2010 Issue #3                                                                                        Fall 2010

We had wonderful workshops this summer. Everyone enjoyed our two scholarship students from Oregon Sate and their young enthusiasm. The Design Workshop got raves. The only complaint was that it needed to be five days, so next summer it will be. After the workshops I vacationed--well-deserved! Paul and I spent time in Boston, Gloucester (his home) and Labor Day in the Hamptons with Melissa and her friends. We were home a week and Paul took me to San Francisco and Napa. TOO MANY vacations, but I loved it. Then I put my nose to the grindstone. And now we're in the midst of Fall workshops.

You've already had a chance to enjoy our Fall issue of Fashion For Real People, which came out last month. I hope you found some inspiration from it.

Have a great rest of the year, including the holiday season, and do send us photos of your classes, ideas to share with other teachers, and photos of what you sew to wear teaching!

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ASG CONVENTION
IN ATLANTA

I spent so much time getting ready for the national ASG convention that I was not sure if I'd ever do it again! But as always, when it's over, you feel the rewards. First, I got to see many of our teachers there and that made it special: Kathleen Swanson, San Diego; Nancy Nix-Rice, St. Louis; Pamela Leggett, Philadelphia, with whom I shared a booth; Connie Hamilton, Hartwell, GA, who let me fit her in our new blazer during the jacket class--front of nearly a hundred people; Susie Brown, San Francisco, who was with her lawyer son; Mary McCarthy who was teaching the business of teaching sewing class, LaQuinta Schum, and Ivonne Gutiérrez, from Puerto Rice, pictured with me here in this year's ASG booth.  I hope I recalled everyone!

I tried fitting patterns randomly on people in the audience as long as they measured correctly for the size I had pre-trimmed and pinned together. It worked very well and people liked seeing tissue-fitting in action. It was a little stressful at first, but as I got into it I realized it just didn't matter--do the best you can!  Just like real life!!

I'm looking forward to the 2011 August Convention in Los Angeles. Ivonne Gutiérrez is proposing to teach a class in Spanish and ASG is really interested in having her try it. Also, Marilyn Elliott, San Antonio, is proposing a Palmer/Pletsch class on interfacings, and Katrina Walker, Spokane, has proposed a Palmer/Pletsch class on buying the right fabric for your design. They all may share a booth.  I am so excited to see them participate in the national convention since they are excellent teachers!
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FIT-A-THON REMINDER

Don't forget there is a Fit-a-Thon Feb. 17-21, 2011. If you have taken both fit and pant fit, you qualify for this 5-day review and more practice workshop. We will present to you the updated slides for each topic. Bonus for teachers, you will receive the latest pant and fit CD's no charge.

NEW DATES FOR SUMMER 2011 WORKSHOPS

Due to the fact that I don't feel fresh teaching for 14 days straight--two workshops and teacher trainings, I decided to mix up the workshops a bit. No one had signed up yet, so I felt safe doing it. 

        July 7-11 Design, July 12 Shopping
        July 15-18 Fit, 19th shopping, July 20 TT
        July 21-25 Sewing Camp, July 26 Shopping
        July 28 - Aug 1 Pant, Aug 2 Shopping, Aug 3 TT.
 

View the complete workshop schedule...

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TAILORING SCRIPT AND SLIDES

Mary Agnes Mazur summarized changes that needed to be made in the tailoring slide script. It made for easy updating while I was on the deck at Paul's yacht club in Gloucester, MA last summer. I added many new and cleaner slides and made the script go along with my changes.  

There is a place on our Web site that you can order more recent seminar teacher disks for a nominal fee. This covers updating time, time to make a disk, and mailing it. If it has been quite awhile since you attended a teacher training, you may want the most recent slides, scripts and support material.

"CUP SIZE" IS IRRELEVANT

I get all kinds of e-mail questions from consumers and one generated this response:

In our latest edition of Fit for Real People we only take the high bust measurement for size. It works regardless of your bust cup size. Then tissue fit to see if you need to add. Don't even worry about cup size as it is confusing. For example, a 38 D cup is the same size as a 40 C cup. Match your high bust measurement with the "bust" line on the measurement chart.

