the pattern I knew I had to make the jacket with the pants fabric. Dashed to the store keeping my fingers crossed that they still would have some left, theer was 3 5/8 yards left and they came home with me. Sorry to be so long winded, but when things do turn out right one needs to let it out. Until tomorrow. Bye for now.

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Good morning everyone. I will try to post the picture of my AnythingButOrdinaryJacket. Hope you like it. Jackie B

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[Liana]

Jackie,  What a pretty jacket!  Looks like a great marriage of fabric and pattern, too.  Are those some of the Czech glass buttons?  Very nice all around!

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Thank you very much Liana. This was a really easy pattern to work with. The buttons are black with scroll designs hilighted in silver, made in Italii. This was a time when I bought the buttons after I purchased the fabric. Usually I find the buttons and "build" the garment around them. Bye for now. Jackie B. in S OR

[marciae]

Jackie - your jacket is beautiful!  Isn't that pattern wonderful!!   As soon as my Micheals bundle arrives I plan on whipping out a couple more jackets!

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Thank you all about the jacket. I can't tell you how many pieces of fabric I have set aside for the AbO Jacket. Got back form ASG conference last night...only one day here and then off to MI for a class....till later, still lots to do with only a day home. Louise

[LindaL]

Jackie, great jacket!

[LindaE]

Jackie,  I love your jacket.. I have this pattern and a couple of pieces to use for it.. just getting it done seems to take for ever for me.

[Terri K]

Awesome interpretation Jackie!   Your choice of fabrics makes it a great fall/winter basic too.    I was telling Louise that I've got my pattern pieces cut apart and ready for my muslin choice of fabric.   Louise and Sandy wore some cute interpretations of the ABO at ASG.   I need to crash now - got home at 1:30 am this morning after flight delays in Baltimore due to storms and can't keep awake (or type correctly) anymore!   

[mardel]

Great jacket Jackie!

[Fran G]

I really like your jacket, Jackie! The fabric is something that would attract my eye..the classic, neutral color. What is the content?

I like CLD patterns...simple, classic design. Dropped shoulders are not my best look, however, as I am small in the shoulder/upper body area. You say that you raised the dropped shoulder a bit..I am just wondering how much of an adjustment I could make without messing things up. Love the collar.

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Hello Fran.
What attracted me to the fabric was the texture, it looked like a heavy wool crepe at first, but when I felt it realize it was not wool. It turned out to be a polyester blend. The color is almost charcoal with some brown undertone. I also like the classic look in clothing and the drop shoulders have always given me trouble, usually hitting me too low ion the upper arm. I have talked with Louise at a seminar and her advise was to take it off the shoulder and add what I would take off the shoulder and add it to the top of the sleeve. Hope this makes sense. I did raised the shoulder width by 1" and added the 1" to the top of the sleeve. I use a flexible ruler to measure and duplicate the curve of the front and back armhole, then pivoted from the underarm notches to the shoulder line and traced the new line. To make sure things would work I  sewed a muslin sample after adjusting the pattern tracing. Thank you everyone for your kind words. Bye for now.

[cmarie12]

Jackie I want to add my compliements to your jacket as well!  And thanks for the additional insights into your fabric choice.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Hi all, sorry I haven't been posting...I've was so busy  getting ready for the ASG conference...driving to Chapel Hill to teach the Sunday before the conference...then off to Arlington, VA for the ASG...it was so great to meet so many of you....I think when I was in the booth, I was bent over the cutting table the entire time... I had .only one day home and then off to take a computer course  in MI dealing with patterns...not designing or grading...more in the way of the layout for the instruction sheets and formating...all I can think while in class ...On TV when I see every June the little ladies in their 80's graduating from college...it has been so long since I have taken such a intense 'college' class...I'm too old for this!What was I thinking???!!!

I have been getting everything ready to teach in Peoria next weekend...today is also getting all the forms filled out for Novi....these sewing events love their paperwork. This week I have already filled out the paper work for Puyallup next March and the ASG Conference next July!

With Sewing World still not up and running...later today, I will put a e-mail out to everyone who has signed up on my Internet newsletter and ask them to head this way to Artisan Square. 

