A picture of two platitudes by Charles James - curvilinear shapes that helped inspire new seaming techniques. Tchad Elliott presentation at the Haute Couture Club's April meeting on 4 April 2020.

As part of the 2019-2020 Haute Couture Club Presentation series, Tchad will be presenting a program on three of the more obscure methods Charles James used in his design and construction process At the club meeting on 4 April. Tchad will focus on James’ concept of the platitude – No, not that one – and its use as a design tool, his concept of the magic triangle, and how he experimented with shape through grain line rotation of pattern pieces as an exploratory technique. If you are interested in learning more and expanding your sewing and design tool and skill set, the program will runRead More →

I spent last night with my 92 year old grandma and some prohibition-era bathtub wine on the back stoop somewhere out in greater Appalachia at midnight ringing a giant farmyard bell.  That can only mean that the new year has begun and now I’m gearing up to head back to the big city, roll up my sleeves, and get to work. I’ll be carrying with me almost a thousand patterns for the archive from 1938-1972 and am in the planning stages for everything from lectures on Charles James and his particularly prickly design process to programs for the American Sewing Guild using Pattern Magic, theRead More →