SPRING 2016 A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN SEWING GUILD VOL.XXI, NO.2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 2 National Notes 3 Sponsor Spotlight 4 Chapter News and Views Se w... You’re Traveling!

16 re there travel plans in your future? Maybe it’s a voyage to a dream destinatio n... Sew ‘n Tell: How to Organize an Out-of- A a family reunio n... a road trip to visit college campuse s... or you are attending Control Fabric Stash ASG Conference 2016 in Indianapoli s... or participating in one of ASG’s Sew Much Fun 18 Tours. No matter what is on your travel agenda, you’ll probably be packing a suitcase. Sew ‘n Share: Surprise! No one’s idea of a good time involves dragging around excess luggage or paying airlines’ You May Be a Petite extra baggage fees. So, to smooth your way, here are some expert tips on travel wardrobes 22 and accessories. Marsha McClintock is the travel and packing expert, having shepherded Sew ‘n Share: You Can many ASG members on her special sewing excursions, including the ASG Sew Much Fun Sew Activwear Tours to New York City. Cheri Dowd is a sewing teacher who has been exploring the cre - ative possibilities of reversible . She can guide you to a different way of thinking 24 about your wardrobe options. Both of these talented ladies will be teaching at ASG Sew Young Conference 2016. 26 Sew for the Gold PLANNING A TRAVEL WARDROBE CREATING REVERSIBLE GARMENTS 28 by Marsha McClintock by Cheri Dowd Book Beat Preplanning your travel wardrobe makes When assembling a travel wardrobe, one 29 packing simple and your journey more possibility is frequently overlooked— Book enjoyable. It removes the guess work as reversible clothing! A reversible garment 31 you know exactly what goes into the - takes the space of one item in your luggage DVD Corner case. But how do you decide what to take and offers twice the wearability. In this era and what to leave home? of carry-ons, why not take something that 33 First, identify where you are going, the will do double duty? You’ll have more Product Previews length of your trip, the climate, your activ - choices when it’s time to select an outfit 34 ities, and your figure type. This list will dic - and if you have to do laundry, there will be Industry Insider tate what kind of less of that—which is always a bonus. One of the best things about doing (continued on reversibles is working through the 41 page 36) Chapter Calendar step-by-step procedures which will 43 vary from normal pattern sewing Advertiser Index directions. It’s good for the brain and makes you a more flexible sewer! 44 ASG Conference 2016 Choosing a Pattern Highlights Simple shapes with moderately straight seams work best. For your first venture, 46 you might consider a pattern specifically ASG Conference 2016 Calendar designed as a reversible garment. Saf-T- Pockets patterns offers several, including 48 Members Only (continued on page 37) Planning a Travel Wardrobe can be a beautiful or necklace. Best Travel Fabrics (continued from page 1) are great as they take very lit - Here are my recommendations for tle space in a suitcase and can be fabrics that will travel well. No matter wardrobe you will need. A trip to worn many ways. Saf-T-Pocket’s Sew which ones you choose, be sure to Rome for a month will require a dif - Accessorized pattern features four preshrink before construction. ferent wardrobe than a snorkeling easy-to-make scarves plus a Vest-S- Cottons. This fiber breathes, so it’s trip to the Bahamas. Next, you need (right) that can be good in warmer weather, but wrin - to decide which garments you worn as a vest, cape, or kling can be a problem. Blending already have and which you’ll need scarf. These items with polyester or spandex to make or purchase. Spend your time come in very handy lessens wrinkling and adds to making items where fit is an issue or for changing up the garment’s comfort. that are more expensive to purchase, your look when Knits. There are many such as pants and . A pur - traveling. I always wonderful knits available. chased T- or will usually fill throw in a few extra Rayon/spandex, cotton/span - the bill unless color matching a partic - accessories as they dex, ITY (which stands for ular outfit is a consideration. take so little space. If Interlock Twist Yarn—a method traveling for one or of putting a twist in yarn used for Your Color Palette two weeks, I pack a knit fabrics resulting in a more It’s easiest if you pick two base colors pair of for natural elasticity and a soft feel for your wardrobe. Darker colors each day and two inside), polyester, or blends. work best as they don’t show dirt. . Put them in They are comfortable and wear You want garments that don’t soil one-gallon plastic bags, squeeze out well for travel. Choose single knit jer - easily as you will be wearing the gar - the air, and seal. This gets placed in sey for tops and double knit ponte for ments numerous times. Colors like the bottom of the suitcase along with jackets, , and pants. black, brown, navy, taupe, or charcoal my or nightie. Linens. There are many washable work well in the U.S., but are espe - By packing two outfits (two jackets, linens and linen blends that are soft, cially good choices when traveling vests, or cardigans and two matching comfortable, and keep wrinkling to a abroad. In the world we live in, it’s pants or skirts), five tops, and two minimum. Because linen breathes, it best to blend in and not draw atten - accessories, you can mix and match to is excellent for warm weather. tion to yourself. When traveling in the achieve 30 different looks and it can Wools. Great for cooler weather U.S., I like to make one of my outfits all be easily packed into a 22" roll- made into jackets, vests, or pants. from a fun color. Plan to use a color aboard suitcase. Be sure the outfit you Rayons and Tencel. These fibers that makes you look and feel great. If wear while traveling will also tie into create fabrics that are soft, drapable, you choose a darker color, you can your color plan and this will expand and comfortable to wear. Pick fabric add color through tops or accessories. the wardrobe considerably. And if with texture to help hide wrinkles. If some of these garments are reversible, you want the look of denim, a Tencel The Essential Garments you’ve automatically increased the denim is lighter weight than cotton Plan the wardrobe around two outfits number of looks without packing denim, which makes packing easier. that consist of a , vest, or cardi - more garments. One last but very Silks. There are many crinkled and gan , and a matching pant or important thing to think about when distressed silks that make great tops. . They can be made from the traveling is . Always wear Raw or matka silk can make lovely same fabric or fabrics in the same your heaviest and most comfortable pants or jackets. Underline with silk color family. Next add five tops that the day you are in transit and organza and wrinkling is cut to a min - go with either of your outfits. Solid pack two more pairs in the suitcase imum. colors are most practical but I like to that will go with your outfits. Don’t Microfibers (Polyester). Very little make two of my tops prints. Prints bring new shoes; bring ones you wrinkling but not great for warm don’t show spots and, if they both know you can wear all day. There is weather. Better for spring or fall. have your base colors included in the nothing worse than aching feet when print, they will go with either outfit. you are touring around. Bonus pieces Travel Tips Select tops made from wovens or could be a skirt that goes with each Put your clothes on plastic hangers knits, with different sleeve lengths so jacket or a (for warm cli - before packing them in the suitcase. you have options if temperatures rise mates). Any bonus pieces you tuck When you arrive at the hotel just pull or drop. into your suitcase only enhance the them out and hang them right in the Next add two neck accessories. This number of looks you can achieve. closet.

