J. Stern Designs

So have you guys check out my new website and blog yet?

2011-05-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've been working really hard on my word press blog and website.... new logo and all! If you haven't checked it out yet, I'm currently working on a Spring version of the Hobo Bag (sneak peek of the . Plus, I started designing an ipad cover ... then I drove away with it on top of my car... and I'm not sure if it smashed or not, but someone definitely stole it because the empty bag was discovered by the security guard 1/2 hr later :(

So, the ipad cover became a sore spot... until Mother's Day... when I got a new one : ) so, I'll be working on that again too... very soon!

Working on an ipad cover for my new ipad!

2011-03-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I'm working on a cover for my new ipad... you can check it out at jsterndesigns.com!

Check out all the fun when J Stern Designs went to Kansas to teach Jeans and Tee Workshop with the Wichita ASG

2011-03-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone... Checking in with my blogger site to let you know that I'm back from the Witchita Kansas ASG... Check out all the juicy details at jsterndesigns.com.

The Ribbon Skirt is Ready to Go!

2011-03-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

I wanted to check in with my blogspot blog to let you know that the Ribbon Skirt is finished -- Complete with step-by-step tutorials showing you how to create your own beautiful woven or knit version. You can find all the fun in the pattern section of my new website! Enjoy.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

J Stern Designs is jumping over to WordPress!

2011-02-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I've been busy working on my new exciting new Website and Blog -- J Stern Designs is moving over to wordpress.

Let me take a minute to tell you about the fun new stuff I have over there... then you can go check it out for yourself!

First off, my husband and I redesigned the J Stern Designs Logo.

Then I picked out a new wordpress template...

On the home page you'll see my new logo and lots of other new fun. First off, in the top tool bar, you'll find:

About (me)
My Blog
A new fancy contact (me) page
Patterns (the Ribbon Skirt will be added this weekend : )
Workshops (Soon I will have both upcoming workshops--where I'm teaching, And a detailed list of all my exciting fit and design workshops!)
Uncategorized (This is a cool button-- I can use it to group my blog posts together so you can find stuff easier!)

Below the tool bar, you'll find my featured project. If you watch the image, it scrolls between all the posts included in the featured project. Currently, I'm Featuring the Ribbon Skirt. I've just posted Part 4 --How to Insert an Invisible Zipper in the Ribbon Skirt--Definitely check that out! Plus, the cool thing is that if you missed any of the posts, you can easily find them on the home page!

I invite you to check out my new blog at jsterndesigns.com. And, please stay tuned for lots of new pattern fun. I also plan on posting all the juicy details about the workshops I'm teaching around the country.... First on the list is American Sewing Guild, Wichita, Kansas where I'll be teaching my Jeans and Tee Fit Workshops on March 11th and 12th! Happy Sewing everyone.

100 Days of Madness -- Milton's cross country run to benefit ECYE.ORG

2011-01-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Let me tell you what happens when a group of In[Focus] film makers (and one sewing girl) meet a man who's running cross country from Miami to Los Angeles to benefit disadvantaged children in Uganda. Our waiter was busy quizzing us with trivia from the Movie - Forrest Gump when Milton Miller walked by our table at the Bubba Shrimp Company. Our waiter (Britney) explained to us that he was running cross country to benefit ECYE.ORG. We were curious... so on his way back around, we asked him about his adventure... I don't think he knew what he was in for, because before he knew it, all cameras were focusing in to document his story.

Milton explained that it started out as a challenge and self improvement. But he quickly realized that simply losing weight and getting in shape were not providing enough motivation to run the 2700 mile across country. To help achieve his goal and find a larger purpose, he found his true motivation in his friend Eden Orfanos. Eden has been going to Africa to help the disadvantaged children in a small village in Uganda. Milton decided to raise money by running cross country to help the organization she founded, The Eden Center for Youth Empowerment.

As he told his story, we realized that the woman he was talking about was right in the restaurant with him and it became their story. Eden explained that it all started with a visit to a school for deaf orphans in rural Uganda. There were so many children that were overlooked, abandoned and abused. Because there were so few social services these children were often sent to orphanages that were not capable (or equipped) to care for them. Eden met one child in particular that really touched her heart, and she knew she had to help. She raised money to build a school for sign language so that the children could learn vocational skills that they would need to survive in their communities. She also started ECYE which is a rapidly growing international charity that identifies orphanages and schools that desperately need assistance.

I was so touched... and as I watched my new film maker friends capture the moment, I knew they would transform the footage into a wonderful short story about Milton's journey. As soon as the film is created, I'll post a link so you can see it!

Not being a film maker I took out my iphone and snapped a photo of Milton and Britney (so I'd have a pic for this post). Talking with Eden afterwards, she got excited when she found out that I was a sewer girl... because there is also a great need for fabric in the village as well. She's going to contact me with more information about that soon... That would be a good job for me! (I'll keep you guys posted on the developments!)

If you're interested, you can check out Milton's blog, 100 Days of Madness, which tracks his progress (and/or make a donation) as he runs from Miami to LA. I feel honored that I had the chance to meet him in New Orleans... some 800 miles from South Beach where he started on December 19th.

I'm off to New Orleans for In[focus] ....

2011-01-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...

I really, really, really wanted to finish my skirt posts before this trip! But it was a super busy week. We had the Student fashion show at Sanford Brown College--Huge success... and very exciting. Here's the only pic I took (while I was busy being "b camera girl".... (Here is a really cool video of the event (thank you honey... ) But I have to wait for permission to post it.

So... this trip is a film making conference, In[focus]... with some of the finest wedding film makers around. I know I'm not known for my wedding films, but my husband is ... (Cinematic Wedding Story) ... But here's why you all should be excited too.... The first class I'm taking is "how to make killer highlight videos"...

I'm thinking all be able to make some "killer sewing videos" so I can blog via video instead of relying on my marginal photographer skills! We'll see. .... Plus, you know there is a piano bar on every corner (almost). It should be a great time. I know this isn't a super sewing post, but I think we'll all benefit in the future. ....and I promise to get that skirt finished and posted as soon as I get back!

Stay tuned for some exciting posts from Bourbon Street... maybe I'll see some cool fashion! (I have to go to bed now... we have to leave for the airport at 4:00 am!!!!!!)

J Stern Designs was the Spotlite Website of the Month in the StudioKat News!

2011-01-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I just found out that j jstern designs was the website spotlite in the January StudioKat News... Very Exciting! I checked it the Newsletter and found all sorts of fun stuff (in addition to being the spotlite : )

Apparently, StudioKat Designs has a "Handbag of the Month" Contest.... There were some really nice bags (although I didn't see any jsd Hobo Bags... there's always next month... anyone?????) The winner receives a $20.00 StudioKat Design gift certificate (Nice!) (I really the idea of a contest... maybe I should have a monthly contest... Tee of the Month... Jeans of the Month... hummmm).

While you're there, be sure to check out all their clever bag patterns (Like the The Bellagio Bag #300 -- pictured above!

...In addition to the handbag contest, this newsletter is filled with fun tidbits and other creative sewing sources ( a blog of the month and other web finds...) Plus, I though it was cool that if you're visiting StudioKat Design for the first time, they've included a rundown of last months post from their own blog "A Work in Progress" (an insider's scoop on what's happening behind the scenes!)

... I also want to welcome all the StudioKat readers who have ordered patterns this month... Thanks so much!!

Side Seams and Part I of Invisible Zip

2011-01-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're all snowed in with lots of great sewing projects! With everything going on this month, I forgot to update you on my online class schedule on PR. I'm teaching three fun classes on Pattern Review this month. All Hemmed Up started yesterday... I'm so excited about this class, Lenny and I did a companion video series to go along with the lessons. If anyone needs to brush-up their hemming skills, you can still register for the class -- Until the first Chat (which is at 9:00 pm tonight!) (Sorry about the late notice.) Break your serger out of the box! starts on the 14th....It's loaded with all the basics -- tips and techniques for serging on various fabrics with various stitches. (There's also a fun video series). Finally Club EMB (an embroidery club I teach on PR) will feature how to do machine embroidered applique.... I like the Club classes because they run for the whole month from the 15th to the 15th... so there is plenty of time for questions, and pics!

Ok, back to the skirt. I want to take a minute to talk about the shape of a pattern piece and the fabric you're working with. This skirt has a shaped hip along the side seam. If the fabric you're working with has a lot of body and doesn't drape softly, you will need to play with the curve at the hip.

Because the fabric is cut on the bias grainline, woven fabrics stretch across the body. If the curve in the hip is more "shapely" than the curve of your hip, it will cause the fabric to pull and ripple along the seam. This is not a "too big or too small" issue. This happens because the fabric cannot conform to your shape. Ripples and pulling are most noticeable when you're working with woven fabric that has a lot of body. If you need to reshape the curve at the hip, put the skirt on inside-out and put out the excess fabric along the curve. Keep in mind that this is a very small adjustment (I needed to pin out a little more than 1/8").

... I know it's a little hard to see (I should have used white thread to sew)... Mark the position of the pins with a chalk pencil.

Lightly fill in the chalk line if you need to. Then sew along the chalk line. (Use a long stitch length so it's easy to take out if it needs a second adjustment)

Here's how the side seam looks now that I took out the excess in the curve. It fits nice and smooth. After you've check the fit, trim off the excess seam allowance.

Most of the skirts I've made with this pattern do not require a zipper (happy bias skirts)... However, if you're using fabric with a lot of body, it will have less give than soft fabric with lots of drape. So, I want to show you how to put in an invisible zipper (even though you may not need it!)

If you feel like the fabric you're working with needs a little support where the zipper is going to be inserted, use a lightweight fusible interfacing. Cut the interfacing into 1" strips (on the bias).

I love DeniFuse interfacing because it's super lightweight and if you cut it on the bias, it has lots of stretch. I don't want to change the hand of the fabric along the side seam by using an interfacing that will inhibit all the stretch... I just want to offer a little support. Denifuse is available at Gail Patrice Design.

It's also important not to change the shape of the side seam by fusing a straight strip along the curve (forcing the fabric into a straight line). Cut little snips into the outside edge of the interfacing so it can conform to the curved shape of the hip.

Here's how the interfacing looks after it's fused to the side seam edge. Notice how the snips in the interfacing open up slightly to follow the curve in the hip.

Before inserting the zipper, double check to make sure that the skirt hangs straight. I put my skirt on the dressform and pinned the side seam closed on the side the zipper will be inserted. Don't pin the skirt to the dressform. Check for seams that do not hang straight.

Seams that twist in one direction or the other are usually caused by the way the seam was sewn.

Take a minute and consider how a sewing machine works. You pin two layers of fabric together and put it under the presser foot. As you stitch along, the feed teeth pull the bottom piece of fabric to move it under the needle. The top piece of fabric does not have direct contact with the feed teeth. It is essentially being dragged along with the bottom piece (that has direct contact with the feed teeth). Unless you're using a walking foot, the top piece of fabric is not being pulled under the presser foot evenly with the bottom piece.

That's why it's important to match the notches and use some pins along the seams. Pins will help keep the top and bottom pieces of fabric even as you sew. If you get to the bottom of the seam and the top piece of fabric is longer than the bottom piece, chances are pretty high that the seam will twist. Take the seam out, match the waist and hem edges... pin carefully along the seam and try sewing it again.

Keep in mind that it's very important that you accurately cut out the skirt pieces to start with. If one seam is longer than the other, matching notches and easing the longer seam into the shorter one will not produce a straight seam either.

Ok... get your seams in shape and reinforced stay tuned for inserting the zipper! : )

Today I lost a dear friend

2011-01-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

Today, I found out that one of my dear friends past away. Ty McNeil, who was my sewing machine technician, died this morning. He was 47 year old. My husband called and told me that he had an accident while repairing his van.

In addition to being a gifted technician, he was a man who practically danced as he walked, happy with his life. He was a dedicated father and husband. He will be missed by so many. My thoughts are with his family, Yolanda and Tyler at this very sad time.

I wish to honor Ty with this small tribute to his amazing life.

How to construct the Ribbon Skirt--Plus some tips for sewing on the bias!

2011-01-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all, today I want to show you how to construct the Ribbon Skirt. The fabric that I'm working with is a slippery silk. Couple that with the slinky bias grain line and there are a few things to watch out for as you sew!

The first thing I like to do is try sewing a scrap. That way I can adjust my stitch length and play with the way I'm going to press the seams before I start working on the actual garment. In this case, I ended up with a 3.0 mm straight stitch and I'm going to press the seam allowances open.

Notice that the edges are not finished... One of the nice things about working with pattern pieces cut out on the bias is that the raw edges do not fray very much. Actually this is more true with fabric that is very closely (or tightly) woven. Look at this close-up of the raw edge. I "roughed it up" pretty good, and it's barely frayed!

So, yay, no serger!

If you've been following these posts, you'll remember that I pinned the center front and back edges together. The first step is to sew the center front and center back seams. This pattern has 1/2" seam allowances.

It looks like I'm going a pretty good job of sewing an accurate 1/2" seam in the picture above.... However, when the seam was finished, I examined the under side of the seam. I noticed that the fabric that was out of view slipped a little and the seam allowance was not even. This can cause the seam to buckle (especially with the fabric I'm using.)

I pinned the seam above and below the uneven edges. I took out the stitching between the pins and adjusted the raw edges so that they were aligned with each other. Then I re-sewed the seam where I had taken out the stitches.

After you sew the center front and back seams, do not press them (until you check the fit). To keep track of the back and the front pieces, I traded in my little "F" and "B" tags with a skinny strip of fabric in the back. I'll use that strip of fabric to fashion a small tag as I construct the waistline later.

The last step is to sew the side seams. Baste them together so you can check the fit and make easy adjustments. Then you can take the left side apart to put in the zipper if you're working with fabric that needs it. (Some woven fabrics will not need a zip and some will.) After the side seams are basted together, here's what the skirt looks like on my dressform. Notice the hippy shape. This fabric is very stable... and my dressform doesn't have any shape for the curves of the side seams to cling to.

Plus, remember that nothing has been pressed yet!

Because we're all friends, I'll show you my belly.... and how the skirt fits a more realistic shape.... (I did take creative license with photoshop to make the black fabric show up and make my beautiful knees blend in!)

In the next post I'm going to show you how to make adjustments to the fit of this skirt... by putting it on inside out and pinning out the excess. Plus we'll put in an invisible zipper in the side seam (very fun). : )

How to cut out the Ribbon Skirt -- Keep the Bias grainline on grain!

2011-01-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you all had an amazing and safe New Year's Eve celebration. I had a wonderful dinner with my husband ... we went to Cavey's for a special New Year's Eve dinner (yummy) !!!! ... But, let's get to the important stuff... Let me show you how I cut out the silk fabric to make my skirt.

First, I decided on the length I wanted. ... A little shorter than the actual pattern. 21 inches is a great length on me because it's just below the knee (very flattering).

I marked the original pattern with the new length by measuring up from the hem all the way across the pattern. (10 1/2" from the original hem).

Trace a new copy of the front and back pattern pieces. To transfer the shorter length to the copy, I folded up the bottom of the original pattern and dashed in the shorter hem length.

Finally, transfer the notches and grainline markings. This pattern is cut out on a SINGLE LAYER of fabric. It's important to trace the grainline markings onto the wrong side of the pattern pieces so you can align the pattern pieces with the selvage of the fabric when the pieces are flipped.

Here's how to lay out the fabric so that the grain is straight. If you can, tear an edge crosswise along one cut edge of the fabric. Snip though the selvage edge of the fabric (about 1 inch from the cut edge)... then see if you can tear the fabric where you snipped. Generally, fabric will tear along the cross grain. Then use the torn edge and the selvage edge to lay out the fabric.

Ideally, use a cutting mat with a grid to lay out the fabric. Align the torn edge and the selvage edge along the lines on the grid. Smooth the fabric so that those edges are straight. Use pattern weights or pins to hold the edges of the fabric even with the lines. (If you do not have a gridded mat, use the top and side edges of the table you're working on.)

Here's how to tell if you're positioning the pattern piece on the fabric properly. Because this skirt is cut out on the "bias", the pattern piece is positioned on diagonally on the fabric. The grainline printed on the pattern pieces should be parallel to the selvage edge. Use a ruler to measure the distance between each end of the grainline and the selvage.

I'm going to start with the front pattern piece. First measure the distance at one end of the grainline and the selvage. (For example, when I checked my pattern piece, the top end of the grainline measured 10 1/2" from the selvage edge of the fabric.) Anchor the pattern piece at the top of the grain line with a pin. Then measure the bottom end of the grainline. If the measurement is not the same--pivot the pattern piece until the bottom end is the same distance from the selvage as the top end. Use pattern weights to hold the pattern piece in place.

When the grainline is parallel to the selvage, cut out the pattern piece. I like to use a rotary cutter to cut out the pieces because I get a much smoother edge than when I use scissors.

After you cut out the left front, flip the pattern piece and cut out the right front. Notice how the second piece is positioned on the fabric diagonally opposite from the first. Take a minute to make sure that the grainline is parallel to the selvage edge.

