Congratulations to all the hard working people at Threads for the wonderful web site features on the October/November issue of Threads. I enjoyed the slide show on the Chanel jackets so much. I’m really looking forward to the article by Susan Khalje and all the other good stuff. Can harldy wait.
Barbara
Replies
I've seen a preview copy of the magazine (which actually starts shipping today, I believe), and I think you'll be delighted with the Chanel article. It makes the rather detailed process of sewing a Chanel-type jacket seem quite accessible to even an intermediated sewer. And having had the opportunity to examine the Chanel jackets that we borrowed for the article, I can say that these are incredible garments. Light, soft, almost sweater-like but with the luxurious softness of silk linings...Yum!! And since I know I'll never be able to buy one, I'm happy to know I could make one someday.
Carol
Carol
I'm looking forward to that article. I'm planning my jacket in my head.
I understand that, a few years ago, and perhaps even today, Chanel suits were very difficult to acquire for people who had the means to purchase them. Only a limited number were made, and they were a huge prize for those who were able to get them.
Barbara
P.S. I hope they'll be more articles from Susan Khalje.
Carol,
I've been subscribing to Threads for a lot of years now and I've been in the process the last 2 - 3 weeks of trying to complete my Threads "library", picking up some of the older issues that I didn't have from Ebay. As these packages have come in, I've been reading all those back issues and it is soooo interesting, seeing the changes in the magazine through the years. I note your name in these issues, also! Nice to know that there is a continuing "thread" still there.
I must say that I'm still enjoying the magazine and even the article on pins! I finally found a source for the super fine pins needed for sewing on silk that I've wanted for a long time - and no, JoAnn's nor Walmart (my only local sources) don't carry them! I still enjoy the articles on couture sewing and I'm looking forward to the article on Chanel jackets by Khalje! I just read the Claire Shaeffer article on the Chanel jacket this week in one of those older issues I just received. I do miss the occasional articles that were on the older designers (Chanel, Balenciaga, Vionnet, etc.). I don't remember any of these articles lately, but then maybe I'm having a senior moment here! I understand the need to keep the magazine fresh and appealing to all comers - including our younger sewists - who need some more basic articles to help them get started. We all were new at the game at one time and I wish I'd had the magazine when I first started those eons of years ago!
Tell everyone on the staff I give them a big "THANKS" for all the years of sewing reading pleasure - and I look forward to more!! (Can't wait for this newest issue to get here - I'm taking it on a vacation trip for reading in the car next weekend.)
dear annsew65,
"I finally found a source for the super fine pins needed for sewing on silk that I've wanted for a long time - and no, JoAnn's nor Walmart (my only local sources) don't carry them!"
Please share your source for super fine pins. I've earnestly been looking for the last 7 years and have been terribly disappointed in the quality of pins available, even at the tailor supply stores.
I love the old pins that I purchased at a church rummage sale when I was in college over 30 years ago. They are super fine, have a long tapered point which work equally well in wovens or knits, 2 1/4" long with a 1/8" yellow glass head. They were lined up like soldiers, pinned through a strip of brown paper which was rolled up, not folded. The strip was probably about 5 or 6 feet long. No one knew where they came from and there was no information on the paper.
I paid a nickle for 2 garbage bags of 'stuff' which included a sterling silver sugar shell and lots of drapes which were recycled into all sorts of projects. A pair of sheers were hanging in my living room up until 4 years ago when they fell apart in the washing machine during laundering - they don't owe me a thing. But the prize from that lot were the pins. Oh, how I love them.
When I had lots, I was not nearly as careful as I should have been. They were used for any- and everything by everybody in the family. I regret not being aware of how special they are and how difficult it would be to replace them. I've looked all over Ontario, checked stores in my travels all over eastern USA, Amsterdam, Holland and several cities in Switzerland. No luck.
