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Sewing jackets is the topic for this current mini series. Notice I said "sewing jackets," not "tailoring jackets" since the term "tailoring" can cause a feeling of dread in some minds. The person responsible for changing the way we make jackets is my guest, Pati Palmer of Palmer/Pletsch. Pati, during the first program, we worked with fusibles. Now it's time for speed sewing. Yes, Nancy, remember that I said that once you've made a jacket all of your other fashion sewing will be easier. You'll be better at pressing, trimming. It'll look better, it'll fit better because of the time you spend learning this. Now we're going to learn quick lining which is sewing a jacket out of the lining and facing it up the collar and then we have our main jacket. We'll sew them together and I'll share some techniques on how to make that easy. Jackets for Real People that's what's coming up next on Sewing with Nancy. Sewing with Nancy TV's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman

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Now would be time to do the sewing. After it's fit correctly, sew right sides together the shoulders, side seams, darts, etc. Try it on again and get a quick fit because it doesn't matter how many times you try it on there's no rule for that. Then you're going to create the units. We have the jacket unit. Here's another one, Pati, the jacket unit. It's almost ready to go. My friend Marta did this. She loves machine embroidery, so she added that touch before she finished the jacket. So the lining unit which I'm pulling up here, has the facing. Of course, the lining piece is-- I just noticed something interesting. I think Marta must have run out of that color lining! You're never going to see it, so what a great idea. Use two pieces, that's right. So now, if your jacket had collars you'd put the upper collar on the lining unit and the under collar on the jacket unit. We're going to tell you a hint about the under collar. Usually, you have to shape the under collar to make it roll but we're going to do a quick shaping technique. I have placed the pattern piece back on the under collar. Where the roll line is marked, I'm just going to go through and mark it right on the interfacing because this will penetrate the pattern. I'm going to go and sew on that line and show you how to make a quick roll. The machine is set at 1.0 mm stitch length. Here you can see Pati stitching and pulling the fabric on either side of the presser foot. As you pull away from the roll line the roll line gets smaller and shorter. So as you use small stitches to grab it it actually makes the whole roll line shorter which ends up in an interesting look. Here is the entire collar that has been stitched. It may look odd to you at this point, right? It does. It just kind of gathers. It looks terrible! But watch what happens when you roll it. It just automatically folds beautifully. Normally, you'd have to put it around your neck or on the pressing ham, and pin it and steam it like we did before with the upper collar. This way, it's just shaped through that easing stitch. You would attach the under collar to the jacket unit. We have half samples here, half jackets. Here is the lining unit, as you can see. Here we have the upper collar attached. Here is the sample that shows the under collar with that ease stitching around the collar stand. There's a really important part to match where you start your stitching. You have the under collar, Pati and I have the pattern piece for the jacket. Let's just reference that. This is the all-important dot. Remember when we were marking the neckline on the interfacing? We marked "the dot" very carefully. That dot, and the dot on the collar are sewn together. That's what makes your V for your notch. We're going to show you how to do that. Another thing you can do at this point is you can decide if you want to have some fun with your lining or if you've run out, like Marta might have done you might have gone to your stash to see if you had a pretty print. You also could sew a piping to the lining. That's fun, isn't it? Yes, when you take off your jacket you have this nice little accent. Sew it to the facing first with a basting stitch and then it just stays there when you sew your lining to the facings. If we go back to those collars when you're starting to sew the collar to the unit whatever piece it is. You'll match it right at that dot. You're going to secure that stitch so that it's not going to be sewn exactly one on one. You're going to have a seam allowance so that we can sew the lapel. A quick press will do us a lot of good pressing the neckline seam open. Press over a tailor board or whatever you'd like to use, a ham, perhaps. Pati, you want to press that? I can finger press but we'll use some steam to press this open. You'd repeat on the lining unit that has the upper collar. Soon, you're going to sew the jacket and the lining unit together but first, let's set-in the sleeves. The collars have been sewn to their respective units now Pati, it's time to look at the sleeves, as we mentioned. One of your easy tailoring techniques is to add a beautiful vent. With a mitered corner. The mitered corner you see, is in this area so there aren't any raw edges on any side of this. We need a little change, perhaps, on the pattern piece. This is a pattern piece that's a two-piece sleeve, which you need. But we need to add the vent because this one didn't have a vent. We added a piece of tissue about 2" from the stitching line and about 5" long. It can be however long you want. You could have a vent up to here if you want to do something really different with buttons. No problem, whatever you want to do. You do that to the under sleeve, as well. On the outer sides, you have the extensions added. Then you're going to add some fusible interfacing and do some pressing. It's always nice in a jacket to have interfacing in the hem area because it does give it a lot of body and more durability. I've extended the bias pieces just a little bit beyond the fold line, as well because that makes the lower edge much more durable. I'm going to press under the interfaced vent and then press up the hemline. The easiest way to make the miter is to go ahead and just make a nice snip right where the two come together the vent and the hem. I'm going to make a pretty deep snip so I really can find where they go. What I want to have happen is I want to fold my snips together, to this little corner. I'm going to do it on the outside. I find that easier to do that first. There's my snip, and there's my snip. So, where the snips are, I'm going to just put a pin. I'll put one more pin, all the way to the point. That's where my seam is going to be. So, I'll know when I unpin and go to the wrong side I'm going to cut a perfect eyeballed 1/4" seam allowance. "Perfect eyeballed." Then from the wrong side, you're going to sew a 1/4" seam. Then when you turn that, after you press it open and use a point presser to press it open. Okay, make believe. That's quick! Then, when you turn it, you have a perfect miter in that hem. You would do the same on the other? You don't need to miter the other side just right sides together do a 1/4" seam, turn it and press it. Then we'll sew the side seams together. That's what we had on the sample we showed you. It has the miter on the outer side and that seam just perfectly stitched. It's really a very unique way. Something else you can do a quick tip. You can