Ench By Sew-022- Summer of the Blouse - Amaryllis

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~

Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

This show is created, produced and brought to you by me! - Laurel Shimer. THE Enchanted by Sewing PODCAST IS, An  EXTENSION OF my regular sewing blog - Me Encanta Coser, which,  roughly translated means, Enchanted By Sewing

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live

* * *

In my slow sewing July, I focused on sewing just one pink and white striped seersucker sleeveless blouse.  Like my  CA Summer skies shirt– (that was blue and white checked seersucker shirt ) I sewed and talked about last months show, my new sleeveless blouse, who I call Amaryllis (in honor of the musical, "The Music Man"),  has quickly become an important staple of my summer wardrobe. And sewing a few more blouses, as a result of what I thought and learned about sewing this most recent garment, is something I’m considering when it comes to more summer sewing.

In this month’s show

1) Pensamientos Primeros
Slow Summer Sewing – Budgeting my sewing time and energy and coming out on top by improving sewing skills. Increasing my wardrobe choices. It’s about Feeling satisfied with my sewing recreation time and output.

The slow living movement includes slow stitching. Look for more about slow living and sewing on the web

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/wardrobe-refurbish-sewist-loves-to.html

http://www.slowmovement.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downshifting

http://theslowstitchingmovement.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/welcome-to-the-slow-stitching-blog/

2) Entonces, Technicos y Mas

i) What’s a shirt what’s a blouse? http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/08/whats-shirt-whats-blouse.html

ii) About Amaryllis, a summer blouse

Music Man Inspiration for this blouses name http://simpleromantic.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-travel-primer-lesson-6-music-man.html


Now I've sewn Amaryllis, I'm envisioning other sleeveless blouses  http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/fabric-for-rosa-summer-dreams-blouse.html

iii) Technicos –My Amarylis Blouse
- More Seersucker Sewing
-       Sleeveless blouse facings
For my sleeveless blouse facings, I used techniques similar to those I described in my blog posting, Sewing a Fitted Facing, in Oct two years ago
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/10/technicostechniques-sewing-fitted-facing.html

- Seam Finishes - Cut and Pink
- Altering a shirt pattern to become a blouse

3) Pensamientos Finales Blue Skies Sewing - I can't sew it all at once, but I can dream!

A couple of Inspiration Dresses are related to Bustiers, including the Stella McCartney floral http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/sewingbustiersinspiration/

Stella McCartney inspired my interest in this pattern for a bustier-related dress, Vogue 8849

I discovered the pattern at this great blog, Fitnottofit http://fitnottofit.wordpress.com/tag/v8849/

I bought my copy of this pattern from
https://sewingpatterns.com

More about designer Stella McCartney http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_McCartney

Ench By Sew-021- CA Summer Skies Sewing Summer Vacation Is a State of Mind

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~

Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

I know your June weather may not be the same as mine. Here in CA it’s time for summer skies, a little more heat, and a vacation feeling whether or not we’re able to leave town. (Hey,  feel free to post about what kind of sewing your climate inspires below!)

Sometimes I’m able to take an actual summer vacation and other years I focus on treating the summer like a vacation, even when I don’t leave the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live. This summer I was able to take a mini vacation weekend trip to Disneyland. As a matter of fact I just got back☺  I went with my beautiful, kind and funny, young adult daughter. Getting to bond with her at this age is really fun!  I took along a newly finished garment from my summer wardrobe on the trip and I’ll talk about sewing that in the show. I’m going to continue to focus on treating the rest of the summer like a vacation, no matter what I get to do. And I’m going to continue to sew for my summer vacation, no matter how far afield of home I manage to go.

