Vogue Patterns Magazine June/July 2012 Sampler by Design Group

S EWING TO DAY ’S

JUNE/JULY 2012

THE ULTIMATE SEWING MAGAZINE

Free Pattern Offer SEE PAGE 91 FOR DETAILS

New Designer Looks! INTRODUCING

LIALIA BY JULIA ALARCON

SAMPLER SAMPLER SAMPLER SAMPLER WWW.VOGUEPATTERNS.COM THE McCALL PATTERN CO. DISPLAY UNTIL 7/10/2012

CONTENTS 112 SKIRT CHASING A short history of the skirt, the garment that started fashion. 116

THE COUCHING FOOT Stitch your way to success by using the right foot for the job.

2 20 COLLABORATIVE CREATIVITY Meet Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer, identical twins who form an artistic alliance. 2 24 WORKROOM DESIGN & ERGONOMICS What you need to know about setting up your sewing equipment in an efficient and comfortable arrangement. 3 30 BEHIND THE SEAMS® WITH CLAIRE SHAEFFER A look at the details of the classic cardigan jacket that have made it a fashion item for generations. 3 34 DENIM DECONSTRUCTED The story behind this all-American staple that’s been embraced by everyone from cowboys to couturiers. 3 38 FREE PROJECT ONE: DENIM: THE LONG & SHORT OF IT How to hem jeans without losing the look of the original hem. 4 40 POCKET PANACHE Establish your own identity with tra rad dema mark rk detailing. det eta aiiliing g. trademark

65 ON THE COVER Introducing Lialia by Julia Alarcon, V1304, Misses’ 4-20. Bracelet: Elizabeth Cole. Hair and Makeup: Joseph Boggess. Photographed by Brian Kraus.

16 2

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VOGUE VOG V OG OGUE UE PATTERNS PA PAT ATT AT TEEER TER RNS NS FFe February/March ebr brruuar bru uary ary ar ry/Ma /M /M Maarch rch 20 rc 2004 00044

44 ONE DRESS, FOUR WAYS The perfect dress for all your summer activities.

58 VINTAGE VOGUE ct Dresses that are as perfect now as they were then.

46 POINT OF VIEW Where to shop for a vintage sewing machine.

60 THE SEASON’S BEST DESIGNERS er Cool looks for hot weather from the top names in fashion.

48 FREE PROJECT TWO: HAND EMBROIDERED DRESSES This is the story of how three talented women took an idea and stitched together two dream dresses. 54 IN THE BAG Marcy Tilton’s opinionated tips for making handbags.

72 INTRODUCING LIALIA BY JULIA ALARCON Meet the newest memberr to join the Vogue Patternss roster of designers. 76 IT’S A MOD MAD WORLD Seventies style ignites the fashion scene with designs that are easy to sew and easy to wear.

In Every Issue 5

Editor’s Letter

Mailbox

What Are You Sewing?

10 Editor’s Choice 10 119 9 Web Watch 86 Body Measurements 86 Charts 88 8 8 Guide to Patterns & Fabric Requirements 94 9 4 Crossword

33 VOGUE PATTERNS June/July 2012

June/July 2012 www.voguepatterns.com

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artistic alliance

CREATIVITY Lauren DeBell

COLLABORATIVE

By Linda Turner Griepentrog

How does a printmaker and her identical twin, an oil painter, come together to explore ﬁber arts? Just ask artists Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer about their adventure in blended disciplines. IN THE BEGINNING The twins were born in Tacoma, Wash. and studied art at the University of Oregon, each in their respective disciplines—Lisa in printmaking and Lori in oil painting. Looking for a community supportive to the arts, and both determined to pursue their dream of being true artists, they moved to Minneapolis in 1992/93. Lisa worked for a greeting card company and Lori became a founding member of the Tilsner Artist’s Cooperative. Both were successful in their own rights, winning awards and exhibiting their work. Having always been treated as a single entity— “the twins”—both were on a subconscious quest to be individuals; they actually grew apart emotionally, and essentially became artistic rivals. Their mother died unexpectedly when they were 26 and the grief caused them difficulty in continuing to focus on their familiar works. On their 30th birthdays they decided to end the longstanding rift between them. At the time Lori was working on preparing an exhibit of her work and the deadline was looming, so she called Lisa for help.

