Ench By Sew-15 Festive Time Fabric Quiz - Made for California (Winter Holiday)

Our Best Holiday Edition Ever!

The Enchanted by Sewing

Made For California

Festive Time

Fabric  Quiz

In California Toyon Berries are Natures Gift for the Winter Holidays

Hey! 
The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen
Option I)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link
~ OR ~
Option ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes
Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me EnchantedBySewing AT gmail DOT com
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This month I’m taking a leaf out of the book of some of the podcasts and columnists I enjoy, who run a themed quiz during the winter holidays. I’ve always enjoyed taking these kinds of mini tests,  and feeling like a smarty pants when I’m  able to answer their questions. I also get a kick out of trying to wow my family with my knowledge of trivia on various subjects. They are rarely impressed.

My own, Enchanted by Sewing holiday quiz is focused around four fabrics that work well for sewing, wearing and enjoying here in California’s temperate San Francisco Bay Area. So pull up a few bolts of your favorite stuff, plop down on top, and let’s get started .And don’t forget to keep score!

During the audio quiz... you will be ranking four fabrics in terms of their strength. At that time, I sing you a little fabric themed tune. Since cotton is one of the fabrics in the quiz, I thought you might enjoy my updated version of the old "Boll Weevil" song, Here are my adapted lyrics.

The Boll Weevil is a little black bug
Come from down south they say
Come all the way to California
Just a lookin' for a place to stay.

Chorus
Just a lookin for a home.
Gonna get herself a home.

The Farmer said to the Boll Weevil
I see you on the Square.
Yes, 'mam, said the Boll Weevil
My whole gol durn family's there.

Boll Weevil said to the Doctor,
Better put away your pills,
When I git through with the Farmer,
She Cain't pay no Doctor bills!

Boll Weevil said to the Business 'Mam,
Sister, drink your lemonade.
When I git through with you, Gal,
Gonna drag you outta that shade!

Boll Weevil in yo field, gal,
It's just like shooting dice,
Work the whole gol  durn year around,
But the cotton won't bring no price

The Boll Weevil knocked on my front door,
She said I've come to eat,
I'm gonna starve you plum to death
And get the shoes right off your feet.

Ranking your fabric savy

There are 12 points possible on this important examination.

If you get:

0 - Fabri-Wanna-Be Hey, you tried hard! Go back and try again. (And that rayon date is pretty easy, so I say do that one first)
1-4 – Junior Fabric Fairy- I’m proud of you! You have definite potential. Next time through, you’ll be flying high onto the top of the fabric inventory pile.
5-8 – Fabraholic - Hey, good job! You are on the path to material excellence.
9-11 Fabric Wizard – You really know your stuff when it comes to the goods!
12 – Fabric Royalty – You are a genuine know-it-all, the queen (or king) bee of the fabric pile.

 * * *
When it comes to garment creation, Clare Shaeffer (in her Fabric Sewing Guide)  says of linen “Select patterns with tucks, gathers, pleats and gores” No kidding.

When it came to draping Lucy, those basic tucks that had created simple bodice lines in the muslin test garment, turned into lovely graceful swirls when I cut out the pattern in the natural linen fabric, and hung it on my dress form. Suddenly folds that hadn’t been there before sprang to life and Lucy was born!

Learning more about, and sharing knowledge of, the fabrics I love to sew, are the kind of thing that keep me…

Enchanted by Sewing.

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Resources

* Me Encanta Coser/Enchanted by Sewing is My Regular Sewing Blog.  Recent Postings Included: Draping Holly, Draping Lucy, Christmas Tutu 1 (I did a few Christmas themed ballerina ideas in December). 

* Thai Silks/Exotic Silks Buy in store or online

*Fabric Sewing Guide by Clare Shaeffer 

* I have a number of sewing related boards on pinterest. I pinned links to several sites I referred to when preparing this 'cast to my Gorgeous Fabrics pinterest board.

Ench By Sew-14 Marie Antoinette Meets Betty Crocker (Aprons)

A little time travel, and a little technique is just what this sewist needs for holiday creations 

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

** * * 

~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail DOT com
~ ~ ~

Apronology – Or Marie Antoinette Meets Betty Crocker

A good time of year to consider how rethinking of women’s societal roles and life choices has affected attitudes towards the use of aprons. Free apron pattern download and discussion of sewing techniques.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/CastApronologyMarieAntoinetteBettyCrockerEnchantedBySewingPodcastNov13.mp3

Porque Aprons? – Why study the social and technical science of apron creation in late November?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hindu_festivals

http://www.thekitchn.com/ramadan-when-its-ok-to-eat-and-94989 (In some years Ramadan occurs in December. Due to the lunar and Julian calendar's not being in sync, that won't/didn't happen this year).

http://www.oregonlive.com/cooking/2013/11/thanksgiving_and_hanukkah_conv.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/holiday-central-kwanzaa/package/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa


Marie Antoinette Meets Betty Crocker – How and why I got inspired to start making and wearing aprons, kinda late in life and despite strong family concerns about what apron wearing symbolized!