36 ASG Notions • Spring 2016 To prevent wrinkling, place a plas - Creating Reversible Garments that gives it a denim appear - tic dry cleaner bag over the garment (continued from page 1) ance. It's a great travel jack - before packing. et because it is dressy on Add hidden pockets in your jackets #2013—Cheri's Reversible the embroi - or pants to keep money, credit cards, Jacket, which I designed. dered side and cell phone safely tucked away. and perfect Saf-T-Pockets offers a selection of gar - Choosing Fabric with ments that include from three to 11 Sewers have a great and a T- pockets. advantage when it shirt on Photocopy the opening pages of comes to getting the right the matte your passport that show your name reversible. We don’t have side— and number. It will make replacement to rely on designers and instant easier, if you lose your passport. Be manufacturers; we only need to be day to sure to keep the passport and your aware of our own wardrobe require - dinner copies in separate places. ments as we shop for fabrics in our with just a stash or elsewhere. As long as your flip! Marsha McClintock fabric has two compatible sides, you If you can ʼt find that single fabric, is a dressmaker and are “good to sew.” Compatible is the you can unite two fabrics with just a teacher as well as the key word her e... compatible with bit of stitching. In this case, I won ʼt owner of Saf-T- your wardrobe and, if you are joining call it quilting, but you can feel free to Pockets Patterns two fabrics back-to-back for your do so! You may use a lightweight fab - (www.saf-t-pockets reversible garment, compatibility in ric as “batting” between the two outer .com), where she color, weight, and stretch. fabrics, but stay away from anything designs patterns weighty unless you want to look like with hidden pockets Single Layer Construction Frosty! Once the fabrics are cut and for carrying life’s essentials. Along with The simple solution to the compatibil - then united with stitching, you can Marla Kazell, she leads the ASG Sew ity issue is to use a single layer cut and sew them into a garment as Much Fun New York Tours. She is a reversible fabric—one fabric that you would a single layer reversible. member of the ASG Portland, Ore. Chap- looks good—and preferably different ter. At ASG Conference 2016, Marsha —on both sides so you have more Reversible Finishes will be teaching classes on Sensational wearing options. Double weaves can The seam and edge finishes and fac - Scarves, Flippy Gored Skirt, Fast n Fun offer this option. Decorator fabrics ings you choose will affect the design Circle Skirt, and Fast n Fun Circle Jacket. can be surprisingly different on both aesthetic of your finished garment. sides. Sometimes there will be a Single layer reversibles require fin - Editor’s note: Marsha always gives ASG tweed look on the back side of a print. ishing on all seams. Before you begin members 10% off everything on her web - Most denims have a dark and light your project, make some samples to site. Right now through May 30, 2016, side and embroidered pieces can have see which effect you prefer. she is offering ASGers a 25% discount. a shiny and a matte side. Once you Flat-fell seams and For details, visit Special Offers on the start looking, you'll be surprised at French seams. The ASG website (www.asg.org). how many options you find. result is a seam that One of the best reversible fabrics looks the same on I’ve used has an ombré blue palette both sides; there is with shiny embroidery stitching on no visible contrast. the “right” side. The reverse side is a Bound seams and solid navy that has a matte finish and Hong Kong seams. light cotton With both these techniques, stitching the edge of the seam allowance is encased in a bias strip of fabric. You can, of course, match the binding to the fabric, but where's the fun in that? Plain seam with turned-under edges. This seam is pressed open,

