Vogue Patterns Magazine April/May 2013

THE ULTIMATE SEWING MAGAZINE

A MAN WHO EMBROIDERS WITH FURY AND A WOMAN WHO DESIGNS NECKWEAR FOR ALL | MODERN SMOCKING | COUTURE TIPS FOR FINISHING A CARDIGAN JACKET | NEW SPRING LOOKS AND MORE

SAMPLER SAMPLER SAMPLER SAMPLER APRIL/MAY 2013 VOGUEPATTERNS.COM

Contents Vogue Patterns Magazine April/May 2013

FEATURES

56 Shiny Fury A profile of textile artist Andréas Kanellopoulos.

by Leigh Newman

62 Thread of Tradition The hand-embroidered artistry of Jupe by Jackie.

by Jean Hartig

78 Designer Directions New looks by Donna Karan, Tracy Reese, Pamella Roland, and more.

82 Spring Flourish Step into warmth with colorful, sculpted dresses and mix-and-match tailored separates.

ON THE COVER Pamella Roland’s silk faille cocktail dress with fan pleat details. V1340.

Hair and makeup by Joseph Boggess. This page: V8876.

2 VOGUE PATTERNS

DEPARTMENTS

A Dance of the Hands 42

Editor’s Note 5

The art of tambour embroidery and beading.

by Robert Haven

Letters | Contributors 7 What Are You Sewing? 8 Must-Haves 10

COUTURE CORNER

Destinations | Chaos to Couture by Jean Hartig 13

Designer-Inspired Details 46

SEW BIZ Industry | Mokuba 14

by Mimi Jackson

Boutique | Pat’s Custom Buttons and Belts 16

by Jean Hartig

Sewing With Nancy 18 Purveyor Nancy Zieman celebrates thirty years of sewing programming.

TIPS & TOOLS Embroidery Maintenance 22 How to get the best results from your machine or module.

by Kathryn Brenne with Larry Shackleton

Tools for Fine Work 26 Scissors and needles for embellishing.

by Kathryn Brenne

MASTER INSTRUCTION Traditional English Smocking 30 An old-fashioned technique with modern appeal.

by Kathryn Brenne

A Japanese-Inspired Flourish 36 How to make an organza rose corsage.

by Mary Jo Hiney

How to apply custom buttonholes and a chain trim.

by Claire Shaeffer

62

FASHION HISTORY Storied Stitches 50 The art of embroidery.

by Daryl Brower FREE PROJECTS Experimenting With Lines 66 From tape to ribbon, a lesson in drape.

by Laurie Jackson-Murray

Rose-Covered Clutch 69 An elegant spring companion.

by Laurie Jackson-Murray

56

Stylish Smocking 70 A touch of tradition.

by Laurie Jackson-Murray STYLE STRATEGY A Fashionable Approach to Embellishment 72

by Moni Briones

Fabric Matching 74 One Garment | Two Looks 76 THREAD TALE Sewing Life’s Lessons 96

by Amy Brill

66

74 APRIL/MAY 2013 3

MASTER TECHNIQUE

30 VOGUE PATTERNS

MASTER TECHNIQUE

Traditional English Smocking An Old-Fashioned Technique With Modern Appeal

BY KATHRYN BRENNE

Smocking is a form of embroidery that was developed during the Middle Ages to gather in fullness and give shape to garments that were cut from rectangular pieces of cloth. During the sixteenth century it was worn by farmers and laborers on their work clothes, or smocks (hence the name). Today the word smocking is likely to conjure images of sweet little gingham dresses, baby pajamas, or Christmas wreaths and ornaments. But when applied strategically where fullness is gathered—at necklines, cuffs, waistlines, and yokes, or as a small, blocked inset (see page 70)—this folksy technique can add an unexpected, contemporary flair to a variety of garments. In fact, many of the designs that graced the 2013 runways, from Nina Ricci to Valentino, elegantly incorporated it.

While smocking looks intricate, it actually comprises a few basic stitches worked over pleated fabric that can be combined to form a myriad of easy-to-learn patterns. The trick to mastering it is in the details and requires patience and practice. Whether you’re looking to add a turnof-the century detail to a vintage gown or a contemporary gather on a spring dress, here you’ll find the basis for endless smocking options and designs.

FABRICS

MORE ONLINE

New to smocking?

Download our illustrated instructions for the basic stitches from voguepatterns.mccall. com > magazine.

Typically smocking is worked on woven fabrics, but lightweight knits can also be used. Lightto medium-weight cotton, rayon, wool, linen, and silk are all good choices, as are broadcloth, voile, gingham, batiste, challis, organdy, satin, charmeuse, corduroy, Viyella, chambray, and velvet. Just remember that the pleats add bulk to a garment, so choose fabrics that drape well and have a smooth even texture.