I did find some pins which are 1 1/2" long with a coloured flower head on them. They aren't as fine as mine and definitely are better than most out there. (Most would make excellent nails for woodworking or hanging art.) I wouldn't mind paying the outrageous price they go for if they were longer, or had better points, or were as strong and flexible as mine, but they want $8-10 for 50 pins! I do buy them though because they are the best I have found so far.
I have a few of those precious pins left, just enough to use for the most finnicky things. I only get them out when I'm working with the finest fabrics or in very tight spots. And even then, I think carefully about how I'm going to use them. (My family doesn't know that there are any left and I'm keeping it that way - good thing none of them have joined Gatherings! The one good thing about this situation is that I'm probably a better sewer as a result.
If you are willing to share, I promise I won't personally buy out all their inventory. but I can't promise all the other grateful sewers out there won't help me do it.
Thank you and happy stitching!
You can find the super-fine pins mentioned in "Threads" at http://www.londasclovernotions.com .........just click on "pins" in the left hand column - they are the patchwork pins & the description states that they are the ones in the Threads article.
Carol
Happy 20th Anniversary to all the Threads staff! Congratulations on an outstanding anniversary issue. Mademoiselle Chanel would have been proud. From what I know by reading her bio, she loved to be copied and would have been very happy to have so many of us still wanting to recreate her "look" and her construction methods.
Samina
Sooooooo much better -- thank you. My favorite article was the master class about the raw edges. I can see that you were really trying to appease all the different interests and experience levels. My only complaint is that it somehow lacked polish -- a bit slap dash. I couldn't make head nor tails of the pattern drafting article and the illustration made my eyes cross.But that's something that can easily be smoothed out w better editing. I also don't like the feature of showing readers' work. I think more details on the challenges would be much better than just pics of things we've made. Lots of forums for that -- even here.Thanks for putting the work in.
The new issue is very nice. It has a good balance of basic vs. more advanced material. I've been reading since the late 1980's and have seen many changes in the magazine and in my sewing skills. (I won't discuss the changes in my dress size.) I like the new depatrments. Threads is a unique blend of the inspirational and the practical. Keep up the good work.
I do have a few concerns. I would really like to see the continuation of the "In Detail" feature on the back cover. I enjoy the great photographs of the incredibly beautiful garments. Please continue to show us this inspirational work. I also miss the review of clothing and textile exhibits that used to appear. Will you continue to review these exhibits or to post a calendar of events?
P.S. For what it's worth, I didn't mind to the machine embroidery articles. I learned quite a bit from them. I also enjoy the quilting and dyeing articles.
We're working on including reviews of museum exhibitions and such. The problem at the moment is that it's sometimes tricky to obtain enough substantial information about an exhibition in time to get it into the publication by our print deadlines, while also having it arrive in the reader's hand in time to actually help them. For now, we're going to be focusing on exhibitions that include catalogues or other accompanying publications; that way, even readers who can't make it to the museum show can enjoy the exhibition through the catalogue. A book isn't quite the same as seeing the garments in real life, but it has the advantage of being there forever in your collection, whenever you need inspiration! I just received the Chanel catalogue as a gift, and spent last evening paging through it. Dreamy!
Carol
I don't know if it is possible to photograph some of the pieces from the recent matisse show that just closed at the met..some of the pieces of needlework in the show were simply mindblowing.
a friend said that the pierced fabric screen reduced her to tears... I know the show was in london before it was in new york.. i don't know if the show is going to be anywhere else...but it was a show that anyone who works with fabric MUST see.
sarah in nyc --who regrets that she could only see the show once
I really enjoyed this issue of Threads. I am "new again" to sewing, and I found several useful tips.
I especially enjoyed the 'sewing in the family' article about you and your mom.
The articles give confidence and encouragement to just do it!
I received the November issue today and I was pleasantly surprised. First, because I've been so busy in the last few weeks, I forgot to expect it! And second, I like the new look! Kudos to the art director. I particularly liked the look of the Pattern Review. Being able to see the how the garments look on a body without being distracted by human models is a plus. I'm glad the technical drawings were included to show the design details.