Here’s what I’m talking about in this month’s show

* Primero: Planning My Summer Vacation Sewing

I may be a casual dresser, but I'm not into Normcore, anti-fashion. No, I go for an arty-romantic look, creating summer vacation outfits that make me feel special– whether I wear them on a trip across an ocean, a local museum visit, or just special tea with a buddy on my patio, is the kind of thing that keeps me Enchanted by Sewing

I’ve gotten a lot of great ideas for summer sewing, either for a vacation away from home or making a includes patterns for relaxed and beautiful garments that vacation right where I live, from this new-to-me book



* Entonces/Then Key pieces I’ve created so far for my summer vacation sewists wardrobe

Love my new denim skirt - It flatters my figure type!
And how about that CA Summer Skies Shirt?
You bet I'm happy with my latest rendition of B5526
Of course I had to get some new red sandals to enhance my blue and white summer wardrobe theme :-)

a. Straight denim skirt
b. Summer Skies shirt

c. I refurbished two pair of shorts and and a pair of pants by adding thread belt loops. Guess who feels like she got three new garments? This posting from my regular blog includes a how-to link for those belt loops http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/wardrobe-refurbish-sewist-loves-to.html

d. Closet Shopping turned up a couple of pretty, arty shirts I’ve made in past that work well with my refurbished pants

These garments together give a slightly dressy edge to my summer vacation and make me stand up a little straighter and really feel good about myself. -

* I followup with Technicos: Focusing on seersucker sewing  with my CA Summer skies shirt


 

Ench By Sew-020- Mind of the Maker

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~

Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

- Pensamientos Primero  

Reflecting on Making

For some people, sewing is just practical . For another segment of society, and I’m one of them, sewing is an important creative outlet that helps us to stay healthy and happy.
- Entonces /Then

She B. Coole

Live talk from our local Makers Faire includes extempore  interview with professional embroideress (Tapistres?) Barbara Coole (B. Coole)
o B. Coole Shares
• Thoughts on the realities of garment sewers investing both time and money into modern machine embroidery equipment and know-how
• Her advice on choosing an embroidery machine

- Pensimentos Finales:  What I’m thinking now, when it comes to my dream embroidery machine

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

This Steam Punk Sewist
is right at home at
Makers Faire

My Regular Sewing Blog Me Encanta Coser http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com

She B. Coole - Barbara is a professional embroideress and textile artist.  As Barbara (B. Coole) reminds us embroidery is “… an art form that’s been going on for thousands of years.” People have sent out their embroidery to be done by professionals,  for hundreds of years.  B.Coole  does detailed projects involving professional couture embroidery to order . She also sells a wide variety of embroidered bits and pieces, parasols and more along with embroidery motifs that sewists and non-sewists can add to their garments, bags, hats, etc.  http://www.bcoole.com
bc@bcoole.com
(707) 575-8924

You’ll find that under-pocket cat embroidery created by Hiroko Kubota, along with other embellishment ideas on this pinterest board. http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/embellishment-sewing/

The Steam Punk Esthetic http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/steampunk-era-or-state-of-mind/

I have several sewing inspired boards at pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/

Maker’s Faires are found in many different cities http://makerfaire.com

She’s Hep With Tech  

Mind of This Maker
http://www.hepwithtech.blogspot.com/2014/05/mind-of-this-maker.html

What Would Beethoven Print? (3D Printing)
http://www.hepwithtech.blogspot.com/2014/04/but-what-would-beethoven-print-3d.html

Ench By Sew-019 Boning Up on Bustiers: Part 2

I'm looking forward to airing a photo
of my actual denim bustier here!
Though I've enjoyed wearing it in public,
I haven't
gotten any cute photographs yet.
Bet you know how that is...

Hey! 
The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen
Option I)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link 

~ OR ~
Option ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes
Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me EnchantedBySewing AT gmail DOT com
~ ~ ~

A bustier is an alluring garment, one many women would like to wear - if they dare. When I began to notice that women of all shapes, sizes and ages sewed and wore their bustiers with pleasure and pride, I decided to take a chance and learn to sew this very structured garment, that can be designed to flatter a wide variety of figure types.

- In last month show, I talked about what a buster is - a strapless garment that conforms to our figure, is  supported from the waistline , and can be worn by women of many figure types. 

- I also said that a bustier is not a corset, because a corset imposes a shape on our figure.  You can follow links in last months’ show notes to other related garments like corsolette, torsolette or basque.   

-       Last month I talked about Cut and Cloth

-       This month I focus on Construction

- FIRST  Pensamientos Primero A brief review of what I talked about last month to put this show into perspective,

- ENTONCES (THEN)  Constructing my Bustier. 

