Claire Kennedy Design

Are we all a little anxious?

I read a couple of days of someone who already got their August Burda, and I hadn't gotten mine.

Where is my issue?

Has the mailman eaten it?....has the dog eaten it?

At last...(as I do my excellent Etta James in the shower rendition!)  Whew!  Another month of great jewels to drool over - and there are some jewels....

With all that's going on with the site, do we know there will be a Burda in the future?  Ok, I can give up a lot of things but not my Burda World of Fashion or Burda Magazine or Burda style or whatever it's called.

For a long time I'm amazed at the great designs that keep coming month after month.  This is very hard to do, but they keep coming:

 

This is #110 - a long version - maybe a little too long (I'm short so I have to be careful of this.  But there are some things I LOVE about this (there is a shorter version - below, which I might do).  Love that upper chest/bust dart (1.) and have always loved this side dart (2.).  The pockets might get in the way of that line, and that could be bothersome, so might not do these pockets like this, unless it's a print, stripe or tweedy look where I can do patch pockets that don't show.

 

Here's the short version with patch (and flap pockets).  BTW, this also has a back shoulder upper back dart - more for fitting better.

 

Maybe I never noticed this line/dart (2. & 3.) combo before, until I started sewing with Burda, but just love it - AND another upper bust dart (1.) - what fun is this.  Lines are fabulous here.

Now that I'm secure in the fact the dog has not eaten my latest issue of Burda, I need time, why do I have to sleep?...why do I have to work?...oh yeah, food, shelter and of course....FABRIC!!!! 

Now I'm waiting for the Sew Beautiful to get to the provinces!  I'm dying to try Bunny's technique from the new Sew Beautiful magazine which is NOT in stores and NOT on newsstands and NOT in the mail!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!  We sewist have such a burden!....or is that obsession....nah, it's a burden!

Don't Stop Believing

One of the big things I love about Glee is the song: Don't Stop Believing!

I'm in the middle of a pants class right now, and my students are remarkable.  But periodically, I do meet discouragement and disappointment in my students.

The first thing I want to convey is that Don't Stop Believing!  And I know it's hard when either the student is completely lost or she's not understanding where I'm going.  And the lost part is what I'm most concerned about.

I started teaching because I realized how easy it was for me to get dressed or get excited about getting dressed and going through my closet.  If I want a new white blouse/top, I just plop down in my studio and make it. If I want a hot red dress - that shows off the best part of me, I just pull out something from my stash, and make it up.

That's real freedom!  I wanted to pass that freedom on to my students.

So for the bewitched, bothered and bewildered:

• don't be discouraged.
•  remember if you knew how to do all this, you'd be teaching the class and not me.
•  a project should be tackled in parts, particularly if it is overwhelming.  If the idea of doing a jacket is something you really want to do, but you either haven't done one in a while, or you're just plain scared to death - take it on it parts

Along this vein, I was asked something interesting by my students:  How long would I have to take lessons to sew like you?

I wasn't ready for that.  I've been sewing (good sewing, not play or "sewing for my Barbie" sewing) for almost 40 years.  When I was studying under my mentor, in one semester I would sew up 16 shirts, another 6 jackets, another 4 coats, 2 ball gowns - on and on.  Each garment was graded and critiqued - the critiqued part was really helpful.  Not only did I learn how to sew up these garments, but I also learned not to be afraid of it.  The pattern-drafting, fitting, designing all naturally developed from those semesters of just practice, practice, practice.

I "practiced" sewing for almost 10 years, before I started my business.

This sounds like a monotonous drill, but it was anything but.  I do love sewing.  It was just solving one puzzle after another - the kind of puzzles that I adore and can't wait to tackle.....part of that "follow your bliss" stuff that I also love!

For a lot of sewists, this isn't either possible or desirable.  But I also know that a lot of sewists do want to learn key techniques and methods from which a whole lot can be accomplished.

You don't have to know how to do hand pad-stitching to be able to sew in a sleeve.

You don't have to know about a button stance or notched lapel to be able to sew in a zipper.

So here are some things to think about when you're overwhelmed with a project.

1. You don't have to accomplish the project all at once (or even in one day - thank heavens!)
2. If it's a big project, take it in steps - if you have to little baby steps.
3. If you want to be able to do a method or technique well, practice - it's not a secret formula - just practice.  By the way, this also makes you comfy with the process.
4. Don't expect to know everything about sewing, fitting and designing all at once.  You didn't pop out of your mama's womb knowing how to do this stuff automatically - don't have those unrealistic expectations.
5. And DON'T STOP BELIEVING!!!!

In a Chanel sort of mood

How can anyone get bored of Chanel?...not moi!

While messing around over on Birgitte's blog, she talked about a famous tradition of the House of Chanel, of one of the hand-made trim-makers.  One of Birgitte's commenters describes a film about the lady outside Paris who makes a lot of the hand-made trims.  And I, like Karl Lagerfeld (he'll be so glad to know that I agree with him), think that a Chanel suit can be made or staid by the trim.

A quick search and found the exact film that Birgitte's commenter, Mem referred to.

This is 3/4 and continue to 4/4 for the whole piece on the trim-maker.