Repurposed Mink Fur Coat

Pick up the latest copy of Vogue Pattern magazine for a copy of my article on Repurposed Fur. I took a second hand store $49 mink fur coat from the '60s and redesigned it into this beautiful reversible sheared mink coat.

I sheared the mink myself to give it a more modern look and then redesigned it using Vogue 1060 by Sandra Betzina. I added a leather tie closure. The rainwear fabric came from Britex in San Francisco.

It was fun project to do. I am offering a Recycled Fur workshop next week at The Academy of fine Sewing & Design. I am looking forward to seeing what the students produce. Watch for another workshop to be offered in 2011.

Sewing Workshop Urban T-shirt

Summer is a great time to whip up a few new T-shirts. Here is Sewing Workshop's new Urban T-shirt made out of a cool Tencel knit fabric. I love the draped piece down the front and loose, draped pocket. I plan to make another version out of a striped knit fabric for fall.

Learn how to sew with knits during the Designer T-Shirt workshop at The Academy of fine Sewing & Design September 10-11. Guest instructor Ce Podolak and Kathryn Brenne will guide you through pattern fit, working with knit fabrics, seam finishes and tips on professional techniques for finishing necklines and hems. For more information download the registration form at http://www.finesewing.com/workshops.html#6

Student Work

Here are some of the projects my teenage students have recently completed.

Jenny tailored McCalls M5759 and trimmed the jacket with buttons she purchased in NY on the New York school trip last year.

Haley finished off an appliqued Cat Quilt. She is going to use button eyes to hold the layers together.

Kylie did a beautiful job of matching the plaids on her flannel shirt.

High School Sewing Competition

The Academy helped to organize a local sewing competition. Students worked from a basic pattern. Each student was give 2.5 meters of fabric. They were allowed to redraft the pattern to change it and bring along fabric and embellishments for their design. Each participant had 5 hours to draft, cut and sew the tunic top. Designs were evaluated for creativity, sewing construction, pattern work, fit and final appearance.

Here are some photos of the students busy at work at the local mall where the competition was held and a couple of the winning designs.

It was a fun day for everyone and we are looking forward to next year's competition.

Vogue 1116

Here is a new outfit I have finished for spring/summer. The washed linen pants are Vogue pattern V1116 by New York designer Andrea Katz. I love their unusual shape and drape! They are very comfortable to wear.

The sweater is knit from Trendsetter's Free Spirit yarn, a blend of cotton and linen. It self stripes as you knit it. The pattern is #4002-B Free Spirit MP Swing Jacket. The draped side inserts go well with the shape of the pants. The yarn and pattern are available in several colorways from Stix and Stones in North Bay 705-223-8245.

Cruise Knitting

I recently attended a Caribbean Knitting Cruise hosted by Great Balls of Yarn out of Florida www.greatballsofyarn.com We had two great instructors Barry Klein, owner of Trendsetter Yarns and Chris Bylsma, designer of the Crayon Box Jacket.

Here are some of the projects taught on the ship and recently completed:

A poncho/wrap designed by Chris and knit out of Trendsetter Yarns

A shoulder wrap knit from Trendsetter Tonalita and designed by Barry Klein

A Cha Cha diagonally knit scarf designed by Barry and knit from Trendsetter Cha Cha yarn

All of the patterns and yarns are available through Stix and Stones 104 Main St. E., North Bay, Ontario Canada 705-223-8245.

Bernina CutWork Tool with Software

I am really excited about the new Bernina CutWork Tool and Software! This new tool allows you to create an outline on your computer, send it to the sewing machine and then cut it with the new tool that sits in the needle bracket. With the software you can sequence the motif to cut and then embroider using a variety of stitches. The Cutwork tool will work on any Bernina machine, which is embroidery capable. Bernina was winner of the Swiss Technology Award for this invention.

Here is a leather book cover which the new tool cut and embroidered. It had no problem cutting through leather and can easily cut up to 10 layers of fabric at once. The book cover is my own design. It has handles and a built in bookmark, making it perfect for anyone who travels. I sequenced the design to first cut out the scales and eyes from a piece of green leather. I then glued brown and red leather to the back of the green leather and embroidered around the cut holes. I set this aside, hooped up brown leather and cut out the lizard. I then positioned the green leather I had prepared, glued it in place and finished with embroidery around the outside of the design.

For more information on sewing with leather visit my website http://www.finesewing.com/ for information on my Sewing Leather CD. For more information about the Bernina Cutwork tool visit http://www.berninausa.com/product_detail-n6-i294-sUS.html

Koos van den Akker Workshop April 14-18, 2010

The Academy is pleased to have New York designer Koos van den Akker return again this spring to teach another inspiring and creative workshop. Here are some of the photos from last year's class. All of the students accomplished more than project while learning Koos' techniques. Visit http://www.finesewing.com to download workshop registration information.