Issue 2 PDF - Palmer/Pletsch Publishing

ISSUE NO.2 APRIL 2012fromFASHIONRealPEOPLEfeaturing five of the tenhonorable mention entries of theWin aWorkshop“Best Rendition of a Palmer/Pletsch Pattern” Contest

Meet five of our runners-up and their diverse jackets...Ande Jackson createda high-fashion batik jacket.(pattern M6329)Marsha McClintockmade a jacket with adetachable lower portion.(Melissa Watson patternM6294)Barbara Matthews’beautifully constructed swingcoat combines a brownPendleton wool with adiagonal plaid wool.(pattern M5984)Belinda Ernestmade a wool flanneljacket using the samepattern. She embroideredthe front panels, collar,and inside facings withMehndi flowers in a toneon tone. (pattern M5984)Sydnee Watsoncreated a hot pink jeansjacket embellished withmetallic embroideryand crystals. (out-of-printpattern M5191)On the following pages you’ll learn how they made their garments.In the next issue we’ll show you more of the entries from our Honorable Mentions. In subsequent issues, you’ll see all the contest entries.2© 2012 Palmer/Pletsch Publishing • 1801 N.W. Upshur Street, Suite 100 • Portland, Oregon 97209 • www.palmerpletsch.com • 1-800-728-3784

From Ande Jackson:The jacket (M6329) is in a gold/olive/rust cotton batik.I made my usual full back and sway back adjustmentsand I’ve shown it tied in the front and the back.You can purchase all current and somediscontinued McCall’s patterns, PerfectFuse interfacing, books and DVDs,and other sewing products atwww.palmerpletsch.com.The pants (M5239) are olive green linen underlinedwith silk organza. I made my usual flat seat alterationand I widened the leg.Ande3Above, the jacket belt is tied in back; at right it’s tied in front.

From Marsha McClintock:One jacket, different looks — what a great idea!Hi Pati,I wanted you to see my interpretationof Melissa's pattern M6294.I had seen a jacket at Saks with adetachable lower portion so it couldhave two different looks. UsingMelissa's pattern, I used the longversion C but then also cut thepattern on the short version A.continued on next page4Look for Marsha’s blog, The Inside Pocket, on herSaf-T-Pockets website, www.saf-t-pockets.com/

more from Marsha McClintock:I added 1 1 /2" to the top of the lower section, lined it separately andadded snap tape across the top edge. On the short jacket I madethe hem allowance wider so the lower section could slip up underand snap in place. I added pockets on the lower section and copiedthe collar design for the flaps.Marsha McClintock5

From Barbara Matthews:Barbara’s meticulous attention to detail in the construction of this coat is so impressive!Dear Pati,What follows is a completedescription of the garment Imade using McCalls M5984.Sincerely,Barbara MatthewsObjectiveI have an old black“swing-style” wintercoat that I’ve wornwhile traveling forbusiness. I like theweight and the3/4 length becauseit can fit in airplanes'overhead bins andis easy to carry.However, it has takena beating and lostsome shape. Thus, it needed to be replaced.In addition to making a replacement with similar length and weight, the goal was to make a coat that had style, notblack, constructed to withstand the abuse of travel and maintain a professional appearance.Methods6Pattern: I selected M5984 because of the style, and theback pleat suggested that it was loose enough to fit overprofessional attire (e.g., blouse/jacket). Extending the lengthwould still maintain the overall style.continued on next page

more from Barbara Matthews:Fabric: I inherited a light brown Pendleton wool years ago.It had a lovely feel, had hints of other tones woven in, andwas a nice weight. However, I did not have enough for alonger jacket/coat so I decided to use contrast for the collar,front, and cuffs. I chose a plaid since plaid is “in” and thefabric picked up the brown and had blue as contrast. Blueis a good color for me.Construction & Modifications:• I cut the front, side and back longer so that the backlength from base of neck to hem would be 34 inches(the same as the old coat).• To keep the shape better with travel, I decided tointerface upper front, upper side (near armholes), andacross the back and add interlining to the back piece(in addition to interfacing the front and collar).• The lining is flannel backed. To avoid having the neckcollarseam too bulky, I added facing along the neck.I sewed the lining to the facing, keeping the pleat foldsfree so they could fold under the coat back pleat.• To avoid too much bulk in the front with the plaid fabric,I modified the pattern to have a front facing instead ofusing the front piece.ResultsConstruction went well through the body of the coat. Thephotos here show the body of the coat during construction,both right-side and inside-out in order to show theinterfacing and construction.continued on next page7

