FREE WEEK at the Library join the efforts of MASK AMERICA Easy Spring Plus Lift System SIMPLIFIED help FLATTEN THE CURVE with fabric masks DIY DEMO how to make deluxe FABRIC MASKS blast from the past WATERFALL CUSHIONS low-bulk, pleated DRAPERY METHOD Jackie von Tobel MASK PATTERN
March /April 2020
How Face Masks Are Flattening the Curve
Scroll to read full article. It seems now that everyone has become familiar with the phrase, Flatten the Curve, and how it relates to the novel coronavirus. Seemingly overnight, face masks have become part of the solution. The sudden popularity of face masks raises the questions: Who should be wearing them? Where should they be worn, and why? The answers are quite simple. Anyone in a public setting should wear a face mask to help reduce the chances of catching and spreading this virus. The amount of protection a mask provides is dependent on the materials and construction. The most protective are N95 medical-grade masks, used in hospital settings. These are in short supply and should be reserved for our medical professsionals and first responders on the front lines of the crisis. Home-made cotton face masks, while not as effective in filtering pathogens, do offer considerable benefit as they catch small water droplets in our breath, coughs, and sneezes before they can reach other people. They also help by reducing our natural habit of touching our faces. Watch this video to learn more: Professional workrooms from around the world are coming together to help overcome the overwhelming shortage of masks during this pandemic. Most notable are the efforts of the facebook group MASK AMERICA (see article on p.6 of this issue). Adaptive Textiles, parent company to The Workroom Marketplace, is also contributing to the cause by receiving mask-making supply donations and redistributing them to the volunteer network of sewists in the MASK AMERICA group. As of April 2nd, more than $6,000 worth of supplies (cotton fabric, twill tape, and non-latex elastic) have already been shared through this channel. If you have any of these materials to spare, please send them to: Attn: MASKS Adaptive Textiles, LLC 317 Westtown Rd, Suite 4 West Chester, PA 19382 In addition to their support in distributing needed supplies to volunteer sewists, the team at Adaptive Textiles has shifted their focus from pillow making to mask making with the launch of Printmakers Collective. In a recent post, a client exclaimed, I am so proud of Adaptive Textiles. The company is powering a not-for-profit effort to supply masks to EVERYONE, including our first-responders in the healthcare profession – with a designer’s flair! Great example of the tremendous outreach by local businesses to help our country through the COVID-19 crisis while retaining staff on payroll. Very well done! Adaptive Textiles has reached out to its collection printing clients, myself included, to create chic imagery on otherwise ordinary masks. Engineered print layouts, sourced organic cotton fabrics, and on-demand production make for an interesting pivot from this company's normal operations. It is all part of an industry-wide effort to get through this incredibly challenging time. Kathleen Fitzpatrick is a designer trained in both traditional and modern textile applications. Holding a Bachelors degree from Pennsylvania's Kutztown University in material studies and art history, she began her textile-focused career in 2014. Working as an account manager at a globally recognized digital print company, Fitzpatrick guides textile designers, artists, and interior-focused firms through the process of building custom interior fabric collections. This role includes offering assistance with fabric selections, designing repeats, and color management. In 2016, Fitzpatrick combined her workplace knowledge and enthusiasm for the home, and founded Tie-Up Textiles, a boutique business dedicated to both preserving and challenging the traditional techniques of hand weaving and dyeing. Her passion for interlacing new and old, and a curiosity for transforming the ways in which we think of traditional design, is paving the way to a fresh twist on interior decor.
Free Week at the Library While we get through this difficult time, the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library is here to help support, educate and encourage you. The Library is offering a free week of PRO Plus level membership to all members. You will have access to a wealth of downloadable reference materials, videos and a community of support. The PRO Plus membership gives you access to recorded webinars, industry archives of magazines, archived forum content, how to videos from the CHF Academy and much more. If you are not yet a member, sign up for our free DIY Membership today. From April 2nd through April 12th, DIY and PRO members will have access to all of the PRO Plus level benefits. Get signed up and tour the Library here. We are here for you! Email Ceil DiGuglielmo if you have any questions. www.curtainsandsoftfurnishingspro.org
with Elki Horn
Over the years, Elki’s workroom has fabricated and installed countless shades using the Easy Spring Plus Lift System. In this video, she shares her current wisdom and demonstrates a more efficient way to assemble the Easy Spring Plus.
