Fabulous Summer Dresses You Can Make! Stonemountain & Daughter has the Fabric, Pattern, Notions and Sewing Classes - all you need!

Last time we flirted with summer sundresses, and now we follow up with knit dresses! Here are a few patterns from Vogue. 

     

A little more slinky and sassy  -  let's have a look!  

     

Vogue 8685 - Knit Dress
This is a close-fitting, mid-knee length dress with cap raglan sleeves. The bodice has fitting pleats in front and darts in back. It can also be made with a fuller a-line skirt. This dress would be nice in a classic, high quality, Ponte de Roma polyester knit.

We have white, black, grey, and every color of the rainbow!
Or how about something a bit more unconventional?

These charming polyester prints would fit the bill. 

        

Looking for something with a bit more Va-voom?

     

 How about giving an asymmetrical knit dress a try?

     

     

       

Vogue 8787 - Misses' Dress

       

         

 The bodice can be asymmetrical as above or there is also a variation with a slight cowl neck. This lined dress can also be made with a flared skirt. It can be made sleeveless, short sleeved or long sleeved. Lightweight double knit, lightweight crepe, and tropical wool are great choices.

         

We think it would be exciting in a fabulous polyester knit print.

            

         

Taylor, one of our sales associates, dares you to be bold...

            

         

...with an amazing polyester knit print!

      

Now, who dares to take this one on?

       

Vogue 8705 - Misses' Dress

       

This dress would also be nice in the Ponte de Roma Polyester.

       

 Ponte is a double knit, which makes it a stable knit. Ponte is  strong enough to handle the topstitching in this dress and to hold its shape during the multiple piecing of this pattern. 

          

      

    

     

While we are talking knits - you must try Pamela's Patterns!

     

Pamela's Patterns are made to fit!

     

       

Pamela's Patterns - #104 - The Perfect T-Shirt.

        

     

       

This T-Shirt pattern is unlike  any you have ever tried before! It is made for a "real" woman, and  addresses the most common fitting issues we face - high round back,  forward shoulder, full hip and bust, and a good fit through the shoulder  and neck. Design details include an "essence of waist", flattering  shirt tail hemline, three necklines, and four sleeve lengths.

          

      

   
Want to learn to sew knits? Consider taking Terry McClintock's serger class. This is a great class! You will no longer be intimidated by your serger - in fact, Terry will teach you to love it! First and foremost you learn to use and thread your machine. By the end of class you will feel very comfortable threading (and re-threading) your machine at home. Best of all, you learn all sorts of tips and techniques so that you will have to do that less and less - Hooray!

     

390 - Intro To Serger / Overlock Sewing Machine
Terry teaches the four thread hem stitch, the three thread hem stitch, narrow hem, rolled hem, and how to flatlock!
You walk away from this class with your samples of five stitches.
****
Satisfaction!
****
TIP: If you don't own your own serger then consider that you can take the class, get  comfortable using our sergers in class, and make an appointment to rent time ($5/hr) on our excellent
in- store Bernina sergers.

 Now that you have the Intro class under your belt, you are ready to dive in and make a project! Continue on to make a great project in our serger techniques class. In Serger Projects of your Choice, Terry McClintock helps you flat lock a t-shirt, make a great pair of yoga pants, a set of napkins, or the versatile Infinity/ Mobius scarf. Terry is also a big fan of Pamela's Patterns, she has made many of them, and she can help you with these great patterns for knits!

      

    

Tips for Sewing Knits From Terry McClintock

     

1) Use a small zigzag stitch (length 2 / width 1.5) to sew seams. Do not back stitch; this will keep the fabric from getting jammed in the throat plate.

     

2) When making a t-shirt, stabilize the shoulder seams with Design Plus fusible seam tape. This small step will prevent wavy shoulder seams, and keep your tee looking like new longer.

     

3) Finish hems with a double needle. Simply thread two top threads through the thread guides, and remember to stitch right side up! (Most zigzag machines can use a double needle.) The bobbin thread will create a zigzag stitch for a nice finish that will stretch with your knit fabric. 
HINT: To help your hem lay flat, lower the upper tension one number when stitching with a double needle.

       

Come to Class and Learn More.
Terry is here to help you love to sew knits!
Join us: Sewing on Knit Fabric - Knit Know-How

        

      

    

     

Spend an evening and two days with Sandra Betzina making Vogue 1291 and Vogue 1292. These patterns are designed by Sandra herself, and nobody knows them better! You will go home with am outfit that fits you and guarantees loads of compliments! During construction on your project you will work with knits and slippery fabrics, flawless neck bindings, skirt linings, and a new elastic technique.

