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PatternReview Blog > Archives May 2013
| PR Weekend Chicago - Part 1 | By Deepika on 5/26/11 10:53 AM |
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PR Weekend Chicago
Sewing into the middle of the night...
Making new friends...
Reconnecting with old ones...
Traveling across time zones...
Offering a much-needed cup of coffee to a stranger...
Show and tell in a school bus...
Digging into a friends shopping bag...
Lining up in front of a fabric store...
Learning an entirely new technique in a day...
Talking, even if you don't have a voice (you know who you are!)
Hanging out with the Lt. Gov and talking about sewing...
Yes, that is what we call a PR weekend.
And if you've been to one, you know exactly what I am talking about.
This year we celebrated our 10th anniversary in the Windy City - Chicago. 110 people attended this momentous event, making it our largest and the best PR weekend ever. This event was made possible because of the efforts of PR member and a very proud and bubbly Chicago resident, Tina Wong (craftinginmycave2),
along with an equally enthusiastic team of volunteers. Our resident PR Weekend advisor, Kathi Rank got the ball rolling on this event and was instrumental in smooth running of the entire weekend.
So what did we do?
Day 1: After picking up our registration packets containing awesome goody bags bursting with goodies sent from our vendors and supporters,
 
photo credit kburkhardt
we split into two groups for, you guessed it... Fabric Shopping! While group 1 crammed into New Rainbow Fabrics, Group 2 marched towards Vogue Fabrics in Evanston. From morning to noon to evening the whole day just disappeared. As I try to recall, what I remember in the end was how much we were laughing at all times! We shopped, we dreamt, we inspired each other, we sewed virtual outfits and we came back spent! And we received a warm welcome wherever we went.
The day was not over yet, because we changed and headed for our dinner party at the historic Berghoff (Chicago's oldest restaurant). At dinner, our host Tina dared us to play a game of Truth and Lies. Oh, my! I can't remember when I last laughed so much. Oh wait...I do remember! It was at the last PR Weekend! After a lot of fun conversations and meeting our guest speaker, Angela Wolf, we headed back to our dorm rooms for some more fun. Oh, yes, we had after-parties in many of our rooms. At 1:30 that night, I finally decided it was time to call it a night. :)
Next up... 10 years slideshow, recognition ribbons, Angela Wolf presentation and the famous corn outfit...
But before I let you go, here is one of my favorite quotes from this weekend:
"Don't touch my kernels!" (Tina, when Cindy tried to inspect her outfit)
See more pictures of PR Weekend Chicago!
Talk about PR Weekend Chicago!
Part 2
Part 3 |
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| New Butterick Patterns Are Here! | By DianeSev on 5/24/11 2:05 PM |
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Announcing the Newest Butterick Patterns!
Butterick has come out with their newest fashions, and there are lots of lightweight tunics, dresses, tops, jackets and pants. Take a look at their catalog, and you'll see what I mean!
Here are three pieces that really shout "Warmer weather!"
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Butterick 5644 Misses Tops
Sizes XSM - MED, LRG - XXL
When you buy this pattern, you get four great tunic looks in one envelope! This semi-fitted top has elastic casing and gathered lower section. View A has a lined upper section and self-fabric bow. View B features tucks. Views C and D have stitched pleats, and View D has a self bow.
Suggested Fabrics: Lightweight broadcloth, crepe de Chine, faille, stable knits, chambray. For View D, border prints.
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Butterick 5652 Misses Top, Dress, Caftan, Jumpsuit and Pants
Fast & Easy
Sizes XSM - MED, LRG - XXL
This pattern is another great four-in-one deal! Views A, B, C and D are very loose-fitting. Views A, B, and C are a pullover. View D has side seam pockets. View E features loose-fitting, pull-on pants with tapered leg.
Suggested Fabrics: Lightweight broadcloth, crepe de Chine, jersey.
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Butterick 5638 Misses and Petite Dress and Belt
Sizes 8-16, 16-22
Sleeves, sleeveless, with or without ruffles...it's your option with these flattering fitted dress patterns. View A shows a purchased belt. View B and C show belt patterns included in envelope. A/B, C, D cup sizes.
Suggested Fabrics: Lightweight linen, sateen, lightweight broadcloth, satin, stretch wovens.
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See all the newest Butterick patterns here.
Want to know about new patterns as soon as they come out?
Yes! Notify me when new patterns are available for sale.
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| Announcing the Lined Jacket Contest Winners! | By DianeSev on 5/23/11 11:02 AM |
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"Lined Jacket" Contest
A really good lined jacket is a wardrobe necessity. Well-made and of the right style, it will do justice to your wardrobe for years to come.