- Stepping through the process of creating my bustier from beginning to end, touching on   important techniques and other sewing stuff that I figured out along the way .

- FINALLY Pensimentos Finales:  Going Beyond this project 

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Part 1: Boning Up on Bustiers http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/03/ench-by-sew-018-boning-up-on-bustiers.html

The Bustier Sewing Class I talked about is from Lynda Maynard, an instructor at Cañada College, San Francisco City College and also an instructor at Craftsy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEb9bypLWqE

Lynda Maynard's “Fit” Class on Craftsy, which I plan to take.
http://www.craftsy.com/class/sew-the-perfect-fit/173

Bustier Technicos - Dem Bones Gonna Walk Around

Sewing Boning Channels and Inserting the Bones

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/03/technicos-bustier-dem-bones.html

Seams to Fit Part 1 - A Little Less Laxity - Learning Precision

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-little-less-laxity.html

Seams to Fit Part 2 - 

Figuring out how to eliminate using a tracing wheel, has me making a stronger mark that is also less likely to damage my pattern or fabric.

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-2-making-my-mark.html

Seams to Fit Part 3: More Power to Interlining- Using  stitching marks on my interlining pieces to define the stitching lines on the fashion fabric it's backing. 

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-3-more-power-to.html

Seams to Fit Part4: - Neat as a Pin - Using pin techniques to join sections of my bustier precisely.

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-4-neat-as-pin.html

Seams to Fit Part5:  - Staying - When a Seam Knows it's Place 

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/seams-to-fit-part-5-good-weft-stay-when.html

I did a lot of hand sewing towards the end of this project. Beeswax is my thread texturizer of choice, and it's a Green option too!

http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/04/minding-my-own-beeswax-hand-sewing.html

Refer back to Last Month's Show for More Links http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/03/ench-by-sew-018-boning-up-on-bustiers.html

New PODCAST EPISODE Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue (#13)

Hey wait! Those aren't jeans!
Is this sewist skirting the issue? **

I was intimidated by sewing well fitting jeans, in addition to learning how to achieve an authentic jeans-styling look when it comes to fabric, hardware, and embellishment.
So, I put aside fit issues, 
for the time being, 
and created a jeans-style skirt.

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

 http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/EnchantedBySewingJeansStyleSkirtingIssueFinalCastOct2013Podcast.mp3

