Enchanted by Sewing, The Podcast

Enchanted by Sewing,  The Podcast
An audio extension of my regular blog, Me Encanta Coser/Enchanted by Sewing (http://MeEncantaCoser.blogspot.com)

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Episode 4: Good Night My Someone - Sewing Nightshirts, Nightgowns and Robes

Hey!  The coolest podcast show on the web has just published it's December Show!
It's our Best Holiday Issue Ever! (What do you mean it's the first holiday season for the show? What could that possibly have to do with anything? :-

Sewing Nightgowns, Robes, Men’s Nightshirts, and Ideas for Pajamas too. Laurel is a classic romantic when it comes to nightwear sewing. This month she shares some of her favorite night garment sewing patterns, thoughts on winter gown and robe fabrics, and an audio tutorial on sewing tucks.  The show also includes an informative interview with Anthony G., another student in the Cañada Fashion Sewing Program, some of which was surprising to Laurel when it came to what Anthony shared about natural fibers and Harry Truman!

 Looking for the poll? Scroll down the right hand side of this blog and cast your vote for your favorite garment to sew.

Listen to the podcast online by clicking here, or.... do what the Cool Cats do and Drop By the iTunes store to Download

Simplicity 9898
is the Nightshirt pattern I use for my husband
Unfortunately it's now out of print
Though I saw some for sale on the web



MccCalls's 6231 is a newer pattern that's very similar
It doesn't have a collar however




Wonder how many times I've made Simplicity 9898  flannel nightshirts for my husband? It's the ultimate, non-fashion item. I sew them and he wears them out. We turn the worn out nightshirts into cleaning and polishing rags, just as families have for generation after generation.



My favorite deep-yoke nightgown
Touches of machine embroidery

* Tucks are a great embellishment for romantic nightgowns.

* Sewing Sample Tucks on paper first


Kaity Rose obviously likes her new tucked nightgown


* Sample sewing is a blast when you sew for a doll. Have you ever noticed how non-picky a doll is? They'll wear anything! After practicing my tucks on paper, I next sewed them using a retired white cotton sheet, and began fashioning an 18" dolls nightgown to practice tucks for a springtime nightgown for myself, that's been floating around in my head. I wear out a lot of light weight nightgowns. So it's worth putting time into a special feature like tucks when I know I'll get a lot of use out of the end product.

* Tuck Sewing on Wikipedia. I'd forgotten about the reference to sewing tucks in Little Women!

* The Folkwear Gibson Girl Blouse is the perfect medium for making tucks, once I get some more practice. For the time being, a doll's nightgown is the perfect project to work on improving my tucks-making skills.

I blogged about my in-progress doll's tucked bodice nightgown recently in my posting Imperfect Tucks are Not the End of the World as We Know It

Download classic retired American Girl Doll Patterns for free! They're big files and I highly recommend that you avoid doing more than one at a time, just wait until one finishes, then click on the download link for the next one. Thanks to Pleasant Rowland and the rest of the American Girl team for sharing these free patterns.

* Here are the lyrics to Good Night My Someone from the musical The Music Man, a wonderfully classic romantic and humorous turn of the 20'th century movie

* Patterns for Future Warmer Weather Nightgown Sewing


Stephanies pj's close up
* Graphic Artist Stephanie, from my Sewing Class, gave me permission to post photos of these cool pajama bottoms she made using a basic elastic waist pants pattern. Love her use of the black knit for a band, and the way she sewed down the cord at the back seam (to avoid slippage), then pulled it across slightly before reinserting into casing to look like a designer label.



Folkwear #224 Beautiful Dreamer
is the ultimate Romantic's nightgown
It's out of print, but I found it for sale
at Lacis. They had more recently
Other vendors have it too.
Don't confuse it with the child's version 225
which is still in print.


McCalls 6472
Recently I bought these three patterns for future warm weather nightgowns. For my tucked nightgown bodice, I'll be trying view C on McCalls 6472. I'll be making it sleeveless though.

I also like view C on McCalls's 5989. I do not like the long sleep shorts, but I am likely to try out the robe as well. I would make it in a plain, slippery, satiny fabric. But it would look nice in a brocade as well. I just already have two brocade robes!

McCalls 5989


Kate Blanchett as Elizabeth I of England
Butterick 6837
is a classic
romantic's  robe
pattern
* I made my full length black velvet robe, with the satiny pale pink lining, from Butterch 6837. I altered the pockets by cutting them in a full-topped wedge shape, then gathering them up (I cut their lining regular pocket shaped) for a fun slouchy pocket. Also I embellished it with a scattering of  faux pearl beads and a few sparkly silver butterfly buttons. I love this robe and plan to have it lost forever. I always feel like a queen when I wear it!

* The movie Elizabeth starring Kate Blanchett is a constant source of inspiration to sew another robe. Her red velvet robe in the movie is stunning.






I have made several warm weather nightgowns by extending a peasant blouse pattern, which is pretty much what the the vintage pattern, braid-wearing model in this pattern is wearing, if you add cuffed sleeves and a waist casing. The pajama-trousers on the other model are straightforward to, I've made palazzo pants by angling out a standard elastic waist pants pattern. 


