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contents p. 36
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011
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p. 14
fashion 46 ONE SHIRT, FOUR LOOKS Metallic silk chiffon makes a grand statement for day or evening.
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54 BEYOND VINTAGE Our staff takes on the challenge to modernize Vintage Vogue through fabrics, silhouette changes and styling.
14 HIDDEN TREASURES Linda Griepentrog’s guide to finding the materials for your next sewing project in thrift stores.
80 GRAY GOODS! Fall/Winter Fashion Report on the hottest color to come down the runway.
22 FOLLOWING SUIT Secondhand style. Turn your boyfriend’s [husband’s, father’s, brother’s] cast-off coats into chic accessories.
82 GRAY MATTERS Going gray has never looked so beautiful! Follow the fashion trend and add some to your wardrobe.
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features
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DRESSING BY THE NUMBERS Carol Zyla’s point of view on dressing “age appropriately.”
26 PROJECT ONE: LEATHER TOGGLES Kathryn Brenne shows how to make toggles with scraps of leather.
28 PROJECT TWO: MAKE IT MATERNITY! A guide to converting a regular Misses’ pattern into maternity. 30 PROJECT THREE: ADDING SLEEVES An easy way to add sleeves to a sleeveless garment. 32 WOOL, WHY WE LOVE IT! From sheep to shear to spool, wool is a wonderful, sustainable, eco-friendly fiber. 36 SCISSOR SMARTS An in-depth look at the newest cutting tools on the market.
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in every issue 42 THE COAT OF MANY COLLARS Sandra Betzina shows how to make a detachable collar. 48 COUTURE DETAILS A comprehensive look at handworked details that can only be found on expensive garments. 74 EDITORIAL LICENSE A complete rundown of all the changes we made to patterns in this issue.
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Editor’s Letter
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Mailbox
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What Are You Sewing?
on the cover
10 Editor’s Choice 12 Web Watch 88 Body Measurements Charts 90 Guide to Patterns & Fabric Requirements 94 Crossword 96 Thread Tales 97 Fabric & Accessory Guide
VOGUE PATTERNS October/November 2011
A great trench...borrowed from the boys! That’s right, this trench is actually from our Men’s collection. V8720, Chest sizes 34-46. Earrings: Patricia Von Musulin, Gloves: Carolina Amato. Hair and Makeup: Joseph Boggess. Photographed by Brian Kraus.
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project one Made from scraps of lambskin leather, these toggles rival the best Italian leather closures!
make your own
leather toggles
THE PATTERN: Using thin cardboard or quilter’s template plastic cut a triangle 1¾" wide at the base and 5½" long. Round the wide corners slightly and square off the tip of the triangle. (1) Cut an irregular-shaped square: 1" wide at the base with the remaining three sides measuring ¾". (1) THE LEATHER: Scraps of soft, thin lambskin were used for this sample. You can use any leather scraps you may have, i.e. recycled from a handbag or garment; or use a soft synthetic leather. Be aware that variations in thickness will yield different results. Make a sample and adjust the measurements of the pattern if necessary. LAYOUT AND CUTTING: Lay out the pattern on the wrong side of the skin and trace around it with a ballpoint pen. Use scissors or a rotary cutter to cut out the leather. A rotary cutter gives a nice smooth edge, which is what you want with this project as the edges are exposed. CORDING: To make the thin cording, glue two scraps of leather together with rubber cement (available in stationery stores). Use a rotary cutter and ruler to cut narrow strips 1/8" wide by approximately 5" long. (2) You will need two pieces of cording; one for the toggle and one for the loop. Form the strips into a loop and press. Always use a press cloth and dry iron when working with leather.
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www.voguepatterns.com
by Kathryn Brenne
THE TOGGLES: Punch two holes in the narrow end of the toggle. A small hole punch (available from Tandy Leather) works well. Alternatively you could use an eyelet cutter. Beginning at the wide end, roll up the toggle tightly and mark a second set of holes directly below the first set when the toggle is rolled up. Unroll the toggle and punch out these holes. Apply rubber cement to the entire back of the leather toggle. Re-roll the toggle tightly beginning at the wide end. When you get to the holes, thread the cording through the openings. (3) The cording threads in and out from the right side of the leather. It is easier to thread through the small holes if the ends of the cording are cut at an angle into a point. Continue rolling up the toggle and finish by threading the ends of the cord through the last set of holes. (4) The cording will feed through from the wrong side of the leather this time. Pull up the cording tightly. Take a couple of stitches, by hand, to anchor the tip of the toggle to the layer below. Use a double strand of thread and hide the knots underneath the leather. (5) If your leather is soft you can use a sharp needle. If your leather is heavier and difficult to sew through, try using a glover’s needle. A glover’s needle has a very sharp, triangular shaped tip. Be careful that the tip doesn’t end up cutting the threads as you sew. ATTACHING THE TOGGLE AND LOOP: Lap the garment closure and position the toggle on the center front line with the cording spanning the garment opening. Position one square of leather over the ends of the cording. You can use a bit of glue stick to temporarily attach the square to the fabric. Trim the cording if it is too long. Using a Teflon® machine foot, stitch around the edges of the square using a stitch length of 2.75mm. Do not backstitch. Instead leave long thread tails, pull them through to the back of the fabric and knot them off. Try closing the toggle with the loop to determine how long the loop needs to be in order to fit over the toggle. Position the other square of leather over the ends of the cording, and attach in the same manner as the toggle cording. Anchor the cording to the fabric with a few hand stitches taken over the cording and through the fabric. Kathryn Brenne is the owner of The Academy of Fine Sewing & Design. Visit her website at www.finesewing.com for a complete list of workshops and tours.
