Gift Voucher - course details

Hi Everybody!

Just posting here the flyer for the Gift Voucher that you can buy  for classes in pattern cutting and / or sewing, which details the type of courses you can choose from. The classes are arranged around your lifestyle, so that you can come when you choose (weekends excepted).

Drop a few hints to someone who has yet to buy you something for Christmas, or treat yourself to something you've always fancied doing! :-) No special equipment needed initially, and pattern paper / sewing machine is provided unless you have your own.

Beautiful spacious studio (scroll down the blog for photos), and separate sewing room in a village setting, 10mins drive from Banbury in Oxfordshire. One to one tuition, or come with a friend and reduce the hourly cost. Please ring or email for costs, and to arrange - details on the flyer - and scroll down the blog to see the gift voucher itself.  This can very easily be personalised to include the name of the recipient, and amount of classes booked as a gift.

Bobbie

Gift Vouchers!

Hi Everyone,

Not long now until Christmas, and if you are totally stuck for a present idea for anyone who's interested in pattern cutting, sewing(machine and hand), or other fabric techniques (quilting, appliqué, trapunto, embroidery, knitting etc.) you can solve a problem by giving a gift voucher for classes at my new studio in Cropredy, Oxon. 

These are one to one classes so you get my undivided attention, and therefore make quicker progress than in a group class. The studio is light, airy, spacious (see previous photos in the blog), and pattern paper, use of industrial or domestic machines and tea, coffee etc are included in the price. 

Buy a whole course, or as many individual classes as you choose to suit your budget. Please forward this blog to those who might need a reminder of what you'd like for Christmas, or email or phone me on 07941 619992 for prices if you are the buyer!

Speak soon,

Bobbie 

Please contact me for personalised gift vouchers with the recipient's name and number of classes given, ready for printing out. 

Details of instore demos at Banbury Sewing Centre1st November 2014

Hi Everyone, 

Just to tell you that the details of my instore demos at Banbury Sewing Centre have been confirmed today. They will happen at 11am, 1pm and 3pm and will last 20 mins to 1/2 hr. 

The themes will be 'Sewing tips and tricks', 'Use of hand tools, couture finishing and hand sewing methods', and 'Basic pattern cutting intro'. 

If you've ever wondered about the correct way to put in a set in sleeve, inserting an invisible zip, how to make neck or armhole facings look beautiful, how to make a shank when sewing on a button, making buttonholes and more, come to Banbury Sewing Centre in Parson's St. in Banbury on the 1st November, and see how it's done! Nothing is too difficult, it's just knowing the right way to do it, and a little bit of practice....

Learn how to do all these things yourself, with me in the studio in Cropredy, just 10 mins drive from Banbury - an attractive, light and spacious environment in which to work. Short introductory courses, and other more advanced courses to start by arrangement with you. 
Scroll down this blog to see images of the studio for yourself. 

Bobbie 

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know about an instore demo I will be doing at Banbury Sewing Centre www.banburysewingcentre.co.uk on Saturday1st November, just 2 weeks away!
There is a dual purpose to this is - firstly to show people the kind of things they could learn with me at Atelier Classes in my just refurbished studio in Cropredy, just 4 miles from the shop, and secondly to show new visitors to the shop the great selection of sewing AND knitting equipment, fabrics and wools that they can buy there.
The demos will cover different themes - 3 or 4 throughout the day on such things as: sewing tips and tricks including techniques for different fabrics, use of the Janome 525s sewing machine, (stocked at the shop amongst others), use of hand tools that you never knew the purpose of (!), and hopefully some basic pattern cutting demos too.
So please come along - we'd love to see you, and hopefully we can forge some new links which will benefit all, myself, Banbury Sewing Centre, AND you too 
Spread the love….!

Short Courses

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to run short courses of 4-5 weeks in the run up to Christmas (not THAT far away, I have to tell you!), and I would like a little pre-finalising feedback, if you could just spare a minute?

My question is simple: If you couldn't use a sewing machine, and wanted to join a class to learn and to make something really simple, what would that simple thing be? A wrap, tote bag, napkins, cushion cover?? Or is that not so important as the learning? 

Even if you are not local to me, and couldn't come for classes, I'd still appreciate an opinion. 

I'd really appreciate your answers as it would help me to make the courses relevant and useful. Please email the address at the top of the blog here, comment on my Facebook page, or ring / text me on the phone number. A one word answer would be enough - THANK YOU in advance.