actually hem the sleeve when it's totally flat. That's much easier than hemming in a circle. You notice we didn't clean finish any edges. The fabric can be a little ravely but it's all going to be encased in the lining so not to worry. Your fabric is going to look much like ours. Now, before setting-in the sleeve we're going to add some fullness to the cap. Pati has some samples here that show the importance of this step. On my jacket, you can pretty well see that my sleeve cap looks like it has something filling it. That makes it less puckery, it's what designers would do. We used to use a bias strip of tie interfacing. You can't get that anymore unless you take apart one of your husband's ties. You just need a bias strip of something that's loosely woven and is sort of lofty. I like to use self-fabric whenever I can. The first sample I made, I just made a little sleeve cap. I sewed a bias strip of self-fabric but it wasn't lofty enough. It was a little bit harder finish than I like. So I took my fashion fabric and I had a few things in my stash. I think you have more than a few! Yeah, I have a few things in my stash. Just go to your fabric, I found this one. It's very soft, but it was a little bit too heavy. I could see it on the outside. Then I found one that was a little bit softer but not quite so thick. This is a yummy wool. It feels like cashmere. It's loosely woven, so it has a lot of give to it. When I sew it to the top of the sleeve, it will pull. When it's let go, we will it ease it up. Here's how you go about this. We're going to show this to you at the sewing machine. I have a strip of fabric. First of all, you've got to get it started so put your needle down and sew a couple stitches. I want so sew, for sure 5/8" away from the sleeve cap. I'm going to be pulling on my bias. It will get narrower, but forget that. Just follow the edge of the sleeve and sew a ways pull sew a ways, pull, sew a ways, pull until you go around two-thirds of the upper cap. Then you're done. You will find that if you pull hard enough it will ease-in the cap for you. You don't need additional easing stitches. Here is the sample that you saw earlier. You can see how that sleeve head is stretched. That gives the fullness. It'll stretch out the extra fullness in the cap. It'll help ease-in the sleeve. Let's just show it to you from the right side. You can just see how that sleeve is shaping. It's just a very fine technique. It makes it much easier to set the sleeve in without doing rows of gathering. We have set-in many sleeves on Sewing with Nancy. Use your favorite set-in sleeve technique. Of course, set the garment sleeves into the garment unit or the jacket unit and do the same to set- in the sleeves in the lining. Obviously, you don't need the sleeve head in the lining. Your two units will be ready. Now it's truly time to sew the outer edges together. During these two episodes of "Jackets for Real People" we're giving you the highlights of putting together a jacket the speed tailoring ideas. We've saved the best highlight for the last. Pati, that highlight is to sew the jacket lapel and the collar to meet at that four corners, like an intersection. It is, it's a tricky intersection. What we used to do that really didn't work very well is we would sew up the front of jacket to the dot that we talked about earlier where they all come together and then we'd go back and forth and back and forth, closing up that hole. Then we'd stitch around the collar, the other one and all the way down the other front of the jacket. We got a beautiful pucker right there. So for years, we had that problem. Then finally we decided you know, I bet if we start at that little dot and sew away from it when you sew around the collar as well as down the front of the jacket that you won't have that happen. So right here, we have "the dot" which we marked when we marked the neckline, and everything. We've sewn the collar to the facing and we backstitched right at the dot. Now we're going to start about 1/16" away from the last stitching. We will lower the needle to where we want it by hand. Then we will lower the presser foot. So, you're not stitching any seam allowances down? No, we've got everything out of the way except the upper collar and the under collar starting right at the dot, thank you. Then, we're using a regular stitch length here. Notice I didn't even back stitch. Sometimes I'll pull the thread through and tie it but it's actually not necessary. It sort of buries itself. That is up to you. We're sewing toward the point of the collar. When you have bulkier fabrics you should do a couple stitches across the point. I always go to a shorter stitch length as I stitch toward the point, so I can trim closely. When I get to where I want to go, I leave the needle down. The presser foot goes up. I go to an angle and I do two short stitches across the point. It will look like a point when you trim it and turn it. So we come back. I'm going to leave the machine set to small stitches for a few stitches. Then I'm going to go to a longer stitch length back to where I was, 2.5, and continue stitching. I would go to the center of the collar. Then I would start on the other edge of the collar at the notch, and go toward the center again. I'm going to stop here for now. I'll raise the presser foot. I'll cut my thread first, here. As Pati is cutting the thread, you start from that four-way stop intersection at the lapel point sew to the collar point to the center. Then you'd flip it and sew the other half of the collar. Now it's time for the lapel. Nancy, I first want to point out that I had a pin here with a little pinch. We call it a tailor's blister. It takes that extra large upper collar out of the way of my stitchings. It makes it a lot easier. I've got one on the other side, too, for the upper lapel but I'm sewing from the other side so you won't be able to see it. Again, we're going to flip all the seams out of the way. We're going to start just away from the original stitching at the circle and we're going to sew to the point a couple stitches across the point, and down. So I will put this under. Again, I will lower the needle by hand so it's where I want it. Then, I'll lower the presser foot and start stitching. When I get to the corner, or almost to the corner I'm going to change it to a shorter stitch length. A few stitches into the corner I'm going to lift the presser foot, pivot and I'm going to do two stitches across the point. If I were doing a blouse collar, I'd only do one stitch because it's very lightweight. Pivot again. A few short stitches beyond the corner so I can trim closely and then you'd go back to a longer stitch and stitch the rest of the way down the jacket. Now I can trim pretty close and not have problems with it coming apart or raveling. Also, the fusible interfacings certainly ensure that it's not going to ravel, as well. So, getting that intersection that lapel point, starting at the lapel point without catching any of the seam allowances prior sewn seam allowances is what's going to achieve a perfect lapel. Now, it's time to do some trimming. Earlier, we did the pressing of the under collar seam or the upper collar seam, and then on the upper collar. Now we'll do some trimming, which I started to do already. Just trim so that you've graded the seam allowances. One is longer than the other. Here's that intersection, that four-way stop. Pati, you've given me the okay that I can have a little opening in here. It's called the hole that follows the dot.