        

     

       

Sewing Fantasy at Stonemountain - 3 Sessions with Sandra Betzina

        

      

   
Want to make these dresses with some help? You can make them in Beginning and Beyond 101 where you would have four or five sessions to complete it! If you have less time, you could make part or all of a dress project in our Mini Beginning and Beyond 102 which is nine hours of sewing in two or three sessions.

     

     

If you need help fitting your dress, we recommend Pattern Adjustment with Barbara Beccio or the Fit Lab with Lynda Maynard. For fitting or construction assistance you can also take one of our popular Sew Labs! Our Sew Labs are created to assist you on any phase of your project, so you get the help you need!

      

     

Sneak Peek
Our next eNewsletter will look at:
Kayla Kennington's Designs!

In the meantime -
Come by the store to see her trunk show!  

      

    

  

Fabrics for every Generation at Stonemountain!

FABRICS FOR EVERY GENERATION!

From kids to adults, we have been having a great time sewing at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics!                          Here are some pics from our new Kids Hand Sewing class.              This class is for kids 6 and over.              It is taught by Barbara Beccio and kids learn to sew a small bag by hand!                             You can just see how much fun they are all having!                           Sewing skills build confidence as kids learn to make things for themselves and design what they want!                                Beginner Hand Sewing for Kids - Ages 6+               301D - August 25, Sat, 3 - 6pm 301E - Sept 2, Sun, 11am - 2pm

One of our customers made this receiving blanket and dolls for her grandchild. Can you imagine - What a treat to grow up with soft luxurious flannels! Just right for a precious baby. Below please enjoy her letter to Suzan, the co-owner and tireless director of Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics!                     Hi Suzan, My friend Wendy who works with you introduced me to Stonemountain Fabrics and helped me select some gorgeous flannel to make receiving blankets for my first grandchild. The fabric had to be nothing but the best, which you have in abundance. I fell in love with artful, fun patterns you carry. When I had some remnants of the fabric left after making the two blankets I couldn't bear not using them for part of my gift. Thus were born the two dolls. They were the hit of the baby shower and my daughter-in-law was especially crazy about the yellow blanket with the little lambs frolicking all around.            Thanks so much for the inspiring fabric which brought about a fun and lasting memory for our family.           Sincerely, Carole

This eye-catching vintage pattern from the mid-century is named for the diamond shaped inserts at the waistline. This is a housedress - with an invisible zipper at center front.          Decades of Style 1950s Diamond Dress                      The original pattern suggests cotton, linen, rayon or wool. These cotton fabrics from our Asian Collection would be great for this dress. They are just charming!                                  Here is a picture of the whole dress. Gorgeous!            Do you recognize Decades of Style's elegantly stylish model?            Continue reading to find out!            Decades of Style  - 1950's Diamond Dress

Victoria Jarvis, our buyer at Stonemmountain & Daughter made this adorably cute and sassy dress from Colette patterns.            It rocks!                         Colette - Parfait Dress            She has a knack for using really usual prints in stunning ways.            Very bold and daring and works amazingly well. Here is the cotton she used and another she recommends trying! Are you bold enough?

Upcoming Classes!         In this class learn when to use different seam finishes to add a   professional look to your garments. Begin with a basic plain seam and   advance to Flat-felled, French and Welt seams.                     312C Perfect Seams         Hand stitching is important to creating quality sewing details.  Basting stitch, backstitch, slipstitch, fell stitch and attaching buttons, hooks, and eyes, are among techniques taught.                     359A Essential Hand Stitches Here's a new quilt for students of ALL levels.         It's fun, fast,  and always unique! You  take 5 minutes, select 5 fabrics, and create a quilt top in about 5   hours.          760 Take 5 Quilt          This pattern is addictive and makes wonderful gifts.          And, it's a  Stash Buster!

Stonemountain  & Daughter Fabrics is owned by Bob and Suzan  Steinberg. This father  and daughter team are the third and fourth  generations in the fabric  industry in the state of California!  Their history extends from 1919 Los Angeles to the Psychedelic  60s to their much beloved  Berkeley store.                        Many Thanks and Well Wishes From Our Family To Yours.           Celebrating Fabric and Sewing throughout the Generations!             Bob and Suzan Steinberg           Facebook Updates - Friend Us Today!         Thanks to all our devoted customers, our friend and fan list on Facebook is growing!  Don't miss out on the news, sneak peaks, photos of new shipments, and class announcements...  It's all happening at Stonemountain on FACEBOOK!  Be sure to friend us or like us and leave us feedback, too!

Stonemountain Summer Dresses!