After you've cut out the left and right front pieces, cut out the back pieces.

Pin the front pieces right sides together, aligning the center front edges. Pin the back pieces right sides together, aligning the center back edges.

I like to pin a "B" and and "F" at the center back/front so I can tell which is which. Now the skirt pieces are ready to sew together. Stay tuned for Part II -- How to construct the Ribbon Skirt!

Introducing the Ribbon Skirt -- 7 skirts in 7 days!

2010-12-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! My only New Year's resolution is to get this party going! I'm cutting back on some of my other "work" so I can concentrate on crafting my blog. I'm kicking it off by introducing my jsterndesigns boutique line of patterns. These patterns are unique because I am going to put all the instructions on my blog before I offer the pattern for sale. You'll have the opportunity to check out the fine details of each design! In addition to cutting, sewing and finishing instructions, I will show you a variety of looks you can get from the same pattern.

The Ribbon Skirt has been my favorite skirt pattern since I drafted it in 2004. It's fitted 4-gore design that's cut on the bias. Fit and Flare! The beauty of this pattern is that you can make it in 30 minutes if you're using a knit fabric. I'll show you how to use the serger to add an elastic waistband (no casing) and finish the hem in two snaps!

This skirt has been a winter staple in my closet since 2004 (practically vintage!). It's made of hunter green wool jersey... (I was having trouble getting the lighting right, so I decided to artsy up the shot in photoshop!)

I'm going to show you a different version of this skirt every day -- along with all the steps to cut, construct and finish it. Of course, it's 12:45 pm on New Year's Eve, and I want to make a skirt to wear out tonight... So, I'm going to whip up a black silk version (Think of it as a jsterndesigns version of Project Runway!)

I've been saving this beautiful black silk for a special event-- Perfect for New Year's Eve.... So, before I start cutting, here are the pattern pieces... You can see that the side seams are shaped to fit at the hips and then flare to the hem for a very flattering fit!

I wish you all a safe and very happy New Year's Eve. Stay tuned for Step 1-- Cutting Instructions to kick of the new year right!

Merry Christmas !!

2010-12-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Wonderful Holiday (Merry Christmas)... This year is was all about the guitar for my husband... (Thank you Richard). I hope you all have a happy day today and the whole New Year long!

.... I'll get back to the sewing and design next week!

Check out Flow Disruption... a Cool New Fashion and Inspiration Blog

2010-12-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

....by one of my talented fashion students, Brittney! Her blog Flow Disruption is part fashion diary and part what inspires her... Actually, I'm very inspired by her, not only because of her creative fashion sense, but because she's doing it! She's putting together cool looks everyday... photographing them and posting them on her blog along what moves her! (...and I'm one of her "behind the scenes" photographers!) Her style is an eclectic mix of vintage chic, ready-to-wear and original designs. ... Here she's modeling a garment from one of her Studio Methods Classes!

...If you feel like your closet is getting a little boring, or needs an update, check out Flow Disruption --you'll pick up some new ways to mix it up!

....and, I'm all inspired to get my blog on too! Stay tuned for 7 skirts in 7 days! One great pattern, 7 comfortable, fashion instructor looks! -- Bonus, at the end of the week, I'll offer the pattern as the kick off for my new limited edition JStern Boutique Line!

Gorgeous J Stern Design Jeans!

2010-11-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I love getting pictures of garments sewn by my customers! (I'm always so inspired by how talented you guys are!) I have been emailing back and forth with Teresa, one of my students that I met at the Chantilly Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in October. At the expo, she took my hands-on jean construction class. Since then, she's been working on a pair of jeans using the Misses' Jeans pattern.

I want to share with you how great her jeans came out! Both the fit and the construction are amazing... Here's the back view-- check out the cool embroidery on the back pockets. Excellent job Teresa!

How to measure properly to get the right bra size!

2010-11-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy that I got up at 5:00 am Saturday (to go to an ASDP event--Bra Fitting).

I had to get up so early because the presentation was being held at Lady Grace... in Braintree, MA, which is 2 hours away from me. Happily, I had company, my friend Grace came along with me (no relation), we had a great time!

Here's a quick recap--When we got there, we were welcomed by several other ASDP members and the very knowledgeable and friendly staff of Lady Grace. Claire, the store manager, (who has been fitting bras for over thirty years) gave an excellent presentation... It was well worth the early wake-up! Many of the ASDP members do custom garments and special occasion dresses, so one of the goals was to learn how to educate customers on how to buy the proper foundations to go under their dresses and such. One of the things Claire explained was how to measure to determine which bra size you should start with.

So, as we all know bra sizes are made up of two different parts--band size and cup size:

The band size is determined by the measurement of your middrift directly below your bust. (The bottom tape).

Here's how you use this measurement to determine your band length.

Measure yourself directly under your bust (make sure that the tape measure is straight across your back).
So, let's use me for example. My middrift measures 35 inches. Here's what you do with this measurement:

If your measurement is UNDER 35 inches (not me)... add 5 inches to this number.
If your measurement is 35 or more, add 3 inches to this number.
So in my case, 35 + 3 = 38
38 is my starting band length size.

Ok, I now know I should start trying on bras that are 38 ____
Now, let's determine cup size (yuck). Measure across your full bust. ... In my case, I measure 41 inches.
Here's what you do with that measurement:

An A-Cup = 36 inches
A B-Cup = 37 inches
A C-Cup = 38 inches
A D-Cup = 39 inches
Here's where it gets tricky... Depending on the sizing chart it could go like this:

A DD-Cup = 40 inches -- OMG, I can't shop at Macy's anymore!!!!!
A DDD-Cup = 41 inches
A DDDD-Cup = 42 inches (you get the idea)

Here's another way it could go depending on sizing charts:

A E-Cup = 40 inches
A F-Cup = 41 inches
A G-Cup = 42 inches (... Lady Grace carries bras up to a N-Cup)

So, based on my measurements, I started trying on 38F bras (I'm whispering that by the way...)

Fitting tips:

It's important to try on several styles-- Depending on how things are fitting you may have to go up or down a cup or band size. Also, keep in mind that as band size goes up, cup size goes down. What I mean is a 36C = a 38B. So, for example, If your 38C bra seems to fit fine, except for the fact that it feels loose around your middrift--a 36D might fit better.

One sure sign that the band length is too big is that your bra rides up in the back. (Ideally, the back of the bra should lay evenly at the same level with the lower end of the front of your bra.)

Another tip I got at Lady Grace--Fit the bra using the MIDDLE hooks--that way you can loosen or tighten the band as needed! (I never knew that... I always hooked my bra on the tightest hooks.. As my bra stretched out... I had nowhere to adjust it tighter!) (Of course I had plenty of room if I felt bloated!)

Obviously, you can tell if the cup size is too big... but sometimes it's hard to tell if it's big enough.

If you wear an underwire, the wire should extend just past the bust along the sides. This could put the end of the wire under your arm .... but that's ok, as long as it's within 1/2" of the end of the fullness. (This is often overlooked when choosing a cup size. Usually I'm too busy paying attention to what the cleavage area is doing... and whether or not they slipping under the wire!)

Anyway, those are the tips I picked up.... in the end here's size of the bras I left Lady Grace with (I got beige too!) BTW, thank god I don't live in France... I would be 95F yikes!!

I must say that having the correct size bra is not only more comfortable, but it also makes my bust smaller. I know this because my turtlenecks get stretched out less when I'm wearing them Yay!

Happy bra hunting!! (For you or your custom clothes customers! (I wouldn't do a fitting without one!)

Fabulous Guide to Personalized Marketing Plan

2010-11-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

I need a marketing plan! (and I thought some of you might too!) I found these excellent worksheets on Etsy -- courtesy of Blacksburg Belle. I have an "Etsy Store" (with nothing in it yet... still planning that too.) so I'm on the Etsy Email List. It's filled with great information on everything to get your crafting business going.... Honestly, they practically do it for you. So, if you've been thinking about how you can sell your cool handmade stuff, I definitely recommend giving Etsy a shot--you can start by signing up and getting all the great info! Here's the link to get on Etsy Email!

So, now I'm off to work on my marketing plan!

New Q & A at Jsterndesigns!

2010-11-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

I was up at 4:30 am trying to figure out how I could put more stuff on my blog more often. I love doing how-to tutorials ...but they're a lot of work and sometimes I can't find the time to fit that in. (I reallywish I could put one up every week!) I also spend a lot of time answering questions from sewer girls via email. This morning it occurred to me that I could post the questions and answers! Maybe someone else has the same question! Yay, so I'm going to start Q & A posts! (I think that's a great way to fill in some of the holes between exciting how-to tutorials!)

The best part is, you can participate too-- If you're sitting there trying to figure out a sewing dilemma, shoot me an email!

So, here we go, our first Q & A post: I got some great questions from one of my sewer girls regarding my misses' jeans pattern.

Q) Did you use a 1/2" seam allowance on all the seams related to the zipper installation? (THANKS so much for the video!)

A. The seam allowance that you sew the zipper directly to the right leg is 3/8" -- The right fly piece gets sewn using that seam allowance as well (I generally sew right on top of the seam that attaches the zipper to the right leg).

Q) I need to make a better pattern for the fly facing because they didn't match up at the bottom when doing the bartack. Are they the same dimension, or are they different widths for the left and right? Or did I just mess up with the installation?

A. Here's how to get them to match perfectly. Before you add seam allowances-- Make the right fly piece twice the width of the left fly piece. (The right fly piece gets folded in half), Then add 1 - 1/2" seam allowance to the left fly piece and 2 - 3/8" seam allowances to the right fly piece. Finally, you can clean finish the edges before you sew them to the jeans for a neat look!

Q) How do you determine how long your zipper should be? I noticed that your zipper went all the way to the bottom of the fly facing. How do you figure out how long the whole assembly should be--something I've always been confused about!

A. Generally, I use the zipper seam allowance as a guide to the length of my zipper. Then I'll make the fly pieces 1/4" longer so it extends a tiny bit below the bottom of the zipper. The length of the zipper seam allowance is determined by the length of your front rise. If you lengthen or shorten the front rise, make the adjustment across the front leg along the zipper area. Then lengthen or shorten the fly pieces to match the adjusted length of the zipper seam allowance

Q) Is there an easy way to topstitch up over the bottom of the zipper? I was doing it blind because I couldn't see what was underneath and I know it should look better than I did it. If you're cutting off the zipper at the bottom of the fly facing, do you go over it when you cross over to come back down with the topstitching?

4. I never cut off my zippers to the right length (unless it's an emergency) (I do have zippers from 3" - 6" in 1/2" increments available for $3.50). The trick to not sewing blind is to mark the metal zipper stop with chalk on the right side of the denim. If you are using a zipper that is not cut off, there is twill tape under the metal stop that you can catch in your topstitching without killing your needle (or worse!) BTW, If you only sew down two thirds of the way along the right fly piece, you can pin it out of the way while you're topstitching!) Then you can tack the two fly pieces together in the last step!

If something isn't clear, please let me know.-- and I invite anyone with a "Q" to send it along! (It doesn't have to be pattern related!) Happy Day, Jen

Cool Jean Pocket Idea... Lost pics from Chantilly....

2010-10-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I was meaning to show you a cool pocket idea that I saw in Chantilly, but I lost the card that the pics were on. Cleaning up this morning I found it on the floor behind my desk! Yay, now I can share.

Here is the front pocket:

The design under the pocket is neat, but what really caught my attention was the little welt opening that was sewn into the denim facing...

I'm wondering if I would want that to be a decorative or functional welt. If decorative, it would be really easy to do. --Slash the denim facing pattern where you wanted the welt to be positioned, add seam allowances and then cut out two denim pieces. To construct this "welt", I would treat it like a slot seam. Baste the pieces together and press the seam allowances open. Position a piece of contrasting fabric behind the basted seam (Use a strip of fabric the width of your seam allowances pressed open x the length of the basted seam.) Topstitch 1/4" away from the basted seam on each side. Remove basting stitches and you're done! The contrasting fabric will peek out -- I would use the same print fabric as my waistband facing and pocket facings. Then you can treat the denim facing as you would if the slot seam wasn't there...

Now, on to the back pocket.

Again, neat denim details. You can applique denim shapes onto the back pocket before you topstitch it in place. ... And, I really like the faux welt opening at the top of the pocket. Again really easy. Cut your back pocket pattern piece into two pieces--The top piece would be about an inch wide and the bottom piece would be the rest of the pocket. Remeber to add a seam allowance to the cut edges of the pattern piece. Cut the pieces out of denim. Baste the top and bottom pocket pieces together and press the seam allowances open. Topstitch 1/4" away from the basted seam to create the faux welt opening. Start stitching along the top pocket piece, 1inch away from the side edge. Stop 1 inch from the opposite side edge. Pivot and stitch 1/2 inch down, thru the basted seam onto the bottom pocket piece. Pivot and stitch 1/4" away from the basted seam along the bottom pocket piece. Stop 1 inch from the side edge, pivot and stitch to your start point! You can bar tack the 1/2" side edges of the faux welt opening to reinforce them.

Then treat the pocket as you normally would. Turn the side and top edges under, press well. Position the back pocket on the back leg and topstitch in place as usual... except you're topstitching along the top edge of the pocket as well!

If you have any questions about this technique, post a comment or shoot me an email!

One last pic from Chantilly. I love it when ladies visit the booth wearing something they made from one of my patterns. I love the exposed seams on this Tee! She used a 4-thread wide with varigated thread... very cool!

Day One at the Expo

2010-10-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Is it raining where you are? It's pouring here... the weather men in Chantilly, VA told everyone to stay home if they didn't need to leave the house.... Of course that's really up for interpretation, especially when we (jsterndesigns and lots of other talented venders) are all set-up and ready to go at the Expo Center! It ended up to be a very quiet day.

However, true to form I still managed to have a great time. I had the chance to meet a few nice ladies who have taken my classes on PatternReview. It's always nice to meet someone in person after working with them in an online class setting! Also, I had a chance to keep an eye out for cool stuff walking by our booth. I met Bonnie Moore of the Handweaver's Guild (bonitammoore@gmail.com). She had on a beautiful vest made of hand woven fabric... The colors were so pretty, I'm amazed at how you can transform a few spools of thin yarn into gorgeous fabric! Plus, she almost got away before I noticed her hand woven necklace.

Crystal laden bib necklaces are back in style this fall... and I loved the tribal feel of this necklace, very unique. (I apologize, I don't think my pics really do them justice.) Anyway, I'm off to get ready for an super busy and exciting day! I'm sure I'll see something new and exciting to share with you later.

If you live down here, stop by and visit! (I'm doing Jean muslin fittings right in the booth!)

How to put in a front fly zipper...

2010-09-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, all of you who really know me, know that I don't do alterations! I mean it, I hate fixing stuff. (I'm lucky because I do have some very talented friends who do.) But, I felt bad when one of my friends broke the zipper of her favorite pants... (I couldn't say no). Plus, It's makes a great thing to share with you!

Here we go.... (First the challenges) These pants don't have a waistband, so the zipper goes right up to the button-- which is in the fly extension! I had to think about that for a minute. Then I noticed that the buttonhole is sewn right through the right fly piece and the right leg... so I couldn't take apart the pants on that side to put in the new zipper. (It's hard to see, but on the right side, see the blurred buttonhole?)

Before you take out the broken zipper, take a picture so you can use it as a guide as you put the new zipper in!

The first thing to do was to pick out the zipper and the fly extension....

Here's what the pants look like after the zipper is removed. I also had to pick out the front crotch seam about an inch or so.

Pick a zipper that is the same length of the broken zipper. (Notice that the right end is folded forward and the left end is folded back. They need to be folded down that way so they are both "finished" at the top (Because there isn't a waistband to tuck the ends into.)

Put a piece of Wonder Tape on the the left side of the zipper twill tape.

Stick the zipper along the folded edge on the left front leg. (Check your snapshot to see how the zipper is positioned before you stitch it into place.)

When you're happy with the position of the zipper along the folded edge, flip the zipper, right sides together with the left leg (without disturbing the Wonder Tape).

Then sew the zipper to the left leg. Use your zipper foot so you can get close to the zipper teeth (but not too close!) Place the zipper face down against the feed teeth, that way you can make sure it's getting sewn correctly.

Here's what the zipper looks like when it's sewn into position.

Now it's time to sew the right side of the zipper to the right leg. This is going to be done a little differently--because the buttonhole is sewn thru the fly piece. Since I can't take the right side apart to sew the zipper in, I'm going to topstitch it in place from the right side of the pants. Start by sticking a piece of Wonder Tape along the twill on the right side of the zipper. Then fold the end of the twill tape forward (so that it will be sandwiched between the zipper and the fly piece, out of view.)

The next step is to overlap the right side over the zipper. This is relatively easy to do because the fabric is "used to laying" the right way. (When you are inserting a zipper into pants as you're constructing them, it's a little more tricky to get the overlap just right!). When you've got everything lined up, gently smooth the fabric against the Wonder Tape along the right side of the twill tape.

