Stay at Home Sewing

 

Like all of you, I have had a lot of time to ponder and sew while staying in. And, like many of you, there has been mask making. When I tire of making masks, I switch back to garment sewing. I’ve also been spending more time looking for sewing inspiration on social media and watching Bluprint sewing videos. Having the time to learn some new skills and refresh others has been a real treat. I am happy to report I have finally finished binding the quilts I started for my two grandsons almost 9 months ago!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finally made a Wiksten Haori jacket, a slow sewing project, as I embroidered the front band and pockets. The fabric is a quilted cotton jacquard from Merchant and Mills and the lining is a Marcia Derse print – both were purchased at Sew Expo in February. Some of the embroidery was done with hand dyed pearl cotton from Marcia’s sister and can be found on her website here. This jacket feels like wrapping up in a cozy blanket and I am so glad I finally got around to trying this pattern. It is available as a PDF only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also got around to making a pair of pants from an OOP Marcy Tilton pattern, Vogue 8499. I read reviews ahead of time and learned that these pants are way oversized. I went down 2 sizes from my normal size. I used a lightweight stretch fabric from Josephine’s – a blend of cotton and not sure what else (sold out). I am wearing these pants a lot and love the big pockets. With a flat front waistband and elastic in back, they are really comfy.

Always in search of the perfect t-shirt pattern, a customer had raved about the Ruska t-shirt from Named pattern company out of Helsinki, Finland. The pattern is found in their book, Breaking the Pattern, by sisters Saara and Laura Huhta. I intend to make more garments from this book, which includes 10 full size patterns and instructions for several variations on each pattern. The patterns begin with a tote bag, building sewing skills for the final project, a wrap and tie coat. The patterns are modern and would appeal to a broad age range of sewists. The center front seam on the Ruska would allow for interesting variations using stripes or could be eliminated and cut on the fold. Shown here is my wearable muslin. I’m really happy with the fit after doing a high round back adjustment and converting the sleeves to ¾ length.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V8499 pants and Ruska t-shirt

 

I realized, after making these garments, that I’m sewing my version of “comfort food”. These are wearable garments that are suited to being home. I understand, too, that for the foreseeable future, what I want to sew is changing. I want more of these simpler, stay at home garments but how will I challenge myself and develop new skills if I am making basics? Just one of the things I’ve been pondering…

 

I’m also taking time to go through my fabric stash, deep clean and then organize my sewing studio – a job that is long overdue! Part of this process has been researching apps for cataloging my fabric stash, pattern collection and future projects. I started organizing with the Trello app after meeting Karen Dolen (@intostitches on Instagram) at Sew Expo in February. She showed me on her phone how she uses Trello to organize every aspect of her sewing life and inspired me to do more research. I found this video from Helen’s Closet, which was helpful, too. I like Trello, in that I can organize everything in one place and the app is available for phone, iPad and desktop. I do find it is a bit labor intensive, however. I have since come across this blogpost from a young woman in the UK. She uses an app called Cora to organize her fabric stash and Microsoft’s One Note to organize her patterns, projects, etc. I like the Cora app, as it has many categories pre-filled, but is only available for phones. I am still exploring One Note, so I will see where that takes me. Last night I learned about another app I will explore called Sewing Patterns. How do you organize your sewing? I would love to know!

 

I am immensely grateful for my sewing skills right now – they give me purpose, keep me busy and keep me connected to my sewing community. I am grateful, too, to the small businesses, like Josephine’s, other local fabric stores and online sites, who are going out of their way to provide what we need to keep sewing while we are home bound. I want you all to know that I miss my one day a week working at Josephine’s. Watching our customers come in, touch our fabric, brainstorm projects, and imagine what they would do with a particular piece of fabric gives me great joy and I look forward to those days again, whenever that might be. I really do miss you and hope you are all well and taking good care.

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Coronavirus and the Comforts of Sewing

March 15, 2020
By Karen Griffin

 

Two weeks ago I was sitting in a sleeve fitting seminar with Lorraine Henry at Sew Expo in Puyallup, WA. My friends and I were immersed in all things sewing, adding to our fabric stashes and learning new skills. The Coronavirus was on our minds, but we weren’t going to let our concerns spoil this annual event for us. We are all fortunate to be in good health as I write this, but had I known then, all I know now, I might not have attended this crowded event in our neighboring state that is “ground zero” for the US epidemic.