** * * 

~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail

~~~

This month show is Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue**

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is an  extension of my regular sewing blog Me Encanta Coser, which, roughly translated, means Enchanted By Sewing. My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live.

Podcast Show Notes http://EnchantedBySewing.blogspot.com

* Post your suggestions, thoughts or questions about episodes below this post

* Laurel on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/laurel.shimer

* Laurel's Pinterest Boards http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/boards/
* Personal email – Enchanted by Sewing AT gmail.com

This month

1) First/El Primero - Inspiration: Why I wanted to sew my own jeans?

     * Lori talked several times about jeans she'd sewn in various Sew Forth Now podcasts. She continues to write about her projects in her long-time wonderful blog, Girls in the Garden.

* Several Threads Magazine Articles gave me the idea that jeans were a do'able sewing project. If you don't have the issues you need, check your public library. Mine keeps issues for four years. You can also buy the complete Threads archive. 

Search for Jeans articles in their online index. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/magazine-index

2) Then/Entonces - My Prototype Jeans-Style Sewing Project: What is this skirting the issue business? And what do I mean jeans style?

     Full-On Jeans Sewing was intimidating for me. So, I started with a prototype project. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

3)  After That - Breaking  jeans-style sewing down into manageable chunks

    1) Fit and Pattern Selection

        Links to Palmer and Pletsch M6361 pattern here http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

        BTW...Trudy of Hot Patterns has more than one jeans pattern available, including one for men! Trudy provides a wonderful service to the sewing community when it comes to YouTube videos too.

    2) Focus on Sewing Skills and Machine Skills

    3) Special Jeans Stuff - Materials, Jeans-Style Notions, hardware, and thread - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

    4) Embellishment

    5) Resources

Links to several tutorials here, including a favorite fly-front zipper you tube tutorial http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

4) The Prototype Project

a. In this meaty section of the show (and the most fun for me!) I talk about how I implemented my manageable chunk learning style in the prototype sewing project,  my jeans-style denim skirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

5) Project Wrap Up 

  My Terminado/Done posting recaps the project and has links to all postings I wrote about the prototype http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

a. Why this was a successful first step project for me

    A Summary of my jeans-style skirt prototype project, with links to each posting I wrote about the project http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

b. Jeans – Style Learning Continues What’s next ? Where I am now when it comes to my learning to sew jeans?

    I've continue to write about my follow-on jean projects http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com. Titles of all such postings start out with the phrase "Jeans Sewing".

~ ~ ~

Sew Easy to Sponsor this Podcast!

Looking for Job Fulfillment? *

Help give job satisfaction to a friend and be a sponsor of the 
Enchanted by Sewing Podcast at the same time!

I dreamed that when Ms. Maria, the Sometimes Sewist,  bought me and brought me home, she’d bring just a little romance to my hum drum digital life.  I’m proud to be an up to date, technically competent, ebook reading device, But with Ms Maria, it’s nothing but work, work, work and never any fun for me!  I provide her with view after view of important information, so vital to her life. But all she ever downloads are self-help books and those tedious Legal Beagle Journals....

Hey podcast listeners are you acquainted with a sad and lonely iPad, kindle, nook or other ebook reading device that’s just aching for some romance ?

Why not give her the romantic time-travel e-book, My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times? And treat your forlorn buddy to a lively spin into the glittering world of Imperial Russia! This novella is available exclusively at amazon.com. You can download it to your iPad, Kindle or Nook e-book reading device for only 99 cents! 

99 cents? That’s a lot less than a cup of coffee!

You can read a free excerpt from this romantic spin into past times by clicking here (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HPPB34).

~ ~ ~

Foot Notes

* Thanks to Pamela for sharing this free, downloadable ephemera http://freevintagedigistamps.blogspot.com/2013/04/vintage-printable-victorian-lady-photo.html

** If English isn't your first language, you may not be familiar with the idiomatic phrase Skirting the issue - It means to avoid a subject, often by talking quickly about something else.

Ench By Sew-13 Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue

Hey wait! Those aren't jeans!
Is this sewist skirting the issue? **

I was intimidated by sewing well fitting jeans, in addition to learning how to achieve an authentic jeans-styling look when it comes to fabric, hardware, and embellishment.
So, I put aside fit issues, 
for the time being, 
and created a jeans-style skirt.

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

 http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/EnchantedBySewingJeansStyleSkirtingIssueFinalCastOct2013Podcast.mp3

** * * 

~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail

~~~

This month show is Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue**

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is an  extension of my regular sewing blog Me Encanta Coser, which, roughly translated, means Enchanted By Sewing 

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live.

* Post your suggestions, thoughts or questions about episodes below this post

* Laurel on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/laurel.shimer

* Laurel's Pinterest Boards http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/boards/
* Personal email – Enchanted by Sewing AT gmail.com

This month

1) First/El Primero - Inspiration: Why I wanted to sew my own jeans?

     * Lori talked several times about jeans she'd sewn in various Sew Forth Now podcasts. She continues to write about her projects in her long-time wonderful blog, Girls in the Garden.

* Several Threads Magazine Articles gave me the idea that jeans were a do'able sewing project. If you don't have the issues you need, check your public library. Mine keeps issues for four years. You can also buy the complete Threads archive. 

Search for Jeans articles in their online index. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/magazine-index

2) Then/Entonces - My Prototype Jeans-Style Sewing Project: What is this skirting the issue business? And what do I mean jeans style?

     Full-On Jeans Sewing was intimidating for me. So, I started with a prototype project. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

3) After That - Breaking  jeans-style sewing down into manageable chunks

    1) Fit and Pattern Selection

        Links to Palmer and Pletsch M6361 pattern here http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

        BTW...Trudy of Hot Patterns has more than one jeans pattern available, including one for men! Trudy provides a wonderful service to the sewing community when it comes to YouTube videos too.

