Tuesday, August 30, 2011

LC OneSeams

I just finished a pair of these pants. I am so pleased with the fit that I will make a pair from decent fabric and get a photo posted soon!

We are heading home tomorrow after a wonderful summer at the beach. Time to get back to a more "normal" schedule. I'm going to work for a few weeks and DH is going to a week-long photoshop seminar. Our condo is getting a facelift while we are gone--paint, crown molding, new toilet, valance boxes, etc.

Time for change and to celebrate DGD's birthday. Photo soon of the one seams.

LC OneSeams

I just finished a pair of these pants. I am so pleased with the fit that I will make a pair from decent fabric and get a photo posted soon!

We are heading home tomorrow after a wonderful summer at the beach. Time to get back to a more "normal" schedule. I'm going to work for a few weeks and DH is going to a week-long photoshop seminar. Our condo is getting a facelift while we are gone--paint, crown molding, new toilet, valance boxes, etc.

Time for change and to celebrate DGD's birthday. Photo soon of the one seams.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Update--Shirt to coordinate with Ottobre Skirt

I bought a pink t at the local discount store and used the skirt fabrics as decoration around the front neckline.  It is pretty simple, but I think it will make my DGD happy to have items that go together! The flash has blown out the colors of the skirt, but the previous blog entry shows the true colors. 

Skirt from Ottobre Design 4/2011

Here is another skirt made from a pattern in the most recent children's Ottobre.  The fabric is a fabulous batiste in pink and an English netting in ivory from Fabric Land in Orange, CA.  Both behaved so well while sewing!  The waistband treatment is from a scrap of cotton lycra knit--think it was purchased at Michael Levine in Los Angeles. I made a size 128 for my almost 9 YO grand daughter.

Just a fun project.  Again, I need to figure out a shirt embellishment for an outfit.  DGD likes to have her garments GO together. 

Monday, August 22, 2011

ASG Recap


Day Two is here! I'm just checking in quickly before heading out. Yesterday I went to Louise Cutting's session--we made the ABO jacket from some wonderful rayon fabric. All pieces save the right front were from the rayon. The right front piece was created by joining a variety of fabric strips to create unique and different "fabric" from which the right front piece was cut. We got lots of tips and ideas for other garments. I'm going to make a sleeveless ABO from some Japanese cotton I bought last night from Louise. I need to go back to her booth to take a picture of the vest to keep my memory accurate!  Will try to include that photo at the end.  Louise is a wonderful teacher.  She is humorous, knowledgable, patient, and so creative!  I also took her one seam pants class!  I'm going to tweak the pattern using her detailed directions and make myself a pair.  She insists the first pair must be made from the ugliest fabric in the stash!  LOL!

Well--you can see I didn't get much further on posting the info.  I have almost finished the ABO jacket, but will wait until we go home next week so I can use the machine I bought to do button holes.  I also bought some fabrics from Louise.  Left to Right--Japanese cotton I plan to use for a sleeveless ABO jacket.  AKA a vest!  LOL!  I'm not a real fan of vests, but saw both Louise and Sandy wear versions of this garment and I am anxious to give it a try.  Second is some lovely Italian linen for pants--not sure what pattern.  The third piece is exquisite linen for a blouse, and the final piece is a rayon mix to coordinate with the jacket above.  That will be pants, but I'm not sure what pattern I will use.

More about sessions--I spent a day with Susan Khalje learning hand sewing techniques used in constructing couture garments.  I can now confidently use the whip stitch, overcast, back stitch, catch stitch, pick a zipper, bind a buttonhole, and some other tricks I noted in my handouts.  If anyone has an opportunity to take a class or workshop with Susan, do not hesitate.  She is the kindest, most supportive and patient person.  I wasn't sure I really wanted to take this class and thought I might be a dropout after lunch.  Not so!  It was wonderful.  The lesson, the other students, and the teacher.  Primo.

Here is Sandy, Louise Cutting's assistant, wearing  a white shirt version of the ABO jacket with a vest version over the top.  You can see that she lowered the height of the collar on the vest so that it would allow some of the white shirt's collar to show.  Similarly, she lengthened the white shirt so that it would also show beneath the black vest.  Very sharp look!

 Below are the vest and jacket versions of the ABO jacket--in green.  I think the two garments to the right of the green vest are from the soon-to-be-released pattern.
I also took a pants fitting class from Judy Kessinger and a blouse class from Peggy Sagers.  Also good classes full of useful information.  Finally, I took Anne St Claire's class in changing necklines on knit shirts.  Can't wait to get started making some changes to my favorite knit top patterns.  Whew!  Great convention!  I met a few new friends and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Monday, August 15, 2011

I've Been Sewing--Not Posting! Loes Hinse and Vogue Projects




I made the Katherine Tilton Vogue pattern tee shirt.  Not sure it is for me, but it went together very easily and it fits nicely.  I made the size 12 and it is a bit roomy.  For future reference, I would make the neck binding piece a bit longer.  It is easier to trim off excess than to piece or recut a binding that is too short.  Just barely stretched this to fit.

Then I was inspired by Tonia on Stitchers' Guild who made an entire wardrobe of garments in a weekend.  I took longer, but made 3 pairs of pants and 2 tee shirts.  I made one European pair without the front zip, one with, and a pair of Cruise pants that I had modified with the zip front from the European pattern.  All will fit, don't need alterations, and will blend with my wardrobe of browns, tans, and black. The olive linen Euros with the zip will blend as well.  Sorry they are wrinkled, but I wore them with a white linen Talbots top to go see The Help last week.  The red tee shirt will go with either pant. I'm going to wear the short sleeved tee with some black pants and a light black cardigan.  Whew!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Finished ABO and Skirt from Ottobre Design 4/2011

Just some odds and ends to post....I went back to LV for a few days to celebrate youngest DGS's 5th birthday.  How fun!  I prewashed a pile of fabrics from my quick trip to the Los Angeles fabric district, cut out a few things, and hope to do some sewing now that I'm in cool weather territory again.  But, I did finish the hems, button holes, and buttons on the ABO muslin jacket.  Ready to cut the jacket for the ASG class I'm taking with Louise Cutting.

Second, I made a cute little skirt from the most recent Ottobre for kids.  It is design 31, the frilly skirt with a slight modification.  I cut the ruffles 2 inches wide--my error, but I think it still turned out cute.  The fabric is a cotton batiste I bought locally at Fabric Land.  It has the softest hand--really nice fabric.  I also made a long sleeved tee shirt from the Ottobre Design pattern 301 and leggings #32 from same current issue of Otto.


No photos of the tee and leggings--I'm trying to figure out an embellishment for the tee shirt so that the combo doesn't look like PJs with a skirt over top...I'll share those pieces when I've got a solution ;-)