At the moment i am having a terrible time typing...'Twinkie' wants to play with the keys....so if this gets mailed half way through you will know why.

I have had the new ABO little shell cut out for months...last night I started it and then 'hit the wall' so today after I have completed all the items on 'The List'  I want to get back to sewing.

If I get all the Novi stuff done, next week I want to make a jacket using the 'Your An Aminal' Applique from the new line.  The appplique drawing is an all over animal print. I'm going to cut the  jakcet pattern pieces (ABO jacket seems to be perfect for 'Your An Animal') just a bit bigger than the finished pattern size...then applique each pattern section and sew the jacket together....this will take a bit of time, but fun time....I love being back at the sewing machine and I am the one in the 'drivers seat'.

Well, it is almost the end of everyone else's summer (FL goes on 11 months and 29 days) and my 2 pair of white linen One-Seam Pants©  that I 'rent' from the dry cleaners are about shot. One pair is now an odd cream/yellow and the other one is a soft grey. Yes, I know I can wash them and do so...but sometimes I just love the crisp look (for about 5 minutes) when white linen pants come back from the dry cleaners.  First, I will try to 'white' them back up, but in the mean time I'm going to look in my stash to see if I have any more white linen...silly question!

Will, my coffee is finished, Twinkie' is washing his face...good time to close. till later, Louise

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Hello Louise. A while back on Sewing World you mentionned that you may be obtaining some shoulder pads, the kind you really like. Have you had any success?. Please let us know when they will be available, I need to stock up on some good ones. Today I am going to work with Points and Pleats, I will be following your advise on raising the shoulder seam line. Bye for now, remember to rest and hugs to the kitties.

[Ann C]

Oh, whooopee, if you get some of the really nice foam raglan style pads - the soft ones, not those hard yucky kind that I've bought 3 pair of from 3 different sources, hoping against hope that I could get some of the older style!   

I really need shoulder pads for my way-too-narrow shoulders to help balance out my bottom half (ahem)!  Let us know, Louise, and I'll be first in line to order some.  I've looked at loads of sites, including the tailoring ones like Atlanta Thread, etc., and no one that I have seen has them any longer.   

[nanasews]

Hi Louise,  I just ordered your new book on applique and two Cutting Out patterns, Pick up Sticks and Abstract Flowers (as well as your AOB pattern.)  Love them and can't wait to get them  I was tempted to order the animal print one too but couldn't tell enough about what it would look like.  Not that I don't trust your design credibility but I am such a visual person and seeing pictures just clinches it for me.  Please post a picture as soon as you get an Animal Print example done.  I second the shoulder patch motion mentioned in the above messages.  Looking forward to seeing you at the Expo in KC in November.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

I do have a favorite style of shoulder pad...as I joke, I tell students,  I wear them even in the shower! They are foam rubber covered with tricot...They are not big, ''80' Linda Evans-Joan Collins style...just a nice 'bullnose'  shape to 'set the garment correctly on the body. I will look through my files and see what I can do. I know they come in tan or black tricot. They don't come with that hard strip of Velcro along the top...I cut  a 3" length of Res-Q tape and then transfer the pads from one gamrent to another. When I make a tailored jacket, I will insert traditional shoulder pads between the jacket and the lining...but in blouses and unlined jackets, I just transfew them. The  stickiness of the Res-Q tape last about 5-10 transfers...depending on the type of fabric you are trying to stick the pad to...when the sticky is gone, remove the tape and put a new 3" strip on ...this little set of pads work like magic. I'll let you know what I find. 

Its late, and I see 2 little eyes at the door ...'feed me and I'll let you sleep in until 6:30am on Sunday morning' ...on a sad note...while at the ASG conference, I lost my old gal (17). I had worked with her for the past year...she had developed Chronic Renal Failure one year ago and had been on I V fluids every other day since last August. My vet tech was staying in the house during this trip...she did everything she could. Life is very odd, it was five years to the day of my husbnad's death. 

Well, now Twinkie and Tootsie are here saying...'it's time!' till tomorrow, Louise

[Terri K]

Louise - I am so sorry to hear about your old kitty friend.

