Hello all summer is officially here!  It's been a long time coming too with such a long harsh winter we had and a worse spring...  It's all good now the weather is finally cooperating. 

My summer started off with a bang!  Two of my grandkids stayed with us for 10 days right after school finished, it was a great time and they are such good little helpers too!  I never once had to tell them to clean up after themselves or to behave they listened very well to the surprise of the parents LOL! 

Our house went up for sale meaning taking pictures for the listing and open houses which means even more cleaning and staging!  I have come to the conclusion that if one wants a very clean house put it on the market, it's quite the motivator let me tell you!! 

I have been meaning to post homework for my Bradford class and this is my first opportunity.  I hope everyone enjoyed the class half as much as I did and learned as much as I did, teaching is also a great learning opportunity, the ladies continue to impress me with their stamina and joy of sewing, creating garments that fit very well and look great!  Please check out my instagram @legrandchicitalia to see pix of their work. 

But alas there will be homework because if you don't use it you will lose it...
Next semester will start in September, between now and then students are to draft at least one pattern per week of a different garment using pictures or other garments as inspiration, whether or not they do mock ups is their choice.  In September we will be building on what we have learned already I will have a syllabus ready by mid-August.  If there are any changes in email addresses please let me know. 
 
Homework for summer 2019

• Vest on page 58 & 59
• Pants skirt on page 58
• Caftan on page 80
• Tops on page 81
• Bolero in different lengths on page 83

Have a great summer, enjoy every minute of it.  I miss the class already... 
Arrivederci

Hello all so yesterday this class was treated to the dreaded front fly zipper storyboard!  It is a bit tedious to create but invaluable once it's done and you need to remember the steps!  I think the biggest stumbling block was telling the difference between the right and left hands LOL!  One student who shall remain nameless could not for the life of her understand the basic difference between how men's front fly zippers are created and how women's are created, really there is no difference except that they should be on the same side and the button down shirts are. 

You know how men's shirts button left over right and women's are right over left?  Well the pants to be properly made should follow the same rule so the eye can move without any interruption.  Take a look at your pants/jeans and see which way the zipper is installed.  I bet that 98% of women have the zipper installed in the wrong direction!  Go ahead, check it out...

In my world there has to be harmony, with the button down shirt buttoning in one direction and the pants front fly going in the other direction there is no harmony, the brain gets confused and is saying "WTF"!  Please add your comments to this post telling us how your pants button at the front and if you had ever considered there should be a difference. 

Now back to the class, the students worked very hard, I was told it was like an intense workout!  Even with this intensity we still went one hour overtime.  I could not stop 1/2 way through just because the clock said 4, that doesn't wash with me, we work until the job is done.  Great job ladies!  Only one class left and it will be a good one.  Alas there is homework, I asked the class if they knew what it meant when there is no homework one night and the groans could be heard across the street!  This class is located on a farm, imagine how far the closest neighbours are! 

Homework is to:

• Practice both the front fly zipper and pockets on some scraps, NOT in the storyboard fashion, do them in one try  as done in the last step of each
  • If you want to complete the storyboard, do one more sample as a step 7 removing the basting at the centre front – this can be a practice piece 😊
    
  • draft pants using personal measurements complete with your own personal adjustments adding the front fly and pockets. 
    
• Cut out the fabric for a real pair of pants with this pattern
  
  • Transfer all the markings, notches, clippies etc
  • Tailor tack the pressing lines on both the front and back
• using the storyboard as a guide install the pockets into the pants front, don't be afraid you can do it!
  
• we will be installing the front fly zipper in class and finishing the pants.
• Please bring fabric to cut out waist band to be added on to the pants. 
  

The important thing is not to be afraid of the garment or the technique, if there is an issue it will be addressed in the next class.  Choose fabric that has no stretch as these will be a dress pants, perhaps leave the legs a little wider, if you don’t like them, they can always be taken in.  We will be cutting out the waistband in class so bring some fabric and interfacing.  Also a button for the front, we will be doing a rolled edge for the hem. 
 