 

I am not an alarmist, but at times I wonder if I have been too cavalier about this virus. My emotions have been all over the board as I ponder whether to attend my regular exercise class, go out to eat or even go to the post office. Inevitably, my thoughts turn to sewing projects…do I have the thread, zippers, elastic, interfacing and sewing machine needles on hand for the projects I want to have at the ready as I stay home more? I sheepishly admit, I think about sewing notions more than my food pantry right now!

 

It is at times like these that I am more thankful than ever for my interests, especially sewing. Being forced to stay home and slow down can be beneficial when there is a stash to bust and unfinished projects piled on my sewing table. During these times, we have the opportunity to slow down, ponder what we really value and make some positive changes to our routine that could become permanent. There is no better time to meditate on what is truly important in our lives than while we sit at our sewing machines, with the soothing sound of the needle going up and down, lost in these thoughts.

 

I wish you all good health and successful sewing in these weeks to come.

 

P.S. I actually won a door prize at Sew Expo! This is rare for me, so I was thrilled when my name was drawn to win one of Kenneth D. King’s sewing organizers at his keynote event. He even signed the bag for me when the evening - I will use and treasure it!

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Sewing Library Favorites

By Karen Griffin
January 27, 2020

 

When I’m not sewing, one of my favorite pastimes is reading about sewing. It’s also my favorite way to procrastinate when facing a sewing dilemma! I have a large sewing library and I want to share a few of my favorites with you.

 

General Sewing Tips

Power Sewing and More Power Sewing, by Sandra Betzina

These books, published in the mid to late 80’s, are oldies, but goodies. They cover a wide range of topics from pattern/fabric selection to fitting and tailoring tips. If you are looking for photo illustration of techniques, look elsewhere. Illustrations are hand drawn and I think some sewing knowledge is required to understand the instructions. The books are full of valuable tips and techniques, though, which make them worth my reading time.

Couture Techniques

Couture: The Art of Fine Sewing, by Roberta Carr.

This is my bible. Period.

Sewing with Knits

Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish, by Linda Lee.

I have always preferred to sew with woven fabrics. I know most sewists think sewing with knits is easy, but I wasn’t convinced until this book caught my attention. Filled with clear color photos guiding through you through every step of every technique, the book begins with descriptions/photos of each type of knit fabric. From there, Linda leads the reader through a discussion of ease and fit, equipment and stitches. Step by step construction details follow, with activewear and lingerie covered in the final chapters. I refer to this book often and sew knits with much greater confidence these days.

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Fitting

The Palmer/Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting and Pants for Real People, by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto.

I own many books on this subject, but these are comprehensive, have easy to follow illustrations and photos of actual women with a variety of body types and fitting issues. They cover tools, body analysis, step by step tissue fitting and solutions for fitting each part of the body.

Sewing Book with Patterns Included

Breaking the Pattern: A Modern Way to Sew, by Saara and Laura Huhta, founders of indie pattern company Named.

One of our customers recently brought this book to my attention, telling me that she was “sewing her way through it” and sharing with me her favorite patterns of those she’s made so far. I have not made a garment from the book yet, but I particularly like the Knot Dress shown on page 84 and the Utu Wrap Skirt on page 58. The patterns are modern, versatile and would suit a variety of body shapes. Ten patterns are included in the book, with instructions for twenty variations – great value!

Favorite Sewing Magazine

“The Maker’s Atelier”

This magazine is published in the UK and not widely available yet in the U.S. I was lucky to find it at a local newsstand and you can subscribe by visiting their website themakersatelier.com/magazine. Published quarterly by Frances Tobin, designer of The Maker’s Atelier patterns and author of the book The Maker’s Atelier, each issue includes a free pattern. The articles cover a range of topics from denim to tailoring to tools. The patterns are classic, the photography is elegant and I wait impatiently for every new issue. If you would like to know more about Frances Tobin, here is a link to an interview with her on the blog “That’s Not My Age”.