      One of the greatest reasons we all love to sew is that you can create something that you can't find in a store.  At Stonemountain & Daughter you have so many choices for great fabric that just SCREAMS "I'm a Dress!".  With your unique choice of fabric, pattern style and your own sewing techniques, you have something that fits and looks great!  If you want support in your sewing, come take a class here with us!

Whenever it gets warm, don't you just long for a cute sundress? Read on! From Collette to Sewaholic - have we got some great sundresses for you! Sewaholic - # 1201 - Cambie This dress can be made with a full skirt as above or in a slimmer profile as below. The sleeves are gathered and basted before sewn to the bodice - that is how you get that cute shape! The full skirt version can be made in lightweight wovens such as cotton voile, Swiss dot, rayon challis or silk dupioni. This green leaf print cotton voile is really cute. The pink print is a bit sassier. These are so lightweight you may want to line with a Bamberg rayon lining or possibly a silk habotai. Here are two other fun cotton voile prints to try. Here is the same Cambie Dress made up in a slimmer profile. Sewaholic Cambie Dress Sewaholic recommends a linen, cotton sateen or wool for the slimmer profile. Cotton sateen is perfect for summer. This dress would be gorgeous in one of our cotton sateen solids or even in an exquisite cotton sateen print. Getting It Done Right: Sewaholic pattern instructions are very clear, easy to read and understand!

Here's a cute dress from Colette.           Colette - Lily  This cute princess seam sundress from Colette has a curve skimming fit. The neckline and  pockets are adorned with a flap detail that can be made to contrast. The skirt is slightly  tapered and includes a back kick-pleat for ease of  movement.                  Silk Dupioni at Stonemountain & Daughter This pattern would be good in crisp light to medium-weight fabrics such as cotton pique or light suiting. Fancy it up for evening with an elegant silk twill or dupioni.

Here's another cute sundress pattern from Sewaholic.                   Sewaholic Lonsdale - #1102 This halter-style dress dress secures with either a half or full knot in the front and ties in the back at a cute low bow. This dress would be great in poplin or lawn. What about these cotton lawns? Do you think you could rock these out?

Want to make these dresses with some help? You can make them in Beginning and Beyond 101 where you would have four or five sessions to complete it! If you have less time, you could make part or all of a dress project in our Mini Beginning and Beyond 102 which is nine hours of sewing in two or three sessions.                   If you need help fitting your dress, we recommend Pattern Adjustment with Barbara Beccio or the Fit Lab with Lynda Maynard. For fitting or construction assistance you can also take one of our popular Sew Labs! Our Sew Labs are created to assist you on any phase of your project, so you get the help you need!

This flirty dress is from Kwik Sew. Be forewarned, this dress has sixteen panels. It isn't difficult, but it will be take some time to sew. The panels or gores act as fitting devises and work well on any body type. Your efforts should pay off and it will fit like a dream.                       Kwik Sew 3520           This dress is an opportunity to have fun with different fabrics.  I think this would work well with our "retro" historical cottons and create a very contemporary and wearable look!                TIP:  "Pin post-it notes to your pattern pieces or keep them pinned to paper pattern pieces until you are ready to sew. This can save you time and from mixing up multiple pieces on a complex pattern."   -Kate Ruddle  Stonemountain & Daughter Marketing and Web Coordinator.                                           This dress can be made from two or four different fabrics.                Of course there are sixteen panels -                so you no one will stop you if you do more!

Anna Maria Horner's Socialite Dress also has some nice gathering details. The neckline at front and back are slightly gathered before adding the yoke. This creates subtle gathers at the neckline in the front and back of the dress. Very now!          Anna Marie Horner - Socialite Dress          This dress boasts all of the sophisticated swank but none of the suffocating seams. This pattern makes nice use of those big print fabrics, which we all love but can be challenging to make into a garment!           This big print fabric by Tina Givens is full of summer fun! It even has seahorses! Here are a few others from Dena Designs of the Kumari garden and Taza collections. Welcome to Summer Fun in the Sun! We have so many patterns for sale here at Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics which are hard to find!  Check them out on our website - we will ship all over the United States! Thanks so much for reading my blog.  I love hearing from our customers, so if you have any questions, feel free to email me at fabriclady3@gmail.com

Where can I take sewing and quilting classes? Stonemountain & Daughter in Berkeley has been teaching for 17 years!

17 years ago, I sat down in a hotel room up in Portland and put together the plan for our sewing school at my store in Berkeley.  My husband was traveling a lot at the time, so it seemed like a great getaway to create something that had not been done before.  The school and our classes were an instant success as our community really needed it - for all ages, levels and interests.  I consider these classes one of my greatest gifts and accomplishments and truly appreciate the huge collective focus by our teachers and the staff at Stonemountain & Daughter for their commitment to the finest learning experience we can provide.      
             