MARIE BOOK
Technicos –A basic free download 3 Apron style pattern on the web. How I create and sew  my favorite style  apron

- Threads Three Free Apron Pattern Download
http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/22423/patterns-for-three-apron-styles/page/all

- Variety of vintage and other aprons that may inspire your own apron designs
http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0sewing-aprons-inspiration/


Final Pensamientos - The Red Headed Chicken Apron
Aprons can tie into representing and reminding us of the emotions involved in a friendship.
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/11/aprons-chicken-apron.html

Ench By Sew-13 Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue

Hey wait! Those aren't jeans!
Is this sewist skirting the issue? **

I was intimidated by sewing well fitting jeans, in addition to learning how to achieve an authentic jeans-styling look when it comes to fabric, hardware, and embellishment.
So, I put aside fit issues, 
for the time being, 
and created a jeans-style skirt.

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

 http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/EnchantedBySewingJeansStyleSkirtingIssueFinalCastOct2013Podcast.mp3

** * * 

~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail

~~~

This month show is Jeans Style Sewing – Skirting the Issue**

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is an  extension of my regular sewing blog Me Encanta Coser, which, roughly translated, means Enchanted By Sewing 

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live.

* Post your suggestions, thoughts or questions about episodes below this post

* Laurel on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/laurel.shimer

* Laurel's Pinterest Boards http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/boards/
* Personal email – Enchanted by Sewing AT gmail.com

This month

1) First/El Primero - Inspiration: Why I wanted to sew my own jeans?

     * Lori talked several times about jeans she'd sewn in various Sew Forth Now podcasts. She continues to write about her projects in her long-time wonderful blog, Girls in the Garden.

* Several Threads Magazine Articles gave me the idea that jeans were a do'able sewing project. If you don't have the issues you need, check your public library. Mine keeps issues for four years. You can also buy the complete Threads archive. 

Search for Jeans articles in their online index. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/magazine-index

2) Then/Entonces - My Prototype Jeans-Style Sewing Project: What is this skirting the issue business? And what do I mean jeans style?

     Full-On Jeans Sewing was intimidating for me. So, I started with a prototype project. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

3) After That - Breaking  jeans-style sewing down into manageable chunks

    1) Fit and Pattern Selection

        Links to Palmer and Pletsch M6361 pattern here http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

        BTW...Trudy of Hot Patterns has more than one jeans pattern available, including one for men! Trudy provides a wonderful service to the sewing community when it comes to YouTube videos too.

    2) Focus on Sewing Skills and Machine Skills

    3) Special Jeans Stuff - Materials, Jeans-Style Notions, hardware, and thread - http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

    4) Embellishment

    5) Resources

Links to several tutorials here, including a favorite fly-front zipper you tube tutorial http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue-resources.html

4) The Prototype Project

a. In this meaty section of the show (and the most fun for me!) I talk about how I implemented my manageable chunk learning style in the prototype sewing project,  my jeans-style denim skirt

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/08/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

5) Project Wrap Up 

  My Terminado/Done posting recaps the project and has links to all postings I wrote about the prototype http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

a. Why this was a successful first step project for me

    A Summary of my jeans-style skirt prototype project, with links to each posting I wrote about the project http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/jeans-sewing-skirting-issue.html

b. Jeans – Style Learning Continues What’s next ? Where I am now when it comes to my learning to sew jeans?

    I've continue to write about my follow-on jean projects http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com. Titles of all such postings start out with the phrase "Jeans Sewing".

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99 cents? That’s a lot less than a cup of coffee!

You can read a free excerpt from this romantic spin into past times by clicking here (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HPPB34).

~ ~ ~

Foot Notes

* Thanks to Pamela for sharing this free, downloadable ephemera http://freevintagedigistamps.blogspot.com/2013/04/vintage-printable-victorian-lady-photo.html

** If English isn't your first language, you may not be familiar with the idiomatic phrase Skirting the issue - It means to avoid a subject, often by talking quickly about something else.

Ench By Sew-12 Dress Forms

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

** * * 

~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail

~~~
This month show is about my experiences creating and using two different types of dress forms - 

a) A duct tape dress form

b) A Uniquely You dress form

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Please send your thoughts about this month or next month's topic – Jeans Sewing -in the Post a Comment section,  below :-)

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Please Note

My Uniquely You Dress Form Instructor was Judith Jackson. I referred to her as "our teacher" in the original recording, as I was waiting to ask her permission to include her name. She said 'yes' :-)

In this month's show

1) What is a dress form?

a. A mannequin who’se shaped like you. A fitting or body double, a way to fit patterns, garments, drape and design as though you’re the tailor and the dress form is you

b. Listen to Lori's Sew Forth Now Podcast for a history of dress forms

Lori not only talked about history, she also talked about the style of dress form and I’m not repeating any of that. Please listen to her wonderful show (she said it would remain there for the near future) esp interesting to me is lori’s archeologic work, uncovering the history of dress forms.

http://sewforthnow.blogspot.com/2008/05/episode-28-dress-forms.html

Lori uses an adjustable dress form, I worked with two different types – duct tape and a Uniquely You dress form

c.