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New Pattern Celebrates 30 Years Designing for McCall's

The 8-hour blazer and my first McCall's pattern happened in 1980. Now there's a new one!
You may enjoy this article about my 30 years in the business.

McCall's 6211 just came out and it is an easy shawl collar or drop shoulder jacket. The back has a peplum and a pleat, but I didn't do the peplum all the way around as if you have a tummy, peplums are difficult. Most of us have a curve at the waistline in the back, so the back seam works. I will wear the vest unbuttoned over a pant with a belt for "essence" of waistline!

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NEW JACKET PATTERN FOR FALL

McCall's 6172 is our best blazer style jacket yet. The guide is thorough and it has both a classic and hip look with the two new lengths. It should be great on which to base a jacket class.

BUY THE PATTERN...

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PERFECT SEW IS BACK
AND BETTER

You should have received an e-mail recently about the new thicker Perfect Sew. If not, check it out on our Web site.

Read more on our PerfectSew Web page

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PANT PATTERN GUIDESHEET ART MISTAKE

I can't believe I didn't find this in the guide before now. The direction we say to press the pleats in the trouser View C is wrong. In order for the pleats to line up with the crease they need to be pressed to the side from the wrong side. I think this happened  because we picked up the M3740 guide instructions and that design has the pleats in the opposite direction.

It reminds me of when Susan and I proofed our first book 20 times. When it came out, the first line in the book read: "Ultrasuede is an amaxing new fabric!"

CONGRATULATIONS!
LESLIE WORNELL, LOS ALAMITOS, CA
 

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Marie Karnolt, Palmer/Pletsch Certified Sewing Instructor, Manchester, CT

When Marie renewed her CSI recently, I read on her PDU summary about a Skill Building class she taught. I was intrigued as I think it is what some call open sewing. I thought skill building was a motivating title, so I asked her to share with you. (And she earns PDUs from doing it!!)

My name is Marie Karnolt and I own MLK design studio in CT. I am a sewer, tailor, fiber artist, and CSI who, also, loves to teach all types of fiber and sewing classes. Several days a week I teach a class called "Skill Building". This is a  2 1/2 hour weekly class that allows women (and sometimes men) to come together to sew whatever they are interested in sewing. It is a continuing, all-levels sewing group and the women tend to become a "family". Once they have a "spot" in the class they generally keep coming back. (In one class there are women who have been sewing together for over 20 years!) The projects worked on range from quilting, garment construction, alterations, mending and repair work, home decorating, to custom designing. The skill levels of the students can range from someone who has never sewn a stitch to seasoned sewers who come for the camaraderie (and to finish projects).

As the teacher, it puts my sewing skills to the test each and every class. I rely on and love to share the knowledge I have gained over the 30 plus years I have been sewing and the 17 years that I ran a tailoring/alterations business. Not only am I "guiding" my students through their projects, but the smaller class settings allow them to learn from each other. Each week they pick up tips that can be adapted to their own work. It is always fun, unstructured, creative and fulfilling, not just for the students but definitely for me. To quote a cereal commercial..."It keep me full and focused".

I can't believe that is has been over a year since I took the pattern fitting class. There are two other women I became friendly with and we still keep in touch. I, also, left part of my heart in OR. I got to tour for a day after the class was over, and I can't wait to bring my husband back there. It is such a beautiful part of the country! I will definitely come to visit you if I do.

Marie
 

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I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SHARE SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES, TIPS
WITH ALL PALMER/PLETSCH INSTRUCTORS

You could share sewing ideas, model garment ideas, class pricing, class set-up ideas, free seminars to promote classes, new ways you have used slides or taught a technique---the sky is the limit!

