Great job on your draft today Andrew, like I said to you one day you will make an excellent tailor!  The road will not be an easy one but it will be rewarding just ask the graduating class of 2016! 
In the meantime there will be homework :)
So for next week please complete the quiz and bring it back for grading, you are not to look at your book do it from memory that is the only way to find out what you need to work harder on to perfect.  I know you will do the honourable thing and stick to the timeline and keep the book closed.

• Cut out the pants front for the zipper storyboard as we discussed in class. 
  
• please do a new draft the same way you did it in class today with the exception of adding the pleat allowance to the front as shown on page 16 in your book.  Make the pleat 4 cm wide, (the allowance is added in the same manner as the dart allowance is added to the back) this is the small pleat shown in the drawing, the little red lines are about 2 cm deep
  
• Remember what we discussed about the pressing line being slashed and spread to add the other pleat, don't slash it bring the pattern to class so I can show you how to move the pattern piece
  

This should keep you busy for  a while!  If something is not clear call me for clarification, have a great week!

Congratulations to Meaghan, Denise, Danielle, Judith, Linda, Kelli, Tonia and Amy who could not be present for the ceremony.  Job well done ladies! 
A big thank you goes out to our Mayor Harry Hughes for allowing the ceremony to take place in the council chambers, being present, giving a commemorative pin and addressing the students.  Thank you to Councillor John Crawford for being in attendance as well even with all his obligations on that day. 
Thank you to Antonia for addressing the students via Skype live from Italy, her pride in these women was evident throughout the ceremony. 
Along with the diplomas was a letter of commendation from Italy that I translated and printed along with the original for each graduate. There were also 6 roses for each graduate, one for each year of study, I chose roses because they have thorns representing the challenges faced along the way, the beautiful flower that blossoms represents overcoming the odds and coming up with something truly extraordinary.

Please don't forget Meaghan's suggestion of my favourite "F" words........ Fabric, Fit and Finish! 
Keep in touch, best of luck in all your future endeavors I really miss this class, not sure what to do with my Thursday evenings now...... 

So Saturday we were invited to a first communion ceremony/mass for a family member, this is very nice to be included in functions especially as one ages and tends to be forgotten by the younger members of the family.....
We went to the mass that as is tradition is held at a church, a special time at some churches while others have first communion at the regularly scheduled mass times; this was held at a special time which was very nice indeed as there were seats for everyone and parking as well.
My point is that as parishioners were coming in and during the ceremony I was shaking my head at the attire worn my a lot of women.  The men were ok with a short sleeved shirt and pair of pants, even jeans are ok with me but absolutely not spaghetti straps in church!!!!  I was APPALLED at the amount of women who were wearing a sundress with straps and nothing covering the shoulders or cleavage. In a place of worship whether it is your religion or not that style of dress in UNACCEPTABLE!  The best one was one person wearing a skin tight racer back crop top with the bra straps showing to complete the look!  Did their mirror not work? It might be a trick one that shows something else entirely that what is actually on the body, that's the only explanation I can think of that could justify someone walking out of the house in that attire to attend a religious ceremony.  It is totally fine if one was going to the beach or jogging or to the park then fine, whatever, but not to a church of any denomination. 

It shows a total lack of respect for the institution, the personnel, others in the building as well as and most important for oneself! 

Does there have to be a fashion police at the door telling people to cover up?  It's very sad when it comes to this point that people have become so incredibly disrespectful they have to actually be told what to wear! 
Do the parents not teach the children how to dress any more? 
Do they not lead by example or is it too easy just to give in to the kids and let them wear whatever they feel like whether appropriate or not? 
Parents need to be parents not their child's friend end of story. 

 Hello all well yesterday I had the first fitting with the mother or the bride who is wearing the Austen Powers movie inspired dress.  I thought it would be a good idea if Andrew was present during the fitting so he could see how I do a fitting, what to look for and how to pin any visible flaws.  Great plan if it worked out...... The client came and loved the mock up on the dressform!  It was exactly what she had hoped it would be but the proof is in the pudding, would it fit?
She tried it on, I pinned the back and guess what!  Andrew didn't learn very much at all, the mock up fit PERFECTLY! I mean there was absolutely nothing for me to pin!  The client was very, very happy as was I, guess Andrew will have to wait for another fitting to see how to pin a mock up especially because his pants fit perfectly as well! 
Now the job is to find the right fabric for the dress, and that's tomorrow's task.

BTW I just finished my outfit for the grad ceremony and I am so pleased with it!  Fits like a glove and I found the exact pomegranate red to make a cape... sort of cape......  The dress is a neutral background with some of the same red flowers as the cape, the style is an Empire cut with a semi-circle skirt that I cut in such a way that the draping starts from below the waist instead of the Empire cut with a point at the centre front and sweetheart neckline.  The hem is a slight high/low version and the straps are wide with no shoulder seams they are only attached at the front neckline.  Super excited to wear it! 

Great job on the pocket storyboard Andrew!  My pressing cloth was a victim of wrong side up fusible interfacing LOL happens to all of us at one time or another which is why I recommend ALWAYS using a pressing cloth when fusing anything on a garment.  It's not so easy to remove sticky interfacing from a hot iron!

Homework is to do the complete pocket sample at home using the storyboard as a guide, also complete the track pants possibly add pockets to them.  Do not use a stretch fabric only lightweight cotton woven fabric is to be used for this project.  We haven’t covered stretch yet and how it impacts the draft. 
Next week we will be adding a front fly to the pants draft and extrapolating  the pattern pieces so you will understand where the pieces come from.  Please bring fabric to cut the pants front and fly to do a storyboard for this procedure as well, it will be your best friend in the future! 

