Sewing Classes for Kids: Santa's Workshop!

Greta, Kaylee and Lilia have sewn their fleece scarf gifts. Are you ready for Christmas? If not, come to Santa's workshop!

Santas Workshop http://www.portlandsewing.com/santas-workshop/

Join us for some last minute crafting projects.

Perfect for gifts for school friends or family!

For ages 6-14

Mondays, 3:45 to 5:45 pm $39 for both classes or $20 a class

December 5 – Fleece Fun. In this workshop we’ll make scarves, easy enough to make you’ll want to make more than one! Or you could make a cute hat, or an inside fleece football.

December 12 – Christmas Ornaments. Easy ornaments to make; perfect for gift giving, a hang tag on a present or hang on your Christmas tree.

Visit our website at www.portlandsewing.com for details and registration.

Portland Sewing: From beginning to advanced sewing, patternmaking and draping, we are apparel people making your sewing dreams come true. 2111 NE 43rd Ave. Portland OR 1 block north of NE 42nd & Sandy & the #12 bus, 7 blocks from the Hollywood MAX station

Some facts about industrial machines

Q. What is the difference between my [home sewing] machine and an industrial sewing machine?

A. Let's compare your home sewing machine to an industrial lockstitch machine such as the Juki DDL-8700:

-- The Juki is much faster. Your machine sews 250-1000 stitches per minute. The Juki: 5500 spm. What makes it so fast? Industrial machines come with a 21"x47" power table with a heavy motor. The base of the machine sits in machine oil to keep it cool and lubricated as you sew.

-- The needle doesn't disengage when you fill a bobbin. It flies up and down furiously as you press the foot pedal. So make sure there's no thread in the needle.

-- The shank of the Juki needle is round. The shank of your machine's needle is flat in the back. Every industrial machine has its own style of needle while your machine's needles can be used in every home sewing machine. You can't use home sewing needles in an industrial machine.

-- Your machine threads typically from front to back. The Juki's threads from left to right.

-- The best part: You have a knee lift to raise the presser foot. Your hands need never leave the fabric. This is an option only in the more expensive home sewing machines.

Sign up for our Industrial Machine Sewing class to learn more about these machines. Prerequisite: Beginning or Intermediate Sewing.

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/

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!

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!

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!

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.

Want to buy a sewing machine? Here some advice.

Meg Okies at Opal here in Portland sent me an e-mail.  She says, "I have a friend in the market for a sewing machine.  Given your experience with local dealers, I thought you might be able to offer a recommendation. . ."

I think Meg asked me because I have 14 machines.  Yes!  I'm not ashamed to admit it.  No!  I don't want a 12-step program.  All I want is another machine.  I've tried them all -- home sewing and industrials.

Since many of you have holiday cash and may be in the market for a machine, here's what I told Meg:

- For basic sewing on a budget, look at the Janome DC 3018.  All the main stitches including 3 nice-looking buttonholes with an easy-to-use foot.  And you can get one for about $300.

- If you eventually want to go into heirloom sewing, check out the Vikings.  Nobody has more interesting stitches and sewing feet.

- If you eventually want to go the embroidery route, check out the Babylocks.  They also have the same buttonhole foot at the Janome.

- If you want to sew apparel, check out the Pfaffs.  Don't bother with the entry level machines; pay a little more for the ones with the built-in walking foot (IDT).  Warning:  the buttonholes suck.

- Berninas also have an excellent automatic buttonholer on their upper level machines.  But I've found them to be pricey to buy, add accessories or get repaired.

All these machines are fine for quilting.

- Don't waste your time on Singer, White, Brother or EuroPro.  There's a good reason whey these brands are so cheap.  You'll spend more time fighting and fixing your machine than you will in sewing.

Where should you go to buy a machine?  Montavilla Sewing.  They have locations in Gresham and Beaverton.  Their main store is at SE 84th and Stark.  Many of you know I have taught classes at Montavilla.  But I didn't buy my first machine there.  After I shopped around, I found Gary Campbell at Montavilla.  Thanks to him, I buy most of my machines now at Montavilla.

Yes, Gary is a salesman but he's also straight-talking, knows the machines and will give you a deal.  Jason, Linda, Bill and Brett (the guy who owns Montavilla) are great too.

Montavilla gives free sewing machine lessons with purchase and has classes (including my new Fashion Design class).  They have great service too.

Go to Common Thread off I-5 south for a Bernina.

Should you buy a machine from a website?  Of course!  Just make sure it has the operators manual and all the attachments, including a foot pedal and power cord.  But know that there will likely be no warranty.  The transfer kills it.  But you can buy a service agreement from Montavilla.  Craig's List is your best bet.  Take your project or at least your favorite fabric and test the machine before buying.  A pair of jeans that need hemming make an excellent test!

Should you buy a machine from a big box or department store or HSN/QVC or "Singer School Machine" ads?  I'd say "no."  You're buying it from people who know nothing about it, can't service it and won't help you if you have a problem.  The warranty usually is useless.  Everyone I know who has gone this route has regretted it and immediately traded their machine for one of the ones I mentioned above.

Where should you buy an industrial machine?  I'll save that for another post.

What have been you experiences with sewing machine or buying/servicing a machine?  Let me know.  I'd love to hear it!

Until then, happy sewing!

Sharon K. Blair

portlandsewing.com