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ASG Notions • Spring 2016 37 Creating Reversible Garments Faced Edges. Same- method to join the seams. Turn the (continued from page 37) fabric facings can be garment right sides out. Then work - applied so the fac - ing from the solid side, pin the lay - and then the seam allowance edges ing matches or con - ers together along the seam lines, are turned under and topstitched trasts the side it is and machine stitch in the ditch of down along each folded edge. The on. the seam. If you accidentally wander result is a decorative seam on one side Bound Edges. These off the seam line on the underside, the of the garment and a plain seam on work on all types of stitches will disappear into the print. the other. Note: You may want to reversibles. Consider woven foldover If you are bagging the two sides, increase the width of your seam braids, self-fabric or dec - you will have a finished edge. That allowances to make the turning- orative bias bindings, edge may need to be topstitched after under process easier. Test before you and newer to the careful pressing. Use a heavier cut out your garment. marketplace, the weight thread or a double thread if lovely, elasticized you want the stitching to show as a foldover edge fin - design element. Another way to sta - ishes. These come in bilize the layers at the edge is to add a range of beautiful a fabric band. colors. On my black and A favorite finish for double layer white rose jacket, I used cranberry reversibles is piping inserted into the elasticized foldover braid to cover the edges. While this may raw seam at the waist and to create take more time, it is loops on the center front. worth it if you are S S E

R concerned about D

S A I Double Layer Construction fabric compatibili - B

C I

G When thinking about reversible gar - ty. The piping will A M

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ments, most people think of two ver - conceal any droop - Y N O

M sions of the garment, each one con - ing when one fabric is R A H

structed separately. Then they are heavier than the other. N I

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O sewn wrong sides together with an And, of course, bound edge fin - I H S A