The 62 participants in this contest now have this wardrobe "must". Hats off to them for spending the two months of this contest making lined jackets worthy of competition. You can see them all here.
Their mission was to create a lined jacket. The jacket had to be wearable by a person, lined, and without exposed interior seams. The jacket had to have sewn-on sleeves. (For more detail on lined jacket guidelines, see the rules.)
Congratulations to all the participants for all their great jackets!
Now let's meet the winners.
First Prize (By Member Vote):
Diahn for McCall's: 5242 (Jacket).
Pictured: McCall's: 5242 (Jacket)
Diahn picked McCall's 5242 to sew for this contest, a below waist, fitted, lined jacket with pleated collar, princess seams, back vent and sleeve flounce. She made a size 6, altering the shoulders, back, and sleeves to a size 4.
She used Vera Wang fuchsia lambswool flannel for the jacket, matching chiffon for the collar and sleeve flounce, and Vera Wang emerald silk satin for the lining.
She found that the silk satin had just the right balance of body and softness for this jacket. An added bonus for this project was that she purchased all three fabrics Fabric.com during their $1.95 sale, so the whole jacket cost less than $8 in fabric!
She found the instructions easy to follow and used them as a basis for incorporating tailoring techniques like bound buttonholes and mitred vents in the back and sleeves.
She will make this pattern again, but not soon, because she has so many other garments she wants to make!
Congratulations, Diahn!
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Random Entry Prize
becca a for her BurdaStyle Magazine: 09-2010-113 Trench Coat.
Pictured: BurdaStyle Magazine: 09-2010-113 Trench Coat
becca a saw 4 versions of this trench coat (a longer coat, a shorter coat, and two coat dresses) in BurdaStyle Magazine and decided to make the longer coat.
She started with a muslin and discovered that she needed to make almost no changes to the pattern. She made the coat itself from navy blue wool gabardine and navy rayon blend lining. She added shoulder pads to the final garment to give a neat shoulder line.
She didn't like the fact that the under collar and collar are both cut on the fold from the same pattern piece with no adjustment for turn of cloth. Next time she sews a tailored collar, she wants to try using an under collar cut on the opposite grain to the upper collar and seamed together at the center back.
She loves the way this coat turned out, and may sew it again if she gets through the many other trench, jacket, and coat patterns in her stash.
Congratulations, becca a!
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And congratulations to all our contestants for creating such great lined jackets!
Thanks to our sponsor:
We also thank PR member Therisa for managing this contest.
Discuss the contest.
Look at the contest statistics.
Look at all the contest entries.
Never entered a contest before? It's easy! Our contest tutorial will show you how to enter.
Check out the current contests.
Check out the 2011 contests.
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| How Will the Royal Wedding Affect Fashion? By Angela Wolf | By Angela Wolf on 5/18/11 10:59 AM |
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How Will the Royal Wedding Affect Fashion?
By Angela Wolf
After attending PR's 10 Year Anniversary in Chicago, I realize this group is different than any other organization I have ever been part of. I have never felt so comfortable and at home, not to mention surrounded by beautiful clothes that everyone made! We are all the same in our love for fabric, fashion, and sewing, and I thank Deepika for having the vision to create PatternReview...this membership is priceless. This past weekend, I made friends from all over the world, and I can't wait to get together again. Yet in the meantime, you are all only a mouse click away. I love that! So wash up your fabric and happy dyeing - fabric that is! - and thanks, everyone, for making my weekend so special. My stomach still hurts from laughing so hard AT TINA'S CORN DRESS! -- Angela
You know I can’t resist including a recap of the Royal Wedding, not just because of how gorgeous Kate looked in her gown, but how this lavish, historical event will transform fashion for years to come. Now back to Kate’s dress!
With the world watching, Kate didn’t let our imaginations down. With utmost elegance and class, Kate was simply stunning. She donned a classically-styled gown with a modern twist, very different than what has been shown in the wedding scene these past few years. Kate’s sleeves were my favorite! Remember Princess Diana’s wedding gown with the puff sleeves? Those stayed with us for a long time and I have a feeling Kate’s lace sleeves will do the same. Strapless gowns have been the main theme for so long. I wonder how many soon-to-be brides are already wishing they could trade theirs in for the gorgeous lace sleeves.
Here is an idea: why not add a lace bolero jacket like Burda 8200? Another trend is the bride purchasing two gowns, one for the wedding and another for the reception. By adding this lace bolero to a wedding gown, you could remove the jacket for an entirely different look for the reception.
