So short, at least, that I am building up a strong dislike of the Simplicity pattern website. Simplicity is the only pattern company out of the “big four” (and most of the indies) that requires you to download a PDF in order to see the back of the envelope details, such as yardage requirements, finished measurements, etc. What a pain!

I know a thing or two about website design (because that’s what I do for my day job), and so I am aware of the strategy behind this annoying technical requirement: By downloading a PDF, website visitors provide the Simplicity marketing-meisters with information about which designs have the greatest appeal.

No crime in that. But it risks alienating those of us who browse for patterns during moments stolen from the day’s major tasks. Instead, why not just add a little tag that allows visitors to vote — say, on a scale of 0 to 5 — on whether they like the pattern they just viewed? This would provide much more accurate (not to mention lively) feedback.

After all, we sewists aren’t known for being shy when it comes to expressing our opinions. Am I right? Go ahead, comment away. You don’t even have to download a PDF.

Origami Gift Boxes – Nov. 22, 11pm-1am at Riverwalk Bead Shop

origami_bags

Victorian Paste Paper – The technique is like finger painting for grown-ups, and the end result creates beautiful patterned papers perfect for origami gift boxes, picture frames, hand-made books, votive candle lampshades, and more. PRICE: $25 + $10 materials.

Kitchen-Sink Paper-making – Forget about the cumbersome traditional paper-making method that takes up scads of room and requires a huge time investment. Our technique uses a novel method that allows you to make even one sheet of paper with no waste. And speaking of waste, you’ll be able to recycle lots of the paper (junk mail, leftover gift wrap, etc) that propagates in your home faster than a couple of love-struck gerbils. Use your handmade papers to create a gift set of note cards, bookmarks, holiday ornaments, etc. Two-hour workshop. PRICE: $25 + $5 materials.

Crazy-Pieced Purses – Super-fast to make using a new piecing technique, these one-piece clutches are sized to hold a cell phone, lipstick, a little bit of mad money, etc., and can be slipped inside a larger purse or briefcase. They also make great stand-alone cocktail bags, especially if you use fancy fabrics and metallic embellishment threads. Two-hour workshop. PRICE: $50 + self-provided materials. List will be provided upon registration.

Fabric Beads – Learn to turn hand-painted strips of cloth into tubular beads festooned with rocailles, metallic threads, charms, and other embellishments. Thread a single bead onto a silver or p’leather chain … use as toggle buttons for a hand-knit shawl … use as decorative accents on hats, coat pins, and more. Fun fun fun to make! Two-hour workshop. PRICE: $25 + $5 materials.

And as always, we offer a variety of fundamental sewing classes to get you on the road to creating your own clothes and creatively modifying retail and thrift store finds. Contact us today for details.

Although the box itself needs some kind of cosmetic help (sponging? marbling?), I decided to make a seat cushion first and deal with the faux treatment later.

Given that our living room furniture is on the monochromatic side, I wanted to introduce a pop of color in this corner without creating too big of a transitional shock. At JoAnn’s (our nearest fabric store), I found a print with a light background and a splash of something in the coral/pomegranate/paprika family.

The seat cushion went together quickly, but despite the cheerful color and print and the striped contrasting piping, the overall visual effect was too bland.

What to do? I didn’t have any other fabric that pulled colors from our armchair in the other side of the room. The only solution (short of schlepping out to another fabric store and spending more money and gas): create my own fabric. Once again, I turned to the favorite book in my fiber arts library: Rosemary Eichorn’s superb Art of Fabric Collage (Taunton Press, 2000). Eichorn’s technique, in a nutshell, involves cutting random shapes and motifs from twenty or more different fabrics, assembling them in a pleasing manner, stitching close to the edges of the motifs, embellishing the entire surface with novelty threads, and then tossing the whole thing into the washer and dryer so that the edges ravel and fray. The end product looks and feels like a lush tapestry — the ideal heft for a pillow or wall hanging.

I started pulling swatches, cutting, and fiddling with placement yesterday, and this morning completed the pinning. Click on the thumbnails below for more details:

I have found that most children possess the coordination to operate a sewing machine long before they are able to cut accurately with a scissors, or sew by hand. That’s because the former requires gross motor skills, and the latter requires fine motor skills. In most children, the two skills have begun to synchronize around the age of 10. More importantly, their attention span is long enough to drink in more detailed instruction.

Our Tween sewing classes generally require that your child be able to do the following:

• Trace a variety of basic shapes (square, circle, triangle, pear) onto fabric or paper using a cardboard or plastic template.
• Cut out a shape accurately.
• Thread and knot a needle, and make straight, evenly sized handstitches.
• Turn and press a 1/4-inch hem.
• Pin a pattern to fabric.
• Understand measurements (inches, feet, yards).
• Function well in a group setting (i.e., know how to take turns, work unattended while another student is getting help, etc).

