Happy Holidays!

Here's a wish that you and yours have a warm, safe and happy holiday. Thanks for your support of Portland Sewing and giving us a successful first year in our new building at 2111 NE 43rd -- in the heart of Portland's Hollywood District. Here's to 2011 and another year of "building the fabric of goodwill."

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NEW ITEM! RULER PACKS!

Quilted, reinforced cases to carry your patternmaking rulers. From Margie Yap of Sweet Persimmon. $18.

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Portland Sewing is closed for the holidays through mid-January. We're working on the Fall 2011 StudioSKB line. Look for photos on our Facebook page soon and a Spring fashion show.

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Our website is open 24/7 with spots still left in many of the classes that start the week of Jan 17, 2011.

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Please order gift certificates by Wednesday, Dec 22 if you want them to arrive by mail by Christmas. You can order them on line in amounts of $30, $75, $99 and $200. Your giftee can use them to buy classes, notions, designer fabrics, sewing machines, sergers -- and more

Happy sewing! -- S

Portland Sewing answers growing interest in art and business of making clothes

From Neighborhood Notes by Jennifer Coughlin

Sharon Blair might be considered the pioneer in the sewing studio movement in Portland. After establishing her career as a clothing designer and seamstress, she opened Portland Sewing in 2002. She stuck to the basics in sewing and pattern making in the beginning, but found that her students were asking, “what next?” She said that the expansion of her offerings has grown organically out of the needs and requests of her students. She says the goals of her students usually fall under one of three categories.

“They are usually people who want to start up their own line or apparel business, people who want good quality clothes that actually fit them, or people who want to express their individuality, but also want clothes that are well made.” She doesn’t see the interest in sewing so much as part of the “DIY” movement in Portland, but more as a sign that Portland is becoming a burgeoning apparel center. That has led her to expanding her offerings this year to include two certificate programs on how to start your own apparel business. She has put together classes teaching students how to start a business, deal with city and state regulations, how to source fabrics, how to create patterns both by hand and on a computer and more.

“I teach the skills to make successful apparel people,” Blair says. “My job is to get them to a place where they don’t need me anymore.” She says that her greatest professional success has been found in helping others to succeed.

Portland Sewing has classes for everyone, not just those looking to make a career in apparel. Kid classes, fashion illustration, draping and pattern making, as well as sewing classes from basic to advanced, they also have a “Speed Dating with a Sewing Machine” class. In it, people can check out 10 different machines in a three hour period to find the machine that is right for them before buying one. Housed in an old credit union building, Portland Sewing also features a notion drive-thru.

“If it’s 9 p.m. and you’re in your PJs finishing a project and run out of thread,” Blair explains, “You can just drive up and buy it without getting out of your car!”

New! Portland Sewing Gift Certificates

Last 2 business classes of 2010

Don't let 2010 pass without getting your apparel business started! Come to:

Sourcing 101: Where to buy fabric and labor for the apparel industry. Get the straight scoop on where and how to acquire textiles, trims and people to sew your garments and accessories. Jennifer Sims, product developer for Adidas will talk about the process, pros and cons and how to open doors to wholesalers and jobbers.

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/where-to-buy-fabriclabo-sourcing-101-for-the-apparel-industry/

Finding and hiring a sales representative. Who is going to help you sell your garments? You're busy enough designing and making them. Here's a rare opportunity to discover where to find a good rep, what they do, how much they cost and how they make money for you. At the end, you'll walk through a contract so you are totally savvy about this part of the apparel business.

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/finding-and-hiring-a-sales-representative/

Hit this link for our complete list of 2011 classes:

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/apparel-certificate-apparel-entrepreneur/

STILL ROOM IN THESE APPAREL BUSINESS CLASSES

Register now for:

– Make a Profit: Costing and pricing with Laura Tempesta, product developer for Nike: Saturday, Nov 13, 2-5 pm

– Where to buy fabric & labor: Sourcing 101 with Jennifer Sims, product developer for Adidas, Saturday, Nov 20, 2-5 pm

– Finding and hiring a sales representative with Tracey Forrest, co-owner of True Collaborative, Thursday, Dec 2, 6-9 pm

Go to www.portlandsewing.com and look under the “Apparel Business Classes” tab for more info and registration!

Gretchen Jones wins Project Runway!

Congratulations to Gretchen Jones, winner of the eighth season of Project Runway! She is the second Project Runway contestant to study with Sharon Blair, director of Portland Sewing. ( The other was season seven contestant Janeane Marie.)