In the next two weeks time, both women literally lived at the studio hand sewing buttons onto canvas. FORMULATING FIBER ART Lisa and Lori decided to work together and mend their relationship through a new medium—one with which neither was familiar. The options were to work in glass, metal or fiber. Fiber won. As the youngest of nine children, neither had any formal training in sewing. Both describe their mom as a “reluctant sewer” who sewed out of necessity to clothe the family. Lori had her mother’s forty-year-old machine, and had disassembled some of her mother’s clothes, keeping the fabric scraps. At the time, she had a passion for the color red, so created a memorial wall hanging using about thirty colors and textures of only red fabrics. The duo admits that their first two years working jointly was “bumpy, to say the least.” But they were determined to see what they could do together as artists in the newly discovered medium. Their focus was both on their artwork and their born-together relationship. They began working on their fiber art “paintings” and selling them at craft and art festivals, and selling prints of their work around the country. Through working with other artists and entrepreneurs, as well as a family background of independent business, they’d perfected their business acumen. Being from the West Coast and missing the ocean, in 1999 they drove to Cape Cod for a beach adventure, and were captivated with Provincetown, depicted in their first whimsical “painting” titled Afternoon Ride. In 2002, wanting to leave the harsh winters of Minnesota, they researched other locations, with the stipulation that their new community foster and support the arts (and that it didn’t have bitterly cold winters with never-ending gray skies). FAST FORWARD Today, they live in Bend, Ore. and their collaborative studio/gallery is housed in the city’s Old Mill District with other artist venues. Their work is known worldwide, they’ve won numerous awards, they exhibit in many museums and galleries, and work on commission pieces as well. In 2003, they were invited to exhibit with the Art in the Embassies program, where artists’ work is shown in U.S. Embassies around the world. WORK IN PROGRESS Perhaps the most unique thing about these talented artists is the process involved in creating their exceptional works. Both work on the same piece, but without (continued on page 22)

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VOGUE PATTERNS June/July 2012

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sew healthy

by Kathryn Brenne

WORKROOM DESIGN & Ergonomics for the Sewer What you need to know about setting up your sewing equipment in an efﬁcient and comfortable arrangement that makes sewing a pleasure.

ow much do you love sewing? Do you spend hours (or days!) on sewing binges barely taking time to eat? Do you walk away from your sewing machine or cutting table with aches and pains? Sometimes, the hobbies we love can cause physical injury when performed over extended periods of time. Ergonomics—the study of the human body and its interaction with equipment and tasks—has been used in offices for years to avoid strainrelated injuries caused by working for long periods of time in one position, or an unnatural position. What’s good for the office is good for the sewing room too! The right equipment adjusted to fit your body will allow you to sew longer and enjoy your sewing experience more. Having your workroom well designed and organized can also reduce a different kind of strain...mental strain. Here’s how Kathyrn Brenne set up her workroom and steps she's taken for an efficient, comfortable space that makes sewing a pleasure. POSTURE With any type of work, correct posture is essential for reducing physical strain. Shoulders should be held back, the head and neck should be straight and upright. Ears, shoulders and hips should be in alignment. When sitting, the knees should be at a right angle and at the same level or slightly elevated from the hips; distribute your weight evenly on both hips over the chair seat. Keep your feet flat on the floor or use a riser to keep

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your knees at the proper level. Do not cross your legs while sitting. As soon as your spine starts to curve, your neck will extend causing strain. Did you know that for each inch forward that your neck extends, it is the equivalent to adding a ten pound weight to your head? That’s why your mother/teacher always said, “Sit up straight!” If you have trouble sticking to this rule, you might want to try Body-Rite™, it’s a three-pound counter balance weight used to help keep your body erect and prevent muscle strain in the back, neck and shoulders. Having your tables and chairs positioned to the proper height for good posture will also be more ergonomic. SEWING TABLE When stitching at the machine, your elbows should be at 90 degrees and your wrists should remain straight or slightly elevated as you feed work into the machine. If the table is too high, your arms will be raised forcing you to lift your shoulders causing strain on the neck, shoulders and upper back muscles. If the table is too low, it forces you to hunch over your work causing strain on the neck, shoulders and back muscles. The table should not touch or press on the upper thighs. There should be enough clearance to allow the legs to move freely. These same rules apply for hand sewing. You may be tempted to hold handwork on your lap in front of a TV, but take a tip from couture workrooms where dressmakers sit at long tables for hours as they work on a garment by

