THE ULTIMATE SEWING MAGAZINE
NEW FOR
SPRING! TOM & LINDA PLATT RALPH RUCCI DONNA KARAN TRACY REESE KAY UNGER DKNY ANNE KLEIN KOOS VAN DEN AKKER PLUS! ISAAC MIZRAHI
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
FREE PATTERN OFFER SEE PAGE 87 FOR DETAILS
MASTER CLASS:
DIGITAL FABRIC PRINTING FASHION WORKSHOP:
KEYS TO FIGURE FLATTERY TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
CIRCULAR SEWING VOGUEPATTERNS.COM
SAMPLER
Vogue Patterns February/March 2015
FEATURES
18 Design Your Own Fabric Digital printing services mean you can create your own fabric from photos, drawings, and more. by Kathryn Brenne
24 Finishing Touches A look at fabric treatments that will enhance and protect your projects. by Cyd Turner
28 Sewing in Circles Tips and ideas to make the most of the circular sewing attachment. by Linda Griepentrog
34 Fun Fabric Beads Little scraps, big impact. How to make jazzy jewelry from your leftover fabric. by Linda Griepentrog
38 Figure it Out No more dowdy duds—how to choose the styles that will flatter your figure.
ON THE COVER An elegant swing jacket from Tom & Linda Platt, V1435, Misses’ 6–22. Earrings and bracelet: Rivka Friedman. Hair and makeup by Joseph Boggess.
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FASHION
IN EVERY ISSUE
42 Designer Details
6 Editor’s Letter
Update your look with polished pieces in fresh spring hues.
54 Modern Toppers Finish your outfit with a coat that flaunts your creativity.
56 Perfect Party Dress Isaac Mizrahi’s signature party dress made up in his favorite fabrics and colors.
58 Vintage Vogue Authentic reproductions of versatile ensembles from the 1950s and ’60s.
62 All About the Fit Avant-garde style meets Today’s Fit sizing from Sandra Betzina.
8 What Are You Sewing? 10 Must-Haves 12 Star Blogger 14 Web Watch RESOURCES
84 Guide to Pattern and Fabric Requirements 88 Body Measurement Charts 90 Shop & Sew Marketplace 96 Fabric and Accessory Guide
66 Artistic Shapes Marcy Tilton has creative casual down to a science.
70 Wardrobe that Works Mix and match: fab separates in fresh spring greens.
74 Katherine’s Tunics
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Easy-wearing designs for knits or wovens.
82 Very Easy Vogue Sporty pieces for the casual side of your life.
80 Flower Power Celebrate spring with Mary Jo Hiney’s bounty of blooms.
82 The Vogue Man The must-have tux for every well-dressed gentleman.
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MASTER INSTRUCTION
M
y husband and I recently participated in a butterfly tour of Ecuador. We spotted and photographed over 500 species of butterflies, and some of the colors and patterns were absolutely beautiful. Inspired by the perfect combinations found in nature, I thought it would be wonderful to showcase some of my husband’s photographs on fabric. Initially I thought of making a scarf, but that idea grew into an outfit. After doing a bit of research I discovered an online company called Spoonflower and the world of digital printing on fabric opened up for me. Spoonflower.com was founded in 2008 by two internet geeks who had crafty wives. One of the wives convinced her husband that she could design her own curtain fabric if he could print it. Since then the business has reached over one million customers who use Spoonflower’s technology to print their own fabric for home decor projects, quilts, garments, bags, furniture, pillows, costumes, and more. The process uses water-based, eco-friendly inks, minimal electricity, no water, and no additional chemicals. The fabrics are printed to
18 VOGUE PATTERNS
WWW.VOGUEPATTERNS.COM
BY KATHRYN BRENNE
HAIR AND MAKEUP: JOSEPH BOGGESS EARRINGS: ZENZII, RING: EXTASIA, SHOES: CARLOS
Design Your Own Fabric with Digital Printing
order, so there is no waste or over-runs of fabric. There is also no setup fee or minimum order, making digital printing an affordable option even for small quantities of custom-designed fabric. The North Carolina-based business ships worldwide, and features a marketplace where you can purchase fabric with other people’s designs—now the world’s largest showcase of independently-designed fabric. Here’s a look at my first experience designing fabric.
the content. I wanted something that highlighted the beautiful colors found in nature; ones that you wouldn’t necessarily put together on your own. I was also looking for something that could
be blown up really big to become an abstract print that would make viewers wonder what they were looking at. I decided on a photograph of the under-wing of a Black Arch Agrius
Creative coordinated butterfly print fabric designed by Kathryn Brenne, available on spoonflower.com. Top and pants, V9063.