To sew the right side of the zipper in place, I started by sewing long the inside row of front fly topstitching. Then I stitched a second row of stitching about 1/4" closer to the zipper teeth--just to be sure the zipper was securely anchored.

Here's what it looks like from the inside of the pants.

Here's what the fly looks like with the extra row of stitching... I think it looks a little bit like a designer detail..

The next step is to sew the front crotch closed. I just stitched along the original topstitching so it matched up really well. (There was only about a one inch hole.)

Now it's time to put the fly extension back on. Use the Wonder Tape to hold the fly extension in place behind the left side of the zipper. Because the button is attached to the top of the fly extension, I'm going to topstitch it back into place from the right side of the pants. (Make sure that the top edge of the fly extension matches the top edge of the leg, so the facing will fold back over evenly!)

Stick a piece of Wonder Tape to the top of the fly extension and fold the waistline facing down into position.

Sew through all the layers from the right side of the pants--To stitch the fly extension and facing permanently into position.

From the inside of the pants, line up the two fly pieces and sew a tack across the bottom of them to hold the fly closed.

Here's what the tack at the base of the fly pieces looks like.

Yay, here's the completed repair job!

Rock Climbing at Green Wall

2010-08-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Can I get a little "off topic"? Yesterday Nathan and I spent the day rock climbing with Mike...(The most excellent professional guide from Stone Age Gym.) I haven't climbed in about a month or longer... so I was a little surprised how far I got up those 5.9+ routes. (Routes are graded based on difficulty using the Yosemite Decimal System... starting at 5.0 - 5.15.)

Plus, this was my first time climbing outside.... I LOVED IT. ....and I'm more than a little sore this morning (time for some Advil!)

Here's a pic of our fearless leader climbing.

He makes it look like cake.... Nathan has Mike "on belay" making sure he's safe and sound.

I knew that Nathan was a good climber because I've seen him in the gym many times... But I have to say I was super impressed with the way he scaled those rocks outside. (Just like Spiderman!)

He made it look so easy.... (Not so much), when I got up there, I was amazed at how hard it was... but very satisfying.

...Yup, I got all the way up there! So, guess where I'm going later today.... To EMS for a new pair of climbing shoes! Our little outing reaffirmed my love for rock climbing... I'm going to have to figure out how to crammmm it into my schedule!

Back "on topic" Later this week, I'm going to show you how to replace a front fly zipper on a beloved pair of pants! (Not something I do often, ... but sometimes the pants need to stay in the closet....) Stay tuned.. Jen

We saw the "Sidewalk Catwalk" on Broadway!

2010-08-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Good Morning.

Yesterday Abby and I spent the day in NYC with some cool fashion students. While we were there, we shopped for fabric... helping students pick fabric for their mini collections.... Lunch at my fav... Ben's Deli on 38th.. and, while we were walking down Broadway, I spotted these really cool mannequins dressed up and painted in all sorts of outrageous colors! They were very cool. Turns out they were part of the "Sidewalk Catwalk". 32 designers like Michael Kors and Donna Karan were given fiberglass mannequins with instructions to "fashion" them up as they saw fit! One designer, Parbal, Gurung created a tribute to Alexander McQueen.

Here's Abby next to the mannequin designed by Rachel Roy... completely with a studded bustier and snakeskin boots!

Then, it was off to FIT to see Eco-Fashion: Going Green... It was fantastic! If you're going to be in NYC, it's definitely worth checking out. (You have until Nov 13th!). ...Now, it's back to work in the studio!

How to Mirror Image Your Back Pocket Designs

2010-08-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

Good Morning.

I decided that I better start blogging before I go off to school to teach... It seems like when I get home, "stuff" keeps happening and I never get to my beloved blog. So, I'm going to make it a first of the morning thing!

Here's a really easy way to mirror image your cool pocket design (to get identical left and right back pockets!!) This tip is complements of one of the wonderful ASG members that was in my Ready-to-Wear Jean Tips seminar at the conference.

Start by creating a design that you want to stitch on your jeans... This is my "signature" design.

Place a piece of nylon tulle over the template. Use scotch tape or pattern weights to hold it still!

Trace over the design with a Sharpie marker. Because the tulle is so fine, the ink from the Sharpie will get on both sides of the tulle to create a template that you can use on both sides!

Here's what the tulle looks like after the design is traced. Make sure that you trace the edges of the pocket and the center line--That will make it easy to center the tulle on the pocket!

To use your tulle template, simply position it centered on a pocket piece (before you press the edges back). Use a chalk marker to trace over the design. (Storage Tip: Because the tulle is so fine, you can easily lose it. Pin it to the back pocket pattern piece when you're done tracing!)

After you trace the first pocket, flip the tulle over and trace the second--A perfect mirror image of the first!!

It's 9:33 pm and I just finished all my "light" housekeeping!

2010-08-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

...That includes washing the kitchen floor! Ok, I can't believe it took me the rest of the week to dig out of all the stuff I had waiting for me when I got back from Atlanta. After some yummy macaroni and cheese and a good night sleep (and a little "girl time" with my girls) I will post the first of a few exciting tips that I picked up from the conference! Nite Nite (BTW, that's a sneak peek at one of the new embroidery designs I'm working on!)

The National ASG Conference was a HUGE Success!

2010-08-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I'm back... from Atlanta (a lovely 19 hour drive each way!) We had such a great time... and I have some really cool tips and techniques that I'm going to share with you in the next few days. ASG members are sooo talented, I learned a lot from them as I was teaching my classes!

Anyway, I wanted to shout out a quick thank you to the people who made this trip so a wonderful experience for me.

First, the "getting ready crew" ... If it were not for Grace, John and Mary Beth (and Gail) everything would not have been ready to stuff into the van! The kits you guys help make for my classes were top-notch, so much!!

Gail and I would not have had such a wonderful trip there and back if it wasn't for Sue and Dan. We stayed at their lovely home (which they made feel just like home) on the way there and back. .... They even waited up for us to get there both nights ...hum 11:30 pm (personally, I almost turned into a dented pumpkin!) Plus, they made us gourmet breakfast too! (Dan, I'm waiting for the recipe!!!!)

And to Mary Beth and Margrete for all their help in the booth (I don't think we could have had a booth without you guys! Thank you so much!!!!! BTW Mary Beth is also a very talented Jewelry Designer... Check out her Etsy Shop, Mary Elizabeth Ann!

And... of course, I won't do it without my best friend and super talented booth-mate, Gail Yellen of Gail Patrice Design. (Especially on the "road trip" portion of the adventure.... next time we're doing arts and crafts on the way down!)

Tips and techniques are coming (I have to do a little light "house keeping" first and then I'm on it!!!

Cool Tee Shirt Corset Project!!!

2010-07-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hi (wow, I know this is a record--two posts in one week!) I just wanted to share a really cool project with you that one of my friends forwarded to me.....

This very clever lady behind the blog TOSCAminni designed a corset top out of a tee shirt! I'm not an expert in foreign language, but I think it's in written in German--so it might be hard for you to read. But, if you scroll down, there are some sketches of her design as well as photos of the finished project.

The back of the corset is closed by a strip of tulle that's laced up through some pretty floral eyelets. There is a link to the website where she got the embroidery design...also very cool. In addition to the eyelet, there is a matching embroidered buttonhole. Check it out!

Skirts are coming to J Stern Designs!!

2010-07-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone.... Summer going well? I hope so. If I could figure out how to bring the computer and sewing machine into the pool with me, things would be perfect! Sorry I've been so absent from my beloved blog. I've been so busy teaching at Gibbs (turned Sanford-Brown College), (Loving every minute of it!) The good news is that when I get back from teaching at the National ASG Conference the first week in August, my schedule will be a little more manageable.

So, to celebrate my few "freed-up" hours, I'm going to work on my skirts. To kick things off, I'm going to post a tutorial on how to make a really cool drawstring skirt. The cool part is that the drawstring is only in the back--the front is flat so there's no extra fullness where you might not want it! The inspiration for this design is a skirt that I bought at Anthropologie a few years ago (pictured above). If you look close you can see that the side seams pull the back (when the drawstring is pulled up). I'm going to play with a shape that will be straight when the back is gathered. -- Either way, this skirt will be so easy to draft, that everyone will be able to follow the step-by-step and make it themselves!!!!

So, stay tuned, and get ready to make a skirt!

BTW, I'm also teaching a new serger class on Patternreview.com in August-- "Break your Serger out of the Box!" If anyone out there is fighting with their serger, this is the perfect "make-up, make-friends" class! Happy Summer!!!! (Stay cool)

How to make a V-Neck Tee

2010-06-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone... I'm taking a break from the jeans for a minute to post a long over-due tutorial... How to make a V-Neck version of the Tee! I'm really excited about it because I've also discovered that because the V cutout leave very little fabric in the Center Front Piece, you can use a coordinating woven fabric on the bias without any fitting adjustments. First I'll show you how to adjust the pattern piece to make a V, then I'll show you how I combined woven fabric with a knit for a really cool new version of the Tee!

BTW my lovely husband traded my camera way for a "bigger, better" model... Well, I'm learning how to use this one... I apologize in advance for the pics. (Let's see how many colors of white I can make the pattern paper! ...it's shocking, really.)... As you can see above, I've trace the center front bodice piece of the Tee pattern (on yellowish looking paper :).

We want the point of the V to end at the horizontal seam where the lower front is attached to the upper front pieces. So, mark 1/4" above the edge of the pattern at the lower center line. (If you want to finish the edge of the V, give yourself another 1/4" allowance!) I'm going to make a self facing for my first V-neck Tee, so I'm going to end the point of my V 1/2" from the bottom edge of the pattern piece (1/4" for the facing seam allowance and 1/4" to sew it to the lower front piece.)

Using a grid ruler, mark 1" from the shoulder seam along the original neckline. Align a horizontal line on the ruler with the shoulder seam and then measure down 1". Mark that the position along the neckline. Repeat this on the other side of the neckline. This will allow us to draw our V straight!

Now use the grid ruler to draw a straight line from the 1" mark at the shoulder to the center mark. Repeat to draw the other side of the V-Neck.

Here's what our V-Neck looks like so far.... You can leave it like this, or use a French Curve to add a soft curve to the straight line.

Add a slight curve along one side of V...

Then fold the pattern piece in half and use a tracing wheel and tracing transfer paper to add the identical curve to the other side of the V.

Here's what my "softly curved" V-neck looks like now. ...

You know how V-necks can gap away from your neckline? They stretch out of shape because the cut edge of the V is on the bias of the fabric. We're going to "contour" the neckline so that it doesn't gap. Essentially, what we're going to do is pleat out a 1/4" along each side of the V to take out excess fabric. Then we'll have a nice crisp V shape to our neckline that will lay close to the body. To determine where to pleat out the fabric, we're going to draw a line from the apex to the edge of the V. This is very simple to do.

The first step is to cut the V out. Then position the side front and lower front next to the center front, matching notches.

See how I've arranged the side front and lower front pattern pieces together with the center front... I marked the apex on the lower bodice.

Now, I'm going to draw a straight line from the apex to approximately the center of the edge along one side of the V-neckline. That's the line I'm going to slash and overlap 1/4".

I only have to mark one side of the V because I'm going to fold the pattern piece in half and slash both sides of the V at one time. Use a pair of sharp paper scissors or a rotary cutter and ruler to slash the line through the edge of the V to within 1/8" of the lower edge of the pattern piece. Unfold the pattern piece and overlap each slash 1/4". Tape in place.

After taping the overlapped paper in place, I folded the pattern piece in half again and trued-up the uneven edge of the V-neckline. By folding the pattern in half, I'm able to trim both the left and right edges of the V at the same time so that they are uniform!

Now the new V-neck pattern piece is ready to use.

I cut two V-neck pieces out of a printed cotton batiste that coordinates with my rayon knit fabric. Then I positioned them right sides together and sewed the inside of the V using a 1/4" seam allowance. Then I understitched the facing to the two seam allowances (to encourage it to turn to the wrong side nicely.) Finally I pressed the facing to the wrong side.

Now I have a V-neckline with a neat finished edge. All the other edges are still raw. Everything is matching up exactly, so I'm not going to take the time to baste them together... but if they were misbehaving, I would baste them together so they didn't slip around!

Then I cut the rest of the Tee out of my rayon knit. I used the serger to do the rest of the construction.

Because I don't love it when the design isn't continued to the back view, I use a thin bias strip of the woven fabric to finish the back neckline before I joined the shoulder seams.

Yay, I can't wait to make an all-knit version.... I love it! If anyone has questions about how to draft this new neckline...please shoot me any email! Enjoy

Introducing the Women's Tee Pattern

2010-05-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hey all...

It's only taken me all night to remember how to email those of you who are on my email list! I wanted to let you guys know that the Women's Tee has finally been added to the collection. You can find it on the pattern tab. Please let me know if anyone has questions. Nite Nite! PS. Thanks to my beautiful model... my mom!

How to do a Small Bust Adjustment -- "A-Cup" the Pattern

2010-05-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hey all, every now and then I get a question about taking in or reducing the size of the Top pattern. The answer is a reverse FBA of sorts. By taking out some of the paper in the bust area of the pattern, you get a closer fit with a smaller bust dart. It's a really easy adjustment, here's how to do it.

1. I like to trace a copy of the pattern pieces onto heavier pattern paper. (Much easier to work with than the tissue paper.) Transfer the markings onto your copies. Here is the front bodice piece for View B of the Top with Two Collars and a Peplum. (This adjustment will work with any top pattern that has a bust dart.)

2. Use the clear plastic ruler to draw two lines. The first line is a horizontal line from the tip of the bust dart to the center front of the pattern. Make sure your line is parallel to the floor (or perpendicular to the grainline). The second line is marked from the tip of the bust dart to the notch in the front armhole. Place a piece of clear tape over the end of the line at the armhole.

3. Cut out the bust dart.

4. Slash the pattern along the horizontal line from the dart tip to the center front of the pattern piece. Slash the second line from the dart tip to an 1/8" from the edge of the armhole, creating a hinge.

5. Overlap the upper section of the front bodice over the lower section 3/8". Make sure that the vertical center front edges of the pattern pieces are even and straight on grain. Tape the overlapped section in place. Overlap the second slash 3/8" where it intersects the first line. (Essentially you are creating an overlap that's shaped like a dart. Simply swing the pattern piece at the side seam in toward the center 3/8". Make sure the hinge at the armhole stays intact. Tape the overlapped paper in place.

Notice that you've removed some of the paper in the bust area of the pattern. The bust dart is also smaller. Fill the dart with paper and redraw the dart legs. If the pattern piece is still too big, you can do this adjustment again... or increase the overlap to 5/8".

Hope this is helpful.... Questions? Shoot me an email.

Learn how to adjust and sew the Jeans with ME on Patternreview.com!

2010-05-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone.

I really have to apologize for my slow posting pace lately... each week seems to skip by faster than I can keep up with!

I have two posts started....The first is a riveting tutorial showing you how to make a V-Neck version of The Tee.... This week, I promise. The second is how to "A-cup" the Top pattern... By this week too!!!

Meanwhile, I have very exciting news. I'm going to be teaching a bunch of new stuff on Patternreview.com (just click on the "on-line classes tab". For those of you who own the Misses' or Women's Jeans, and might be hesitant to start working them by yourself...fear no more! I'm teaching "Blue Prints to Blue Jeans" ... How to adjust and construct jeans. The class is made up of pdf lessons, live chats (where you can get instant answers to all your questions!) and message boards (almost instant answers to your questions). And, a bonus, my lovely husband and I are working on an optional video series!!! If you go and check it out, you can see the video sample that we did for the class.

Also, I teaching "Fun with Machine Embroidery" again. It was a huge class last time.... Over 75 people signed up and we had a blast! If any of you are sitting on your embroidery machines, not knowing what to do with them, this class might help. We'll go over how to embroider on 5 different fabrics.... Denim (of course), silk dupioni, terry cloth, knit and polar fleece.

Anyway, that's the news for now, stay posted for V-Necks and A-Cups!

Gibbs Fashion Show -- Run for the Roses was a Fabulous Hit!

2010-04-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

... and a great end to my first week of teaching. I forgot how much I love it! I have six students in my class and they are all working hard, learning how to use the industrial machines and making friends with their dressforms. I forgot how fast those machines are... I'm going to have to practice too!

Friday I was lucky enough to be able to attend the dress rehearsal for "The Run for the Roses" fashion show. The event was held at the Wadsworth Atheneum at the same time as the 29th Annual Fine Arts & Flower Show. There were 20 talented designers--Gibbs alumni and a couple of students. The designers created a one-of-a kind dress (and one very cool pant suit!) paired with a floral themed hat. Each model was ready to step out in grand style at the Kentucky Derby!

At the rehearsal some of the garments still needed a little work... That brought back memories for me, I can remember stitching right up to the last minute before my fashion show! The models practiced walking the "runway" around Avery Cout (which was decorated with dressforms embellished with colorful tulle skirts.