Why I Sew ~ Donis Leach

 December 10, 2019

 

 

Why I Sew ~ Cathy Ingram
_{^{December 9, 2019}}

Design Outside the Lines Workshop 
October 2019

by Karen Griffin
November 26, 2019

 

I recently returned from my second Design Outside the Lines (DOL) workshop with Diane Ericson. This second experience was very different from my first, but just as magical and creatively energizing. I realized this time that I am in a different place creatively than I was at my first DOL. My 2017 DOL launched a craving for, and journey toward, mastering new techniques, experimenting with surface design and meeting more like-minded sewists. I came to this DOL with more confidence, an openness to wherever this week would lead, and the comfort of knowing what to expect.

Diane is one of those special people who can coax her attendees to push their creative boundaries. She encouraged us to work differently during the week and this time I was open to her suggestion. I brought several works in progress that I had hoped to finish, but put them aside for another time. Instead, Diane encouraged us to experiment with making pieces for our “parts department.” These are scraps that are stitched together in straight or curvy lines, embroidered, or otherwise embellished and will eventually become components of garments. I ruched, overlaid and couched my way to some new “parts.” Along the way, Diane reminds us that there are often 4 or 5 solutions to a sewing problem – some more creative than others!

      Hand stitching a sheer stripe over a dotted taffeta                    Diane wearing a coat made with some of her "parts"

             One of Diane's "parts" becomes a unique collar

Diane’s guest instructor was Caro Lee Shanks, a talented clothing designer and textile artist. I had seen her garments at trunk shows and long been an admirer of her ability to layer and play with textures. She professes she is not a teacher, but I would disagree! She shared her design philosophy with us, showing us how she cuts geometric shapes from fabric, following a “zero waste” philosophy. She uses the scraps as pockets and other creative embellishments. I enjoyed seeing what she wore each day – how she combined fabrics, layers, and added visual interest with the scraps most of us would throw away.

   Can you find the hanky pocket in Carol Lee's garment above?

Diane was assisted throughout the week by her “angel”, Gwen Spencer. When she wasn’t teaching us proper pressing techniques, or how to make a perfect collar and stand, Gwen’s hands were always busy stitching. We all loved the tunic she made from scraps she spotted in the garbage can at Marcy Tilton’s studio (below, left). She stitched them together without changing any of their shapes! Then there was the purse she made and embellished with washers inherited from her father’s large collection and the shawl with pebbles captured in stitches at one end.

I had wonderful, generous and very creative companions for the week. We came from as close as Ashland and as far as Tennessee and Hawaii. Some had been coming regularly for years and others were here for the first time. Whatever our backgrounds, our shared love of sewing, textiles and creating made us fast friends. The magic of DOL comes from these connections and the learning from each other.

Marta, one of the attendees, introduced us to the book, The Intentional Thread, by Susan Brandeis. It’s a comprehensive guide to mark making and drawing with thread. By the end of our week together, we were all hand stitching, a visual reminder of the way our lives had been stitched together at DOL.

Why I Sew ~ Bini Leach

 November 9, 2019

Sewing is such a personal, solitary, therapeutic and enlightening experience. The reasons a person may begin to create are hard to pinpoint – in a new series we plan to ask our friends and colleagues why they began their journey down the rabbit hole that is sewing! I’ll start…..

 

I sew to feel alive, to heal, to escape, to remember, to honor my past, as a reward, as a gift, as necessary – often I feel I was born to sew. Like most of us, I had creative grandmothers – both sewed – one professionally the other out of necessity. I spent a lot of time with both. Leota would show me the sparkles and her fancy machines; Judith would let me sort through scraps to make Barbie outfits and embellish my plain clothes into the coolest things I could imagine. My earliest stitching memory is sliding that fat yarn through the holes on the Holly Hobby cards, you know the ones. Their influence provided the balance of form and function at a young age.

As I grew up, I made requests for certain costumes and outfits. I wore them constantly even though most of my peers heckled me. Didn’t matter, I was proud, proud of the design, fabric choice and execution. As cheesy as it may be, it was like Dolly Parton and the coat of many colors, my handmades were worth more than all their clothes. I still get misty when I hear it.

