SE W I NG TODAY ’S
DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012
THE ULTIMATE SEWING MAGAZINE
Designer Hit List!
OVER
40 PAGES OF GREAT ARTICLES
BADGLEY MISCHKA PLATINUM TOM AND LINDA PLATT PAMELLA ROLAND BELLVILLE SASSOON KAY UNGER CHADO RALPH RUCCI GUY LAROCHE ISSEY MIYAKE KOOS VAN DEN AKKER
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CONTENTS
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December 2011/January 2012 Articles 16
BEHIND THE SEAMS® WITH CLAIRE SHAEFFER Couture technique for the bound pocket.
20 GETTING TO THE POINT: MULTIPLE NEEDLES Everything you need to know about double and triple needles. 26 ALL ABOUT HEMS Kathryn Brenne’s techniques and tips for stitching hems on everything from jeans to bridal gowns. 34 POINT OF VIEW: HOW MANY IS TOO MANY? Peter Lappin believes you can never have too many sewing machines.
40 TENSION HEADACHES Linda Griepentrog’s guide to balancing top and bobbin threads. 46 UPCYCLE YOUR TRASH See how one woman is turning plastic bags into functional fashions. 50 NO-FELT NEEDLE FELTING A new twist on an old technique by Janet Miller. 52 THE EDGESTITCH FOOT Take a step in the right direction to improving your sewing skills by using the right tools. 70 FREE PROJECT ONE The scarf-bag, a perfect two-in-one accessory. 74 FREE PROJECT TWO The shabby chic shawl made from strips of silk.
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Fashion 44 ONE JACKET, FOUR LOOKS Perfect with a dress or pants.
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58 DESIGNER DETAILS Hot off the runway, the latest looks from our favorite fashion icons. 78 TAKE IT EASY Elegance is effortless with these quick-to-make designs. 82 THE VOGUE JEAN A staple of every wardrobe, our new jeans have a flattering updated fit. 84 BUSINESS CLASS A week’s worth of fashion in a one-pattern wardrobe. 86 VINTAGE VOGUE Take a lesson in beauty from the past.
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88 TODAY’S FIT VBY SANDRA BETZINA Perfectly proportioned for today’s woman, styles that stand out in a crowd.
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In Every Issue 5
Editor’s Letter
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Mailbox
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What Are You Sewing?
10 Editor’s Choice 12 Web Watch 14 The Selfish Seamstress: Sewing Therapy 90 Guide to Patterns & Fabric Requirements 92 Body Measurements Charts 94 Crossword 96 Thread Tales 97 Fabric & Accessory Guide
ON THE COVER Badgley Mischka Platinum’s strapless cocktail dress, V1273, Misses’ 4-16. Earrings and Bracelets: T. Tahari. Hair and Makeup: Joseph Boggess. Photographed by Brian Kraus. www.voguepatterns.com
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sewing REVOLUTION '09& &1: +-:)%;%=7
November MARCY TILTON FABRIC GIVEAWAY Marcy gets in on Material Mondays happenings and offers a selection of some of her favorite fabrics for an exclusive week-long giveaway. Starts November 28th. December HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY Everyday we’ll be giving away something special to celebrate the gift-giving season. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletters and Like us on Facebook so you don’t miss a single freebie. Stay tuned—it all begins December 1st! JOIN CLUB BMV AND SAVE EVERYDAY! BENEFITS INCLUDE— • 15% OFF all current, clearance and out-of-print Butterick, McCall’s & Vogue patterns • 15% OFF your Vogue Patterns magazine subscription • 15% OFF back issues of VPM • 15% OFF Butterick, McCall’s & Vogue catalogs
PERFECT FOR PROM!
HOLIDAY 2O11
M6466, page 208.
Now’s the time to start planning for prom! McCall’s has an awesome collection of the prettiest gowns and dress that will make your night magical! See them now at mccallpattern.com
shops@mccall.com THE ONE AND ONLY DESTINATION FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING FOR YOUR FAVORITE CRAFTER AND DECORATOR! Sewing machines and sergers, notions and tools, furniture and lighting, pillows and comforters, books and dvds, more sewing patterns and wall décor. More special sales and offers coming your way on all these products for a great holiday shopping season! Sign-up for updates at Shops.McCall.com
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Beyond Vintage Remaking Retro for Today!