On Saturday, I arrived early and helped behind the scenes where Gibbs' students were busy doing hair and makeup. There were stylists on hand to collaborate with designers to make sure each outfit was perfectly put together. When I finally made my way to Avery Court to set up my camera to shoot video, the room was packed... Standing room only! And, it went off without a hitch!

...After the fashion show attendees had the opportunity to chat with the designers and models. Then it was off to an elegant tea party... can you tell which roses are real and which are a yummy confection??

The Expo Part II

2010-04-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's Friday already..... Yesterday was my daughter and Mom's birthday (party Sunday!!!) and today is a half-day at school (two extra girls coming over) SO I decided to start early (6:30 am) and finish up my expo post so I can move on to How to make a V-Neck version of the Tee... and, I'm reformatting the Women's Tee instructions so they are easier to mail. As soon as I'm done with that I will offer it to everyone (including my sewer girl in Sweden!)

Before I get going with the Expo wrap-up, I want to let you know about a typo on my jeans pattern. Yesterday in my Jeans workshop, one of the students pointed out to me that the zipper seam allowance cutting lines printed on the pattern were wrong. There is a right and left leg cutting line and they are opposite of what they should be. Please read through the pattern instructions before cutting trimming the zipper seam allowance the Pattern Instructions are correct.

Ok, here I am teaching my front pocket and front fly zipper technique at the Expo....

It's hard to see in the picture, but one of my students was wearing a really cool button necklace.

One of the women who came to visit the booth showed me her sweatshirt--featuring the Fabric Etch technique that I wrote about in the last Embroidery Essentials Department article for Threads magazine. It's a really cool and easy way to achieve perfect cutwork embroidery. Work with natural plant fiber fabrics like cotton or linen. Embroider with polyester thread. Treat open areas with Fabric Etch. Let dry and brush off the fibers--no time consuming trimming with scissors! You can see the entire article in the last Threads (May). I was in the mall this week, and I saw top that looked very similar to this in one of the shop windows... so it's also a very fashion forward technique too!

One of the coolest booths at the show was Peggy Anne's Quilting & Sewing Co. They had great samples and they ordered pansies to decorate their booth with...very original. I purchased a little bag kit (to make for my mom for her birthday... I can say these things out loud because my mom never gets to my blog!) Their shop is located in Concord, NH and I'm really excited about possibly doing a jeans workshop there... we'll see!

Our neighbor across the aisle was the Beadin Path. They had really nice trims, beads and charms. I definitely made new friends there! I checked out their website. If you're into the beading thing, it's definitely worth a check. They have tons of stuff to look at!

...and I got some of these German Filigree charms for Gail (Gail Patrice Design) so she could use them to fill holes with--intrigued, check it out on her website!

...and here she is (working hard in our booth!)

Finally, last but definitely not least are my friends from Sulky. I see Diane and Eric at every show I attend, and it's definitely nice to see these friendly (and talented) faces. Eric is a busy guy... He's a National Sulky Educator and a sales and education coordinator. I've been to Sulky events and they are fantastic, so if you own a store and want a creative event, check that out. In addition to being a National Educator for Sulky Diane also has her own blog--Design on a Whim. They are both fantastic!

...and finally, if you're looking for a different kind of metallic thread, try Sulky's Holoshimmer Thread. Unlike traditional metallic thread, Holoshimmer is tiny slivers of holographic material that embroiders and sews like a dream. Embroider on jeans, leather and organza using this thread with fabulous results. (The embroidery on my website home page is done on white leather with silver Holoshimmer sparkle!)

Here are all the fabulous colors that are available, try it, you'll like it!

That's all for now, stay posted for the V-Neck Tee!

Who I Saw at the Worcester Expo Part I -- June Colburn

2010-04-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone. We had such a great time at the Expo, our booth was so busy and Gail was teaching so much that I didn't get to see much... But I did catch up with some old friends and I even made a few new ones too! I would like to thank my Mom, Pam and Mary Beth for their help (they were fantastic!) Also, I would have never finished everything before hand if John didn't help with kits and such ....Thank you too!!!!

So, I'm going to do a two part post of my little expo highlights. I want to dedicate Part I to a very talented wearable arts designer--June Colburn. Her booth was right across the row from us. If you like Asian inspired wearable art and quilting projects, you definitely have to check out her stuff...she's incredible!

My Mother was eyeballing one of her jackets that she had hanging in her booth--The Asian Quarters Jacket. ...Here's a photo of it....

I bought the pattern so I can surprise Mom with a "mother/daughter" sewing day! (soon).

I thought the Foo Lion Quilt was pretty amazing...

...And she had beautiful Kimono fabrics. If you look closely you can see that the collections of fabrics are held together by a paper header with Asian writing on it. These papers are vintage ledgers used by accountants back when they were still counting with abacuses! Very cool

Ok, so here's a photo of June (she was nice enough to let me take her picture!) ...I have a little story to tell you.

Back when I entered my first Bernina Fashion Show in 2003 I was very impressed with one of the other entries that year--A jacket designed by June Colburn. I didn't have a chance to meet June, but I knew who she was because we carried her patterns in the store I was working in at the time. I've always loved Asian inspired designs, and I really liked the way she used different fabrics and colors to create her entry entitled "Heian Harmony"....

When I realized that it was June sitting in the June Colburn booth across from me, I was so excited to finally meet her! ...and it was such a pleasure too. She had so many interesting things in her booth--hand made papers, silk screens, fabric paints, patterns and kimono fabrics and vintage garments. Definitely a great source to check out! And, the best part is I made a wonderful new friend.

BTW, here's a quick snap at my entry for that year.... (it's amazing how time flies by!!!!)

I'll post the rest of the Worcester wrap-up tomorrow!

Quick Peek at the Women's Tee.... on my Mom!

2010-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Ok... I have time for a quickie... The Women's Tee came out great. My mom graciously offered to model it for me so I could see what it looked like on a body! Please note that the Tee is a size 16W and my mom is a size 14W. (So, it's a little big)

Here's close-up of the shoulder and above-the-bust detail. I relaxed the dart that's hidden in the seams so it would not be as fitted as the original Tee. I also designed a longer short sleeve and a wider shoulder seam (so it will cover wider bra straps). (My mom likes it). You can see from this photo that it's too big...but, with a little adjusting, I can get it to fit her well)

...and a side view.

...and finally, the back view. I think she will be modeling it at the Worcester Expo too! Now, moving on to the shorts!

Women's Tee and Shorts for Spring!

2010-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Good Morning.. I'm thinking about all you guys out there... especially RI sewer girls (and boys) I hope everyone is safe and dry. I had to cancel my class in RI due to the terrible flooding... Please let the sun come out!!

So, today I'm working on the final draft of the Women's sized Tee ...I'll have them ready for the Worcester Expo (thanks in advance to my super fast printer boys at Action Blueprint!) (If you live in the Manchester CT area, they are the BEST.)

I get lots of requests for Women's sized patterns... I thought the Tee would be a good place to start! I've built-in a D-Cup starting point and a wider shoulder seam than the original. I also contoured the neckline in the front and back so it won't gap away from the body.

Also, shorts season (They were right on the cover of this month's Vogue.) is right around the corner. I'm working with the Khaki Pants pattern to make some new samples ....for the fashion show at the Worcester Expo next weekend. The great thing about making your own shorts is that you can customize the hem length to exactly where you want it. Sometimes I'm in a Bermuda mood... other times I like short shorts... (but not too short)

Stay posted for a tutorial showing you how!

How to Use Your Bridal Trousseau to Make a New Family Heirloom (Christening Gown!)

2010-03-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all... it's been a crazy few weeks. There are a few exciting things happening, and I think they'll bring lots of inspiration, pattern fitting and other fun stuff to my blog.

First off (on an unrelated note), I just got back from shooting my first destination wedding (as "b camera girl"-- b video footage and first assistant to my pro videographer husband). The wedding was beautiful, I learned a lot about my new camera, and Jamaica was lots of fun... can you pick me out of the conga line?

Jamaica was beautiful too... and bonus, it was a full moon! Here's a "practice" night photo -- the view from our hotel room--

Any... back to sewing business. I'm teaching a master seamstress class in URI Master Seamstress Program--The Jeans Workshop. This class has given me an opportunity to really test all of my jean pattern adjustment techniques. There are 11 wonderful sewer girls in the class, and they are all proud owners of great fitting muslins. I've decided to adapt the handouts for the class into a Jean Pattern Fitting Book that I will debut at the Wocester Expo next week. Stay posted, after the expo, it will be available on my website as an E-Book that you can download and print yourself (or you can order the hard copy). It's a very comprehensive guide to fitting the J Stern Designs Jeans Patterns to your figure... It deals with things like getting the waistband to sit exactly where you want it and adjusting the width of the pattern pieces. Have you every wondered why wrinkles seem to collect across the back leg under your butt? Those wrinkles are caused by now having enough room "to sit in your jeans". Learn how to find the perfect balance between body space vs. how wide your pattern pieces are (positive vs. negative space). (And there's a lot more too!)

Another exciting development is that I will begin teaching at Gibb's College in their Fashion Design Program. I'm thrilled because I know I'll have the opportunity to inspire and be inspired by the students. I plan to share some of the fitting, design and other fun stuff I teach/learn in class right here in my blog... I've already got visions of a new "flare skirt w/ straight of grain at the side seams" dancing in my head. (That's one of the extra credit assignments for the class, and I plan on designing a few to wear to class!)

Finally, I want to share an interesting project with you that one of my sewer girls is working on in my studio. She has been saving her brial trousseau (beautiful slips and night gowns) along with a vintage christening gown pattern so she would be ready when one of her granddaughters gets married. A few weeks ago she decided to start working on the christening gown.

The pattern pieces inside the envelop were so tiny, we had to add 1/2" to some of the seam allowances so that it would fit a 2010 ish baby!

I thought it was really interesting that they included technical drawings of all the pattern pieces on the back of the envelop... along with a unique "flat" view of the christening gown.

We settled on silk dupioni for the fabric because the white color wasn't brilliant white. It blended well with the ivory lace trims from the slip and night gown that Jan wanted to use to embellish the hem and sleeves. The first few weeks were spent cutting out pattern pieces and picking the lace from the slip and night gown. (I have to admit that it's much harder to see white thread on white lace now that I'm 42!)

In addition to the laces that we repurposed from the trousseau, we decided to use 3/8" cotton insertion lace between all the vertical seams and cotton edging lace around the bottom of the yoke.

Here's a snap of one of the slips. I was truely amazed by the beautiful details and secretly I really didn't want to cut them apart... I think there should be a slip revival (how could you not feel pretty when you're wearing something like that under a dress?)

But, cut apart we did... To trim the sleeves we decided to use a portion of the wide lace at the hem of the slip. Deciding that we needed lace that was about 1 1/4" wide, we used a washaway marker to draw a line parallel to the hemmed edge--1 1/2" from the edge. Then we sewed along the line using a straight stitch. Finally, we cut the lace edge away 1/4" from the stitching.

I was careful to sew in the direction of the tiny pleats--feeding the trim under the presser foot with my finger as I went. This helped to gather it up a little bit.

Here's how the lace looks when it's sewn to the edge of the sleeve. It's going to look really pretty after we add the elastic to the casing!

And, here's a peek at the lace I picked off the night gown that we're going to use to embellish the hem!

I'm so excited about this project--it has such an interesting mix of old and new.... I'll be sure to post pictures of the finished christening gown as soon as it's finished!

How to Take in a Loose Fitting Shirt--While Keepint the Neck Measurement the Same.

2010-03-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

My friend dropped by the other day with a pattern adjustment question. I snapped a few pics of the steps, so I thought I would share with you! John is making dress shirts for his brother-in-law. The neck fits great, but there is some extra fabric hanging at the sides, creating an unflattering fit.

When a shirt is too wide across the chest, it makes the sleeve hang off the shoulder and the excess collects along the side seams. (Too wide doesn't translate into a nice roomy fit.) I love working with men's shirts because they are so easy to adjust-- This adjustment would also work for loose fitting
women's tops. (I haven't tested it on a pattern with a dart yet, but I think it would also work for that too.)

To get a good fit on his brother-in-law, John estimated that 3 inches had to come off the width of the pattern. I decided to trim the seams down a size at the armhole and 2 sizes along the side seams. Because the neck fits perfect, I'm going to leave the shoulder seams as they are. If I trimmed them off, it would make the neckline smaller.

(Close-up of the shoulder seam.)

Step 1. Use a sharpie to mark the new size along the front and back armhole. The red marker will be my cut line when I take off the excess tissue. Notice that I drew right across the shoulder seam, leaving the shoulder seam allowances as they were.

(Close-up of the front armhole and side seam)

Step 2. Trace two sizes in along the front side seams. By going down two sizes, I will trim 1 1/2" off each side, removing all the excess fabric that hanging along the side seams.

(Close-up of the back armhole and side seams, below the back yoke.)

Step 3. Trace one size smaller along the lower back armhole and two sizes smaller along the back side seams. REMEMBER to trace one size smaller along the upper armhole on the back yoke piece--see top photo.)

Step 4. Transfer all notches to the new cut line. Trim off the excess tissue along the marked lines.

Final Step. Adjust the sleeve to fit the armhole. Because the shoulder seams were not trimmed off, there is an extra seam allowance. But, we traced two sizes smaller along the side seams... So to split the difference, cut the sleeve one size smaller and it will fit perfectly into the new armhole!

My Fav Oscar's Dress and Finished "Pgs" (aka pj bottoms)

2010-03-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all... very tired, stayed up to see the Hurt Locker win best pic! (Go Kathryn Bigelow). Of course I was paying more attention to what everyone was wearing than who was winning! I have to agree with the style editor on the Today Show, I think Sandra Bullock's dress was fabulous. It's really hard to do gold and shiny! One look I couldn't stand was all the ruffles--Demi Moore carried it off, but ........

I didn't grab a pic of Sandra Bullock's dress, but you can see it here (and interesting back view courtesy of CBS news).

On a separate note, my little sewer girl finished her "pgs" ...and had some scraps to make a matching hat!

She's been known to offer some "oscar winning performances"

of her own.....

Here's a close-up of the casing. She used a 3-Step zig-zag instead of a straight stitch. It has more give and it's easier for a new or younger sewer to make it look perfectly straight!

How to Win a Janome Serger! Show someone how to sew!

2010-03-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone.

Janome is having a cool contest--"Pass it On" It's simple, show someone how to sew something (in our case it's pjs). Photograph your efforts and submit pictures of your project--and la poof, you've entered to win a serger for yourself...and for your student. There are four beginner sewing projects to choose from (just in case pjs are not your thing!) Go to Janome.com to check out the projects and all the rules and regulations. The deadline is March 31, so rev up your sewing machines (and sergers) for your chance to win.

To inspire you, Abby and I decided to team up to make some "pgs" (aka pj bottoms-- one of the four projects.) The instruction on the Janome website are really good, but we wanted to show your our progress. Today we'll show you how we drafted a pattern using a pair of pj bottoms, cut them out, pinned them together and serged them. Next time we'll show you the finishing touches... plus you can see my "mommy" version of "pgs"

The first step is to find a pair of pjs that fit well and are made of the same type of fabric you are going to make your new ones out of. Abby dug out her fleece purple panda bears. Fold them in half and use them to trace a pattern piece.

The idea is to make a 2-piece pattern. That means that there are no side seams. Instead of tracing the side seams, we just drew a long straight line--from waist to hem. Then we traced the rest.

Add a 3/8" seam allowance along the crotch and inseam. We also added 1 1/2" along the waist for a drawstring casing.

Abby is a pro at using the rotary cutter to cut out her pattern pieces out of fleece. (If you're going to use a rotary cutter, make sure you cut the paper pattern out on the line. If you try to cut the paper on the line along with the fleece at the same time, you'll tear the pattern.)

After you cut out the leg, make sure the fabric is folded right sides together and pin along the inseam.

Cut out the second leg. Make sure you have a right and a left leg! Pin the inseam of the second leg.

Serge the inseams. Make sure to take the pins out BEFORE you get to them (or your serger will be sad)

After you've sewn both leg, turn one right-side-out. Then put that one inside the leg that's right-side-in. So, you'll end up with the two legs, right-sides-together--Line up the crotch seam (front waist to back waist.)

Serge the crotch seam, waistline to waistline. Then, try them on for fit. Here's what Abby looks like in her new "pgs". ... We'll be back in a couple of days to show you how to make a casing for a drawstring and how to hem fleece! We hope we inspired you to check out Janome's "Pass it On" sewing contest! ...I know Abby's hoping she'll win a new serger!

How to Raise the Rise on your Jeans Pattern

2010-02-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

Hi ... I know it's past my bedtime, but I promised that I would get this up today (I still have 1 hour!!) Let me show you how easy it is to get the waistband on your jeans (or pant) pattern to sit where you want it.