 

My sewing interest waned in my early teens but I was a clothes hound and loved the challenge of creating multiple outfits out of minimal pieces. Back-to-School shopping memories are etched in my mind. My senior year I got a job at Disney World, I worked at the Sci-Fi Drive In. All Disney employees wear costumes and have to check them out at the beginning of their shifts. It was so inspiring to see the behind the scenes and it kept the creative fire burning.

 

In college, I started sewing again, making hippie patchwork pants and tops. The creative bug bit hard but I struggled with ‘can you make a living sewing?’ so I floundered. Eventually, I landed in Portland where I attended the Art Institute and studied apparel design. My favorite classes were the Couture series. The attention to detail and ability to conjure magic with my hands had me entranced. From that moment on I knew I didn’t want to mass produce garments or be a cog in a design wheel. If I was going to sew it would be ‘one of a kind’ pieces, things that inspired me.

We'd love to hear your sewing story!  Tell us why you sew by clicking here!

 
Next time, I’ll tell you how Josephine's Dry Goods changed my life!

What We Wear Has Meaning
^{By Karen Griffin
October 8, 2019}

I recently read this blog post by Lyn Slater, of “The Accidental Icon”, about our relationship with clothes. In my case, that relationship is getting more complicated due to the ethical and environmental issues associated with the fashion industry. Do I stop buying fabric, use up my stash and start upcycling? Do I only buy clothes from companies that produce clothing with sustainable and ethical practices? I’m grappling with these questions, but in the meantime, I took a hard look at the garments I own to see what they tell me about where I am now.  I found meaning in my most loved and worn garments, meaning derived from several sources. 

Lyn mentions a collaboration she has begun with some design students at Parsons School of Design. Well, some of my favorite garments are ones that were created at sewing retreats or workshops where the input of creative sewing friends elevated my garment in progress. This kind of side by side, hands on collaboration is one of the joys of attending these workshops and retreats. Below are two examples of garments created in this collaborative way.

“Tuxedo” dress made from 2 upcycled men’s tuxedo shirts in a draping workshop with Christine Mayer, of Berlin, Germany

In London, I spent hours, between two visits, at Joel and Sons Fabrics. I remember the rolls and rolls of printed silks, the helpful, patient man who brought down fabrics I couldn’t reach and swatched them for me. My first purchase from Joel’s was the tweed for this Chanel style jacket.

There is one more way our clothing can have personal meaning and even convey that meaning to others. These are the garments that visually convey a message. One of my favorite sewists on Instagram, @blakandblanca, is a pro at incorporating meaningful messages in the garments she makes. Here is just one example.


Chanel inspired Kalle shirt
(Closet Case pattern)

This is common practice among many fashion designers and is an area of fashion that I find intriguing. I am currently working on an upcycled jacket/top that incorporates a message I like on the pocket of a men’s Espirit de Corps shirt.




I know I want each garment I make or wear to have personal meaning, as those are the clothing items that make me happiest when I wear them. I will continue to give more thought to how I can be a more mindful creator and consumer. In the meantime, we are always happy to collaborate with you here at Josephine’s!

 

In my recent post, “Closet Refresh”, I admitted to failing miserably at wardrobe planning. I have tried…made lists, prioritized, etc., to no avail. In January I set a goal to declutter my closet, plan a versatile, coordinated wardrobe (me made), and set up a system to track my progress.

 

Once my closet cleanout was complete, I started my wardrobe planning research. I was overwhelmed by all the information out there for capsule wardrobes, 10 item wardrobes, SWAT (Sewing with a Plan), etc. Here are a few of the resources I found to be most helpful to me:

• https://bemorewithless.com/
• https://www.thelifestyle-files.com/10-tips-to-build-the-perfect-wardrobe/
• https://www.anitabydesign.com/swap-how-to-plan-a-functional-wardrobe/
• https://www.seamwork.com/wardrobe/design
• http://www.tauntonworkshops.com/course/how-sew-travel-wardrobe
• The Curated Closet, by Anuschka Rees

 

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Closet Refresh, January 2019

I always welcome a new year and the fresh start it represents. I’m not a fan of resolutions and have tried selecting a “word of the year” to guide me, with mixed results. This year my husband and I tried something new – we headed to the Oregon coast for a long weekend to plan and create some goals for the year. We will definitely make this an annual event. The time away, without everyday distractions, yielded great conversations and energized us for the year ahead.