* A great article on Sewing Versus Shopping by the Wearing Hitory Blog



* The SewingPatterns.Com site has good prices on a variety of patterns. The dress pattern, Vogue 8810 ,that I'm working on making into  a Tried and True pattern,  (printed price $25.00) is currently selling there for $11.99

This month's show includes an interview with Anthony G. , a new sewer in my Beginning Clothing Construction Class at Cañada College in Redwood City. Anthony has sewn a ton of stuff since he began taking classes in the program. Here he's wearing a long relax around the house vest over a shorter traditional wool vest. Underneath his jeans (no, they don't show!) he's wearing loose linen drawstring pants with cargo pockets. He's also sewn four very cool long sleeved tee shirts and the hoodie below.

And yes, he has taken two other classes this year as well as having a life!

Anthony completely lined this
 Kwik Sew hoodie in linen


Monday, November 19, 2012

Episode 003: The Lady Wears Trousers - Show Notes

The Podcast Episode 003: The Lady Wears Trousers, has been published in the iTunes Store :-)


o To find and download this free podcast show - search the iTunes store using the phrase Enchanted by Sewing OR follow this link
• You can also LISTEN TO THE SHOW Via the Web by clicking right here, if you prefer not to download it to a mobile device
Look for this widget that
looks like this picture, to get on
the Feedburner no-spam
mailing list
• Signup to be notified about new shows  using the no-spam Feedburner link on the right side of this page 
   
• This show 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.


Please let me know, by posting belowif you find any links I mentioned in the show,  missing from this posting. I find getting all the links in challenging!


November Show Links for Episode 003: The Lady Wears Trousers


• Reflections on trouser-wearing ladies in past, recent and modern times including Marie Antoinette, Katherine Hepburn and Doris Day, as well as Laurel's own memories of changing cultural attitudes over what constitutes ladylike attire.

• Discussion of trouser patterns used by the hostess, ideas for sewing fabric and thread belt loops, and specialized techniques for creating in-seam pockets.

• Includes a lively interview-conversation with Sally-Ann, another student in the Cañada Fashion Sewing Program.


Patterns (Golly, they are all McCalls this month.)
My favorite elastic waist
pants pattern is out of print
But many web resellers carry it
I make my full-length courderoy
version by cutting it longer
o  McCalls 2791 is my Tried and True (TNT)/ Old Favorite Pants Pattern. It's no longer in print but many resellers carry it on the web

o  The Trouser and Shorts Patterns with fly-front zipper and front tucks (also a version with no tucks) I really like, is  McCalls 6403 The original pattern has two tucks, but I sew them with one larger tuck instead.


o  McCalls 2260 is a great classic Vest pattern

Technicos/Techniques

* The Inseam Pockets Checklist has  photos that show stayed and leashed pockets




* Thread Belt Loops: Suzanne Beaubien from MyBeauBaby shows you how to make thread belt loops. I love making these now! Just made another set last night, after finishing off the podcast :-)

I take sewing classes in the Cañada College Fashion Department, Redwood City, California





Thursday, October 25, 2012

Episode 002: Romancing the Dress - Show Notes



The Podcast Episode 002: Romancing the Dress has been published in the iTunes Store :-)


o To find and download this free podcast show - search the iTunes store using the phrase Enchanted by Sewing OR follow this link
• You can also LISTEN TO THE SHOW Via the Web, by clicking Right here, if you prefer not to download it to a mobile device
• Signup here to be notified about new shows (to the right of this window), using the no-spam Feedburner link. 
   
• This show 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.


Please let me know, by posting belowif you find any links I mentioned in the show,  missing from this posting. I find getting all the links in challenging!

October Show Links for Episode 002: Romancing the Dress

Why I find dress sewing enchanting. How I’ve been working on making that enchantment both a time for special occasion sewingand also a time to add to the practical part of my regular, daily arty-romantic California wardrobe.
Includes reflections on dress fashion history as well as techniques for sewing a fitted facing at a dress neckline.
Jackie Kennedy wearing
my favorite Oleg Cassini frock
Her Paris trip?

  

 • Check out that much be-ruffled pale blue dress in Dainty: Romancing the Dress
    • This McCalls Pattern is my Special-Occasions go-to frock

    • Pattern Review Link and first experiences with my new favorite day-in-day-out dress pattern Vogue v8810 in Romancing The Dress Part 3: The Dress Comes to Life

• I'm continuing my work with v8810 as I begin Envisioning the California Romance Dress

• Patterns
    * Vogue V8810
    * McCalls M5316
• Techniques
• My Sewing Basket

Sewing Projects Planned for October and Completed in September


·      September Sewing Accomplished


• Favorites mentioned multiple times (in alphabetical order)
     -  Cañada Fashion Design and Merchandising Program, Redwood City California
 -    Hot Patterns
 -    The Sew Forth Now Podcast

Upcoming November Show
The Lady Wears Trousers!
 • November’s Theme will be The Lady Wears Trousers

Pensamientos:Why Barbie Doll Doesn’t Always Go Fully Clad
    (No Links)