As always, we are happy to talk with parents or schedule a casual 15-minute get-acquainted session (no charge) to determine a child’s readiness. We may discover that your youngster is ready for sewing, but perhaps better suited to one-on-one instruction instead of a group setting.

Trouble is, too many pockets make a garment look clunky, and cargo pants and fishermen’s vests make me feel like I’m decked out for the cover of Field and Stream. Not exactly the effect I want when I’m going to make a presentation to a client.

But things are about to change. Today, I stumbled across the website of a pattern designer that made me jump out of my seat and reach for my wallet (which didn’t happen to be on me at the time because I wasn’t wearing anything with pockets). The pattern company is Saf-T-Pockets, founded by Marsha McClintock of Portland Oregon. When I first saw the company name after a Google search, it conjured up images of haz-mat suits or construction garb. But after clicking into the site, I realized that I had just arrived at heaven’s gate.

McClintock is a woman after my own heart. Her philosophy, as stated on her home page, is that “you travel every time you leave your home. The garments we design are for everyday travel as well as visits to exotic places. These unique patterns are designed with secure pockets strategically placed for your comfort and security, thus making carrying a purse unnecessary. Distributing your essentials in pockets relieves shoulder strain and frees up your hands for better things…” True, that!

As I write, I’m making a list of items for my first order: Definitely the flounce-about jacket. I can see this working with my favorite long pencil skirt and black boots, for business functions. The Shell Seeker top is also appealing (although I might skip the mandarin collar); this would be great for at-home and studio work. And for cocktail parties, wedding receptions, and all those other fancy events at which lugging even a petite evening bag is s-u-c-h a drag, the Getting to the Point jacket is a must. I love the beaded detail at the bottom of the front band. Paired with a silky tank top or shell and dressy silk dupioni trousers, this jacket would solve all my holiday partying needs.

Question is: where do I begin? Given my proclivity for multi-tasking, I might just have to tackle all three at once. Stay tuned for my works-in-progress updates.

I will be offering a rag fur jacket workshop in October, so be sure to check out Ami’s site and then get in touch with me if you want more details about the class (price, date, location, etc).

As soon as it’s finished, I’ll post pix of my own rag fur jacket here. Can’t wait to wear it and turn some heads.

The store owners cite the poor economy as the primary reason. Indeed, anyone who has seen the beautiful work showcased there can certainly not fault the merchandise.

In this country, the skill and time required to create unusual and individual works of textile and fiber art is pitifully undervalued, and artisans are finding that they have to compete with not only each other, but the overseas jobber. Not long ago, for example, after I completed a small but intricately pieced and embellished accessory bag for my niece, a colleague noted that she would probably not be able to sell it in her shop for the time and materials involved. “It’s obvious to me that this took hours,” she apologized. “Unfortunately, the typical customer thinks something like this could be knocked off in China for $5.95.”

Sad, but true!

At any rate, our condolences to the Fiber Art Center owners and the many fine artisans whose work was carried there over the years. You will be missed.

Next day, I sent her a link to an online tool I use every day in my day job of website design. The <a href=”“Color Wizard” lets you submit your own base color, and it automatically returns matching colors for the one you selected. It displays a set of hue, saturation and tint/shade variations of your color, as well as suggests color schemes based on your color’s complementary color, split complementary colors, analogous colors and other variations. The color wizard also has a randomize function that lets you generate color schemes you might not have thought of on your own.

If you are starting a project for the new year and need to reach outside your regular color comfort zone, the Color Wizard is a great resource. And there’s no cost to use it, which means you can save your money for what really counts: buying more fabric!

My youngest students (primarily Middle School and Junior High age) are passionate about sewing. They want hip, edgy, interesting styles, but they sure as heck won’t find them in Vogue. In fact, they won’t find much of anything for their age group from this pattern company, unless they want to look like prissy little Mama’s girls dressed up for some Edwardian fantasy weekend, or an Oyster Bay cotillion.

Let’s look at specifics in the “Kids Vogue for Me/Vogue Girl” category. The only thing that comes close to what my stylish students would consider wearing is the asymmetrically-hemmed tank dress, #V7990.

That’s it. No funky capris, shrugs, gypsy skirts, shimmies, or other separates. No photographs that capture the energy of this wonderful age group.

I began teaching Tweens and Teens because they, unlike their slightly older contemporaries, are not afraid of the sewing machine. They are fearless when it comes to deconstructing store-bought clothing, or creating their own, and they are highly imaginative. They are the future of the home sewing industry.

So why is Vogue sticking its head in the sand?

To learn more about fabric postcards and journal pages, here are a few links to get your started.

Dolly Duo

Deb Richardson’s Red Shoe Ramblings

Quilt Bug

DIY Network

And while you’re at it, check out Quilting Arts magazine’s instructions for making vinyl collaged recipe cards. Sounds kind of goofy, but once you master the technique, you can use it to encase any number of items that would benefit from the protection of a see-through, waterproof cover.