Linda Lee's Workshop Portfolio Linda Lee is the owner of The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection, a group of patterns for distinctive garments using innovative sewing techniques. She is a licensed interior designer and member of ASID since 1974. Linda is featured in the Bernina "Portrait of the Artist" national advertising campaign. She travels the country teaching fine sewing techniques and the art of combining beautiful fabrics and distinctive design in garment creation and home decorating creations. She has written thirteen books. A recent book, Sew Sensational Pillows, won the Independent Book Award in 2005 in the Craft and Hobby category. Books include: Sewing Beautiful Pillows, Scarves to Make, Sewing Stylish Home Projects, Sewing Edges and Corners, Mastering Miters, Sew Sensational Pillows, Designer Home Sewing and Sew Easy. Lectures Reality Wardrobe Dressing for today’s lifestyle is an entirely new wrinkle. For most of us, bodyshapers, matched sets and cute clothes are a thing of the past. The Sewing Workshop Collection of patterns represents a new era in sewing, fitting and image – asymmetric, deconstructed and totally renegade. Learn to assemble a core wardrobe of wearable clothes in today’s fabrics and sprinkle it with a little outrageous color and kick. Fashioned in Silk Have you ever thought of silk as an all-purpose fabric? You’ve probably only considered it delicate, too hard to sew and way too expensive. But Linda will show you how to incorporate these beautiful fabrics, from silk douppioni to silk shantung to silk tusseh, into your everyday wardrobe – one that will last for ears, making its initial investment well worth every penny. She will teach you how to cut it out, sew it and care for it using the right tools, innovative techniques and fashionable styles that bypass the trends. See lots of clothes and get in on the best sources for these incredible fabrics. Cutting Outside the Lines Are you stuck in a rut, making the same old patterns in the same way, hording your fabrics to use when things get “worked out”? Linda will show you how to look at a pattern, deconstruct it, and change the look completely without changing the fit that you love. Learn to mix fabrics and textures, insert surprise design and color elements and take your wardrobe from ordinary to interesting. Cool Edges Interesting edges are everywhere – from high fashion couture to trendy accessories. But there’s more to an edge than meets the eye. There are decisions to be made. Linda will help you discover some pretty cool edges, from raw and ruffled to trimmed and turned. Learn to make fun fringes, utilize interesting selvages, and add novelty pipings and ribbons. Get a fresh perspective on how to rethink a pattern to feature an edge whether it’s subtle or daring. You’ll see great examples for clothes, home décor and fun accessories with techniques galore. Material Matters We all love to sew, but sometimes we get stuck choosing what fabric to use for what pattern. Linda has sorted through her successes and failures and is ready to tell you her secrets for what has worked for her. Learn about fabrics that drape well and take off ten pounds, see fabrics that maintain their beauty for years, discover which fabrics are easy to sew and which ones to avoid, and find out where to buy the really great fabrics, even if there’s no fabric store near you. You will receive a resource list of Linda’s favorite online and independent fabric stores. Subtleties of Sewing It’s the small things that make a difference. You know how to sew, but disappointments abound. Come to this class and learn the fine, small details that make your work better; the techniques that are never in guide sheets and are buried in too many books. You’ll rethink your tools and your stitching, pressing and marking. Learn to make smart choices. Sew Stretch Knits are everywhere – from the trendiest of fashions to serious clothes. Most sewers are intimidated by knits, but the reality is that they are some of the easiest fabrics to sew. Come to this class and get fresh ideas for easy-to-make patternless clothes for the young and hip, the traveler and the “I want it now” set. You’ll learn the best techniques for taming this fabric, from using the right notions, presser feet and equipment to choosing the right finishes for hems and seams. Sewing Stylish Home Projects Beautiful accessories, for you and your home, add personal style and grace to everyday life. Learn to create pillows, throws, placemats and napkins, curtains, lampshades and more using exquisite fabrics and details. As an interior designer, Linda brings professional creative aesthetics to projects. As a sewer, she understands that the finishing details are what make them sing. You will learn how to make perfect corners and hems, add sashiko and appliqué designs to surfaces and make easy rosettes, ruching and fringes. Sew Sensational Pillows Finally, all the fabulous techniques for creating gorgeously embellished pillows are broken down for you into easy-to-follow how-tos. Linda’s extraordinary pillows feature the kinds of details that you really want to make; the details that show up in the best home decorating magazines and coffee-table books; the details that professional designers use. Learn to stitch ruffled, pipe-edged, tasseled, pleated, flanged, buttoned, and tied pillows and even more: all you need to get creative for any look. Sew Easy From her best-selling Sew Easy book series, Linda will show you how to make amazingly simple projects without using patterns. Learn to make bags, scarves, clothes and home accessories in fun fabrics while building your skills and turning out cool projects for yourself or as gifts. A Crafty Girl's Guide to Sewing Clothes Taking the cue from the top styles of choice, Linda will put a fresh face on how to interpret the hottest fashions