Capitol Sew and Sew

A little handiwork has been done.....

2011-08-22T19:02:00.006-04:00

but soooooo long between posts.

Not really sure that I have a good reason for my absence except that life gets busier and busier and I believe I've been eaten by Facebook! Anyway I do have a few items to show for all those lost hours!

First - a maxi dress that I made using a very fine cotton-silk blend I picked up in NYC last season. The fabric feels like butter and was a bliss to work with! I used Vogue 8241 - easy peasy with very straightforward instructions. No real design changes/enhancements except that I used a different technique than offered in the instructions for "flipping" the bodice - same result - and I lined only the bodice in a black china silk. I've wore it out for a nice summer dinner as well as to a beach party - - really versatile!

(I apologize for the poor quality of my photos -

anyone out there with a suggestion for a good, small, versatile, moderately priced camera -

my old standby is failing me!?)

And then there's my newest, um, obsession/time sink/money hole - knitting! And here is my first real, DRUM ROLL, sweater!!!

I did it! I made a real live sweater from the top down! And it fits! And I like it! And I wore it! None of these statements did I EVER think would ever be uttered from my mouth about something I knitted! I owe my success to Rachel at Looped Yarns for her support and stellar instructions (and did I mention her support???) The pattern is designed by Elizabeth Smith from The Brown Stitch. Great pattern for a beginner - pretty straight forward but with lots of challenges from which to learn!

Thanks for peeking in on my progress! Am working on a great mid-weight linen jacket for fall! About to head in to cut it out now!

xxoo

Laura

Vintage ReFab @ DC Threads' Sip and Stitch

2011-06-17T15:52:00.011-04:00

DC Threads hosted DC's czarinas of vintage fashion to a packed crowd at Bits of Threads Sewing Studio. Lisa of Quarterlife 202, Erin and Nora from Ginger Root and Shannan of Junction Vintage shared their collective wisdom and tales with over 50 sewists and vintage fashionistas.

Shannan started the evening off with "ReFab 101" discussing the difference between thrift, consignment and vintage. She also shared with us how she took the vision for Junction Vintage and grew it into a thriving business. Lisa, with her expnsive knowledge of the DC world of vintage, gave us some insider's tips on how to make sense of the madness that sometimes besets us as we approach a consignment or vintage store or collection. She also had loads of tips about how to "shop your closet". Last, but certainly not least, were the girls from Ginger Root. Their amazing mission of translating landfill bound garments and fabric into uber-chic garments captured the crowd's creative hearts! They brought along some amazing examples of their work! The crowd had LOTS of questions and the panelists didn't disappoint! Here are some of the resources that they referenced during the event:

The Swapaholics: www.theswapaholics.com
This Google map of thrift stores in the area is pretty awesome: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=nrl&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnscm&resnum=1&biw=1408&bih=645&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=thrift+stores+washington+dc&fb=1&gl=us&hq=thrift+stores&hnear=Washington+D.C.,+DC&ei=ug_DTZvIAs6gtwfw9omlBQ&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CA8QtgMwAA (oops it is larrrrge)
The Vintage Fashion Guild is a good resource to have on hand: http://vintagefashionguild.org
Hidden Treasures
Preparing to go thrifting
Day of thrifting tips
Vintage resource websites

And many thanks to Fabric and Trimmings for donating the chic seersucker cut of fabric!

Let's let the evening's pics speak for themselves!

Ginger Root transforms an 80's style jacket into lattice-inspired work of art

Some of the 50 vintage fashionistas at the Bits of Threads Sewing Studio

Another garment rescued from the landfill and "refabbed' into a flirty summer skirt

Allison and Laura draw the winning raffle ticket for the fab fabric from Fabric and Trimmings

Another 80's style "K Street Lawyer's Dress" refashioned into a chic peek-a-boo back sheath

Many many many thanks for your support of DC Threads and our Sip and Stitch Events!

Carbon Presents Mother Earth Inspirations: Earth Day Eco Fashion Show Benefits DC Threads

2011-04-25T13:59:00.008-04:00

Here is a little something from BisNow DC! Thanks much to Katherine for your amazing vision and incredible generosity! What a great evening!

Eco Chic!

BisNow went to Woodley Park’s Carbon for Mother Earth Inspirations: Earth Day Eco Fashion Show for an exclusive look Friday at NY eco designer Auralis' Spring 2011 line. Proceeds went to DC Threads, a volunteer-driven initiative promoting the art of sewing and stitch crafts, whose reps, Laura Lee and Allison Lince-Bentley, are with Carbon owner Katherine Limon.

(um - notice who is the only one holding a drink!!)

Auralis’ Suset Laboy and Jenny Macgregor-Dennis look chic in pieces from their line. The ecologically conscious designer uses hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo to create trendy apparel.

Guests enjoyed organic wine and hors d'oeuvres while browsing Carbon's sustainable items. Before the fashion show, we saw Kenya Wiley and fashion blogger Fashion Cloture’s Telena Cassell.

And thanks to those wonderful folks at MetroMix for some more fine pics of the evening!

.

Incomparable Buttons = Incomparable Women: SA and DC

2011-04-10T07:35:00.009-04:00

Incomparable Buttons was started as a small company in 1984 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Working around a kitchen table, often late into the night, Jennifer Pascall was busy transforming small pieces of clay into buttons of all shapes and sizes. Many of the first designs, which are still popular today, were inspired by Africa’s rich ethnic artworks and distinctive wild animals. Over the years Incomparable began specialising in the creation of handmade buttons, craft pieces, craft kits, painting kits, greeting cards and jewelry.

As the company evolved, ladies from the local community were hired and trained in the art of button making. Today, Jennifer’s entire family, as well as 45 women from the local community are involved in the business. Most of the Incomparable team had never held a paintbrush before they joined the company and are now absolute masters of their brushes and justifiably proud of their work. The ladies sense of belonging within the company and skills as crafters not only gives them tremendous pleasure but also provides them with economic empowerment and has uplifted all their families.

Jennifer Pascall and her team contacted us to inquire if we would be interested in GIVING AWAY some of their B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L buttons to our DC Threads Community! Buttons from heaven!!!! After we read about Jennifer and had the opportunity to "chat" with her about her South African community and her crafting philosophy we immediately were interested in sharing Incomparable Buttons' art with our community - and the reception was incredible.

We gave away cards and cards of exquisite ceramic hand-crafted buttons at two DC Threads events - the Betz White Sip and Stitch and our April Sewing Lounge! Here are some photos of the events and the lovely buttons! We also asked the "winners" of the buttons to share with us their impressions of the buttons and also to imagine how they might incorporate the buttons into their next grand creation! Here they are..............

"I’m so excited about my beautiful new buttons!

(L490 Button Card – square buttons with heart shaped and blue glaze)

They are subtle but stylish and have the kind of weight and quality feel

that will be perfect for one of my more special projects.

Maybe the wool coat I’ve been working one!!!"

"The cupcake buttons are adorable. I love baking so it shows off my other interests.

I would like to attach them to a big canvas bag and use it everywhere."

"I love the cute sheep buttons!

They’re unique and I love the fact that they are washable. Thanks so much!"

"Lovely buttons – nice colors and a great size!"

"The butterfly buttons are BEAUTIFUL! I love the blue, purple, and indigo glaze.
They will be perfect on a jacket."

"I love the buttons!

I chose the 4 white and 1 black sheep.

I want to make a jacket that will use all 5 of them with the black one in the center.

THANK YOU!!!"

I think I will make a bag where one or two of the buttons are used as buttons

but the others will be used as decorations."

"I won the button collection with the scissors -

"The yellow buttons are the color of the desert sand – a very natural shade.

I will probably use them on a dark colored shirt or dress. Thank you."

Many thanks Incomparable Buttons!

We promise to post photos of all the fabulous garments embellished with these lovely buttons!!!

Be sure to check out the Incomparable Buttons blog!

It's a Mad, Mad, Madmen World

2011-04-03T21:06:00.005-04:00

Hi Darlings!
Good news on the home front - my vintage jacket is done! I love it and will definitely make it again! I love the quirky design and it was easy peasy to construct! This go around the "pop" is on the inside of the garment - take a peek at the lining! For the jacket I used yardage from my stash that I have been itching to use for years so I'm happy to have it put to good use but I think the quirkiness of the design deserves a little more life! Whereas I like the fabric (I wore it with an ivory pencil skirt to work) I know that I will definitely be less conservative with my next iteration of this garment! And - - I've included a photo of the infamous drunken, kidney donor bound buttonhole (see Facebook post below) - not my best work but you'll understand why, in my view, it's just perfect!!