GETTING STARTED
Working with the spoonflower.com interface made it easy to design my own fabric, but there are some things you need to consider before working with a printing company. You can begin with a photograph, sketch, or something you’ve created using software such as Adobe Illustrator. For copyright reasons artwork for fabric must be original, so you cannot use anything from magazines, newspapers, or the internet, unless it is copyright-free. Each printing company will have a preferred file format for artwork. Common formats include JPG, TIF, PNG, GIF, SVG, AI, and EPS. Specifications for size and format vary by company, so check these before you make the artwork selection for your design. If you are using a photograph, it should be shot in high resolution for the best results. Resolution is measured in dpi or dots per inch when printing, or pixels when referring to a digital photograph or computer image. Most companies will require a minimum of 150 dpi for a design. If the resolution of the original artwork is poor, it is impossible to resize the design without compromising the quality of the print. This is especially important if you are enlarging the photo. All of our butterfly photos were high quality, so I was able to focus on
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Sewing in Circles Making the most of specialty machine attachments.
Vogue Pattern V8823, view A, is the perfect canvas for circular stitching embellishment. Straight-stitched concentric circles add interest to the bag front. The featured bag uses Sulky 12-weight cotton thread and Fuse ’n Stitch stabilizer.
28 VOGUE PATTERNS
hundred ways to use it. The circle stitcher, circular sewing attachment, or circular embroidery attachment (1) can be standard equipment with certain machines, or may be available as an optional add-on. Most are designed to attach to a particular brand or model of machine, but a few are generic and can be used anywhere. Sometimes the attachment is bundled with specialty presser feet or placement templates to speed you on your way. Check with your dealer to find out what’s available for your machine model.
The circle stitcher allows you stitch perfect circles in diameters up to 15" (38cm), depending on the brand. It works by anchoring the fabric at a central pivot, around which the fabric rotates as you stitch, and can be used with almost any stitch your machine can sew, from basic utility stitches like straight, zigzag, and blind hem to decorative, quilting, and embroidery stitches. Sewing in circles is a fun way to get a different look out of your machine’s stitches, and full or partial circles can be sewn concentrically to create large design areas. Or, use circular
WWW.VOGUEPATTERNS.COM
C
ircular motifs lend themselves to any number of creative and decorative applications, but it’s easy to be put off by the feats of precision sewing needed for good results. While it’s possible to stitch circles by following a marked line or edge, the meticulous effort needed can be a deterrent when considering multiple circles and more elaborate designs. With the right sewing machine attachment, circular sewing is a cinch— and once you’ve tried it, you’ll find a
HAIR AND MAKEUP: JOSEPH BOGGESS NECKLACE: SWEET LOLA
BY LINDA GRIEPENTROG
to determine the circle radius. (Radius is half the diameter.) It may be marked in metric and/or imperial measurements, depending on the brand, and a sliding “tack” is screwed or notched into place at the desired size. (3) The tack sticks up through the fabric at the center point of the circle, serving as a pivot around which the fabric rotates as you stitch. (4) Each attachment includes a protective cover for the sharp point, in order to avoid injury and keep the fabric on the
pivot during stitching. (5) Depending on the sewing machine brand, the attachment base snaps or screws onto the sewing machine bed. Most can be used either to the left or the right of the machine’s presser foot. If your machine doesn’t have a dedicated circle stitcher attachment, Circles Sew Simple from Nancy’s Notions secures to any machine base with double-sided tape and stitches 26 circle sizes up to 27" (69cm) in diameter.
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PHOTOS: 1. Janome; 2. Brother; 3, 4 and 5. Bernina
2 stitching to create a decorative frame or border around a printed or embroidered motif. (2) It works with any thread you’d use in your regular machine work, so try it with embroidery, topstitching, or even invisible threads. It can also be used in combination with some specialty feet, so you can couch, make pintucks, or sew trims in a perfect circle as well. Try it with twin or triple needles. You can even sew lettering in a circle if your machine has built-in alphabets. Circular appliqués and reverse appliqués are a piece of cake with the circle stitcher, and can be trimmed out to make donut shapes. Try making a circular patch pocket for a quirky detail on a jacket or dress, or use a series of partial circles to create a perfect scalloped edge. Or, turn a pair of embellished circles into an elegant change purse or clutch.
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HOW IT WORKS
Circle stitcher attachments all work in roughly the same way, regardless of brand. A ruler-like apparatus allows you
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 29
WWW.VOGUEPATTERNS.COM
HAIR AND MAKEUP: JOSEPH BOGGESS
DONNA KARAN
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DONNA KARAN’s sportswear perfection. This look combines a draped-front jacket and a blouse with clever cutaway shoulders over slim, effortless stretch pants. V1440, Misses’ 6–22. Shoes: Donna Karan.
DONNA KARAN
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ISAAC MIZRAHI’S SIGNATURE PARTY DRESS MADE UP IN HIS FAVORITE FABRICS AND COLORS. IT’S THE DRESS FOR ALL RSVPS.
perfect party dress 56
HAIR AND MAKEUP: JOSEPH BOGGESS WWW.VOGUEPATTERNS.COM
The perfect dress for any special occasion, ISAAC MIZRAHI’s princessseamed bodice blossoms into a full skirt wrapped with a bow at the waist. Simply beautiful. V1434, Misses’ 6–22. Earrings and bracelet: Anne Koplik. Shoes: Michael Antonio.
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