into quick, easy and fun sewing projects for all ages and skill levels. See clothes made from simple rectangles, ideas for restyling vintage clothing and fun new ways to embellish with your scraps that are too good to pitch. Amazing Garments from Simple Rectangles Garments do not have to be complicated to have the latest high-fashion look. Shape and line and, of course, the fabrics can make even the simplest garments really interesting. What a joy it is to make something so simple that you don’t even need a pattern. Take a look at six garments that are made completely from rectangles and squares. With a few basic measuring and cutting tools and a modest amount of fabric, you can sew up a garment in a few hours with little fitting and no fuss. You’ll love the freedom to be creative with fun fabrics and to let some of the tedious details of sewing fall by the wayside. Downtown Bags The real bags, the ones you carry every day to shop, to tote, to toss around. Not the fussy ones that you carry uptown to dinner. Come to this class and learn how to make unique bags using workhorse fabrics, eco-friendly materials and hardware that lasts a lifetime. But make no mistake, these bags are cool and fashionable and fun to make. Learn to sew on tough fabrics that are little out of the norm and learn how to add details to your bags that add value. Workshops Sewing Machines Required Mastering Miters Miters are the cleanest and most professional way to finish a corner. In this class you will make samples of five miters -- symmetric and asymmetric hems, outside and inside binding, borders and ribbon bands. Use these techniques for garments, quilts and wall hangings, bed and table linens and craft and home decorating projects. 3-4 hour workshop Kit Fee: $20.00 - includes Linda Lee's Mastering Miters book Mitered Tamari Apron Workshop In this hands-on workshop, you will make a special edition of The Sewing Workshop’s Tamari Apron incorporating four of Linda’s special mitering techniques. It’s a great way to master the miters and make a fun project for yourself or a friend. Gather some great cotton fabrics in mixed patterns and colors and plan to add a little creativity to your day. 6-hour workshop Materials list available or purchase a $45.00 kit Ingredients for Making Great Pillows In this hands-on workshop, you will make samples of key techniques that make or break the quality of a custom pillow. The samples include: making covered piping, applying it to the pillow, turning the corner and ending it neatly; applying decorative twisted cording and ending it neatly; sewing a Turkish corner; making a flat flange and turning the corner; sewing round bolster ends; perfecting the handsewn slipstitch. 6-8-hour workshop Sew a Sensational Pillow In this workshop, you will make a round, box pillow trimmed with covered piping and a button center. The kit will contain all that you need including exquisite silk fabrics, two unique buttons and a down form. All of the techniques learned in this class will translate to many home decorating projects – sewing a circular box shape, making and applying cording and professionally attaching buttons to a pillow. With Linda’s expertise as an interior designer, the kit selections will be interesting and beautiful. You will have an opportunity to pre-select the color combination of your choice prior to the class. 6-8 hour workshop Teagarden T Workshop A woman can’t have too many t-shirts, especially if they have a flattering neckline, give a nice shape to the body and fit really well. Come to this class and learn to work with a variety of knit fabrics. In a day’s time, you will construct the quite unique, but very wearable Teagarden T from The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection. Try working with slinky knit, rayon jersey, cotton interlock and other novelty knits and learn to make smart choices for seam and hem finishes and great designer details. You will leave with THE basic addition to your wardrobe and the confidence to make lots more. 8-hour workshop Fashioned in Silk - the Plaza Jacket In this class you will construct a Plaza Jacket from the Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection, incorporating many of Linda’s best finishing techniques for silk fabrics. You will use a base fabric of Japanese ribbed silk and linen weave, embellishing it with pieced bands of Japanese kimono fabrics. Upon signing up for the class, Linda will send you samples of the base fabric available for your materials kit. 8-hour workshop Hudson Knit Top Using the Hudson Top pattern from The Sewing Workshop Pattern Collection, you will construct an easy-to-make, easy-to-wear top in a knit fabric. Learn to sew on super- stretchy fabrics using the right techniques and tools. You’ll leave the class with the most comfortable garment you’ve ever own and the confidence to sew more knit clothes. 6-8 hour workshop Fancy Fringes Learn to make your own exquisite fringes just like the expensive trims that interior designers use. Using simple materials such as rayon seam tape, horsehair braid, grosgrain ribbon and yarns and threads, you will be able to make yards of customized trims in this workshop – ready to add to garments, pillows, throws and valances. 3-hour workshop Fee Structure $750.00 per seven-hour day, hands-on workshops or lecture/demonstrations $500.00 per 1/2 day classes, trunk shows and lectures Reimbursements for the following: Transportation for air fare from Topeka, Kansas and airport shuttle or cab Or car mileage at .65 per mile Lodging Out-of-pocket expenses Equipment Needed For all lectures, demos and workshops: Chalkboard, white board, or flip chart paper Slide projector -- for Sewing Stylish Home Projects, Edges and Corners or Scarves to Make classes Clothes rack Table For all hands-on workshops: Sewing machine -- Bernina, if available Serger Iron and ironing board