The patient and knowledgeable Carol Scott graciously agreed to teach a series of tailoring classes through the Haute Couture Club of Chicago. The first is a six-session Classic Tailoring class which began in December and will end in February. It will be followed by a five-session class in Modern Tailoring. The classes are held at the Moser Sewing Studio in Evanston. Marty Moser, Carol Scott and most of the class participants are members of ASG Chicago Chapter and three of the class participants are members of Sew Chicago. I thought it might be nice to record our progress here.

The pattern we are using in both classes is McCall’s M6172. Oddly enough, this Palmer/Pletsch pattern is a celebration of the marvels of modern soft tailoring techniques and the great strides made with fusible interfacings. I had to smile when I read Patti Palmer’s reminiscences in the introductory section of the pattern’s instruction sheet. Fusible interfacing will wait until the Modern Tailoring class. For now, it’s Hymo cloth (horsehair canvas), hand basting and pad stitching. (Okay, we’re using fusible interfacing for the welt pockets, but nothing else.) This may be the one and only time I use these methods, but it’s something I’d like to know how to do. Besides, there’s that wonderful feeling of connectedness to generations of fine craftsmen. Even though they would probably be amused by my efforts and maybe horrified with the results, I would like to pay homage to them.

Of course, we started with a muslin. Actually, it was a mock-up, because in our introductory session Carol told us not to make them out of muslin. She says jackets almost always are too tight when actual muslin is used for the test garment rather than something more substantial. Cotton twill was the test garment fabric of choice. Here’s Janet modeling her mock-up.

We sewed the front, side front, side back, back, under collar and both sleeves – a lot more work than even I usually put into muslins! The good news is that one test garment is all we made (not my usual three), and it should be good for both classes as well as future jackets from the same pattern.

I’m impressed with the pattern so far. I didn’t have to make nearly as many adjustments as I usually do. Carol told me to take the shoulders in 3/4″ and that worked very well.

I was able to enlarge the upper arms of the sleeves by curving the back seam on both the upper and lower sleeve pieces, a technique I learned from a Sarah Veblen class. It gave me the room I need where I need it without changing the sleeve cap seam length, which would have required an adjustment to the armscye, which always ends up in a quagmire. Of course, my pronounced pear shape required circumference additions, but the end result doesn’t look distorted.

We used our second class session to get our mock-ups fitted, get Carol’s input on our choice of fashion fabric and learn Carol’s method for making welt pockets. We were supposed to make sample welt pockets in class, but yours truly didn’t get quite that far.

Our homework that week included making the pattern pieces for the sew-in interfacing and cutting those pieces from the Hymo cloth after pre-shrinking with steam (a rather smelly process).

Speaking of homework, I’d better get to mine before I fall hopelessly behind in class. The next installment will be about pad stitching. Be sure to stay tuned.

• UFO Rescue Mission
  

Some UFOs aren’t worth saving, but others represent opportunities. They can be transformed into something terrific if we can let go of the original vision we had for the project and open ourselves to new possibilities. Would re-thinking something in that basket/box/drawer/cabinet of broken hopes and dreams inspire you?

• It’s a Wrap
  

Make a shrug, shawl, poncho, cape or one of those thingies you can tie all sorts of ways. Make it sheer, cuddly, lacy, warm, sparkly, subtle or shiny. Wear it over something you’ve sewn that you want to show as well or whatever you’re wearing to the luncheon.

• Elemental By Design
  

Unleash your inner designer by combining design elements from two or more patterns into a single garment.

• Extra Dimensionality

Use texture in a garment, either overall or in particular areas such as the cuffs, a band, collar or pockets. Work with a fabric that has texture built in or create your own with one of the texturizing products on the market. Or, you could add ruching, puffing, corded pintucks, quilting, or anything else you can think of that adds a third dimension to some element of your garment.

• Take it Up a Notch 

Add any kind of embellishment to any garment you sew.

Do any of these spark your interest? Or is there something else you’d like to try? Leave a comment with your own suggestions and we’ll put it to a vote.

Imagine a place filled with the work of a brilliant couture designer. Now imagine that this is not a museum. The designer has invited you and your friends to not only look, but to touch, sketch, take pictures and examine her creations inside and out. Then, imagine the designer answers your questions and tells you exactly how she achieved many of her unique looks.