The new departments look promising. With "Basics" and "Master Class", there should be something for everyone. The "Readers' Closet" is also inspiring. I enjoy seeing what other people are doing.
I've seen lots of positive and negative opinions about Threads in this forum and I'm happy to say I'm still a fan. There aren't many sewing magazines around and I think Threads is the best of what's available. Some articles are clunkers (an article on PINS!!!), but none of of us hits it out of the park everytime! Threads Magazine is like everything else -- you take the bad with the good. I believe there is more good than bad and I think the changes will make the magazine better.
I just got the November issue and it's terrific! Lots of articles of interest and new things to learn, but I was especially glad to see the article about you and your Mom!. Very interesting! Thanks to you both and to Taunton for sharing a bit of your lives and work.
I was reading on the way to dinner at our son's house and said to my DH-- Oh, look, look! I know these people. LOL.
I have been a subscriber to Threads for 4years and I just love it The latest edition is one of the best I have seen for a long time( but I love them all because I love to read about sewing at any level) The article about Chanel jackets is outstanding - I also loved reading about you and your mother -also the inside back page article - a great piece of writing. Many thanks from a happy U.K.subscriber.
Woohoo! I received my Oct/Nov issue of Threads on Friday . . . I'm really enjoying the issue . . . Just the cover alone got me excited!I really enjoyed the article "Inside a Chanel Jacket" . . . Focusing on four specific techniques that distinguish a Chanel jacket was a nice approach . . . straight forward and not intimidating in the least . . . I also think is was nice for Chanel USA to provide two jackets from their Fall 2005-2006 collection for the article. I liked the list of patterns to create Chanel-style jackets . . . another pattern I like is Vogue 8043.I also enjoyed the Embellishments column . . . the mention of Elsa Schiaparelli really caught my attention . . . well-presented techniques that will be fun to apply.I hope readers take time to read the article "How to Make a Muslin" . . . Every time I make a new garment (or even an accessory), I make a muslin . . . invaluable for working out fit issues . . . and, like the article mentions, I ultimately end up saving time in the end.and, Carol . . . I got got a real kick out of the article about you and your mother . . . not only was it fun to see you in print, but the information reinforced a number of insightful things. By the way, I really love the fabric used for the shirt on the bottom corner of page 45 . . . Do you have any information about where I can get some?Thanks to the Threads folks for a wonderful issue . . . I knew you were listening to what we wanted (personally, I've wanted couture sewing and embellishments) . . . it's nice to see it happen. I usually tear out the articles I want to keep to organize them with other articles . . . but, I'm sure this issue will remain intact.
Well, my moment of ignominy has finally arrived. The world at large (well, readers of Threads, anyway) has seen me at my fourth-grade worst! And you're all so kind that no one has mentioned the dreadful pixie haircut or cat's-eye glasses. Thanks--I appreciate it!
I'm sorry to say, Loomchick, that the fabric on p. 45 is very likely no longer available. My mom made that shirt for me when I was a senior in high school (in fact, my yearbook picture features that very garment), so it's rather a relic by now. And given the nature of time, fabric shrinkage, and personal growth, I don't think I can squeeze into that shirt any more, although I still love it.
FYI: the pink dress on p. 42 was worn by yours truly to celebrate my 2d (or maybe 3d) birthday. Let me just say that, while I might sew a dress like that if my hip and trendy little girl would deign to wear one, I would prefer not to have to iron it ever again! Those little puffy sleeves are pretty tricky. The red gingham dress modelled by my daughter was my older sister's first-day-of-kindergarten dress, and seems to be holding up fine after 40-plus years. The one thing I couldn't find that I really wanted to include in the article was my beloved purple Qiana blouse, made from a Jan Tisdale Butterick pattern in the mid-70s. It is the absolute definition of retro!
The muslin article was one of the most valuable to me. Even though I know I should make a muslin, I often don't, and then regret it. Or I just hesitate to sew something because I'm unsure of the fit. Jen managed to persuade me that it's worth the time, and so I spent the weekend sewing and tweaking a jacket muslin. Now I'm excited to cut out the actual garment, knowing that I've solved the major fitting problems.