I have a question regarding doing BPD with a zip front.   I just got the September Chicos catalogue.    Many of their jackets are variations of the By Popular Demand jacket as we've discussed over the years.   Certainly the "jeans" type jackets but also the tweed one on page 36 and the red quilted silk one with the zipper on page 41.  I got out the pattern which is well marked with center front.    How would you suggest inserting a separating zipper like that jacket?   Thank you.

 

[LOUISE CUTTING]

On the pattern for the BPD...it has a 'cut on' facing that extends to a fold past the center front line so there is a place for button and buttonholes. You will want to remove everything past the center front line...but you have to add back 5/8"so a zipper can be sewn to the  front at the proper place. Now...that brings up a few things that you need to know...The collar termination point is at the center front line in the pattern. If you don't shorten up the collar a bit...taking it away from the center front, when the jacket is unzipped completely or zipped  about 9" down from the neck edge, the front of the jacket will appear as if it had a wing collar...the center fornt of the jacket will go directly into the vertical front edge of the collar...there is nothing wrong with this style...but just know that is how the jacket will end up. The facing needs to match along the front edge and neck line...it too will be cut off at the center front and the 5/8" added back...I haven't checked...but if the tissue for the jacket front is split along the front fold line..there might be just about the proper amount  of seam allowance to give you the 5/8" needed on the jacket front and the facing.

As far as separating zippers...I know riri zippers have some really cool ones...different color teeth, tapes and finishes...not quite sure how long they are...last time I talked to them, I had suggested to make longer separating zippers.

Hope this helps a bit...I think the BPD would look great with a zipper in the front.

I was toying with doing B & B...the style with upper front...lower front...sleeve and center back pockets.  Using  different lengths zippers. This jacket terminates at the center front line...so it to would be a great jacket to insert a zipper.

got to run...pacing...again.....till later, Louiser 

[LyndaC]

Hi  Louise, I read your post about your 17-year old cat dying.  I want to sympathyze with you!  My cat died at 26, and I was embarrassed at how grieved I was!  After all those years, they are "family."  My son said she got him through law school by sleeping on his shoulder so he couldn't quit studying.  When I emailed my sons that she had died, both of their wives said they left the computer in tears after reading she had died.  You will hurt for a long time.

On a better topic, my classes are finishing up tonight on the One-Seams.  As usual, everyone is thrilled.  I have students in this class from 13 (usually my cutoff is 16), to 61.  Thanks for your hours of work on your patterns so we can enjoy them. 

Your styles are always unique.  In your "spare" time, please continue to think about developing a fitted top - perhaps more fitted than even the cute little "baseball" top.  I have begged you for this so long, perhaps you could name it for me! 

If you get a chance to send me fabric swatches, I will use them at the store.  I'm sure you have sold out of my last group of swatches.

Lynda

[Terri K]

Lynda, you should check out the top in the ABO pattern.  Sandy was wearing one in a knit at the ASG and it was really cute.   If you want it more fitted, just make it a size or two smaller.   I've been playing around with it and, made in a knit, you can eliminate the facings altogether.   I just serged and turned under the seam allowance and topstitch down or use that fusible thread in the lower looper and press it down.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Hi LyndaC and Terri...I think the ABO top would be perfect for you....it is smaller in circumference and the sleeves are set higher....also vertical darts from the hem to the below the bust point could be added for a bit more contour to the body.In the front the darts are directly under the bust...with the stop point about 2" away from the bust point and in the back the darts are narrower directly under the shoulder blades. Again about 2" -3" below the shoulder blade point..

I hope you are all signed up to receive my Internet newsletter...I am working on something wonderful for January '07 in Florida...along with a great sewing personality.

http://www.fabriccollections.com/newsletter/newsletter.html?username=cuttingcorners

till later, Louise

[Sewshopper]

Terri, what kind of knit did you use for the ABO?  That is next on my to do list.  Right now I am finishing up pillows and drapes for the GD's room and I am getting ready for a fall sewing marathon for myself.  Have been working on UFO's and feel a mix of relief to have them done and frustration at not garment sewing!  Louise is coming to our ASG in Oct. so that is even more incentive.

TIA,
Karleene