Cochenille Design Studio

Skull cap in Stitch Painter

2011-12-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

Gabrielle gave us a great idea for using Garment Designer to create a cap. If you are going to knit the cap you can take it a step further and use Stitch Painter to include some graphics or color.

First Enter your Gauge in Garment Designer after you have drafted the shape of cap you want, and generate Shaping instructions. Write down your total number of Stitches wide by your total number of rows Tall.

Open a new document in Stitch Painter and set up the total number of rows Tall by the total number of Stitches wide you want the document to be. If you want to design the full cap you would multiply your single width by your total number of pieces. I chose to just do half so I multiplied it by 3. I ended up with 54 x 57 grid size.

Go back to Garment Designer and Generate Pixel-per-Stitch graphic, Select the piece and click on Edit Copy, this will copy the image to the clipboard.

Toggle back to your Stitch Painter and click on one upper most left stitch, and click on Edit Paste Special. Then click away to place the image on the grid. That will bring in and set one section of your cap. Select the image you just placed and click on Brush and then Capture. That will capture an image with the exact proportions you need to place down two more images.

After you have placed the three pieces you need you can add graphics or color:

You can then knit your cap following the gird. You can sew and knit just about anything with Garment Designer and Stitch Painter.

~Sonia Barton
http://modistamodesta.blogspot.com

Custom & Standard Bands in Garment Designer

2011-12-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

We have a wonderful Guest Post from a great Cochenille Software customer:

No matter what level you are at, there is always something new to learn. I'm not talking about life, so not to worry, no lecture here! I'm talking design. For my latest, a cardi and matching hat for Baby Harlow (a.k.a. Sweet Pea), the new things I learned were on Garment Designer. And how the PrSc button does a screen capture (I know, who knew??) so I can share it visually with all of you.First, so you can set your GD options the same as mine and follow along, here is a screen shot of the choices I made on the top bars:

Custom sizing in place, I turned off the sloper, dimensions, and counts so as to keep the picture uncluttered. In fact, though, I work with the grid and dimensions showing. Here is my baby cardi:

You'll notice that my sleeve is upside down compared to what you get if you're following along with your copy of GD. I planned it that way on purpose. I am a machine knitter, and I like to rehang the garment body on the machine and work from the shoulder down to the wrist. More on that in another blog maybe. First let's work through what I learned on this project, and that is Standard Bands vs. Custom Bands.I wanted one-inch bands of ribbing around the neck, down the front, around the hem (or hip) edge, and around the wrist. Symmetry is on. Standard Bands are applied by Additions > Standard Bands, or Control D. Enter what you want in the fields, then click OK. At first, it seemed that Standard Bands would do the job, and quickly. But look at what happened:

Now, I work with both sides of the front and both sides of the back showing because I like to see a whole picture of what I'm going to knit. So, while the above pictures with standard bands are workable, they just didn't satisfy me. I wanted the front band to flow, and above, it's not flowing.I turned off the standard bands by returning to Additions > Standard Bands, entering 0 (zero) in the fields, and clicking OK.The next step has to be done before you add custom bands. Click on the sides you want banded. Not the pieces. Hold the Shift button, click on the center front line and the v line. Notice near the top, where the v touches the shoulder, a little bit might not be red. Still holding the Shift key, click on that tiny segment also.

The selected sides turn red on both pieces simultaneously because L-R symmetry is on. Now click Additions > Add Band. When the field box comes up, name it something distinctive, like center front band.

If (when) you need to adjust the size of the band in the future, go to Additions > Edit Custom Additions.The back neck band now has to be done under Custom also. If you try to add it under Standard Bands, you'll get an extra band on the front piece that is already finished, even if Symmetry is off. Once that was done, I moved on to the bottom ribbing.Look at these two hem bands.1) Standard (Additions > Standard Bands) :

2) Custom: Select hem lines the same way you did the front band. Then click Additions > Add Band.

I chose the custom method because, again, I wanted the front band to flow the length of the garment. I use a knit contour (a.k.a. knit radar) to follow my printed pattern, so it really doesn't make a difference which one I print to follow, but I use GD to visualize the end result as well as to print a finished pattern, so to me it is important to the process.The wrist band can be done by the Standard method.

