Smooth Flat Finish on Stretch Knits

Stretch knit fabrics require some special techniques to prevent over stretch or waviness in the the seam line. I use facing tape inside hems to give structure and foundation. A walking foot and double machine needle also prevents a rippled seam. When I work with stretch knits, I produce a smooth flat finish. This is especially true for athletic and stretch pant and dress hems.

Relining a Coat

A coat lining protects the main shell of the garment. It protects a coat's foundation and structure. It stands up to many putting ons and taking offs. A lining experiences the most wear and therefore can wear out. If you love your coat and the lining is in tatters, the lining can be entirely replaced. This is better than patching a lining because once a fabric starts to shred and deteriorate, it doesn't stop because of a patch. If you love your coat, extend its life by relining.

Mentoring at the Vermilion Academy

I'm happy to engage in the opportunity of mentoring students at the Vermilion Academy.  I carted my sewing machine, iron and board, and tool box to the school board office to get started teaching basic sewing skills.  Two students learned how to sew on a button, the blind hem stitch, the crossover hem stitch, and the machine straight and zigzag stitch.  One of the students was making a necktie collage pillow at home and asked to bring it in to work on.  This week I'll be collecting neck ties so others can make similar pillows.  This project is perfect to teach basic sewing skills and a sense of accomplishment.  I'm really glad to share my skill with students who have an interest in sewing.

The Vermilion Academy is a high school, self-paced, competency-based educational opportunity with an open entry/exit policy and flexible scheduling. This makes it possible for motivated students to earn a diploma by working one-to-one with licensed teachers outside the traditional classroom environment.  The vermilion academy is a workforce development  program accomplishing their goals through mentoring, employability and support services .  It is an honor to participate and work with students in this setting. For more information about the academy go to www.vermilionschools.org

What Not to Wear

This weekend I had a great conversation with my sister about what not to wear, the tv show. Then when I returned, I found this wonderful newsletter article from www.individuallysuited.com. I thought it was appropriate to share on my blog. "What is your Uniform? The word uniform is from Latin unis and formus meaning one form. The original purpose of the uniform was for soldiers to be able to identify friend from foe. Today uniforms extend beyond the military to various businesses and often private schools and are used for identification as well. Each of us can create our own uniform or brand if we so desire. We all recognize the uniforms of the UPS driver, our favorite sports teams, police officers and the post office, to mention a few. The rest of us have "informal" uniforms which send signals to those around us. So what does your dress signify? Since the dot-com era, casual dress has become common in the workplace. Today in many companies, it is difficult to distinguish the executives from the mailroom staff. The goal of informality in the workplace was to make workers more comfortable, and therefore happier and more productive. The actual result might be debated to be the opposite. Studies have shown that casual dress can reduce individual productivity. Comfort is important, but where is the line drawn between casual and sloppy? Many companies are encouraging their employees to sharpen up their dress because it reflects on the organization. Even with the widespread casualization in the workplace, people still associate dress with position and power. We received an email from a reader who shared an interesting story. He used to travel extensively in casual clothes. On one trip, he did not have time to change clothes for an important meeting, so he traveled in his business attire. When there was a problem with an airline connection, he noticed that he got very courteous and special treatment from the airline employees while the other travelers didn't fare so well. The contrast was so striking that whenever he travels he always wears his formal business attire. He gets much better service from the airline, rental car, hotel and restaurant employees. Even though they don't know who he is, because he is dressed like an important person he is always treated with respect and courtesy. So when you get dressed, think about the treatment you want and image you want to portray. If you dress like you mean business, people will generally treat you with respect and dignity. Dress like you're ready for leisure and people might not take you very seriously. So where does the uniform come in? Your daily dress sends a message of how you feel about yourself and how others view you and your roles. Be certain to be consistent with your message and image. (Marketers know that consistency is the key to branding. It takes time to establish a brand - especially a visual one. If you are consistent in your dress from day to day and if your dress is consistent with your role and your personal image, people will begin to treat you the way you want them to. It may take time, but the results will be well worth the bit of extra effort that you put into dressing for the job." www.sewingbymaudy.com Specializing in proper fit, alterations and tailoring 440-967-8799

Veteran's Day Work

Today is the perfect day to work on this Naval Aviator Flight Jacket. I was asked to place all the patches on this 1st Gulf War Veteran's jacket. Thank you Veterans for your service!

Kaito Cosplay Costume

Thank you Stacy for allowing me to fit your cosplay costume. The outer tunic was over sized in the front and under arms. I took out two zippers and reshaped lower arm hole. Then added a separating zipper for ease of wear. Now Stacy has a better fitting costume.

