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| | | Link to Spirit of Cloth | | | | Link to Batik Butik | | | | Link to Marcy's SALE Fabrics | | | Overcome by Fabric
Vasco, the ArtBarn mascot relaxes surrounded by bolts of fabric. He wakes up to greet the shipments of fabric because it means biscuits from the UPS and FEDEX drivers. He has been getting many dog cookie treats lately, for we have LOTS of new fabric arriving!
Nandini and I just returned from an International Textile Show in Las Vegas. We scooped up some amazing new fabrics which will be arriving in the next few weeks.
Just arrived: a group of gorgeous offbeat colors and amazing quality micro-fleece from Patagonia. A good weight to wear indoors or out, just the cozy thing for cool fall weather. For vests, t-shirts, jackets.
Keep coming back to check out the new fabrics in upcoming weeks. | | | | Bookmark this link to our New Fabrics | | |
| | Double Layer Knits
We've been whipping up double layer t-shirts. Simple, quick and fun. Click on the links below to see a tutorial on how to do it and see some of the finished garments. I am really excited about the possibilities of double layers, so watch for new experiments using 2 colors, 2 different fabrics and edging variations.
The garment at right uses our Hisako burnout knit cut double for the body, our Dark Brown Mesh cut double for one sleeve. Sorry, we're out of the dot mesh used single for the other sleeve. | | | | Link to Cutting Double Tutorial | | |
| | | | Vogue Patterns Mailing List
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special offer and new arrival. If it's happening at Vogue,
you will know about it! | | |
| | Preview of New Marcy Tilton Jacket Pattern Vogue 8620
October 2 Release from Vogue| | | | This is MY version of this jacket. I wear so much black, grey and brown that this is the accent piece to liven things up. |
Great little unlined zipper jacket for stretch wovens. An updated version of the jean jacket!
Zippers are a fashion trend, and there are some beautiful zippers available now. This european zipper has brass, silver and copper metallic teeth. The pattern includes instructions for easy sewing in the zip so it is sandwiched between the body of the jacket and the facings.
But as soon as I send off a new design, I am thinking of new ways to interpret it....so my next version will use the zipper on the outside of the garment, just for fun. |
| | | | The updated jean jacket in stretch denim with multi metal zipper. |
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|  | | | | | | Delicate copper etching is silk screened along the shoulder and down the back using our Grace Note, Antoinette and Amelie silk screens. |
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| | Preview of New Knit Tops Vogue 8618
October 2 Release | | | From my wardrobe, this is a prototype, in classic black, the fabric is a poly/lycra rib, cut on the cross grain...and the hem edges are left raw. | |
The Nouveau Turtleneck is the studio working name for this pattern. The sewing is simple and easy, the styling is effortless to wear and super flattering and comfortable. As I worked on prototypes for this pattern, every woman who came in the studio wanted to try it on and then wants one for herself.
What makes it unique is the asymmetrical styling of the collar, and the fact that the two sides of the garment are also asymmetrical. I want one in every color and weight of knit.
This top nests perfectly beneath the jacket shown above.
Next up is a fleece version! | | |
...........the pattern envelope will show these 3 versions: | | | | | | | | | Hermes orange cotton double knit. Note the band sewn on the bottom---the edge is raw, but the double layer of fabric keeps things from stretching out. |
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| | Grace Note | | | | Link to Antoinette | | | | Amelie | | New Silk Screens
Here are a few examples of new silk screen offerings---a blend of European and Japanese influenced designs. |
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| Work In Process #1
I thought it might be interesting to see how I work through a design process when I am sewing for myself, just for fun. Here are 2 examples on the design table.
