ASG Conference, 2015

Well I'm just back from six glorious days at the ASG Conference in San Diego, CA.  I enjoyed every minute of it!!!!  I took some fabulous classes and got to catch up with lots of fellow sewing friends!!!!!

I took two very good classes:

1) Bra Fitting with Monica O’Rourke Bravo of BravoBella!!!  She's the daughter of bra making expert, Anne St. Clair.  I took a bra making class from Anne in 2011.  Both ladies are experts in the bra making business.  Although their approach is slightly different I gained some cool techniques in bra fitting/making from Monica.

She subscribes to the theory that there are two breast shapes:  oval or round!  I'm clearly a round so I look better with a three-seam bra vs. the one-seam bra.  The more seams, the more support!!! 

I loved the way Monica ran the class.  She crammed a lot of information into the day-long class.  Each person was fitted in front of the class, which gave us the opportunity to analyze various shapes and sizes.  Helpful if you want to make bras for others.  

So I'm once again armed with a great fitting bra pattern and supplies!!!!  This time I vow to make a few colorful well-fitting bras.  I'll take it a step further, I will make one bra before September 1, 2015!!!!

Class #2 Drum roll please!!!!!  The Chanel Jacket with Claire Shaeffer!!!!  Yes Lady Chanel herself!  The one and only official Chanel historian in the sewing world!!!!!  This lady is walking Chanel dictionary!!!!  A two-day class just wasn't enough.  I was disappointed when I first learned that we were only working on the three-piece sleeve, not the jacket.  What was I thinking, we're talking Claire Shaeffer!  This lady knows what she's doing.  After constructing my three-piece sleeve, I am now armed with all of the necessary techniques to complete my very own Chanel jacket!!!!!  The sleeve was mostly hand sewn.  We used the slip stitch, stay stitch, and basting stitch.  The term "couture" is so widely misused today.  Basically couture means hand sewn!   The sleeve we made is from this very popular pattern Vogue 8804. 

The sleeve is made into three pieces because Chanel liked the sleeve vent to face forward so that it could be seen.  It's so pretty it deserves to be seen!!!!

We used a wonderful basting thread and a Mettler for all other sewing (hand and machine). 

Couture trim made by sewing a strip of the fashion fabric to a strip of bias cut chiffon.  Fold in half and sew tiny zig zag stitches to the edge press and fringe with a sewing needle.  Turned out beautiful, perfect matching trim every time!!!

Trim is hand sewn to the sleeve!

Quilted the lining to the sleeve fashion fabric...this will be done to the entire jacket. 

Hand sewed Wigan into the sleeve hem.  I can't wait to start on my own Chanel Jacket!

With all the hand sewing we were doing, someone had this handy gadget!  I couldn't wait to get to the vendors and purchase my own. It's the best needle threaded I've ever used!!!!

Here are some of the goodies I purchased from the Conference Vendors:

I can't wait to embroider these lovely ladies --- tote bags anyone!!!!

Scissor-themed cotton fabric, what shall I make?? The white stuff is tricot and jersey for making bras.

This is an adorable notebook.

Interfacing purchased from Gail Yellen's booth.

Note cards and pattern tape.  It's supposed to withstand head.

My dear sewing friend, Marie, made our little group these adorable bags for our sewing nations! 

Beautiful neoprene for only $5 a yard!!!!

This beautiful chiffon border print was only $3 a yard!  I'm thinking a maxi dress overlay or maxi skirt????  Oh the possibilities?????

Next year's conference will be held in Indianap

New sewing table

So my DH called from work and asked if I wanted a table his employers were tossing. He said he thought it was what I had talked about. So after looking at the pics he text me I said yes honey, bring it home!

Now I already had a sewing table, but he knew I wanted something with a bigger surface.  My dear friend at church modified it so that the sewing machine would sit flush with the top.  I originally planned to place two sewing machines on it, but decided to use the other dropped area for notions. I moved most of these notions from the top back edge of my cutting center.  This was awesome as it freed up six inches of space on the cutting surface, and now my sewing notions are at my fingertips while sewing!   My other table had a small drawer in the center.

I've had this table for several weeks and love it!  It was adjustable so I was able to raise it a few inches higher than my old table.  Guess what, I not experiencing the back pain after sewing for long periods like I did the other table!!!!!  I guess my old table wasn't ergonomically correct!  

Here's my new table.  I have the Juki and Babylock serger on it. Since taking this picture, 

I've since placed my Janome 1600P into a modified Gidget Table and placed it here beside the existing table.  I now have a "U" shaped sewing area.

The pill bottle is for old sewing needles, I change them often

I decided to put my old sewing table on one of my Facebook sewing groups.  Since it was gifted to me, I wanted to pay it forward.  The lovely Alana came and picked it up.  She was so sweet, she gifted me with a Dritz Twin Fit dress form.  She let me know the other day she is enjoying her new table.  In fact, she said she is sewing on one end and teaching her aunt to sew on the other!!!!

Here's my old table...

We're having some painting done so I'll be home babysitting the painters for at least three days!!!  Can you say sew-cation!!!!  I'm working on various projects and sewing two garments to wear in the ASG fashion show in July so my blogging will be kind of sparse for the next few weeks.

Thanks for stopping by.  Happy sewing!!!!!

Visitng Savannah, Ga

Well I arrived in Savannah, GA on Thursday afternoon to visit with my sister, niece, and nephews!  It's such a beautiful city.  I checked out a couple of downtown fabric stores.  Measures was very small, but had some very nice garment fabrics including some nice leather pieces,  and a bit of notions too!  Fabrika had some luscious fabrics for garments and quilting, and some great notions.

I love her sign!!!!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jim!  He was in the middle of a pants class, and I got to sit in for a few minutes and picked up a few great techniques!!!

Well I'm heading back to Maryland in the am!  I had a great time in Savannah, GA...until next time!