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And it's okay. Then we'll do some pressing, using a tailor board or a pressing point whatever you'd like to use. Place the collar seam over the top. There are small little pieces in here. Take your time. This is what's going to separate the people who've followed the instructions and people who haven't. Here we go. We're just pressing it open. If you have a pressing tool like this you can do some finger pressing at first and then just give it a little shot of steam. You'll be pressing probably standing up at your ironing board. We're making it convenient here right at the sewing machine. You'll have a full jacket. I just have a half a jacket for the sample but I'll show you what happens. I'll invert these and the proof will be in the pudding here, Pati. Let's see how I did on this sample. Even if the hole ends up 1/8" big, don't worry about it. Okay, I'm not going to worry about it. It's better than a pucker! Yes, exactly. It'll be topstitched and pressed. Here it is. There's just a slight little opening in there. After doing some top pressing you can see that now that at the lapel point all those four intersections came out to meet perfectly. And no pucker. No pucker. There are certainly many more steps to creating a jacket but Pati and I have gone over the basics the highlights of creating a jacket. You'll have some work with attaching the two collars together along the neckline attaching the lining unit together at the shoulder seams putting in the shoulders seams and doing some hand stitching. But all in all, we've given you the highlights of making a jacket for us, real people. Colorful patchwork quilts are nothing new to most of us who sew and quilt. But instead of being made of fabric picture these quilts created with over 100,000 glorious blooms. Now that's something truly unique. Here to tell us about the Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail is Sonya Nash, travel and trade marketing manager for Elkhart County, Indiana. Sonya joins us via Skype. Welcome to Sewing with Nancy, Sonya. Thank you, Nancy, it's great to be here. This is something that I've had on my bucket list to see 19 beautiful gardens in the rolling hills of Indiana. Tell us about it. Oh, it's just breathtaking. For four months, beginning on May 30 of every year all the way up to October 1 we have 19 giant gardens coming to life in quilt patterns using 100,000 plants. They're just breathtaking. They're located in seven communities all along a scenic driving tour called the Heritage Trail. We're located in northern Indiana. Visitors and guests, quilters and gardeners are coming by the thousands to enjoy, watch and view these gardens coming to life. Now, these gardens, as we've talked earlier have a planning stage. It just doesn't happen by chance, of course. That is true. Each garden has to select their own pattern and design. Not every quilt pattern will replicate itself very well into a garden. Imagine the beautiful quilt behind me, by Shirley Shenk from Quilt Designs at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen imagine that complicated pattern coming to life in plants. Well, Shirley is a fiber artist and she does have a quilt garden in Goshen that she does interpret and creates into this visual beauty. It's just inspiring for all people to come and enjoy. It's not just blooms, it's plants, as well. They're pretty in the spring, summer and fall. Oh, definitely. What's unique about this project is as annuals they continually change as the season and cycles go. So the pattern really changes. Even though it may look like a double wedding ring or a log cabin quilt initially that design will look very different in May as it's just planted, as it does in August. So it really deflects and depends on the quilt design as well as the plants that are chosen. You know, many quilt shops are destination areas for those of us who sew and quilt. But I know that this is a destination to see these beautiful blooms and quilt patterns. Do you have any idea how many people travel the trail during a season? Well, that is what is so unique about this area. Along this Heritage Trail these quilt gardens are located at our magnet attractions at some of our great restaurants and wonderful shops. And yes, those fabric shops that people love to go and see and enjoy are scattered throughout. And one, at Das Dutchman Essenhaus, in Middlebury they feature a wonderful, beautiful quilt garden and they have their own quilt fabric shop on the same site plus a wonderful country inn and family restaurant. So this attraction is open and the event is open every year for four months. It is open during all daylight hours. So it's very challenging to communicate and count the number of people that are coming through because it's open any time from morning to sundown. You know, one of the quilt garden designs that am looking at has quarter-scale triangles. You know, there's a specific technique in quilting to get those points to match. I can't imagine to make sure that all the flowers are blooming just perfectly at those angles. It must be a trick to know exactly how to plant. It is, not only in planting and we've created lots of different types of systems that the gardeners throughout America really enjoy seeing and coming and watching but also our quilters enjoy seeing those techniques in the LeMoyne star, for example that was at Amish Acres have that created and brought to life. Or the circle shapes at the Wellfield Botanic Garden using that type of style, brought to life in an original design, but brought to life in plants is very challenging. Oftentimes, it's taking 60-80 hours just to create a design before they even plant one of the 6,000 plants in that garden.

