Cutting Line Design Patterns, Events and Announcements

[Terri K]

OK, BIG NEWS -  When I talked to Linda Lee this morning, she said there was an opening, soooooo, I'm going to the Orlando Sewing Retreat starting this Thursday   to have them help me realize my ideas with their patterns.    I'll see you all there !

[Alice in Bama]

Sound like really good time have fun be careful on the road or in the sky keep us posted on how it goes
Alice

[Terri K]

Thank you Alice - that doesn't mean I'm not coming to Atlanta !   I was upstairs pressing the waist casing on a gorgeous pair of buttercream wool satin One-Seam pants.   I got the fabric from Michaels.   The color goes with everything.

[marciae]

Have fun!!  Will be looking forward to lots of pictures and comments!!

[Alice in Bama]

Thank you Alice - that doesn't mean I'm not coming to Atlanta !   I was upstairs pressing the waist casing on a gorgeous pair of buttercream wool satin One-Seam pants.   I got the fabric from Michaels.   The color goes with everything.

Ok but if you do not come i may have to come up to those mountain of yours and find you this summer .LOL
I sure wouldn't do it in the winter time  If we had winter any more . I love Micheal fabric too got a box of left overs from there last month that i dearly love

Alice

[Terri K]

I'm only an e-mail away Alice, so let me know when you're coming!

Here are my latest One-Seams.    I finished them last night.   Once you get your master pattern fitted, they sew up in about an hour.  They look great with some tops I've made from waaay back.    Especially these:


With Vogue 7093 (OOP) German textured linen jacket


With German linen Shermane Fouche vest  - this is such a well designed garment.  The lining is cut to allow turn of the cloth so it turns under.   I did not make any alterations.    I'd make it first in a less costly fabric to use as a wearable muslin.    It also looks nice over a sleeveless dress just left open - see the photo of the little black dress under my latest Garbo jacket.   That's what it hangs with in the closet.   I've always sewed with a plan, and I hang the coordinates together that way.

[marciae]

OK you did it again - - I've got the SF vest!!  NOW I want to move it further up the list!!   Did you have to make many adjustments to it?  I've had it "forever" and haven't made it!!

[reanns]

Ladies - you don't know what you missed!  If you ever had the opportunity to attend Louise and Linda Lee's sewing retreats at various locations across the country, all I can say is - do so! 

I just returned from Winter Park where not only did I learn so much about using both of these very talented women's patterns, Louise wined and dined us in great style at her beautiful home, not once - but twice.  And she's sending us all her receipes!

The class was filled with 30 women from all over the world - literally one came from the island of St. Kitts.  We had so much fun getting to know each other and watching our invidual projects come to fruition.  Louise and Linda took us on - one-at-a-time - and in their free moments shared their sewing tips with the entire class.  Some sewed from morning till late in the night.  Others crashed earlier as we needed our sleep!

Winter Park is a beautiful, old Florida city with so much to offer that I would high suggest to spend one full day just touring.  Oh - and I almost forgot.  Louise turned her garage into a super store while we were there.  From fabrics to patterns, notions to trims, amazing buttons and interfacings, whatever you could dream of for your project was there.  I would hate to see either she or Linda packing up for one of these events. 

After driving 8 1/2 hours with only breaks for gas and potty, I'm back in NC, at work, and still haven't unpacked my sewing stuff.  But can't wait to get started.  I made the Plaza Jacket and the One Seam Pants during the retreat.  Promise to post pix when I find which suitcase my camera is in.

ReAnn

[sewingbeth]

Good to hear your enthusiasm about the retreat!   Was there a "class" format or did they prefer to address individual questions from the attendees?  Has there  been an announcement about January, 2009's retreat?   

Did you get a "new" pattern we haven't yet seen?    Lots of curosity..........about this

[nanflan]

Reann,

Was the whole event held at Louise's home? Just curious, my sister lives in Winter Park (actually Goldenrod/Lake Howell) and it might be an ideal trip if Linda and Louise do it again. Please tell us more!

[judejean]

The retreat was great.  The sewing part was held in a meeting room at a local hotel.  Most of us stayed there as well.  A continental breakfast and a lunch were served there everyday.

In the evening, we went to Louise's house for dinner and getting acquainted.  We were treated to a trunk show where Louise and Linda showed many of their designs.  The clothes were brought to the hotel classroom later for people to try on to see how they looked and how they fit.