My favorite pant, Vogue 8397, view C., which I made for summer, now am making in a dark brown stretch cotton/poly, Bruno, from our fabric collection. The detailing at the hem is a tweaked version of the original pattern which I used in my summer versions. I love it in this fabric because it uses the selvedge at the hem. There have been many requests for the 'how-to on this pant, so here it is. | | | Link to a finished version of this pant AND pocket instructions
Scroll down to see the pant and pocket instructions | | | Link to Bruno Stretch Woven | | | | Partially completed pant. I've pressed in the fold for the darts, but have not stitched them in place yet....this is a sample for my workshop in Taos next week, but you can get a pretty good idea of how the finished pant will look. |
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| | | | | | Close up of the bottom band, ready to stitch the darts in place. I save this for the end because it is much easier to do at this point, and I eyeball each dart, starting at the bottom, 1/2" from the fold and tapering to nothing just below the tuck. Slight irregularities won't show. |
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| | | | | | Close up of the pocket. Check out that this pocket is basically the same as the pocket on the jacket below, just a different size and shape at the bottom. FYI: I tried this pocket on the vest and it did not work, wrong shape and size. |
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| | Work In Process #2
One garment I KNOW I will always wear is a black vest in a smooth/slippery fabric to layer under and over. This one is part of a small wardrobe I'll take to Paris in November, but will wear now as a light little jacket. The fabric is an Italian Poly Matlasse from our current collection. It has a slight pucker and is smooth on the back side, and is easy and pleasurable to work with. I'm using my pattern, Vogue 8559 , which will layer smoothly under my jackets and heavier coats.
I'll post the finished garment as soon as it is done, but for now, see how it is coming along! | | | | Link to Black Italian Matlasse used in this vest |
| | | I stopped at this point, experimenting with doing a round insert on the front facing. How big? On just one side or the other? To add a ruffle or not (NO).... |
| | | | A closer look at the facing---I have cut out a hole to check the size and placement. Always a challenge to get the 'real' thing to look as good as the tossed together sample! |
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| | | | | | Pockets are a must....but this is a small-ish garment, my first mockups (just cut from paper), looked too big. This one seems about right, even tho it won't hold much. |
| | | | I used the lower front edge curve for the curve on the pocket. |
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| | | | | | Taking a cue from Paris ready to wear, I bound the center back seam with silk bias. A quick and fun little extra touch and will use the same fabric for binding and maybe a tiny shot of it (from a scrap as it turns out) for the pocket. Not too much....just a hint. |
| | | | Searched high and low in my stash and fabric collection, but the best fabric for the binding was black and a VERY bright white stripe. So, I cut out the pieces and painted them with Dye-Na-Flo in Pewter to kick back the bright white and make the stripe fade into the background. Dye-Na-Flo is a liquid paint, super easy to apply and you can thin it down with water. Just let it dry and press to heat set. |
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| Lois Ericson
Lois Ericson is producing some amazing and varied work. She is in her studio every day producing a wide variety of collectible garments and accessories. Don't miss an opportunity to add her unique pieces to your own fiber art collection, she is truly one of our textile artist treasures.
It was such a pleasure to have her at the Design Outside the Lines retreat in Sisters in June to be able to watch her work and see how her design process emerges from her fingertips. She took a bag of scraps (left from double faced French silk from one of my projects), and turned it into a stunning vest. Below are examples of her current work: a feminine spin on men's ties using vintage kimono fabrics. | | |
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| What Would Nandini Do?
| | It would be really great if the the care instructions were in the fabric descriptions on Marcy’s website. I like to wash rather than dry clean and I was a little stumped as to whether various linens, microfiber etc could be washed. Thanks.
Ann Marie
Nandini replies: | | Ann Marie (and also Patti and the rest of you that maybe haven’t asked),
I like to wash rather than dry clean too. More economical but more important, kinder to the environment.
Most of the fabrics on Marcy’s website and just about everything we sew with is washable. Exceptions would be wool and wool blend coatings or wool pant fabric or something like silk organza (unless a limp wrinkled effect is desired - and you might want this in some cases but we won’t explore why you wouldn’t...). Or in a jacket where we want the look to remain crisp and fresh.
