Thursday, February 6, 2014

Retreating from the Weather





I recently attended my first  sewing retreat. What a wonderful way to spend three cold winter days. Doing something you love in the company of 40 like minded ladies, stopping only to eat and sleep.  There was lots of stories, sharing, laughter and inspiration.   The retreat was organized by the Northern VA chapter of ASG. So  I got to socialize in person with fellow bloggers  from VA and MD.  Jane  Welmoed    Julie  and  Michelle    The sewing room was a lovely high ceiling ballroom with huge windows, in a historic hotel in Winchester, VA. The light was fantastic.  This is the room in the quiet of the morning, as the early risers were starting to come down for breakfast.


Sewing Retreat - Ballroom
 I finished a blouse and two lined jackets at the retreat.  In order to accomplish that in three days, I had to do a massive amount of prep beforehand. Pattern alterations,  cutting out the fashion fabric and linings, fusing interfacing.   I was successful in packing all the threads, notions and sewing supplies I needed. Too bad I forgot to pack my serger power cord and pedal. Duh! Fortunately there was no shortage of loaner sergers for me to use. 

I'll start with the blouse.  The colder than normal weather has motivated me to sew warm wooly fabrics.   And I wanted to up my winter weekend style from wool lumberjack shirt to something

lumberjack shirt



 warm and pretty.  My blouse is made of  a  55% Wool/ 45% Cotton blend fabric from Fabric Mart.  So soft and warm. It doesn’t crease when worn, but pressed and sewed like a dream. The blouse pattern is number 132 from Burda Style, Feb 2013 issue.



Petersham ribbon, in  3/8 inch width, trims the collar and armhole seams and 1” width is used for  the cuffs.  Petersham has a ribbed weave and  a a fiber content of rayon, cotton or a blend of the two.  It looks like common polyester  grosgrain ribbon. But the fiber content makes a huge difference.  It allows the petersham to be shaped and curved while still laying flat.  Try that with poly grosgrain!  I bought my petersham from Vogue Fabrics. It is also available from Etsy vendors and hat making Internet sites. I washed and dried both the wool/cotton fashion fabric and the petersham by machine before making the blouse. Even though the laundering recommendation on the fabric was dry clean.
I like how the trim breaks up the print and draws the eye to the face and shoulder area.





 
 

14 comments:

  1. You look great in your new, warm blouse and the fit is spot on! What a fun that retreat must have been. I live in the boonies and haven't managed to find anyone whose eyes don't glaze over when I talk about sewing. :)

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  2. Loved your article in Vogue pattern magazine! Congrats!

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  3. I like how you've used this trim on the sleeve.

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  4. What a wonderful experience. The blouse is beautiful and warm.

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  5. What a gorgeous blouse! I've looked at the blouse a long time, and it's so nice to see it made up so perfectly. Your sewing retreat sounds wonderful!

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  6. The petersham details are really nice, subtle but quite effective. Iand you make me long for a sewing retreat. Unfortunately i dont think people do that here inthe Netherlands... I will have to investigate.

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  7. That sounds divine! I really hope to do that some day.
    That blouse fabric is so perfect for your coloring, you look gorgeous! I have wanted to try that Petersham treatment, I love that blouse pic. I'm bookmarking this, and determined to pull this off some day.

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  8. Beautiful blouse, Audrey! And the retreat sounds just that, a real treat!

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  9. I absolutely LOVE your new blouse. Just curious as to why you didn't add the shoulder shield. I rather liked that feature of the pattern.

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  10. Lovely blouse and the Petersham treatment is inspiring. I'm so glad you enjoyed your retreat, I love attending them and have 3 planned this year!

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  11. What a lovely blouse. The trim makes it extra special.
    -Sewingelle

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  12. How wonderful is a sewing retreat!!! We've got one coming up later in the year and I absolutely can't wait for it now after seeing your photos :) And you blouse is seriously gorgeous!! Those colours are wonderful on you :)

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  13. Lucky you to go on sewing retreat. I met Welmoed several years ago and it was a pleasant surprise to see her name in your post. Lovely blouse! It looks like you will be needing those warm clothes more this week.

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  14. A sewing retreat sounds fun. I often go to my sisters to do a bit of sewing but the champagne usually gets in the way! Love your blouse. The trim works really nicely.

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