We got to shop in Louise's garage and Linda had a lot of stuff out in the garage too!

Sewing machines were provided for those that could not bring their own machine, but many people who didn't have to travel too far, brought their own.  We (the students) brought our own patterns (or bought them) and supplies and fabric.  My suitcases were significantly fuller on the way home!

The format was very informal.  Louise and Linda helped each person individually with fitting, technique questions, fabric questions, etc.  If they thought a certain technique would be of interest to the whole group, they would sing out and we would all crowd around to see.

After dinner, many of us would go back to the hotel and continue to sew into the wee hours.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it.  I don't think any announcement has been made about next year's retreat.  I do know that Louise and Linda are doing another one this week for another group of sewists.

Jude

[Terri K]

Glad to hear from all of you and that you had a successful retreat!   I had to cancel out because I got sick - got what was going around and didn't want to pass it around     I knew it was going to be a fabulous event and was very sorry to miss it.   My aunt and uncle have a large condo right on Lake Howell, an easy 6 miles from the hotel and I was planning on staying with them.   

So, is there any fabric and goodies left for the Tampa & Atlanta Expos   Just kidding because I know Louise has the best quality natural fiber fabrics and great prices.    ReAnn, I was on the phone with Linda about the Plaza Jacket and sizing when she told me there were a couple of spaces there.   That's a great pattern.   Did you see and try on the vest they had made?

[reanns]

Louise's new pattern is just about ready to mail so those that wanted it just put our names on a list.  Both of them took time to discuss how they design their patterns - where they get their ideas, sample making, pattern graphics and layouts all the way thru to marketing.  It was quite interesting to hear what a small, independent pattern maker does to assure they achieve a quality pattern in comparison to the 'biggies.'  I know we have all played with a lot of the different indies and realize there is a vast difference between the directions, fit and results achieved.  Both Linda and Louise have very high standards for their work before it ever reaches the public.

The Mt. Vernon Inn, where they hold the Winter Park retreats is old but quite nice.  The staff were all very accommodating.  The only problem was there was no internet access (even though they said wi-fi was available in the lobby) those with laptops were having one heck of a time trying to get and stay connected. 

I am pretty sure Louise said next year's retreat would either be the same weekend as this year's - or one week later, depending on the hotel's availability.

All in all, it was a wonderful time.  So many diverse women - different ages, shapes and sizes (which we all got to see and we were whipping off our pants and tops right in the main room to try on and be fitted for garments!)  I do think Louise had a little fabric leftover to bring to the next Exop though you certainly could see a big depletion of her selection by the last night's garage shopping!

ReAnn

[Terri K]

Hi everybody.   I wanted to post about some shopping at the high end fashionable RTW Charleston SC store.  They were unloading boxes of their new spring collections yesterday but I was trying on the Fall/Winter sale items on Saturday as the rain poured over Charleston.    As I posted on another topic, even at 50% off the prices were over the moon.   But lots of inspiration.    RTW carries select pieces from mostly European collections - Dries Van Noten, Shirin Guild, Lanvin, Gunex, Sylvia Heisel, Moschino, Alberta Ferretti, Tuleh, Dusan and others.    You can see the RTW collections on style.com but not everything sold in stores is there.  The thing to remember about the high end, artistic styles is that they make use of the fabric and shape, draped, cut on bias, asymmetrical seaming, stripes sewn perpendicular - no ribbons, bows, or embellishments - plain buttons or just large snap closures.   I got over ribbons and bows after I stopped being taken to easter egg hunts so this is not a problem for me.

One of the things Ferretti did was to use a black netting over a tweed on an artistic jacket.   The jacket was very much like the By Popular Demand.   The front had bias strip plackets for the buttons/buttonholes cut on the bias, with the netting over and left raw after it was stitched down.  Simple black round buttons.   Another jacket (way over $1,000) - simple style - think BPD again,  had pockets on the front and also around the back like those on the short SW Inventor's shirt.    A Ferretti sleeveless sheath dress ($950) was done in a wool crepe - light like challis with a bias drape attached to the front neck and armhole.   It hung all the way to the edge of the dress but was pleated to one side at the waist and a plain petersham belt at the waist held the pleats softly as the bloused a bit at the waist, then the drape was again pleated softly at the hem and turned up, serged with the hem of the dress and hemmed.    It was in a dark purple and fit like a dream.   Why buy this when just about any great fitting sheath dress you make can be the base for this look.  I did buy a fabulous multi season jacket with the most unique soft pleating on an asymmetrical closure that I had tried on early last fall and there it was on sale!   I'll have to bring it with me to the Expos so Louise can help me figure out how they did it.