I love love love the sleeves on this jacket! Perhaps it's best design feature!

Pop!

Vintage button - I love that the geometry of the button matches the weave of the fabric!

The drunken, kidney donor Facebook post:
"Just in case anyone was wondering - bound buttonholes and drinking do not mix!! Here's the backstory.... my good friend, Jack, recently donated one of his kidneys to a neighbor (I know - how insignificant do YOU feel right now??) - anyway he had a HORRIBLE post-op course but he turned the corner this weekend. So yesterday my friend Ava and I were having a sewing marathon and we decided to take a bottle of wine to the hospital to toast Jack's road to recovery with his wife, Julie! Well we did that and I apparently am now a light-weight because when we came back and resumed our sewing the resulting bound buttonhole was not pretty (not awful but not pretty)! I thought about taking it out and trying again - but ya know, I am leaving it there with all of its imperfections so that I will remember the night we toasted my friend Jack, the hero!"

Thanks to Joanne and Meg for organizing and hosting the sew-along! What's next up on the sew-along queue??

"Those who can't, teach"........ Really!!!!?? OH PLEASE......

2011-03-05T07:54:00.009-05:00

How about: "Those who teach, CAN'T - - BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO.....!!!"

For the last two months I, happily, have spend ALOT of my time (typically dedicated to sewing) on programming for DC Threads. Allison's generosity with the Bits of Thread Sewing Studio space has allowed the sewing events supported by DC Threads to blossom! In two short months we have changed the time and format (slightly) of our monthly FREE sewing lounge, we've added evening "Sip and Stitch" events, and started "Stitching for Change - Little Dresses for Haiti" (this event is the one about which I am most excited)!

All great news for DC Threads (and we hope for all those sewing enthusiasts in DC) but not so great for my personal sewing addiction! I fear that I may be starting to go through withdrawal! So this weekend I am doing what I have done for my hangovers in the past - a little hair 'o the dog! Will head to my sewing studio in a few minutes and get back on that bad horse!! I have some DELICIOUS linen that I picked up at Gray Line Linen in NYC during my trip last month (and, yes Meg, I still owe you a review of Gray Line!!!!) and I WILL have two FABULOUS garments constructed in time for Spring! YES I WILL!!

I thought you might like to see what the DC Fashionista had to say about her time with us during our inaugural "Stitching for Change" event! Thanks Abigail - can't wait to sew with you again, soon!!

And - some photos of those beautiful little dresses for those, oh so, beautiful little girls constructed by the most beautiful of friends!!

Peace!

Homage to Mondo

2011-02-14T05:13:00.007-05:00

No verbiage needed for this post.

I was inspired by this story and these pants:

I made this:

Back to my Vintage Sew Along garment!

Peace!

DC Threads Graces the Pages of Vogue Patterns Magazine

2011-01-24T20:38:00.005-05:00

That's right! You heard right!

DC Threads caught some major ink in the current issue of Vogue Pattern Magazine (February/March 2011).

Linda Turner Griepentrog penned a great piece about "today's sewing circle" - the Sewing Lounge. She featured photos of ten Lounges from all over the US - including Baltimore's The Sassy SEWer Sewing Lounge!

Too bad Allison's Bits of Thread Sewing Studio was but a twinkle of a dream months ago when we were interviewed for the story!

DC Threads was featured in a special side-bar focusing on our community service focus! RAH!!!

The story is great - we especially love the pics of Doris Lum, our stellar beginners' coach and Erica and Teoki, a couple of our fav sewists! How cool is that!????

There's No Place Like (a) Home!

2010-12-31T07:41:00.005-05:00

DC Threads has a permanent home! Two years and two hundred sewists later DC Threads finally has a pillow upon which to rest its head! Allison (a sweet friend and co-founder of DC Threads) has opened a sewing studio in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC that can accomodate our DC Threads programming! So, starting next weekend Bits of Thread Sewing Studio will be the new home to DC Threads! Look for lots more chic sewing opportunities!

.

Bits of Sewing Here and There

2010-10-18T06:51:00.008-04:00

This Fall has been REALLY busy - lots of activity at my day job but not so much in the sewing studio! I'm happy to report that I am co-authoring a book chapter for work (very exciting) but not so happy to report that the task has been way more stressful and time consuming than I had planned! That said, the deadline for the editor is November 1st so I am already planning my celebratory trip to NYC! In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a dress that I made in September. I crafted it from a cut of hearty Italian cotton that I have had in my stash for years! The motif is HUGE and the repeat is even longer so I perseverated over the design for years. And as you can see I just went for plain SIMPLE! How about those strategically placed bodice motifs! Can you tell that I was getting a little bored??? Oh well, a girl needs SOMETHING to fill out the upper half of her garment - why not use an optical illusion!!!!! Not sure how much I will wear it but I finally cut the fabric!! Hope to get back to the sewing machine soon!

Cheers,

Laura

Sew Local, Know Local!

2010-09-26T11:47:00.012-04:00

Thanks Betz White!!!!!

For your compelling philosophy of thoughtful and environmentally-sensitive creativity and for your willingness to share locally!

Yesterday Betz White shared with a small group of metro DC ASG sewists her approach to sewing, her concern for, and interest in, the green sewing/crafting movement, gave us a look at her fabulous line of felted and green clothing and crafts, and provided us a glimpse onto the set of the Martha Stewart Living Show!

Take few minutes and check out her amazing talent - it will be time well-spent! Click here to view: Sew Beautifully; Tread Lightly.

Betz is the author of two books---

Warm Fuzzies

(from Amazon: Warm Fuzzies is filled with techniques, tips and patterns for creating over 30 cute and colorful felted items made from cast-away sweaters, including cozy pillows and throws as well as comfortable hats, scarves, pincushions and handbags)

And, Sewing Green

(From Amazon: By its nature, do-it-yourself sewing is environmentally friendly. In Sewing Green, Betz White takes stitching to an even higher level of sustainability, presenting 25 projects made from "repurposed" thrift-store and back-of-the-closet finds and organic fabrics.)

These books are both terrific - I read Sewing Green last night (before I give it to Ava - sorry girlfriend but I couldn't resist!).

It is a great book for beginning and seasoned sewists - lots of ideas!

Here are a few photos of our time with Betz. She brought along every project described in the books ! They are as beautiful in person as they are photographed in the books!

I'm hoping that our DC Threads Sewing Lounge crew will have the chance to meet her in the near future.

The "Hot Doggie" felted sweater

Warm Fuzzie Confections!

Green Sewing Creations

Thanks again Betz!!!

Sewing Accomplished!

2010-09-12T10:44:00.009-04:00

Not certain where or when my sewing inertia was overcome but I have been productive lately!

I need new DRESSES for work! I'm tired of getting up at "o'dark:30" and trying to find, iron and don multiple garments in an effort to look presentable (if not fab!). So dresses are my new best friend.

Now I do love a good DVF-inspired wrap dress - so I reached into my stash and pulled out a piece of Mood-divinely-soft-geometric-cotton-knit and Butterick 4976....

and here's the finished garment. The only change I made to the pattern was to NOT attach the self-belt so I would have more belting options.

....with the self-belt

....and then with a black patent belt (I love me my patent).

The only other alteration was to add a little elastic trim to the inside of each bodice piece to keep the front from "gapping" - it seems to have worked!

I've been working on a couple of more garments so I will post my progress soon!

Live! That's the message! Live!

2010-09-12T09:37:00.003-04:00

I hope Ann S won't mind that I share her words of wisdom with my tiny blogsphere but I just think that she is spot on.

Click her for her words of wisdom: Gorgeous Things

Radio Silence

2010-09-03T16:36:00.004-04:00

Facebook has eaten my sewing blog!

Lots of ideas and some sewing progress!

2010-07-11T13:12:00.010-04:00

Nothing too much to show for my sewing labors but I have several projects on the ironing board so I hope for some completed garments soon! In the meantime, I have a couple of projects incubating and I need your collective creative souls to send me some guidance!

The Textile Museum is hosting another FAB-U-LOUS "PM @ the TM" garden cocktail party in August. All are encouraged to don their finest Mad Men garments! I have loads of ideas - here are a couple....

