Looking back through my years of posts, I’ve had many, many inquires as to where to purchase some of the specialty supplies I use. Some items are difficult to find, such as Gutermann gimp which is used in hand worked buttonholes. The gimp is available in multiple colors, but don’t worry about an exact color match. It isn’t seen but gives a smooth base for the silk thread. My favorite silk thread for these buttonholes is Gutermann silk twist, R753. Red Rock Threads has a good color selection. I’ve written a detailed description of how to use gimp when making handworked buttonholes
Petersham ribbon makes wonderful waist stays, waistband facings and zipper guards. It’s usually a blend of cotton and rayon, but I’ve managed to locate a 100% pure cotton version. It’s a little heavier than the rayon/cotton version and is available in white, ivory and black. The narrow 1/4 inch version is wonderful for hanger straps to give extra support to strapless or heavy garments.
While researching products, I was surprised to find much of what’s sold as beeswax for sewing is a mix of beeswax and paraffin. These cakes of pure beeswax are made from filtered wax.
Heavyweight muslin makes a wonderful and durable cover for a custom dress form. This is the muslin I use for the final cover. It tightens up when steamed, making small wrinkles in the finished form disappear. It’s also great for ironing board covers and makes a nice press cloth when working with wool.
Helen Haughey and I teamed up to teach a class on French jacket construction in Palm Beach Gardens. We were looking forward to more classes but unfortunately the Corona virus had other plans. Thank you Sarah Gunn of Goodbye Valentino for the photo. Sarah chose a beautiful Linton tweed with a silk print lining. She describes the jacket she created during class here.
While the in-person classes have been suspended due to Covid, I am teaching via Zoom. Choose the project you would like to work on. Your class will be recorded and available for you to download and watch as often as you like. Send me a note to discuss details.
Creating a custom dress form has been a popular topic. Social distancing and travel restrictions make it necessary to also teach this via Zoom. I’ll lead you through the drafting process as you create a pattern to replicate your shape. We’ll pad the form and finish by installing the custom cover. Bodies come in all sizes and rarely match the model shape of a commercial form. Here are a few of the custom forms and a blog post describing the process. Message me for more details.
There are several more projects in the works. I’m finishing the Chanel inspired dress described in the last post and working on some interesting trims. Thanks to all for reading and stay well.