HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!

Happy New Year !!! I trust you all had a wonderful Winter Break, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year's Eve !!!! May this NEW YEAR bring you joy, work, safety and peace.

I got to see a great film called Avatar in 3D. This movie is NOT to be missed !!!!!

There is a Red Heart Contest going on at Jo-Ann's for all your knitters. Grand Prize is a $1000 Jo-Ann Gift Card. I got SOME flyers to give out in class. Ask me.

You all need to let Mark-Allen do his Power Sewing hands-on final. He only has 3 weeks left. Now that he is walking, he needs to have the time to do this. Put your name on the board in descending order and I will be around to help.

Please bring back everything you borrowed from me. The end of the semester is only 3 weeks away!!!!

I did several things over Winter Break that will interest you. I met a terrific person named Liz Gaskill! She has a Passion for Fashion !!!! She is a Fashion Sewing Professional Certified Palmer/Pletsch Fit Instructor. Great Woman! You can find her sometimes at La Mesa Sew & Vac. She also gives classes there. Email her for private lessons: passionfashion@cox.net

Notes on the Classes:

Monday, Jan 4, 2010, Sewing Fundamentals: Bring your cut sample fabric and piping. We will be going forward with more seams. I bought another book by Kenneth King. (Yes, I am bringing it.) "He" wants you to try an easy bound buttonhole done with piping. So bring your buttonhole sample (8 ½ x 11 " interfaced sandwich). Another thing I want to show you is how to put in an elastic waist. So bring your ¼ inch elastic. We will go on from this point to corded, curved, and right hand corner. That is 5 samples. Then I will stop and help everyone. Remember, I never leave till everyone is helped.

I have all the Power Sewing Industrial Certificates ready for the Certificate box. I am making copies for everyone who deserves a certificate. Come to class, receive your copy, and be proud !!!!!

Thursday, Jan 7, 2010, Sewing Fundamentals: We will be having a student guest speaker. She will be showing us how to put in fly zippers. FRAN is better than me !!!! Come prepared with some Denim fabric cut to 8 ½ by 11 inches. AND some 7 inch jean zippers. This zipper is a must to learn !!!! After the Demo, I will work on the help list. Remember, I don't go home till everyone is helped.

Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010, Hand Drafting Master Patterns: Now is the time that you will need to buy your 3 to 4 yards of 100-125 pound Manila Paper. You will also need a needle point tracing wheel. You can get these things at Central Sewing Center. 619-447-3244. You will need these things for the January 13th class. Bring your seam ripper, favorite pencils, markers, GREEN magic tape, soup can weights and corrugated cardboard to the Jan 6th class. The first thing we will be doing today, is transferring all the markings to your paper pattern. No more basting and fitting the toile. We will tape up the paper pattern for a test fit and then……..From the paper pattern, we will be making the manila master pattern. We have 3 weeks to do this. Do I have something special in store for this class next semester !!!!!!!!

Friday, Jan 8, 2010, Machine Embroidery Made Easy:

>>>>>>>>First things first !!!!! I want to personally thank Phani, Indira, and Swadesh for their phenomenal, fantastic, demo-lecture on the Sari. This happened on December 18th. They deserve a round of applause.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>

Several things can happen today. 1. You should all be starting to work on your MYSTERY fabric. You will need to pick the right stabilizer and the right design for your fabric. You all have a presentation on January 22nd.

On December 19th, I went to Central, after I overslept and after I had my car brakes checked, and bought more earrings for you to manufacture with the embroidery machines and the crystal station. Being that they were all Criswell Designs, I emailed Criswell to make sure it was okay to use the designs in the classroom. Within 5 minutes, I got an answer from none other than Janet Criswell. We emailed back and forth several times. It was NOT okay for me to have you use my paid for Criswell designs in the classroom. BUT….she sure told me what to do and this is even better !!!!! So I put her designs on my USB along with the free designs from her site, and I will show you what I bought. Do I have SHOW and TELL for you !!!!! 2. My guess is that you will want to make the earrings from Criswells's free designs. Go and have a look. They are gorgeous !!!! http://www.k-lace.com/frontpage/downloads.html

The 3rd thing you may want to do, is start making squares for a rag quilt. Through time, you will have LOTS of square stitchouts that you can put together and make this quilt. The backing for the rag quilt is polar fleece. It is so easy to do !!!!!

See you all this week…..with bells on my toes !!!!!!!

Notes on Spring 2010 Courses:

This Winter Break, I should have written my syllabi for the following courses. I could not do it. I need to go to the Dean. It is easy for me to throw in a fandango field trip. We will have 2. One to Yardage Town and Central Sewing in El Cajon and one to LA courtesy of Sew Pro's. Sew Pro's did not announce the Saturday Date in May when we are going to the LA garment district.

I always believe in running my courses according to what my students want to do. I always get inspired from my students. Spring 2010 is no exception. I was listening to 2 students talk about their futures when it hit me. I don't know WHY these ideas did NOT pop into my head earlier. Before I write Patternmaking, I need to clear it with the Dean. I want to have one Saturday class. He needs to approve it. Read on. If this gets approved it will happen. If not, the syllabi will look different.