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editor’s letter I CALL THIS TIME OF YEAR THE SEASON OF GIVING, and I mean that in the best way. It’s when I give thanks for all of my blessings and give gifts to show my appreciation to family and friends. I love giving gifts! (Don’t tell my family, but I think I like it better than receiving!) Especially those I make myself…I bet a lot of you feel the same way. Yes, we may joke about our hard work not being appreciated, but the reward comes when the receiver appreciates what you’ve done. And what’s truly wonderful about giving hand-made gifts is that you may be giving something extra—something you may not have intended—the love of hand crafting. Maybe you’ll be the inspiration for the next generation. What could be better than that? Keeping with the spirit of the season, the staff and I like to give thanks to you, our awesome readers. Over the past year, as we’ve worked tirelessly to revamp the look and content of this magazine, you’ve been extremely helpful, giving us your ideas, suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism. We love them all and use them to guide us as we plan future issues. We especially love the photos of your creations and sewing stories, they give our
publication the personal touch we strive for, so please keep them coming. What’s in store for the future? In addition to our regular line up of fashions from top-name designers and articles from well-known experts, we’re reaching out to the newest crop of sewing stars…bloggers! Regular people who take their passion for sewing to the next level by sharing their experiences and ideas with the world through the web! You’ll be seeing more from them in coming issues. And in case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been increasing the article content over the past year. In fact, this issue has more pages of articles than ever! We’re constantly searching for what’s new and what’s next to keep Vogue Patterns fresh and innovative, and a source of inspiration for you! We look forward to a wonderful year ahead and give you our best wishes for a joyous holiday and bright new year!
Editor-In-Chief
R.S.V.P. Please accept our invitation to be a contributor to this magazine. If you have a technique, project or story you’d like to share with your fellow readers, write to me at kathy@voguepatterns.com or Kathy Marrone, Vogue Patterns Magazine, 120 Broadway, 34th floor, New York, NY 10271
VOGUE PATTERNS December 2011/January 2012
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what are you sewing? Have you made something you are very proud of? Do the compliments keep coming? Then it’s time for show-andtell. Show us your pictures and tell us what makes your creation special. We’ll feature them here as inspiration for your fellow readers. Plus, in each issue, we’ll randomly select one person from this feature to receive a FREE one-year subscription to Vogue Patterns magazine. Send your photos to mailbox@voguepatterns.com. In the subject line, please put: What Are You Sewing? I learned how to sew when I was six years old! Now, after I have retired from 30 years of teaching, I have time to sew as much as I want. Both of the jackets shown here were made from V7963. In addition as a retirement activity, I joined a League to raise funds for our local symphony in Westlake Village, California. The red jacket was worn to a fundraiser for our local symphony. The blue jacket was worn to a concert. —Alda Donohue
I wanted to share a jacket I made from V7975, one of my go-to patterns. For this jacket, I wanted to make my own version of a Chanel couturestyle, with quilted lining, three-piece sleeves, weighted hem and special trim. I cut this out and started work on it during a class with couture teacher Susan Khalje. The pink color was an odd choice for me—I didn’t normally wear soft colors. I sometimes wonder if it was an omen, because the Monday after the class, I received a diagnosis of early stage breast cancer. I put the jacket aside during my treatments in 2010. Once I was finished with treatment, I found the jacket in my sewing room and I went back to work on it with a vengeance. I wore it, paired with pants from Vogue 1053 for Easter and for my son’s confirmation. It has easily become one of my favorite articles of clothing, and when I wear it I think of it as a talisman. —Anne Steeves
A friend’s daughter, Hannah, is a high school senior, and an accomplished harpist. I made these two performance gowns for her to wear when playing with national symphony orchestras during music summer camp. She selected the fabrics and trims and Butterick 4918. It was my first attempt to make a formal gown since I was in high school (I’m now 60 years old). I made a muslin pattern first and had many fitting sessions. Even so, I made many mistakes on the first gown (purple), but was then able to avoid (most) mistakes on the white gown. It was really fun to see them turn out so well and look so lovely on her. Of course, it helps that she is a beautiful young woman, too! —Jean Livingston
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VOGUE PATTERNS December 2011/January 2012
Congratulations Jean Livingston. You are this issue’s winner of a one-year subscription to Vogue Patterns magazine.
VOGUE PATTERNS December 2011/January 2012
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novelty needles
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If one needle is good, two must be better, or how about three?