First, if you want raise both the front and back equally, here's how to do it. (Note, someone asked a really good question about why I slash and spread the front leg vs. just adding the extra at the top of the back leg. Here's why I do it this way. If you add the extra length to the top of the front leg, you will be changing the shape of the front pocket opening. So, after adjusting the front leg, you will also have to adjust 5 additional pattern pieces--the front pocket bag, the front pocket facing, the denim facing and the right and left front fly pieces. If you slash and add the extra length under the front pocket opening, you only have to adjust 2 additional pieces--the right and left front fly pieces.) (If you have a way to make an adjustment that works for you and you like it...go with that, it's not wrong! There are lots of ways to make an adjustment, I'm just showing you 1 way : < )

Working with the front leg pattern piece, slash pattern on the lengthen/shorten line and spread the pattern the amount you want to raise the waistband. If you're not using my pattern, make sure that you are slashing your pattern through the zipper. If you slash under the zipper, you will add length to the torso portion of the pattern, but the fly zipper will stop in the middle of your belly, instead of a little lower where it should....(I think that looks funny!)

You will also most likely need to take in the side seams a little. You can do that adjustment in the fabric when you make your test muslin.

In the back, you can add the extra right at the top of the back leg. (Because there isn't anything in the way. Again, you'll probably need to take the side seams in a little--But wait until you've sewn the yoke on because you can take them both in a little at the side seams (you can also take the back crotch seam in a little too). If you are doing a muslin, check for gap in the back yoke/waistband. Determine how much you need to remove and dart it out of the paper pattern pieces before you cut out the denim.

If you want to add more height to the CF and CB and a little less to the side seams you can do it using the method shown below, just make sure the amount you add to the front side seam matches the amount you add to the back side seam (so they sew together right!) (You will slash right through the side edges instead of making a hinge)

If you need to hike the rise up in the front or the back, it's a little more work, but still easy to do.

To add to the front rise... First determine how much you need to add. For example, let's say that you need an extra 1 1/2". The maximum that I would spread any one slash is 1/2" wide. So, to hike the front rise up 1 1/2" first draw three parallel lines (equally spaced) through the zipper section of the front leg. Slash each line starting at the CF, cut right through the zipper seam allowance and stop 1/2" from the side edge. Put a piece of scotch tape along the seam allowance to reinforce the tissue. Clip in toward the end of the slash to create a hinge at the side edge. With pattern paper under the tissue, spread each slash 1/2", tape in place. True up the zipper seam allowance. Smooth out the side edge at the hip if necessary.

To add to the back rise, simply add the length you need at the CB (extending the back crotch length). Draw a straight line from the top of the back crotch seam down to the side seam. (Again, I would check for gap in the yoke/waistband and adjust the paper pattern pieces before cutting out the denim.)

Remember to add length to both the front fly pieces so they match the new length of the zipper seam allowance!

I hope that's clear...if not, shoot me an email. Nite nite!

Going to NYC for a Fabric Buying Trip...and I'm shooting Video!!

2010-02-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone (no, I didn't fall off a cliff!) I've been really busy -- I've been playing Florence Nightingale at the hospital, one of my very good friends and my mother-in-law were having some stuff going on (not to get into the gritty details)... Happily, they are both doing much better this week (Thank goodness).

Upcoming on jsterndesigns will be a tutorial on how to get the waistband of your jeans to sit right up where you want it too! I'll show you how to get the rise higher so they are comfortable for all of you out there who don't care for low rise jeans!

Today I'm off to NYC to buy fabric and such. More exciting though is that I'm bring my new camera with me and I'm going to try to shoot some video of the trip. This will be my first attempt at video without my husband behind the scenes.... keep your fingers crossed. If all goes well, I'll be posting it for all of you to see...

Here's my PR Jean Skirt..

2010-02-02T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hey all, sorry I haven't posted anything new and exciting in the last week. I was working on my PR class--sewing a new skirt as I wrote the instructions (I think I ended up with over 50 pages of great stuff!). And, I had trouble deciding when to stop working on the skirt...I could have appliqued, embroidered and stitched on it until next month, I love it! Anyway, the class started yesterday and I've already had the opportunity to interact with some of the students via the class message board... And, tomorrow is the first live chat with the sewer girls who are signed up. (That should be really fun!) This is the first on line class I've ever taught, and I wasn't sure what to expect... So far, I think it's a wonderful experience. (Teaching is the thing I really miss from my days at Manchester Sewing.) Doing online classes might be the way to go, it gives me the opportunity to meet great sewers from across the country...and a few other countries too!

On another note, I am working on the turtle pattern from a few posts ago. I'm thinking that I can make two versions in one pattern. 1. The Turtle and 2. No Turtle...just an open neckline with a drawstring...Pic coming soon!

Hot DIY Fashion Tips on the Today Show

2010-01-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hi all, ...I just shot my first video for a new class I'm going to be teaching on PR in March -- It should be live for registration soon! Also, I'm putting the finishing touches on my jean skirt that I'm working on as I write the instructions for decon to recon -- how to make a denim skirt from a pair of jeans. You still have time to check that class out, it starts Monday (You can download a pdf of the outline for the class.... between you and me, the instructions are so complete, you can make this skirt just by following the photos!)

When I was drinking my coffee this morning I was watching the Today Show. They had a cool segment on DIY Fashion. Bobby Thomas was showing us how to gussy-up our wardrobe without spending a lot of cash. Some if it was ok... But, I was really excited about this one DIY technique where you actually cut away sections of a tee shirt to create a new look...I love it, check it out!

Adjusting the Front and Back Crotch Seam on Your Jeans Pattern

2010-01-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

Ok...sorry for the delay on getting info to you about adjusting the front/back crotch seam on your jeans to get rid of extra fabric that's bunching up either under the front zipper or butt. Let's take the front crotch seam first. I just want to throw out this disclaimer--There are lots of reasons why this might be happening. Here's my short list of what I think they could be:

The front fly zipper is not sewn in correctly.
The angle of the front crotch seam is not compatible with the shape of your waistline/hips.
The curve at the bottom of the crotch seam is not "curving" with your shape down there.

Let's take no. 1 first. When you're sewing the front fly together, it's important that the pieces were all accurately cut out. For example, if you "added" a little by not cutting out the zipper seam allowance exactly on the line, you've got extra fabric along the center front of your jeans. This tiny mistake can be magnified by not using the exact seam allowance (making the amount of extra fabric even greater). Then when you insert the zipper the overlap of the right and left leg needs to be exactly right. If you don't overlap the pieces enough, the extra fabric causes the fly to pull way from the body when the zipper is zipped up. Finally, when you're sewing the fly piece down when you're topstitching the fly detail, everything needs to be pressed perfectly flat. If the leg piece is bunched up under the fly piece, that's not good either. All of this can affect the front crotch and how it fits...because it's directly attached to the bottom of the fly.

Now, in no. 2, I'm referring to the angle that the crotch seam takes from the waistline at the center front.

The original front leg piece illustrated above has a front crotch seam that angles out slightly as it progresses towards the curve at the bottom of the seam. This is perfect for anyone who has a defined waistline. The angled front crotch seam acts like a dart giving the front waistline the shape to sit on a smaller waistline. If you either do not have a defined waistline, or if you are wearing your jeans on your high hip (instead of closer to your waistline) the angle in the front crotch seam will cause extra fabric to push into the center of the jeans. The sides of the waistband are being pushed down because there isn't a waist for them to sit up into. This extra fabric can show up at the bottom of the fly zipper.

The pink line represents the front crotch seam that would fit a shape without a defined waist. If your jeans are hanging off your waistline properly, there isn't extra fabric being pushed into the center front to cause fit problems.

Finally, to address no. 3--Notice, I've also played with the shape of the curve as well. This is an area that you may need to play with a little to refine the fit of your jeans. The curve needs to follow your shape...it's a subtle adjustment, but it can make a big difference. You may need less or more curve than the pattern piece is giving you.

....Please if you have questions, shoot me an email, I'll try to individualize answers depending on your specific situation.

Now, for the back crotch seam... check out this post I did in November--How to Smooth the Wrinkles Behind the Leg. Questions...please let me know!

Hope that was helpful...Jen

The Turtle Knit Top is Definitely a Go!

2010-01-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

I couldn't wait any longer, I made a strong cup of coffee and decided to test the turtle (instead of going to bed)...And I'm glad I did! I think it came out pretty well for a quick draft and sew-together! But, I'm definitely going to add a kangaroo pocket to give the front a little more interest...

Here's what the turtleneck pattern piece looks like...Although, I ran out of fabric so the sewn-up version of the turtle is about 2 inches shorter than the paper. And, I'm a little @@**#()%#!! that I sewed it on right sides together with the neckline--When I flipped it down over the shoulders, the wrong side showed, serged edges and all. (yuck, I'll fix it.) (I think I needed stronger coffee!)

I think the back looks good. ...I'm going to whip this up into a limited edition Jsterndesign! (It sewed together is 20 minutes!!) ...Stay posted!

How to make a lined back pocket for Jeans

2010-01-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hey all, here's the promised tutorial showing how to make lined back pockets for your next pair of jeans.

Start by using the back pocket pattern piece to cut out two lining pieces--have fun picking out a pretty cotton print.

With right sides together, stitch across the top edge of the pocket using at least a 1/2" seam allowance.

Press the cotton print to the wrong side of the denim. It's hard to see in this photo, but I made sure to crease a fold in the denim (about 1/8" away from the actual seam). That way the printed fabric would stay neatly on the inside.

Now we're going to treat this pocket as if it were made from a single piece of fabric. Use the serger to clean finish the side and bottom edges (You'll also be sewing them together as well.) Then press the top corners down 3/8". This will prevent the serged edge from poking out of the top of the pocket when you press the side edges under.

Then press the side and bottom edges under (toward the printed fabric). Notice that the seam allowance is not going to show when you topstitch this pocket to your jeans.

Before you topstitch the pocket to the back of your jeans fold the top edge down. Find the center of the pocket and sew a bar tack to hold it in place.

Press the fold edge to get a nice shape. Now, topstitch the pocket to the back of your jeans.

This technique looks great on the coin pocket too!

Another reason to line your pockets is to add stability to stretchy denim--topstitching comes out straighter. If you're adding a flap to the pocket, the extra layer of fabric helps to support the tack button.

In this case, simply match the two pieces wrong sides together, serge the edges and treat the pocket as if it were one piece of fabric.

...Ok, it's not fashion, but I had to sneak it in....A boy chalk bag.

2010-01-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

I'm sewing...just not fashion this second. If you saw my Ugly Doll Chalk Bag post a few posts ago, you know that we've taken up rock climbing at this really cool gym--Stone Age Rock Gym. My whole family loves it, who would have thought 5 very different individuals would all take to the same activity?

So far, I'd only had time to make one chalk bag (the Ugly Doll), and we've been sharing it... Abby LOVES it...it fits her personality (and we're lucky she is willing to share!) Nathan is a little older and likes to walk to the gym after school. He expressed to me that he felt a little "silly" toting around Abby's Ugly Doll... so I decided I had to boy up a bag for him. I decided to go with dark bali prints that I think he'll like... I finished it just now and exchanged Ugly in for it with all this stuff. I think it will do the trick (and I even put the chalk in already!)

A quick lined back pocket and jean adjustment post tomorrow...I promise (and thank you to all the PR members that made my first expert chat on PatternReview a success!!! (some of us were chatting till after 11:30 pm!)

Here's Your Chance to Chat with Me about Jeans, Live on PatternReview.com

2010-01-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hey all, one more heads up for this week--I'm going to be sitting in the Expert Chat Room at PatternReview.com this Sunday at 9:00 pm (eastern standard time). We're going to be talking about everything Jeans. I have to admit, I'm really excited to have the opportunity to interact directly with other sewer girls, so bring your questions and join me Sunday! The best part is that you decide which direction the chat will go--whether you're not sure how to make your jeans look like they walked off the runway or if you have a fitting dilemma, I'll do my best to help you along. This Chat is free to all members of PatternReview.com If you haven't had a chance to check it out, I suggest you give it a look, it's one of the best resources I've come across for home sewers. ....Hope to chat with you Sunday!

Decon to Recon your Jeans on PatternReview.com

2010-01-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I just wanted to give you a heads ups that I will be teaching a class on how to deconstruct an old pair of jeans and make them into your new favorite denim skirt on PatternReview.com. I'm having lots of fun working on a new skirt using a pair of Hudson Jeans that will NEVER fit me again--This is a great way to give an old favorite a second life! If you have any of these jeans lurking around the back of your closet, I'd love for you to join me. (Especially if you want to see how to make a pair of jeans that are too small fit perfectly when they are transformed into a skirt!)

Also, I'm working on a new design--a new knit top pattern that's a tribute to my favorite winter sweater--It's a fitted tunic with a kangaroo pocket and a huge cowl turtleneck that can be worn two different ways. When I'm inside, I love to pull it down over my shoulders--It looks like a sweater/capelet twin set (with a loose turtleneck). Outside when the wind is blowing, I pull it over my head like a hood! I'll be posting pics of that in the next few days--I'm toying with making this new design into a limited edition pattern that will be available in sizes sm, med and lg...stay tuned, after I true up all the pieces, I'm going to test in in a gray thermal waffle knit. (I'm thinking it would be great in polar fleece too.)

Happy New Year--With an Ugly Doll Chalk Bag and Delicious Pork Roast!

2009-12-31T19:52:00.000-08:00

Belated Happy Holidays and Happy Happy New Year! ....There are two hourish to go til the end of 2009 and I wanted to wish you all a most wonderful holiday and ALL THE BEST for 2010! Sorry I've been a little absent from my blog...I've had some challenging family stuff--including the passing of one of my husband's uncles--Uncle John, who visited Gail and I in Chantilly, VA at the expo this past fall. I feel so honored and blessed that I had the opportunity to spend that wonderful evening with him on a whirlwind tour of DC (You can check out some photos from that visit in a post that I published in October.)

...So, this New Years Eve while we enjoy a quiet celebration with movies and yummy port roast, I thought I would do a quick post of a recent Christmas gift to keep me perky until midnight! The BIG thing that we got our kid for Christmas was a years membership to a local rock climbing gym. ... By the time we got the membership, shoes, harnesses and other associated items I ran out of money to get the chalk bags everyone would need to keep their hands from getting sweaty while climbing. I decided that instead of spending $25.00 a pop, I would make them. The owner of the gym mentioned to me that he was thinking of using stuffed animals to make chalk bags. ....Here's the bag I came up with for Abby. (I know it's not fashion sewing, but it was fun!)

Luckily, Abby had an Ugly Doll that she was willing to offer up to me to try to create a chalk bag out of. I think it came out adorable and I can't wait to see it hanging from her waist as she works at scaling the walls of the gym!

To make the body of the bag, I cut off the top of the head and saved the ears--to be reattached later!

I used a triple zigzag to attach some 1/2" polyester horsehair around the opening to hold the bag open.

Then I attached to twill loops to the back of the bag--that way it could hang from the elastic belt I'll add later.

After cutting out and sewing together a lining made of fleece, I positioned it right sides together with the bag. After pinning the raw edges of the lining and bag together, I sewed all the way around.

Then I turned the bag right side out through the hole I left in the lining. Then I sewed up the hole.

To keep the chalk from falling out, I made a little cuff with a drawstring.

I made a narrow casing along the folded edge of the knit cuff by sewing a seam 1/2" away from the fold. After measuring the length I needed, I trimmed the cuff to size and sewed it together into a circle by joining the ends using a triple zigzag.

Finally, I sewed the cuff 1/2" from the top edge of the bag (right through the horse hair). Now the chalk will stay safely inside the bag when the draw string is pulled tight. To access the chalk, all Abby needs to do is loosen the drawstring and tuck the cuff down into the bag. --I think she's going to love it!

(I have to hurry up and make bags for the rest of us so we can keep up with her!)

Happy New Year Everyone--And I'm happy to report that there will be LOTS of Fashion Sewing in 2010 at jsterndesigns...and maybe a little rock climbing adventure too!

How to Point and Shoot like a Fashion Photographer!

2009-12-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

Hey all, I'm busy working on a class that I will be teaching on Pattern Review... So, I don't have any interesting tidbit of my own to post about. However, I came across an excellent article by Jennifer Sauer that explains how to take fab pics of your finished garments and accessories. click to read: http://sewing.patternreview.com/article/121509 (Yup, I found it as I was poking around looking for something else!)

I wish I had checked this article out before taking some of the photos that I torture you guys with! Well, it's a learning process... (For example take a look at the pic above...cool skirt, creepy picture! I mean really, this skirt looks like I pinned it on to my wood paneled wall so I could achieve a flat-as-a-pancake look!)

Ultimate Sweatshirt Makeover...using The Tee Pattern.

2009-12-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

Boy did the weather get cold all of the sudden... I noticed that my hands were having trouble typing because it was nippy inside the house too...I turned up the heat a little and decided that it was time to do a sweatshirt makeover. ...I also finished the jeans (I LOVE THEM)...but my photographer is on a wedding shoot today--I'll post pics of them later. As you can see, I played with taking my own photo in the mirror (wearing my new (nice fitting) sweatshirt)....(I think I need more practice).