No, this isn’t a dream. This is the experience Sew Chicago had at the Elizabeth M Boutique. It was, quite literally, a feast for the senses.

To say we were inspired doesn’t even begin to describe the experience. The expressions on the faces of Liz and Lee say it best–it was nothing short of breathtaking.

Sadly, Elizabeth closed her boutique at the end of 2011. Fortunately, she will continue to design, and our time with her will serve as a source of inspiration well into the future. We wish you well, Elizabeth. And we thank you.

Sew Chicago celebrated another fantastic year of inspiring one another, learning together and sharing our passion for sewing at our annual holiday brunch on December 11, 2011.

Artist Scottie Kersta-Wilson showed us samples of her new collection of one-of-a-kind photo-derived fabric and scarves, and gave away a scarf as a door prize.

We enjoyed Sew and Tell from Susan, Robin, Renee, Sharleen, Stephenie and Jay.

And we rounded out the day with our now-traditional goodie bags and grab bag gifts. One lesson learned from the grab bag — “stealing” is not an option!

What are the sources of your inspiration?

I draw my inspiration from many things:

• Clothes that people are wearing or are in stores.
• Photographs from runway shows, particularly the Collezioni magazines, which are photos from the runway shows of designers.
• Fashion exhibits.
• Books from fashion exhibits, books on designers, and books on historic costumes and clothing.        
• Clothing catalogs, which I find especially good for details.
• Magazines and catalogs on other topics, especially jewelry and ceramics – these are great for studying line, form, and color, which are the basis for design.
• Nature.
• Fabric and notions.

For me, it’s really important to keep idea books, and I actually keep quite a few different ones. I like to use 11”x14” spiral bound sketch books, because they are large enough for photos from Women’s Wear Daily and other magazines and publications. An inexpensive format for an idea book that I also use is simply a 3-ring binder and copy paper (all you need is a hole punch and double-sided tape or glue). I use these for knit garment details, interesting color combinations, or any category that I want to be able to access quickly without having to look through the pages of a large-format idea book.

Idea books are very useful to me when I’m thinking about making a garment but don’t have a garment concept worked out. Paging through my idea books invariably gets my creative juices flowing, and sometimes I see specific details or general concepts that help me define what I want to make.

An additional bonus of keeping an idea book is that it trains your eye. I’ll explain what I mean. When I’m flipping through a magazine and a picture catches my eye for any reason at all, I tear the page out. I usually collect the pictures in a folder, and every few months, I take a small amount of time to cut out and organize the pictures, and then tape them into my idea books. So in addition to the initial time that the picture caught my eye, as I cut out and tape the pictures into my idea books, I once again notice and think about what caught my eye. The process may be passive, but I am slowly building a compendium of what I find interesting and what pleases my eye – in other words, I’m slowing defining my own sense of design.

What made you decide to add teaching to your repertoire?

Initially, I was asked by a handful of sewers who knew that I did custom work if I would help them select patterns for fabric they wanted to sew, or help them select the right fabric for a pattern they liked, as well as help them with fitting. I found that I quite enjoyed working with these women because my help made their sewing more successful. Then, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was asked by my local PACC chapter (then the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers, which is now the Association for Sewing and Design Professionals) to teach a few short classes. Again, I really enjoyed developing class ideas and teaching, which led me to apply to teach at PACC’s yearly national educational conferences.

Around this time, a small group of professional custom clothiers asked me if I would teach an in-depth design class. Reaching out to others who enjoyed garment sewing and helping them develop their skills was a very rewarding experience for me. So I then offered a few other classes, which developed into my Intensive Study Program in Fashion Design.

The short answer is that I started teaching because I was asked to. But because I enjoyed teaching from the very beginning, it was important to me to be a really effective teacher – so I have always spent time honing my teaching skills. In addition, I found that teaching provided income when I didn’t have a lot of custom work, and this made earning a living at what I do a little easier.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I thoroughly enjoy helping sewers be successful in their endeavors, particularly garment sewing.