Interested in competing in a fashion contest? Or just creating your own line? Check out the lineup of draping, patternmaking and sewing classes for Winter 2011. Come to a series of Rehab sessions. Or come to the PS boot camp we’re setting up by contacting us at sharon@portlandsewing.com

French-American kids sew @ PS

Last week we had two groups of middle schoolers study at Portland Sewing. Thursday, illustrator extraordinaire Julie Grasher led 11 students through creating a concept board and designing for a customer. It was such a delight to hear 6th-grader Lara Rix present her board with, "My client is Amelia Templesman. She's 28 and sells real estate. She travels to the Galapagos and loves her chihuahua, Pookie." So creative!

Monday, the group in 6 hours went from learning how to thread a machine to making a messenger bag. Here are their happy results:

From left: Nikita Swinnen-Galbraith, Lara Rix, Camille Bales, Mia Baudey, Katerina Rusa

Not to be left out, the adult group in an evening class finished their blouses. Here's Annick Blomdahl showing off her well-fitting garment.

Beginning Sewing 2, Weds pm class

Classes next up for Portland Sewing:

"How to get your products into stores: A boutique owner tells all"

with Celeste Sipes of Radish Underground, Saturday, Nov 6, 2-5 pm, $48

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/how-to-get-your-garments-into-a-store/

"Couture Jacket" with Sharon Blair, Thursdays, Nov 4-Dec 9, 6-9 pm, $149

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/how-to-get-your-garments-into-a-store/

-- "How to get your products into stores: A boutique owner tells all" with Celeste Sipes of Radish Underground, Saturday, Nov 6, 2-5 pm, $48

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/how-to-get-your-garments-into-a-store/

-- "Couture Jacket" with Sharon Blair, Thursdays, Nov 4-Dec 9, 6-9 pm, $149

http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-classes/chanel-jacket/

Designers! Sell your garments to stores

How to get your garments into a store

A boutique owner tells all

Learn how to approach stores and make a sale – that will make both you and the store owner happy.

Celeste will take you through the five mistakes most designers make and how to turn them around to make a negative into a positive on such things as:

• Communication. How and when to approach the store and how to stay in touch.

• Presentation. What items stores expect to see to explain and help sell your line.

• Quality, particularly fit and finish, so the garments are ready for purchase.

• Scheduling. What to show the store and when.

• Delivery. Making promises, making them stick and what happens if you don’t.

If you’ve never sold to a store before, Celeste will help you make your first impression a good impression. If you’ve been trying to sell without success, she will give you tips for turning it around. End this class with a game plan for approaching boutiques with your product line.
WITH Celeste Sipes, co-owner of Radish Underground, Saturday, Nov 6, 2-5 pm, $48

How to get your garments into a store: A boutique owner tells all

Instructor: Celeste Sipes, co-owner of Radish Underground

Saturday, Nov 6, 2-5 pm, $48

Learn how to approach stores and make a sale – that will make both you and the store owner happy.

Celeste will take you through the five mistakes most designers make and how to turn them around to make a negative into a positive on such things as:

• Communication. How and when to approach the store and how to stay in touch.

• Presentation. What items stores expect to see to explain and help sell your line.

• Quality, particularly fit and finish, so the garments are ready for purchase.

• Scheduling. What to show the store and when.

• Delivery. Making promises, making them stick and what happens if you don’t.

If you’ve never sold to a store before, Celeste will help you make your first impression a good impression. If you’ve been trying to sell without success, she will give you tips for turning it around.

Fun at Portland Sewing

Just took some snapshots the other day with my I-Phone of folks at Portland Sewing. It was Monday night, so it was the final session of Lisa’s level 1 Learn to Sew class. Students were completing their aprons. Some had never sewn before. Here are some shots of Zachary Michaud and Jessie Weitzel.

Then Melinda Conway sent me these photos of her kids wearing the kid-sized apron she made for them. She sewed this one because she had made one for herself in a summer class and they said it was the “most beautifulest thing they had ever seen.” Here’s Tristan and Sequoia. Melinda also blogged about her experiences. Here is the link to her site: http://timecapsuleeighties.blogspot.com/2010/09/ beginner-sewing-and-knitting-taking.html

In my room, we had a fitting. Then the Pattern 1 group started altering their torso slopers based on the changes we found in the fittings.. The torso sloper is the base for making such things as a blouse, dress, jacket or coat. Keely, from the morning group, had set to work immediately on making a blouse. Here are shots from the evening group.