Easy Spring Plus SIMPLIFIED
A message from: Susan Woodcock and Rodger Walker Owners of Workroom Tech and producers of Custom Workroom Conference
We hope you all are well, and coping as best you can with the pandemic crisis. We are doing what we can to stay busy and safe, and to uphold our obligations to our valued customers. At Workroom Tech, our priority is to create a safe environment for our students and instructors. We are waiting like you, to know when we can get back to business as usual, and resume classes. We recently moved to our new location, and look forward to sharing this with you. There is an exciting lineup of instructors and classes scheduled for the next Custom Workroom Conference in October. Our hope is that the show will go on! We will wait until the present crisis has abated to open registration, so that will be delayed for now. As soon as we have more definite information, we will pass it on. Feel free to be in touch if you have any questions or concerns. Susan@WorkroomTech.com Rodger@CustomWorkroomConference.com 828-859-2854
Scroll to read full article. The Mask America facebook group was formed to fill a need for masks in the Boston area and has since become a national community supporting our dedicated medical staff and care-workers across the USA. We have been amazed by the outpouring of support and generous donations. As of April 1, this group has successfully manufactured and supplied more than 15,000 face masks to care-workers across the country! Our goal for this community is to continue to supply those on the front lines. As a volunteer, leading a community of volunteers, I could never have imagined the joys and challenges of this effort. I have not done this alone. Sharon Gregory and Theresa Nelson (my daughter) have been right here by my side. We have spent the last 15 days managing this community together, it has been a task larger than us in so many ways. The moment by moment changes, the reality of fighting a virus that we cannot see, and the flood of emotions when we see the mounds of face masks on workroom tables across America is overwhelming. The community has more than 1,200 vetted members and is still growing. A sincere THANK YOU to the admins of the MASK AMERICA group! Wash your hands, and stay safe! #MaskAmerica XOXO, Sandra VanSickle Sandra VanSickle is the founder of the Mask America Facebook Group, an ardent entrepreneur, continuing education instructor, and life-long learner, with nearly 42 years of experience in the window fashion industry. A passion for fabric and design led her to abandon the "corporate box" and pursue her dream of business ownership. She is the proud owner of Sew What's New, a wholesale custom home furnishings workroom, and training facility, located in Apex, NC and most recently has expanded her educational offerings with Live With Sandra V, her online presence where she inspires, educates, and promotes others within the custom home furnishings industry. Sharon Gregory is a Mask America volunteer administrator, and the owner of The 13th Avenue Place, a drapery workroom located in Hickory NC. For 16 years, Sharon has worked with designers to realize their clients dreams by producing high-quality work, and is an expert in draperies, shades, and valances, pillows, cushions, light upholstery and bedding. Sharon joined the WCAA in 2004 and is currently a member of both the Triangle and Virtual chapters. She continues to expand her skillset by attending industry conferences and meetups, and taking classes both in person and online. Sharon moved from New Zealand to the USA with her family in 2001. She has always enjoyed sewing for herself, her family and her home. Opening her business has enabled her to share her skills and knowledge with others. Theresa Nelson is a Mask America volunteer administrator and master seamstress from Greenville, NC. She is the proud owner of Flipping Scissors, an online store where she sells her handcrafted creations. Currently, she works for Coffman’s a high-end suit store, assisting the lead tailor in custom alterations.
CONTENT COMING
Mask America Fullfilling a Need
Want to be featured in a future issue? Use #csfrl to make sure you get noticed. Mar/Apr 2020 Instagram Contributors: Anderson Fabrics, Inc - @andersonfabricsinc Susan Woodcock | Home Dec Gal - @homedecgal Peggy Morgans | Parkway Window Works - @peggymorgans Patti Ayers | Pillows and Pleats - @pillowsandpleats Nancy Letts | Pinehouse Drapery - @pinehousedrapery Rose Mary LeBlanc |RML Custom Home - @rmlcustomhome Laura Nelson | Sew Nice Creations - @sew_nice Amanda Smith | Sew Unordinary - @sewunoridarydrapery Terry Sandlin | Terry’s Designing Windows - @terryswindows Jessie Lee Miller | Winston’s Workroom - @winstonsworkroom Note: using #csfrl implies permission to use your image in the Drapery & Design Digital Digest with photo credit and Instagram link.