One of my frustrations that I knew I wanted to tackle this year was my lack of planning when it comes to my wardrobe and sewing projects. Like most of us who love to sew, I have piles of fabric, boxes of patterns and creative ideas to keep me busy for years. Then, since I work in a lovely fabric store, one of our customers will stop by, spark a new fabric/pattern combo idea and I have to have it. Before even starting the previous 3 (or 10) great idea projects, I have another one! This problem is compounded by the fact that I am a s-l-o-w sewist. The result is a project backlog and a closet full of ready to wear to that doesn’t fit or suit my style needs, but temporarily fills gaps until I can get the garments I really want sewn. This year I hope to solve this problem with these three steps:

1.) Declutter my closet

2.) Determine what garments I need to create a coordinated, versatile wardrobe and set my sewing goals for the year

3.) Create a system to track my progress


Sometimes the best way to set aside time and embark on a new project is with help. I had done a closet purge 2 years ago when we moved into this house, but it was time for another. My best friend came from Seattle last week to spend a few days helping me with my cleanout – a sure sign of a good friend! We talked, ate, laughed, shopped a little, and cleaned out my entire closet. I loaded my car with cast offs yesterday and donated them, so no looking back. We also watched a few episodes of the Netflix series “Tidying Up” with Marie Kondo. She inspired me to keep at it until the job was finished. Here is a “before” photo, except that I had already done shoes…


Marie Kondo advises only keeping those things that bring you joy. Brenda Kinsel, in her blog, recommends asking yourself, “Is this still me, or have I moved on?” I asked myself, “Do I feel great in this?” Here are my piles at the end of day one:


Day 2 was easier and decisions came more quickly. We finished going through all but my handbags, which we completed on day 3. Here are some “after” photos:


All my shoes, with the exception of boots, fit on my shelves now. The big basket on the floor used to be full of shoes – it now contains one pair of flip flops and one pair of trainers. There were several shopping bags of knitting projects on the top shelf, so I ended up going through all my knitting. Each project is now in its own box up there. The shelves between clothes racks have empty spaces and clothes aren’t crammed in. The closet feels more spacious and it’s easier to see what I have. I’d like to pare down even more, as I figure out what I like to wear day in and day out, so plan to do this twice a year with the change of seasons.

Now I need to figure out my approach to step 2: planning a coordinated wardrobe. Do I want to try a capsule wardrobe or would it be too limiting? I’ll be reading The Curated Closet to see what wisdom I find there. Readers, let me know what wardrobe-planning tools have worked for you. Whatever I do, I know I want to incorporate quality, sustainability and slow fashion principles. I’ll let you know what direction I go in my next post.

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THE CASE FOR QUALITY

Last month I was in Seattle doing some shopping with my son. Walking by J. Crew, we decided to pop in for a quick look. After all, everything was 30% off. I spotted a floral t-shirt in my favorite shade of blue so, without much thought, I bought it. Back home in Portland, I pulled another J. Crew t-shirt, purchased earlier this year, out of a load of delicate wash and hung it to dry. When I went to fold and put it away, I discovered the front had multiple tiny holes in it. I had worn it maybe a dozen times since purchase and the fabric was already disintegrating. I returned my new floral t-shirt and vowed to sew all my t-shirts in the future.

Coincidently, I found a used copy of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion about this time. This book has been on my radar for several years; the time for reading it seemed right, given my experience at J. Crew. What I learned has changed the way I shop for clothes and fabric, filled me with gratitude for my sewing skills, and sent me on a quest for quality in my closet.


What is quality?

Most of us don’t know the answer because we haven’t experienced garments made of quality fabrics and techniques. Very few quality garments are produced any more. We simply couldn’t afford quality garments if we could find them, and for good reason. Those garments are made of the finest fabrics, in factories that pay a living wage or better and have finishing details requiring hand sewing and hours of labor.

When it comes to quality, the best fabrics were milled in England and Italy (still are) and many fine cottons were milled here in the south. Synthetic fibers were rare. Men and women used to buy fewer clothes, but the best they could afford. They knew about fiber content and could feel the difference between quality and inferior cloth. If you have been fortunate to handle Liberty cotton, you could surely feel the difference between this fine fabric and inferior cottons.