2) Why I wanted a dress form

a. Fit

b. Trying out patterns and muslins in 3D

c. Create and play around with my own designs, and minor commercial pattern alterations and design changes

d. Because Lori made them sound so appealing!

e. Maybe for photographing in my blog….

3) Body Issues and your Team

a. Body issues are a part of our culture

b. Find helpers/team who help us feel good about ourselves

c. A dress form helps us distance ourselves from body issues – it’s just data

d. A dress form helps us notice our best features – what do I want to flatter more?

e. A dress form helps us make patterns or garments we design ourselves more flattering, so we learn to play up our best features

f. A dress form allows us to experiment with a muslin/toile – Can I make a shirtwaist that flatters my figure type?

g. Choosing our Team

4) Two types of dress forms I experienced. Basically what they are,  

5) Cost

6) Materials (tools)   and Resources (web stuff) - I list some Resources below

7) Safety- Working around kids,  young or older goofy, fun loving kids - Two good reasons not to !

8) Social Comfort/Body Issues – You need a work group, at least one other person. Find someone who supports your best interests and helps you feel good about yourself

9) How I’ve used my dress forms , what other things I or others might do w/ them

 - Fitting, altering, trying out new patterns, hand sewing/deconstructed neckbands - helps me conform neckline to lay well on me

- A Wedding in your future? Formal/Special Occasion Wear I would guess that if you’re doing a formal dress for someone with beading or close fitting - and maybe they aren't available at the drop of a hat, might be worth making a duct tape (or other type )  dress form for them

10) Technicos: In-depth details about how I made these two different styles of dress forms. What I actually did to create them

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Resources

Listen to the Podcast on web - no need to download to a mobile device
http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/draft5_dress_formENCHANTEDbySewingFINAL.mp3

There are so many fun things about dress forms - making them, draping on them,  displaying historic, artistic and other garments on them, and enjoying them as an art form - whether full sized, half size, miniature or doll size. There are even topiary forms inspired by dress forms. Whenever I see a good dress form that fits any of these categories, I pin it on one of my virtual bulletin boards http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/dress-forms/

Lori recorded a Sew Forth Now podcast episode on dress forms. I tried not to duplicate anything she already talked about in this great show

http://sewforthnow.blogspot.com/2008/05/episode-28-dress-forms.html

Dress forms are a popular theme with sewing bloggers 

http://makingitwell.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/i-made-my-own-dress-form.html

"Threads" Magazine has many articles related to dress forms

Quick and Easy Duct-Tape Dress Form

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3630/quick-and-easy-duct-tape-dress-form/page/all

Some people think Paper Tape works better than duct tape. Haven't tried it myself, but I'd be game!

      http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3633/paper-tape-dress-form Paper Tape Dress Form

Kenneth King make an extra body to use for two people  in Threads issue 161

 June/July 2012

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/31229/make-your-dress-form-work-for-multiple-figures

I looked in the Threads Magazine Archive to find different articles. You can find that at...

http://www.tauntonstore.com/threads-magazine-issues.html  You can buy individual Threads back issues, if you or your public library doesn't have them on the shelf.

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/29304/dress-forms-can-be-a-sewing-room-essential

1) "Fit for Everyone" by Kenneth D. King in issue #161. This describes how to sew removable covers to make your dress form work for multiple figures.

A. "Tip: Meet Madeline" by Sandy Moeckel in issue #153. This tip describes how Sandy inexpensively made her dress form suitable for herself as well as her daughter.

1) "Tip: Identical Body Double" by Anne K. Brenz in issue #144. This tip describes the way Anne made her dress form fit her every curve.

• "The Dress Form–A Sewer's Best Friend" by Carol Fresia in issue #123. Described below.

• "Make An Arm for Your Dress Form" by Shirley Botsford in issue #90.

• "Clone Yourself a Fitting Assistant" by David Page Coffin in issue #75. This article explains how to make a dress form from scratch.

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Things I might try out for arty fun and practice with my dress form 

Making a newspaper dress on a dress form. Fun way to learn draping?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlHmzXCWEh4

A tutu might also be a fun way to experiment with draping on a dress form too "How to make a tutu out of paper" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp6nKpzd0eI