I don't know about you, but I have at least one sweatshirt that's getting a little too messy to wear in public. This Gap sweatshirt is one of my all-time favs but it has definitely seen better days. I'm going to show you have to give it a second life using my Tee pattern.

Here's what you need to know before you start:

Sweatshirt fleece doesn't stretch, so enlarge the pattern a couple of sizes. (I wear a size lg, so I'm using the xxl size.)
Before you cut the pieces out, consider the best way use the fabric and any details that are embroidered or printed on it. (For example, I'm cutting out the back pieces from the front of the sweatshirt so I can fit the embroidered logo across the upper back piece.)
Notice spots or stains--you can flip the fabric and use the wrong side of the fleece as the right side to "hide" these stains.
Because The Tee pattern has set-in sleeves, they won't be too big or overwhelming like the sleeves on most sweatshirts--but remember that the sleeve pattern piece is only 3/4 length. If you want long sleeves, remember to add some to the bottom of the pattern!

Cut the sweatshirt apart. Start at the hem and cut along the side seam straight through the armhole and down the underarm seam.

After cutting both sides, lay the sweatshirt flat. You can easily see how to take the best advantage of all the fabric you have to cut out the Tee pattern pieces now.

Because I want to keep the "Gap Original" logo intact, I'm going to cut out the back pieces from the front of the sweatshirt. And, I wanted to take advantage of the wide ribbing at the bottom...so instead of cutting out the shirt tail hem, I used a ruler to extend the side seam all the way to the bottom of the ribbing.

...The angle of the side seam pointed out a little too far (It's not attractive to have a hem that peaks away from your body at the hem.) So, use a curved ruler to soften the point.

...Notice how the sides seam edges kinda curve with the shape of a body...instead of poking away. To cut out the upper back piece, I marked the center of the logo with chalk. Then I positioned the pattern piece, centered, over the logo. Here's how the back pieces look sewn together...I like the relaxed fitted shape--If you want a more boxy fit, simply straight out the side seams where they dip into at the waist.

I cut the front pieces out of the back of the sweatshirt. If I had cut the sleeves off the front and back when I was taking the sweatshirt apart, I wouldn't have had enough room to cut out the center front piece.

Bonus, I think the seam detail that ended up near the shoulders is interesting.

Feeling a little chilly, I decided the 3/4" length sleeves were not long enough! Happily this sweatshirt was large enough to add length to the bottom of the sleeve pattern piece so I can have really long sleeves! No matter how long you like your sleeves, make sure position the bottom of the sleeve pattern piece even with the rib knit...Then you don't have to "finish" the bottom edges of the sleeves on your new sweatshirt because the original ribbing will be there!

The side front pieces fit on the scraps leftover from cutting out the sleeves. Remember to flip the pattern piece if your cutting out one at a time.

After you serge the side front pieces to the center front, press the seam allowances toward the armhole. After serging the upper front to the lower front, press the seam allowance down. Pressing the bulky seam allowances this way makes the right side of the sweatshirt look neat, especially on either side of the seam between the side and center front pieces.

As you serge the sweatshirt together, make sure you're matching seams and where the rib hem starts.

Here's a close-up of the front--This sweatshirt was a mess, so I used the wrong side of the fabric everywhere except the center front and upper back.

Finally, sew a bar tack at the end of the side seams, underarm seams and shoulder seams to keep them together and looking neat.

I normally don't plug my patterns when I post how-tos...but I can't help myself here... The Tee pattern makes a really cool sweatshirt that has a LOT of style! Enjoy (...and if you have any questions, please shoot me an email at info@jsterndesigns.com)

Bias Jeans Part II--Some Juicy Details!

2009-12-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

Working on the jeans today...I want to show you some detail shots of stuff you can take advantage of whe you're working with a pair of deconstructed jeans (bias or not!)...

First of all, you don't have to sew the coin pocket onto the denim facing, because it's already attached! I decided to take off the little "T" logo that was stitched onto the coin pocket.

Instead of taking time to use a seam ripper to take the old pocket bag off the denim facing, I just trimmed around the edges with a rotary cutter.

Remember those rivets I had to cut around to get the jeans apart? I trimmed off the edges that I had to cut into to get around the rivets. Because I'm working with a larger size men's jean, the pockets were really deep compared to the front pockets on my jeans--so there is room on the top edge and side seam edge to trim off denim that's been sliced to work around rivets.

After trimming off the top edge, I lined the denim facing on the right side of the pocket bag and pin in place. Then I flipped the pocket bag so that the wrong side of the pocket bag is face up. That way I could see how much of the denim facing I had to trim along the side.

After trimming the denim facing to fit the pocket bag, I topstitched along the edge of the denim to hold it in place on the pocket bag.

...Be careful not the make two left pockets.... Because I used blue chambray fabric that doesn't really have an obvious right or wrong side I made two lefts. (I took the denim facing apart that didn't have the coin pocket on it and made a right pocket!)

Moving onto the front fly zipper. I am going to use the fly zipper pieces from the original jeans (no pattern pieces required!) The left fly piece that ends up being sewn behind the zipper already has a finished end and the right fly piece has a neat curved end. So, I'll just shorten both pieces at the top.

I measured my zipper seam allowance (which was 4 1/2") --I'm going to cut my fly pieces an extra 1/2" longer (5").

Here is the right fly piece sewn to the right leg. (Notice the cool curved edge already finished and ready to go!) The zipper is sewn to the the seam allowance on the left leg. Keep the left fly piece handy to attach after the topstitching is complete.

Here's a close-up of the front fly topstitching...

See how the topstitching catches the bottom of the zipper twill tape...This is a good way to anchor the bottom of the zipper. The fly topstitching holds the right fly piece in place. The only thing left to do is to attach the left fly piece.

Basted Bias Jeans--Definitely Worth Finishing

2009-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

Breaking news!!! I was selected to teach at the 2010 National ASG conference in Atlanta this August--Jeans and Tee Shirt...I'm very excited! (Stay tuned for more class information.)

Now, onto the business at hand...I was going to just do the front fly and pockets before I sewing the legs together to see if this bias thing was going to work...but then I chickened out and basted them together without a fly or pockets. (I didn't want to waste the time if they were going to be hopeless.

Happy Day, I think they are going to fit great (with a little tweaking)! Here's what they look like so far (don't look too closely, some skin shows)

I think I'm going to play with the front side seams a little--

Pretty happy with the back--I'm going to cut down the original pockets and sew them back in place...I'm not sure exactly where they are going to go, so I might have to deal with the black to instant fade lines where the bottom of the pockets were....we'll see.

Hopefully I can finish these this weekend. I do want to tell you, they are comfortable, I like the way the bias feels. On a completely separate note, I have a quick tip for you...

One of my sewing students came with a collection of patterns that she wanted to fit. I was very impressed with the way she had them organized. Each was in it's own manilla folder.

Putting patterns in these larger folders makes it really easy to keep all the pieces together (we all know how hard it is to get all that tissue back into its tiny envelope).

Cut the pattern envelope apart and tape it to the front of the folder...

It doesn't show in this picture, but we recorded her body measurements in

the space under the pattern measurement and yardage charts--

That way we have all the information we needed

to work on fitting this blouse

right at our fingertips!

Happy Sewing!!!!

Bias Jeans Make Over Part 1--Adjusting and Cutting Out the Legs

2009-12-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

Ok...I have to admit up front that I'm guessing about how to adjust the pattern pieces to accommodate bias denim. I've been fantasizing about bias jeans for a while now, and this will be my first attempt. (Which is why I was so happy to find a pair of men's jeans cut on the bias at the thrift shop. It will only be a $2.50 mistake if they go terribly wrong....I'm keeping my fingers crossed.)

After I took apart the jeans, I treated them to a fair amount of steam to block them back into shape. I wasn't sure how much room I would need to fit my pattern pieces on the the deconstructed jeans, so I picked apart EVERYTHING--including the front pocket facings and zipper. I pressed all the seam allowances flat which gave me an extra inch across the width of the legs.

Because we're working in bias, I'm going to cut out the leg one at a time. Let's start with the back legs.

Here's a view of the back leg with the back leg pattern piece positioned over it (centered). (These jeans are a men's size 36" waist--not a lot of wiggle room at the hip!) I think I want to fill in some of the hollows between the hip and the hem to make these jeans loose fitting. Since this is my first stab at it, I'm really not ready to tackle second skin bias! (lol).

What I'm going to do is add some fabric between the hip and the hem along the side and inseams to loosen the fit of these jeans.

Using a french curve, I'm going to use chalk to draw the cutting line directly on the denim in the areas I'm filling in. Then, remember the septic paper that I mentioned in yesterday's post? It has another great use. Because it's so see-thru, it's perfect for adjusting the paper pattern pieces.

I taped strips of septic paper along the edges of the leg where I needed to add fabric. Then I used a red pencil to trace the chalk line so it would be easy to see. After I cut out one leg, I can flip the pattern piece and cut out the second with no fuss or muss!

In addition to adding along the side and inseam between the hip and hem, I also decided to add to the back rise at the top of the leg. 3/4" at the back crotch seam -- 0" at the side seam. I'm guessing that I might need a little more vertical room (I can always take it back out if I don't need it.)

Here's how the pattern piece looks after I cut on the line--I love this septic paper, it acts like paper, but it's see-thru!

If you're working with deconstructed jeans, you don't have to remember to flip the pattern piece to cut out the second leg (It won't fit if you don't.) With the pattern piece flipped, you can easily see where I added to the original pattern piece to loosen the fit.

The next step is to make similar adjustments to the front leg. Because the Misses' Jeans pattern has a forward side seam, I'm going to be generous with the amount of fabric I add along the sides (to balance the width of the front leg to the back a little bit.)

I just want to mention that as I picked these jeans apart, I had to work around some rivets. (Of course I love rivets...but they are a pain if you're taking jeans apart. The best course of action is to cut around them as closely as you can and hope that you didn't need that 1/2" of fabric that's missing now! (...If anyone has a good way to remove them without cutting the fabric, I would love to hear it!)

OK, I'm going to do a quick front fly zipper and pockets and then I'm going to baste these jeans together...stay posted for the results!

Fitting a Vintage Pattern with Grace

2009-12-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

In addition to patterns and blogging I also teach private sewing lessons...and one of them is getting very interesting...Grace brought some vintage patterns with her...She wants to make this cool dress. It features an interesting drape across the front bodice... (which we'll deal with later.). There was only one size in the envelope--size 10...I will say that vintage patterns are TINY. The bust is 34 and the waist is 24 (oh my goodness, I don't even remember being those measurements!)

Anyway we're going to get going by making a muslin of the bodice to see how close we are--Not wanting to cut into the original, we started by tracing the pieces...on to septic paper. Yup, the paper that they use to line the earth when they put in a new septic system. We used a red pencil to trace the pattern lines, notches and dots.

Septic paper can be found a Lowes (Home Depo doesn't carry it). You can get a 50 yard roll for about 20 dollars! It is super light weight and does not stretch. You can pin or sew it together. The only issue I have with it is that you'd need to wear a unitard while trying on muslins...unless you don't mind the nude look, lol!

As we work on this, I keep you posted on the progress...I'm really excited about this project because I think it will be challenging...one of the facing pieces is kinda shaped like Cape Cod!

Bias jeans tomorrow, I promise!

How to put a shank on a flat button

2009-11-30T13:31:00.001-08:00

Well.... My big sewing weekend was cut a little short due to the a cold (not the swine flu). But I did get the jeans apart...it took me all day, but they're apart. I will post pics of them and how I adjusted my jeans pattern into a more relaxed style tomorrow before my first lesson tomorrow morning, (which is at 10:00 am!) For now, check out a cool way to make a shank button from a regular flat one at gailpatrice.com. This is a handy technique to have this time of year because of all the jackets and coats that might be on the sewing table right now!

How to put a shank on a flat button

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Happy Day Before Thanksgiving! ...I'm Thinking about Sewing.

2009-11-25T05:28:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a most wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow....I'm having my family and my husband's family (30 people who haven't met yet...it should be interesting!

I feel like I haven't posted anything useful in a LONG time...but don't worry, I'm thinking about it. I'm having a sew and design extravaganza weekend after Thanksgiving (because my husband will be super busy shooting three weddings in a row). So the project on the short list is re-making jeans from the men's bias cut jean I got at the thrift store. I'm going to adjust my pattern pieces to a looser style, take apart the men's jeans and cut them out again...It should be very exciting. I'm also going to show you how to make a cool sweatshirt using The Tee pattern

Here are the "before" Pictures of the bias jeans so you can see how they fit me before I take them apart and recut them.

On a silly note, I woke up to find my front yard festooned with red and white cray paper...apparently the Manchester High School Cheerleaders go confused and thought Alex the super cute senior football player lives here!

How to Smooth Wrinkles behind the Leg on your Jeans Pattern

2009-11-15T04:52:00.000-08:00

Whew...it's been a busy week (couple of weeks) (since Halloween). I helped by friend Gail push out her fabulous new Counterpoints Jacket Pattern....We love it when it's at the printer! Then I had prepare for my Jeans Workshop (which I was presenting at a ASDP meeting yesterday afternoon.) I had a great time and all the ladies were wonderful! Here I am helping one of the ladies decide what adjustments she would need to fix her muslin... And, BTW, my lovely husband videotaped the whole thing (and snapped a few pics)! We will be making a DVD of this little talk, so stay posted for that.

Back to the "preparation" part....I was prepared-- Except for a nagging fitting problem that cropped up (the weekend before the presentation) when I was working on a pair of jeans that I wanted to wear. I used my "adjusted" my jeans pattern to cut out some yummy stretch velvet.

...Well, I had more wrinkles across my back leg than I could count. (How could I wear them to a meeting that I was going to talk about great fitting jeans? And, if your wondering why I was noticing those wrinkles now ...apparently, they tend to show up much more profusely when you're working with stretch fabric. This velvet was really stretchy compared to the denim I usually work with. My denim jeans (cut from the same pattern) only needed a little tweeking. I was living with it until I had time to fix it. Yuck...I made a road trip to my friend Eric's house (he's also a professional pattern drafter)

I have already written a post that tried show EVERYTHING I learned during my visit to Eric....but, it started to get really complicated and I thought it would be more confusing than helpful, so let me try again...

Let's say for this example, you've fitted your pattern, and it fits...except there are a lot of wrinkles behind the leg (and under your butt).

Here is one of the illustrations I used yesterday at my presentation. The gray area represents body space. That's the amount of space you have to sit down in your jeans. One of the reasons why you get wrinkles behind your leg is that there isn't enough body space. Fixing this problem is a two part process:

First pinch out the extra fabric and second, adjust the back crotch back to it's original length.

The first thing you need to do is find a sewing friend that can pinch out

the extra fabric while you're wearing your muslin.

Pinch the fabric out at the top of the back leg, just under

the yoke. Don't go crazy,

If you pinch out too much, you won't be able to sit

down or bend over! (I recommend starting with 1/2" or so.)

This should pull up and smooth out the wrinkles.

(You may need to play with this adjustment.)

On your pattern, pinch out the extra along the back crotch seam. Notice you've made

the crotch seam shorter. You need to regain the the lost length.

To regain the length of the crotch seam, scoop it out along the curve. Measure

your new line and see how close it is to the original back crotch length.

...Let me know how this works for you...and PLEASE, if you need help shoot me an email!

Happy Halloween!! (Bias Jeans and a Creepy Meatloaf for Dinner)

2009-10-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I'm so excited, this is the first year in at least 5 or 6 that I'll be home to hand out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins that come to our door! I have an afternoon of pumpkin carving, decorating the front door and spooky dinner making planned. ...So let's get the business out of the way first!

Instead of a black cat, I have black bias jeans to show you. I've been running the idea of cutting out jeans on the bias for a while now. ...At my last visit to the thrift store I was searching through the men's jeans section to find good candidates for remake and I spied these black jeans that were cut on the bias! I almost freaked out right in the store (I was so excited)... Anyway, you can expect a bias jean how to very soon!

Now onto the creepy thing I want to show you. One of my other loves is cooking and my specialty is anything that has to do with pasta and cheese. I can make macaroni and cheese about 100 different succulent ways (No Kraft in this house) I was contemplating making a "spooky" version with all sorts of stuff coming out of the noodles and sauce. But then I came across something so much better.

...I found the perfect recipe on a blog called Not Martha. I'm going to give you the link...but first I want to give warning. Above are the very innocent ingredients posing for the "before" picture. This pile of ground meat and such is transformed into a gruesome meatloaf of sorts... check it out if you dare!

Personally, I couldn't be happier to have a game plan for dinner that will be a thrill for my kids (and husband) ...and I'm sure they will love it too!

Happy Halloween Everyone... Serious Sewing and Design will commence next week!

How To get your Happy on...and be a better sewer.

2009-10-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! The FBA post ...and something that happened at the gym yesterday has inspired me to share something with you. Feeling happy makes everything better...whether it's sewing or doing the dishes.