Each type of fabric will pleat up differently, depending on its weave, weight, thickness, and sometimes even the color. Dark solids, for

example, can be difficult to pleat on a pleating machine, as can dark red, burgundy, and navyblue fabrics. One theory for this is that the dye saturates the fabric, making it difficult for the pleater needles to penetrate. Soft, limp fabric on the other hand is easier to pleat and manage if it is starched first.

How much fabric to use? As a general rule, three times the finished width will work for most medium-weight fabrics. A lightweight fabric will pleat up more than a medium-weight fabric; therefore, you’ll need more lightweight fabric than you would a heavier fabric.

Always work a sample first, applying starch if needed, before beginning on an actual garment, in order to figure out a ratio for the fabric as well as to test different threads and stitches: Cut a sample that is 20" (51 cm) wide. Pleat up the fabric, using one of the basic stitches. Pull up the pleats so that they are almost touching each other. Tie off the pleating threads. Measure the pleated fabric. Divide the original width by the finished width to work out the pleating ratio.

For example, if you begin with 20" (51 cm) and the sample pleats up to 5" (13 cm), divide 20 by 5, which equals 4, giving you a ratio of 4:1. For every 1" (25 mm) of finished smocking, you’ll need 4" (10 cm) of fabric. If the garment is very full and the requirement is wider than the fabric, narrow seams can be added before pleating.

If the garment will be laundered, prepare the fabric by washing, drying, and ironing first.

Trim off the selvages. Straighten the fabric along the crosswise grain. (Fabric will hang best if it is pleated on the crosswise grain.) To straighten the fabric, pull a crosswise thread, and cut along this line. Align the grainline on the pattern pieces with the lengthwise grain of the fabric.

THREAD

Most smocking is worked with embroidery

APRIL/MAY 2013 31

COUTURE CORNER | THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF A SIX- PART SERIES

Designer-Inspired Details How to Apply Custom Buttonholes and a Chain Trim

BY CLAIRE SHAEFFER

Two of the finishing touches I’ve seen on Chanel jackets are the custom buttonholes and—one of the most famous Chanelisms—the decorative chain trim. In this final installment of a six-part series on detailing a designer cardigan jacket, we look at how to apply these embellishments with couture perfection.

THREAD BUTTONHOLE

Used on the sleeve cuffs and at the front opening of a selffabric lined jacket, the thread buttonholes are made by embroidering the cut opening with buttonhole stitches and a silk buttonhole twist after the facing or lining is applied.

Make a sample buttonhole first to experiment with the stitches and to check the length and thread color, then pin the sample to a bulletin board.

Many times I’ve changed the thread color after discovering from a few feet back that it was a shade off.

1. Locate the buttonholes as indicated on the pattern or on your fitted muslin.

2. Mark each buttonhole opening with thread. (A) Begin the buttonhole as you would a straight buttonhole.

If the fabric ravels badly when cut, fuse

46 VOGUE PATTERNS

a small piece of lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric before stitching around the opening.

3. Set the machine stitch length to 1.25 mm (20 stitches per inch). Beginning at the end away from the jacket edge, stitch 1/16" (1.5 mm) from the marked line.

Overlap one or two stitches at the end. (B) 4. Cut the opening precisely on the marked line. Use an awl to round the end near the opening to create a keyhole. (C) Trim away the stray threads.

To prevent fraying, use a toothpick to apply white glue to the cut edges. A fray retardant will also work, but it’s a little more difficult to control.

STRANDING

Stranding—the process of laying one or two strands of thread along the sides of the opening—adds strength to buttonholes. It also improves the appearance by covering the fabric under the buttonhole stitches and creating a nice ridge around the opening. While several techniques for stranding exist, the one outlined below is my preferred method because it’s easier to control the thread strands and keep them from rolling off the

fabric and into the opening.

While silk buttonhole twist works best because of its sheen, which emphasizes the stitches and gives them definition, you can use topstitching thread or a heavier machine-embroidery thread made of polyester (a better color selection does exist in those threads). Wax and press whichever thread you choose, to make it stronger and less likely to curl and snarl.

5. Begin by anchoring a double thread with a waste knot about 1" (2.5 cm) from the end away from the jacket opening, to avoid weakening the keyhole.

6. Lay the strand over the machine stitches on one side of the buttonhole. Take a short stitch at the keyhole end and lay the strand over the machine stitches on the other side of the buttonhole.

Take a short stitch past the end. (D) 7. To make the buttonhole stitches, use a single strand of thread that has been waxed and pressed. Cut the thread long enough to avoid piecing it midway.

8. Begin the buttonhole stitches at the end away from the opening with the needle under the fabric.

Bring the needle to the right side just outside the stitched line. Wrap the thread around the point of the needle as shown (E); then

pull the needle through to make the purl or knot close to the edge. Pull the thread straight up and perpendicular to the fabric so the knot is on top of the fabric instead of in the opening.

