Claire Shaeffer, Chanel and Palm Springs, CA

Life has been a whirr since I returned from my utterly fabulous week of learning in Palm Springs  with Claire Shaeffer. It was followed just a few days later  with a planned vacation in the White Mountains of NH with family. Talk about contrast! Now life has settled a bit. I'm back to work and finally have a moment to share with you this incredible sewing experience.

First, start saving now and do yourself a favor and take this class! Claire's depth of  experience and skill and those breathtaking couture garments will make it all worth while. The hotel above is where all our classes were held and where us non commuters had wonderful accommodations for the length of the trip. The Palm Mountain Resort is right in the center of all the action in Palm Springs. Each day I was able to go for long walks before class and at night visit one of the many restaurants for dinner. Palm Springs is gorgeous, perfectly manicured and a great place to window shop as well. I took this pic of a store  window because I thought the ideas shown on the knit tops were really clever and useful for future efforts.Love those faux straps on top left.

And then there were our classes! Claire is a treasure, an elegant gamine of a woman whose knowledge of couture, couturiers and "mains" (the " hands ", sewists in the couture workrooms) is priceless. She shares generously of her time and knowledge and is a great teacher. Here she is instructing us on inserting wiggan into our hems, all the way it is done at Chanel.

We were able to purchase hard to get supplies to take back home for our own creations and you bet I brought home lots of various widths of wiggan. Wiggan is a bias strip of woven interfacing with a crisp hand. Yes, there IS interfacing in those jackets, in the hems and sleeve vents and edges!

Above is my attempt at starting a Channel mitered corner, done quite differently than other methods I've used. That is what we were there to learn - how things are actually done at Chanel and Claire delivered. When someone can tell you the difference between a Valentino miter and a Chanel miter, well, I'm impressed and listening! Claire's knowledge of couture is personally experienced and deep. She has taken apart numerous garments for study and had an amazing collection of garments for us to peruse. Every day she brought in another dozen or so of actual Chanel garments for us to "dissect" visually. What a learning opportunity that was! First, we were able to see first hand the incredible techniques as well as admire their beauty. And there was SO much beauty. If you have ever wanted to see or pet a real couture garment, this class far exceeded that expectation. It was inspiring to see how each garment interpreted the classic style. There were collars, lapped center fronts, belts and all sorts of variances from what we all perceive as the Chanel jacket. That taught me that I can make pretty much any jacket with these techniques and the results would be just as lush and lovely as the classic cardigan style. And I will!

The buttons on these garments were works of art in themselves, like fine jewelry. It was such a treat to see them. What appears to be a selvedge edge is machine topstitched for the above edge treatment.

This garment above has a facing at the hem and center front. Again, not exactly what we have been primed to expect and I love how this taught me that I can use these couture techniques and make the jacket I want. There could be a facing, a collar or one of the many unique edge treatments. Wow, those edge treatments! Another observation - those chains in the hems are much heavier than I expected. I have been using the wrong chain! 

And then there were the sewing friends I made at this retreat! Is that not always the best part? 

From left to right, Brenda, Lynne, myself, Claire, Kristie and Lori. Not in the photo were Linda, Janet and Louise. Linda was our savior, helping us with our struggles and encouraging us every step of the way. Janet supplied comic relief and really was a hoot. Louise was in the background perfecting the latest design for Vogue from Claire. I won't let out any secrets but will say it's a stunner and not a jacket. You will just have to wait. The design will look great on every woman and I predict it to be a big seller!

Kristie is an amazing newbie, relative to the rest of us. She has been sewing five years and man, she is self driven to become a master. Kristie was my table mate and I couldn't have been happier about it. I predict Kristie will be a great sewist as she mastered her lessons really well. Her skill level was awesome given her length of time sewing. Way to go, Kristie!

Brenda's smile is infectious and I always strained to hear the fun happening at her table. Let's just say she is "pithy and astute." Brenda is an instructor in garment construction at a college in Arizona, another delightful woman with whom  to share this passion  of  sewing

And here we have the amazing Lori, draper and patternmaker extraordinaire. She also teaches textiles at the same college as Brenda.  I loved hearing her views from the patternmaker standpoint, very informative!