I'm think of crafting this Michael Kors sheath pattern from a sleek late 50's - early 60's fabric.

Any ideas about sources of vintage (or vintage-era) fabric??

And I soooooo want to re-create this - a vintage Hermes Trompe-l'oeil dress.

One rub.....I have no experience with painting on fabric. What fabric should I use for the dress? Any advice on the type of paint I should use? Any artists out there who would like to collaborate on this project??

Peace!

Oh I LOVE this project!! Enjoy!

2010-06-25T13:59:00.001-04:00

Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

Ava Rocks Strasburg's Debut

2010-06-09T18:43:00.003-04:00

Ava, protege extraordinaire, rocked He-Is-God Strasburg's MLB debut with this rocking Nats skirt - handcrafted by Ava in my studio! I think it ranks high enough to be Strasburg's 15th K. And CDR looks FAB as well!

Special K - Special Day

2010-06-06T21:04:00.015-04:00

I've been crisis sewing the past week and a half. Kristen, my good friend and drumming mentor, and Kweku, her love and soulmate, got married on Saturday after a whirlwind courtship! Kristen asked me to help make her wedding dress about 2 weeks ago - and, oh yea, she said: "Do you think you could also make something for my mom and dad to wear to the ceremony? That won't take too long, will it?" Oh........well...........!

So somehow between a my "real job", a trip to Eagles Mere for a family reunion, and myriad other of life's obligations (in those 2 weeks) - I finished the top to her wedding garment, a tunic for her dad and a dress for her mom.

Kweku's sister gave to Kristen a wedding skirt and top made from exquisite Ghanian fabric. The skirt fit her like a kid glove. But the top of the garment, shall we say, did not! I so wish we had taken a photo of the original top as it was quite remarkable in its design and construction. So I draped a new top for her (thanks to Susan Khalje's course) and after three fittings in so many days - here is the finished product! The fabric is a fine cotton batik with gold wax imprint...it is just amazingly beautiful.

And here is Kristen, her mom - Patrice, her dad - Dwight, and her sister - Erin.

Her dad's tunic is made from Ghanian fabric that Kweku and Kristen brought to me from Ghana. I used Simplicity 3704 for his tunic - what a treat to make a garment for her dad to wear at her wedding.

Her mom's dress (doesn't she look like an African Audrey Hepburn?) also is an African batik but purchased here in DC. I literally threw her garment together the night before the wedding. I only had her measurements and no luxury of fitting - so I draped the dress on my new best friend, Roxy - my dress form - and much to my surprise the dress fit her as if I knew what I was doing - phew!

And, of course, I needed something to wear - so, 2 hours before the wedding, I picked out a lovely piece of fabric that Kweku brought to me and voile! All you need is a rectangle of fabulous fabric, a little elastic, and one seam! ! (P.S. - Isn't his smile to DIE for!!!)

And some images from the ceremony!

The parents of the bride and groom must tie a knot in the middle of a length of Kente clothe and then the bride and groom tie a knot on top of the parents' knot.

The entire wedding party is wrapped in a ginormous piece of Kente cloth and the priest pronounces the bride and groom married while all are enveloped in the fabric!

Beautiful people. Beautiful day.................

Keeping the memory of loved ones close....

2010-04-30T10:36:00.008-04:00

Tracy Grant, a Washington Post writer and editor, penned this lovely article, "Cleaning Out a Shared Closet After a Spouse's Death Is Not Mere Housekeeping", about finally confronting and dealing with her deceased husband's clothes. It's a wonderful piece that deals, simultaneously, with house-keeping and soul-keeping. I wrote to Tracy and thanked her for sharing her experience and offered her a suggestion about how to re-purpose those flannel shirts that she thought would never be used again:

Make pillows.
To hug.
In bed.
To remember.

Betz White, Stitch Beautifully; Tread Lightly, offers some great hints about how to re-purpose beloved sweaters, shirts, and jackets into pillows.

Thanks Tracy. Thanks Betz.

.

Can One Live on Buldoc and Muslin Alone???

2010-04-25T08:12:00.006-04:00

Okay, stop whatever it is that you are doing and IMMEDIATELY register for Susan Khalje's Draping Class with Julien Cristofoli. As always, Susan has a true gift for getting these sorts of opportunities just right for the audience, content, time and space. As someone who has a finite amount of time and resources it is very reassuring to know that her classes will be worth every moment and penny. Twelve sewists from all corners of the US gathered in Baltimore and spent four days learning the art of moulage. About half of the group owned, or were planning to start, their own design/sewing enterprise and the other half were there to better their skills for personal sewing (I am in the latter basket). Julien is an UBER skilled teacher and incredible designer - he pushed every design limit I had last week - what a pleasure! Enjoy the photos of our time together...

Oh Snap - Four Days and Counting

2010-04-14T06:26:00.002-04:00

Just days away from this:

The Khalje/Cristofoli Extravaganza!

Finally - Another Female in the House!

2010-04-03T08:34:00.006-04:00

For 18 years it had been me and the two Y chromosomes! Then KPG headed to UVM and Lauren moved in for 6 months - pure bliss to have another female in the house who "got" all the hair-brained "stuff" that I love! Alas, Lauren moved out (welcome to the adult world of life) and enter Bogey - outnumbered AGAIN! But today - my new BFF arrived!! Welcome "Roxy" - my new collapsible arm professional dress form - from Roxy Displays in NYC (actually East Brunswick NJ, but close enough!). I think she just might be the perfect roommate!

Ah bueno!

Join DC Threads for a Private Tour of the Textile Museum's Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection

2010-03-25T22:13:00.002-04:00

The Textile Museum has graciously offered to host, for DC Threads, a private tour of two extraordinary exhibitions: Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection and the Fabrics of Feathers and Steel: The Innovation of Nuno. The Contemporary Japanese Fashion exhibit includes avant-garde garments from the collection of Mary Baskett, an art dealer and former curator of prints at the Cincinnati Art Museum who has been collecting and wearing Japanese high fashion since the 1960s. The Nuno exhibition features 18 examples from the Nuno studio, dating from the time of the company’s founding in 1984 to the present day. Nuno (meaning “functional fabric” in Japanese) integrates the techniques, materials and aesthetics of traditional Japanese textiles with cutting-edge technologies in order to create some of the world’s most innovative and influential fabrics.

When? Saturday April 3rd from 11:00am -12:00nn

Where? Textile Museum 2320 S Street, NW Washington, DC 20008-4088 Phone: (202) 667-0441

How Much? a $5 donation to the Textile Museum

How Do I Snag a Spot? We need to limit registration to 20 enthusiasts - so register SOON for this event at our registration page here.

"Fashion Fights Poverty" & the Wilson HS Clothing and Textile Program - A Seamless Match Made in Design Heaven!

2010-02-22T19:24:00.008-05:00

Don't miss this fashion and design event! Fashion Fights Poverty has partnered with Woodrow Wilson High School to fund its Clothing and Textile Program (CTP), a program that began in the 1930s as part of the Home Economic and Arts curriculum. The program has evolved over the years and typically includes up to 225 students, 75% of the school’s total enrollment. Providing $5,000 worth of school supplies, materials (including fabric, notions, scissors, among other materials), and curriculum support (including dress forms and other props); FFP is committed to the education and development of Washington, D.C.’s future design leaders and fashion experts.

Thursday, February 25, 7 to 10 PM

L2 Lounge, 3315 Cady's Alley NW (between 33 & 34 off M)

Washington, DC

Suggested donation $5

Come on out and represent DC Threads at this event!

Drumming in Ghana

2010-01-22T21:09:00.002-05:00

Kristen we love you ..... and your pants...

Check out Krisen's blog for news about her trip to Ghana...

"Instead of Dying, I Learned to Sew"

2010-01-17T07:40:00.017-05:00

This is the opening sentence of Gioia Diliberto's "The Collection" - an historical novel about a young seamstress' journey from provincial France to Coco Chanel's atelier and the world of Paris couture. Her stitches were her essence
.

This book, my good fortune to meet Isabel Toledo and hear her discuss her craft, reading Richard Sennett's, "The Craftsman", and hearing how Sophie Theallet describes her approach to her work have led me to consider my life as a SEAMSTRESS. I sew. I love to sew and construct and problem-solve and create - but, honestly, I don't think I'm much of a designer! Probably not where my karma lies. Maybe in my next life.