The pattern principles article is something of a departure for us in that it's quite general, but it's chock-full of useful information. In fact, I found myself referring to it as I was working on my muslin this weekend. I'd make a change, then check back to be sure I hadn't thrown off something else along the way. Obviously, personal fit needs may require that you break some of the "rules," but it's helpful to understand why patterns are the way they are.
Carol
This issue is a real winner! I've been subscribing almost since Threads started, and this one reminds me of the jewels of old. Even though I've been sewing since dirt was invented, I found lots of useful and delightful information.I am grateful for all the obvious thought that went into this issue.
I'm so jealous. There is, as of yet, no sign of the Oct./Nov. issue on our newsstands. Seeing the Chanel jacket on the website prompted me to brush off my yardage of red and purple bouclé that is just dying for a bit of Chanel attitude. Guess I'll just have to keep scouring the shelves until the 15th!
Cheers,
Marie
Even though I've continued to buy and read Threads over the years, and still consider it a worthwhile resource, its been a while since I've been actually excited to get my hands on the latest issue. The day has arrived! I haven't been able to find the new issue on the newstands yet, but I'm actively searching for it thanks largely to the cover photo and article on Chanel jackets. While I'm not at all a fan of the Chanel jacket (I think they look frumpy) but the one on the cover paired with the jeans looks great. I'm sure I'll never make a Chanel-style jacket, but the techniques that go into making one are useful with any garment.BTW, I don't think I have ever made a muslin per se, but I do make the first garment from a new pattern with inexpensive material. I figure that way I can test the fit and the procedures and still end up with something wearable, or at the very least, I won't be in tears at the money spent on fabric if it looks like a sack on me. Maybe this works for me because I don't usually have to make drastic changes to the pattern, even the more fitted styles. Nonetheless, I still think that articles such as the one on muslins are interesting.And even though I'm not into embellishing clothing I do find the articles interesting, unless of course, its machine embroidery! Thank you so much for dropping those!!Marion
I received the new issue and finally, I am not disapointed. A really good mix of articles. I still think that a little more text would be a good thing, but I really feel that you have been reading and listening to all of our input.
Thanks
Nancy
I like it. The tip on one-woman heming device was worth several year's subscriptions alone. Why I'd never heard of that one before amazes me. Although, the day I tried to get my husband to help me pin a hem was the day he bought me a dress form, so maybe the tip was late enough. Although I know most of what was in the current issue, with the exception of Chanel jackets (egads!) , it was presented in an improved design and with a better eye for colour, I was attracted to the pictures and illustrations. For me, Threads is a magazine of inspiration, not instruction, so I'm happy.And for what it's worth, in case anyone is keeping track, I rather liked that article on pins in the previous issue. I like good pins and did learn something from it.
Ya know, I wasn't appalled by the pins article either. I hadn't gotten to read the issue right away and while pins seemed pretty unexciting and like a topic "everyone knows about" (ok, so maybe it didn't deserve to be a COVER article!), I found I learned new things or my memory was refreshed about others. I sat at a luncheon with someone who was livid about the article and I wanted to ask "didn't you learn ANYTHING new from it"? Ironically, one day I was putting some pins away on the wall (at the store I work at) and realized I had some I wasn't familiar with in hand and there were others on the wall which I'd never tried. I went home and read the article to re-educate myself. Now the Chanel jacket article and construction techniques like this are much more what I love to find in Threads, even if it wasn't a "real" Chanel jacket shown (the issue is the victim of some very disparaging remarks by a sewing pro who said she gets the magazine on a complimentary basis then ridicules it!!!) , it is one of those articles that may feature techniques that can be less complicated than some readers are capable of doing, a stretch for others, but can have some appeal for all. Some others have just been way too basic and (I think) skewed too far to a more basic sewing ability. I'm glad to have something like this back. I hope Susan K. will continue contributing.