Mondays and Wednesdays: Designing with Master Patterns. Starting Jan 27, 2010 5:30 PM: Here is what I want to do. For those of you, who do NOT have a Master Pattern, you will need to go to Yardage Town in El Cajon and pick up McCall's 2718. Holly has a stash of these. Buy it according to your MEASURED bust measurement – NOT your retail size. For those of you who DO have your Master Pattern ready to go, lets have a bit of fun and do a "down and dirty" master pattern for someone/something else. I want to expose you to computer patternmaking. Input the measurements, print out the master pattern with "0" inch seam allowances. OF COURSE, THERE ARE A FEW STEPS IN-BETWEEN BUT YOU GET THE DRIFT. The computer lab 203 is set up with the Patternmaker program. You will need to put your computer draft on your USB. Then we will come back to room 209 and we will print your draft on the plotter in room 216. Check out the Program at www.patternmakerUSA.com The school has the Professional Home Studio Version. Choose your fit model. It can't be yourself. Choose a willing husband, brother, sister, mom, child, or dog. (Yes…..I said dog.) Once we get these to print, you will be at the same point that the NEW patternmakers are at. It all depends if the Dean will let me hold one extra class.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Learn to Sew ! Starting January 28, 2010 5 PM: Demos will be held on Tuesdays. AND yes....as requested: I will start ALL the demos from the beginning. Thursdays will be for individualized help. We are going to have a sewing challenge on the first day of the Spring semester.

Great Websites to visit !!!!!!

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD VIRUS CHECKER ON YOUR COMPUTER BEFORE YOU VISIT ANY OF THESE SITES. I KNOW THEY ARE SAFE. BUT NOTE….ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 30, 2009, AVAST (my virus checker) CAUGHT 4 VIRUSES. THE 5TH ONE, WAS CAUGHT ON DECEMBER 31ST. I WAS APPALLED !!!!!!

http://www.zippersource.com/ They will make one of a kind zippers.
http://www.sewing.org/ BEST SITE FOR NEW SEWER INSTRUCTION !!!!!
http://www.urbanthreads.com/pages?id=501 Free design till 1/10/10

http://ebm.e.taunton.com/c/tag/hBLO6NABs5O-JB74IP4AuxTDd.Bs5O-JuM/doc.html?RAF_TRACK=&email=mckenna@gothere.com&password=Bs5O-JAuxTDdBLO6NAmgM3DxwWFYrA&FNAME=JOAN Knit a Spa washcloth. How to Replace a Coat Lining.

http://ebm.e.taunton.com/c/tag/hBLOQoNAri9wOB74CweAuxTDd.Ari9wOF1/doc.html?RAF_TRACK=&email=mckenna@gothere.com&password=Ari9wOAuxTDdBLOQoNgxT0ijoAX023&FNAME=JOAN How to sew a Terrific EASY Circular Vest !!!!!

http://www.sandiegopostcards.blogspot.com/. The geology of Joshua Tree National Park. Courtesy of Cynthia Baird. AMAZING !!!!

http://www.tiphero.com/newsletter/newsletter_2009.06.11a.html?utm_source=Money-Saving+Tips+Newsletter+DL&utm_campaign=8dda19ee5b-TH_NL_28a_06_11_2009&utm_medium=email Financial Tip Hero

http://phobos.doctorspreferred.com/Emails/LARK/0907_Lark_issue_preview_dflt.html Menopause Relief
http://wt.dlisys.com/nancysnotions/NN113520.asp?e=mckenna@gothere.com Nancy Zieman's Top Ten Tips Video for copying ready made clothing.
http://wt.dlisys.com/nancysnotions/NN113707.asp?e=mckenna@gothere.com Learn how to embroider a towel Video
http://ebm.e.taunton.com/c/tag/hBK8gecBs5O-JB73X3IAuxTDd.Bs5O-J0A/doc.html?RAF_TRACK=&email=mckenna@gothere.com&password=Bs5O-JAuxTDdBK8geczTx2H0mr-MUj&FNAME=JOAN Crocheting Granny Squares and Hand Knitting Scarves.

http://ebm.e.taunton.com/c/tag/hBK$JWeAri9wOB73Z0xAuxTDd.Ari9wOZo/doc.html?RAF_TRACK=&email=mckenna@gothere.com&password=Ari9wOAuxTDdBK$JWesA$HQYM0l0Vz&FNAME=JOAN How to cover snaps for that touch of class.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4
This is a must watch for any animal (dog) lover! Turn up your sound.

Darlene saw in chat rooms that http://www.myembroideries.com/MyEmbroideries/Default.aspxis back giving $50 free software (or a credit of $50 if you purchase more). I could not find this freebie. BUT, I really liked the information under the category Education. Thank you DARLENE !!!!!

I found out some info on sewing those diapers and wanted to share the websites with you. The waterproof fabric is called PUL. I'm not sure if Joanne's will have it. I'll try to get there before Thursday's class. If not, I guess I'll order it online. ChamThank you CHAM !!!!!http://www.diapersewing.com/I'd need to do the All-in-one with the Pockethttp://verybaby.com/cloth-diaper-fabricThey have some cute fabric, but I can't figure out if the prices are per yard, or a set size. http://diaperfabric.com/very-basic-all-in-one-diaper-tutorials/Some basic tutorials. I'd be interested in knowing how to do the snaps as well as the Velcro.