So now I am focused on these women who I admire
, whose craft is making beautiful garments, and understanding how the seamstress lives within them.

All this leads me to May Asaki. I "met" May today - in the Washington Post obituaries (yes, I read them daily). May's story is compelling - just like Isabelle Varlet's in "The Collection", and Isabel Toledo's, and Sophie Theallat's - because she is seamstress who made a life sewing beautiful garments.
Here is May's story - sadly too late for us to get to know her

An excerpt:
"Much to her relief, however, she found herself rejected by the prospective groom [after her parents tried to arranged her marriage]. His family had concluded that the slight and cultured May Asaki would not make a suitable wife for a chicken farmer.
Her mother quietly arranged for her to move to Los Angeles to attend a fashion and dressmaking school. May Asaki had been sewing for most of her life and designed her first dress, for a younger sister, when she was 12. In high school, she made clothes for her teachers.
Decades later [following internments during WWII], her skills as a seamstress would launch her on a globetrotting career with some of the greatest ballet stars in the world...."
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/16/AR2010011602782.html).

And Isabel.....
Toledo designs clothes that are structured, even architectural, and sometimes (as she says) "rather severe-a lot of black and strong shapes." She has always started with a shape, usually a circle or a curved line: a circle skirt, a curved bra, a flared apron overskirt, the sweeping arc of a coat. "I'm not a fashion designer," insists Toledo. "I'm a seamstress. I really love the technique of sewing more than anything else." She believes it is crucial to know fashion from the inside: through cutting, draping, pattern making, and sewing. Among the designers she admires are women like Madeleine Vionnet and Madame Gres, who also worked in three dimensions rather than from a flat sketch. Toledo sees definite advantages in being a woman designer, because they experience the way the clothing feels. Men, she believes, tend to be more "decorators of clothing."
The Fashion Encyclopedia

Isabel Toledo on her love of sewing (1989):

"I really love the technique of sewing more than anything else…the seamstress is the one who knows fashion from the inside! That's the art form really, not fashion design, but the technique of how it's done."

And Sophie

On the inside of the clothes: It’s really important because when a woman takes off her dress you can see how beautiful the dresses are inside. I think it’s important to see the construction of clothes and make the finishings beautiful. The people who make them are really proud of their work. What we try to do is everything I learned in the studio of Mr. Alaïa. I really want to open a little shop with an atelier in the back with my two seamstresses whom I really respect because without them I cannot survive. They are so proud and I think it’s the team that’s very important.

Fashion Weekly Daily

Describing her style as “classical with French know how and polish,” Théallet’s designs are made in a little factory in New York...... Theallet’s seamstresses work like Parisian ones (read: flawless pleats, tiers, pin tucks notable for their finish). With two extremely well-reviewed collections behind her, Théallet remains obsessed with cut and fit. “Being a female designer, I know how some women don’t want to show their arms, others want to distract from their knees or like to accentuate their waist.”

The Daily Beast

So, I will spend 2010 searching out seamstresses - the famous and the-not-so. Who are your seamstress heroines and/or heroes??? Are you a seamstress or a designer?

xxoo
Laura

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Please Keep Haiti In Your Hearts and Head

2010-01-15T14:56:00.005-05:00

The Grina/Lee's have many friends in Haiti and we are hoping that they are all well and safe. We have friends who have died and others who have lost everything! Please think of them often and keep them in your hearts! The health care needs of Haiti, baseline, are staggering - but a tragedy of this magnitude is beyond comprehension! Please consider making a modest donation to Partners in Health. Paul Farmer's PIH has been in Haiti for years and is one of the few healthcare delivery organizations that are still standing after the earthquake - so donations to them can be used immediately to provide care in light of the destruction of nearly all of the hospitals in Port au Prince.

The Traveling Ghana Pants

2010-01-13T19:40:00.007-05:00

Kristen (of Young Women's Drumming Empowerment fame) is headed to Ghana to live out a life long dream! But before she left she asked me to make her a pair of pants with some of her favorite African fabric.

Of course, I said.

Sure.

So you know that there's always a catch. A rub. A fly in the ointment. She wanted me to copy her favorite pants - that happen to be a VERY well worn pair of knit cropped palazzo pants - sort of like these but in shreds!

But her African fabric is a woven cotton in very limited yardage! Perhaps you see the issue.....

So I drafted a ruboff from her well loved palazzo pants - all I had to work with was her waist, hip and inseam measurements - no real time for fitting. And, much to my complete surprise, the result was a pair of pants that she loved and, if I do say myself, fit her superbly! TOTAL LUCK!

I wish I had a photo of her in them last night as she was dancing around and packing but that will have to wait 'til either she posts some photos on her Drum Lady blog or 'til she gets back to the States!

These will have to do for now!

Although there was a side zipper, because we didn't have time for a proper fitting, I added a decorative tie on the back waistband (you can barely see it in the photo below) that allows her to make subtle adjustments to the waist of the pants.

I love a successful crisis sewing project!

It's Back!

2010-01-05T21:40:00.011-05:00

It has been a long time! A really long time since I actually produced a garment in that sewing studio of mine. Lots of sewing lounge prototypes, some Christmas gifts (including the....snuggies - I know, I know), and costumes for the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project and my niece Katy.

But then came the New Year's weekend and three days without anything to do - BUT SEW! So here is the first of two (previously unfinished) garments I finished....

Go ahead - say it! "Where is your horse, Laura!" Yea, I agree - this ensemble is a bit "horse country, Middleburg set, have you met my good friend Michaele Salahi?" But, hey, the outfit is done! Who knows if I'll actually ever WEAR the pieces together - except, maybe, if we end up at the Gold Cup races again!!

The cape pattern was based loosely on New Look 6833 and the skirt pattern is from a pattern I drafted a long long time ago.

I constructed the skirt using the couture techniques that Susan Khalje shared with us this summer. Hand-picked zipper, underlined with silk organza, wide seams, hand stitching everywhere! Took forever but I love how it looks and FEELS! Gone are the days of whipping up a skirt in an hour!!! I am forever a slave to "crack couture"!

Closure from my trip to Norway to see the relatives!

Detail of the slit for the belt

Voila... (or, perhaps, Hi Ho Silver!!)

And here is a preview of the other garment from last weekend......

Stay tuned!!

(Now if I could conjure up enough nerve to tackle my NYC Sit and Sew dress!?)

Thanks for listenin'

SNEW DAY!!!!!

2009-12-19T06:38:00.004-05:00

A walk to Georgetown in the snow, a hot tottie, tackle my holiday crisis sewing! AH BUENO!!

Mrs. O Slams It AGAIN!

2009-11-25T05:22:00.004-05:00

Seriously D.C. - WE HAVE STYLE!

Naeem Khan

Isaac Mizrahi

J.Crew (sweater) and Rachel Roy (skirt)

DC Threads Hits the Road to the Holiday Heist!

2009-11-21T06:32:00.007-05:00

Thanks to NinnyCat Crochet for inviting DC Threads to offer a sewing workshop at today's DC Craft Mafia's Holiday Heist craft bazaar! The project of the day is - - HOLIDAY STOCKINGS! Love it --- the crafting of holiday stockings 2 years ago at Ipso Crafto is where Allison and I dreamed up the idea of a DC-based sewing lounge! And the rest is history! Here are some pics from the event

Re-purposed Washington Posts for the patterns

The mittens on this stocking are needle felted in place

A lil wintery bling

Ready for the stitching to begin!

Fashion from the Inside Out!

2009-11-06T15:42:00.004-05:00

Isabel and Ruben Toledo - - 'n me!

2009-11-05T20:06:00.004-05:00

What a week it has been here in DC!! Tuesday was Christian Siriano - a great night, for certain! But tonight was an UNFORGETTABLE night! I just spent 90 minutes 10 feet away from Isabel and Ruben Toledo and a jacket made from "THE LACE"! Of course the back story of Mrs. O's inaugural dress was fascinating but the best, the very BEST, part of the evening was when Isabel talked about her love of sewing. Her description of her love affair with textiles and construction is just how I feel about fabric and sewing and design! Ohhhhhhh, I am gone!

Ruben letting me peek at the collar detail and the undercollar construction

Up close with THE LACE!

Remember What Isaac Mizrahi Said - LEARN TO SEW!

