Blog #2 April 19, 2009

................ Favorite Picture of Edith Head...........

Hello A-Team !

There is only 2 ½ weeks before the West City Center Open House. It’s getting down to the wire !!!!

Here’s what’s happening in the classes………………

EMBROIDERY:

We are putting feathers on our shirts for the fashion show. The Monday Morning class gets an extra day to embroider feathers. The Thursday Night class gets only 2 more class sessions. NOTE…by Thursday night and the Dean’s approval, we will have 6 more embroidery machines that have been repaired back at the school.

I went to a Fashion Show meeting last week. We are on scheduled to show our shirts at 12:15 PM in room 211. I am scheduled to do patternmaking demos in the doorway of room 216 starting at 10:30 PM.

We also need to decide which Embroidery.com E-class we would like to see in the classroom. This will be a LIVE class over the internet. To communicate with the internet instructor, we will have an 800 phone number.

I have 2 fabulous tips for embroiderers.

Beth tells me that if you do NOT thread the two last loops of your embroidery machine with metallic thread, this will help keep your needle from breaking. Terrific !!!!

Faye figured out how to return to that perfect spot if your embroidery machine can not go BACK easily…if you broke your needle, etc. She hooped a second hoop and restitched out the design until she came to the place where she needed to go. Then she put back her original hoop and finished her design on her sweat shirt !!!! Very Sensible. Very Easy !!!!!

BASIC SEWING:

For the past 2 class sessions, we have been practicing our hand sewing. We did 3 hand hemming stitches on bias, straight grain, and knit. We sewed on snaps, buttons with and without shanks, sequins, appliqués, hooks and eyes. We even practiced thread tacking.

I have an interesting job possibility for someone in this class who is terrific at sewing on snaps. We will talk about this in class.

This week, we will be going back to our sewing machines and samples. We will be practicing seams, darts, rounded corners, pockets, and necklines. The faster we go, the more pages we will have for our Sewing Portfolios. The Portfolios will be put on a table in room 209 for the guests of West City Center’s Open House. I hope those of you, who wanted to, signed up for Sew Pro’s May 9th trip to the LA garment district. I will be on the bus. Call any Sew Pro’s to make your reservation. The bus costs $40. AND we get to stop at L & M fabrics. This store has fabric Floor to Ceiling !!!!!

PATTERNMAKING:

Last week we finished our Master Sloper Patterns consisting of the bodice, skirt and sleeve. This week, we will flat pattern style number 508 from our text books. Now you will see how everything fits together. In the industry, designers are required to pattern 2 approved designs a day. We will pattern it this week. Next week, we will sew it up. Eight students get to display their patternmaking skills on the ½-scale dress forms for the guests of West City Center’s Open House. How Exciting !!!!!

FOR ALL THOSE QUILTERS OUT THERE:

I got a postcard for a new quilting store opening up in Escondido. There website address is: http://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/.

There is a Long Beach Summer Quilt Festival on Saturday, July 25, 2009. There will be a bus to go up there. See http://www.travelingquilters.com/ for more information. (I will NOT be able to make this trip.)

I have added to the links on the blog. I have added specifically to the Career Resources Link and to the Sewn Product Link. I do hope these links help you with your personal goals.

Make it a GREAT week !!! Come to CLASS !!!!!

Joan McKenna