Well another great class with Andrew today!  He is one talented young man and can sew like nobody's business!  Today he sewed sleeves to the lining perfectly!  The blazer is coming along so great, he has certainly learned a lot in the process, not only the techniques but also the lingo and the foundation materials. 

Homework is to add sleeves to jacket, finish the twill tape at shoulders with catch stitching, finish the pad-stitching vertically on under collar.  Be sure the jacket is ready to install rollino and shoulder pads.  Bring pattern pieces and mark point A on sleeve and armhole!

It's so nice having Janet back online with classes from Montreal!  She is one tenacious person and has created the PERFECT fitting pants for herself!  I kept saying that once the correct crotch curve is found the rest is a walk in the park!  Now they believe!
Last night we tweaked the front a little bit to really get a perfect fitting pair of pants and then proceeded to draft pockets. 
Homework is to create a storyboard based on the pictures sent and add to a pants front for next class.  Next class we are going to draft the front fly zipper so might be a short one, to get ready for the zipper storyboard the following class.
Have a great week!

Great job on your daughter's dress Nita (the beautiful blonde!)! 

With only a few Skype classes and an intensive 2 weeks here in Canada Nita was able to draft this pattern that fits like a glove as you can see in the picture!  Look at the fit around the bustline, no gaping at the neckline or armholes, the skirt drapes beautifully as well!

Congrats on a job well done!

A great big welcome to Aaryn to the Le Grand Chic family of tailors!  You are at the very beginning stages of your journey and I can already see you have a natural gift for drafting garments. 

Today we did the very first storyboard for the skirts!  They are a bit of work but in the end the storyboard is the best learning tool ever giving students a 3D reference of step by step procedure for whatever garment they are trying to create at home on their own.  Students tell me they love me but only tolerate my storyboards LOL!

Anyway homework is to draft a front and back using personal measurements with a waist to hip distance of 19 cm instead of 17.  Create the pattern pieces, pin them to fabric leaving 3 cm seam allowances at the sides and back, none at the waist and no hem allowance.  If you would like to cut out the fabric and create a mock up, please contact me once the pattern pieces are pinned and the seam allowances are chalked on to the fabric for me to give the go ahead to cut and then sew the mock up together. 

Next class in two weeks June 5, 2017 at 2 pm.  Have a good one!

Calling all fashion design graduates
On June 11, 2017 from 1 - 4 PM at the Michaels location at the corner of John and Richmond St. the master class for the basic bodice block is starting!  This 7 week course is geared for graduates who have an understanding of pattern making already and want to know how to create the basic block for bodice, dress, blouse, jacket and pants.  We will meet every Sunday for this class with like minded individuals who crave more knowledge on pattern drafting.  I can guarantee students will enjoy the class, learn a lot and have fun in the process.  What I cannot guarantee is that they will want to stop when the session is over!  
Please feel free to contact Maria for more information either by phone 705 487-2328 or by email mcalautti@rogers.com or click here for our contact us page
There are only a couple of spaces left so if you have been thinking about it now is your chance to register at a ridiculously low price that will probably not happen again! 
Cheers, happy sewing!

We had a lot of work to do on Thursday as Andrew was way too busy to complete his homework, the problem is he is the only one who can draft patterns in the family with many sisters who always need something new to wear!  I joked with him and said that when my family needs something they dial 1-800-mom; when his family needs something they dial 1-800-Andrew LOL! 

I am very happy that he takes on the tasks and creates very beautiful garments that fit impeccably this is the very best training one can get it's called practice, practice, practice!  I ask to see pix all the time and believe me he delivers very professionally made garments that the wearer is proud to wear and I am proud to say he is my student.  This coming Tuesday will be one year that he started with me, has come a long way in a short period of time. 

Homework is to cut out sleeves  add fusible interfacing to hem allowance on jacket and on sleeves fabric only , sew them together, add inside pockets to lining front, sew sleeves on lining possibly on fabric as well, sew the upper collar to the lining, and bring everything to class to sew together. 

So I have been a busy beaver the past few days with home dec projects, the bedrooms have been painted so just like dominos instead of falling over the jobs just piled up so this week I felt it was time to catch up so I did.  Yesterday and today my job was to finish the new bedding and re-cover an old settee that has been a staple in my room for the past 43 years! 
So the curtains are a charcoal grey, the wall colour is a lighter grey, I decided to go with a silver satin for the duvet cover with decorative cording along the flange that had to be hand sewn all the way around!  I add a flange to my cover to make it longer so it will hand lower on the bed-skirt and completely cover the high mattresses sold these days.  The other thing I hate is playing around with all the pillows and dealing with pillow shams plus the only time I like my pillows to be seen is before they are slept on and not after so I added 50 cm of fabric to the top end so I can cover the pillows like a bed-spread!  There is a seam that keeps the duvet in place all the way around with a 20 cm flange along the sides and a 13 cm flange at the end of the bed.  Looks great and is very functional; not having to monkey around with a bunch of pillows at night and in the morning makes tidying up very quick! 
The settee was my first foray into upholstery and turned out fairly decent, there are some flaws but I figured a blind man on a galloping horse could not see them so it's ok LOL!  

So sorry for the delay in posting this message, I was away all weekend. 
Great job on the pocket welts Andrew!  We did an experiment on Thursday and did two different welts on one jacket, this is only a practice one so it was good to see which one he likes best and can execute easily, it was hands down the single welt pocket with a flap that may be hidden if desired.  Andrew did it in record time and a really good job too!  😀
Homework is to put together the lining and add inside pockets to lining with a single welt.  Baste the jacket together at the side seams and the shoulders remove the twill tape stitching and stitch properly with invisible stitches. 
For next class we will be fitting the jacket and creating the sleeves for both lining and fabric so please be sure to bring all the pieces with you. 
Have a great week!
Thank you for the pix Andrew, below are the single welt - first attempt by Andrew I might add!  The second picture is the double welt which is the standard pocket on jackets.  In both cases the flap can be hidden or seen the choice is left up to the wearer.  Which one do you prefer? 

So today I had a client come to see me so I can take her measurements, she is getting ready for her grandchild's wedding and wants something special made.  She already had the fabric and said she has had it for "a while" she knew what she wanted to have made but was not comfortable with leaving it with someone to work on.  She came here I took her measurements and during the course of the conversation I asked how long she has had the fabric. 
Good job I was sitting down, she said it was from the 1930s!!!!  I could not believe my ears the 1930s! 
The hand is so soft and beautiful not at all like the Chinese silk of today!  Below is a picture of the fabric and the design she wants to have made.  What a privilege to be working on such wonderful fabric! 

Ok so today was such a dreary day that I was happy to have a project to do indoors!  Well I am happy to say that the sleeves are on the jacket!  Took a while because I had to match all the freaking lines between the sleeves and body, in the end they matched rather well, they were cut like that so it was not too much of a stretch for them to line up.  The biggest challenge is the necessary ease that is added to the sleeve cap that kind of distorts the lines so it took some doing but mission accomplished, they lined up on both the front and back!
Next were the shoulder pads and they are in as well, so now the collar is left and to add the lining, wish me luck!