From left to right: Annick Blomdahl, Emily Lippman, Karen Davis and Cindy Persson (love that tat!).

Thought you’d like to see what we’re up to on a typical Monday night. Enjoy!

Jennie Kalberer of Portland Ten teaches class @ Portland Sewing

It’s not enough to create a great product — or service. You need someone to buy it. Jennie Kalberer of Portland Ten shows you how to:

Finding customers: Market Research 101 (Saturdays, Oct 16, 23 & 30, 2-5 pm, $98)

In her three-week class, you will learn:

– Who the people are that you need to target.

– How many of them are out there.

– What they need and want.

– How to shape your product to meet their needs.

– How much they are willing to pay for your product.

At the end of the three weeks, you will have the tools to:

– Find current and potential customers.

– Expand into groups of buyers you haven’t considered.

– Figure out how to reach them and, better yet, talk to them.

– Determine the right shape for your product and how to get it into the right place, at the right price and the right amount.

Jennie Kalberer is the founder and owner of Kalberer Consulting, LLC. She consults with start-ups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses to help them raise funds through venture capital and angel investors, increase sales revenue, strategize growth opportunities and streamline business practices. She is a life-long entrepreneur and worked in design before receiving her MBA in Finance from the University of Portland.

She and Portland Ten have created a mentoring program that provides 50-100 hours of one-on-one advising and peer support and helped participants raise venture capital, revenue and sales. They are in the midst of launching their Fall program.

To learn more and register for her class, go to http://www.portlandsewing.com/apparel-business-classes/finding-customers-market-research-101/

Start an apparel business: What you need to know

Learn the basics of setting up your apparel business: How to protect your name, set up your infrastructure, deal with the city, state and taxes, do business with other apparel businesses, get into textile and trade shows, find out about EIN, RN other acronyms, rules and regulations — what to do with them and much more.

with Sharon Blair of Portland Sewing, Saturday, Oct 9, 2-5 pm, $48

Paloma Soledad reveals her Mythaus designs from Pattern 3

Hey Sharon! Margie looks great!! I sure miss those ladies. Hope your trip to Paris went well. Here are some photos of the dresses I made from your classes. -- Paloma

Protect your ideas class this Saturday!

Protect Your Ideas: Basics of Intellectual Property

How can you protect your ideas? What can you protect and how can you protect it when it comes to apparel? Learn the difference between patent, trademark and copyright. Walk through the process and cost for getting each. Find out what happens if you just put a “patent pending” or (c) or (TM) on an item without going through the process and cost. Bring all your questions for a lively discussion!

Instructor: Nancy J. Moriarty, attorney, Chernoff, Vilhauer, McClung & Stenzel, LLP

Saturday, Oct 2, 2-5 pm, $48

MARGIE YAP SHOWS OFF HER DESIGNS

MARGIE YAP SHOWS OFF HER PATTERN 3 DRESS AND JACKET

The occasion: Her son’s wedding

The idea: She went through Pattern 1, 2 & 3. Made the shell in Pattern 3 to see what looks good on her. Then did her research on Audrey Hepburn, Givenchy, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the little black dress.

The process: She used her torso sloper and made three prototypes before coming up with the pleat front linen bias dress with the deep-V back. She used her bodice sloper for the bolero jacket with Napoleon collar and cuffed short sleeves. BONUS: Finger pockets in the French darts for a hanky.

She sewed the garments in a series of Rehab sessions.

The result: Plenty of compliments, “Where did you buy that dress?” and amazement when Margie proudly told them she was the designer and creator. And then she got requests. Margie plans to make other dresses from her finished pattern.

The question: What do you think of Margie's design? Love to hear your feedback!

How do I protect my ideas? Patterns? Books?

Q. Good to run into you the other week. I wanted to talk to you about published work. Right now it's just some patterns and grading, and I was wondering if you had anything of that natured published before. It's for a sewing book. Just wanted to know things to look for in a contract and things to watch out for.

A. Put a copyright symbol and month/date on all your patterns and instruction books. As for books, expect a shelf life of 18 months and 3 cents on every dollar they earn. Find out how they are going to track sales and how you are going to see those reports. Will they give you an advance? How does that affect your pay and royalties?

Then get these books: Publish your patterns! : how to write, print, and market your designs / Nancy Restuccia. Writing nonfiction : turning thoughts into books / Dan Poynter. Both are available at Multnomah County Library.

