Tailored Pants ~ IntermediateSewing

Hello Readers

I feel like it has been a long time since I shared with you...maybe it has. Firstly, I would like everyone to know that I am praying for the survivors of Haiti & the Restoration of Haiti's Country along with my Church. We raised as a corporate body $100,000.00 from last Sunday, and the Pastor has given a check to the Haitian's Relief Fund through the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, along with purchasing medical supplies and other necessities to help Arise and Walk & Doctor's without Borders, which are 2 of the Missions providing Medical, Healthcare, & make shift Clinics to all those in need from this devastation. I would love also to incorporate an ongoing project for donation of sewing children's clothing with the students to help in the relief. I will keep you posted on the developments of this project.

Soul Collections is off to a very busy start of the New Year. Flat Patternmaking Design is starting this Wednesday for private lessons & we are nearing the end of the 4th week in the Art of Basic Sewing next Saturday with the new group of Students. The girls are doing Wonderful! Upon completing the 1st class, Margaret went home & used her sewing machine that she had never used in 5 years, and stitched a Pillow!!! Excellent! This is my goal with all my students, to motivate them into Creativity, Find their niche, Start something & then Finish it! And Monique suggested to have a Fashion Show showcasing their (the students) work!! Excellent Idea & very Inspirational for students interested in developing their own line of clothing! Soul Collection's will soon be implementing this idea w/Monique's help of course ;) possibly in the summer of 2010. And not to leave out my other students who are becoming comfortable with using the machines & the techniques useful in making their own skirts & further developing this skill.

Student's that have taken The Art of Basic Sewing having learned the fundamentals can either take Intermediate or one of the Specialization Courses. {Intermediate as you remember was Advanced, but I took it down a notch, because some of the students felt they needed more once finished w/the Art of Advanced Sewing.} Now Advanced is categorized into Specializations for Students seeking their niche.

Sew having a male Student, John has returned for Intermediate Sewing, and I decided it would be beneficial for him to learn how to sew a Man's Tailored Pant as Andrea cuts out the Women's Classic Pant :) The Man's Pant Pattern has several more pieces in comparison to this Classic Woman's Pant, although the Woman's Pant could have the same amount of pattern pieces as well. What I am mainly referring to is the Welt Pocket!! This pocket is definitely an Advanced Technique, however, John is willing to be challenged! Sew @ the beginning stages, we have thread traced the Welt outline, in which the Pocket's Piping pieces, forms the welt will be stitched onto. Both Pants have Darts.

A Dart is used to give shape to a piece of fabric in order to contour the body.

Here we are looking @ the back of the Men's Pant (not sewn together as of yet) with a Back Dart that leads into the Thread Tracing of the Welt Pocket Stitching Lines.

Darts are pressed towards Center back or Center Front of a Garment. I think it is best to stitch from the Point to the Widest part of the Dart. And the best way to press Darts is on a pressing aid (another Sewing Tool you want to add to your Sewing Kit) known as a Tailor's Ham. It maintains the shaping that is created after stitching the dart. It's also used for Collars & anything that is sewn with a curve. This view is the outside of the Pant.

Sew tune in next week as we bring these pants to life!