It's official... I won the Natural Fiber Contest

Even if you are tired of the dress, let me mention it one last time because it won the Natural Fibers Contest on PatternReview.com! This is so exciting, and thanks a lot to everyone who voted or followed the process. There are so many beautiful entries in the contest and I am very honored to be a part of such a talented group of people! ...Ahem, and, apparently I won an iron from Reliable Corporation. I promise I will unpack it with you )

Meet my fitting companion... and the scavenger hunt challenge!

I am done with assembling my muslin for the first LBD fitting (the picture is at the end of the post), but before we proceed to the mystery challenge, I thought I need to share with you something I found extremely valuable throughout my fitting experience (ok, I admit, my fitting experience is a work-in-progress thing). Nevertheless,..

...meet my fitting companion, this Moleskine notebook. It is my best friend when it comes to fitting! And if you want to have one too, here are some suggestions on how to use it:

• Get yourself a nice notebook in an appealing color (I love Moleskines, for example, and if I pick a nice color like red or hot pink, it motivates me to use the notebook more often). So, from now on, this notebook will be your fitting reference!
• Every time you make a new note, write down the date.
• Take your measurements and write them down (don’t forget the date!). 
• Before fitting, put on your regular undergarments (be daring! treat yourself to some very nice underwear). Now, take a picture of yourself from all sides: front, back, left side, right side. The point is to take a look at yourself and your irregularities from a different prospective. I was surprised how much more I discovered through such a picture. Next, paste it on the first page of your fitting notebook (you can also write a note: “I love my body!” - I did - or be even more specific about what you love about your body most!)
• Now, whenever you fit a garment, take pictures from all sides and paste them in the notebook. Make notes, doodle, have fun!  
• Next to the pictures, make a note of what adjustments you made and how. Most likely, you will need the same adjustment many times, so why reinventing the wheel.
• Store you fitted muslins and reference them in your notebook for any similar designs. 

And, finally, my LBD in pre-fitted stage (however, after some crazy adjustments - the pattern was two sizes smaller). 

By the way, please feel free to critique the muslin: the more comments, the merrier! I am in the process of refitting it, and I would love to read what you think. Some comments on fitting are already there, now it's your turn! Treat it as a scavenger hunt challenge! And, please-please-please, no "it looks great" comments - we want to learn together, right? 

10+ tips to succeed in an online sewing class

Now, I have to confess – I took the Little Black Dress class before. I had three different fabrics from my stash to choose from and the same number of patterns, and… it didn’t work, I just could not decide which pattern to choose and so on.. than my daughter got sick, then I got sick, then I started a different project, and then the class was over.

So this time, I knew I need to change my attitude, be focused and organized and make it work! I also drafted a set of rules I will try to follow for the duration of the class and after it. Here they are! Maybe, dear readers, you will benefit from those as well (I hope so!)

before the class…

• Make the class your main sewing priority! There should be no other significant projects or deadlines that could interfere with your learning process.
• Set a timeline with significant dates and milestones and make it easily accessible.
• Organize course materials – save them on your computer, online or mobile devices out for easy reference (try to be environmentally conscious and reduce printing to a minimum)
• Shop and prepare all necessary supplies well in advance – you won’t have to stop the project because you are missing a zipper, do not have sufficient fabric or require special sewing needles for your project.
• If the class covers the process of making a garment, choose a pattern and fabric and try not to change your mind when the course starts.
• Post any pre-class questions on the class board early enough so you don’t have to wait for a last minute answer.

during the class…

• Become an active member of the class - participate in class discussions and chats
• Start a binder for samples of techniques or fabric swatches you tried out for the first time in this class. Add sheets for your notes and keep the binder for the future reference
• Carefully read other participant’s comments and posts to learn from their experience and challenges, ask them questions if something is unclear
• Take work-in-progress images and upload them to a dedicated album on the web, a CD-Rom or your hard drive.
• To maximise your learning, do post questions about the project on other sewing forums to find different solutions to one problem

after the class

• Harness the power of social media and share your experience on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or other forums – you will be surprised what an interesting exchange of ideas and resources it will most likely trigger
• If possible, stay in touch with your classmates, check their blogs and follow them on twitter – their future work may provide inspiration to yourself, and you will know whom to ask if you need some advice or help with something. Also, chances are, your classmates worked on slightly different projects during the class (different fabric choices, different hem treatment, different sewing techniques) – you may end up sewing a project similar to theirs and will know where to look for information.

A tip for iPhone, iPad owners:

Save the pdfs from the class on Google Docs and install Adobe Reader Pro app on your mobile device. This great application allows you to download PDF documents from Google Docs and view them on your iPhone, or iPad. I often read my course materials while commuting  to work.

My Little Black Dress- the beginnings

Dear readers!

After the whole Chanel-inspired jacket epic you have probably realized that I am obsessed about taking sewing classes. The ‘problem’ is the more I sew, the more questions I have.

It’s not even two weeks since I have come back from the Classic French Jacket Class and I am already taking another one – The Little Black Dress Class with Susan Khalje (again).  The comforting thought is I am not the only one – some of the other French Jacket Class participants are taking this class as well,

You may ask how it works with a job and a family… So, the answer is it’s an online class, offered through PatternReview.com. The beauty of these classes is that you can learn from home and schedule your time accordingly. The class is also significantly cheaper than any comparable face-to-face class, but you need to be really organized and focused to benefit from these classes.


The instruction works as a combination of PDF downloads, four live chats with the teacher and a message board. Last online class I took generated over 60 pages on the message board – imagine how much you can learn just by reading it!

I selected this Vogue Couturier pattern from 1959. The pattern is almost two sizes smaller than I need, so I will be grading it up, but I will be doing it on a form. By the way, this is another example of how the sizing has changed over the last 50 years within the same company.  I am a size 12 with current Vogue Patterns, but this one runs almost two sizes smaller.

One great thing about vintage Vogue Couturier patterns ( not sure, however, whether it's true for all of them) is that both, the sewing lines and the seam allowances are marked. That means I didn't have to draw stitching lines like on contemporary patterns.

The fabric I chose is black cotton eyelet, which will be underlined with contrasting tan batiste and lined with crepe de chine. This should make a great summer staple that I can wear both to work and to a night out (not that I have many of the latter!). The image below is somewhat purplish, I was taking it late evening.

This fabric has a border, which may prove a little challenging to underline and to hem. Also, I may try making a waist stay. As usual, I will be posting some couture techniques I used on this blog, and feature the finished garment of course (keep your fingers crossed! I hope the dress will turn out the way I want it) . 

Have you taken any online sewing classes? What was your experience?

I got a Star!

This morning I got an email from Patternreview.com (PR) telling me that I got my first star! It’s awarded based on the member feedback, and is a token of appreciation for the reviews of patterns, classes or books written by individual members (myself, in this case). I am so thrilled!

Here is my PR page with a new star (yay!):

Those who are not members of PR, go check it out – you are missing out a lot! This one-of-a-kind site features member-written reviews of sewing patterns, classes, notions, websites, books; it also offers online sewing classes by some of the best sewing experts. You will probably never want to start a sewing project without checking out PR reviews first.

The only shortcomings of the site are an outdated design and an overly complicated user interface. However, the advantages greatly outweigh this flaw, still, I hope, it will be fixed soon.

Meanwhile, I have signed up for an online class on PR, about which I will be reporting here soon.

Are you a member of PatternReview or any other sewing communities? Please share with me your favourite online sewing destinations!