If you look at the featured pant (in both gray and white) on the Shirin Guild Limited Edition collection (link below) called a darted pant, it's the One-Seam pant with darts on the inside below the knees, turning it into a crop pant look.    Unless you try on these garments you really can't appreciate them.   I also tried on a skirt/pant that was connected on the inside - between the ankles.  It looked fabulous but I tripped on their one stair into the dressing room in those    Regular pants and skirts for me thank you.   The knit top shown with the gray darted pant is very much the ABO top that I've made so many of.   

Here's the Shirin Guild site with a neat zoom in feature.     

[LOUISE CUTTING]

Whow! has this been a tough week! The 2 retreats back to back were a piece of cake or BETE NOIRE  (for those attending). Now that I had the house back to myself, I would do some of the things I needed to get done before I start on the garment for the fashion show for the HGA coming up in Tampa in June (I think it is june...it could be july...but that is how the week has gone)...anyway, on Monday evening I 'tried' to put a new mouse and keyboard on the big work horse of an office computer...big mistake...big mistake...that was the last straw for the thing...frozen solid...OOOHHH webboy???

The long and short of it was the mother board was shot and it was new computer time...I have always hated to have a 'foot in my back' when it comes to purchases like that...and webboy just bought a new Mac...so off we went to get all things transfered over to the Mac that was to be in my future....and no, nothing was backed up....so everything needed to be transfered...read $$$

Well, I was the proud owner of a new Mac for.....hmmmm....15 hours.....it didn't like me or my stuff that it was carring in it's belly or that I am AOL...I would not find half the stuff....you'll love this...when you all type to me about your One Seams pants and use the word 'crotch' it ends up in my spam!!!...I could not remember all my passwords from a million years ago (including this one), I could not process orders...so if you have done that...they are now going out again...anyway, back to the store we go....where everything was backed up onto a disk, about Thursday night...when I could not sleep for the third night...I'm too old for this...I started out on a PC and I have a wonderful laptop that I only use when I go on trips...throw everything on that! Poor webboy...I released the chain yesterday afternoon and set him free.

So I am back posting and will bring you up to speed....new pattern will be sent to me shortly, so get on the newletter e-mail list on the home page and today I start on the final design for the HGA fashion show garement....that was what was supposed to be done all week.

I am teaching in Medford, OR next Sat and Sun. A one day HtA skirt class in Ocala, then Tapma, Puyallup, Atlanta...and I don't know after that...

I  just want to get into my room and sew.

Thank you all who attended and posted here about the retreats and who have sent me notes...I have located the recipes in all the transfered stuff and will go out shortly!

And finally, now that I am working on a laptop with the keyboard where Twinkie can get to it...my mistake....I left it open...
This was my greeting this morning....Your search for "ijjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjuyhhhhhhhhhh" returned no results.

He not only walked across the keyboard, and managed to hit the 'search' button and was in google.

Off to the sewing room...till later, Louise....Twinkie will now take over. 

[Terri K]

Welcome back to the virtual world Louise.    Unfortunately with PCs, it's either something real simple or real serious.    I'm sewing some coordinates for Florida and Atlanta.    Hope you get some sewing done as well 

[vtmartha]

I was the proud owner of a new Mac for.....hmmmm....15 hours.....it didn't like me   

I have to laugh, Louise!  My offspring and I are Mac users, really pretty comfortable with either.  My DH wanted to join in so badly that he bought his first Mac fairly recently.  Well, actually, it was quite a while ago and he has yet to make friends with it!

[template]

Hello Louise. Looking forward to Saturday and Sunday semiars in Medford Or. Will bring some of my clothes made from your patterns. Which day would be better?. I am thinking Sunday since it will be a hands on seminar. Take care and I see you soon.
Bye for now. Jackie B.

[Terri K]

I'm making progress today in the sewing room, but am needing some advice on the AST jacket pattern please     
 
Here's a wonderful wool satin crepe that I made a pair of Louise's One-Seam Pants from earlier this month.  I have enough of it to make the A Subtle Twist Jacket but don't want to make a mistake with sizing.  Since I'm not a matchy matchy person,  I will rarely wear the two garments together.  I know this AST jacket will be a real classic that I'll wear over and over in this season-less fabric.   