SET YOUR OWN GOOGLE ALERTS
From Association of Design and Sewing Professionals 

Have you ever wanted to know what your customers or the rumor mill is saying about your company on the Internet? Google Alerts is a great tool for collecting all types of information 24/7. After you set up an alert it runs in the background of Google at your request and it is free. This function of Google is an automated alert query system that sends information to your email. This is a great tool to monitor or collect information on the Internet about customer buying habits, to collect information to teach a class, to

monitor your advertising activities or find out what is being reported about you and/or your company across the Internet. The sky is the limit on what subjects you can use to set up alerts to collect current information. Keep in mind that information on the Internet may or may not be accurate. You must do your due diligence to verify all information before using and/or disseminating.

It is very easy to create alerts. Here is how it works:

1. You need to login into your Google Account to create the alert(s). In the address line enter the following URL to create all the alerts you desire. http://www.google.com/ alerts select go or hit your enter key.

2. Enter the subject you are interested in monitoring across the Internet.

3. Enter the source you want searched.

4. Enter the duration of time you will want the alert to work for you.

5. Enter the length of the message you want to receive.

6. Enter the email address you want your alerts to be delivered to 24/7.

7. Click on; create alert button and you are off and running.

NOTE: If you do not get alert information you need to reevaluate the wording of your alert. You should receive an alert within a couple of days. The following address is an online Getting Started Guide, for more information: http://www.google.com/support/alerts/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=28413&topic=28416

FROM PAT TIPPETT, FLAMING CARROT CATERING

Many of the workshop lunch recipes
are on Pat's Web site. So many of you have asked for them. For example, RECIPES for dishes served at the SEW CAMP, July 2010, can be found on her blog
3000 miles 'til dinner
http://3000milestildinner.com/

RECIPES on blog now:

Wild Mushroom Tart
Rich Chocolate Pudding
   (chocolate cream tartlets)
Macaroons
Fantastic Chicken Marsala
Creamy Polenta 
Killer Brownies
Wild Rice Salad with Mango & Pecans
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mena's Chicken Dinner 
Berry Cobbler
Baked Plantains in Orange & Honey 

Happy Cooking!

Pat

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PALMER/PLETSCH PANT PATTERNS

I am sharing a blog about pants with you as I just got a kick out of it! 
Other than the "presentation" comment on one, it is a great endorsement!!
This type social media mention should also help your pant classes.