~Ginny Schweiss
http://jennamcknight.wordpress.com

Skull Cap in Garment Designer

2011-12-10T10:03:00.001-08:00

Someone recently posted pictures of a sweater and matching hat. They had designed the sweater using Garment Designer, but I misunderstood and thought they had designed the hat too. While I was corrected about this, it got me thinking about whether it would be possible to make a hat pattern using Garment Designer.

I opted for a simple 6-segment design, but you can change the number of panels easily.

First I took my measurements. Around my head from the nape, over the ears and across my temples I measure 22in. Over the top of my head from the nape to my forehead measures 14in, but from earlobe to earlobe measures 16in. I therefore decided that the segments should measure 3.5in wide (to allow for a little stretch) and 8in long.

I decided to use ëshapesí to develop this design, so the sloper size used is not important. I went into the Display Pieces dialog box and turned off all the standard garment pieces.

For the hat, I selected Shape 1 from the Extras menu, and set the shape to be Triangular, Curved-Medium. I also displayed dimensions.

I selected the bottom line of the triangular shape and dragged it downwards until the height measurement was 8in for the upper section of the side.

I selected the point at the centre of the bottom edge and moved it upwards until the measurement for the height of this segment disappeared completely, then adjusted the curve control points until they completely flattened this bottom line.

I selected the outer point of the bottom line and brought it inwards until the width at the bottom was 3.5in (i.e. 2x1.75), then adjusted the top of this line segment and its control points until the line at the edge looked ërightí. In my case this proved to be a line that is 5.66in high (from the statistics on the bottom left of the window), perpendicular to the bottom edge at the base, and with only a very small curve inwards at the top.

The final step is to reshape the curve at the top to flow more smoothly from the lower section.

If you are sewing, add seam allowances now, print the pattern and cut 6 identical pieces from fleece with the greatest stretch going across the pieces.

For knitting, you will be making either a circular or flat piece that is 6x the width of this pattern piece. The shaping at the edge of the pattern piece will be accomplished by decreasing at the 1/6th marks. You may want to manually stagger the left and right edge decreases so they don't appear on the same row.

You can see from this short tutorial that you could adjust the sides any way you want to get your desired shape of hat.

~Gabrielle Stanley

http://www.gabrielles-sewing-studio.co.uk/

http://gabriellestanley.blogspot.com/

Cochenille 2012 Workshops & Dec News

2011-12-01T14:11:00.001-08:00

Our monthly email went out today. If you did not receive one, please sign up on the home page of our website www.cochenille.com or if you have already signed up and haven't received one check your spam folders and filters, you can also try adding info@cochenille.com to your address book or approved recipient lists.

Hi Everyone,

New:

We have some final dates for our Design Retreats and Workshops for 2012, and

again a few questions. Thank you all for your responses they are useful in

order to get you what you need.

March 16 - 18, 2012 we will have a Garment Designer workshop in San Marcos,

CA. $200 for tuition. We can provide you with hotel information so that you

can make your reservations. Student limit is 8. Please call Sonia

858-259-1698 for more information or to register.

June 24 - July 2nd 2012 Cochenille Design Retreat in Verona, Italy. $1500

tuition. Some of the classes will be in artist studios, some on location (in

the fashion field so to say). If you would like more information or to

**Potentially Optional Italy Add-on: If you would be interested in doing an

'Italian Food' retreat just prior to the fashion one. Please reply with your

interest, so that we can plan accordingly.

It will only be 4-5 days. So, some people could come and do both if they

wanted, or bring their hubby for that, then stay on for fashion. The

Tentative food dates are June 17-21, or June 18 - 21. There would be visits

to see Risotto, Olive Oil, Wine, and Cheese manufacturing, as well as

cooking classes, and related things. Initially we are putting out a feeler

to see if people are interested in that. Enrollment would be limited to 5

people.

August 2 - 7, 2012 we will be having our annual Cochenille Design Retreat in

New Mexico. We would like to know if there are at least 10 Intermediate

students that would like to participate and make this retreat and

Intermediate workshop. Intermediate would mean that you are ready to push

ahead, you would need to have a good grasp of Garment Designer Basics and be

ready to move on...?? Also we have had feed back in the past that the

students would like to make the 'Day in Santa Fe' going around to the local

artist optional, and have that day be added to the days at the Inn to be

able to work further on Garment Designer, for those who wish to participate

your input would be very welcome??

