Next Classes:
Computer Pattern Class,August 14 & 15
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A New Department!
A place for ALL things half scale -- forms, patterns, tools, supplies, ideas designs. For why this is the way to go, see Half Scale Design. |
Now you can look up forgotten links, ideas, patterns, tips, photos -- all those things you meant to write down!
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Every summer we push the reset button and look in a different direction and so . . . First, we've started a whole new department, Half Scale Design, with everything you need in the right scale to work quickly and accurately -- 3/4" pins, strong 5" scissors, 1/4" gingham for draping (better to see the grain), dress forms with sloper patterns, a half size L-square -- and more items are coming. This means we are the only resource that recognizes the value of working in the half scale and makes it easy. See Half Scale Design. Photo is from the Dior Jacket Class, in half scale, featuring the Barbie MySize in a new role. The form cover pattern is in our store. And then, we are delighted to bring in a lot of pattern design products from England, the home of serious clothes -- including, videos of expert instructors from some of the world's best fashion schools, perfect British pattern blocks, croquis templates for designing, the style tape used on Project Runway, a fabulous fashion curve and several great pattern design and draping books! See British Imports.
So let us know what you think, watch the video snippets, try working in half scale and develop your skills in pattern design further -- it is the back bone of the fashion industry.
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Special Additions
The Julian Roberts 2010 Tour -- NYC  & Canada, a wonderful time and a great success!
This is Vanessa Fors' dress from Kwantlen University in Vancouver, also a very forward thinking department with beautiful facilities. Canada is happening!
Nancy Bryant
Nancy O. Bryant is a distinguished Professor Emeritus at Oregon State University and she and I have studied Madeleine Vionnet's work for decades -- we did a symposium together in the early 1990's. Nancy continues to replicate Vionnet's work and shows us 46 of her latest photos in the Gallery. Enjoy -- Thank you Nancy!
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Classes
- Next, A New PWStudio Class! August 14 & 15.
 This is an
introductory computer pattern making class and also a review for past users who want to see the
upgrade at work. Get more information here. The way it works -- we send you the software disk of the full program, good for 30 days, and you put it on your
PC laptop and come to class. As a student, you get $100 discount on the software if you wish to purchase it later. This class is not offered very frequently so register soon so I know if there are enough interested people.
In this economy, it is time to think hard about making tech work for you -- learning how to make patterns on a computer is a smart investment in your business.
- Coming soon, a PWStudio Users Group. We will be creating a place for users to find others for collaborating, sending patterns, solving problems, sharing tips and tricks, finding contractors and assistants. I personally can't wait to see who's out there and what they are doing! This kind of connecting is yet another reason to learn the program.
- Next Draping Series Class is Christoff von Drecoll, 1923. October 2 & 3. Register online. The design is timeless and fabulous . . . long or short!
  - Vionnet,
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Art of the Cut. The Textile Arts Council Lecture Program at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, Saturday, November 13, 10 AM, in the Auditorium. It will be a visual overview of Madeleine Vionnet's pattern cutting techniques and concepts with sample dresses.
- Textile Center, Minneapolis. I did 4
days of Vionnet before meeting Julian in NYC and they are wonderful -- it's a fabulous place
with a full library, an shop full of great things, a gallery and lots of programs
and classes all the time. We will be doing more there in the future! Check their schedule and join up.
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Events
 At the Exploratorium in San Francisco is doing an amazing exhibition/experience, Geometry Playground, for adults and children showing the creation of shapes and forms and how they interact -- exactly what we live for here! Especially see: Living Tissue, Faculty and Students from California College of the Arts Create Fragile, Temporary Gowns from Pattern-Makers Tissue, July 31 Noon-4pm. Design students will drape ball gowns in pink tissue -- now, how can you miss that?
(For school events, this is a great idea for bringing draping to the public eye as performance art. It's done with pink separating tissue used in industry on cutting tables. A huge roll is very inexpensive.)
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Special Items
- The CoPA Archive. We had a wonderful time with CoPA so we are doing it again! We are purchasing a CFPD Membership for a year, so all our customers can sign up for a slot. If you haven't seen this huge collection of patterns, over 30,000, with all the layouts, prepare for major devotion to a new thing in your life. It will be active this month and a card will go out when we are ready.
- Summer Day Dress by Horrockses Fashion at the Victoria & Albert Museum. If you click on this link to the V & A Museum, you can download the whole pattern and instructions to home print (8.5 x 11) or to place a full scale copy on a disk for copy shop printing. Yum, yum!
- Zero-Waste Pattern Process from Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand. This is how to conceptualize and execute a zero-waste pattern. Note the line at the bottom about making a half scale first!
- Bad Design Equals Waste. Check the chart from David Telfer to understand the relationship and exactly why it is crucial to design patterns that are interesting, fit well and yield clothing with a significant lifespan.
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Tech Talk
While we are all waiting for the economy to recover, it's a good time to catch with up your tech skills! Here a few that will make your life easier:
- Make sure your browser (Firefox, Explorer,etc.) is current. If it says to update, do it and then we can talk to each other better.
- Sign in to your accounts; it makes life soooo much easier for those on the other end -- everything works better. Keep a sign-in notebook next to your computer with all your user names & passwords.
- Be sure your email address is correct -- can't say how often we get bum emails entered; then we're stuck and can't respond.
- Hit the Yellow Pages and find out who is doing what in your town & how to work with them, like large format printing, scanning patterns (need a drum scanner) -- you could have a lot of great copies and files for very little if only you knew what services were offered near you, then you don't have to buy the machine.
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 So there we are -- all the July items ready for their close-ups with more in the prep stage for next month! In the meantime, set off in new exciting directions -- its the time to begin again.
Thank you all for your encouragement and support in this effort to bring patten design back to its rightful importance.
Sandy Ericson Center for Pattern Design
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