The Fashion Sewing Group  It's about the clothes.

Last Spring, the addition of the 1945 shirt conversion in the March and May 2007 issues should have you constructing a few more of those for this season. You needn't always do a hidden placket front or even the collared version. When you're short on time and new clothes, eliminating garment details will be a better way to save you time than just knocking out some no-fit quickie design that doesn't flatter you. It just makes much more sense to sew something that you know fits well and is an old reliable. The more you sew the same design, the faster you finish and the more confident you are of the outcome. On some of this season's fabrics, the crinkled wovens for example, you can roll hem serge the hems of the sleeves and bottom edge that saves you not only time but also bulk.

Dresses still reign but things are looking more and more like the return of the jacket and suit for late summer and fall. You can elongate the 1945 shirt conversion to make yourself a shirtwaist dress. If you're thinking or should I say, sewing ahead, then a pencil skirt with a shirt would be a good choice to wear now and then make a jacket for the skirt later in the summer as you transition into fall. One of the bonuses of sewing for yourself is having what you want, when you want it and for most of us that means we're ahead of the fashion curve.

Shorts were all over the runways for summer and if you're interested, they're a little newer looking than capri length pants. If you wear either of these styles, you might pair them with a ballet flat to avoid the awkwardness of a wedge or heel that can look vulgar. If you get a chance, take a look at the video of the spring/summer 2008 Chanel couture show available on the Chanel website. All of the outfits were shown with flats and by the end of the show you'll wonder why you ever suffered through a day of heels. The flats look fresh and much younger than uncomfortably tottering on heels, particularly on a hot summer's day.

Also, just in case you hadn't heard, Marfy Pattern company has gone to an annual catalogue now instead of twice each year, so we'll have a long wait until next January for the next edition. This 2008 catalogue is more spring/summer than fall/winter, so I suspect that next January's 2009 edition will be more balanced and it promises to be many more styles as well. For more information about Marfy, you can check out the "ingredients" file.

Seminars and Trunk Shows
I'm going to get together with some of the subscribers who are also in Chicago to attend the ASG convention in July. If you're going to be around then too, send me an email and if there's space, you're welcome to join us.

In October, I'm looking forward to a weekend seminar in Kearney, Nebraska. I was last there in 2001 and had such a wonderful audience. If you'd like more information, you can email me or see more information in the July 2008 newsletter.

If you are interested in an Erickson seminar event for your sewing group or retail store, just email me and we can discuss topics that would be of particular interest. All of the sewing events are customized to each sponsoring group and typically include a fabric boutique set-up for the group's shopping convenience when fashion fabric is unavailable in a particular area. For retail stores, the seminars attract the elusive fashion sewing customer who is looking for clothing and fit inspiration. This customer has been missing from the sewing machine departments for many years. It's time to bring her back into your store.

Programs have been given to the sewing guilds in Indianapolis, Chicago, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa, Kearney, Nebraska, Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, as well as G Street Fabrics, Maryland, Harpers Fabrics in Kansas City, Ginny's Fabrics in Rochester, Minnesota and many, many others over the years.