Otherwise, absolutely, positively, for sure, for sure, we pre-wash almost all the fabric we use so that we can wash the garment once it is sewn. Pre-washing also lets us know if there is anything of interest going on with the fabric we might want to know about - shrinkage issues, flaws, finishes that change, interesting selvedges to use... Linens, cottons, denims, microfibers, fleeces, wool blends (for ‘frayed’ vests), wool jersey (for ‘felted’ jackets and vests), silks, knits or wovens - toss it into the washer on the ‘normal’ (whatever that is) cycle with warm water, sometimes with soap but not always. Wash it once, then into the dryer on high. Nothing fancy. We don’t want any surprises and usually pre-washing improves things. The fabric will want to be ironed before cutting.
Now the deal is this - once the fabric is made into a garment, wash it in COOL water using the ‘delicate’ or ‘gentle’ cycle, and do NOT put it into the dryer. (Well, actually sometimes we do cheat and toss things into the dryer for 5-10 minutes just to fluff them up a bit as who wants to iron more than is necessary?) It is the dryer that wears things out and causes garments, especially t-shirts, to look old before their time (and none of us needs that!). | | Link to Nandini's Website
For replies to this question and more...... | | |
| | Sandra Betzina | | | Link to Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing Internet TV Shows
Sandra Betzina is a power house of sewing, design and fabric information. She joins forces with Canadian sewing expert, Ron Collins in a dynamic new series of internet TV shows. For as little as $5 per month (which includes 2 shows), you can learn about topics like fitting, design details, bias, pants and more. I learned some good ideas about bias from the free video segment shown on the link above.
This is a brand new way to learn, short bites of very interesting and useful information to watch as many times as you like.
I always learn from Sandra. Highly recommended!! Check it out. |
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| Wanted:
fabric, sewing supplies, sewing machine/s, fabric paint, feathers, beads....
What a lot of sewing supplies and stuff we all have. If you are clearing things out, please consider sending them to the art center at the Hopi Reservation, where the young women are learning fabric arts and could use supplies for their classes and to make their ceremonial costumes.
Elmer Sauskie is a Kachina maker who also heads up the center, and will share any materials with the Elders as well as the youngsters.
Send to:
(Hopi) Turtle Nation Partnership
c/o Elmer Sauskie
PO Box 315
Polacca, Arizona 86042
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| Recommended Books
Just when I thought there was a glut on the whole Chanel story, along comes The Gospel According to Coco Chanel. 5 stars, it is a winner, great writing and hated for it to end. Funny too....people were turning and giving me looks on the plane because I was laughing so hard. And it has sewing in it to boot.....at one point the author (from Portland, Oregon no less), decides to abandon her e-bay search to buy a Chanel jacket and sew one instead.
After seeing and loving Julie and Julia, I have re-discovered the books by Patricia Wells. Another American food writer/expert who lives in Paris and has a farm in Provence. This book tells her story, a good one, and maybe there will be a movie about her in years to come.
I can now recommend the following 2 books on bag making that helped me in my recent project. (I bought 5 others that don't make the cut).I still wish for a book on bags that is both beautiful, creative, has good techno-weenie info as well as sources.....and for a Cooks Illustrated kind of comparison of the different kinds of interfacings and findings and how they work and when to use them. No, I don't want to write this book!
The big books on Isabel Toledo and Madeleine Vionnet are to be treasured, valuable additions to any library. I am loving them. |
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| | Cool Links | | Inside Out Style
I met wardrobe consultant Patricia Gorham at a party recently and was very interested in her 'Closet Rescue' consulting business. Based in Seattle, she has a blog on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer website I think you'd enjoy. And if you live in the Seattle area, you might want to use her services. I would! | | UM Bags
Cool, hip & well designed bags made from industrial felt. Click to watch them unzip flat and see the shapes. Fun website too!. | | Sonja Marohn
Sonja Mahrohn's clothing designs have always been a favorite, found in upscale US boutiques. Her European design sense is right on target. On her website you can see the complete collection. Take notice of how she uses mostly basic neutral solid colors to build a wardrobe. | | Pattern Review
Pattern Review is jam packed with information for people who love to sew. It is one of the sewing sites I visit regularly and recommend. | | | |
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