www.mylltd.com
Scroll to read full article In the Fringe, LLC is a 3-person workroom located in Havertown, PA. As a result of COVID-19, and Governor Wolf’s mandate to shut down all non-essential businesses on Thursday, March 12, 2020, I was feeling anxious and afraid, like many others across our great nation. Word was spreading that local medical facilities were experiencing a short supply of PPE equipment such as facemasks, gowns and caps. I felt a personal guttural response and I wanted to contribute to this emerging “mask movement”. I knew that I had a shop full of fabric, supplies and a network of skilled labor, so I was compelled to take action quickly and help to fill the needs of our local community. I got to work developing a prototype, pattern and process in the form of this video. It is my hope to inspire others, connect with other seamstresses/fabricators toward a common goal, share information and help distribute supplies for this cause. I have been building my business on strong designer/client relationships while delivering quality custom window covering products for 15 years. My background in sewing, textiles, fashion and costume design allows me to bring a unique perspective to each project. In the Fringe, LLC was launched in 2005 as a custom drapery workroom offering window treatment design, fabrication, measure and installation services. Our aim is to support designers by executing their vision. Our specialties include drapery, bedding, pillows, shades, blinds, shutters, motorization and more. We make it our top priority to oversee the intricate details every step of the way so that you don’t have to. At In the Fringe we believe in giving you a fabulous trade experience. We call it our“Red Tassel Treatment”and we hope you will give us the opportunity to collaborate with you soon!
with Jennifer Assetto
Making a DELUXE Fabric Face Mask
How are you doing? No, really, how are you doing? Are you adapting?
Jeanelle Dech, Susan Woodcock, & Ceil DiGuglielmo
Check In!
Ceil DiGuglielmo recently sat down with Jeanelle Dech and Susan Woodcock (remotely, of course!) to discuss living, working and surviving this "new normal." WATCH the live recording of the Podcast by clicking here! Click here to LISTEN.
Available as a FREE PDF download!
Scroll to read full article from Susan's Workroom Tech Blog which you can read here Expedited Low-Bulk, Pleated Drapery Method by Susan Woodcock There are many different methods for fabricating draperies. I specialize in a handcrafted product that requires a lot of time to accomplish. But not all my projects fit into that category. There are times when a quick turn around is needed to meet a deadline or budget. Besides being faster, this method has fewer layers at the top heading to make pleating easier. Less bulk can also create a tighter stack-back at the window. Fabric yardage and cuts: Finished width x 2.5 times fullness ÷ fabric width = number of cuts needed Face fabric cuts = finished length + 12 inches = cut length If using a patterned fabric, make an adjustment to allow for pattern repeats. Cut length x number of cuts needed ÷ 36 = number of yards needed (round up) Lining fabric = finished length + 4 1/2 inches = cut length You will need the same number of cuts as the face fabric. Cut length x number of cuts needed ÷ 36 = number of yards needed (round up) Step-by-step: Fold and press a 4 inch doubled hem in the bottom of the face fabric. Finish with your preferred method: machine or hand sewing, or using a fusible product. If more than 1 width per panel, sew the face fabric pieces together first and add weights at the bottom of each seam before hemming. Fold a 3-inch doubled hem in the bottom of the lining fabric and sew with a straight stitch. Serge across the top cut edge of the lining fabric and apply a fusible tape to the reverse side at the top using a steam iron. Set the lining aside. Place the hemmed face fabric face down on the worktable. If using a grid canvas, the bottom, hemmed edge should be at the finished length plus 4 inches. At the top, apply fusible buckram to the wrong side of the face fabric using a steam iron and inset 3 inches from each side. Fold over the buckram and press, double checking the finished length. If making a multiple width panel, continue across the entire drapery. Place the lining face up, lining up the bottom hems so that the lining is inset 1-inch from the bottom. Smooth the lining over the back of the face fabric. The top, serged edge will be 1/2” down from the top. Peel away the paper from the fusible tape on the back of the lining and press to the back of the drapery. Fold over a 1 1/2 inch side hem on each side, trimming away lining as needed. Finish side hems using your preferred method. Insert weights in the side hem at each bottom corner. For multiple width panels: if hand sewing or using a fusible hemming tape, finish the hem while it is on the table. If blind hemming by machine, pin the side hem and then drag the drapery over to finish the other side, pin and then take it to the machine. Mark pleats and spaces with pins while the drapery is on the worktable. Fold and sew pleats from the top edge, to the bottom edge of the buckram. Form two-finger or three-finger pleats. Adjust the stitch length to 1.5, and sew a small tack at the base of each pleat by backstitching. The drapery is finished and ready for pin hooks for installation. Resources: Face fabric: F1300 Seaside, Greenhouse Fabrics Lining: Classic Sateen, Hanes Fabrics Drapery supplies: 4-inch iron-on woven buckram, döfix No Sew, Inc. 3/8-inch Bordenfix tape, döfix No Sew, Inc. Susan Woodcock owns HomeDecGal.com, an online sewing and decorating resource and workroom. In 2017, Susan and her husband Rodger Walker founded Workroom Tech, a trade school for professional workrooms near their home in Tryon, North Carolina and they produce Custom Workroom Conference, an annual trade show and educational event for workroom professionals. Susan is an international speaker and instructor for bluprint.com, and The Workroom Channel. Her publishing credits include "Singer(R) Sewing Custom Curtains, Shades and Top Treatments", and "First Time Window Treatments: An Absolute Beginners Guide". She is a member of the WCAA and NUA.