GETTING TO THE POINT:
MULTIPLE NEEDLES by Linda Turner Griepentrog Want to add something extra to your designs without going “over the top?” Try stitching with double or triple needles. They are really easy to use, and give your stitching a precise, professional look. Double and triple needles are joined together on a single shank, and are inserted into the machine just like a single needle, allowing you to stitch multiple rows of parallel stitches simultaneously. Most sewing machines with zigzag capabilities can utilize multiple needles to create decorative effects, but
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there are some limitations and cautions. You can sew almost any stitch that’s in your machine, but those that go ‘only forward’ as the stitches are being formed work best. Reverse-cycle stitches, depending on the density, can pound too much thread into the area as stitches are formed causing jamming, so it’s always best to test before selecting a stitch. On many machines there is a limitation to the maximum width setting you can use with multiple needles; some
VOGUE PATTERNS December2011/January 2012
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Spacing between the twin needles can vary from 1.6mm to 4.0mm.
1 automatically limit the width, others require a manual adjustment. Exceeding the width limitation will result in needles hitting the presser foot or throat plate opening and breaking. Not all machines can use all widths of multiple needles, so check your owner’s manual for guidance.
Size Wise
Double needles are available in several sizes and needle types. Sizing is indicated by two numbers, such as 4.0/90. The first number is the spacing in millimeters between the needles and the second number is the needle size. Many of your favorite needle types are also available in double needle form. UNIVERSAL twin needles come in sizes 1.6/70 up to 8.0/100. EMBROIDERY twin needles are available in size 75 with spacing of 2.0mm and 3.0mm. METALLIC twin needles are available in sizes 2.5/80 and 3.0/90. JEANS twin needles come in 4.0/100. STRETCH twins come in 2.5/75 and 4.0/75. Special DOUBLE HEMSTITCH needles offer one universal needle and a winged needle with 2.5mm spacing. TRIPLE needles come in sizes 2.5/80 and 3.0/80. In this instance the distance measurement is the span of
the outside needles and the second number is the size of each needle.
Threading Tricks
Multiple needles can be used with the same thread type and color through them, or combinations of colors and thread types. Varying the thread type and weight can result in some tension challenges, so test-stitch to find a workable combination. Most current sewing machines offer two or three spool pins to accommodate multiple thread sewing. Place a spool on each pin and thread as directed in the owner’s manual. It’s common to place spools on the pins so that the threads pull off in opposite directions, i.e. one from the back, the other from the front. On machines with multiple tension disks, separate the threads so each has its own tension. If you have only a single disk, thread both threads through together. Some machine manuals suggest separating the threads at thread guides and needle guides to avoid tangling before reaching the needles, which are then threaded separately. For triple needles, if you have a third spool pin, use it. If not, wind a bobbin of your third color selection and place it under one of the thread spools on the pin. TESTING 1, 2, 3… Because a single bobbin is spanning all the upper threads, there will be a zigzag stitching pattern on the underside of multiple needle sewing (1). Some tension adjustments may be needed, so test-stitch on your project fabric before
Buy this issue now to read the full article. VOGUE PATTERNS December 2011/January 2012
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(continued on page 22)
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free project 2
Inspired by the Parisian street scene, this rough-edged wrap is all about glamour!
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SHABBY CHIC SHAWL With a hint of gold peeking out from beneath the silk strips, this fun-to-make shawl is perfect for eveningwear. We based our design on one we spotted while on a trip to Paris. You can follow our directions exactly, or use them as a guide to create your own design. Note: Finished size of shawl is approx. 20" x 80". YOU WILL NEED: 4 yards of 60"-wide Silk or similar lightweight fabric 21/4 yards of 60"-wide Extra Fine Cotton Bobbinet Tulle 21/4 yards* of 45"-wide Gold Metallic Tissue Lamé 1/2 " wide tape
*Without piecing. If you want to conserve fabric, you can piece the lamé and use only 1 1/4 yard of 45"
wide fabric. See details later. Note: All seam allowances are 1/2 ".
Bias-cut strips of lightweight silk (with edges left unfinished), stitched to the tulle, form the face of this multi-layer shawl. Between the face and plain-tulle backing is a layer of gold metallic lamé. The shawl face is made of four basic blocks, with bias strips stitched horizontally on two, and diagonally on the remaining two. Each block is then cut on the diagonal and re-stitched to create a new zigzag block. Those four blocks are then stitched together to form the shawl. (See diagram below.) Start by cutting four pieces of tulle, each a 21" square. Next cut 2"-wide bias strips of silk (or a similar lightweight fabric). Leave the edges raw. On one tulle square, position bias strips horizontally, beginning and ending ½" from the edge. Pin in place. Don’t worry about being perfectly even (continued on page 76)
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