Innholdsfortegnelse for #220 - Winter 2022 i Threads Magazine

ELAINE LIPSON (Natalie Chanin’s Journey Home,” p. 60) says, “When it comes to my sewing projects, I’m interested in quality, beauty, meaning, and creativity, along with efficiency in the sense of wise use of and respect for materials. All of these are essential values for me.” Elaine, an editorial consultant to Threads in 2022, was a senior manager and editor for original Craftsy/Bluprint. She is a writer and author, as well as a lifelong sewist, artist, and maker. Elaine lives in Colorado, and her website is ElaineLipson.com. DUANE MACLEOD (“Welt Pockets for Trousers,” p. 38) says, “I baste almost everything before going to the machine. Many sewists see it as a tedious step. It may take more time, but it provides more control than pinning. As a result, my sewing…

Extended Chat with Natalie Chanin The owner and founder of Alabama Chanin and the School of Making shares her thoughts on sustainability, developing meaningful creative and business partnerships, and more in this extended conversation. Turn to “Natalie Chanin’s Journey Home,” p. 60, for her reflections on making, community, and her enterprise. You’ll also find a resource list for learning her sewing techniques. More Web Extras for You to Enjoy Moto movement: Check out the Pattern Review of the DP Studio: Le 805—Coat/Jacket with Saddle Sleeves and Biker-Style Seams, p. 24, and then go to ThreadsMagazine.com to see this stylish coat in motion. Winning wools: See winning garments from the annual Make it With Wool competition in “Works in Wool,” p. 32. Visit the digital version of the article for additional…

LOOK FOR THESE ICONS ON THE PATTERN REVIEWS  Includes sizes 24 and up Fast and easy Challenging techniques Downloadable pattern Printed pattern Projectable pattern High/Low Peplum Vogue 1875 (SomethingDelightful.com) Skill Level: Rated Average by Vogue Patterns. Some steps require precision and patience, such as marking unusually shaped pieces, distributing gathers, and stitching a narrow hem. Size Range and Fitting: Misses’ 8 to 26 for busts 31 ½ inches to 48 inches and waists 24 inches to 41 ½ inches. Pattern pieces are included to fit bust cup sizes A, B, C, and D. Fabrics: Vogue suggests poplin, broadcloth, charmeuse, or cotton shirting. If you prefer the peplum to fall in soft folds, consider a choice with drape, such as a rayon fabric. Style and Sewing Details: This striking blouse has a fitted…

Each year, the holiday season presents a chance to splurge on the pastimes we enjoy. The editorial staff and contributors consider the superb materials, practical tools, advanced machines, and interesting new books we came across during the year. We share our favorites to make a collective list of useful and exciting options. This year’s gift guide selections share a theme, the promise of inspiration. There are items and opportunities to learn something new or complete aspirational projects. The selection is available at a range of costs for different spending levels. Enjoy the season and the gift guide, and indulge your creative side this year. Kits to Make Let the professionals put together the supplies you need to complete worthwhile and beautiful finished projects. BAGS BY KLUM HOUSE WORKSHOP Create a…

Between 1460 and 1470, the drapers’ guild in the Burgundian town of Semur-en-Auxois donated this stained glass window to decorate a bay in the Gothic church of Notre Dame. Drapers were textile makers and merchants. Dedicated to St. Blaise (shown at the top), patron saint of drapers, the window depicts stages in wool textile production. It celebrates the hands-on work required to make cloth, a key part of the town’s economy in the Middle Ages. The simplified designs make it easy to read the figures’ actions, and the palette is limited, though brilliant. Each scene is presented in a separate panel; typically artisan donor representations are relegated to the lower portion or borders of an artwork. The scenes are arranged in vertical columns, but they are meant to be read…

How do you determine value in sewing? It can be an individual, personal perspective, or a shared opinion. On social media, an online audience can instantly reinforce or negate the perceived quality of makers’ abilities. Though we may differ in the standards we set for our sewing, there are commonalities in the approaches that lead to skill improvement. Successful sewers are likely to search out the best techniques and take the risk to employ new-to-them methods. They also share a willingness to invest time in research and preparation, and money in education and materials. They approach solutions creatively and find opportunities in what might be setbacks. In this issue, we share examples of work and the working philosophies of new and practiced sewers. These beginners and professionals are all achieving…