Elastic in short supply? Try this clever pattern by
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For non-medical masks, this pattern fits the contours of the face and doesn’t require a wire at the nose. Thin hair ties work best for a snug fit and they are very comfortable. I got them at CVS in bulk packs. Filter material can be inserted in the center. I place a box pleat at each end which tailors the fit. Please join The Design Tribe Facebook Group for more info and to download the pattern. Welcome to my colorful life. I was born with a creative soul and art has always been my go to skill used to communicate ideas, problem solve, teach, and create beauty in my home and those of my clients and customers. I infuse art and creativity into every aspect of my life - it is who I am.After a long and fulfilling career in interior design I began writing books to share my creative vision with my peers in the industry. I had no idea at the time that I was unlocking a door to my true passion - product design and art. My books introduced me to the word of surface and pattern design and I was hooked. Since 2010 I have devoted my career to learning the skills needed to design and produce beautiful, happy, on trend, home decor products and art. The products available on this www.jackievontobel.com and all of my licensed products are the result of that hard work. JVT Engineered Mask Print Coming soon!
DOWNLOAD ENGINEERED MASK SEWING INSTRUCTIONS
Scroll to read full article Are you making face masks? Speed production with Engineered Face Mask Prints In recent days it has become clear that simple cotton face masks worn by the general public can help slow the spread of COVID-19. (See the article on page 2) Additionally, these face masks may be used in the healthcare setting when FDA-cleared masks are unavailable. The Workroom Marketplace is making it easy for you to produce masks more efficiently with their cleverly designed Engineered Face Mask Prints. Each print includes twenty-one 8"x11" rectangles. Complete with cut lines and pleat markings, these designs will speed production so that you can create more masks per hour. All you need is some twill tape, shaping wire (or twist ties) and you can join the hundreds of home-based workrooms across the country in the mask-making effort.
Get your MASK-MAKING FABRIC HERE!
www.HELSERBROTHERS.com E: information@helserbrothers.com P: 480.497.8191
click here for FREE DOWNLOAD from Waterfall Cushions by: Jeanelle Dech The Custom Home Furnishings Magazine Volume January/February 2008
Blast from the Past
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Scroll to read full article Step 1: For each mask, cut cotton, pre-washed fabric 8 inches by 14 inches, and 1/4 inch elastic 8 inches. (Cut a template out of cardboard to use for cutting the fabric, and elastic). Step 2: With the fabric face down, fold over and press 1/4-inch on each long side, and 1/2-inch on each end. Step 3: Cut a piece of Sealah 20 gauge adhesive shaper wire and center it on one end, 1/4 inch down (so you can stitch without getting into the sticky tape). You can also sew masks without the wire shaper. Step 4: Fold in half (the top edges will stick together) and fold in three pleats, pressing with an iron to hold the folds. Once you practice, you can pleat by eye and not have to mark each one. Step 5: At the sewing machine, insert elastic* and top stitch 1/4-inch from the edge around all four sides. Backstitch at each end of the elastic, and make sure the elastic is not twisted. Add extra stitching around the wire shaper for the nose area. *Instead of elastic, fabric ties or twill tape can be used. Each tie should be finished 18 inches and inserted at all four corners.
Mask Making tips from Home Dec Gal Susan Woodcock
Behind the COVER PHOTO
Content Coordinators
Jeanelle Dech The Workroom Channel The Workroom Marketplace Jeanelle@jeanelledech.com
Ceil DiGuglielmo Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Sew Much More Podcast Ceilwdi@gmail.com
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March-April 2020 photo credits: Jennifer Assetto, In The Fringe Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Tie-Up Textiles Susan Woodcock, Home Dec Gal Sandra VanSickle Jacki Von Tobel
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The Drapery & Design Digital Digest is the result of the collaborative efforts of The Workroom Channel and the Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library. Our mission is to showcase the outstanding work of custom home furnishings professionals, spotlight quality products, and share educational resources. Layout Editor: Liz Kelly, The Workroom Channel