I've been trying to get into shape (after falling off the exercise wagon) ...I'm starting to make some progress, (not weight loss or better fitting clothes) ...my "comfortable" pace on the treadmill has gotten much quicker and I'm feeling more perky everyday. Everyone knows working out makes for a Happier mood--but I found out yesterday that smiling while on the treadmill can make even more Happy.

I was clicking along on the treadmill and the man in front of me was just getting of his elliptical trainer. When he turned to get some paper towels to wipe his machine off, he looked at me. So, I gave him my big smile. He smiled back. After he was finished cleaning off his machine he came over to me and said "Don't kill me, but I just have to say, you have a beautiful smile". ...it wasn't a cheesy pick-up line, he just said it and then he walked away.

That quick little smile didn't take any effort or burn any calories, but it made my mood sparkle. I had 20 minutes to go, so I decided to try it again, I smile at the next person who walked by, she smiled back... I was so busy smiling that those last 20 minutes sped by.

Give it a try...Smile and spread some happy around! (I was sparkley for the rest of the day) (This also works at the grocery store...ask me how I know! : < )

How to do a Full Bust Adjustment on The Tee

2009-10-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Ok ladies, I've posted how to relax the fit ...which works great for lots of people. But really I think many could use more room in the bust without all the other relaxation. Others might benefit from both adjustments.

To start with I want to show you how much I love you all by showing you my "lovely" naked arm.... Here I am in my adjusted Tee. Before I show you the front view, I want to mention that the knit I used is a specialty fabric that is moisture-wicking with not a whole lot of stretch...(I'm trying to get some yoga tops out of this tutorial as well.)

When I followed my own instructions and tested this knit using the stretch guide on the back of the pattern, it barely made it to the "it has to stretch to here" line. ...So, the fit is much tighter than it would be if it had more give. This top sewn up in this fabric would not even come close to fitting me without a full bust adjustment.

...In addition to being snug, you can see I'm a little chilly too. BUT the important thing to note is that the side front pieces around the unfinished armhole are not wrinkling or distored. The full bust adjustment I did is really "D-Cupping" the pattern. You can adjust the amount of fullness you add by adjusting the amount you spread the pattern pieces.

If you have a D-Cup     Spread 3/4"
If you have a DD-Cup Spread 1"
If you have an E-Cup Spread 1 1/4" (you might want to draw a double set of lines spaced 1/2" apart.
         Slash and spread each 5/8" instead of trying to spread one line 1 1/4"
F-Cup   Spread 1 1/2" definitely drawing two lines to work with (spreading each 3/4".)

--If anyone needs help with this, please let me know and I will draw it out for you--(anytime I offer, I mean it sincerely!)

If you have a bust size larger than that, I would plus-size the pattern first. (Check out the post I did in Oct, 2008 showing how to do that.)

My full bust measures almost 41" -- I cut out the size xl.

Lay the side front, center front and lower front pattern pieces next to each other as shown above.

Using a ruler, draw a horizontal line 1 1/2" below the top edge of the lower front piece. (This should be where your apex is.) Then draw a second line that starts just below the notch in the front armhole, goes through the top edge of the lower front next to the notch and intersects the horizontal line. (Pointing to your apex.)

First, slice the side front along the diagonal line, creating a hinge at the armhole. The spread the pattern 3/4" (for a D-Cup).

Tape the pattern piece to the paper to hold it in place.

Then, slash the lower front pattern piece along the horizontal line. Anchor the top edge to the pattern paper with some tape and spread the lower half 3/4". Also, trim off the little triangular piece and spread that 3/4" from the center piece as shown.

Use a French Curve to "true up" the top curved edge of the lower front pattern piece. You will end up trimming off some of the existing pattern. True up the lower edge of the side front pattern piece as well.

I used a red pencil to color in the area that is added by doing this adjustment. As you can see, you get more room without adding any width to the pattern. Adding to the side seams in combination with this adjustment can give you a more comfortable fit as well.

Because you're adding the same amount to both the side front and lower front, the pieces sew together perfectly.

...And, this is what I've been doing this week....

2009-10-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

I've been spending a week revamping my computer, software and such and I'm very excited about it! (That's why I haven't been posting promised Full Bust Adjustment and other good stuff! It's coming, I promise... When you find out what I've been doing, I think you'll be excited too!

...I'm going to be making the transition from my wonderful photo how-tos to VIDEO! If course I thought I could do this in one or two days... After the 1st trip to the Apple Store, we realized that it was going to be a little more complicated than that. My wonder husband is a PC guy... so, we have some cross platform issues to figure out so he can help me edit my footage.

On the upside, I did get a new 23 inch monitor so I can see what I'm doing (always a plus) and I cleaned up my studio during the "sit and wait while I install this or figure that out" moments. ...I even cleaned up my desktop (after being admonished by aforementioned wonderful husband!) ...and bonus, he's going to let me use his fancy dance camera to shoot my sewing videos in HD!

Stay tuned, there will be exciting changes in a couple of weeks. Also, if you requested swatches of prewashed denim, they will be going in the mail today...if you didn't and would like to see some yummy denim, shoot me an email with your address. Talk soon!

Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a Freebie from Urban Threads - CraftStylish

2009-10-13T06:34:00.001-07:00

Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a Freebie from Urban Threads - CraftStylish

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A New Design Idea for the Pattern 0051--A Top with Two Collars and a Peplum

2009-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday I was going to start working on samples of each size of my Jeans pattern. I found some heavy weight muslin in NY that's perfect (so I don't have to make them out of denim) (Hopefully by next week I'll have denim and muslin up for sale...interested? Send me an email with your address and I'll send PRE WASHED (5x) swatches of the denim and the muslin) ....Anyway, I got way off track...

I decided to work on a Top that I had started a while ago...and realized midway in the cutting out process that I wasn't going to have enough fabric (ever happen to you??) ...I have lots of gorgeous pieces hanging around that I have to use before I let myself buy more... I thought I'd be able to squeak a sleeveless version out of a piece of silk crepe that was calling to me... Luckily I had cut out the front bodice pieces first. The back bodice pieces did not fit on what was left...Yuck.

So, I dumped out my scrap bin and large scraps of black silk charmuse caught my eye. They were left over from the bias dress I made a couple of month ago., I stopped to think about it farther....a matte crepe front stitched to a shiny silk charmuse back??? I wasn't sure I was going to love that. (Kinda reminded me of that villian in one of the Batman movies that had two looks coming and going....)

As I looked at the back bodice pattern piece an new design idea popped into my head...Why not split the back piece into two pieces??? Then I would use the charmuse for the center back pieces and the crepe for the side back pieces...I think I like that....

I tried it out. Here's how to make the new back bodice pattern pieces:

Use a Variform curved ruler, French Curve or Hip Ruler to draw a line from the tip of the dart to the back arm hole (somewhere near the back notch). If you don't have any of these "fancy" rulers, dash along with your pencil to create a very gentle curve then fill it in with a straight ruler to make a smooth line.

I'm working on my master pattern that I've adjusted to fit me... So, I'm not going to cut on the line. I traced the "new" center back and side back pieces onto another piece of paper. Then I added 1/2" seam allowances along the new style line that joins them back together. The RED DOTS mark the dart tip on the original pattern--that way I know where and how much to gather the center back piece (until it fits the side back piece)

I "quickly" cut out the pieces and basted them together...I decided to cut the peplum out of silk charmuse as well. (no pressing yet) Here's what the back looks like, I like it!

Here's a close-up of the gathered dart.

To bring some "shine" to the front bodice, I used the silk charmuse to bind the raw edges. For a more elegant look, I trimmed the seam allowances to 1/4" after I sewed the binding onto the front edges.

...now I have to take it apart the basting and really sew it together! (another day)

How to make Jeans into a Skirt--A design idea...

2009-10-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, I had the chance to meet one of my customers at the Sewing Expo last week...meet my new friend Robin. She stopped by our booth in Chantilly to say hi...and we snapped a few pictures! We chatted a little bit about sewing, Pattern Review and such...as it turns out she has a blog too. Take a minute to check out "A Little Sewing on the Side"... lots of great sewing and fun! ...and I think we have "twin" photos!

While visiting her blog, I read that she wished she had snapped more pics of one of my skirts that I made from a pair of jeans (that got a little snug). Well, I decided to snap some pics for her....and share them with you.

This skirt was a pair of Ann Taylor Jeans...yes the binding around the waistline came with the jeans!

Here's a close-up of the applique detail in the front. I fussy cut flowers from some Japanese fabric I got at the Houston Quilt Market a few years ago.

Instead of the "traditional wedge" of fabric used to close the gap in the front of most jeans skirts, I drafted a unique, curved piece.

Here's a side view showing where I cut the side seams and added more room. The strip of fabric I added at the waist opened into a godet at the hem.

...I added a cool pleat peeking from a "window" in the godet. It's hard to see in the picture, but the pleat is really multi-layered pleat. How to do it? ... Check out one of my favorite books on my shelf -- The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Collette Wolff. (It's on sale at Amazon.com till Oct 13th! Take a quick peak!) (There is A LOT of fabric manipulating techniques in there.)

...Next to come is a design idea for The Top with Two Collars and a Peplum....I was working with black silk crepe and I didn't have enough yardage. I'll show you what I did coming soon!

Dinner with Uncle John and a guided tour of Washington DC in the Dark!

2009-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Hi...We had another great day at the Expo... and after the bell rang at 6:00 pm we went out to dinner with my husband's Uncle John. He lives in Virginia and surprised us with a visit. He picked us up and took us to Red Lobster...Here we are.

Then Uncle John took use for a fabulous tour of Washington DC. ....

The back of the Lincoln Memorial

We go out of the car to take a picture of Albert and us (Einstein)

at the National Academy of Sciences --We're a "little bright", because I

had to crank up the exposure so you could see Albert.

Going to bed now to rest up for the grand finale...

Recap of Day 1 at the Expo

2009-10-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Chantilly, VA--Here's our booth all set up and ready to go!

The first day of the Sewing and Quilt Expo was a fabulous success!

Thank you to everyone who came by to say Hello, or buy a pattern, DVD or two.

Among ALL the fun Sewer girls we met today, we had the pleasure of meeting Blondell Howard, owner of The Sassy Sewer--Sewing Lounge. Located in Baltimore, MD, they offer sewing classes

for kids and adults. I love their tag line--We teach a skill--not just a class!

If you're lucky enough to live in the Baltimore area--check them out!

Here's a picture of Blondell (owner of The Sassy Sewer)

with Gail Yellen (Gail Patrice Designs)

The best part is that we made such good friends, we may be teaching

classes there in the near future!

How to Sew a Fabulous Front Fly Zipper

2009-09-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ok...I've got a Thread's Magazine embroidery article deadline (Can you hear my machine, I mean my friend Gail's machine humming? ...I killed my two pfaffs and my most wonderful service man is having fits trying to fix them.) Also, between color changes I'm organizing and packing for a road trip to Chantilly, VA for the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo where Gail and I will have a booth--drop by if you're local and say hi! And, I really wanted to squeeze in the Front Fly Zipper before I leave tomorrow morning!

Just for your FYI, I've already finished these jeans, and they fit great! I so happy that I have a new pair to wear at the Expo.

Now for the Front Fly Zipper. If you've never sewn a zipper before, don't sweat it...Let me show you how easy they are to put in.

The first thing you want to consider is the zipper you're going to use. Pick a zipper with a low profit...A big flashy pull or teeth aren't a good choice because they make it harder to get the fly pieces to lay flat when the fly zipper is completed. The other thing is that you want to make sure that your zipper is about 1/4" shorter than the zipper seam allowance. If it's longer, sew a bar tack over the teeth at the right spot to shorten it.

I prefer YKK zippers. I call up Archer Global Zippers & Trim in NYC

212-354-6095 -- they cut zippers to size and then they'll mail them right to your door!

If you're going to be in NYC, they are at 244 W 39th St. 2nd Floor.

Clean-finish the raw edges of the zipper seam allowance and front crotch seams before you start

working on the zipper.

Position the zipper right sides together with the zipper seam allowance. Stitch zipper being careful to sew exactly on the seam allowance (3/8" if you're using my patterns). When you press the zipper to the wrong side, the fold at the base of the zipper seam allowance should be exactly even with the raw edge of the crotch seam below it. Position the left front fly piece right sides together with the right front crotch edge. Sew using a 1/2" seam allowance. Use a piece of chalk to mark the 1/2" seam allowance along the lower left crotch

Use a piece of chalk to mark the 1/2" seam allowance along the zipper on the right leg. Put a piece of Wonder Tape along the twill of the zipper. To insure that you end up with a nice flat zipper it's important to sew the other side of the zipper to the left fly piece in the correct position. Here's how -- Peel the paper backing off the Wonder Tape. Overlap the left leg over the right leg (the right leg has the zipper sewn onto it already). Align the folded edge of the left front fly with the chalk line. (You need to overlap the left leg over the right leg 1/2".)

When you have the two legs in position, gently press the denim onto the Wonder Tape along the zipper so that it sticks firmly.

Turn the left leg over to check out how the zipper is positioned on the left fly piece. (The side of the zipper with the pin stuck in it is the left side.) Notice how even the edge of the twill tape is with the edge of the front fly piece.

To sew the zipper in place, position the left fly piece against the feed teeth of your sewing machine (the back side of the zipper will be face up). Stitch about 1/8" from the zipper teeth. Make sure you're not catching anything else in the stitching.

Lay your jeans with an "almost" complete front fly zipper face up on your work surface. Make sure the zipper and left fly piece are laying flat. Press the 1/2" seam allowance on the left leg to the wrong side (along the chalk line). Stick a couple of short pieces of Wonder Tape along the curve of the lower crotch seam allowance on the right leg. Fold the jeans in half, right sides together, and match up the raw edges of the curved front crotch seam below the zipper. Gently press them together to hold them in place.

Lay your jeans flat again and make sure that the left crotch seam is folded exactly on the chalk line--(See picture above. I've pulled it apart a little bit so you can see the zipper, left fly piece and chalk line.)

All you have to do now is topstitch the curved crotch seams together. Start at the inseam and stitch along the folded edge of the crotch seam. Stitch up until you've reached the bottom of the zipper twill tape. Stitch across a couple (or few) stitches then pivot and stitch back down to the inseam. Be careful not to stitch directly on top of the zipper stop at the bottom of the zipper, especially if it's metal!

Use chalk to draw out your fly detail. I usually start 1 1/4" away from the left folded edge. You can stitch one or two raws of topstitching to define your fly, it's up to you!

Finally, and I know it's a little unconventional, it's time to sew on the right front fly piece. Fold it in half, matching the clean-finished edges. Align these edges with the edge of the zipper seam allowance, pin in place. The folded edge should extend past the zipper when it's laying flat. Sew the right fly piece by stitching directly on top of the row of stitching used to hold the zipper onto the right leg. (Make sure that you're only catching the seam allowances of the zipper and the double edge of the right fly piece.)

***This is a variation from the direction printed in my jeans patterns. Both ways work, but I'm constantly experimenting to find better ways to do things. The one plus for doing it this way is that you never have to worry about the right fly piece getting in the way when you're topstitching the crotch seam and the fly detail.

Have a great week...stay tuned for news from the Chantilly Original Sewing and Quilt Expo...and the week I get back, we'll finish these jeans up with back pockets, a great waistband technique and beltloops!

How to Sew Front Pockets on Jeans--Some Tips and Inspiration!

2009-09-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a view from my sewing room--This is the September advertisement from The Gap ...I love it!

(I asked my husband which pair looked like his dream jeans...I will be designing him custom jeans for Christmas this year. (He's constantly complaining that he can't find jeans that fit him...I can fix that!)

Today I'm going to give you some tips on sewing the front pockets on your jeans. Front pockets add a LOT of style to look. If you missed Part I, check out how I scooped out the front pockets to give them a different shape. In addition to a "new shape", I'm also going to play with the topstitching. I decided to use orange Jean Stitch thread from YLI so you can see the details.

Tips for Topstitching with heavy threads:

Use a size 14 or 16 Topstitch Needle (TS needles have a really long eye to accommodate heavy thread.)
Wind a bobbin with all purpose sewing thread (heavy thread in the bobbin and needle is too much for most home sewing machines.
Increase your stitch length to 3.5 or 4 mm.
Test stitch on a double layer scrap of denim. If the stitch looks yucky on the back, tighten your upper tension a little--to 5 or 6. And, adjust the stitch length to what you like.

If you have two sewing machines (luxury, luxury, luxury....) set up one for Topstitching and use the other for construction, that way you won't have to keep changing threads.

Here we go... After sewing the front pocket facing to the front leg, understitch and press it to the wrong side. Then topstitch (or edgestitch) along the folded edge. You can leave it like that...or add a second row of stitching. Most times I have just followed along about a 1/4" away, but why not get a little fancy? If you want to try something that doesn't follow along the shape of the pocket opening, use some chalk and a french curve to draw it out first...then if you like it, all you have to do is topstitch on the line! (I chalked in my seam allowances too..that way I could see where my topstitching would end.)

I sewed three little "whisker" just under the pocket, radiating from the side seam. To do that, chalk them out, fold along the line and stitch really close to the fold. Press them down. ...this is a test, I'm not sure I'll love it, we'll see...