Hello all I have been a bit tardy in posting on my blog that's because I have been busy with stuff.  I have a new client who seems to have inspired me to new creative heights!  This gentleman has a creative mind and wants to dress different than the rest which is very unusual for a man.  As gutsy as men are when it comes to fashion they shy away from any changes, not sure why...  It's great to be different, my address is 1 Left Field, always zig when everyone zags!

So this gentleman wants a jacket made out of a print fabric with black lapels and a funky lining.  Check out my Instagram account @legrandchicitalia to see the picture of the fabrics.  I created a pattern and mock up for him which fit 90% perfect so I made the necessary changes to be 100% perfect (at least I hope)!  I have to do some pretty creative finishing which I will post as the work progresses on Instagram and Facebook. 

Had a great weekend this weekend, went to a bridal shower in Toronto in the evening, nice to see family that I haven't seen in a while and catch up.  With the social media it really feels like you are always in contact so it's like coming home and chatting without missing a beat.  Everyone looked great, dressed to the nines, the food was OK but the homemade treats guests brought were AMAZING!  There was a 30 foot long table full of trays of cookies, tarts, pastry of all kinds, shapes, flavours too good to describe.  Everyone got a take out container full of treats to bring home, what a treat! 

After such a great day and evening I drove home, everyone was concerned about me driving home alone from Toronto to north of Barrie on the 400, the common comment was why don't you stay over and go home tomorrow?  The drive home was fine, driving is no problem for me, I love the highway will take that over city driving any day of the week and night time driving is even better, all the nuts have gone to bed LOL!!  That was great, tunes were on, no traffic, made good time and then I walked in the front door with one load of stuff put them down and walked back to the car to get the rest of it.  On my way to the car I thought to myself "huh I could have changed my shoes".  The 5 inch heels I was wearing were getting a bit tiresome, I walked back in the door my heel caught on the weather strip and I proceeded to do a face plant on my marble floor!  Let me tell you there is no cushion whatsoever on marble, I dropped like a stone landing on my knee, shoulder, and chin!  So Sunday I did virtually nothing, resting for the week to come.  I'm fine now, my pride is fine too....  

Hello all today was such a fun class we had a lot of laughs along with doing a lot of work!  There was a TA in the class to add to the fun, Denise a graduate of the course came for a learning experience and to help me out for a bit, which was much appreciated by both the students and myself!  Today we added pockets to the pants front and then created a storyboard for the pocket installation, yes the dreaded storyboards...  that students thank me later on when they have to stop and think "how did I do this" or "where do I go from here?", believe me these and other questions will come up that are answered by simply looking at the steps in the 3D sample complete with instructions written on the fabric.  It really does make more sense to do the lesson in this manner rather than giving a demo, having the students just copy it and try to follow written instructions only, all my classes groan at creating them but in the end, just like mom I tell them it's for their own good LOL!!!

These ladies have succeeded in a getting a good fit on their pants, today we had a really good model with a few issues to fix so it was very good learning for all.  In my classes there is no judgment only support and constructive comments by all.  I will scold anyone who gets down on themselves for whatever reason, we are our own toughest critics so I try to encourage students to be a little less judgmental of themselves and allow themselves the privilege of learning without any encumbrances.  In other words, "get out of your own way and let yourself work, it's not a mistake but a learning opportunity"!  I'm happy they all have a sense of humour!

For this week there is No homework, students are encouraged to keep drafting pants and tops using different measurements.   Next class we will be doing the zippers storyboard but first we have to add the front fly to the pattern and cutting out the pieces needed to execute the task.  I will have a supply list for you for next week. 

Have a good two weeks!