While garment sewing might seem simple on one level, in fact it is quite complicated. It requires skills and knowledge in so many different areas: fabric, interfacing, structure, pattern work, fit, design, and embellishment – not to mention sitting at the machine and sewing. What I really want to share is how much fun it is to create a unique garment that fits, and to do so takes pulling together all of these different areas of knowledge. I still find that making a garment out of a flat piece of fabric is magical. And I hope that my teaching helps others find a similar joy and satisfaction from this creative process.

What advice do you have for home sewers who get frustrated and are tempted to throw in the towel? (Note to Reader: If you think this question was a personal one for the interviewer, you know me very well.)

Don’t give up! Recognize how complicated what you are doing is. Break down the process of garment sewing – as I did in my previous answer. Think about sewing from each of these vantage points. If there is an area that really causes you problems, get aggressive and study it. As you do, the inter-relationship between these areas will start to make more and more sense. Each time you have an ah-ha moment, give yourself a pat on the back. Take a few moments to appreciate what you did well with every mock-up, trial run, and garment you make. Then think about what you could have done better.

I think our culture today promotes “instant results” to a fault. Not only can we access a vast amount of information instantaneously, but we also are expected to process huge amounts of information on a daily basis. So when we encounter something that takes years of practice to conquer, it’s not surprising that we become frustrated when we approach it from our “instantaneous” mind-set. From this standpoint, my biggest piece of advice is to take pleasure in the process – both in the process of learning and in the process of sewing. And give yourself credit for each advancement you make, even if it’s a baby step.

(I’m printing out that answer and hanging it on my sewing area bulletin board!)

You are doing a great job with long-distance learning. What made you decide to give it a try?

I was first approached by PatternReview.com to write a few articles. As we discussed what I would write, the owner, Deepika Prakash, got a better sense of what I did and what my areas of expertise were. She immediately asked me to consider developing a class for PatternReview.com after I wrote the articles.

I will admit that at first glance, I was a bit dubious of how well the on-line format would work. But once I understood the platform for the classes – written lessons that could incorporate lots of photos and illustrations in PDF-file format, a class discussion board where students could ask questions at any time, and real-time chats where discussion could be more interactive – it seemed very well thought out. Now, most of my classes also include optional short video segments that show techniques that are better described in action rather than by the still photographs that are in the lessons.

After trying my first class, Understanding Knit Fabrics, I was delighted with how well the PR platform worked. And the popularity of the PR website put me in the visibility of thousands of people who otherwise would not know about me or have easy access to me. Although the majority of my PR students live in the United States, I have had students from all corners of the world and dozens of different countries. PatternReview.com is what makes it possible for me to pass along what I know about sewing to such a wide audience.

Does writing come naturally to you, or is it something you’ve had to master out of necessity?

I have a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in German Literature. I’ve never done anything with German literature other than enjoy it, but I’ll be forever thankful to my mandatory, year-long freshman writing class. We wrote, and wrote, and wrote – and were constructively critiqued at every turn. This certainly honed my writing skills, and I also learned that good writing needs excellent organization of what you want to say.

Prior to college, I enjoyed writing assignments and always kept up a number of active correspondences (pre-email days). So I would say that to some extent, writing has always come naturally to me. However, that being said, I work at it, too. For instance, it takes me about a month to a month-and-a-half of full-time work to write my typical 12- to 15-lesson Pattern Review class, which involves lots of re-writing in order to make my material as clear as possible.

We hear there is a book on the horizon. Could you tell us a little bit about it?

Yes, there is! The book is The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting, which is being published by Creative Publishing as part of their “Complete Photo Guide” series. Its release date is January 1, 2012 and is available for pre-order through most on-line bookstores. When I’m in Chicago in the spring, I’ll have copies for sale, and of course I’d be happy to autograph anyone’s copy.

I’m happy to tell you a little bit about the book. Creative Publishing contacted me and asked me if I’d be interested in revising a book that is part of the Singer Sewing Reference Library called The Perfect Fit, to which they own the rights. Going through this book from the late 1980s, I felt that it was similar to fitting books from that time: descriptions of body types, basic changes for very typical fitting issues, and instructions for making these fitting changes to the pattern. Because I have been studying and teaching fitting for many years, I proposed to Creative Publishing a new book, one that was a comprehensive look at the complicated, inter-related topics of fitting and pattern work.