 Burda 8200 Wedding Dress
Not quite outdoing the bride, Kate’s sister, Pippa, was just as breathtaking. Although a simple style, when cut on the bias with a luxurious fabric this gown becomes one of my top 10 favorites. I can see this on the red carpet out of a dark navy 4-ply silk. The surprising part of Pippa’s gown was the color. We have all been told for years, “Never wear white to a wedding!” Could this change all of the traditional rules?
Did you notice the skirt lengths on the guests?
- Just below the knee: One of the most flattering lengths on many body shapes and can be combined with almost any length jacket.
- Below the calf: A very popular trend for summer into fall, but one of the most difficult looks to pull off. Pair it with a shorter jacket or a blouse tucked in with a belt at your natural waistline. An alteration I often suggest for my plus-size clients is to taper the skirt slightly from the hips down, giving an hourglass silhouette. If you prefer to wear a longer jacket, consider wearing the jacket open with a belt.
- Above the knee: Considering the venue, it was surprising to see quite a few shorter skirts and dresses. Add a longer jacket or loose flowing top to complete this look!
Plans on attending a wedding soon? Here a few pattern ideas...
Vogue 8718...great looking skirt and jacket!
 Vogue Patterns 8718 Misses Jacket, Top, Dress, Skirt, and Pants
I actually just bought Vogue 8543 but haven’t tried it yet. This look could be dressed up or down. I am going to make the skirt out of black wool gabardine to go with sweaters for fall and the jacket out of cotton for a casual look to go with jeans.
 Vogue Patterns 8543 Misses' Jacket and Skirt
A great top to match with a simple skirt would be this Khaliah Ali Collection design from Simplicity 2634 or look all put together in one of her outfits in Simplicity 2566.
 Simplicity 2634 Plus Size Pullover Tunic/Tops Khaliah Ali Collection
 Simplicity 2566 Misses or Plus Size Pants, Skirt, Blouse, Jumper & Vest Khaliah Ali Collection
Another trend from the Royal Wedding was the hats. Is this going to be a staple accessory along with the handbags and shoes? That would be hard for me to envision, since the only hats that grace my closet are the Bass Pro Shop visors I wear fishing and a floppy straw hat for the beach in Mexico.
It really was fun to see all the different styles. There were definitely a few that I would be really disappointed to sit behind in the church...you would never be able to see past them! Then there were the sleek “saucers” that could double as a Frisbee for your dog, and others were just fabulous. But in all actuality, many of the hats were very posh, and the fashion press is loving this look.
All in all, the Royal Wedding was what we all would expect for a princess, simply beautiful.
 Angela Wolf is the designer and founder behind ABO Apparel, Angela Wolf Ready-to-Wear and ABO Sport. An A-list clientele has given Angela more than fifteen years of experience dressing and fitting many diverse women and has enabled her to understand the different styles that compliment each individual woman.
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| Live Twitter Feed May 13 - May 15 From PR Weekend Chicago! | By DianeSev on 5/13/11 11:22 AM |
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Follow PR Weekend Chicago Live on Twitter From May 13 to May 15!
Couldn't make it to PR Weekend Chicago this weekend?
Well, you can still keep up with everything that's happening there!
We'll be providing a live Twitter feed today, Saturday and Sunday from the get-together this weekend in Chicago!
Follow PR members as they shop for fabric, hear sewing presentations and have fun!
Simply go to this link:
http://tweetchat.com/room/Prwknd
We'll be tweeting all weekend! Read more about tweeting this event here.
Have fun from far-away with PR members! It's almost as if you were there with them!
Want to discuss PR Weekend Chicago? Visit this link.
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| Chat with Frank Lutterloh of Fashion Unlimited, Inc., on "Making Patterns That Fit", on Wednesday, May 18th, at 1 PM Eastern Time (10 AM Pacific, 11 AM Mountain, Noon Central). | By DianeSev on 5/12/11 11:56 AM |
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We're Chatting with Frank Lutterloh of Fashion Unlimited, Inc., on "Making Patterns That Fit", on Wednesday, May 18th, at 1 PM Eastern Time (10 AM Pacific, 11 AM Mountain, Noon Central). GMT: 17:00:00. Sydney, Australia: Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 3 AM!*
Join us on Wednesday, May 18th at 1 PM EST for a chat with Frank Lutterloh of Fashion Unlimited, Inc. on "Making Patterns That Fit". Fashion Unlimited, Inc., distributes the Lutterloh System, a way of making patterns to create a custom fit.