F opening for turning right sides out. ishes are as appropriate for double This method is commonly called layer reversible garments as for single “bagging.” layer ones. Bagging is not my method of choice for several reasons. For one thing, it Pockets Piping . Although not technically a requires the most compatible fabrics. If pockets are seam finish, you can maneuver it to A rayon fabric paired with a less fluid doubled in conceal seam allowances. For exam - fabric will result in a mismatch that is two-fabric con - ple, when I was creating a black-and- not recoverable. The fluid fabric will struction, that white rose print jacket, I tend to float out from the bottom even area can become used extra-wide bias when your cutting and sewing have bulky and the strips of fabric to been exact. This single issue may double pocket cover custom pip - have caused you to give up on bags can shift ing. Once the pip - reversible sewing. Lesson: Choose during launder - ing was inserted your fabric types carefully with this ing. It is not an into the seam, I used type of construction. attractive look! One the wide lips to cover A second challenge with the bag - pocket with a bag made of light the seam allowances on ging method is how to connect the weight fabric combined with a patch the side opposite the piping. internal seams. If these seams are left pocket on the other side is less bulky. Sometimes, you just have to think it unconnected, they will roll when The best look of all is a faced slit with through and be creative! laundered; smoothing them flat again a lower welt that turns up to cover the The garment edges on single layer can be a major pain. The layers can slit. The slit facing edges are finished reversibles offer many design oppor - also shift when the garment is worn. with lightweight fabric and that is tunities. If one side of your “bagged” gar - covered with a patch pocket on the ment is a printed fabric, here's an easy reverse side. The blue ombré single

38 ASG Notions • Spring 2016 fabric jacket has this treatment. them from one side of the garment to Retirement from a Another pocket the other. 30-year teaching option is to set a Loops with ties or make career in public zipper into a great decorative closures. My schools opened the seam, then cover favorites are the ones I create for my door for Cheri Dowd it with a patch reversible, fulled sweater vests. The to pursue her cre - pocket on the loops are made from the shrunken ative design passion. reverse side— seams. They are Her motto is sten - one pocket that can shaped into a loop with ciled on her sewing be accessed from both the ends on each side room wall: “Imagine, Create and Grow.” sides of the garment. of the garment. I She enjoys sharing her knowledge with If you choose patch pockets you hand stitch them students in her Aiken, S.C. home (www. can make them single-layer by bind - into place using designsbycherid.com), where she is a ing the patch with bias. With this heavier threads and member of the ASG Central Savannah type of pocket, you can put them on add beads as I go. River– Aiken Chapter. Her work has been both sides. Patch pockets The same published in Threads and Sew Stylish with a lining and fac - type of clo - magazines. Join Cheri at ASG Conference ing look too heavy sure can be made 2016 in Indianapolis where she will be when placed back with covered teaching her Chanel Jacket Shortcut, to back. If this is cording or twisted Reversibles with Style and Versatility, the type you wish yarns. and Vests from Fulled Sweaters classes. to make, you If you need a should use them on break from one side only or put one buttons, on each right front so there will be use spaghetti tubes one outside and one inside pocket. to make fabric ties. Attach them where Closures you would put a Ahh, the icing on the cake. That ʼs button on each side what a great closure can be. It can get and tie them through a bit complicated when making a a loop. Use multiple ties reversible garment. Having a closure to form a spaghetti cascade. that will work effectively on both Add beads and your garment has its sides of the garment is essential. Of own jewelry. course, you can skip the closure on Reversible zippers have tabs that some garments, but who wants to work on either side of the garment. miss out on the icing? They are usually separating jacket Buttons are the mainstay of zippers, but if you sew them together reversible closures. Use them sewn at the bottom, they could be used on back-to-back on your reversible with the back of a reversible . a single buttonhole, a loop, or ties. Exposed zippers continue to be in the Just be aware that when you reverse designer shows. Buy a decorative one your garment the buttons will be on with stones or painted tape and work the opposite side to what you are it into a reversible project. Remember accustomed to. to plan how you will finish the seam If you want the buttons to be on the edge where the zipper is inserted. “correct” side, make the buttonholes That seam may need to be wider so on both left and right you can turn its edge under or it may edges of the garment. need a matching facing or binding. Sew your buttons to Yes, it's all in the planning and flexi - a detachable strip bility as you work. Take joy in your of grosgrain rib - sewing adventures. bon. That way, you will be able to move

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