Hello it's been a while since I last posted!  It has been a mixture of emotions at my house, we lost a brother-in-law to cancer last week in Italy, no matter how much it's expected it is always a shock when the loved ones pass on.  My husband went for the funeral, what's really sad is that when he left home he was going to see his brother-in-law because he was in bad shape but while on route he passed away.....  so sad especially for the nephew who traveled with my husband to find out his father died before he got there to say good-bye.....

Well I'm home now after the Festival catching up with things...  thank you to all the students who attended my classes and seminar it is my pleasure to teach at this event!  October is just not October without rushing and getting ready for the Creativ Festival!  
This year I decided to treat myself, I have been looking at and drooling over a cover stitch machine so this year I took the plunge and bought one!!  Yes I bought one!!  So now I can make my own yoga pants for the gym instead of paying through the nose in retail stores and the best part - they will fit properly!  I even bought fabric to make some more tops to match the yoga pants, need to practice, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  

First off let me apologize for the delay in posting this homework, we had a death in the family and my husband was called away to Italy on Saturday night so the weekend has been kind of a bust, didn't know whether I was coming or going!  Then I had to get the house ready for a showing on Tuesday morning, didn't get this little tidbit of info until late Monday evening so that meant put everything aside and CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!  So a half hour before they arrived to see the house I thought there is nothing that makes a house feel like a home than some fresh baking so I put some muffins in the oven and pulled them out just seconds before they got here!  The house smelled heavenly, I put a note on the table inviting them to please take one, listed the ingredients so there would be an allergy alert and left.  They were here for almost one hour, hopefully that is a good sign! 
Back to Janet, she is doing so well with the man's shirt!  The method seems to be bending the brain a little bit but she is a trooper and really gets it.  I have to laugh every time she tries something new and it turns out, she sounds so surprised LOL!!  I'm not surprised in the least because Janet is an excellent sewer! 
This class we covered the collar installation.  The drafting part with the red square is really VERY EASY!  The installation part is a little more challenging especially the first time one tries it, like I said really bends the brain but the end result is so worth it! 
Homework is to cut and sew a new shirt for husband using a fabric of choice, have it finished for next class in two weeks so we can see the fit on the model.  That's all just a new shirt LOL!!! 

Just finished with Isabella's class and she is such a superb sewer!  We practiced the flat fell seam for shirts as well as a French seam just because, and on both counts she did a better job than me!  She even explained to me how she shortens a metal/plastic zipper to make it fit the garment, the student teaching the teacher!  Pretty good for a 16 year old I would say!!  But still there is homework....

Homework is to sew together the knit tops at the sleeves and side seams, draft a man’s shirt using dad’s measurements bring the draft and measurements to class next time to check for any adjustments that need to be made.  Bring the zipper and fleece top to finish as well as the knit top sewn together ready to add the ribbing at the neckline. 

Next class in two weeks, the Creativ Festival is next week where I will be teaching and judging ciao

Oh dear I thought I had already posted homework for Janet from last week!  I must be getting slower with age! 

We had a sewing session with Janet and I really bent her brain with the cuff installation!  By now she must have finished the homework already we were not going to have a class this week due to the holiday and the fact that I have a couple of functions to get myself ready for, you know it means a new dress or something for each! 

Homework is to finish second sleeve and add cuff with no pleats on shirt at wrist, practice cuff a few times cut out collar and interfacing (interfacing with no seam allowances).  Next class we will be adding the collar to the shirt. 

Have a great week!

So I have been sleeping much better at night, my arm has settled down quite a bit so with better sleep comes more energy! 
I saw a pattern that intrigued me on a TV show, it was one pattern piece for both the front and back with only one side seam and the shoulder seams and a drape on the folded side.  Sounds interesting doesn't it?  I put my thinking cap on and figured it out!  Take a look in the pictures section to see the other two shirts I made with one pattern block!  Oh yeah I made a pair of pants too!  Plus a pattern and mock up for a new client from Bali, yes you read correctly, Bali, Indonesia! 

What a pleasure to have this young woman in my class!  Her homework was all done and done well, the shirt she chose to make was put together to the point that she needed only some instruction on finishing techniques. Isabella really has a good understanding of the pattern draft and breezes through them quickly.

Homework is to draft the bolero with dart on page 83 and sew together a mock up just to see how it goes together.  Draft the cape on page 85 complete with facing and overlap. Trim the pattern pieces for the fleece jacket with front zipper and the raglan sleeve top for knits completed in class today.  Find fabrics to sew together these two garments they are very important to any wardrobe, if there is time try to cut out at least one of these items for next class so we can go over the sewing method and the next steps.

Please let me know when you are available for the next class. 

So I'm a bit late in posting Janet's homework...  I have been a busy beaver!  To be sure she got all the necessary information I sent an email almost as soon as the class was over just in case I couldn't make it on time to post before the next class.  Good job I did! 

We are working on a man's shirt, last class we did some sewing, yes sewing on Skype!  It works well with some strategic camera placement a bit of patience and we are off to the races! 

I did a demo on how to sew together the side/sleeve seams, homework is to add the other sleeve and finish the side/sleeve seams using a flat fell seam in the same manner as the armhole.  Fit the model and take some pix or have the model on hand for me to see the fit especially around the neckline.  Next class we will cover how to finish the slit at the wrist, add one cuff in class, draft the collar and stand from there I will give instruction on how to proceed to add the collar during the following class, this will entail finishing the front placket, adding the collar stand to the collar fall and finally installing it to the body of the shirt.  The shirt will be finished with a narrow hem before the buttons and buttonholes are added.  That is the plan for the next couple of sessions.