Where We'll Be:

http://www.cochenille.com/events.html

We don't have any Tradeshows or events in December, but this link will be

updated in early Dec with all the new information for 2012.

Thank you all for your support!

Susan Lazear

http://susanlazear.blogspot.com

Sonia Barton

http://modistamodesta.blogspot.com

Business Blog

http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com

Retreat Group on Rodeo Drive

2011-11-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, we had our San Marcos Retreat. These are some shots of what the group, could view strolling down Rodeo Drive in the evening.

The ladies are 'posing' for you.

And now, a couple of street shots.

You can see some of the wonderful window displays as well as some garments.

Sonia at Mood Fabrics

2011-11-21T14:49:00.000-08:00

Here is Sonia.... at Mood Fabrics in Los Angeles. Some of the fabrics are for Cochenille projects, in development. One piece is for her.

Hopefully we can share some of the finished results.

Cochenille Design Retreat... Women in LA

2011-11-06T21:49:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, we had ten Retreat Participants here for our design retreat. Saturday was 'Field Trip' day, we we ventured up to the Garment and Fashion districts of Los Angeles.

Here you can see the 'group' shopping at a sewing supply store, walking the street, and eating the famous 'bacon dog' on the street.

More to come...

Pattern draft a Cowl Neckline in Garment Designer

2011-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Two Cowl Neck Top Designs

Cowl Neck Top – Type A, a bias draped cowl at the front.

I decided to use a contoured top with cap sleeves, so I picked these options. The semi-fitted Top Style is the least fitted of the contoured options.

Top Group: Contoured Top Style: Semi-Fitted Shoulder: Sloped Neck Group: Boat Neck Style: Modified Darts: None Sleeve Group: Cap Cap Style: Angled

As I consider the waist and hip still a little too fitted, I selected those segments and moved them to a more pleasing position. I also made the cap not so wide, and the armhole shallower. I also raised the shoulder point slightly.

To make the cowl, I selected the centre front neck point and dragged it outwards to make the neckline longer. (Not forgetting to turn off F/B symmetry before doing this.) I also used the curve control points on the neck to straighten it out. Then I selected the centre hem point and dragged it slightly out, and downwards to increase the centre front length. I used the hem curve control points to make the hemline a better shape.

To complete the pattern piece, I created a facing for the neckline. When printing the pattern, print the pages with the facing a second time and cut it out separately, then flip it over and attach it to the neck edge so it forms an extension to the pattern piece. It will make a V shape at the shoulder. You may want to cut this out so it is wider at the centre front rather than parallel to the neckline for its whole length, as the inside of the neckline may show when worn.

When you cut out the fabric, the centre front should be cut so it is on the bias, NOT the straight grain, or the cowl will not drape correctly. (Unless of course you are using a knit fabric)

(Unfortunately, this pattern adaptation only works for sewing. I think you should be able to knit something with the front in one piece, but as the centre front is not at 45 degrees to the vertical, it is not possible to generate shaping instructions for this pattern piece with the centre front as a vertical line. There may be a way of doing this by moving the points for the shoulder and side seam instead, but I have not worked this out. )

It is the dragging of the neck point out and down, then cutting it on the bias, that creates the cowl, so here is a picture of an alternative cowl neck garment to give you the idea.

Cowl Neck Top – Type B, an exaggerated roll collar.

For this, I am going to look at the neckline only. For this reason I am not displaying the sleeve, but of course you will want to include it if you are creating a sleeved garment.

I selected a round neckline, and opted for the Wide Deep style. From the Extras menu I selected to have collars Joined At Back. This activates the Collar Group selection boxes. I changed the Collar Group to Full Roll.

The bottom edge of this collar will fit the neckline. I want a much deeper collar, so I selected the neck edge and moved it downwards until I got the collar depth I wanted. (You should display dimensions to help with this, but I have left them off to make the pictures easier to see.)

To make the outer edge looser, drag the outer points outwards.

For sewing, I would cut this double with the outer edge along a bias fold. Although the Full Roll collar is not available in a ‘joined at the front version, I would use a back seam for the collar. Do not make the outer edge too large or the collar will look strange.