Karen
Karen: If you notice the only vitriole ever spewed on the SW boards comes from that same person you mentioned. Whenever the world "Chanel" appears she goes on a diatribe. Interestingly, I have the same fabric Susan used in the Threads Chanel article - I bought it from Michael last year, who was another target of this person's ridicule. Anyway, two big thumbs up for Threads. I was ready to give up but this latest issue is a winner. I especially love the article about making a winter coat, my latest project. It answered all my questions about lining/interlining. I'm inspired to take the classic French jacket class from Susan. I hope she offers more classes in Baltimore next year. I enjoyed this issue tremendously.
Oh Denise, I know exactly what you mean! A friend of mine was going to send a copy of the SW post to Threads and was encouraging me and some others who were discussing it to do so as well. I have gotten some very nasty and rude private email from same party in the past What I found particularly ironic but didn't have the nerve to comment on was that after the rage about Michael's carrying Chanel fabric was shopping at a fabric store in her area which she recommends where they had rolls of fabric marked as Chanel.... The funny thing about these jackets is you can get real Chanel fabric, Chanel like fabric from a high end retailer, or even some pretty darn good looking tweedy boucle fabrics from Joann's these days and if you do a fine job, emulate the techniques, use tips such as those in Susan's article, you'll end up with a really nice garment. I have a suit I made from the pink version of this fabric that arrived at Joann's last year. I didn't want to spend too much on pink not knowing how long it'd be in.... made it for my son's graduation then wore it to a bat mitzvah. My neighbor asked if I'd gotten it at Prada, she was sure it was the same one one of her upscale dressed coworkers had gotten there....
I've gotten some very rude e-mails from her acolytes. One even said Michael was about to be "outed" for selling "Chanel" and I would have to eat large portions of crow. I made my comments re: the Threads article on the SW board and left it at that. I think this sort of in-fighting is so silly and shows a pettiness I can't comprehend. Goodness, we are all in this for the love of sewing. what's there to fight about?
BTW Candelight Valley now has a cooperative deal wherein Michael is supplying some of their fabrics on an exclusive basis.
You are 100% right - it's not just the fabric that makes the garment, it's the technique, the skill, love and care that goes into its construction. Thank goodness because I can't afford real Chanel, or Balenciaga, or any other designer. The Threads Chanel article was very informative and I appreciate they are paying attention to our requests for more advanced material.
I finally got to see the new issue and was equally interested in the Chanel article, although my lifestyle won't permit the time to make it nor the place to wear it! Ah, well, those squared-off jackets make me look boxy anyway.
I was also intrigued the "how-to" given in response to the question about stitching patch pockets without topstitching them. Illustrations 1, 2, and 3 were fascinating, and the text supported the photos, then....what? I kept looking for a missing page, but it seems to end right at the zigzag basting.
I'm still wondering if the answer is hidden in the text somewhere. Are we supposed to be stitching along inside the pocket? Wouldn't it have to be a very big pocket in order to do that? Explanations would be appreciated....
Well, I'm back from our driving vacation trip to Texas and Colorado and I must say that I spent almost all one day in the car reading this particular issue from cover to cover! I enjoyed almost the entire thing! I love the new look and the nice pictures - enlarged enough to really see all the detail! Kudoes go to Threads on a really great issue and I look forward to the next one!
Someone mentioned about the thick removable covers on the magazine now and I must admit that this is what brought me to order by subscription again a couple of years ago. At one time, my magazine was evidently the top one on the stack for our town, and I frequently received a rather bedraggled copy! Since I keep these for future reference, I wanted them clean and not all wrinkled and torn, so I continued for a few years picking up my copy at Joanns! They (the covers) serve two purposes - giving me a clean, smooth copy and a place for tips, etc., that frequently have been very good! Love it!!!