Summer is a great time to improve your sewing. The slower pace, relaxed atmosphere, and longer days are especially conducive for taking a class after work. Or perhaps you find yourself in between projects; sewing or otherwise! Either way, summer is often a great time to develop your skills or pick up a few new techniques. So what classes are available this summer? Read on to find out!

                     

GARMENT  CONSTRUCTION                    Want to learn to sew with knits? Sewing knits can be trouble-free when you know the right techniques and newest notions that tame even the most challenging knit fabrics.                                        We offer two classic knit classes: Sewing on Knit Fabric with Terry McClintock This class is project based and the next below is technique based. Crash Course - How to Sew Knits with Nicole Vasbinder           Just have a few hours? Consider picking up specific construction techniques in a one-session class. All of your future projects will benefit! Perfect Seams for any Garment                      We also have some fun hand sewing classes. Hand sewing is a nice complement to your machine sewing. Hand sewing allows for great control and precision in your sewing.                      Essential Hand Stitches Stonemountain has a new youth class - Beginner Hand Sewing for Kids ages 6+.              This is a great class for kids who just can't wait to get sewing as well as a springboard to construction techniques in later classes.              A favorite of our 9 - 15 year old sewers for summer is Youth Summer Sewing Camp. Camp is already in full swing, yet there are many sections to join!

                     

Colette has come out with a new dress pattern, just right for summer fun! Their Hazel dress features a flattering V-seamed bodice with side panels cut on the bias.         Since the side panels are on the bias you can have fun playing with patterns such as stripes, dots, and plaids, and altering them for fun effect! This fun Robert Henry polka dot cotton would be fun for this. Subtle because of the dots - but it does activate the pattern! TIP: Experiment with the angle of your bias layout to change it.                             This cherry fabric is less subtle on the bias then the polka dots -             you can really see the effect here!                          Colette Dress 1021 - Hazel Stonemountain & Daughter Sewing Gallery           Here is the Collette Hazel pattern made up by our very own customer service representative, Janet Sandberg for her daughter. What a beautiful fit!           Collette rates this dress at beginner level, we might say advanced beginner to intermediate, because you need to know how layout on the bias and put in an invisible zipper.   If you don't know how - dive right into our one session zipper class this summer with Terry McClintock!                         Fearless Zippers

                     

INTRO TO SEWING 101 Beginning and Beyond is our most popular class! It offers fifteen hours of sewing on a project of your choice. It is for beginning students and for continuing students who wish to work on a project to full completion. We are also offering a new class; a Mini Beginning and Beyond, which offers 9 hours of sewing in two or three sessions.

                     

FITTING Have you ever seen a pattern you liked but wanted to tweak it just a little bit? Barbara Beccio will lead you through the steps of altering a pattern.  Pattern Adjustment with Barbara Beccio Working with your choice of Kwik Sew patterns 3829, 3717, and 3838  (skirt, vest, or jacket) patterns will be adjusted and time allowing the  fabric cut out and sewing begun. If you need more time with Barbara on your project after this one session class jump into one of her Sew Lab sessions and she is there to help you!

                     

PATTERN MAKING          Pattern making allows you greater control over your garments, as you are no longer limited to the confines of existing patterns. Want to get started?                    Intro to Draping and Pattern Drafting                     There  are two main components to pattern making - flat pattern and draping.  In flat pattern you can create a master pattern (block / sloper) off of  measurements where as draping uses a dress form to create or adjust a  pattern in three-dimensions. There are different advantages to both and they can be used together or separately.                     Want to learn more about flat pattern development? Take one of Annette Juilly's classes. In Annette's Create a Block / Sloper class you learn to create a master pattern to alter or help you fit existing patterns for a custom look and feel. Your created sloper can also be used to draft new original designs of your own! In Annette's Copy Ready to Wear class you learn to recreate your existing favorite top, skirt, or pant without taking it apart.             Copy Ready to Wear

                     

QUILTING Want to learn to quilt? Angie Woolman takes you through a structured process of designing your own patchwork sections on paper and growing your quilt on a design board.                     Freeform Doorways Don't miss out on Ann Tarabini's Beginning Quilting Series! Rotary Cutting Rectangles Rectangles are the most common shapes in quilts! Rotary Cutting Strips to Make a Nine Patch Block Learn the very versatile nine patch block. Templates Learn to make a pattern/template for any quilt block you would like to piece. Rotary Cutting Half Square Triangles.

                     

If you haven't seen our class brochure, come by the store to pick your own copy, or review classes on our website. As we have added so many new classes, we no longer send out the brochure in the mail, but if you need us to mail you a copy: email us!