So the hunt is on to find fabrics that breathe at a reasonable price for the town crier uniform.  My first thought was a summer weight wool, I mentioned it to the client and the first thing he said was no wool is too hot, then I showed him a lightweight worsted wool in a cobalt blue that I plan to make a skirt at some point...... He felt the fabric and instantly loved it as I knew he would!  Then I told him the price per metre had to pick him up off the floor, he decided it was waaaaaayyyyyy too expensive but I have other plans hehehehehe! 
Called Sultan's fine fabrics in Toronto and explained to him what I need the first thing he suggested was the summer weight wool, I told him he read my mind but I'm on a tight budget.  Sultan is a prince of a man and told me not to worry about the price he will look after me after all I send him many clients including my son who needed a new wardrobe for a new job he was starting last fall.  He was out shopping and was getting frustrated at what he was finding his word to describe it was "junk" so I suggested he visit Sultan and have his suits custom made, the fit is better, he can choose the colour he wants for the suit as well as the lining.  My son didn't know how much fun it was to pick out funky linings!  In the end he actually saved money by having bespoke suits made rather than buying off the rack, the same quality fabrics would have to be designer suits and would have set him back a lot more that what the end cost was with the added bonus that they fit perfectly.  The workmanship alone was worth the cost and I inspected the garments!  Any one who knows me knows how picky I can be with the workmanship, cut, design etc.

In fact today I cut a dress for a family function that I have been invited to because I have nothing to wear :) really I don't!  Anyway, it took me over 1/2 an hour to cut the bodice back not because it's a difficult cut it's the print that had me thinking so I looked and looked placed the pattern piece on, took it off and so on until I found the exact mirror images to cut each side.  There was also the added bonus that in the design  I decided to attach the front strap to the back so there will be no shoulder seam meaning the flower at the front had to be cut upside down so that when it's sewn on to the front it will be right side up!  Whew!  I hope you were able to follow that :)
Have a great day!

Well this young man really surprised me yesterday!  I thought it was his fourth class but it was only his third and in only three classes he has successfully sewn together pajama pants that fit him like a glove!  He told me he has trouble finding pants that fit him well so he was pretty pleased with himself that his very first pair fit that well, as he should be.  I know I'm very pleased!!!!  My only question is how am I going to teach Andrew how to make adjustments for body issues when he has none?!  We may have to find another model who has some issues :)

Anyway......
Homework is to draft another pair of pants using different measurements adding pockets.  If you have the opportunity please make a pair of track pants for yourself using the same pattern and method you used for the pajama pants just to get more practice. 
Cut out enough fronts and pockets to do a story board next week (stick to light colours) you are to have the pocket lining in a different colour or fabric, broadcloth will work just fine for this project. 
Things to bring:

• 4 pants front
• 4 pocket lining pieces
• 2 pocket fabric pieces
• Length of twill tape
• Some tricot interfacing – ½ metre will suffice
• A sharpie
  

This will provide a 3D reference for future use and give plenty of practice on pocket installation.  Cheers!

Hello all so my latest project is an interesting one to say the least......  straight out of an Austen Powers movie; a mother of the bride's dress!  One would think outlandish, gaudy, trashy.... well one would be very, very wrong this time!  This mother has exhibited impeccable taste and class!  Can't show pix until after the ceremony but rest assured I will post pix as it is turning out quite beautiful. 
You see the issue is this fine lady has a small frame (3 cm smaller shoulder width than the basic block) with a larger bust volume and carries her weight mainly in the front making her front neck to waist 5 cm longer than the back.  That means there is a 3 cm difference at the side seams (2 cm are already incorporated into the draft) that have to be accounted for.  A few tricks later, some maneuvering of lines, a bit of praying and presto the pattern was ready to cut!
The trick is to fit the body especially because the bodice has piping accentuating it so it has to fit the first time.  Yesterday when I placed it on my judy, if I wasn't afraid of hurting something I would have done somersaults and cartwheels it looked EXACTLY like the picture!!!! 
Any one of my graduates understands exactly what to do in this case and would have the ability to copy this garment without a problem.  Take heart beginners you too will reach this point that you will understand exactly what to do in cases like this! 
Until next time..... ciao

So today we decided to attend a celebration in Barrie we had never been to before and it was really very nice to see the parade and all the military lined up it was very moving to listen and learn about our past as well.
The other reason I went was to introduce myself to the official town cryer for Barrie whose outfit I will be making in the near future.  I felt it was necessary to see him in action as he had a proclamation as part of the ceremony.  I am very excited to take on this project of re-creating a period costume consisting of the jacket, waistcoat and poet shirt! 
It will most definitely make me use my brain as my specialty is ladies evening wear and not men's wear or costume design......  So if anyone has any advice they would like to share please leave a comment it will be greatly appreciated. 

Great job ladies on the mock ups!  Janet's skirt fit like a glove on the first try!  Miriam needs a couple of adjustments,nothing earth shattering but it will make the difference between a good fit and a great fit!

Your Homework is to create a mock up of the box pleat skirt taking into account personal adjustments;
Miriam you are to make the adjustment as we discussed on Skype to your pattern, lower the centre front and then re-draw the waistline as we discussed.  Continue with the mock up of the box pleat pattern....

Janet if you have a piece or twine or yarn tie one piece around your waist and one piece around the widest part of your hips, standing in front of a mirror sideways making sure the lines are parallel to the floor measure down the side from the waist to the hips and use that measurement instead of the requisite 17 to draw in the hipline.  I’m almost certain it will be a little longer, if that is the case use the French curve to draw in the curved line.  Try it and see what happens with the next mock up. 

These two adjustments will make the difference between a good fit and a great fit!  See you in a couple of weeks....