And the lovely Lynne, shown here with Claire admiring this really interesting jacket. It has wool facings approximately 6 inches deep and they extend past the garment edge as trim. So interesting!
 Lynne and her hubby are artists, she with a needle and he as a sculptor. Lynne makes incredible cosplay garments and blogs as well. I have added her blog on the right to my blog roll. Lynne  asked great questions.

People, WE LEARNED SO MUCH! Claire had another class the following week continuing with more of the Chanel suit. Oh, to not have to have gone back to the reality of my job, albeit one I love... Future classes are planned for pant fitting as well as couture pants, a couture dress class and more. Claire has been in the workrooms of Paris and London and worked directly with couturiers. Her anecdotes are priceless.  She works with the Museum of the City of NY, Phoenix Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of arts and numerous other museums around the world. Her resume is very impressive and in case you have been visiting another planet, Claire designs great patterns for Vogue with more coming. She has held faculty positions at numerous colleges and has authored numerous books and DVDs. I think we could all say we got the most amazing education in our week with Claire in Palm Springs.

And then there was Palm Springs. Its beauty was in such contrast to the green Adirondacks and rolling fields  that surround me here at home. It is a small town, very modern, spotless, and lush in a desert sort of way. I had never seen the desert and was captivated. The endless cobalt skies that backed the stark grey mountains surrounding the town were the perfect backdrop for a real life oasis. Rosemary shrubs, lots of wafting scents, blooming trees and giant palms were everywhere. You could tell water was precious but in the evening tiny misters on edges of buildings provided a fine spray to fall on all passers by. It dropped the temp a good 20 degrees when you hit the misters. This was a new experience for this New Englander. Temps ran from 103 to 106 while we ate lunch on our patio. I never found it uncomfortable as the arid air magically made it bearable. I enjoyed my long walks no problem in the heat.

I had my breakfast under the red umbrellas every morning, just a short walk from the hotel.

My head is still spinning. We hope to do a sew along, or maybe we could call it a "sew together"  and make our jackets. I am on a quest for the right fabric and you know how it is when you have a specific vision in your mind. Hopefully my swatching from Banksville Fabrics will provide what I need. I didn't see the colorway I wanted at the Linton site but will keep looking. Claire had some marvelous fabrics I had never seen that we could purchase, including a luscious silk muslin. It was certainly a week of sensory delights.

In our class we built our half jackets with collars, linings, vents,  bound buttonholes in the lining, and all the other required details of a couture jacket. Claire instructed us patiently and clearly with each step. When it took us an entire week and then some to learn and do these techniques you can certainly see why the finished jackets take a hundred plus hours to complete.

This class is so worth it. Claire was a fabulous instructor, totally knowledgeable of her subject and very generous. The women I met were all so much fun and what a treat to be with those who share your passion equally. I can't put into words what a great experience it all was. I hope all of you get a chance to take a class from Claire. You will be so glad you did........Bunny

D&G continues...

I am trying to squeeze in one more post before I hit the road. Above is 8 yards of bias. It should be enough but I am crossing my fingers here. The only thing nastier than cutting silk charmeuse is cutting bias strips of silk charmeuse. I got it done but it was a tad fiddly. I used the  technique found in the tutorial "Bias, bagged". I literally have nothing left of the lining fabric. I am going to deal with my sleeves last just in case I am short on bias. I can cut them for stripping and use another lining in the sleeves. Who will know but us?

At this point all of the pieces, except the sleeves are quilted. I am going to bring them with me on my ride to tie off the threads, so many threads! " Idol hands are the devil's workshop" even in a car. At least my grandmother would have said so.