My book is based on fitting test garments (not tissue fitting) on a number of different models with common body types, and I selected my models for not having “perfect” figures. I have tried to make the book as comprehensive as possible. In addition to fitting, I also describe general patternmaking principals and provide specific pattern manipulations so that you can effectuate the fitting changes to a pattern.

In order to understand the process of fitting, I describe my approach and theory of fitting, which gives you, the fitter, firm reference lines around which to manipulate the fabric. The core of the book has three components: the fitting process on a model from start to finish for a straight skirt, a darted bodice, an armscye princess line tunic, a shoulder princess line blouse, a side panel jacket, a raglan sleeve blouse, set-in sleeves, and pants that have a slack fit; fitting solutions for each of these garments for a number of body types; and fitting pants from start-to-finish on one model as well as a number of fitting solutions for different body types.

I also provide plenty of information on fitting yourself as well as fitting others; the equipment that you need to effectively fit and do pattern work; and how to creatively use the concepts provided in the book to add interest to your garments. In summary, I wrote the book that I wished I’d had in my library when I was first learning to fit and do pattern work.

What else would you like sewers in Chicago to know about you?

How excited I am that I have this opportunity to come to Chicago and work with people who are interested in garment sewing! I think that the one single thing that prevents most sewers from making garments is when they don’t have a pattern that fits. Once you have patterns that fit, sewing is such a joy. And then it’s easy to go to the next level of including your own creative ideas into the clothes that you make. I so look forward to helping anyone interested in garment sewing be able to create the kinds of garments they dream of.

And Yours Truly looks forward to experiencing the joy of sewing and knowing that the end product will actually fit.

Nancy enlisted four models from her family and they looked amazing. Here we have her two adorable granddaughters. Aubree is wearing The Little Piggie Dress and matching hat, which Nancy made from Simplicity 3859.  Ashley looks sophisticated in the polished cotton pink and ivory dress from McCall’s 5382. The shoes and Ashley’s handbag provided the perfect styling, didn’t they?

Nancy’s daughter Tracy looked fabulous in the watercolor dress and cardigan Nancy made from Butterick 5333 and Simplicity 2424.  And her sister Barbara had a great time showing the distressed embroidered taffeta party dress Nancy created using Simplicity 4070. 

As usual, Liz H. dazzled us with her talent. Her crinkled and tucked silk blouse from Linda McGehee’s book,  More Texture with Textiles, demonstrates how many tricks we can get our sewing machines to play while still looking elegant.

Liz also created a California Dreamin’ ensemble using the newly revised One-Seam Pants pattern from Cutting Line Designs.

Susan showed us two versions of Simplicity 2591 with her usual amount of exuberance. The black pique version allowed her to visit the South of France with her husband with only carry-on luggage and still come home with purchases from a French fabric store. (But of course!)

Renee’ couldn’t make it this year, but fortunately her garments did. Debora graced the runway with Renee’s printed linen jacket from Vogue 1099.

Liz H. really worked Renee’s embroidered jacket from Vogue 1126 and wide-legged pants from Vogue 1099.

Seven of our members participated in a group challenge to make a tee shirt or any of its many variations.

Renee’s entry, modeled by Nancy’s daughter Tammy, was a top in fabric she screen printed in a fabulous dragon design. Connie modeled Liz C.’s navy Marcy Tilton top from Vogue 8497.

Debora showed her linen/bamboo pleated cardigan from Jalie 2919, and told us her secret to getting the pleats right was to stiffen the very thin knit fabric with spray starch and press until dry. Thanks Debora!

Sisters Cynthia and Jay collaborated on Cynthia’s silver knit top with cowl from McCall’s 5705. My entry was a sage green ponte twinset from Pamela’s Patterns.

Of course, Liz H. had a twist to her entry, which was of her own design. Actually, it was more of a ruche and a twist. Sharleen’s entry was a complete knitwear look, with a draped neck tee using Sandra Betzina’s Vogue 1197 and yoga pants from Silhouettes 3400.

And, Stephenie represented Sew Chicago in the Fabric Challenge, which this year was to incorporate 1 yard of vegetable-dyed muslin into a project. Stephenie utilized the yellow Fabric Challenge fabric in the collar and cuffs of this jacket.

