The Joys of Learning

Technology Note: Somehow, we lost all our incoming email for the dates of 9-25 through 9-26, 2009 (Friday & Saturday). My husband and I just don't know what happened. IF YOU TRIED TO EMAIL ME DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, PLEASE RESEND TO ME @ MCKENNA@GOTHERE.COM. Trust me; we went crazy trying to fix this. I apologize for the inconvenience.

It is going to be an exciting week of classes !!!!

Power Sewing: Last week, we went over how to use and maintain the industrial straight stitch sewing machines in WCC Room 209. This week, we will go over the use and maintenance of the industrial overlocks. As usual, all Basic Sewers are welcome to come to this class. You will be exposed to many things that you will find useful in the future, including ergonomic techniques. Remember: You can not use the industrial sewing machines in other classes unless you have a certification certificate on file in the classroom. Other instructors do not know where you are in your learning. Remember to bring your sewing projects and extra fabric to class.

Patternmaking: Last week we left off making our front master bodice with #17; page 46 of our text. There were lots of questions. So I went home and looked up the dart intake question in Handford, and Armstrong. Yes, the bigger that one front dart is in the bodice, the better! Of all the books, Lori Knowles is the only one that gives you dart intake measurements to make the bodice correct. This week, we will go back and revisit #11 on page 45 and I will explain. Remember to bring your text books, and supplies.

Basic Sewing: Everyone is now into individual help with their sewing projects. Don't be afraid to ask how to do ANYTHING. Ask !!! You will be surprised at how many students were thinking of the same question. Mark-Allen and I will be there to help. Last week, was the first time he and I tried this. We agreed too much. You need to see us disagree. You need to know that there are millions of ways to do things. You need to know that nothing is written in stone. If something works for you….and you like the technique. TEACH US !! So, as Mark-Allen heals don't be afraid to ask him questions. He has been sewing for a long time and is willing to share his knowledge. For this I THANK HIM VERY MUCH! NOTE: We found something we disagree on: HOW FAR DO YOU GO WHEN YOU WANT TO BE COMPLIANT WITH COMMANDANT # 12: RESPECT THY GRAIN LINES. We will be disagreeing all night. It will be a fun class.

For those of you who are doing the portfolio: You need to know, that once you cut your pieces, you can begin sewing them according to the needs of the portfolio written in your syllabus. You have cut basically 2 or more of everything. This is so the instructor or one of your peers can demo the technique for you. And then, you can go and try the technique yourself. You will find all the techniques for this portfolio in Connie Crawford's Fashion Sewing Book. I have about 6 of these behind the white board, for you to use IN CLASS. It's a great book. It belongs on EVERYONE's book list. See if you can get it used (any edition) from www.Amazon.com.

I am now in possession of 3 USBs left in class: A white and green stripe, a blue centruim and a black and red Dane. Please come and pick up your USBs.

Embird Editing: THE CLASS TIMING HAS CHANGED!!!! We will be meeting on Fridays from 1:30 to 5:30 PM. This particular Friday, October 2, we will be having a NO HOST lunch at El Pollo Loco's on Midway and Fordham at Noon. This is to honor the old time period and go on to the new time period. We learned so many new techniques last week. We learned how to organize our free designs so that we can find them again. We learned that Embird has a monogram feature. We learned WHERE to put TT type fonts so that Embird can use them. I PERSONALLY LEARNED THAT THERE IS A TT HINDU g (I do hope this is non-offensively correct) in one of the school's TT Wingding fonts. There was a handout from Bill on where to find FREE TT fonts. AND the class just continued till 4:30 PM.

This week, we will make our name tags in room 203 AND go into room 209 to use the Amazing Box to put the designs on our rewritable Amazing Box cards along with Penny's circles. BE SURE TO PRINT OUT PENNY'S DIRECTIONS TO MULTI-HOOPING THESE CIRCLES ALONG WITH THE DIRECTIONS FOR SPLITTING DESIGNS FOR 2 HOOPINGS. I only have 2 PES format cards. So now is the time to purchase if you want your own. (Central Sewing will match the price on the net.) The Amazing MAX box is BETTER than the Amazing Box II that the school owns because it can take designs of higher stitch counts. Trust me…..this is a GREAT feature to have. For those of you who can input a USB into your sewing machine, you will NOT need an Amazing Box ANYTHING.

Final Thought: RETHREAD your machine. This solves 99% of all sewing problems.

SEE YOU IN CLASS !!!!
MAKE MONEY WITH YOUR SKILLS !!!!!!!!!!

Good Stuff Happening during Week 3!!!

I am so proud of my students!!! You are reaching for your dreams !!!! Keep coming to class and learn techniques that will help you along the way. I am trying to set up a Saturday or a Sunday at the museums in Balboa Park. I will be calling the museums this week. Remember: This is a Fandango. You don't have to come. If you don't want to see Calder Jewelry, don't come to that part. If you want to see the 19th century costumes, come to that part. I will be blogging Fandango specifics when I have them.

News of the day: Weekly class information is listed last. Read on !!!!

Someone left a serger in room 209. If you have any ideas who left it…please tell your instructor.

