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These images are for the November-December 2011 newsletter.

On the last page of this issue you'll find the simple instructions to add a lapel to the front of the 1960 cardigan pattern by adding the front tissue piece to its front. Couldn't be easier to do and easy to knock-off a $1400.00+ Akris jacket. This gives the appearance of a plush tweed, but it's no thicker than a wool jersey and packs in less than half the space of a wool tweed.

November-December 2011

The black and red wool makes up a great 1945 jacket--I skipped the collar to produce this classic that adapts great to your holiday scarves. It's holiday without being a Christmas sweater and you can wear it all fall and winter, not just a couple weeks of the year. The fabric fringes great, can also be felted, and if you layer it over the red solid or rib knit available in the September issue, you'll be all ready for your first holiday lunch or dinner date. Also it's terrific with the red trims that are on the September subscriber page...they'd look like custom trim on this fabric.

If you pull out the lengthwise yarns, you'll leave a predominantly black fringe, and if you pull out the crosswise yarns, you'll have predominantly red fringe. You could do an interesting combination too. It also will felt a little if you wash it, but you can still pull fringe from it. It gives it a very soft hand and loft that would be great for a scarf or shawl. The piece I tested for felting will be used for men's scarf gifts--it's just masculine enough with just a hint of red. The felting process makes the red less obvious, but still visible.

You can easily add a festive scarf--a plain red or one with a sprinkle of sequins. For something with less spark and just as much holiday, order a little of the red solid or red rib knit from the September newsletter. We're keeping this popular red in stock. Don't forget to prewash it!

I started to offer fur trim in 2003 and recently found black, grey and blue real fur with an insertion strip like piping--easy to use and they are excellent quality. They're a very high quality rabbit fur bred to shed less than inferior quality of rabbit. (Fendi pioneered this technique producing a new fur they call orylag that I was first introduced to on one of our Italy trips in the late nineties). $27.00/yard
The bottom fur is a deep blue that just photographs more black.

View of insertion side

Top view

I had made my daughter this fur trimmed jacket nearly a decade ago now--it's the 1945C jacket with a zipper front conversion--page 191 in the Jackets Workbook. The fabric is the basic that's on the website called wool texture in the fabrics/jacket file. How's this for a garment that stands the test of time?

Technique: There is extensive information about using fur trim in the Jackets Workbook starting on page 157. The beauty of these new trims is that they are finished and ready to insert or attach. When I originally had some mink trim offered in the newsletters in the early 2000s, we had to finish the raw edges of the fur before we could attach it. These are completely ready to go. If you make scarves about 4 1/2" wide (using a 1/4 yard of fabric as shown here), you need just a 1/4 yard of trim to insert a strip at each end of the scarf. If you do multiple rows, of course you'll need more accordingly.

I made these scarves that in 2005 and you'll find instructions for making them in the September 2005 newsletter. If you began subscribing after that date, I can send you a pdf of the page.

The fox collar is 27" long and has finished edges so you can either add snaps to it and snap it on a neckline, hand baste it to a neckline, or simply drape it around your neck and fasten it with a hook and eye closure. I do have in stock some fur hooks if you're interested. These are just $26.00 each and by special order so you can choose what color you'd like: black, grey, brown, blue, burgundy and I think forest green as well. I'm sure some of you have seen these at Saks and Neimans for hundreds of dollars.

Collar view

Undercollar view

Additional trims and closures...

Here's the very fine black beaded velvet ribbon that can be added to any garment for a bit of interesting texture and pizazz. It was $10.00/yard, now just $4.50/yard.

This fine strand of black sequins can be machine zigzagged onto a garment or hand tacked. Just .20/yard. And don't miss the other beaded and sequin trims in the Ingredients file/trims for more ways to simply lift your everyday clothes to holiday splendor.

You know I like to bring you the unusual notions and trims that you just can't find in sewing supplies that I'm able to find from manufacturing suppliers. These Buttons with a Snap are just that...you sew on the button that has a snap constructed in the center so you always have a firm grip and a lovely look when a garment is left open. They'd be ideal on knit garments or even a coat when you need a sturdy fastener that's attractive.

In brown tortoise-look or black, they're from Italy, approximatey 7/8" in size and $3.75 each.
(As an alternative, there are also giant sized snaps available that you can find in the Ingredients file--buttons and closures.)

Brown Tortoise Snap

Black Snap

This unusual Black Tulle with Sequins is a very elegant fabric that makes a fantastic scarf or shawl, and if you back it with a plain silk or the black basic knit, 1/3 of a yard or 12" would be just lovely. 46" wide and $20.00/yd. There is limited yardage of this remaining so don't miss out.

Unlike the cheap glued or ironed on sequin fabrics that are so prevalent today, this all over sequined fabric is excellent designer quality like the stretch sequins in this month's Fashion Sewing Group issue. If you want a bit dressier, full blown sequined look for the holidays--and don't forget New Year's Eve--this is 36" wide and $28.00/yard. I've seen this for as much as $54.95/yard at independent fabric stores, so don't miss this if you're interested. They're sewn on a fine chiffon fabric from a high end designer resource.

If you're interested in making an elegant lace cardigan like that in the 1960 knit pattern, then this may end your search. This fine quality French lace is 36" wide and $28.00/yard. For the fronts of your cardigan, you just need a single length and since you'll use the scalloped edge for the finished bottom edge, you only need about 7/8 of a yard (measure from the neck edge of your shoulder seam to the finished edge) if your cardigan will be no longer than 31"...less yardage is required if the finished length is less than that.

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