Great job everyone!

“Think vertically,” Liz suggests. That could mean something as simple as stacking all the components of pending projects in box tops. Or, if you insist on being fancy, actual boxes. Lightweight serving trays purchased during post-holiday clearance sales hold small items such as beads, buttons and hand sewing essentials and can be stacked as well.

Liz uses plastic toolboxes to store and transport her sewing tools, and always has  an assortments of tote bags for fabric.

Liz creates extra work space instantly with inexpensive folding tables, and can create a classroom on the spot with a ready supply of folding chairs. And, she insists that every sewing space needs plenty of plastic trash cans within easy reach. Those really are the kinds of details that make a difference.

What are your favorite ways of organizing your sewing essentials? I use packing cubes for pending projects (if they can keep my luggage organized, why not my sewing?), and jumbo (2.5 gallon) plastic zipper bags for patterns I’ve altered that aren’t part of a pending project. Leave us a comment to share your best tips for conquering clutter in your sewing space.

So, let’s get real here. As much as we don’t want to hear it, Patti Palmer is right when she says fit is a process. That why Palmer/Pletsch has students attending its fit seminars more than once. That’s why we take multiple fit classes with different instructors. And that’s why  Sew Chicago has devoted meetings to fit in the past and no doubt will do it again in the future.

My own fit odyssey has included a number of false starts, the collection of books I mentioned before and workshops with various teachers. In the beginning, I attempted to make a sloper out of a standard fitting pattern. Actually, I made several versions of the bodice, first on my own and then with the help of fellow Sew Chicago members. Each time I thought I would have just a few tweaks and I would be there, but each correction I made seemed to create new problems.

Fast forward to this year. There is a long, sad story behind my attempt to make a sheath dress that ended with some very pretty silk shantung sewn into a dress that will never be finished. I now know what I did wrong, and it actually might have been possible to correct that last tweak that made the shoulder princess line veer off instead of going straight, but when I tried on the dress I discovered that sheath is not my best look.

For my most recent fit project, I made the mistake of thinking, how hard can it be to fit a skirt? The fact that I still haven’t worked out the last of the issues with my skirt muslin answers that question. So I have a decision to make. Giving up sewing and taking up photography is not a viable option for me. And, having nothing but muslins to show for all my time and effort is way too frustrating. That means something has to give. What if that something were my obsession with achieving an absolutely perfect fit? Now, there’s an idea. After all, I settle for something far less than perfection every time I put on a ready-to-wear garment.

Maybe I could give myself a break from trying for perfection and start sewing “wearable muslins.” After all, it’s only after wearing a garment that you can tell what fine-tuning is needed to get the pattern just right. Does this sound like a viable plan? I think it might. How about you? Is perfectionism keeping you from finishing anything? Let’s try giving ourselves permission to finish some garments that fit well, if not perfectly. Let’s try getting stuff finished and see how it feels.

Once again, Sharleen has outdone herself. She made two complete ensembles, one for a girl and another for a boy, and she left nothing out. The pink knit top with black lettering has detachable sleeves that will take this young lady beyond the first day of school into the cooler weather and is trimmed with black knit that has pink lettering spelling out the word “Whatever.” The cotton broadcloth skirt has pleats below the pink ribbon trim and a ribbon sash held in place with belt loops. The purse has pockets for all the essentials a girl needs for school, natch.

For a boy, Sharleen made a beefy T with ribbed knit raglan sleeves that will stand up to serious playground time, as will the very masculine camo pants with cargo pocket detail and a drawstring cord at the waist. The outfit is completed with a black canvas messenger bag embroidered with partying frogs. Way to go Sharleen!

Our newest member Robin sewed an adorably girlie dress in two prints that go together amazingly well.

My contribution is a seersucker gingham dress with ladybug ribbon trim. Debora says ladybugs are a symbol for good luck in Germany, and that the literal translation of the German word for ladybug is lucky bug.  That seemed appropriate for this project.

We also have an adorable dress purchased by an anonymous member and I’m expecting one more outfit that another member will complete in a few days. Next week, I’ll ship the package to heirloom sewing expert and Project First Day creator Susan Stewart so she will be sure to receive it by August 1st.