2009-11-05T05:31:00.006-05:00

Looking for a place to start your sewing motor?? Would you like a place to practice your new found sewing skills between DC Threads Sewing Lounge sessions? Don't want to travel to the 'BURBS - ever!!!! Well, now you have a fabulous sewing resource in downtown DC! My good friend and DC Threads co-founder has launched "Bits of Thread" - a sewing studio available for private or group sewing lessons. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm, creativity, and fabric.

Here is what Allison writes about the inspiration for the name "Bits of Thread":

“Bits of Thread” comes from one of the side-effects of sewing that I have come to love. After a long day of making a new summer dress or teaching a group of teenagers how to use a sewing machine for the first time, I’d come home with little bits of thread still stuck to my shoes, clothes, and even in my hair– little reminders that I was doing something I loved. Whether you come for one class or for many, I hope to share some of my joy for this art form, and maybe get a few bits of thread stuck to you too.

So come on all you budding sewists - give Allison a call and then stop by the DC Threads Sewing Lounge and join the fun!

Fashion in DC - An Oxymoron? NOT ANY LONGER!

2009-10-25T11:44:00.005-04:00

So I actually have been doing ALOT of stitiching lately but the problem is that I have not finished a single garment - INCLUDING my NYC "Sit and Sew" extravaganza --- but I am "oh so close to being sorta kinda done"! I will at least post a photo of my multiple works in progress soon!

But enough about my sewing procrastination......

The BIG news is that - - - - DC HAS ITS FASHION GROOVE ON!!!! Check out these upcoming DC-based fashion events.....

_______________________________________________________________

The Textile Museum has two “must see” events on their calendar. First up is (drum-roll please) an evening with ISABEL TOLEDO - designer of Mrs. O's fabulous lemongrass dress and coat!!! I have already snagged my ticket for this outing!!

From Switzerland to the White House: The Story Behind the Inauguration Dress

Thursday, November 5, 5:30 pm

Isabel Toledo's Lemongrass Coat and Dress dazzled the world when it was worn by First Lady Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day. Join us at The Textile Museum for this special evening program and hear firsthand about the process behind its creation—from the fabric, made by the Swiss company Forster Rohner, to the finished product.

Panelists include American fashion designer Isabel Toledo, her creative partner and husband Ruben Toledo, and Hans Schreiber, creative director of Forster Rohner, moderated by Robin Givhan, The Washington Post's fashion editor and winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. The talks will be followed by a reception featuring Swiss wine and chocolate. This program is co-sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland.

Fee: $25/Textile Museum members; $45/non-members. Advance registration is required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register.

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And it seems the Textile Museum is on a fashion roll – a new genre for them! Don’t miss the extraordinary collection of Mary Baskett’s Japanese garments.

Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection

October 17, 2009 – April 11, 2010

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Japanese designers Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto shocked the fashion world by introducing avant-garde styles that challenged received Western notions of “chic.” Informed in part by Japanese traditions such as the kimono, obi and the art of origami, these designers produced radical garments with shapes and textures often incongruous with the natural contours of the human body. Their designs—characterized by asymmetry, raw edges, unconventional construction, oversized proportions and monochromatic palettes—effectively overthrew existing norms and set the stage for the postmodernist movement in the fashion industry. Miyake, Yamamoto, and Kawakubo remain three of the most successful designers in today’s fashion world, and under their tutelage a new generation of Japanese talent has emerged.

This exhibition, an expanded version of an earlier showing at the Cincinnati Art Museum, includes avant-garde garments from the collection of Mary Baskett, an art dealer and former curator of prints at the Cincinnati Art Museum who has been collecting and wearing Japanese high fashion since the 1960s.

And before you set out for S Street to view the collection please please take a few minutes to read Robin Givhan’s review of the collection and her views on the designers – her insight definitely will make your time with the garments more meaningful!

_______________________________________________________________

And as previously posted, Christian Siriano willbe speaking about and signing his new book, “Fierce Style” at the Corcoan Gallery of Art on November 3^rd.

Oh yes! November is lookin' mighty fine here in DC!

Go Go CoCo - Chanel To Die For!

2009-10-11T18:55:00.005-04:00

Perhaps the reason that I can't seem to get any sewing done is because I am mesmerized by the Spring 2010 Chanel collection.......

We love, love, love these:

And these not so much:

See all of Karl's magic here: Chanel 2010

From 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to Your Sewing Studio!

2009-09-22T12:29:00.011-04:00

So, one of my favorite design/sewing blogs closed it shutters this month – Weekend Designer – a sad, sad day for me, indeed!! Here's the description of the blog:

Welcome to Weekend Designer! This pattern-drafting blog is meant to show anyone that it is not difficult to fabricate fashionable clothing, accessories, and soft home furnishings. All designs shown on this site are samples culled from the world of fashion and design. In no way am I claiming that they are my own creations but use them as examples of what you can do yourself. Most of the tutorials illustrate basic concepts in pattern-drafting or are patternless designs. In all cases whenever possible, credit is given to the original work and creator. I do not have any affiliation with the designers and do not have access to their original patterns or production methods.

And here's an example of WD's mastery:

I hope someone else fills this void.....

Silver Lining ------ The Weekend Designer inspired me to take images from another favorite site - Mrs. O and make them my own (or, for those of us who live in DC, to bring those stylish frocks from Pennsylvania Ave to M St to Canal Rd to MacArthur Blvd to Q St to Greene Pl).

Here's a lovely dress that Mrs. O wore to a recent event:
If you want one like it in your closet as much as I do - all you'll need is one of these -
---- a new Michael Kors Vogue pattern (V117 - a lined, fitted dress, below mid-knee length has pleated bodice, tucked front, invisible back zipper and center back slit) and one of these extraordinary silk florals from Gorgeous Fabrics

See you at the next STATE DINNER!

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Fashion Week - AH BUENO!

2009-09-16T05:55:00.003-04:00

Videos speak louder than words!

Enjoy Zac, Jason and (coming soon) Isabel - - -

So I Love the Lounge!!

2009-09-13T09:49:00.010-04:00

Sweet September at DC Threads! The project for this month was a stylin' laptop sleeve.

Juliana nailed it with her Ikea fabric and handles!
I'm thinkin' I may need to grab the seam-ripper and add a pair of handles to mine! Great idea by Coach Emily and stellar execution by Juliana!

We had a great turnout AGAIN! Our new registration process sort of worked. Lots of folks signed up early but only a third of them showed up - but we had loads of drop-ins so we still had a full house. Gotta figure out how to get folks to either come if they registered or respond to our email request to let us know if they are not able to join us! If anyone has any ideas how to solve this conundrum drop me a line! I am certainly not complaining - it's a wonderful problem to solve!

But let's talk about the amazing sewists that joined us yesterday - a great mix of ages, expertise, experience, and interests. We spanned the ages from 10-80 and tackled chair cushions, recycle/restyling jeans to a dress, lots of easy breezy blouses, tote bags, etc., etc.....

A HUGE thank you to our amazing volunteers/sewing coaches! The Lounge is a successful because of all of you!! Thanks thanks thanks!

Enjoy the photos and hope some of you will stop by October and celebrate our 1 year anniversary!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
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Pining for those lazy days of couture! DRUM ON!

2009-09-12T07:44:00.003-04:00

So I haven't touched my couture dress from my AWESOME class in NYC with the fabulous "sit and stitchers" because life (and its adult responsibilities) has managed to get in the way of fashion progress! I am also WOEFULLY delinquent in posting about the class (on the bucket list for this weekend - after the Lounge today!).

But in true L2 form I (with the help of Greene Place's newist sewist - Lauren Archer - I know, who'd a thought!) have managed to squeeze in the construction of 16 lapas for the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project's performance today at the African Art Museum! Why not wander down to the Mall today and check out their AMAZINGNESS!

Get a sneak peak at this year's "Sistas of the Shakedown Tribe" as they take the Pavilion Stage at 2:30 p.m. for the Museum's Community Day... Festival entitled "Africa Now!"950 Independence Ave SW

FREE!!

September Sewing Lounge! DC Threads Rocks!!!!!

2009-09-08T20:56:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: Due to a fabulously positive response, we have filled our registration slots for the upcoming sewing lounge this Saturday, September 12th. If you have not already registered, we hope you will join us for the next lounge in October. You can reserve your slot using our new registration page here. Thanks so much for your interest! REMINDER---if you are a member of the American Sewing Guild or would like to volunteer at the Lounge your registration request will be automatically honored.