Now another thought for any who complain about the "dumbing down" of Threads and I'll have to admit that I have felt that way myself at times, but it suddenly occurred to me the other day that maybe the reason we feel this way is that Threads has taught us so much that now many of the articles that we learned from are no longer challenging! We keep wanting more difficult techniques - but there are many who aren't as experienced that need to be challenged on an easier level. (Does this make sense, or am I being silly?) When I remember my sewing ability several years back, I realized just how much it has improved and it comes probably mainly from magazines and books that I've read - with a little credit thrown in from the expos I've attended. I'll keep buying Threads as long as I'm able to get it! Even at it's worst (which I never thought was really that bad), it's by far the best out there.
Mine are not coming with outer covers anymore. WAAAAAH!
My Threads magazines are also no longer coming with the thicker protective covers, and I miss the great tips that were printed on them. Is this something that is done only seasonally, or tested in different areas of the country?
I loved them too. I might not renew my subscription and take to buying them over the counter again. I save them all and want to receive them pristine.
About the 'dumbing down':
I just looked at the older Claire Schaefer article on Chanel jackets and compared it with the new one by Susan Khalje. The older article has much more text, but it's also repetitive and hard to find a specific piece of information without rereading the whole thing (generally true of articles of that same time period, in my opinion). The newer article is better organized, more to the point, more concise, and achieves the same explanations in less text. Also, the illustrations in the new article provide some crucial details (about tying off the quilting threads, e.g.) that I couldn't find the older one.
My conclusion: less text is not always less information.
Marijke
Denise, forgive my ignorance, but its been bugging me since I read your post last week. What is the SW board?? I know "board" refers to a forum message board, but what forum is SW?Marion
That would be Sewing World. http://www.sewingworld.com/newsw/frame_discuss.htm
Aha!! Thank you, I'm going to have to check it out!Marion
thankyou.. a lovely lovely issue...I loved seeing you in your dorky glasses...forgive me.. i have similar pictures of me taken on the first day of school. ( minus the glasses...my older sister went through many pairs of awful glasses)
My clothes in my first day of school pictures were unfortunately --not home made but were handed down from my two older sisters and from neighbors and friends... perhaps my love of vintage clothing comes from a childhood in clothing that was from 5 - 15 years old.
my daughter who is now 15 ..and saw me learn how to sew when she was a pre schooler has been starting to sew clothing for herself. like you mother I tend to leave the room when she sews for fear of being too bossy.
what I like is that my sewing has made her a critical shopper...understanding when a garment is poorly made and also keeping her critical of labels. she is fearless about reconstructing clothing..and has a tremendous amount of fun getting dressed in the morning...not worrying about what everyone else is wearing...but putting together outfits that are witty or even downright funny.
for both of us sewing has confered a kind of power...over what we put on our bodies.
anyway,,,thanks again for a lovely issue
sarah in nyc
Carol, I think you looked cute in your pixie haircut and glasses! Don't we all just shudder when we find those old first day of school photos? I loved the article about you and your mom sewing. My mom didn't sew much, just hems and buttons. But my daughter and I sew together. My daughter is one of those people who can make something wonderful without a pattern. She's been doing that since she was about 10 years old and making Halloween costumes for herself. On the contrary, I have to have a pattern, so I'm in awe of her.
I love the newest issue. I have always thought Threads was the best sewing magazine on the market. Keep up the great work. I love embellishments and so I thought the article on embellishments was great. I also liked the Readers' Closet feature and some day I'll send some pictures of my things.
All in all, it was a great issue. I look forward to future issues of Threads.
Maryanne
The first day of school was always an important event so there were quite a few pictures for Carol to choose from. But, of course, there were always glasses. One of her self-styled sewing projects was lengthening her jeans by inserting a band of flowered band of fabric at knee height..I was impressed. And I continue to be impressed and very proud. Carol's mother
Yep, glasses were always a big part of the first day of school for us too.
It's really wonderful to have children to be proud of. I just realized (I'm a little slow sometimes!) that we both have Carols. My daughter's name is Carol also but we've always called her Carrie so as not to confuse her with her namesake, my cousin.
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