    2) Focus on Sewing Skills and Machine Skills

    3) Special Jeans Stuff - Materials, Jeans-Style Notions, hardware, and thread - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

    4) Embellishment

    5) Resources

Links to several tutorials here, including a favorite fly-front zipper you tube tutorial http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

4) The Prototype Project

a. In this meaty section of the show (and the most fun for me!) I talk about how I implemented my manageable chunk learning style in the prototype sewing project,  my jeans-style denim skirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

5) Project Wrap Up 

  My Terminado/Done posting recaps the project and has links to all postings I wrote about the prototype http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

a. Why this was a successful first step project for me

    A Summary of my jeans-style skirt prototype project, with links to each posting I wrote about the project http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

b. Jeans – Style Learning Continues What’s next ? Where I am now when it comes to my learning to sew jeans?

    I've continue to write about my follow-on jean projects http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com. Titles of all such postings start out with the phrase "Jeans Sewing".

~ ~ ~

Sew Easy to Sponsor this Podcast!

Looking for Job Fulfillment? *

Help give job satisfaction to a friend and be a sponsor of the 
Enchanted by Sewing Podcast at the same time!

I dreamed that when Ms. Maria, the Sometimes Sewist,  bought me and brought me home, she’d bring just a little romance to my hum drum digital life.  I’m proud to be an up to date, technically competent, ebook reading device, But with Ms Maria, it’s nothing but work, work, work and never any fun for me!  I provide her with view after view of important information, so vital to her life. But all she ever downloads are self-help books and those tedious Legal Beagle Journals....

Hey podcast listeners are you acquainted with a sad and lonely iPad, kindle, nook or other ebook reading device that’s just aching for some romance ?

Why not give her the romantic time-travel e-book, My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times? And treat your forlorn buddy to a lively spin into the glittering world of Imperial Russia! This novella is available exclusively at amazon.com. You can download it to your iPad, Kindle or Nook e-book reading device for only 99 cents! 

99 cents? That’s a lot less than a cup of coffee!

You can read a free excerpt from this romantic spin into past times by clicking here (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HPPB34).

~ ~ ~

Foot Notes

* Thanks to Pamela for sharing this free, downloadable ephemera http://freevintagedigistamps.blogspot.com/2013/04/vintage-printable-victorian-lady-photo.html

** If English isn't your first language, you may not be familiar with the idiomatic phrase Skirting the issue - It means to avoid a subject, often by talking quickly about something else.

To Drape or Not to Drape - No Question About It - Ericson Is Inspired by Vionnet: (historical and modern draping)

Vionnet made these gowns 
for the 
Duchess of Windsor

For Madame Vionnet, 

It was all about fabric and cut.

This past weekend I attended Artistry in Fashion (AIF)* at Cañada College in Redwood City CA (San Francisco Bay Area). This is the school with the excellent fashion department , where I have often mentioned I take sewing and fashion design classes.

I was really looking forward to hearing the keynote speaker, Sandra Ericson **, as my draping class teacher, Judith Jackson, has studied with Ms. Ericson  and dropped a lot of little hints about this designer's experiences studying the work and designs of Madeline Vionnet. Madame Vionnet, as you probably already know, was a famed french designer and queen of the bias cut. I knew I'd enjoy the talk, but had no idea that I'd walk away absolutely inspired to learn to cut and drape some bias of my own. 

This Vionnet evening dress
makes me yearn
for a piece of silk velvet!

Having only just recently begun to learn about draping, I'm starting to get a sense of the fun involved in smoothing fabric over a dress form, capturing excess, and letting the material speak to me about where it wants to go and what it wants to do. So far in our first four working classes, we're still working with traditional straight of grain and cross grain goods. We haven't moved into bias land yet.

I can hardly wait.

Learning more about designing and sewing garments cut on the bias, is going to be another pathway that keeps this sewist, 

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~
Talk and Draping Demo Notes 

* Very few pattern pieces used, often only one or two

* Bias expands and contracts to fit the body

* Though sewing is limited, these styles are not for beginners. Garment constructors should be "champion edge-finishers"!

*For Vionnet, it was all about fabric and cut.

Madame Vionnet was not so much a sewist as she was a "technician". She focused on cut and cloth, analyzing the construction of the cloth and ways that the fibers restricted movement  (Laurel reflects - it's about drape and sway. This reminds me of the Enchanted by Sewing podcast where I interviewed Susan S. and she described herself as a "Fashion Engineer"). 