For knitting, I wouldn’t use the shaping instructions as generated, as this will produce a strange neckline shape. Instead, I would look at the number of stitches to be increased from the neck to the outer edge, and the number of rows deep. I’d then decide how many increase points around the circumference of the neck, and divide the number of stitches to be increased by this, to determine how many increase rows I would need. For example, if I need to increase 36 stitches, and I decide to have 6 increase points, I would need to increase 6 stitches evenly around the row 6 times. With 30 rows, my increases would need to be every 5 rows (probably starting on row 2 or 3 then every 5th row 5 more times, then straight to row 30.

~Gabrielle Stanley

Cochenille Design Studio UK Educator/Dealer

gabrielle@gabrielles-sewing-studio.co.uk

http://www.gabrielles-sewing-studio.co.uk/

http://www.coriandr.com/shop/gabriellessewing

http://gabriellestanley.blogspot.com/

Theatre in Fashion, Beverly Hills, CA Oct. 14 – Nov. 13th, 2011

2011-10-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Want to be awed?
Need inspiration?
Just simply love couture fashion?

If so, I need to tell you about an amazing fashion exhibit in the Los Angeles area which has a limited engagement (four weeks). The name of the exhibit is Theatre in Fashion (Il Teatro alla Moda).

I first saw this exhibit in Milan last summer with my Verona Retreat group. We were all in awe as we walked through the galleries, and were pleased to hear that the garments were coming to Los Angeles area in the Fall.

Theatre in Fashion features 80 garments designed by top designers such as Armani, Capucci, Fendi, Marras, Missoni, Ungaro, Valentino, and Versace. These amazing structures were created for opera, drama, and ballet. Therefore, they are stage pieces and utterly fantastic. Sponsored by the Wallis Annenberg Center, the exhibition is located on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. As you tour the array of color, structure and creativity, you will walk through several galleries, laid out by designer. In numerous cases, you can see the concept sketch, and then the final garment.

I think what amazed me most is the fantastic architectural design that occurs when a garment is designed for the stage. I can guarantee you that you will not be disappointed in what you see. Every fashion student should make a point of seeing this show, sketch book in hand, to learn from the masters.

Do hurry though, as the exhibit ends on November 13^th, 2011. It is a four-week engagement.

Theatre in Fashion (hosted by Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)

http://www.annenbergbh.com

Exhibit is located in a temporary space at

253 North Beverly Dr.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Hours: Wed – Friday, noon -7 p.m.

Saturday/Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 per person, Thursday – Sunday;

Children under 12 and students with ID are free.

Admission on Wednesday is free.

Parking is free for two hours in a nearby lot.

And now.. to tempt you...

Missoni Costumes for the 1990 World Cup in Italy

Capriccio by Robert Capucci

Capriccio by Gianni Versace

photos provided with permission of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Pool Cover-up Jumpsuit

2011-10-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Pool Cover-up Jumpsuit

A client brought a strapless jumpsuit to me for alteration recently. It has shirring at the top and at the waistline. When I mentioned it on the Designer School Yahoo List, someone asked how such a garment could be made using Garment Designer, so I put together this tutorial. I hope it will be useful, or at least interesting for you

Start by selecting the following:
Category: Top Plus Bottom
Top Group: Basic
Top Style: Semi-Fitted
Sleeve Group: Sleeveless
Armhole: Standard
Darts: None
Shoulder and neckline are not important as they will be cut off.
Subcategory; Pants
Pants Group: Women’s Template
Pants Style: Straight Low Crotch
Waist Treatment: No Treatment
Darts: None

Because there will be shirring at the waistline, I moved the point where the side seam meets the waist on the pants over to the side seam. This will show the point where the shirring will be added.

To add ease I grabbed all the points making up the side seam and moved them over (you could switch dimensions on to see how much ease you are adding, or use the gridlines.)

I also added some ease by moving the crotch point down, and the inseam over

Because we are making a strapless top, the armhole depth needs to be reduced to match up with the depth on the sloper. I selected the two points forming the underarm part of the armhole and moved them upwards.

Next I added extra length to the body to allow for some blousing. I did this by selecting the whole of both the front and back tops and moving them upwards. I used the Shift key when clicking the 2nd piece to make sure I had them both selected.