Vermilion Cross Country Banner

This is a work in process. I am creating a banner for the Vermilion Cross Country Team. It will be 2' x 6' and include a bottom and top rod pocket along with an additional flap for grommets. I ordered the fabric from Artista flag store online which sells professional grade nylon. I first created a paper version of the banner and used that as a pattern. I fine tuned my lettering by enlarging font on the computer. A professional banner maker would probably have a tool which would dye cut letters but I used scissors. All the letters are backed with under wonder, a heat sensitive adhesive film. My next step will be to lay out the letters, adhere them to the banner and then stitch around them with metallic gold thread.

Neckline Redesign

Both of these turtle necks were redesigned into a shallow scoop neck. Fabric from the collar was used to create a visible facing.

Praise for new website

Chris Scully of V-Alltech recreated www.sewingbymaudy.com into a professional, specialized, and compelling website. It received immediate attention after publication and very quickly generated income to pay for his service. Chris worked swiftly, made effective suggestions, and was directive when I was indecisive. I continue to benefit from Chris' exceptional work. Thank you V-Alltech!

Smooth Flat Finish on Stretch Knits

Stretch knit fabrics require some special techniques to prevent over stretch or waviness in the the seam line. I use facing tape inside hems to give structure and foundation. A walking foot and double machine needle also prevents a rippled seam. When I work with stretch knits, I produce a smooth flat finish. This especially true for athletic and stretch pant and dress hems.

Redesigned neckline

Symmetrical, traditional garment receives a face lift and is transformed into a one shouldered dress. The owner of this teal sleeveless dress wanted a fresh, updated look. With tailor's chalk I drew the new neck line, eliminating one shoulder. Using wide black bias, I stitched, turned, and re-stitched new facing for a smooth new view.

Student Job Shadow, Kylie Fulk

Student Kylie Fulk chose me to job shadow. I was so pleased to talk about my work and learn about Kylie's ambition. Kylie is a self taught costume maker. she enjoys sewing and continues to improve her skill. But what Kylie really wants to do is become a makeup artist in the entertainment industry. We talked about what training and experience she would need inorder to realize this goal. It was a pleasure having her visit.

Men's Fashion Discussion on podcast

I found this great free flowing discussion on men's fashion between Alton Brown and Sid Mashburn on the Alton Browncast. They cover the business of men's fashion, suit construction, Hollywood icons, America fashion themes, dress codes, casualization of the workforce, a real gentlemen's club and proper fit. It's a brilliant stream of conversation and education. Check out this podcast.

Halloween Costumes

These costumes are modeled after Japanese comic characters of which my kids are fond. The sailor and dragon slayer costumes are both made from a double knit. I drafted both patterns. I also included pictures of the characters which the kids provided when they asked for these costumes.

Sheer Bolero Jacket

This a sheer bolero jacket I made for my daughter recently.

Ballet Tutu

When I worked at Ballet Met in Columbus, Oh, right out of college, I was able to experience how real tutus are made. 20 years later, I am now making one for a very young cousin. I used a pair of pink stretch shorts as my foundation garment. Then graded the netting and staggered each layer two inches apart. Each layer is also connected and stabilized to the next layer with a crochet thread tag. Smallest layers are underneath to create a foundation and lift for the longest layers on top. It was a time consuming project, but a pleasure to remember the process of tutu making!

Wedding bustle

This is a lovely one point bustle I created for a bride recently.

Homecoming alterations

These are two tiny dresses I saw at homecoming. They were both too small to fit on my dress form. The black one required bodice work and a pencil style skirt. The other just a halter strap.

Tie made to match dress

This dress required a hem but not from the lower edge. I shortened the dress from the horizontal skirt seam. This preserved the scalloped edge at the skirt bottom. My client asked for a tie to match the dress from the hem remnant which I was able to create.

Organization and furniture move improves work space.

I recently rearranged and organized my work space. It is a pleasure to sew in this environment.

Proper fit

I found this great website outlining the fit standards for Men's business wear. I had color print diagrams made for references. Very helpful! I found them www.realmenrealfit.com

Regency Ball Costume

Kipten and I went to a Regency Ball on Put in Bay Island celebrating the Battle of Lake Erie of the War of 1812. I created my costume using an empire waist stretchy top. Then added a burnout sheer over lay skirt with matching sleeves. It was a quick way to get a regency costume. My son is dressed as a Navy Sea Cadet and his unit helped with the set up of the ball.

Christmas Elves

These cute elves came from a customer who wanted the names of their grandchildren on the elf hats. I stitched on name tags. A fun easy project, cute enough to share.