September 18, 2007
Daily News Bag
We are very excited here at The Sewing Workshop studio about the Daily News Bag. We have been working hard on this pattern all summer to try and bring you a unique bag to add to your collection.
I feel I am a bag connoisseur to some extent. I love to buy new bags, already own many, and love to make them as well. But how many times have I come up short or felt disatisfied with my purhase or creation? Maybe the bag is too small, doesn't have enough pockets or doesn't withstand the abuse of everyday life. This is the first time I have felt that I don't need to search any further for that perfect bag. The Daily News Bag is large enough for your everyday items, has a zippered inside pocket, and three different strap lengths to choose from so you can get the perfect fit.
But what's a great bag design without the perfect fabric? I feel it's hard to create that universal bag that you can take anywhere, that can stand up to the hazards of everyday life and look good in the process (which is always key for me). We have the solution: high-performance, earth-conscious upholstery textiles. These fabrics are soft & pliable, yet sturdy, eco-intelligent, and soil & water resistant. We have found these spectacular, coordinating fabrics that just as fun as they are durable. The first is a Mesh of the new generation; the other a Solid Performance Polyester. It comes is four different colorways: Red, Mocha Brown, Black, & Grey.
The RED is my favorite! Each colorway comes as a kit, so you have everything you need to create your very own Daily News Bag! ENJOY!
~Erin
September 10, 2007
Fashioned in Silk - the Plaza Jacket
I wanted to develop a project for the Fashioned in Silk class that I am teaching for 4 Women of Design in Sacramento in April 2008. I wanted the project to be a learning experience that included a selection of seam and hem finishes that are traditionally uses in silk garments.
~4 Women of Design Info~
The basic jacket is made in the String colorway of the ribbed silk and linen that we offer in the fabric section of this web site. I've inserted an panel of kimono pieces in the center back. I get most of my kimono pieces from Ah! Kimono. The pieces are sewn together using Hong Kong finishes and French seams. The jacket is constructed using turned and stitched seams and the hems are turned and pressed uisng our signature template method. I lengthened the jacket 1 1/2" and made a size extra small, even though I am usually a medium in my patterns.
Balancing the Plaza Jacket
I love the Plaza Jacket for its simplicity and understated chic, but because my shoulders roll forward from too many years hunched over my sewing machine and my computer, I have figured out how to balance the shoulders of the jacket so it doesn't ride back. On my tissue pattern, I remove 3/8" from the shoulder seam of the front and add 3/8" to the back shoulder seam. I also add 3/8" to the corresponding shoulder seam of the back band. Most people who need to balance shoulders of garments need to think in terms of changing the seams 1/4" to 1/2".