Finished garments of quality deserve a closer look. Inside you will find French or Hong Kong seam finishes, linings in jackets, skirts and pants, blind hems, covered snaps, etc. Outside you will find design details like tucks, pleats, matched plaids, covered belts, ribbon, lace, soutache braid or other trims - details that are too costly in today’s fashion market.

Why did quality disappear?

The simple answer is fast fashion. The rise of fast fashion seems to have started with the social upheaval of the 60’s. Rebellious youth weren’t interested in the fashion dictates of seasonal fashion collections. At the same time, sportswear became popular with its offerings of lower cost separates. People moved away from making their own clothes in favor of buying cheaper clothing. Consumers began losing their knowledge of quality construction and materials. Fast fashion retailing broke away from seasonal selling to meet constant demand for new styles. As most of us know, clothing manufacturing moved off shore to meet the demand for lower prices. To keep prices lower, fabrics have become thinner, more synthetic fibers are used and quality control is almost non-existent. Oversight takes time and slows down the fast fashion cycle.

The true cost of fast fashion.

I can’t write on this topic without touching on the human and environmental costs of fast fashion. Undeniably, the clothing industry is labor intense; typically, 20-40% of a garment’s cost is labor. It’s no wonder cheap labor has driven garment production overseas, causing staggering job loss in the U.S. News accounts have highlighted deadly fires in overseas factories where workers are rarely paid a living wage and work inhumane hours in toxic environments.

The environmental costs are not only unhealthy, but unsustainable. The EPA estimates Americans throw away at least 12.7 million tons (68 lbs. per person) of textiles each year. At one time 3rdworld countries were happy to receive our cast-offs. As clothing has become cheaper, they can now afford new clothing. Some of our discarded clothing can be recycled, but about half of our wardrobes are now made of polyester, which is recycled plastic. Landfills cannot continue to absorb our textile waste. The microscopic polymers found in synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon and lycra are released into our lakes, rivers and oceans whenever we do laundry. The toxic chemicals and dyes used in producing these fabrics are polluting soil and water unchecked in manufacturing countries where there is no awareness or money for clean-up.

Sew what can we do?

Those of us who sew are the lucky ones. We have choices not available to everyone and our choices can effect positive change in the clothing industry. We can make and wear better quality clothing than we can find or afford in stores. By choosing to sew with natural fibers, organic textiles, or otherwise high-quality fabrics, our clothing can be nourishing. We can create demand for ethically produced, quality textiles by educating ourselves about fibers and where they are milled and purchasing the best we can afford. There is a greater cost to quality, but we can choose to own less. With our knowledge, we can look for quality garments to refashion and recycle. We can mend, repair and extend the life of our quality garments, shoes and bags. We can educate our children to appreciate quality, understand the costs of fast fashion and to be content with less.

We are fortunate to have a variety of independent fabric stores in the Portland area, each offering a selection of quality fabrics:

· Josephine’s Dry Goods

· Bolt

· Modern Domestic

· Mill End

· Pendleton Woolen Mills

I encourage you to get to know them and their offerings.

Resources

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, by Elizabeth L. Cline

Laundry, Vol. 01, a UK publication available at Barnes and Noble

TRAVEL NOTES FROM A FASHION LOVER, PART V

In this final post from my spring travels to Europe, I’d thought I would share some of my favorite resources for wardrobe planning, packing, and a few more miscellaneous resources from my Paris and London travels.

The two most helpful blogs, when it came to my travel wardrobe planning, were these:

Brenda Kinsel. Brenda is a wardrobe consultant in California, one who writes from the heart and knows fashion. I use her travel checklists (under the “Resource” tab) for all my travel now. Once I’ve filled out the wardrobe plan chart, I follow her advice to make a copy and keep it in my carry on. This way, if my luggage is lost or stolen, I have a complete list for insurance claims – very handy!

Une Femme d’un Certain Âge. Susan travels often and provides capsule wardrobe ideas with links to the garments for purchase, luggage reviews, and shopping info for cities she visits, especially Paris.

