August Report

August has been an interesting month, it seems everyone is quite busy with various plans and as the summer winds down there is always that rush to finish summer projects, and summer fun.  This generally puts sewing plans on the back burner for many, although a few hardy souls continue with their sewing, the pace is slightly more languid, which is as it should be I think.  I wonder though if I am the only one thinking fall/winter coat time.  Personally I have wanted to create the perfect raincoat for myself for a number of years now...maybe this fall will prove to be the one in which it gets accomplished.

But I digress....

...In class Lisa continues to work on her Roman Shades which she has decided to band with white trim and coordinating top-stitching.  For a beginner I am especially impressed with Lisa's cutting,sewing and pressing accuracy.  She is very careful and the beautiful results reflect that care.  All of us in class keep trying to persuade her to make some clothing....which she is currently demonstrating a strong aversion of, but I sense that aversion turning into reluctance.  Can acceptance be far behind?

Candy although having many family and polictial distractions carrys on like the trooper she is, whipping out button down shirts,  and vintage wrap tops.  Yesterday she traced a pattern for some Easy McCalls pants which she is planning on making up in a beautiful fabric purchased in India.  We believe the fabric is a silk and rayon blend, and we know its in a  gorgeous apricot color.  Next up for her is the same pair of pants in a turquoise quilting cotton. It can be a challange keeping up with Candy's projects.  She also brought in a Vera Wang skirt she purchased for a song which needs to be altered to fit.  Have I mentioned that she has lost 13 pounds!  Congratulations Girl!

Kathy Chester arrived with a suitcase full of patterns to alter.  On our recent trip to Mill End she found some skirt fabric, some Poly. georgette which she wanted to make into a skirt she had seen me wear.  My skirt is by CAbi and is a comfortable reversible skirt.  Yes you heard that right.  The skirt has a waistband made from a wide strip of spandex, thats the comfort part, and is lined with a coordinating print so that you can wear either side out!  Brillant concept by a wonderful designer Carol Anderson.  Kathy's version starts with a Simplicity skirt pattern.  She chose view F, we chose the size by her hip measurment, then altered the length to fall mid calf.  The next step was to create an additional waistband to attach instead of their elastic waistband.  We used her waist measurment and then cut a rectangle twice the desired finished width.  My skirt has a wide spandex band on it, so that you can wear it as a top or a skirt....how versatile is that?  Kathy decided to make hers though at a finished 2' wanting it only as a skirt.  She also altered a pattern from Great Copy Patterns called the Last Tango Skirt.  Again this just required a length adjustment, but the pattern is mighty long as we had to shorten it by 9" which we accomplished at the adjustment line printed on the pattern which falls above the flounce detail.  After shortening we blended the seams along the sides and she is now ready to cut and sew.  I have not seen the fabric which she is making the Last Tango skirt from but it was described as a rayon batik from Sew Smart in Wausau.  Sew Smart carries mostly quilting fabrics, but the owner will pick up a few garment fabrics for her personal use and then offer them in the Wausau store.

Seams like enough for now, but stay tuned for more updates

Lynne