Puget Sound Sewing & Craft

Backstage at the Go Red Style Show

Paul LaPonte and Project Runway's Jillian Lewis at the Go Red Style Show

The Go Red style show at the 2009 Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup was definitely not to be missed!  But if you did miss it, here's an exclusive look behind the scenes from the Puget Sound Sewing and Craft blog team!  Many of us had the good fortune to not only attend, but also participate in this fabulous event.

One of the highlights of this amazing show was definitely seeing Jillian Lewis from Project Runway modeling her special "Go Red" gown.
Jillian is wearing the short version of her convertible gown from this year's collection, sewn on a Brother Quattro 6000D.

Jillian's adventure in sewing and fashion began when she was given a Brother sewing machine by her Mom when she was 15.  Although it seemed like a random thing at the time, the machine sparked her interest in fashion which eventually led to her studying at the Parson School of Design in New York.  Her Brother machine was the same machine she used all through design school and even to sew her entire collection for the Project Runway final show at Bryant Park. Brother gave her a new Quattro 6000D and she created the dress she is wearing in the Go Red Style Show and her most recent collection that she took to fashion week this fall.

Carmen filmed Jillian telling her sewing story at the show while modeling the long version of her gown.  Click here to watch the video and hear Jillian's inspiring story.

Annette modeled her own fabulous Go Red creation at the show.  Her beautiful silk ensemble featured self-fabric yo-yo's at the neckline.  I bet you didn't know yo-yo's could be elegant!  But they certainly are when they are made from a beautiful silk print.  Annette also took many great pictures of the goings-on backstage at the event.  Her wonderful backstage report is available online - click here to read all about it.

Katrina made the embroidered silk dupioni/satin vest that Paul LaPonte is modeling in the picture with Jillian.  It is embroidered in all metallic threads using Momo-Dini's "Phoenix" designs.  The most challenging part was trying to track down Paul for a fitting!  She also had fun pretending to be a model for Kayla Kennington, wearing one of Kayla's incredibly detailed and wild creations for the show.

Preparing a Pattern for Fitting

Fitting a pattern prior to cutting and sewing a garment is one of the most important steps to ensuring a successful garment project.  In training to be a Palmer/Pletsch Certified Sewing Instructor, I have learned some great tips for pattern preparation.  Preparing a pattern prior to fitting takes a few steps, but makes pattern fitting much easier and more accurate.

First of all, remove the wrinkles from your pattern using a dry iron on medium heat.  I prefer to press from the wrong side of the pattern, in case the ink wants to transfer to my iron.

Second, if you are using a multi-size pattern, mark your size line with a colored pencil. It's easy to confuse the different size lines, and inaccurate cutting of these lines may result in unpleasant surprises during fitting and construction.  If tracing a pattern, such as from a Burda magazine, it's especially important to make sure you can see which line is the correct one to follow.

Once the pattern is cut, mark the seam allowances and hemlines, so you can pin fit the pattern accurately.  Remember to check the seam allowances noted on the pattern - they may not be 5/8".  For garments such as pants, you may want to increase the seam allowance on the side seams and waistline to 1" to facilitate fitting the pattern and fabric easier.  This may seem excessive, but remember it is much easier to make something smaller than to try to make it larger after cutting!

Are there any curved areas, such as princess seams, crotch seams or armhole seams?  If so, you will want to reinforce these areas with small, overlapping pieces of 1/2" tape.  Please note the 1/2" size - it is easier to tape around curves with less bulk than a wider tape.  Reinforce the pattern "seam" for fitting by taping along the stitching line on the body side of the stitching line - not in the seam allowance! Taping the curves allows you to clip the seam allowance up to the stitching line just as you would in the sewn garment.  It also keeps the pattern from tearing in these stress areas; if taped properly, you should be able to gently pull on the curve without the paper tearing.  This means you can try on the pattern as you would a garment, allowing you to make the most necessary adjustments prior to cutting your fabric.

I'll discuss further steps in pattern preparation, fitting and alteration in a later posting.  I have lots of projects bundled up and waiting to be sewn.  That means lots of pattern fittings and alterations, too.  Marta Alto says that pattern preparation is easily 1/3 to 1/2 of her total project time.  This may seem excessive but preparation is the key to a successful garment.

--Katrina

Design Your Own Fabric With Paintstiks

Now that the Sewing & Stitchery Expo is over, I'm just not ready for the fun to stop. If you're feeling the same way, plan to head to your nearest Pacific Fabrics & Crafts store this Saturday for the kick off of our new Saturday Demonstration events. You'll see great products, lots of inspiring samples and you can learn a new skill for FREE! This Saturday, March 7th from 11:00am - 3:00pm, you can learn all about Shiva Paintstiks and how to design your own fabrics at all Pacific Fabrics & Crafts stores.

Janice, Assistant Manager and Demo Queen at our Outlet on 4th store shared some of her samples and techniques with me this morning and they were so exciting that I just had to show you some of what she has done. This is just an example of what you will see at all of our stores on March 7th, so call your friends and make your plans. I loved the samples of the Paintstiks used with rubbing plates on the right of this picture. Janice used some stencils she made herself for the examples on the left. Oh, but there's SO much more. Keep reading!

I love what Janice did in the picture below. She tried colors and techniques on black fabrics, then did the same thing on white. Look how different they are! What a great idea and she will have such a full reference book to use.

While Janice was cutting stencils, she made a circle and a triangle, then used them together to make this ovelapping design on Silk Dupioni as a sample. The Paintstiks were begun at the edges and then dragged in. She will show you just how it's done on March 7th. Isn't this a cool piece?

More stencils at the right here. This time in a couple of simple rectangle shapes. I can just see this along the border of a skirt, dress, pillow, fancy dog coat or ???? The possiblities are endless and so easy to do! Janice said this was a good way to try out color combinations and different techniques, too.

The next picture shows my favorite of the techniques Janice shared with me. She tore card stock so that it had a wavy edge, then used it as a template to paint along. So, paint, move the template down (or over) a bit, paint again and repeat until you're done. So clever!

And now . . . finished projects! Janice used Indygo Junction pre-cut stencils for her leafy bird pillow on the right and a twig stencil from the book "Stencil Me In" along with butterfly appliques for her tote bag. It would be lovely with some machine embroidery, too - wouldn't it? I can hardly wait to see what she does next!

Be sure to come on Saturday, March 7th between 11:00am and 3:00pm to see what we're doing at all of our stores. You'll see Kelly at Everett, Caryn at Bellevue, Heather at Northgate, Janice at Outlet on 4th, Tami at Bremerton and Shelley at Puyallup. Our fabulous team of Demo Queens who are ready to lead you into the wonderful world of Paintstiks. Let me know what you make!

~ Annette

Kitchens are 'Sew Fun' in March

March Sew Fun features fun designs like this retro apron pattern from Vanilla House Designs

(photo/pattern courtesy of Vanilla House Designs)

It's hard to believe it was just last week we were all together in Puyallup for the 25th Annual Sew Expo.  I always leave full of new ideas, more fabric than I should be allowed to have, and lots of enthusiasm for starting all kinds of projects.

Speaking of projects, this month's Sew Fun is headed for the kitchen to cook up all kinds of fun sewing projects for your home.  Learn to "Quilt as you Go" as you create a fresh look with new placemats, potholders, tea cozies, bags and more. 

Bring your favorite vintage kitchen gadgets or apron to share!  Check the Sew Fun Calendar for the dates and times for your store location.

See you there!