hand. Ideally you want to position yourself so that your forearms can rest on the table and the wrists can extend straight. Not only is this position ergonomically comfortable, it is far more accurate. When hand work is picked up, the work becomes distorted. Kathryn had her table custom built to a height of 30" high x 24" deep x 60" long. It’s a solid 1½" thick which provides great stability for the machine, even when sewing fast. The length is roomy enough to accommodate a fullsized machine and have workspace on both sides. It has a white laminate surface that is easy to keep clean and easy for spotting tools and equipment. The edges are slightly rounded to prevent snagging fabric, and digging into the forearms as you work at the table. TILTED TABLE Designed to sit under the machine, this height-adjustable platform tilts the machine towards you, promoting good sewing posture and improving the view of the sewing area. Raising the height of the back of the machine by ½" to ¾" should improve your view. As a cheaper alternative, some sewers use erasers or a thick magazine under the back of the sewing machine to tilt it forward. CHAIR Ideally, your sewing chair should be height adjustable, have a padded back with lumbar support, a curved or rounded front edge, a cushioned seat to evenly distribute weight and avoid pressure points, and have no wheels or locking wheels to prevent it from moving.

VOGUE PATTERNS June/July 2012

The chair should be positioned close enough to the machine to allow your arms above the elbows to remain at the sides of your body. Your viewing distance to the machine should be 16" to 24". You’ll know your chair is at the right height when your elbows are at 90 degrees to the table height, your wrists are straight, hip and knee joints are at 90 degrees, feet are resting flat on the floor and the back of your knees are slightly higher than the seat. Getting all your body parts in proper alignment may require some additional measures. When you raise your chair to get your arms aligned with your machine, your feet may not touch the floor, or be able to rest flat on the floor. A foot raiser is the answer. By resting your feet on a riser, your legs are elevated and pressure is eliminated from the back of the legs. SEWING MACHINE PEDALS The sewing machine pedal should be positioned so that you don’t have to extend your foot too far forward, which puts strain on the back of the legs. To prevent the pedal from moving, place a piece of cushioned grip shelf liner underneath. You should also make sure that the pedal is positioned so that the foot can be placed squarely on the pedal. There is a chance of damaging the internal circuit boards of the pedal if you constantly press on just one side. Bad positioning can not only damage your body, but your machine as well. CUTTING TABLE Cutting involves bending over a table and extending the arm, which can cause lower back injuries or pain. Table height should be adjusted to hip height—this is where the leg bends at the hip joint. Most cutting tables are between 34" and 36". Kathryn is 5' 9" tall and had her cutting table custom made to a height of 37". Walk around the table as you cut out different pattern pieces rather than trying to extend your upper body over the table. As you cut, draw the fabric towards you rather than extending yourself. This may not always be possible depending on the fabric. Some fabrics can not be moved without distortion.

VOGUE PATTERNS June/July 2012

Ideally, the cutting table should be long enough to cut out one garment length and accommodate the widest fabric folded in half. A minimum size would be 30" wide by 60" long. Kathryn’s largest cutting table is the size of a full sheet of plywood: 48" wide by 8' long. She also has enough space around the table to walk around all sides for cutting. If space is limited, consider a drop leaf table that allows you to use a portion of the table at a time. If you are cutting at a kitchen or dining room table, consider placing large cans under the table legs to raise it up. While they aren’t essential to the ergonomics of sewing, all of Kathryn’s cutting tables are covered with a 1" gridded, self healing rotary cutting mat. The mats provide a quick reference for pattern drafting and are helpful when straightening fabric. They also provide a non-slip surface to prevent fabric from sliding off the table.

ANTI-FATIGUE MATS If your work involves a lot of standing while quilting, designing, cutting, or ironing, anti-fatigue mats help to promote better circulation and reduce leg fatigue and back stress. Standing for extended periods of time places pressure on the feet and reduces circulation to the extremities. Standing on a hard surface such as concrete or wood provides no cushioning or shock absorption. (See Flooring page 28) Anti-fatigue mats can help alleviate foot, leg and back problems. (continued on page 26)

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