So proud of this young woman!  She works so hard at her craft to perfect the work!  For her mom she did 2 mock ups for pants, didn't like the first one so she made another to show me which the first one would have been fine anyway.  Amanda understands my sometimes cryptic descriptions LOL!  That is my biggest challenge to put my thoughts into coherent sentences. 
In class we went over in detail the pants adjustments according to Rocco Aloi, an Italian tailor who wrote a book on the subject.  Basically it's all about how the fabric hangs on the body.  The drag and pull lines will tell the tale, if the lines pull up, add fabric to the waist to re-align it and let the area drop down, if there is pulling at the crotch towards the front from the back then there is not enough room for the body inside the crotch so add to the back inseam; this is called the "outlet' and there for this express purpose to pull the back back giving a larger negative space.  Sometimes there needs to be some scooping going on at the back curve and some straightening at the front curve, and I can go on and on.  Pants must be judged on a case by case basis there are no hard and fast rules on what to do because what works on one person may not necessarily work on another....  sometimes leading a tailor to drink!! 

Job well done young lady!  I even had Amanda assign her own homework this time!

Homework is to perfect the fit on both pants as we discussed in class.  This is one area that a student has to find their own way of understanding how to read the mock ups and make the necessary adjustments.  The other part is to make a pair of pants with pockets, the initial draft was very well done so continue with that using personal measurements.  Next class is when you are ready. 

Today I had the pleasure of teaching Jill some alteration techniques on a beaded dress.  It had been one year since I had seen Jill, with her now thriving business lessons had to take a back seat to actual work!  One must earn one's daily bread....
Alterations lesson, a beaded dress needed to have the neckline lowered.  This is a bit tricky to do with the beads along the neckline that need to be removed to sew and then replaced to finish the garment.   I have to laugh when I start cutting the excess off on a garment and there are others around, the first thing I hear is a gasp!  To me it's just another cut but to someone else it's a big deal, Jill was no exception!  After the initial shock she said that was the part she feared the most, cutting into the dress... 
In the end she felt really good about the alteration, the neckline needed to be lowered as it was sitting too high for the wearer.  After we took apart the bodice, cut the neckline, sewed it back together again complete with edgestitching we both agreed the neckline looked great!  We also added swimsuit elastic to it so there would be no gaping, the fabric lining is a knit so it would stretch. 
It was a lot of fun catching up with Jill and teaching her some new techniques, hope to do it again some time soon! 

I applaud Krissy for her work and effort at making pants.  They are the hardest garment to fit on the body bar none especially on a curvy body.  We will work at them until the fit is perfect, no worries if it takes a bit of time it's better learning! 

In 3 hours Krissy learned how to draft a pants back using her own measurements, then cut out the mock up and sewed it together.  We clarified a few things on the sewing machine making it easier and faster to sew things together.  Sometimes the smallest changes can make all the difference in efficiency, I hope the discoveries we made on Friday will work for Krissy.

Krissy please practice sewing focusing only on the guides; straight lines, convex and concave curves.  Draft a pants back using generic measurements to use along with the storyboard.  Draft another pair of pants using new personal measurements and then sew a mock up.  Take a picture of the front, back and side then send it to me by email.  Once the mock up fits continue with the class homework. 

Hello all well I have caved and started posting some cooking videos, since the success of the Instagram pix I posted I felt that people want to know how to cook from "scratch"!  Believe me I can cook from scratch, been doing it all my life so why not share this knowledge with others? 

I started off with dried chick peas because they are so versatile, they can be eaten in a salad, with pasta or on their own in a sauce plus they are the base for hummus.  I like to use dried legumes because there are no preservatives, additives and no cans to throw away.  If we can all reduce our carbon footprint it will go a long way in helping this beautiful planet of ours be more sustainable, I for one, use very few cans of anything.  This is the first time in a long time that we have run out of our own processed tomatoes, I can guarantee this fall will not go by without making our 10 to 15 bushels of tomatoes into puree` for sauce!  That will also be a video to show how one day out of the year can make such a difference and the sauce can taste so good!  It is such a good feeling to open a mason jar and make dinner rather than a can or call for take out...  With 30 years food experience behind me I feel I have something to offer in the kitchen as well as the sewing room. 

Seems like I'm old or something, I started out in fashion, ended up in cooking and then went back to fashion just to keep things interesting LOL! 