London Resources:

40 Quick London Travel Tips

Dining Favorites

· NOPI

· Monocle Café

· Scandi Kitchen

· Quo Vadis

Shopping

· Sefridges

· Jianhui London (jewelry)

· Oxford and Regent Streets

· Marleybone neighborhood – Noriem, Tracy Neul, Oska

· Gift shop at the Victoria and Albert Museum

· VV Rouleau

· Joel and Sons


Paris Resources:

The Essential Paris Travel Guide

How to Spend Five Days in Paris

How to See Paris in Three Days

Dining Favorites

Our best dining finds came from David Liebovitz, an ex-pat food writer and former. Alice Waters protégé living in Paris.

· Le Relais d’Entrecote

· Breizh Café

· Poilâne Comptoir

· Ellsworth

· Ladurée on the Champs Elysée

Shopping

Oh, my, it’s hard to know where to start on this subject!

· Trippen shoes in the Marais

· Arche shoes in St. Germain-des-Prés

· Opticiens du Bac if you are looking for fabulous eyeglass frames and great customer service

· Noriem

· Petite Bateau for traditional Breton tees

· Rue Saint-Honoré

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Travel Notes from a Fashion Lover, Part 1

I have been traveling a lot these past two months. I am fortunate to have a husband who travels to London on business every 6-8 weeks, so I finally tagged along in both May and June. I have a lot to share, from fashion observations to multiple fashion related museum exhibits, both from Paris, London and Bath, so hang in there readers! Over the course of the next few weeks, here’s what I will be sharing with you:

Pt. 1 – Paris and London fashion observations/comparisons

Pt. 2 – London fashion exhibits at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Design Museum

Pt. 3 – London Shopping

Pt. 4 – Bath Fashion Museum

Pt. 5 – Resources, including travel blogs, fashion documentaries and sewing related shopping in Paris & London

Ready? Let’s go to Paris…

We decided to preface my husband’s work week in London with a vacation week in Paris. This was our second trip to Paris and very different than the first one, 15 years ago, with our 10 year old daughter along. Her priority was a trip to Euro Disney and there was a lot of grumbling over the leisurely meals.

On this visit, we checked into Hôtel La Perle, a lovely boutique hotel in the Saint Germain des Prés quarter of Paris. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the Tilton sisters (Marcy and Katherine, Vogue pattern designers) were in our same hotel for the week with their Paris tour group! I enjoyed seeing what these fashionable women were wearing each morning at breakfast, especially the garments they had made themselves.

Paris is a very compact city, making exploration on foot easy and our preferred mode of transportation for window shopping and street style observations in between garden gazing, museum going, and sipping wine at sidewalk cafes. It’s hard to get good photos through windows (most shops frown on photos inside), with all the reflections, but here are some of my favorite window fashions:




Keeping in mind the temperatures were in the high 60’s, low 70’s while we there, here are my notes on fashion trends from what I saw in boutique windows and on the street:

§- Dresses in pretty florals or sheers

§- Platform tennis shoes in metallic or with a lot of “bling”

§- Raw edge or high waist jeans worn with crop tops or silk blouses, often with big ruffles

§- Midi length full skirts, in sheer or silk fabrics, worn with loafers and a jacket and always a scarf

§- Embroidered fabrics

§- Ankle length pants in bright colors, especially red and cobalt blue, worn with heels or ballet flats

§- The Chanel style jacket is alive and well, worn by women of all ages

§- Architectural and oversized garments

§- Dusters are big this spring

Overall, Parisian women are dressing more casual than I remember from my previous visit, although they are never “sloppy”. They still put thought and care into the way they dress. I did not take any jeans with me on this trip and enjoyed dressing up a bit more than I do here in Portland. I found I felt really good about myself when I had taken some time to pull together a nice outfit. We are lucky here in Portland, in that “anything goes” when it comes to fashion. For me personally, I intend to “up my game” a bit after this trip!

Design Outside the Lines (DOL) Retreat
Part II

December 19, 2017

 

Day Four

This day began with Kathryn leading us through her couture method for setting a sleeve into a jacket or coat. Did you know tailored sleeves are sewn in by hand with a backstitch? There is always more to learn when it comes to sewing and that is one of the big reasons I sew. Kathryn’s sleeve tutorial for Emma One Sock can be found here.