Join us this Saturday, September 12 from 1-4 at North Michigan Park Recreation Center, for the DC Threads Sewing Lounge! We will welcome the glorious Fall with a fabulous back-to-school/campus project - a hand-designed and crafted laptop sleeve - thanks to Ars Technica!

Here's what you need:

1/2 yard (or so) of outer sleeve fabric
1/2 yard of lining fabric
Thread (preferably in a matching or complementary color, but it can be any color you want)
Your laptop measurements

Optional:

Sew-on or glue/iron-on velcro, or a button

As always, you can bring your own project or browse our library of patterns for other ideas. We’ll also have tutorials for first-time and beginning sewers and plenty of opportunities for you meet others who love to sew. Check out our pattern library here....

And, in response to your requests for tutorials about sewing techniques (see, we really do read and value the evaluations you graciously complete!), we will offer a 20-30 minute tutorial about how to read a sewing pattern. The tutorial will start promptly at 1:15 - leaving you loads of time for sewing!

Hope to see you there!

Laura and Allison

Sit and Sew Preparation - Will I Ever Avoid Crisis Sewing

2009-08-24T11:04:00.010-04:00

On Wednesday I head to NYC for my class with Susan Khlaje and Kenneth King! Beyond excited! But, as usual, I'm in crisis sewing mode! My pesky real job always seems to get in the way of my sewing and other parts of my life!

Anyway - here is my plan for the class......

I will have a muslin of a basic dress sloper completed and ready for Susan's and Kenneth's magical fitting touch. I hope to use the sloper as a stepping off point for designing and constructing a variety of dresses (both work and casual). Our first lady offers me some fashion
inspiration --
and Michael too -

I hope to begin work on a garment using this sloper while I'm in NY - which, likely, will require that I stumble into several fabric stores!! Tragic!!

I am also hoping to have a muslin completed (or nearly completed) of this jacket (this task is the source of my current crisis sewing state):
in the hopes that I will have a jacket like this one some time this fall/early winter:
I will look to Susan for any sage wisdom about Chanel construction techniques (I have read and re-read her Threads article a bazillion times!).

And in the times that I am sure I will have between discussions and fitting and fabric shopping I have tucked away this pattern in the hopes that Kenneth will share with us some of his embellishment and millinery tips:

I also have a "life list" of techniques and embellishments that I would love to finally have the time to sit and practice - you know all those things like welt pockets, bound buttonholes, the PERFECT zipper application, finishing sheer edges, etc!

Yikes, sounds like I am going to be there for a month instead of 4 days!

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This I love.....

2009-08-21T15:05:00.005-04:00

But can someone explain this to me???

2009-08-21T14:54:00.003-04:00

The First Mum's Batiks - The Textile Museum

2009-08-12T07:45:00.004-04:00

A Lady Found a Culture in its Cloth: Barack Obama's Mother and Indonesian Batiks
August 9-23, 2009

For two weeks only, textiles from the collection of Ann Dunham, President Obama's mother, are on view at The Textile Museum. This marks the final stop on a national tour of the exhibition A Lady Found a Culture in its Cloth: Barack Obama's Mother and Indonesian Batiks.

Early in her life, Ann Dunham explored her interest in the textile arts as a weaver, creating wall hangings in earthy shades of brown and green for her own enjoyment. After marrying Lolo Soetoro and moving to Indonesia in the 1960s with her son Barack Obama, Ann Dunham was drawn to the vibrant textile arts of her new home and began to amass the collection from which the exhibition objects are drawn. The wide variation in the batiks reflects the range of colors and of patterns, both classic and contemporary, that captured her imagination, and provides a window into the rich culture from which these fabrics originated.

Don't miss this unique glimpse into the First Family and Indonesian textile traditions! A Lady Found a Culture: Barack Obama's Mother and Indonesian Batiks will be on view August 9 through 23, 2009 only.

DC Threads Gets Some Press!!

2009-08-07T06:05:00.004-04:00

Here is a Post article by Holly Thomas about the Sewing Lounge......Thanks Allison for helping to make it happen!

Join us in September!!!!

Wishing you the most serene of birthdays: A Quilted Buddhist Prayer Book

2009-08-07T04:09:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos of the quilted Buddhist prayer book that I designed and constructed for some very special peeps in my life! I wanted to get the photos up as soon as I could. I will add commentary AFTER VACATION (no electronics allowed - except a sewing machine, of course!)

May you all be filled with loving-kindness!
Peace
Laura

Ah Bueno!!!!!!

2009-07-13T22:26:00.004-04:00

Next DC Threads Sewing Lounge - July 11th! Summer Livin'!

2009-07-05T17:41:00.004-04:00

Celebrate your creative liberties at the next session of the DC Threads Sewing Lounge! We invite you to join us on Saturday, July 11 from 1-4pm at the North Michigan Park Recreation Center for another great afternoon of creative sewing!

In response to your terrific feedback about the types of projects you'd like us to have available we have a great line-up of projects from which to choose! We have two fashion garment projects this month: a breezy summer blouse and a tie. And our eco-friendly project is a reusable shopping bag (designed with a self-storing pocket).

The "Easy Breezy Summer Blouse" was a hit at previous lounges and is a perfect garment for these hot summer months - and sooooo easy !
The "Tie One On" tie is a terrific way to express your fashion point of view with only a yard of fabric!!!
And finally, in our effort to keep DC green and to rid our city of plastic bags, we offer our favorite reusable shopping bag.
We'll supply the patterns, the machines, and all the notions you'll need for your afternoon of creating - all we ask is that you bring the fabric! Just click on the projects for information about the type and amount of fabric required (we do have a modest "fabric stash" available just in case!).

As always, you can bring your own project or browse our library of patterns for other ideas. We’ll also have tutorials for first-time and beginning sewists and plenty of fantastic people to share your threaded thoughts with.

If you haven’t done so already, head to the DC Threads website and respond to the poll - let us know if you'll be joining us. This helps us get a headcount so we can plan accordingly. And of course if you’d like to volunteer as an assistant for beginning sewists, please let us know.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 11th!!

Laura and Allison

Round Two - DC Threads at Artomatic

2009-06-25T20:01:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple of pics from DC Thread's Quiltomatic Lounge at Artomatic!Many thanks to our resident quilting experts, Shirley and Charlene from Wee Bee Quilters from North Michigan Park, Jules from Columbia (the country not the city) and a couple of other drop ins who stitched up a storm!

Theme Dressing - ISO an Intervention or 12 Step Program!

2009-06-21T09:10:00.007-04:00

Okay, OKAY - I admit I have this odd need to try to construct garments for many of the events I attend. Oft times the garment is an appropriate fashion chioce but then there are the times (not infrequent) when I find myself "theme stitching". Usually, I hope, the final product is "appropriate" (whatever that means) - age, taste, theme! But really - is any theme sewing/dressing appropriate? Really? You decide. Here are some examples of last year's "theme dressing":

The Fourth of July "Save the Baby Skeets" T-shirt (BTW - we won a case of wine for that event! - not sayin' my T-shirt had anything to do with it though!)

And there's my fav - the Obama Dress! Sorry - THAT one was TOTALLY appropriate!

And my most recent (and probably the genesis of this self-absorbed post) - the Alohoa Paddling Pants for the NCA Monumental Outrigger Canoe race - - -

Here's the back story on the paddlin' pants:

Here are my FAVORITE hiking and paddling pants.

I desperately wish I had bought 2 pair! Didn't! So I have wanted to try to "rub" a pattern from them forever. So, Saturday morning before the race I decided I would try to make a copy and, as theme sewing chance would have it, that I also NEEDED to make something to wear to the race (see - I definitely need that intervention - who gets up at 6:30 am the day of a race and decides to make a pattern and a garment to wear by 10:30?)

So here is a photo of the muslin pattern on the fabric. So the fabric has a story too. Sis, Sue, left us all for 2 years to live in Palau - another story - and she sent to me some fabric she found at a local shop. I have waited for the perfect garment to present itself and, well, I think it speaks for itself!

Here are the finished pants. I love how they look lying flat - however, they don't fit as well as the original pair (granted I only had about 20 minutes to fit them as I didn't really get started cutting and sewing until about 2 hours before I needed to head out). The closure is just an opening for the draw string waist. I added about 4 inches of elastic in the middle of the drawstring - that seemed to help avoid the typical drawstring sack look. I don't have a photo of how they look "on" but it wasn't too awful as I wore them in public!