Often a princess seamed jacket has those seams front and back. There is usually a side panel  under the arm, connecting the fronts and back. But this jacket, Simp 2284, has some interesting details here. The back is a center seam back, no princess seams. But do you see how the side front extends into the back, past the center of the bottom of the armscye?The top arrow is the shoulder seam which sits right where it should. Its the side seam that is pushed to the back. Interesting detail but I like it and the way it affects the shape. I am liking this pattern more every day. It will definitely be committed to TNT oaktag status. ...Bunny

CJ for an AG

 

 

 

100 minutes and tons of hand stitching....Bunny (smile)

Dolce y Gabana

I have my boucle. I have my hand painted silk charmeuse lining. I HAD visions of doing a classic Chanel jacket using  the more "speedified" method from Threads as opposed to the Kahlje method. Then I saw this on Net-a-Porter.  I am in love! Are those vertical strips slenderizing or what? It looks so great with the jeans. It is the length I love. The mix of fabric and textures is also right up my alley.

After inspecting this a lot the following occurred to me about the construction.  I need your help, bloggers. This garment appears to be made, and I could be wrong here, with the technique that lines and finishes each section as it is sewn together. I hope I am expressing myself clearly. I don't know what this technique is called so don't know how to search it on the  web. I do know pretty surely  that someone on PR was giving classes on this sort of construction. Does this ring bells with anyone? Is there a name to this particular construction? I know it exists but am drawing a blank here. Can anyone shed some light on what my vague memory is trying to recall? It would be greatly appreciated.

Oh,yeah, the price on this is $1045.00 but if you buy today, madam, you can have it for the low,low, price of $625.00! You must order within the next hour. The first fifty orders will also recieve one free ShamWow! Doesn't get much better than that! 


Thanks for the comments on the cushions. Audrey really likes them. I finished the second large cushion last night and will power on through the two bolsters now. I am waiting for additional fabric to arrive before cutting it all out as I want to cut so what remains can be used in the window treatment.

Selena's bishop will have its  smocking finished probably today. It does need some more embellishment beyond the smocking, IMO. I will make those decisions when all smocking is complete. I might smock some pockets too. We'll see........Bunny

A Chanel Bag and Some Bag Making Tips

Can you say love at first stitch? I really really like this little bag. It is the simple result of two non usable pockets and the tiniest bit of leftover expensive boucle. Add a bit of paisley embossed faux leather and I think it is just rather snarky!

I also couldn't resist taking the pics outside on such a beautiful day. It is about 20º and the winds are wicked. I had to hold the top of the bag still to get most of  the pics.

The lining is Kasha, leftover from a coat project. It has a fused backing and does not ravel so I didn't double the pocket as I usually do. The pocket has darts at the bottom for depth.

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I often bypass the pattern directions when making a bag. This was  no exception. I will show you a few things I do when I make bags that aren't in the directions!This pattern is Butterick 4409.

 

Whenever a pattern requires that a gusset be sewn all around the sides I break it down into sections. First I stitch the left and right seams, just going from dot to dot. I then clip the corner and do the bottom seams. Then I stitch across the last seam minus any curves. I save the curves for the end. On the curves I clip, clip, clip and they are then uber pinned and off to the machine. I find by working in sections like this I have a lot more control. It is so much easier to handle the curves when all of the other pins and wandering fabric are out of the way. You can also see a couple of other things I do in this picture. The area with the bull clips is controlled by , well, bull clips. This is where the faux leather straps are and I don't want to mark them with a pin. You can also see that I fused fusible fleece to all of the boucle and then topped with a smaller piece of Decor Bond craft fusible. I use this technique with nearly all of my bags. I don't like to bring the Decor Bond to the edges due to bulk but I find it makes the bag have a lot more structure, something missing from a lot of bag patterns. Without that structure the bag will quickly "limp out" and get the luvin' feeling and look way before it's time.  The faux leather is interfaced with hair canvas. I find this is the best way to treat this very sensitive fabric and am blessed to have inherited massive amounts of hair canvas from my dear friend Ima. It' is not the cheapest thing to buy but what a job it does!