To draw the line for the top of the garment, I needed to see how long the side seam is, so I turned on Dimensions. I selected the hemline of the top and used the Additions menu to add a facing, setting the width to the same as the side seam length.

I then added a 2nd facing this width plus the amount I wanted to turn down as a hem at the top, and also a global seam allowance.

The final step is to turn off the dimensions and sloper and display the final pattern.

When printing this, ignore the portion above the ‘facing’ lines. Appy shirring above the pant waistline and at the top edge after sewing the garment together using your favorite pant construction sequence.

~Gabrielle Stanley
Cochenille Design Studio UK Educator

gabrielle@gabrielles-sewing-studio.co.uk

http://www.gabrielles-sewing-studio.co.uk/

http://www.coriandr.com/shop/gabriellessewing

http://gabriellestanley.blogspot.com/

Fall Trend Report 2011

2011-10-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Fall Trend Report2011: Knits are In!

Are you looking for ideas for your nextfall knitting project? Why not look to the runways? Knits are definitely inthis season in a variety of styles. Here are five top trends that can make youlook like you’re wearing designer clothes… that you’ve designed and knityourself.

1.Chunky – Who wouldn’t want to curl up in a nice chunky sweater whentemperatures drop? But you may want to use discretion, as chunky knits seem towork best if you’re tall; otherwise you may appear overwhelmed by all thatyarn. But there’s no one stopping you from knitting a big chunky sweater towear around the house on a snowy weekend.

2.Patterned – Designers had lots of fun taking knits from boring toextraordinary this season. Polka dots, stripes, and all sorts of other abstractpatterns were incorporated into knits on the runway. So pick your favoritepattern and work it into a sweater – the brighter, the better!

3.Winter White – Pearly white sweaters were all over the runways, includingCeline and Stella McCartney. The most preferred style seemed to be slouchy,which works best with a slim skirt or trousers.

4. Belted – Agreat way to dress up a thin sweater is with a belt, such as how models werestyled at Nina Ricci. This works especially well for long sweaters orsweater-dresses.

5. Poncho – An alternative to a big cozy sweater isthe poncho, which on the runway ranged from sleek, single-color versions tohuge patterned ones that could be mistaken for blankets. Some were styled morelike capes, with arm openings in the front and buttons.

AndreaErins has been a teacher for 13 years and likes to write about many topicsincluding everything related to education. She is the owner of the site Masters in EducationColleges.

Catch of the Day

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Susan Ludwig from Ludwig Collection Blog with a very special and inspiring Guest Post:

Catch of the Day

This was such a FUN project! It all started as I've been curious about combining wire AND fiber. When I spotted a contest for "Fish Hats" I instantly "saw" my entry... I just wasn't sure how to go about it. Nevertheless, the spirit of creativity showed me the way and I won an award!

As many of you will understand, the execution of the project was definitely “fun” – in creating something new and unprecedented, I tend to go so far, then back off for a day until the next step reveals itself. In this case, I couldn’t wait to complete knitting the body because I really wanted to knit the fins! I’d expected to have a ‘cap’ on the bottom to fit the wearer’s head, however the fish kept falling over ‘dead’ so I had to prop him up from inside. Voila! He swims!!

Yes, it's totally wearable, one size fits all and lined in silk fabric. "Catch" measures 18"x18" not counting the 'seaweed.'

Today, it's a hat; tomorrow it may become a sculpture. It is OOAK (One of a Kind) definitely a conversation piece!! $449.00 plus tax.

(These artist statements have been so great. I was almost tempted to do two separate posts for Susan, her statement was so good. Support our Guests, Leave them a comment below. ~Sonia)

Ludwig Collection

Bodacious Bags…a Series

Knitting andsewing have been my constant companions since we were introduced at the age ofeight. Dressing andre-dressing my Barbie doll was a major pastime as a young girl. Rather than follow an art career, I was

encouraged to seek a more ‘practical’ career in publiceducation which I did. Years later, I broke away and wrote a book on fashionfor the petite woman, promoting freedom from the longstanding “rules of petitedressing.”*