Here's my curved topstitching.

The back of the pocket is made up of two pieces--the cotton pocket bag and the denim facing. Finish the curved edge of the denim facing on the serger. Then topstitch it to the cotton pocket bag. ***If you want your jeans to look "pretty" on the inside, sew the denim facing to the WRONG Side of the pocket bag...that way when you put the pocket together, the RIGHT side of the fabric will be facing out.

Decide which side you want to put your coin pocket. I put mine on the opposite side of where I experimented with the whiskers on the leg... and I stitched a few whiskers on the pocket too.
Press the sides and top edge of the pocket under. Then Topstitch along the top of the pocket.

Determine where you are going to position the coin pocket on the denim facing by layering all the pieces on top of each other as if they were sewn. That way you can play with the angle and see how much of the pocket will show when they're finished.

Pin the coin pocket in place and Topstitch it to the denim facing.

This is my "signature" topstitching design. Straight across the top edge for a few stitches, close to the edge and asymmetrical curved inner stitching. I use it on the back pockets too!

To put the pockets together, position the completed pocket bags together with the front pocket facings, aligning the curved edges exactly. **This is important because the pocket bag is slightly wider along the top edge to create ease to make room for you to put your hand in your pocket. Lining up the bottom curved edges assure that you will sew the pocket together without "pushing" the extra fabric off the edge along the side seam. (It also helps to match your notches.)

Pin the facing and pocket bag together and use your serger to sew the bottom curve together from the side seam to the center front fly zipper seam allowance.

Lay the front leg face up so that the pocket bag and facing are lined up flat. Pin the top and side seam edges. Use the serger to finish these edges and hold the pocket pieces in place.

Stay tuned for tips on how to sew the front fry zipper-- If you are working with stretch denim, here's a tip to help the front crotch seam from stretching. Use a little spray starch. Give the curved edge below the zipper seam allowances a little squirt and let it air dry. This will help keep the curved seam from stretching out of shape when you are working with the zipper.

Adjusting Misses' Jeans - Part I: Legs and Front Pocket Style

2009-09-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Fall officially gets here at 5 o' something...I know because my buddy Al Roker told me this morning! Fall is definitely time for new jeans. And, I really need a couple of new pairs-- I've been changing size and shape all summer (no worries, I've joined a gym!) Anyway, I used to be able to pull out my master patterns, cut them out and zip them together without check to make sure they fit. I know that's not working because I tried getting away with that, and I couldn't get into them after I "zipped" them together...yuck!

So, let me show you how I'm adjusting my Jeans pattern as I go along. Hope it's helpful! Today, I'm going to show you how I adjusted the leg pattern pieces to fit my measurements, how to adjust hem style and how to change the front pocket style.

First off, if you've gained or lost weight and don't fit into the size you're used to, FORGET the sizes printed on the pattern. Don't assume, for example, that you've gained weight so you need the next larger size. Instead, pull out your trusty tape measure.

For this example I'm happy with where the waistline sits (I'll explain adjusting rise later).

Here's what you'll measure on you:

Fullest part of your hip
Very top of your thigh
Two inches down from the very top
Two inches down from that
Your knee

To get the fit you want, add the amount of ease you would like to these measurements. For close fitting jeans, I added 1/4" to 1/2" extra for ease **except, I don't want clingy knee, so I added 1 inch there.

Here's how you'll mark and measure the same places on your front/back leg pattern pieces:

Measure how far from your waistline the fullest part of your hips are. Mark that on your pattern by measuring from the top of the waistline down to the hips, draw a horizontal line (use a red pencil or something loud if you have it). Make sure the line extends through all the graded sizes. If you don't want to cut up your original pattern, trace a size that's close and work with that.
Draw horizontal lines through both the front and back leg at the tip of the crotch, another two inches down from that and another two inches down from that.
Measure the inseam of the pants you're wearing from the crotch seam to your knee (while you're standing up). Use that measurement to find where your knee fall on the pattern. Measure the pattern from the tip of the crotch, down the inseam the exact length you measured on yourself. If it's more than an inch above or below the knee notch printed on the pattern, lengthen or shorten the legs. Draw a horizontal line at the knee.
Then mark a short vertical line along the size that you're closest to so that they intersect each end of the horizontal lines. This will give you a line to measure and compare against your body measurements. (Here's a close-up of the end of one of my horizontal lines where I drew the short vertical line along size 12.)

Measure the length of each horizontal line and take off 1" (for seam allowances). Mark the measurements right on the pattern next to each each horizontal line. Add the front and back measurements that correspond to each other together. (For example, add the front and back full hip measurements together to get one measurement.)

Finally, compare the pattern measurements to your body measurements. I noted at each horizontal line how much larger I was than the pattern. For example, on the lowest thigh measurement, I am two inches bigger than the size 12 printed on the pattern! That means I have to add one inch to each leg at that point along the seams.

To get one inch on a leg piece, you only have to add 1/4" to each side (approximately one size up). So, I made a new vertical marking along the size 14 line on each inseam/outseam where it intersected the lowest thigh horizontal line. Then I used a french curve to blend my side seam and inseam from the size 12 starting point at the top to the size 14 line where I marked it on the thigh.

Front view

Back view

Finally to adjust the legs to the knee line, use the french curve to blend the line from the lowest thigh line to the knee line. My knee measurement corresponds with size 10 printed on the pattern, so I blended my line smoothly in so that it intersected the knee line along the size 10 line.

This pattern runs snug...if you need more room than the pattern allows, feel free to mark outside the size 16 and blend back in at the knee.

Let's talk about what's going on below the knee for a second--These jeans are boot cut at the hem. If you want straight leg or more flare, add or take away EQUAL amounts from the side/inseams at the hem. Then draw a STRAIGHT line from the knee to the new width at the hem.

Ok...one last thing for today. If you don't like the shape of the front pocket edge, change it! I scooped the edge out a little bit for this pair. I just used my french curve to draw a new curved line. But, if you change the shape of the front pocket on the leg, you have to transfer that change to the Front Pocket Facing (pattern piece No. 3). And you have to make sure that the Denim Facing (pattern piece No. 5) will still be long enough for the new front pocket opening.

After you scoop out the front pocket, lay the front pocket facing (3) onto of the leg pattern piece. Match the dot and notch along the side seam. (Here is a pic of the facing positioned over the leg. You can see the new edge of the front pocket under the tissue paper.)

Trace the new edge of the front pocket onto the facing.

Then, cut along the line to make a facing that matches the new front pocket edge.

Finally, put the denim facing behind the new front pocket shape to make sure it's long enough for the new opening.

Mine is long enough, if yours isn't, simply add tissue along the bottom edge and blend into the side edges. I think the bottom of the denim facing should extend at least 1" below the front pocket opening.

That's all for now. Please email me any questions you may have. ...Stay posted for more Jean Pattern adjustments soon!

....just one more thing. I think it's easiest to adjust the pattern pieces working from the largest difference. That's why I started at the thigh (which was 2" smaller than me). If your biggest difference is somewhere else, work from that point. Usually as you blend the lines away from the biggest change in the side/inseam, you will "hit" all the adjustments along the way. Let me know how it's going!

September is National Sewing Month!

2009-09-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy SEWING, I almost forgot to celebrate National Sewing Month with you guys! No worries, we still have a few days. Anyone who has been thinking about ordering a pattern or few can have free shipping until the end of the month. Instead of using Paypal the traditional way, use the "send money" feature to pay for your patterns (minus shipping). If you don't have paypal, shoot me an email and I'll tell you where to send a check! Also, If you've already purchased a pattern this month, shoot me an email and I'll figure out some sort of wonderful thing for you too!

I'm celebrating by advertising J. Stern Designs on PatternReview.com (You can find me in the Merchant Gallery). I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I never really checked it out until now. PR is a great resource for sewers--Not only do they have lots of information about patterns, machines, notions and supplies, they also have great classes and articles too. Check out this article about building your own Trend File written by Jen Sauer. It's fantastic, I was especially impressed with the blouse she designed using her own Trend File. Inspired by Mens' Wear, she used photographs from her "File" to create a designer original!

Flattering Your “Assets"

2009-09-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

As soon as I finish sewing for the Vaz show I'm doing on thursday, I need to ramp up the jeans...Fall's here after all and I need an couple of new pairs! ...I found some great tips for back pocket placement on your jeans in the Indiedenim blog--Flattering Your “Assets". ...The only comment I want to make is that I disagree with the suggestion that women with "full seats" should avoid flapped back pockets. ....I think flaps can look slenderizing...check out the posted picture. (I know her husband thinks she looks great in these jeans, so it's not just me!)

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My Garment from the 2007 Bernina Fashion Show is Back--Just like Christmas in September!!

2009-09-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I was so excited when the FedEx guy knocked on the door yesterday...my 2007 Bernina Fashion entry is back. I always feel like it's Christmas morning when I open the box...not because the good people at Quilts Inc. always stick in a few free copies of the Quintessential Quilt, but because I get to see one of my labors of love for the first time in years!

This was a special outfit for me. After winning a Judge's Merit Award in 2003 and Viewers' Choice in 2004, I had a little bit of a standard to uphold. However in 2007 I had a lot going on! I was busy working on a collection of clothes that were featured in a Fashion Show May 3rd--a fundraiser for the Historical Society in Manchester, CT...it was a smashing success. The problem was all that time spent on sewing jeans, tops, skirts, jackets...etc...was usually spent working on a garment for the Bernina Fashion Show.   I had one month before the June 1st deadline... A WHOLE month. ...as it turned out, I didn't "feel like working on it" the first two weeks of May...decompression from the fundraiser.

So with literally two weeks to go until the deadline I went into a panic. Then I adjusted my goal of creating the best masterpiece ever...If I had a photo handy of my 2004 entry, you would understand that it was impossible to do that.) So, I settled on a new goal of "not embarrassing myself".

But what could I come up with in a WEEK that wouldn't be an embarrassment????? Normally I spent a solid 6 months on these projects....

I ended up making a cocktail dress out of thousands of silk organza circles... (with the kind help of the women who worked with me at the time) we cut out circles and more circles of various sizes. Then I picked out smaller circles and randomly stacked them onto a larger circle. Using "Incredible Shrinking Thread" I free motion stitch swirls on each stack.   After shrinking them with a steam iron, I set about pinning them onto my dressform until I achieved the shape of a cocktail dress.

To "contstruct" this dress, I digitized a few sunflower shaped designs and proceeded to embroider through the stacks to hold them together. Then I added a sprinkle of hand dyed silk ribbon (ruffles I made by pleating up the ribbon and using a felting machine to secure the pleats along one edge.) Free motion stitching around all the embroidery designs ensured that the dress wasn't going to fall apart on the runway!

For a little sparkle Mary Beth and I beaded an original neckline in the front. Silk ribbons the straps and bow-tie closure on the right back of the dress.

The silk organza coat was a reproduction of a silk tweed version featured in my fashion show. 4 inch wide silk ribbon was run through a pleater (thanks to another good friend) to create the set-in trim at the empire waist. Rows of metallic pintucks radiated above and below the ribbon detail. All-over free motion stippling and embroidery and a sprinkle of hot-fix crystals finished the coat.....

Wow all in a week!

How to put in magnetic snaps and make sweater piping.

2009-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

So, I'm up to my eyeballs in Hobo bags--I'm making one-of-a-kinds for the Vaz Show that I'm doing September 17th....(Oh my goodness, that's next week.) My friend Nadia, who designs dresses (I'm proud to say she learned how to make patterns from me!) and Mary Beth Pfeiffer, who makes gorgeous hand beaded jewelry and purses are going to be there too! So, while working on these bags, I learned a few things. First how to put in magnetic snaps (don't laugh)...I never tried to use them before, and while I was sure that they were not hard to put in, I was surprised at how easy they actually were! Here are the highlights in case you were wondering too:

I got my magnetic snaps at JoAnn Fabrics. Here are what the pieces look like. These are 3/4", you can also get a smaller 1/2" size as well. There is an innie, an outie, and two backing pieces. I'm going to insert the snap into the lining one of my hobo bags, but you can use any bag pattern that doesn't have a zipper closure. (If you have purchased the hobo bag pattern, you can print these instructions and put them with the pattern for future reference.)

It's important to support the snap with additional stabilizer and/or cotton batting. My lining pieces were already interfaced with Pellon Shirt Tailor fusible interfacing. I cut two - 1 1/2" squares of additional interfacing for each side of the snap.

Mark the position of the snap on the front bag lining. I'm going to position the snap centered and 1 1/2" down from the raw edge. Draw a little dot with a ball point pen. Fuse two of the squares of interfacing on top of the dot to reinforce the area.

To quickly insure that the snap piece on the back will match the location of the front snap, lay front and back linings pieces right sides together and push a pin through the ink dot. Mark where the pin come through onto the back lining piece. Fuse two squares of interfacing over the ink dot.

Cut small slits using a seam ripper to make it easy to push the tabs on the back of the snap through the interfaced fabric. Use the snap backing to mark the position of slits. ***Don't make the slits too long because they might show at the edge of the snap from the right side...or worse, if the slits are too big, the snap might not sit firmly on the fabric...it could jiggle around.

Push the tabs through the slits.

Slip the backing over the tabs. Push the tabs toward the center of the backing. I used a small hammer to gently pound them flat. ***Don't push the tabs out over the edge of the backing. The tips of the tabs can easily cut a hole in the interfaced fabric. Here's how the snap looks from the right side of the lining.

Ok, moving on...I was having a hard time trying to make the edges along the opening of the hobo look great. Sewing the lining directly to the leather bag and turning it to the right side was ok, but I wanted a more tailored look. I tried leather binding...but it was too thick to work with. Finally, I thought of using piping. Less bulky than the leather binding, it still offered a raised surface that broke up the transition between outside of the bag and lining along the opening. I couldn't find any pre-made piping that worked with my color scheme...so I used scraps of orange sweater. For more information on piping, use the new Search feature located at the top left of the home page--"How to insert piping into a seam."

I only had a small amount of scraps, so instead of cutting strips to work with, I simply cut a straight edge and folded it over some1/8" cording. After I sewed down the length of cord that I needed, I trimmed it evenly from the scrap. Then I had enough to make piping for the other side of the opening. Because the sweater is thick I used tiny cording--

After I finished sewing the sweater around the cord, I ended up with piping that was about 1/4" thick! A perfect edge for my bag!

Has anyone seen this Silk Charmuse Dress!!

2009-09-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Ok... If you've been following on my facebook page, I posted pictures of a new dress design I was working on was week. I wanted to make something new to wear to my cousin's wedding. The version I posted on facebook was a "test" that I cut out of striped linen. Working on the bias can be a little tricky, so I was surprised that the first go fit perfect! So I moved on the my luscious black silk charmuse. I was even more thrilled when, after a little tweaking, I achieved the perfect "fit like a glove" fit.

Went to the wedding this past weekend...had a GREAT time in my new dress. (This was the first night that my husband and I had the chance to get away with no kids...it was nice!) I'm sure I packed the dress with all my stuff when we checked out of the hotel, but I can't find it anywhere! ...Secretly I think it got into the washing machine and the washing machine didn't give it back... Anyway, if it doesn't show up, I can make another.

I'm thinking of developing this design into the next J Stern Design pattern. I think it would work great for lots of figure types....bias can be very forgiving when it fits right! Plus, I'm thinking of including instructions to make the dress a bias skirt and top, what do you think?

Sewing with Abby the Last Week of Summer

2009-08-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a busy week...besides finishing the skirt for my mom and the silk charmuse dress for myself )for the wedding this weekend), Abby wants to sew too! (I can't say no when she shows interest sewing something). Apparently the emerald green satin scraps from my test muslin of the dress, together with a piece of periwinkle mircofiber called to her! After sketching her design--a 10 gore skirt we set about making a pattern piece. To get the dimensions of the gore we used her excellent math skills. She divided her waist measurement by 10 and added a little ease and seam allowances.

It was hard for her to cut neatly around the paper pattern piece. We discovered if she traced around it with a marker, cutting on the line was a lot easier! Then it was off to the sewing machine. ...I think she's planning on wearing her new skirt on the first day of school!

...Meanwhile I'm working on the bodice pieces of my dress. My friend Mary Beth decided she needed a field trip to Banksville Designer Fabric today. Happy for me, she's going to get more of the silk I need to finish the dress!

Ooops, I missed Project Runway!!

2009-08-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

Did I ever mention that I actually tried out for Project Runway? Yup, in 2007 I got all my stuff together, ran down to NYC and stood in line with a lot of crazy (and talented) designers. (Some of the personalities in line with me were off the chart) Anyway, I made it past the "you have absolutely no talent" point, got wired for sound and took a turn meeting Tim Gunn and Co. That's about as far as I got, I wasn't ready for all the lights, camera and action. Anyway, I hadn't watched the show since. I decided I was going to check it out again this year and I missed the first show already! If you missed it too, you can check out the rundown on Stylelist.

I promise not to miss it next week...then I can tell you what I think!