Got a bunch of compliments on them - mostly due to the print of the fabric - an objective measure of success for us theme sewists!!!

Here is our team - DC PoWeR (Paddlin' Women Rock)

I gotta say - not my best fashion statement but then again - the homies from the boat house are all 'bout fun in the water and nuttin' 'bout the fashion!

Peace out!

DC Threads Hits Artomatic

2009-06-18T21:22:00.007-04:00

DC Threads hit the road last night and became a part of art history in DC - the first Sewing Lounge at Art-o-Matic! We set up shop on the 3rd floor with the Wednesday night Stitch 'n Bitchers and spent the evening stitchin' up a storm! Many thanks to Rebecca and Lauren for making the magic happen and to all the knitters who tolerated all of our stuff! We are set to be back next Wednesday - June 24th - for another round! Check out the details here - Quilt-0-matic at Art-o-matic

Check out the awesome quilt squares we built for the 1st annual Art-o-matic Quilt-o-matic!

See you next Wednesday!!!!!

DC Threads at Artomatic!!!! Come Stitch With Us!

2009-06-14T08:09:00.004-04:00

DC Threads will be at Artomatic this Wednesday (June 17th) from 5:00-8:00! We'll be stitching along side the "Stitch 'n Bitchers" building the first ever Artomatic "Quilt-o-matic"! We will be there with our machines encouraging the crowd to sit and stitch a quilt block with us! So stop by on Wednesday to stitch with us and to enjoy all the AMAZING art and artists! STITCH ON!

photo credit M.V. Jantzen

photo credit Andy Lungren Werner

Artomatic is a month-long art festival in DC that is free to the general public celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Monument Realty and the Capitol Riverfront BID have provided a brand-new 275,000 square foot building to host Artomatic, right next to the Nationals Stadium. The event features nine floors of visual and installation art, theater performances, dance and comedy, three music stages, street performances such as fire dancing and drum troupes, and a film screening theater. With four stages, four bars and a lounge on each floor, the 10th Anniversary Artomatic is bigger than ever. 52,500 people attended Artomatic last year, and 70,000 are expected this year. Over 1,000 visual artists and 600 performing artists are exhibiting this year.

55 M Street, S.E.
(at the corner with Half Street)
Washington, DC 20003
Metro stop: Green Line, Navy Yard, Ballpark exit
Free admission.

Next Sewing Lounge - June 13th! Start your summer with a FAB new skirt!

2009-06-09T09:14:00.001-04:00

Summer is here and so is the next session of the DC Threads Sewing Lounge! We invite you to join us on Saturday, June 13 from 1-4pm at the North Michigan Park Recreation Center to kick off the summer sewing season with us.

This month, we'll be showcasing this fun wrap circle skirt, a great project that needs no pattern just some geometry and basic math! We found it takes up to three yards of 45" wide fabric, plus a sew-on snap and D-rings for the closure. More details can be found on this link on Burda Style.

As always, you can bring your own project or browse our library of patterns for other ideas. We'll also have tutorials for first-time and beginning sewers and plenty of fantastic people to share your threaded thoughts with.

If you haven't done so already, please be sure to RSVP on the DC Threads website. This helps us get a headcount so we can plan accordingly. And of course if you'd like to volunteer as an assistant for beginning sewers, please let us know.

Burda World of Fashion Circular Skirt - A Hit or a Miss?

2009-06-08T10:28:00.008-04:00

I actually have been doing a tad bit of sewing but I just haven't had time to post any of my toils! But today finds me in jury duty with a little time to spare!

For this month's Lounge we have chosen a Burda World of Fashion circular skirt pattern - billed as an easy beginner project – a necessity for the Lounge’s pattern inventory. As always, we "test" drive the project/pattern before we unleash it on the "Loungers". Here is my finished garment (please excuse the resolution of the photos - my digital camera was MIA and these are taken with my Blackberry).

It looks cute as a button on the Burda model/designer/sewist and it is really EASY PEASY to make (despite that fact that the project immediately presents you with a math problem – not my strong suit but I am quite proud that I was able to channel a little geometry). But that said there are a couple of issues that need to be mentioned before you dive into this project!

The pattern and fabric yardage as designed assumes that we all live in a 26 inch waisted world, that we prefer to wear our skirts at our high natural waist, that we are all under 5’6” and wear our skirts at 21". I am not quite a 26 inch waist, am 5'9", and do like to wear my garments slightly below natural waist so I needed to add about a 1.5 inches to the waist measurement and I wanted to add an inch to the length to assure that the skirt would be long enough. The pattern is built on the premise that you cut the whole skirt on the fold as one BIG circle. These small adjustments, though, push the measurements past the 45 inch width of most fabrics – so unless you have 60 inch fabric you need to cut a couple of bias panels to assure that you have adequate “coverage”. Not a huge deal but it detracts from the “circularness” of the design, adds a seam disrupting the bias fall, presents more math (ugh!) and may require some fitting. All this adds up to shifting this cute, easy, breezy skirt from a beginner project to a “more than beginner” project.

So I finished the project and tried it on and, whereas it is cute and breezy and (relatively and theoretically) easy – it just didn’t look that great on me! If I can swallow my vanity (and can find five free minutes)I will post a photo of me modeling it soon.

So now for the good news – it is really easy to make once you figure out the yardage and fit. The bias cut makes hemming the skirt a breeze and the ‘D-ring’ closure is a “cinch” for the beginner. I cut the waistband on the bias because I ran out of fabric due to the increased yardage required but, as it turns out, the bias cut made attaching the waistband to the tight waist curve uber easy!

I am test driving a super simple wrap skirt tonight as an alternative to the circle skirt for the Lounge on Saturday! I’ll let you know how I do!

Come on down to the Lounge this Saturday and test drive these patterns for yourself!!

OOOHHHHHH! I need to sew more - Where exactly does the time go???

2009-06-07T08:13:00.006-04:00

But instead of creating I am wasting precious sewing hours doing things like this --
What's MY word?

Your Word is "Fearless"

You see life as your one chance to experience everything, and you just go for it!

You believe the biggest risk is being afraid and missing out on something amazing.

Sometimes your fearlessness means you're daring. You enjoy risky activities.

And sometimes your fearlessness means you're courageous. You're brave enough to do the right thing, even when it's scary.

What's YOUR word????

What's your WORD??

The Awesomeness of the Summit of Awesome

2009-05-02T07:24:00.003-04:00

DC Threads hosted a sewing demo at the inaugural Summit of Awesome this weekend - woo hoo!!!! Thanks to all the awesome Hello Craft chicks for a tremendous event - they truly know how to throw a GREAT party!! And we have four more peeps to add to our ever growing list of sewists - one seam at a time, one seam at a time!!!

Enjoy the slideshow!

Fairytales do come true!!!

2009-05-01T19:27:00.000-04:00

DC Threads Featured at the Summit of Awesome

2009-04-22T14:12:00.005-04:00

Join Allison and I on May 2nd as we host a sewing demo at the inaugural DC Summit of Awesome! We would love to have you all come down and sew with us!

Click on the photo to read more about the Summit!

Let the PR Frenzy Begin!

2009-04-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Heidi Klum Kidnapped????

Christian Siriano an Actor????

Tim Gunn Evil?????

Click on the smooch for the latest hype!

AND SOMETHING FOR ME!

2009-04-05T15:07:00.004-04:00

Welcome spring!
Welcome a white tunic!
Ah bueno!

I am so going to make about a dozen more of these!

The pattern is Simplicity 5197 - I think it may be discontinued which is shame because it is great fitting, easy to make, with loads of style/design options!

The fabric is 100% linen with a great island feel - pineapples and organic design motif. I actually had used the fabric as curtains for a while - just call me Scarlet!The yoke is made with a facing. The next one I make I will likely make a contrasting yoke so I suppose I will just "flip" the facing to the outside..
Loads of sleeve options!

Hooray! Somethin' for me!

Sewing Lounge - EAT YOUR BEETS!!!

2009-04-05T14:55:00.011-04:00

Here is project #2 for next weekend's DC Threads Sewing Lounge - a Tres Chic and Ah Bueno re-fashioned T-Shirt! Hard to believe all those ruffles and that ruching were once an old "beat" up Beets Tee!!!