BTW -- I'm having a lawyer talk about Protect your ideas: Basics of Intellectual Property on Saturday, Oct 2, 2-5 pm ($48). This is Nancy's specialty and she would be able to answer all your questions that I, as a non-attorney, cannot.

Good luck!

Shirt class leads to success

Hi Sharon,

I'm just writing to thank you for your wonderful classes. Yesterday morning I put the finishing touches on my second-ever shirt. I made the Perfect Shirt adapted for short puff sleeves (petite version of the draft from Pattern 2) - and of course I couldn't wait to wear it. Within the hour I received an enthusiastic compliment on it from a stranger. Thanks for teaching me great skills, and for making my day!

Alison

PS -- I'm finishing up a seersucker shirt for my husband right now!

Knit a scarf in two hours

Fifteen people stood and watched. And all Lisa Silveira was trying to do was set up her knitting machine. By the time she had started knitting, they had brought up chairs so they could sit and watch.

Lisa drew a crowd at Sunday's Open House to showcase apparel and sewing classes at Montavilla Sewing Center. "I think it's fascinating to see how easy it is and how beautiful the results," said Joyce, who sat behind Lisa's left shoulder." Within two hours -- despite interruptions! --Lisa had created a soft turquoise neck scarf with three cables.

"I wouldn't buy sweaters anymore if my wife could do this," one watcher said. His wife took one of Lisa's class flyers.

The next machine knitting class starts Tuesday, Oct 26, 6-9 pm

In 6-weeks students learn how to cast-on, cast-off, striping, increasing, decreasing, ribbing, and cables. Students put together a notebook of knit swatches as well as create a piece of wearable knit.

"No need to own your own machine," Lisa says. Portland Sewing provides the machines and tools for this class. "No experience required, just enthusiasm and desire to create your own knit garments in far less time than hand-knitting!"

Lisa specializes in knits and studied knitwear in Italy. Most recently, she created garments for Wendi Martin under the WeMa label.

Knitting by machines is one of a dozen classes Portland Sewing is offering this Fall.

Go to www.portlandsewing.com to learn more.

Portland teen wins $1000 Fashion Design Scholarship

Stephanie Linn just landed a future in fashion design.

The St. Mary’s Academy student won a scholarship contest and $1,000 worth of fashion design classes at Portland Sewing, an apparel design and sewing school in northeast Portland.

As a result, she will create a portfolio that could land her entry to the fashion design institute of her dreams.

“As cheesy as this sounds, fashion is truly my passion,” Linn says. “I have recurring dreams of meeting [designers] Karl Lagerfeld and Nicolas Ghesquiere, and after returning from a trip to New York with my dad, I can't stop thinking about Parsons and FIT. The truth is I can't see myself doing anything other than this.”

Parsons and Fashion Institute of Technology are two internationally recognized colleges for fashion design. Their alumni include designers Donna Karen, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs. Parsons is featured on the television show, Project Runway. Both schools require portfolios as part of an admissions application. A good portfolio can also help win a scholarship to such colleges.

The contest was open to full-time students in Portland area high schools who had a GPA of 2.5 or more. Each contestant created an original apparel design idea with sketches, interviews of influential people and an essay on fashion design.

Judges included Marc Murfitt, fashion buyer for Mercantile, Jennifer Baggett, product developer for Fred Meyer, and Laura Tempesta, product developer for Nike.

The judges chose Linn’s entry because of the richness and maturity of her concept. “It was fresh, original and complete,” one judge said. “It was sweet yet functional,” another said. “I would wear these garments.”

The scholarship was created in honor of Holocaust refugee Elisabeth Marie. In 1939, she fled Nazi-occupied Austria. She found her way to Portland where she opened a custom clothing business and became one of the first patternmaking instructors at Portland Community College.

Sharon Blair also taught patternmaking at PCC before founding Portland Sewing in April 2010. Portland Sewing is the first of its kind school in Portland. “We offer a range of beginning sewing classes for those who’ve never touched a machine to those who want to make patterns or learn how produce a professional garment or start an apparel business,” Blair says.

“We also see ourselves as a prep and finishing school for those seeking jobs in fashion design and the apparel industry.”

Blair studied in Paris, has a bachelors and masters, and advanced studies in apparel design and construction. She also owns two clothing lines, Studio SKB and SKPDX.

Some of her students have gone on to study at Parsons, FIT and the Art Institute of Portland. Two have competed on Project Runway.