* Sandra Ericson sometimes drapes wet. I wonder what kind of dress form she uses when she does this? I sure wouldn't drape wet on my foam core "Uniquely You" dress form! Might be OK on my duct tape dummy though...

* Ms. Ericson several times pointed out gussets she used in garments made from the patterns she designs. A couple of women behind me kept whispering, that they didn't know what a gusset is. I tore up a little piece of notebook paper and wordlessly clued them in. 

I think at one time, many home sewers knew about adding gussets for a little extra ease at key points, but in this age of commercial patterns people tend to be leery, or just unaware, of altering garments in this way.

* When you're draping, cut away what you're not going to wear

* Finished some edges with a serger and invisible thread (hem perhaps?)

* Noting S. Ericson's bolero jacket, reminiscent of Balenciaga, we learn he studied with Vionnet, tending to create garments in stiffer fabrics. Laurel thinks this pattern would make a very nice travel jacket.

* Vionnet's principle was to use nothing fake to support the shape of the garment. For example - no shoulder pads. If a sleeve needed more height, she might dart it, to make it stand up

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Fabrics Used ....

on some of the sample garments displayed in Sandra Ericson's talk 

 Hold the fabric up, let it drop, and see how it hangs

*Rayon - Note rayon has a "high specific gravity" that drags a garment down (Laurel asks, Is that sometimes a good thing?)

* Rayon Twill (donut skirt)

* Silk Velvet (skirt, Komono Cool Top)

* Silk Noil - Laurel says Thai Silks (longtime business with a good reputation) , in nearby Los Altos, has very nice silk noil and they sell on the web.

* Wool Crepe (the V- dress, the Midterm dress)

* Heavy Wool Coating (we noted how differently garments made with this fabric, hung versus more drapey materials)

* Light Weight Wool Cashmere

* Upholstery Fabric (the Measure Coast - no pattern - set of instructions purchased and you make it to measure. Includes those now, very familiar, gussets!) 

* S. Ericson likes hand woven fabrics. She encourages us to see how they hang down.

* Ms. Ericson often uses Nature's Way Muslin (Rocklin?) for making toiles/muslin's when draping, but uses others as well and is checking out a new one she's found.

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Resources

Fashion Engineer for Work and Play - Snakes Alive Environmental Consultant by Day, Sewist by Night 

Learning about Vionnet's focus on the technical side of working with fabrics, reminded me of this interview with Susan S.

http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/08/ench-by-sew-11-fashion-engineering-for.html

Dress Forms? What are those? How do I get one? Can I make it myself? How much does it cost and how much time does it take?
When you drape - unless you have the luxury of a live model - you generally use a dress form. In this episode of the Enchanted by Sewing Podcast, I describe my experiences creating two different kinds of dress forms. I also provide links to another show, where Lori,  of the Sew Forth Now Podcast, talks about the history of dress forms, as well as her  pre-made, adjustable dress form.
http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

Center for Pattern Design - Ms. Ericson's Digital Studio 
 Lots of Resources plus her own Patterns for Sale http://www.centerforpatterndesign.com

Of the models I saw in the the talk - I was most partial to the four-square dress, pyramid dress, and cocoon coat. These are not Big-4, slam-bang, mass-market, discount patterns. Inspired sewists are paying for the work of a pattern-design artist. Most patterns seem to range between $20 and $35, at this time.

One place you can see examples of  Vionnet's work, is by searching  the collection of the Met Museum
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/C.I.46.4.24ab,25ab

Madeleine Vionnet book by Betty Kirke - Classic study on famed draper and technical artist. Includes 30 patterns. Warning, this book is not cheap, but would you get a ton of patterns in addition to the text, so why would it be? Sandra Ericskson mentioned it many times in her talk

Drape Drape by Hisako Soto
This affordable book looks like it might be a good approach to start playing around with draping
http://www.amazon.com/Drape-Hisako-Sato/dp/1856698416/ref=pd_sim_b_4

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* P.S. Next Years Keynote Speaker at Artistry in Fashion is Patti Palmer. You better believe I'll be attending again!

** Yes, Sandra is Lois Ericson's sister