P.S.
Thanks to all who have written to me about this T-Shirt design. Many of you have inquired about the neckline construction. Here goes:

Decide how wide and low you want the finished neckline to be and clip away (there is the photo of this in the slideshow). The next step is to apply the elastic directly to the t-shirt fabric - there is no casing. My design had the neckline end about 2 inches in from the top of my shoulder. I measured across my upper chest (above the front neckline about 1 inch or so) and doubled that measurement to determine the length of elastic I would need - for my shirt I think my elastic measured about 22 inches total (but please be certain to take your individual measurement as everyone's upper chest is different!!). You can adjust the elastic length depending on the amount of "ruffle" you can tolerate! Be certain not to stretch your elastic when you measure. To apply the elastic you will need to divide the elastic into quarters and pin the elastic (at the quarter markings) to the shoulder seams and to the center front and center back. Please note that the unstretched elastic will be considerably shorter than the neckline. Stretch the elastic to fit as you sew using a zigzag stitch. Voile!
Here is a very quick diagram that may help - - or not (I am clearly NOT an artist - it's an embarrassment!!!)

Some Sewing Done!

2009-04-05T10:14:00.008-04:00

Ah, finally, productivity (like I sit around eating bon-bons all week!) - sewing productivity, that is! As you can see I spent more time last week looking at what other designers are creating (for the Divine Ms O) than sewing myself! So here are two of the three garments on my to-do list for this weekend (isn't this supposed to be a hobby??)

Re-Fashioned Jean Skirt for this month's DC Threads Sewing Lounge - this month we're focusing on stretching your fashionista budget while steering GREEN!

I haven't made a jean skirt since high school (1902 - kidding-kidding!!) but in these tight economic times I'm sure that alot of us feel like we have as much money in the bank as we did in high school! The skirt is very straightforward to construct - the only tricky parts are determining the correct size for the front and back inserts and getting the dreaded crotch to align and lie flat!! And it's a little tricky stitching in the inserts - you tend to be working in a tight space with lots of fabric ends trying to sneak into the path of the needle! My seam-ripper was my faithful companion more than once!! This will be a great skirt to wear to the beach or to the farmer's market.

I updated this rendition by adding an Asian-inspired bias trim band on the hem,
on one front pocket,
and on one of the rear pockets
I made the bias tape using this bias tape maker (doh!) and fabric left over from the centerpieces I made for last year's ASG annual meeting.

Front panel insert

Back insert

One down (and a whole week before the Lounge!)

Yep - Midcentury Mark! UPDATED

2009-04-01T07:39:00.000-04:00

Okay - who'd a-thought I'd make it to 50???

Amazing celebration!!!
And ya have to listen to the music - you all make me feel FAB-U-LOUS!!!

I need to do some sewing - SOON!

2009-04-01T05:34:00.001-04:00

Style Crosses the Big Pond

2009-04-01T05:17:00.006-04:00

Earth Hour - YAH!

2009-03-29T10:24:00.004-04:00

Turn up the volume to hear - "A Change is Gonna Come" - YAH!

Loungers Unite!

2009-03-26T18:01:00.005-04:00

Stop by my sewing colleague Blondell's Sassy Sewer Sewing Lounge next time you are in the Baltimore environs! She has a terrific space and lots of great classes and other opportunities to learn to sew or to hone your skills. But better than all of that is that Blondell is another sewist who is passionate about keeping the art of sewing alive and well and fashionable!!!! You go.....

Click on the photo of her Lounge to link to the Sassy Sewer website:

And here is Blondell's blog:

GO SEW!!!!!!

Off the Shoulder (and Cuff) Elegance

2009-03-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

Love ya Kristof but makes me wish you had a sista right now!! Once again, click on Ms Obama!

P.S. Gotta love the Narciso Rodriguez off the shoulder!

DC Threads Sewing Lounge - March 09

2009-03-15T09:16:00.002-04:00

Just a couple of photos from this month's Lounge!!!

Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution!!!

2009-03-15T08:42:00.007-04:00

Twenty more talented and enthusiastic sewists showed up for DC Threads yesterday! The folks that came through the door are some of the most genuinely nice, curious and talented people I have met in a long time! We had every age and level of expertise represented, we again had a couple of three generations sit down and tackle projects together, and this weekend we boasted our first Y chromosome!!! Nice!

Many, many, many, many thanks to our terrific volunteers who help keep the amazing energy in the room from turning into sheer chaos!! We are not worthy of your talent!!

The "Breezy Simple Summer Blouse" was a big hit! We hope to see 15 beauties stroll in next month wearing their new, chic creations.

Here are some pics from the day!!

Beautiful, Useful and Thankfilled!

2009-03-13T23:05:00.003-04:00

Here is a great gift to make for your sewist friends - colorful ribbon-bedecked pattern weights! Omega shared this idea with me at recent sewing meet-up. I whipped up 4 sets of these to give as thank you gifts to our DC Threads Sewing Lounge volunteers!

You start with 2-inch metal washers (that's right, head to the local INDEPENDENT hardware store), about 1 yard of 1/2 to 5/8-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon per weight (from your LOCAL fabric/craft shop), and a glue gun or crafting glue.

Super super simple - just glue one end of the ribbon to the washer/weight and start wrapping the ribbon 'round and 'round and 'round. Be certain to keep the ribbon taut and evenly spaced as you wrap.

When you have completely covered the washer with ribbon, clip the ribbon- be certain to leave enough ribbon to fold under the raw edge - and then add a dab of glue and voile!

A snazzy handmade gift sure to be well used and appreciated!

Front Page of the Style Section!

2009-03-12T23:04:00.004-04:00

Well sort of.....

Check out the article about DC Threads in the Examiner by Makia Riely the DC Frugal Examiner

Yikes - I think we are gonna need more volunteers sooooon!!!

A Wee Topper for a Wee Cherub

2009-03-12T11:23:00.002-04:00

Welcome Corrina. We are SOOOO glad you made it here safe and sound! We celebrate you!

Here is a wee cap to keep the wee one's cabeza calor!

"Feith-Based" Fashion!

2009-03-10T13:53:00.005-04:00

Tracy Feith and Susan Winget, his girlfriend and business partner, and their son, Boomer, shot for W in 2006 outside their shop in Montauk, New York.

Ya Got No Excuses! Learn to Sew!

2009-03-03T06:23:00.009-05:00

Thanks to Ann @ Ann's Fashion Studio in Brrrrrrrunswick Canada for compiling this list of FREE instructional sewing videos. So, in between events at the DC Threads Sewing Lounge (but, of course, NEVER instead of!) you can stay put, holed up in your studio/bedroom/closet (wherever you can eek out a space for creativity) and LEARN TO SEW!

Click on the The Adventures of Sally Stitch for more information about the videos!

Stitch on!

No Words Necessary

2009-03-02T09:43:00.003-05:00

Yes - You CAN Sew!

2009-03-01T16:07:00.013-05:00

Here are the three beginner projects we designed for the DC Threads Sewing Lounge! With about a yard or so of fabric and an afternoon you can add these new looks to your summer wardrobe! Join us at the Lounge - be a designer!

Super simple summer shirt - two rectangles, a yard of ribbon, two side seams, a casing for the ribbon, and a hem! That's it! I raided my stash and found this a medium weight cotton batik from G-Street!

Inspiration came from these - McCall's and Micheal Kors

A quick drawstring skirt - made of another stash cut - a black cotton damask.

Two tiny buttonholes for the drawstrings but you could also use grommets

And then the famous bag! An original design by Allison.

Another stash favorite - African print with gold paint embellishment!

As seen in the far reaches of Nicaragua - Ah Bueno!!!!

At the La Concorida sewing lounge for the Casa de Materna - made on treadle machines!

So join us at the Sewing Lounge!!!

Welcome Back Isaac! We missed ya!

2009-02-23T19:44:00.004-05:00

Click on the photo to view the entire collection. Enjoy!

GREEN CHALLENGE - Refashion a Sweater -- OMMMM -- into a Yoga Mat Cover!

2009-02-22T19:22:00.003-05:00

and here's how!!

OMMMMM---Refashioning-A-Sweater-Into-A-Yoga-Mat-Cover---OMMMMM - More DIY How To Projects

Thanks "Yoga Journal" for sharing the post!!

Yep - Spot on again!

2009-02-19T14:19:00.003-05:00

Ms O's Fine Clothes

Listen to Isaac - LEARN TO SEW!!!!!!

2009-02-18T17:57:00.002-05:00

Listen to this man - he is a GENIUS!

Click on his mouth and hear his wisdom!