I‘need’ to knit each day and enjoy the fact that it is a repetitive movement forthe most part, which gives me a welcome opportunity for reflection. I also like that it is extremelyportable and NEVER the same. Imarvel at the fact that I can create something beautiful with just “two sticksand string.”
Unlikethe majority of knitters who purchase a sufficient quantity of one yarn tocomplete a garment, I approach yarn in the same way I would a smorgasbordbuffet, selecting a little of everything and then attempting to fit it all onmy plate - or into my current knitting project. I don’t have a favorite color –it’s all about one colorcombined with others.
I am constantly learning andexploring opportunities to blend elements from dressmaking into my knitting,for example, each handbag is lined in a coordinating shade of sumptuous dupionisilk fabric. I often incorporatehand dyed silk fabric “knitted” in my artwear. Recently, I’ve added wire and multi-media to my repertoire.
Iconsider myself more fortunate than a painter because I have on my palette notonly an array of color but texture as well. To begin, Isit before a large basket brimming with a rich profusion of 12-20 differentyarns. By the time I’ve spent oneto three weeks on a piece we’ve become so well acquainted that each insists on herown personality and is granted a name which is never used twice.

*PetiteStyle: The Ultimate Fashion Guide for Women 5’4” and Under by SusanLudwig. New York: New AmericanLibrary, 1988. Illustrated with100 line drawings and 24 color photos; 183 pages.

Susan Ludwig

Ludwig Collection

Spanish VillageArt Center, Studio 34A in Balboa Park

www.LudwigCollection.blogspot.com

Jacket with dramatic shawl collar

2011-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

We are very grateful to Gabrielle Stanley for her continued support in sharing her projects with us to post on our blog.

Chiffon Jacket With Dramatic Shawl Collar
Someone recently asked me about this chiffon draped jacket, so I thought I would put together a tutorial on how to create a similar garment.

I started with a Standard Top, using the Oversized style with Sloped shoulders. The neck is Shawl Collar, Basic Shawl. I used sloped shoulders. The sleeves are Attached, Kimono 2.

I first adjusted the curve of the kimono sleeve to get a smoother line where the sleeve joins the body by nudging the curve control points.

Before going any further, I switched off F/B symmetry. I also checked my dimension units in the Project Options – I will be using Inches, Decimal for this project.

To make a deep inverted box pleat at the centre back, I selected the centre back seam and added an Extension of 3 inches.

I then switched my attention to the centre front, moving the centre front seam outwards to make a very wide collar. I displayed dimensions so I could watch how wide I was making it, adding 15in to the width of the hem. The shawl collar became a very strange shape but I ignored this for the moment.

I checked the seam length of the back neckline and the collar, then made the neckline vertical by moving the point at the top of the collar, keeping the seam length the same. (I got a warning message during this operation to remind me that the two seamlines needed to be the same.)

I then adjusted the collar itself to give me a straight front edge and a right angle at the top. This involved moving both ends and both control points for the shawl collar.

I decided I wanted the length of the jacket a little lower than my hipline so I adjusted the Top Length to 32. I dragged the bottom point of the centre front down to get the dramatic point at the bottom of the collar.

I added seam allowances all round both pattern pieces – I will make a folded and topstitched edge around the edges. As the pattern pieces are so wide, there will need to be a centre back seam. Before trimming the back neckline from the printed pattern, remember to fold the box pleat in place behind the neckline and trim all 3 layers together

I used French seams on my chiffon, though this isn’t suitable for the back neck/collar seam. This can be clipped then bound with a bias strip instead.
Sew in this order:

Two fronts at the centre back of the collar.
Stay stitch and clip the corners where the collar meets the front shoulder.
Make a tuck in the collar at right angles to the centre back seam This is 2in wide, i.e. 1in finished width, and is centred 3 ¼ in from the back neck edge of the collar. (You can use a facing on this line to mark the position if desired). It should extend across the back neck and about 2 in in front of the shoulder.
Two backs down the back.
Two backs at the centre back to waist level, making the box pleat. The box pleat is sewn together to about waist level, but is supported from the neckline rather than trimmed away.
Sleeve/shoulder/back neck, catching the box pleat and the bias strip into the back neck seam.
Underarm/side.
Sew loops on the front points at the hem, and put buttons on the centre of the shoulders to allow for draping of the fronts.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment below, someone else might have the same question.