VOGUE PATTERNS October/November 2011
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VOGUE PATTERNS October/November 2011
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the cutting edge Having the right scissors on hand (and knowing how to use them properly) will make any sewing task easier and more efficient.
scissor smarts
by Daryl Brower
Cutting, clipping and trimming are part and parcel of every sewing project, so a good set of scissors is an essential part of every sewing supply box. If you’re cutting with little thought to the tools being used for the job, you’re probably doing your sewing a disservice. Choose your scissors with the same care you choose fabric and you’ll be guaranteed smoother sewing sessions and a more professional result.
Scissors vs. Shears
The cutting implements most of us call sewing scissors are actually shears (and yes, there is a difference). Scissors, which are best reserved for light tasks such as clipping, notching and trimming, have identical pointed blades that usually measure no more than six inches (15cm) long. Shears have one pointed and one rounded blade; each measuring between six and twelve inches (15cm to 30.5cm) long. (1) Unlike scissors, which have identical finger bows (the rings through which you slip your fingers), shears have one large and one small bow. The handle is bent to allow the bottom blade to sit close to the table during cutting. Heavier in weight than scissors, they’re capable
of handling thicker fabrics (as a general rule, the longer the blade, the heavier the fabric the shear can handle) and are best used for cutting pattern pieces from multiple layers of fabric and straightening edges. There are several different types of scissors and shears each suited to different tasks. Here are a few of the most common; stock your sewing room with at least one of each type and you’ll be able to tackle any sewing situation with ease. DRESSMAKER’S SHEARS These are the classic cutting shears, with blades measuring between six and eight inches. They’re designed with a bent or offset handle so that fabric does not have to be lifted off the cutting surface. (2) TAILOR’S SHEARS These heavy-duty versions of the classic dressmaker’s shears sport blades of at least nine to ten inches in length and are designed to tackle heavy denims and upholstery weight fabrics. (3) SEWING OR QUILTING SCISSORS These are best for lightto medium-duty cutting tasks such as trimming seams, clipping corners and snipping threads. They sport sharp pointed blades and identically-sized finger bows. (4)
Buy this issue now to read the full article. 36
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VOGUE PATTERNS October/November 2011
SIZE / TAILLE T
V28 285 59 9
V
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PATTER A N /PA /PATRO PATRON N
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Buy this issue now to read the full article.
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er yng I owned—really ev I used to sew ever ythi l) g suit (not so successfu thing from my bathin air made a beautiful moh to winter coats (I once , life has me being the coat in August). Lately d e son, so I have mende chauffeur to my activ been remiss with my and hemmed but have ge, when he is off to colle machine. In two years e sewing (but never I’ll be back to full-tim another bathing suit).
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picking my design. in e os rp pu ld fo otw a I had t I am always cold. bu ess dr re ba xy se a I love to keep me protected The top is just enough ing. I have a day on iti nd co rai h uc m o from to ink my dress would th d an up g in m co ng weddi makes the wearer a r lo co of ot sh e Th . ect be perf les and black. standout in a sea of pa
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Pattern source courtesy Collection” — Vintage of “The Deborah Jones Pattern Vogue contest winner. win Patron source de “The Deborah Jones Pattern Pa Collection”
, Carolyne Cafaro andising ch er Director of M
SIZES/TAILLES
Style Q&A:
A
Bust
ORIGINAL 1935 DESIGN DESSIN ORIGINAL DE 1935
What a bright idea! Pebbled silk gives this ensemble the perfect body. Cut just above the knee, the dress is a knockout on it’s own or paired with the back-wrapped top. Vintage Vogue V2859, Misses’ 6-22. Earrings: Suzanna Dai. Clutch: Clara Kasavina.
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Hair and Makeup: JOSEPH BOGGESS
COLOR
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