Nancy

Oh, Inspiring. As I mentioned, I have it on my bucket list the Quilt Gardens and I'm sure now many of our viewers are going to make a destination to Elkhart Indiana, the county. Thank you so much for being with us, Sonya. I appreciate your time. It's delightful. I can't wait to go. Well, thank you, Nancy. We encourage everyone to come and visit. I think they'll have a wonderful time. You can log on and get some information. We'll be happy to help.

Our viewers can go to

NancyZieman.com At NancyZieman.com, click on Nancy's Corner. Then you'll be able to find the Quilt Gardens website. Go there and find out how to take the tour. Thank you for joining us on Sewing with Nancy for our second program our final program on "Jackets for Real People." Another special thank you to Pati Palmer for being our guest. As always,

you can go to

NancyZieman.com watch programs online and find out more information about sewing. Thanks for joining us. Bye for now. Pati Palmer has written a fully-illustrated book entitled "Jackets for Real People" that serves as the reference for this two-part series. It's $17.99, plus shipping and handling. To order the book, call 1-800-336-8373

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sewingwithnancy.com/2525 Order item number JRP, "Jackets for Real People." Credit card orders only. To pay by check or money order call the number on the screen for details. Visit Nancy's website at nancyzieman.com to see additional episodes, Nancy's blog, and more. Sewing with Nancy TV's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with Nancy Zieman

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Baby Lock, Madeira Threads Koala Studios, Clover Amazing Designs, and Klass Needles. Closed captioning funding provided by Rowenta. Sewing with Nancy &nbspis a co-production of Nancy Zieman Productions and Wisconsin Public Television.