If you are interested in seeing the videos here are a few links please feel free to leave comments:
Chick peas from dried to cooked
Simple tomato sauce
Pasta with chick peas

Today is the Technical Skills Ontario Competition and I have the privilege of being one of the judges for the fashion section, yea!!  This is the fourth, maybe fifth year that I have been participating and I am always amazed to see what the student come up with not only in the fashion but the other categories as well.  I purposely go earlier to see the work in progress in other categories, not allowed to see the fashion in progress...  I wish the Minister of education would be there to see the students working and talk to the teachers as well as the judges to get feedback on the education system and how to improve it right from the sources mostly affected by it.  I for one would be more than happy to share my opinion and thoughts on the subject!  I can see my children's eyes rolling at this very moment and hear the groans of "oh mom" LOL! 
Anyway I'm excited to be spending an evening with like minded individuals talking about our passion in garment construction.

Now from the "planning way ahead" category; I had the grandchildren here for the weekend and apparently my grandson likes the way I babysit..
Granson, "Nonna did you babysit us when mom and dad were away when we were little?"
Me, "yes I did"
Grandson, "That's good so when I have kids will you babysit them when I go away for work too?"
Me, "Ummmm"
Grandson, "You see I'm going to be driving for the TTC Express and we go away a lot so I want you to babysit my kids, my sister is going to be a ballerina and will be away too"
Me, "Sure I can help you out"
Grandson, "Great!"
My grandson is 6!  Guess I'm going to have to live a good long time... LOL!!!

It's hard to believe it's already May!  I'm still trying to reconcile the fact it's past the end of January!  Of course the weather is not helping the situation, still wearing winter coats :(

Well the bright spot is this class, they are such a ray of sunshine and good humour!  Today we studied pants fitting there were some pictures, notes.. lots of notes and finally fitting the mock ups.  The students fit their pants one at a time going over in detail the adjustments that needed to be made, by far the most important class in the session giving a glimpse into the human anatomy and how to fit the negative space inside the crotch.  It really bends the brain to wrap it around how to make the adjustments but they are troopers and keep marching on, even the one who was sick last week came to class and was wowed by the mock ups and how well they fit even though they were only a "rough draft" of the pants! 

Evident flaws are for the most part preventable especially when pants are custom made.  The most common problem is the length.  Second most common is the gaping at the centre back.  Next comes the crotch length, too short, too long and this is only the men, women have even more issues because of child bearing there is a tummy, hips, glutes, thighs and the list goes on…. The most confusing part to making adjustments is the negative space inside the crotch, because it is a negative space the obvious adjustment done in the usual manner may create more problems than it solves, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, meaning that a tailor has to think outside the conventional, proverbial box to find the correct course of action and then take.   

There is usually a lot of praying and keeping fingers crossed but once a tailor gains experience they will recognize the body issues when taking the measurements, this will enable them to make the necessary adjustments when drafting the pattern eliminating a whole lot of problems later in the process. For example I already know that women don’t need as much space at the front but more at the back so I start with that in mind when drafting, changing the crotch curve to reflect this leading to a better fitting appointment and a happier customer. 

Homework is to draft a new pattern taking into account the findings from the mock up as done in class today to see the difference between the initial draft and the new adjusted draft, show all the markings; the notches at the knees, hips, front, back, tailor tack or mark with tracing wheel all horizontal lines but most important the pressing line. 

Create a pyjama pants using the new pattern as a mock up with an elastic waistband.  There is no casing for this method, the elastic is serged on to the fabric and turned once; allowance will depend on the width of the elastic.  The pant leg can be as wide or as tight as you like, however the length will be full length.  This is to be sewn at home, try it on to see if the fit is to your liking, if it is then draft a new basic pattern using personal measurements to add a front fly zipper and pockets next class.  Please bring everything to the next class for fitting and to check the patterns over.  We will touch base in two weeks to see the progress to better plan the next class send pix of the pyjama pants trials please. 

Also to draft a knit top with Dolman or Raglan sleeves, your choice, this is to be a draft only for practice, I will be asking to see this next class. 

May 30th is the next class, be good until then!