Kathryn sets the sleeve into Shams’ coat

Later in the day, Diane shared her tips for refashioning garments, encouraging us to ask questions as we work that don’t have “yes” or “no” answers. When removing a sleeve from a garment, be sure to mark the sleeve front and back; leave seam allowances attached to the bodice. When designing a garment, she encouraged us to focus design interest on areas of our body we want others to see rather than covering up areas we would rather hide.  See two of Diane's refashioned garments below:

Day Five

This last day was one of packing up and coming together to share what we had gained from our week long time together. None of us wanted the retreat to end and the farewells were reluctant ones. This experience far exceeded my expectations. I learned so much from both Diane and Kathryn. I also learned more about myself, my abilities and the direction I want to take my future sewing. Perhaps, best of all, was meeting some of the sewing bloggers I’ve followed for years and making new sewing friends from across the US and one in Vancouver, BC. I hope to cross paths with many of them again.

I highly recommend trying a sewing retreat or joining our local chapter of the American Sewing Guild, Columbia River Sewing, to experience the camaraderie of sewing with and learning from others.

If you find yourself attending a DOL retreat (and I hope you do) or just visiting Ashland, here are some of my favorite places:

 

Hopefully I haven’t left anyone off this list!

 

Design Outside the Lines (DOL) Retreat
Part I

December 1, 2017

Sewing is normally a solitary pursuit, like many creative endeavors. In the past, women would gather for quilting bees to share their love for sewing, the latest news, and homemaking tips. Today we can gather sew communally by getting away on a sewing retreat. I recently returned from a week in Ashland, Oregon where I attended my first Design Outside the Lines Retreat hosted by Diane Ericson, with guest instructor Kathryn Brenne. The theme for this fall retreat was “It’s all in the Details: Coats & Jackets”.

 

Diane is a gifted teacher, artist and designer. She is all about expressing your own creative sensibility in the garments you make and wear. She blogs and offers her patterns, stencils etc. on her website, http://www.dianeericson.com. Kathryn teaches couture sewing at her Academy of Fine Sewing and Design near Ontario, Canada, and designs patterns for Vogue Pattern Company. She also writes articles for Vogue Patterns and detailed sewing tutorials for Emma One Sock, an online fabric retailer, which can be found here. The two of them made a complementary and dynamic teaching duo. 

Each day of the five day retreat combined demonstrations by Diane and Kathryn, sewing time for our individual projects and time to explore the charms of Ashland. The town offers plenty of shopping, art galleries, restaurants, and, of course, Lithia Park for inspiration.

 

                 Vogue 8933                                       Vogue 9291                                                McCalls 8933 

In the afternoon, Diane talked about making fabric better. How can fabric possibly get any better? Well, she showed us how she fuses or stitches pieces of fabric together, then cuts the resulting fabric into the desired shape or size. This pieced fabric can be used for embellishment or an entire garment as shown below.

 

 

 

Day Two

Diane dazzled us with shaped seam construction, interesting collars, and ways to add shape to a garment with godets. Her motto is “do more with everything” as you can see from the photos below.

I thought I knew a fair amount about needles and thread until Kathryn shared her tips for matching the right needle and thread to various fabrics and applications. Other couture tips, like knotting, thread tracing and choosing/applying interfacings completed our afternoon session.

 

Day Three

This was a full day of learning to make wearable art jewelry from fabric scraps and found objects, as well as working with leather to make “one of a kind” closures.

  One of Diane’s scrap & found object pins                          A leather closure designed by Kathryn 

By the end of day three, our own projects were well underway and our heads were so full of ideas that sleep was hard to come by! Stay tuned for DOL, part 2, for the final few days of this wonderful getaway.

Fall is Coat Season

It’s my favorite time of year here in the Pacific NW. Trees are putting on their fall finery and so are we! Temperatures are getting cooler and coats are coming out of our closets. Those of us who sew are fortunate to have so many options for making our own fall/winter coat wardrobe. Here are a few of my favorite casual styles:

 

J Crew is featuring this quilted vest in Liberty of London Catesby Floral,