 

Another trick is to use a wooden spoon to iron open the seams. Bag seams can be really tricky to get to and my seam rolls and board don't always do the trick. A wooden spoon to the rescue!

 One of the most important steps in bag making, IMO, is securing the lining to the shell. If you don't you will have lining fabric drifting aimlessly around the inside of your bag, not very professional.  So after the bag is complete, lining installed, I go and ditch stitch between the lining seams and the shell seams. I don't do every seam. It depends on the style. In this bag I did the gusset seams on top, what you see in the picture, focusing on those curved corners. I find in regular totes I ditch stitch the side seams to control the lining. This is done with a doubled waxed thread and a tiny back stitch. It is not necessary to go into the seam of the outer shell. Just pick up the seam allowances of the shell and you will be secure. You kind of get a feeling for this after a few stitches. When properly done, it is invisible.

And last but not least, DO ALL YOU WORK WITH THE ZIPPER OPEN! Don't ask why I recommend this. Let's just say I had to crawl out of a bag with no opening! 

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The Chanel bag is done and I am really pleased. I do think it is the last gasp of Ole Man Winter, however. The next bag, which just needs ditch stitching, is Spring itself and I can't wait to show you....Oh, suffice it to say, I will definitely not being using the Chanel bag the same time I wear the Chanel jacket, just toooooo much.......Bunny

My Chanel is Done!

And what a learning curve it was!!!  I really can't wait to do another one. There is much I will do differently. I have issues with the fit that didn't seem apparent on the muslin. But no matter, I will get lots of wear out of this and like it with my beige jeans.

Here's my issues:

• These sleeves were installed twice. Originally they  were huge. Did I add seam allowances twice? That is all I can figure. The shoulders were narrowed for my muslin and were just fine. I took out the sleeves, narrowed them, and re installed. This process came in at eleven hours. If you have made one of these you know the quilting, those three pieces of sleeve, the trimmed cuffs,  all got moved and redone. Oy,,,,,, none of this happened with my muslin. And with the expense of the fabric there was no way this was going to be a wadder.

• The shoulders are too wide and need to come in. I compensated here by adding shoulder pads which usually makes a jacket look more balanced on me anyway. I guess I could go back at this point but for me it's time to move on. Redoing the sleeves took all of the steam out of this project. It's wearable.
 

• Third issue is the actual pattern. I came to really dislike it as I went along. It is Vogue 8259. I find the sleeves very wide and feel they would be more attractive with a tighter fit as they near the wrist. I have mature upper arms but petite lower arms.  I deliberately made mine 7/8ths. My other pattern issue was the pockets. If you could look at this pattern straight on, which is near impossible to find a pic of on the internet, you can see how the pockets appear assymetrical in regards the center front. I think it is some sort of optical illusion happening with the trim, overlap and buttons. I have decided I like the look of the center front meeting at the edges with a closure of a hook much better. It just makes the pockets look  balanced in my opinion. This bothered me so much I left off  the breast pockets. I know they were where the pattern wanted them to be but it just didn't look right to me. Do you see how  my left pocket appears further away from the CF than my right pocket? It really isn't but with the trim and buttons and overlap, it looks assymetrical to me and bugs the heck out of me. Think I have an overthink problem? I won't use this pattern again. My next pattern choice will be Simplicity 2284 and I will draft a three piece sleeve. 

The good stuff:

• I still think it is really pretty and I will get a lot of use out of it.  I really think no one but me and all you blog followers will know about my fit issues.
• It taught me so much. I cut my teeth on this one. It is far from perfect. I will make another soon and am shopping for fabric as we speak. The next one will be much better. I may streamline a process or two on the next one as well. 
• I love the details. How can you not  when this much work is involved? Handworked buttonholes with bound buttonhole facings, oh my!!!
• Gotta love that chain! When it is all done and you stitch on that chain it is like taking final exams and getting the diploma! 

Finishing this jacket is the good news of the day! My March pants are another story and I will have more on that soon. In the meantime I am making two darling bags that are bringing back my sewing excitement!...Bunny