Sewing skills are expressed at a high level in the annual Make It With Wool competition. This national contest encourages sewers to create marvelous ensembles in wool and other select natural fibers, such as mohair, alpaca, and cashmere. Each year Threads shares a selection of MIWW winning garments. These pieces are wonderful ments by their makers, many of whom are in their teens. achieve-Junior competitors are 13 to 16 years old; seniors are 17 to 24, and adult winners are 25 and older. Every garment represents significant effort and skill. The pieces are judged on the quality of construction, appropriate use of materials, and the usefulness of the garments in the maker’s lifestyle. They are inspiring examples of well-chosen and well-executed techniques. To learn more about the competition and how…

High school home economics teacher David Blaeser says “Success in my class is not based on perfect seams.” Being open to making mistakes is a mindset he thinks is good for everyone to consider. An accomplished sewer with a social media following, David frequently posts about inspiring projects on his Instagram (IG) account, @moonprismmagic. He encourages all in his sphere to make and remake projects and learn during the journey. He puts a priority on it in his own life. Largely self-taught, David began sewing in his teens. His first project was the lower half of a faun costume he wore to a Halloween dance party. Now 35, he’s stretching his skills. “I finished a couple of new shirts this summer that I’m happy with,” he says. “I’ve also been…

STILL A COWGIRL AT HEART When I saw the cover of Threads #219, Fall 2022, I had to send a photo of my cowgirl quilted jacket that I made five years ago. As a young girl, I wanted to own a horse and be a cowgirl. When I found this fabric decades later, I was thrilled. I never did own a horse or become a cowgirl but I did a fair amount of Western riding. In 1976, I earned my pilot’s license (single engine land) and so this fabric was another reminder of my youth. The blue fine-wale corduroy is from a peasant shirt I made for my late husband, and the single-button closure was from my maternal grandmother, who taught me to sew when I was in the eighth…

I purchased a little shawl collar jacket at the Chelsea Flea market recently (see the back cover): The layered ed peplum was what caught my eye. It’s interesting and modern—it can be reinterpreted for many jacket patterns, as you will learn. At each side of the jacket front, a peplum is cut as one with the front panel, and it folds under vertically along the side panel seam, to form a sculptural detail. Beneath it is a flat peplum, attached in a concealed horizontal waist seam. This element can add dimension to your favorite classic jacket with a side panel. The construction isn’t difficult; careful patternmaking is the key to success with this garment element. I’ll show you how to adapt a pattern, then how to sew the layered peplum.…

Welt pockets are frequently seen on the back of men’s and women’s trousers. You’ll see them in casual and dressy designs. In menswear, there are usually two. In women’s wear, there may be only one on the right. Of course, none of this is set in stone. As sewists, we can have exactly what we want—our clothes, our rules. If you think the pockets you see on ready-to-wear trousers are beyond your ability, you’d be wrong. Perhaps you’re working from a pattern that has welt pockets, but the instructions are confusing. Fear not. If you can measure and cut a few rectangles and sew a straight line, you can make a professional-looking welt pocket. Plus, it will be as nicely finished on the inside as on the outside. I assure…

Sometime in my early 30s, I was informed by my mother that we, meaning my family and the families of my four siblings, would no longer be buying Christmas presents. We would instead be making all of our holiday gifts. Sounds charming, doesn’t it? What followed were years of brain-wracking to come up with yet another handmade something that could be put together in less than two weeks, because—even though we knew Christmas would come around at the same time every year—we never got it together before December 15. But mom was resolute, and no amount of whining or pleading would move her. The tradition was established. A few years ago, I came up with one of my most successful handmade designs: earring envelopes. I made a batch of them for…

Discovered at the Chelsea Flea in New York City, this vintage tweed jacket combines details from different decades of the 20th century—yet it looks modern enough to wear today. The ladylike shawl collar, shapely silhouette, and peplum recall the 1950s dressmaker suit. The shoulder width reflects 1980s styles, when this jacket was probably designed. Contributing Editor Kenneth D. King, who spotted the upscale ready-to-wear garment at the flea market, was taken with its unusual layered front peplum configuration. The upper peplum layer is continuous with the jacket bodice; its outer vertical edge folds under softly to create volume and is caught in the jacket’s side panel seam. Learn how to add this detail to a jacket pattern, on p. 18.…