One of your fellow students, Mark-Allen, had an accident. His mode of transportation is now an electric wheel chair. If anyone has a van with a chair lift, and can help him come to classes, email me and I will send the information on to him. He IS going to try to attend classes to keep his mind occupied for the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Don't forget to watch Project Runway on Thursday nights at 10 PM. Last week, they blew it. They sent the wrong designer home. They should have sent home the snitch. This season they are in Los Angeles. I know where Mood Fabrics is. BUT…last time I went, Mood was NOT open on a Saturday. I could still drool on the windows. The Fandango to LA is happening on October 10. Contact Sew Pro's to ride the bus. For $40 you get round trip fare to the district and to M & L Fabrics.

Note on links to websites: I don't know if they will work from the blog. You may have to cut and paste into your browser. BUT it will be well worth it.

This video is for cat lovers. Georgina: Thank you for the student contribution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UTdhK0lwuw

The school is beginning to publish H1N1 virus information:

September, 2009

Dear Student,

As you know, fall is typically flu season and is expected to be unusually high this year. We are working closely with the health department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning our institution. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available to us. For the most updated information, visit the Continuing Education Web Site at http://sdce.edu .

We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our institution operating as usual. Please review the list of precautions below to help keep you well through this flu season.

Precautions you can take to help prevent the spread of the flu:

Stay at home if you have flu-like symptoms (fever greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38 degrees Celsius, with cough or sore throat) for at least 24-hours after you no longer have a fever without the use of fever reducing medications.
Avoid contact with ill persons.
When you cough and sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth and throw used tissues in the trash can; germs are spread this way.
After you cough or sneeze, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand gel which is available in some locations on campus.
Frequently clean your living quarters. If you live together with other students, you should frequently clean commonly-used surfaces such as doorknobs, refrigerator handles, remote controls, computer keyboards, countertops, faucet handles and bathroom areas.
Monitor your health by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.
Seek medical care if you are severely ill.
Talk with your health care provider about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu and H1N1.
Do not go to work, school, or travel while ill.

For the most up-to-date information on flu, visit www.flu.gov, or dial 211.

We will continue to monitor the health advisories closely and keep you informed.

All my courses influence each other. This is such fun for me !!!

Monday Night: Power Sewing

As you know, I have opened up this class as a Sewing Lab. Be courteous. Let me teach my Power Sewing students how to use the industrial sewing machines. If you listen to the discussions, you will learn how to sew ergonomically. This will serve you well for a lifetime. I can download the text book to your USB.

Thursday Night: Basic Sewing and Serging

I KNOW I have many more USBs to load up with handouts. This week, I am going to do this BEFORE I start helping everyone. There is also a lesson on the care and maintenance of sewing machines that I want to talk about. After this, I will be open to going down the help list. Those of you who left at 9 PM….didn't realize that I stay till everyone is helped. I do. AND I put the info on the USBs that were left. They are now safely tucked away in my cubby. Don't stress. You will learn a lot from each other.

Wednesday Night: Patternmaking

We changed the entire syllabus to concentrate on the Master Patterns this semester. Next semester, when this class goes 2 times a week, we will use the master patterns to create the dress on page 122 on our text and then create original designs. Yes, I will teach you how to create your own croqui. It is good to design for your own body type. Here are the changes for you to jot down on your printed syllabus.

Week 3: Draft Master Working Front and Back Bodice. Page 52.
Week 4: Draft Master Working Front and Back Bodice.
Week 5: True up your Working Master Bodice Pattern.
Week 6: Draft Master Working Sleeve Pattern. Page 55.
Week 7: True up Master Working Sleeve Pattern.
Week 8: Draft Master Working Front and Back Skirt (2 dart to 1 dart). Page 56 (?)
Week 9: Draft Master Working Front and Back Skirt.
Week 10: True up your Working 1 dart Master skirt pattern.
Week 11: Finish working on your master patterns.
Week 12: Turkey Week
Week 13: Cut and sew a "test fit" with 1 inch seam allowances. Use a big basting stitch.
Week 14: Fit your "test fit" muslin toile.
Week 15: Fit your "test fit" muslin toile. Week 2
Week 16: Tweak your master working patterns according to your fitted muslin toile.
Week 17: Tweak your master working patterns according to your fitted muslin toile.
Week 18: Copy your Master Working Patterns to 100-150 pound manila pattern paper.

Nancy Zeiman's Great video on Knocking Off Completed Garments: http://www.nancysnotions.com/category/id/101962/101963.do?extid=090919

Friday Afternoon: Embird Editing

Week 3: Organizing your free designs. Fonts lesson. Designing a name tag in Editor.
Week 4: Stitch out Name tag in room 209. Bring your embroidery machine.
Week 5: Stitch out Penny's Multi-hooping circle in room 209. Bring embroidery machine.
Week 6: Design a clock in Embird.
Week 7: Stitch out a Clock in room 209. Bring your embroidery machine.
Week 8: Masking. Save Selected as. Setting up a workspace.
Week 9: Start designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor.
Week 10: Continue designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor with your free designs.
Week 11: Continue designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor with your free designs.
Week 12: Turkey Week.
Week 13: Continue designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor with your free designs.
Week 14: Continue designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor with your free designs.
Week 15: Continue designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor with your free designs.
Week 16: Continue designing butterfly/eagle/parrot in Embird Editor with your free designs.
Week 17: Final Stitchout of butterfly/eagle/ or parrot
Week 18: Final Stitchout of butterfly/eagle/ or parrot

Note that we will do stitchouts whenever the class deems it necessary.

http://www.urbanthreads.com/pages?id=433 Free Pirate Ship Machine Embroidery from Urban Threads. Thank you, John, for the student contribution. Offer expires Sept 27.

Make Money With Your Skills!!!!