Since I'm 5'5" and my typical shoes add 2",  I'm thinking that the "look" I'm trying to achieve should be a bit shorter than the longest length and for my size either an XS or S.   What do you think?  The HFA jacket in size small that I made from the striped linen had much more ease than I would prefer in this fabric and jacket.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

I used to carry the satin faced wool...there isn't anything like it...It works beautifully.

As far as the AST...you can go between the longer version and the short version. Measure something in your closet that you like the length of and measure the center back from neck to hem.

Sandy made the XS in AST, while we were in Asheville, but made the SM neck. That should work for you also.

As far as the HfA...you can make a XS in that and just cut it out with no adjustments. If I want a duster, I make a LG (ugh)...but if I want a tunic style in HfA I make a MD...yeah!

As Gilda Radner said..."it's always something!"...no sooner did I want to print something, all the ink was low in the printer...so a quick trip to Office whatever to pick up all 4 colors.

Spent all day getting the HGA fashion show garment ready to cut...tons of matching for color, weaving and getting the very soft loose weave on grain. Before I cut, I came up with a cool idea...how to hold the very loose fabric weave together after it was cut....laid the pattern pieces down with weights first...one piece at a time..drew around each of them with a black Sharpie...and then on the inside of the drawn line (what will be the cut edge) pressed straight 3/8" stay tape within the seam allowance...around the curves I used the bias iron on  tape. Slipped a pressing grainboard mat (to get everything lined up) under sections of the weaving and pressed with a silk organza press cloth  over the tape to hold everything in place. So when I cut out the woven fabric...all will stay exactly where it should and very little raw edges to start to fall apart .... Tomorrow is cutting and sewing...but the hard part was the 6+++ hours today matching and figuring it all out.

till later, Louise

   

[judejean]

I need help!

I am working on the Stars In Heaven tunic and have hit a snag.  I'm working on the side vents.  I've read the instructions several times and I just don't seem to be visualizing what the instructions are saying.

Has anyone made this shirt?  Can someone describe differently how these side vents are constructed.  I could just wing it, but I was hoping to do it the correct way my first time through.  After I get a feel for it, I can do variations.

Also, (this pattern has been the bane of my existence for a couple of weeks) I had some problems getting the pattern to fit.  From the measurement chart and finished widths printed on the back of the pattern, I altered the pattern to add some width to the largest size.  Did I think to actually measure the completed pattern to check the widths?  Of course not.   When I put the my first version of this shirt together, it was huge!!!!!  That doesn't happen to me very often.  I put that one aside.  Anyway, I checked online and looked at the finished measurements that were posted for this pattern on Louise's website.  There is a pretty big difference.  According to the measurements posted at the website, I needed to go down in size from a XL to a L and then size it back to XL at the hiips.  The current shirt I'm working on fits much better.   I want to finish this version, but need the advice for doing the side vents.  Too bad I didn't get this far on the shirt while I was at the retreat.  Then I could have actually seen it done.

Any help is appreciated.

Jude

[reanns]

Louise - welcome to the world of 'great computers'.  I have been a Mac user and owner since the very early 70's and have always considered PC's and Windows "Mac made hard!"  You will soon love the very easy interface between every program, pictures, graphics, word, spreadsheets - all moved easily between each other by just 'dragging.'  I'm stuck with a PC at work and could never understand the logic of having to click on 'Start' to turn the darn thing off!

I now have completed a beautiful outfit that I started at the retreat.  My Sewing Workshop Japanese silk Plaza jacket goes beautifully with my olive green linen One Seam Pants (which fit perfectly - though I wish I had thought to get the book that tells me how to decrease the width of the legs )  And yesterday I found a piece of light-weight linen in the lighter green shade of the silk in my stash and within 2 hours had a Lose Hinse shell to wear under it all.  Attending a Relay for Life fund raiser on Wednesday evening and plan to wear the entire ensemble.  I'll be a walking billboard for small, independent pattern designers

Got the wonderful recipes today in my email.  Thank you so much for taking the time to assemble this for us.  Ladies, Louise is not only a talented seamstress, pattern designer and teacher - she's one heck of a cook!  Can't wait to try these out on friends and family.