~Gabrielle Stanley

http://gabriellestanley.blogspot.com/

Customer Spotlight...Ginny Schweiss

2011-09-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ginny Schweiss, like many knitters, learned to knit as a child, on dime-store needles and Red Heart yarn. Forget Barbie dolls and her store-bought dresses--Ginny’s collection of Breyer horses wore the fanciest hand knit blankets in the country. Her first wearable design came out of necessity years later, when she had a dance to go to in high school and needed a top. It didn’t occur to her to look for a pattern. It didn’t even occur to her that it wasn’t normal to just sit down and knit a sweater, her first. While one might think this smashing, early success would lead to a long, illustrious career in design or any other fiber related industry, one would be way off target. Instead, she chose a route of physical therapist-turned-novelist, which prompts most people, upon hearing this, to pause, look confused, and wonder how one possibly led to the other.

Today, she still uses the same needles, and two grandkids play with the horses. Her office has made a visible transition from that of successful novelist to adventurous knitter. Research books peek out from behind the usual stash of colorful cones and skeins. Walls with writing awards are lined with knitting machines.
Her Butterfly sweater is the first project she designed on Garment Designer. She says the hardest thing for her is to keep anything simple, as once a design is underway, her imagination is always striving to make it unique, maybe memorable, definitely perfect, but not over-the-top. She loves designs that fit, texture, colorwork, and beads. Stitch Painter is on her wish list.

Ginny lives in St. Louis, MO. She can be found a few places on the web:
www.ravelry.com - Beaded Pony Designs
www.novelsites.us - maintaining websites for other authors and knitters
www.jennamcknight.com - her Jenna McKnight author website
http://jennamcknight.wordpress.com - occasional blogs about knitting and favorite rants

Zip Top Handbag in Garment Designer

2011-08-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Garment Designer Project submitted by Gabrielle Stanley. If you would like to submit a Guest Blog Post that uses Cochenille products feel free to email Sonia at info@cochenille.com

Zip Top Handbag

This handbag is a good size for everyday use, providing you don't carry the kitchen sink.

You need: (all measurements in inches. Seam allowances must be added.)

Sides:
Cut 2 inf fabric, 2 in lining and 2 in fusible wadding. Mark Center points at bottom and top.

Base:
Cut 1 in fabric, 1 in lining, 1 in fusible wadding and 1(with now seam allowances) in plastic canvas (or other rigid stiffening). Mark center points of each side and also corners where seam lines intersect.

Top:
Cut 2 in fabric and 2 in fusible wadding.

Strap:
Cut 2 in fabric.

Additionally you will need 2 small scraps of fabric, and a zip. I used continuous zip and cut it 11 inches. The finished opening is 10.25 inches.

To Make:

1. Fuse the fusible wadding to the sides, base and tops.

2. Take the straps and fold them in 1/4 along the length, so the raw edges are enclosed. Topstitch down both edges.

3. Sew the two sides together along the sloped seams.

4. Position the handles so there is one per side, 3 inches in from the ends, and tack in place. Make sure they are not twisted.

5. Sew the two small scraps of fabric to the ends of the zip.

6. Sew the tops to either side of the zip, continuing the stitching onto the scraps of fabric, but leaving the ends unsewn for 1 in. Fold the tops down and topstitch where you have sewn. You will now have a rectangle of fabric with a zip in the middle.

7. Fold this in half along the length of the zip, and sew the two ends together. Now fold the ends back along the zip, and sew across the triangle formed. Open the zip.

8. Place the top inside the sides and sew together around the top. Turn right sides out and topstitch around the edge.

9. Take the base and align the middle of the short ends with the seamline of the sides. Pin the rest of the short edges to the bottom of the sides. Sew between the corner markings ONLY.

10. Clip the sides to the ends of the stitching.

11. Sew the remaining long edges of the base to the bottom of the sides.

12. Trim a little from the edges of the plastic canvas and place it inside the bag.

13. If you want an inside pocket, sew it to one of the lining sides.

14. Sew the lining sides together along the sloped edges.

15. Sew the lining base to the lining sides using the same method as sewing the fabric base to the fabric sides.

16. Place the lining inside the bag and hand sew it around the edge of the zip tape.

If you would like the Garment Designer 2.5 files for this pattern, feel free to email sonia at info@cochenille.com and put Zip Top Handbag in the subject, and a .gds file will be emailed back to you.