9. Continue making stitches to the end, then around the end and back to the beginning. Make a small thread bar at the beginning end and cover the bar with buttonhole or blanket stitches.

(F, G) Fasten the buttonhole thread and cut the ends of the stranding thread.

To fasten the thread at the end, take the needle through to the wrong side, and make several stitches in one place. Then insert the needle, run it between the layers, and pull it out about 3 /4” (20 mm). Hold the thread taut, and cut close to the facing so the thread end disappears between the layers.

DOUBLE BUTTONHOLE

A version of the double buttonhole first used by Charles Frederick Worth, the father of haute couture, is used on Chanel jackets that have a contrasting lining, to mask the underside of a thread buttonhole. It consists of a handmade thread buttonhole on the face side of the jacket and is paired with a faux buttonhole on the lining side.

1. Make a thread buttonhole

1

A

2

B

4

C

D

6

E

F

7

Press

ILLUSTRATIONS : ROBIN BLAIR

Right side

Wrong side Grainline

G

H

APRIL/MAY 2013 47

FASHION HISTORY

56 VOGUE PATTERNS

Shiny Fury

A Profile of Textile Artist Andréas Kanellopoulos

BY LEIGH NEWMAN

A

Opposite page: Silver lace; hand-painted fabric leaves; plastic yellow flowers with transparent paillettes; yellow glass beads; Lurex multicolored thread on pale sky-blue silk organza, 2009. This page (clockwise): Detail of Kanellopoulos’s supplies, his studio in Pantin, and Kanellopoulos.

ndréas Kanellopoulos isn’t your average embroiderer. Known for incorporating found objects into his work— such as bits of foam, rubber band, and spray-painted paper—he nevertheless manages to end up with a piece of needlework that can only be described as classically beautiful.

Like most rule-breakers, Kanellopoulos comes from a background rich in tradition. He was born in Greece, where generation after generation of women has worked in every variation of needlework, preparing elaborate trousseaux as part of their wedding ceremonies. His grandmother was known for her crochet work, and his mother had similar talents, which she used to run a business tailoring and repairing clothing.

“Both of them had such gifted hands,” he says.

“They passed it down.”

At age nineteen, Kanellopoulos went to fashion-

design school in Athens and, after graduation, quickly began working for two Greek hautecouture firms—Polatof and the now-defunct Anna Katramatou. But Kanellopoulos wanted to make it to the global center of fashion, Paris, so he enrolled in University of Paris-X Nanterre (now called Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Defence) to study art history. A few months into his courses, he transferred into the Sorbonne Nouvelle (also known as Paris III) theater program, a major that in France is less about drama and acting, and more about the literary theory behind these art forms. The intense intellectual workload was worth it. Kanellopoulos realized that the elaborate—and often historical—costumes of stage production were his calling.

His first big break came in England. Through a friend, he was given a job as an assistant designer at the Royal Opera House in Covent

APRIL/MAY 2013 57

STYLE STRATEGY

FABRI MATC C HING We pre

se pr ints nt f ive emb el lishe and te d xt from t he Spr ures straigh t i n g 20 ways t 13 r oh these h elp you ach uniev ig at hom h-desig n loo e e. ks

HELMUT LANG (left to right) silk/ cotton voile in black ($8.75 per yard, thaisilks.com); Robert Allen Modern Felt in natural ($19.40 per yard, onlinefabricstore.net); metallic-look denim ($14.00, moodfabrics.com); and lake-blue plastic separating zipper ($2.70, zprz.com).

DOLCE & GABBANA (clockwise) red Designer Guipure lace ($45 per yard, sposabellalace.com); Sultana Burlap in natural ($6.49, fabricdepot.com); and Ashland flowers ($9.99, michaels .com).

DONNA KARAN (clockwise) pale blue silk/cotton, silk, and silk charmeuse ($14–19 per yard, moodfabrics.com).

PHILLIP LIM (from top, left to right) Robert Kaufman 8 oz. black washed denim ($11.99 per yard, fabricdepot .com); French laundered bull denim in blanc ($12.99, fabricdepot.com); and Robert Kaufman bleached indigo washed denim and indigo washed denim ($12.99–13.99 per yard, fabricdepot.com).

PRADA cotton floss in black ($0.99, joann.com); Satin Monaco reversible four-ply crepe in antique ($33.95, bssilk108@aol.com); 3/4" (20 mm) silk taffeta ribbon, art. 159 col. 49 by Mokuba NY ($5.97 per yard, 212869-8900); and Blue Hills Studio Bag-of-Blooms red paper flowers ($2.33, amazon.com).

74 VOGUE PATTERNS

HELMUT LANG

DOLCE & GABBANA

FABRIC FILES??

PHILLIP LIM

PRADA

© FIRSTVIEW.COM

DONNA KARAN

APRIL/MAY 2013 75

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