                                                                                       Pati
 

New cropped–not crop–pants. We sew, not grow. Posted on August 11, 2010 by bethh In the category of cazh, comfy, and quick, I give you the belly-shot of my new cropped pants:   These came out exactly the way I wanted them!  That doesn’t usually happen on the first try with a new pattern, does it?  I was reading on Stitcher’s Guild about Louise Cutting’s new pattern for loose, easy cropped pants, and realized that they were exactly the kind of pants I needed for my end-of-the-month trip to Louisiana.  I don’t have time for Louise’s pattern to arrive,  so I decided to roll my own version. For mine I used a Palmer-Pletsch McCall’s, which makes it a lot easier for me to make things come out right, as you can see. Palmer-Pletsch, I salute you!!  You make me very happy! Now  I’ll warn you, the pattern for these wonders doesn’t look a thing like my new pants.  It’s McCall’s 6082.  Now would you buy that based on the envelope photo?  They put those cute skinny models in those awful ugly pants and think somebody is gonna pay $18.95 for it???  I ask you!!  Do they think we’re nuts?? Not me. I’ve had such wonderful success with Palmer-Pletsch pants lately. SEVERAL HOURS LATER:  I had planned to elaborate, but there was no time.  I’ll put this up as-is and save further blather for another day.  Thanks for stopping by! ****   Woo hooo! I finished something! Posted on April 12, 2010 by bethh    It’s an exciting thing, isn’t it?  To finish something that you were thinking you’d never see the end of?? Now that I’m done with these, I’m tempted to say I’ll never sew any pants but Palmer-Pletsch pants for as long as I live.  I won’t say that because you and I both know that would be untrue, don’t we?  The next time 6 or 8 sewers posted on PatternReview about their new crackerjack pants, I’d be off to buy the pattern. Meanwhile, I’ll bask in satisfaction with these. This fabric is a stretch polyester that I got from Gorgeous Fabrics to try the crackerja–uh, Jalie 2909 pants.  It appears to be gray but it has a golden sheen to it that appears in certain light.  My early morning flash photography shows it here.  I’ve got enough of this gray left for a skirt, plus I bought it in brown.  You’ll be seeing it again, I’m sure. It’s a nice pants fabric for my lifestyle. I’d like to start on another pair (in a non-stretch fabric with pockets) immediately. For this week however, I’ve planned to work on my knit McCall’s 5974 dress. It’s cut and waiting.  The machines just need to be threaded, and then I can start!   This entry was posted in Pants and tagged McCall's, McCall's M5818. **** So what’s taking so long??? Posted on April 6, 2010 by bethh   The length of time it has taken me to finish one pair of pants is ridiculous!  I’ve been working on these McCall’s 5818 trousers for, what?, 6 days now? It’s not that they are difficult, but that I can only get about 5 minutes to work at a time.  First there was Holy Week with three evenings at church.  Then, Easter weekend was packed with things to do–fun things for sure–but I wasn’t able to get anything done. Another part of the delay is that I chose to use a stretch suiting and to add side-seam pockets.  Pockets would have been fine.  The stretch suiting would have been fine. Just not together. See how the in-seam pocket on the right looks bulky?  That I could live with.  The extra ease that the pockets required? I could live with that, too.  What I can’t live with is the way the pants stretch when I drop my cell phone in a pocket. There’s no hiding anything in those pockets. So during my 5 minutes yesterday, I decided that they were coming out. The waistband is only partially basted on, so it shouldn’t take long to r-i-i-p-p-pppp those pockets right off!  It won’t take much to finish after that. See you in another week. Kidding. I hope. This entry was posted in Pants and tagged McCall's, McCall's M5818. ****   McCall’s 5941 Posted on March 31, 2010 by bethh Finally it was Palmer-Pletsch who gave me a fit in a good way. As I’ve said many times, their methods usually give me good results.  I don’t think I’ve ever used one of their pants patterns to work through their pants-fitting method, though. This time I did. The pattern I chose is McCall’s 5941, which has a wide, yoke-style waistband, front fly zipper and no stitched darts.  It offers a wide leg (25″) and this narrow leg that I chose (16″).  Just looking, I think the pattern started out with wider crotch extensions than most patterns I play with.  Of course I haven’t done and real comparison to know that for sure. I believe there were two alterations that made this work for me. Besides the bit about using a one inch seam allowance at the top of the pants and adjusting the waistband up and down, which always works wonders,  I followed the suggestions on p. 31 of PFRP (Pants for Real People) for “Bagginess in the Back” (second printing, Fall 2004). Marked on the pattern were several vertical lines.  When you find the saggy wrinkles, you pull up on the back until they disappear, then lower the crotch–front, back, or both, if needed.  Then, you fold out the width along the vertical lines all the way from waist to hem.  You add gridded tissue at the side seams so that you can mark a new, big enough side seam.  You can see what I did in this photo: Lowered the back crotch to about 1/2″ below the pattern’s marked crotch line. Folded out 1/2″ on the vertical lines Added about 3/8″ width at the waist and tapered it downward I’ll have to say that worked for me!  There remains one tiny back wrinkle that only appeared after I added hooks to the waistband.  I think a titch lower on the back crotch, or perhaps letting out the 1/4″ I took in on the inseam, might do the trick. I’m so pleased with this that I’m working through a different P/P pattern to see if I can repeat the success.  That one is M5818, which has darts, a narrower waistband, and a slightly wider leg.  I’ve just put in the zipper, so haven’t had a chance to pin-fit yet.  I’ll let you know how that goes. This entry was posted in Pants and tagged McCall's, McCall's M5433. DO YOU WANT TO READ BACK ISSUES OF THE UPATES NEWSLETTER? CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR NEWSLETTER PAGE....