more from Barbara Matthews:Difficulty arose when fitting the armholes. Idiscovered that the armhole was too small forbusiness attire. I could get the coat on with ablouse but not with a sweater or a blouse/jacket. Thus, I had to cut the armhole deeper inthe side front. I did not cut into front (exceptabout 1/4-inch to smooth out the edge of thecurve) or back in order to avoid affecting the fitacross the bust or back. I also opened the sideseams a bit to increase the curve of the sideseam into the armhole. Below is a picture of thearmhole before and after.With deepening the armhole, I had to re-cut theunder sleeve piece. With these changes, thecoat fit well while wearing a sweater or lightjacket underneath. Lastly, I covered the snapswith lining, added a fourth snap along the frontedge as the coat was longer, and used twolarge hooks & eyes on the collar.ConclusionsThe coat looks great, feels great on, and meetsall of my needs.8

Here’s a very different approach, using the same pattern.We love how Brenda machine embroidered her woolflannel for the front panel, collar, and facings.From Belinda Ernest:Hi! Thank you for theopportunity to enteryour contest!My entry is a lightweightjacket usingM5984.First, I madeseveral changes.I’m 5’8” so I added 2 inches for my height.Then I removed the back pleat since I like acloser-fitting coat. I also added a full backadjustment of 1 1/4 inches. I added sleeveheads and 1/4 inch shoulder pads.continued on next page9

more from Belinda Ernest:My fabric choice for the outside was a wool flannel and for the lininga poly charmeuse. I embroidered the front panels and collar tone-ontonewith Mehndi flowers. The inside facings were also embroideredso the look isn’t interrupted when the coat is open at the top.A comment from one of our judges: “Fabulous lining!”I’m happy with how this version turned out. In retrospect for myfigure, I probably should have made a below-the-hip style, but I justcouldn’t resist making the shorter style this time. Call it a wearable“muslin.”I love this style and will be making it again in a longer version withoutembroidery. I hope you like it as much as I do.Best Regards,Belinda ErnestTulsa, OklahomaRead about Belinda’s sewing projectson her blog, The Scattered Sewist -http://scatteredsewist.blogspot.cominside left facinginside detail10For more about machine embroidery, see page 13and check out Marta Alto’s new DVD at www.palmerpletsch.com.inside right facing

From Sydnee Watson:Sydnee Watson also chose to use machine embroidery to embellish her project.Hi PatiI am entering a pink linen jacket that isembroidered in metallic and has beenembellished with crystals. I used thejean jacket pattern M5191, which isout of print. I’ve made this jacketmany times!Sydnee WatsonWalla Walla, WAPattern M5191 is out of print, but youcould make something similar withM5860.11

machine embroideryWe’re seeing machine embroidery everywhere.And Marta’s been keeping her machine humming.This February we created a new video about one of Marta Alto’sfavorite topics—machine embroidery. She’s been creating somany different things, it was a challenge to pick whichones to show you in this DVD. If you’ve been thinkingof buying an embroidery machine, or own one butbarely use it, you NEED this video! Marta explainsthe seven things that will simplify machineembroidery. Learn more on our website...We’ve also got just the thing tostabilize fabric for machineembroidery:PerfectSew penetrates fabric tostiffen it for a multitude of sewingprojects, including machine embroidery.12It is the only patented water-soluble product forpenetrating fabric to stiffen it for sewing. Our newthicker solution provides maximum stabilization—greater stiffness in only one application. We love it!

Have you made agarment you thinkwould fit inFASHION forPEOPLEReal?We love to see what you’re doing and, whenpossible, include your projects in this publication.Send Pati photos along with a description of yourgarment and any special sewing techniques.Send an e-mail to pati@palmerpletsch.comAdditional issues offromFASHIONRealPEOPLEfeaturing garments submitted for our “BestRendition of a Palmer/Pletsch Pattern” contestwill be available over the next several months.We hope you’veenjoyed this issue ofLove to sew?You deserve aSewing Vacationin beautiful Portland, Oregon,and now in Philadelphia!• 4-DAY AND 5-DAYWORKSHOPS* OPTIONAL PROGRAMS* SHOPPING TOURS* TEACHER TRAINING* IMAGE MAKEOVERSWorkshops are selling out quickly so be sureto sign up soon. Visitwww.palmerpletsch.comfor complete details.fromFASHIONRealPEOPLE13