Again, many thanks for a wonderful 4 days of sewing, learning, meeting and making new friends.  I will think of you all next year when I'm living in my 'hut in the jungle' (no, still haven't heard where I'm headed in May).  I'm hoping that the small businesses I will be helping get started are talented women who weave, sew and create!  What fun that would be.

ReAnn

[Terri K]

Louise thank you for the AST fitting suggestion.   I did compare the collar stand for the XS and thought it too small but forgot to mention it.   I like how you put separate pattern pieces for the collars and stands instead of making us follow those crazy multi-size lines       I'll get it cut out and mostly sewn today.  Will post results.

Reann,  enjoy your fund raiser for the American Cancer Society.   Great cause!

I have both a windows based dual processor PC and a Mac mini dual core side by side with separate flat screen monitors.   I use the Windows machine for my Nikon film scanner.   DH builds all of our PC computers from components so he built the new Windows one last summer and got me the dual processor Mac in Dec to replace my aging but updated iMac (which I sold to DS's boss).    DS has a quad processor Windows machine they built and uses an iBook laptop.    We use Leopard OS on the Macs.     It's good to have two techies in the family to keep up with all that.

[LOUISE CUTTING]

eek...while I was trying to answer Jude...my post vanished.

so I will try again. Take out your pattern tissue for the front of the pullover. It might be best to make a small sample of the uneven mitered bias corner first. We will work on the XL size lines...all the other lines will work the same. On the side vent under the XL label is a vertical broken dotted line. At the bottom of that line are the words 1/4" seam. On that dotted line place a DOT 1/4" away from the bottom bias edge. This is exactly where your fabric will be folded and stitched 1/4" away from the bias raw edge. Now look at the instrucitons on page 3, col. 2, steps 2, 3, & 4, are the illustrations to follow. In the first illustrations you will see the fabric folded with the little flange of fabric sticking out at the side...this is correct and that is exactly how your vent will look...at least 2 of them will...one on the front and one on the back of your pullover...the other 2 vents will be a mirror image of this illustation. You will also see the DOT in the illustration at the bottom where it says 'Fold & hemline.' That is the dot that you made on your fabric.

You might find it easier to make a little sample of just this corner...cut a piece of fabric 4" square and draw your vertical vent fold line, the dot 1/4" away from the corner and fold and stitch...make sure you back stitch at each end.

Please keep me posted.

It was just recently brought to my attention about the envelope misprint. Please follow the pattern instructions chart, the website chart and the chart on the tissue pieces. These are all correct. The envelope will be corrected in the next printing...one never knows where these misprints come from...it was once accurate on other printings of the pattern.

till later, Louise 

PS...thank you for your nice comments Reann about the retreat and the cooking...30+ years with a great cook...I sure missed him when it comes to stuff like the past 2 weeks...

Glad Terri, the correct size changes work out...and to both...I am no longer a Mac owner...that 15 hours was it...nothing liked to be transfered correctly and the Mac kept blowing me off AOL...so I am on my laptop with all things here...where webboy put them...granted some tweeking still needs to be done to the laptop...I swear, I am going to find the rat, rubberband, wheel and turn my clocks back 50 years ago... we all seemed to work just fine...Next will be 2 tin cans and string...see cordless phones!

If I kept going the way my week started with the computer meltdown...you all would have been visiting me where they don't let people like me have scissors or other sharp objects. 

[judejean]

I got it!     I got it!    As I was waking up this morning (before I got out of bed), it suddenly came to me.  Isn't it funny how this stuff happens  .  I've been stewing about this mitred corner on that shirt for a week now and suddenly I SAW it.  It was just the way the instructions said and just like Louise described and I just wasn't seeing it.  Then ..... there it was.  I got up at 4:15 and rushed downstairs to the sewing room to try it and - sure enough - it worked.  It's a little sloppy because my cutting and serging were not as precise as they might have been (and it was pretty early) , but now I know and I'll do better the next time.

Thanks, Louise.

By the way, speaking of serging, how do you serge all the way around that shirt (around those little corners) without trimming off more than just the feathers?    I'm fine on the long straight sides, but thecorners and the vent seam allowances were a mystery to me.  I ended up serging the vent seam allowances separately and I didn't even stitch that little corner where the vent starts.

[LyndaC]

Where is the new thread for Louise?

[Terri K]

I'll start the new topic.

[fzxdoc]

This topic is now locked.  Here is the continuation:

http://artisanssquare.com/sg/index.php/topic,4391.0/topicseen.html

Kathryn