And I am planning to promote this in conjunction with my local fabric shop, so that there may be some discounts but will let you know the details when they are confirmed.

The photo here is of a fabric shop front in Tilburg, Netherlands where I was recently - look at the lovely old sewing machines....

Bye for now,

Bobbie 

Geometric shapes

Hi Everyone,

Just a couple of interesting little gifs which show easy ways of creating shapes for pattern cutting if you don't have any kind of template, and another one just to show how lots of straight lines, slightly changed in angle, eventually make a curve and in the end, a circle. Those of you who know about adding seam allowance to a curve will recognise this! Enjoy......

Here we go:

Hi Everyone, 

In the last month or so, I've been trying to promote the classes a little more, and a part of this was my 'Long Weekend' Open Studio event last weekend. Here's a link in case you missed it: https://www.facebook.com/events/1539072742973091/

Although there weren't masses of visitors, the ones that did come were prospective future students and everyone was very complimentary about the studio itself. It would have been even nicer to have more people come (!), so if you read this, and fancy coming along to see the studio / chat about classes options please ring or email me at the address/phone number on the blog header above.  

Currently, I'm occupied with a lot of promotional work, which means lots of time on the computer, so dying to get back to other practical stuff that's next on the agenda - designing a SMALL collection of wedding outfits, and making a sample of one - to offer a solution to the problem of the 'big cost / never going to wear it again' thing that mostly happens to wedding dresses, (and no, that doesn't involve producing a 'wedding' shaped dress in navy blue or cerise, aaarrrggghhhhh!)... customers can decide on a basic style from the collection, but choose any fabric from a choice I've suggested in any colourway. The fabrics I have in mind are beautiful embroidered silks with plain complementary fabrics.....more to come.
 Also making a sample of a sister accessory to the colsca, which I think will be GOOD :-) Again, watch this space....

Speak soon, and here's a photo or two from last weekend:

Some of the nibbles, and the Lime and Mint cocktail! 

That looks a bit like me.....!

Biba dress c. 1970 from my vintage collection

Day 2

Day 3

New Atelier classes (individual one to one, or group class) prices and details

Here are special offer details of all classes for my open studio weekend on 5th, 6th, 7th September. See below: 

For all new one to one classes students, if you ' sign up' and pay in advance for 4 classes at the open weekend, you can have a 5th class free. So that would cost only £144 instead of £180 and that is for 10 hrs teaching (5 x 2 hr classes). 

For group students,  prices are much cheaper - 1/3rd cheaper than individual classes - at current rates, you would pay £24 for a 2 hr class instead of £36. As a little extra, anyone who signs up for group classes at the open weekend will receive a 10% discount for 4 classes. 

As ever, pattern paper, tea, coffee and water are all free as part of the class. 
You will enjoy top quality teaching but it will still be fun! Serious is not my style, and learning is better if it's fun :-)

For bespoke wedding dresses, I am offering a £100 refund on your deposit on completion of the dress, if you pay the deposit within a week of the first appointment. Deposits are usually 20% of the estimated final price, and the prices vary from £1300 upwards for a simple style with an average price of £1800 - £2000. Certain types of fabric ( lace, brocade, and lots of handwork  (embroidery, beading, applique, quilting) will increase the price. 

Look forward to seeing you!

Bobbie 

New - Group classes in new bigger studio...

Hi Everyone,

In my new studio / fitting room, I now have a 'proper' sized pattern cutting table! This means that I can now accommodate small groups of 4 to 5 students at any one time. The result of this, is a cheaper alternative to one to one classes, a more relaxed and fun atmosphere, and a chance to interact with like minded people....

I am currently planning some 'courses' or themes for blocks of weeks, and would be VERY interested to know about any ideas / interests or desires you might have to do with pattern cutting and/or sewing techniques. 

The only skills you need to start are enthusiasm/interest/desire to learn or improve. You can be a total beginner and not even know how to use a sewing machine or a pattern, or you may have started projects in the past andgiven up when the going got tough! Maybe you have done courses in the past, even a degree, and want to refresh your knowledge, or have a desire to do something totally different using Japanese pattern cutting methods for 'fabric sculpture'..... 


I am a fully qualified teacher with lots of current and past experience, and if you haven't been for classes before, here's a link to my biography. (I am totally happy to send a CV as well on request).

Please phone 07941 619992 to discuss, or email me at the above address.

