Sewing classes in chicago: tchad: workroom: stdio: christen: sequins: bodice: blouse: darts

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Sequined fabrics come up a lot in classes – from Indian to more Western pavé yardage and everything in between. Sometimes the conversation about them revolves around how hard on the machine and how uncomfortable they can be to wear.  This tells us that these people have only been wearing clothes with the sequins sewn into the seam.  To make the piece less scratchy and irritating, and to give it literally a seamless look, remove the sequins from the seam allowances, saving them to fill in the voids once you are done.  It takes longer, but it is entirely worth it – especially when youRead More →

sewing classes in chicago: tchad: workroom: studio: netta: pattern placement: lace: under

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A quick tip if you are either having trouble placing you pattern on top of a lace or sheer or you want to be able to mirror or otherwise position the pattern on the piece nicely: Put the pattern itself under the fabric you are using and then either gingerly cut from there or throw a few pins in to keep it from sliding.  If you cover the table with a flannel or textured fabric that contrasts to the fabric you are cutting, even better to see what you are doing.  We use this all the time – especially for decorative placement.Read More →

sewing classes in chicago: tchad: workroom: studio: sylvia: wrap dress: front

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Learning how to sew and think about sewing doesn’t just make you able to build things from scratch and take them out into the world, it can also make you a better shopper for ready to wear in that you will know what to look for.  In a lot of ways, even if you never sew another stitch after a sewing class, you should end up being more informed generally about construction and design. This wrap dress Sylvia wore in is a good example.  We initially thought it was something about the level of Banana Republic or maybe something she had made outside of classRead More →

sewing classes in chicago: tchad: workroom: studio: tichel: mitpachat: knit

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Or perhaps a better title would be… “Tichel, you’re fancy!” So a student shows up to class looking a little down and wearing a plain tichel. She grabs a fancy knit scrap from the knit remnants, and 15 minutes later after some trimming and edging…   …and then we went on with the day. Because sometimes you just need a little something… more to get going…Read More →

Sewing classes in chicago: tchad: workroom: studio: Debbie permoda: butterick 5557: front #2

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So Debbie started off with Butterick #5557 to get a little dressy after-hours cocktail thing going on; we started off with the muslin.   Debbie is an advanced sewer, as is Tchad.  Our friends, let us tell you that these inset neckline corners are no fun at all if your fabric is too smooth and/or dense.  Debbie wanted to work this up in a medium weight satin, we dove in. The fit was great, although you really have to get those long side darts right or you will look ridiculous. Debbie chose a medium weight red satin, not unlike what the model in the pattern bookRead More →

Sewing classes in chicago: tchad: workroom: studio: tailoring supplies: iron: general mills: GM1A #4

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We were tooling around an old tailor’s shop that had closed down and was being sold off when we found this little guy. Let us tell you now: If you can find one of these with a cord in good shape or you have the ability to repair the cord, get it. The nice ting, besides the weight that we love so much, is that there is no flat edge to the plate of the iron.  This iron is perfect for ironing full yardage because it doesn’t leave a crimped back end mark, but it is also perfect to use as a detail iron forRead More →

Sewing classes in chicago: tchad: drafting: workroom: final dress project: red silk: black buttons

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In: 1st Projects, Drafting, General, Intermediate, Sewing classes (general), Student Projects
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We get a lot (dude.  a LOT) of requests for first time projects up here.  Sometimes there is an automatic veto, sometimes there is a warning or caveat, and sometimes we are ON BOARD from the start.  This post is about one of the times we had no doubt. She came to us at first with just a rendering of the dress: We didn’t want to take the time to draft the sloper from scratch – it would have taken too long and eaten into our class time.  She was more interested in using the sloper to rough out the shape and work on herRead More →

sewing classes in chicago: tchad: drafting: label and date patterns: workroom: project

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Whether you are altering a pattern and retracing it or making a new pattern from scratch, we cannot stress this enough: Label and date your patterns. Label and date your patterns. Label and date your patterns. Ok, got it? The thing is that as you work, you are going to be developing patterns and shapes and then forget their contexts.  You don’t think you will, but then 2 years have passed and you pick up that pair of pants you started and… where was I again? If you label and date your patterns you will find that you will have an easier time picking thingsRead More →

Sewing classes in chicago: tchad: Workroom: books: Zarapkar: System of Cutting

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Zarapkar: System of Cutting by Shiri K.R. Zarapkar  is a good solid standard around here when we need to talk about Indian or Pakistani clothing in the abstract or concrete. Amazon says of it: Provides detailed and complete information with instructions about measurements, cutting and sewing of dresses for adults and children, men’s pants, capes, saris, aprons, nightgowns, blouses, as well as many Indian fashion designs. Includes many many excellent illustrations. And that is true, but let’s go a little deeper here. First of all, just FYI, this isn’t a sewing manual. It is a tailor’s design and cutting manual that was published by NanveetRead More →

Sewing classes in chicago: Tchad: Debbie permoda: Finished gown: Vogue #2890

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In: Advanced, Advanced Projects, Draping, General, Patterns used in class, Student Projects
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Vogue #2890 – an elegant Bellville Sassoon design. So Debbie Permoda was a student at Tchad for a while.  She needed an evening gown to wear when she gave up her title as Mrs. Indiana and came to us with the chiffon confection that Bellville Sassoon has had in the Vogue pattern book for years. She wanted a striking red satin and chiffon dress that would hold up as both pageant wear and as a well-made evening gown. Let’s get started. First off, sorry about the darkness in some of the photos.  Debbie was burning the midnight oil more than once on this project andRead More →

Знциклопедия Кройки и Шитья (Encyclopedia of Cutting and Sewing) at the tchad workroom sewing class in chicago

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Знциклопедия Кройки и Шитья (Encyclopedia of Cutting and Sewing): A great sewing manual for the native Russian Speaker!Read More →

Verena's draped sleeveless blouse done at Tchad workrooms

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When you have some leftover scraps form the remnant bin and love the fabric but don’t know what to do with them, one of the best things to play with is draping something like this sleeveless cropped blouse. Verena used the front and back from the workroom’s slope size 10 and worked her way out from there.  The front had to be pieced at the waistline to accommodate the odd-shaped scraps and the back had to be cut in a V, but it looks great. If you look at the neckline you can see a slight join where the black border wasn’t long enough toRead More →

Sana's first draping project at tchad workrooms

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Sana came to the States having worked under a designer before and wanting to know more.  Over the course of the class, she draped this multi-sized grey floor length dress in georgette.     And then once she was done, she got a model to go out for a late-Winter photoshoot:  You can follow her on Instagram and watch her go go go!Read More →

Laura models off her shift that she made in the tchad workrooms!

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Laura worked up this cute shift, New Look 6261 view B, as her first project.  It is always nice when we don’t have to do much fitting, even if her shape and how fast she took the project on makes for less reading for you guys! She did a great job with the finishes and the whole thing looks great!Read More →