Frank Lutterloh of Fashion Unlimited, Inc. was born in Lindau, Germany on November 28th, 1966. After graduating from college with a degree in economics, he made a 2-year apprenticeship at the MODEVERLAG LUTTERLOH, a family-owned business founded by Frank's grandmother, Maria Aloisia Lutterloh, in 1935.
After his apprenticeship, where Frank learned about fashion design and pattern fitting with the Lutterloh System, Frank focused on establishing new distribution outlets in Eastern Europe and South America.
In 1998, Frank founded Fashion Unlimited, Inc., a Florida-based corporation that distributes Lutterloh products to retailers and hobby sewers within the USA and Canada.
Frank has traveled in all the U.S. continental states (including Alaska) and has taught the Lutterloh Pattern Making System in many sewing machine and fabric stores.
The chat is open to all Friends of PR members. Chat instructions will be posted on the PR home page on Wednesday morning.
Can't attend the chat or not an FoPR member? E-mail us the questions you want asked, and we'll make sure that our guest gets them.
*Please double-check time conversions for your area. Eastern Time is accurate.
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| Announcing May's Giveaway! | By DianeSev on 5/10/11 3:29 PM |
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May's 10th Anniversary Giveaway
It's May, 2011, and that means it's time for another 10th Anniversary Giveaway!
But before we tell you about the giveaway for May, we need to tell you who April's winner is.
April's winner is jenkinkn!
She was chosen in a random drawing of all those who tweeted to our Twitter account in the month of April.
She has won 2 yards of custom printed quilting weight cotton from Spoonflower.
Congratulations, jenkinkn!
We thank Spoonflower for donating this great giveaway!
And now on to May's 10th Anniversary Giveaway!
This month's giveaway will be randomly chosen from those members who write a sewing machine review this month. The giveaway for this month is a one-year subscription to Threads magazine.
So help us celebrate by writing about your sewing machine that you love (or don't love so much)!
You can write a sewing machine review here.
You can look at examples of sewing machine reviews here.
We thank Threads magazine for donating the May Giveaway!
Keep up with our giveaways (and sewing news!) by subscribing to the newsletter and Tracings. You can subscribe to both by going to the Notifications page.
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this was my first PR w/e as well and I had a great time too. Best part- all the new friends I made! Only regret- not getting to meet every single one! Talking, learning, eating, sharing, laughing, shopping, feeling it was great! Like having a reunion with 110 sisters!
5/30/11 1:12 AM
I had a great time at the PR Weekend. I'm hooked. See you next year!
5/28/11 11:27 PM
It was such fun getting to go to one of my all time great fabric stores. Hadn't been there in years and years. It was great to meet so many people who think like I do. If, at home, I would ask to feel the fabric in someone's blouse, I would get odd looks. Not with this bunch! Great time, even with the nasty weather. Thanks to the committee for all the hard work.
5/28/11 10:47 AM
Fun pictures! I would have loved to go but sadly, not this year. ??don't touch my kernels??? There is a story there. :-)
5/28/11 10:35 AM
Ouuuu, Vogue Fabrics! Love both of their stores! Haven't found anything east coast even close.
5/28/11 9:06 AM
Ahhhh memories!
5/27/11 6:19 PM
My only regret about the PR Weekend was that I didn't have more time for exploring Chicago! The comraderie was wonderful, seminar was interesting, and the food was great!
5/27/11 10:31 AM
It looks like you all have a GREAT time! Sorry I missed it!
5/27/11 7:14 AM
I am so sorry to have missed it - looks like a great time.
5/26/11 10:11 PM
What a wonderful time. Putting faces to names and then immediately forgeting which with what (so many!). Thank you all for making it a wonderful time. Don't forget that when you want to come to Chicago again just give me a call or send an email. I want to see all of you here before the next PR Weekend. I want to laugh till I hurt again.
5/26/11 6:41 PM
Yeah, the touching. And I say again "don't touch my kernels!" ;)
5/26/11 4:57 PM
Ah yes the touching. The memories still brings a smile to my face!
5/26/11 2:40 PM
You forgot to mention the TOUCHING!!! Everyone was feeling the other's fabric on the hoof---so to speak. The love, the bonding, the laughing were incredible. You all did a fabulous job organizing the whole weekend.
5/26/11 2:08 PM
It was so much fun. I had never been to a PR Weekend and it was so nice meeting people who I knew had a common interest before I ever met them. Add to that the fact that the weekend took place in my favorite city and I just can't say enough about it. And thanks again to everyone who organized and kept everything running so smoothly.
5/26/11 12:53 PM
This looks like it was a great weekend! When and where is the next one?
5/26/11 11:00 AM