More details soon!

ALMOST there....!

Hi Everyone,

To anyone else my new studio / fitting room would look finished, but a certain few things still need doing...

But anyway, here it is, looking more like a workplace :-)

More photos tomorrow when the sun comes out....well, we hope!

Bobbie

New teaching studio / fitting room

Hi Everyone,

Keeping up with all the places that one wants to service with updates / photos / news / interesting/amusing facts / is a bit of a mission, and I tend to go first to the easiest access, which in my case happens to be Facebook. But FB does not rule the world (yet), and I have to remember that, and try to make everything accessible to as many as poss, just to stay in touch!   
There's 'networking' from a business point of view, but also keeping up with friends old and new....
ANYWAY!! Here we are after much signing in, and signing out of google accounts and getting passwords correct!

Just wanted to tell all of you interested in pattern cutting / sewing techniques that my new teaching studio/fitting room is finally 99% there, and you can see some photos here. I'll be having a little opening in the next 2 weeks or so hopefully, so look out for dates here, and on my Atelier Wedding Dresses facebook page. If you come across this blog by chance, please also see my website, www.bobbiesroom.co.uk, but for specific things about the classes, this is the place! If you have any queries about anything at all, please email me: atelierclasses1@gmail.com, or phone 07941 619992. Back soon....

Table top not actually screwed down yet, but...!

Experimental Japanese pattern cutting on an 'activewear' jacket

Hi Everyone,

Who would think that a running jacket could incorporate aspects of the Japanese pattern cutting methods that I love? 
Well, one of my students from my 'outside' teaching at Ravensbourne, (as opposed to the one to one classes), has achieved just that in the last activewear project by designing her pattern to include a 'disapperaring' hood, with no seam to attach it to the body of the jacket. Really great that second year students should attempt and succeed with this so well. I can't give you a photo I'm afraid, for obvious reasons, but here are some similar things using that technique from one of the brilliant 'Pattern Magic' books by Tomoko Nakamichi: 

The hood transmutes into the jacket body, in the same way that the collar and the ties do here. 

For the same 'activewear' project, I made a sample of an integral 'backpack' for a jacket as a bit of possible inspiration for the students. This uses the Japanese 'Otoshiana' technique - you can see how it works. All you have to do is make the shape you want at first in paper, (or at least an approximation), and then transfer this into a pattern as shown, then cut out the pieces in calico with a seam allowance, sew together the pieces and hey presto - there you have it! Here are the photos: 

Make your shape in stiff paper

Mark and number the sections

Cut apart and press flat on a table

Trace around the shape on pattern paper and add 1cm seam allowance 

Sew up the pieces, and place where the shape is wanted on the garment,  (i.e. jacket back), and continue the seam lines to the edge of the pattern piece. 

Side view

Then the shape is an integral part of the garment, and facings can be added, or the fabric can be double layered as you want.

You can learn these techniques with me at my home studio -just email sewing@bobbiesroom.co.uk, atelierclasses1@gmail.com, or phone 07941 619992 for prices and details.

testing

Slightly belated Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone,

A very Happy New Year to you all...

Well, the New Year 2014 has started pretty well - the flu thing I had all over Christmas has gone - nice to feel normal (!), and I have yet another new student for private classes starting in a week or so.

Sewing and pattern cutting is steadily becoming more fashionable, lucky for me! I guess this is to do with a few different things - the economic climate (restraining spending in retail shops), recycling and saving of resources, a reaction against slave and child labour in clothing factories in the third world, a feeling that old fashioned values and skills are worth nurturing (making your own clothes, recycling old ones, using leftover fabric for accessories etc), and maybe just wanting to do something real and practical instead of virtual or online. 
I have to say that when I am involved in pattern cutting/making up/designing on paper - stuff away from the computer, my brain feels different! Calmer, more methodical - and for someone a bit 'high stress' like myself(!), that's a good thing. Do any of you out there feel that too?


New studio fitting/decorating is held up due to the lurgy, but back on track as of today....

Anyway, hope you all have a brilliant 2014, keep warm (in the Northern Hemisphere!), and an encouraging thought - as of Dec 21st, the days are getting longer (again in the Northern Hemisphere) - yippee!! For those of you south of the equator, reverse the above!! 

Please reply/comment on this post if you feel inspired - it's always good to know that there are people out there reading this!

Bobbie 

Beautiful dress by Elke Walter