~ Gabrielle Stanley
Cochenille Design Studio
UK Educator
http://gabriellestanley.blogspot.com/

Using Collars in Garment Designer

2011-08-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

There are a few things to keep in mind when using the collars in Garment Designer.

The first thing is where to find them. Most are under the Extra's menu located along the Top menu bar:

There are a few collars that get added to drop down menu's when you buy Style sets, like the Shawl and Tailored collar from the Style set 2 get added to the Neck Group.

Second to bring up a collar from the Extra's menu you must click on either Joined at Front or Joined at Back. Note that the word "Collars:" will always be ghosted it has a colon behind it to denote a Title. There are other Title menu's like this in Garment Designer, it means the functions are beneath the Title.

Third the Collars are separated into Stand, Full Roll, Partial Roll, Flat and Hood. You will need to know the construction of the collar pattern pieces to find the correct collar you are looking for. Susan has done a great job in the manual of explaining the terminology of the collar. Chapter 8 page 25. If you need additional help you can also purchase our Fun Fashion collars PDF booklet. It has more detailed and in-depth information regarding collar construction.

With those key points you are well on your way to be able to add a collar to any design. Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions.

~Sonia Barton
Cochenille Design Studio
858-259-1698
info@cochenille.com

New Educator Gabrielle Stanley ... Guest Post

2011-08-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

If you are part of any of our groups, you have seen Gabrielle Stanley's name and may have realized she is very knowledgeable about Garment Designer, for both Sewing and Knitting. She runs Gabrielle's Sewing Studio and has her own blog at Gabriellestanley.blogspot.com

She is now our newest Educator (she's in the UK), you can find her contact information on our Educator page. If you are an Educator (or not) and would like to do a blog post please email Sonia at info@cochenille.com.

Here is her Guest Blog post:

The story of a cardigan

On holiday a couple of years ago, I wandered into a yarn shop and fell in love with a colourway of Noro Blossom. I bought up what the shop had in stock, even though it was not enough for a complete garment, then sourced some more from a couple of online sites. I felt with such a variety of colours in the yarn, a mismatch of dyelots would not notice too much.

After researching the available patterns, I did not like any enough, so I looked at pictures of other garments, and finally decided on a sidew

ays knit cardigan with an asymmetric front opening.

Since the yarn is self-striping, I decided I would need to ke

ep the widths of the pattern pieces fairly even to reduce the amount the stripe widths varied. This led to my choosing to design a pattern with separate sleeves, and a separate front and back. To make the garment fit together easily with the stripes, I decided on square shoulders, and for such a garment I felt darts would be unnecessary.

With such a basic garment shape I was able to use a Simple Fit sloper.

So the choices were:

Top Group: Basic

Top Style: Average

Shoulder: Straight

Neck Group: Round

Neck Style: Standard

Darts: None

Sleeve Group: Separate

Sleeve Type: Drop Shoulder

Combo: None

Armhole: Standard

Sleeve Shape: Tapered

Sleeve Length: Long

Looking at the on-screen pattern, my first thought was that the sleeve was too wide at the top, so I changed the armhole depth by selecting the underarm point and nudging it upwards using the up arrow key.

Next I worked on the front opening. Changing the L/R Symmetry to Give/Take, and switching off F/B Symmetry so I didn't affect the back neckline.

I selected the centre front segment and moved it to the right using the right arrow key. When I had moved it so the left neckline was almost straight, I changed the Display to Actual Size and was able to nudge the line using the arrow kes until I completely got rid of any jagged sections of the neckline. (I often change the display scale to get an exact measurement or straight line.)

I then turned L/R symmetry off completely, made sure I only had the right frontís centre front segment selected, and moved it further over to obtain an overlap for closure.

My cardigan was now ready for the yarn information. I hand knitted a test swatch on the needles recommended on the ball band, measured it, and recorded the information:

Next came the conversion to sideways knitting. I generated my Pattern Pixel-Per-Stitch Graphics.

Selecting each front piece in turn, I pressed 'Z' once to rotate them clockwise.I then selected the back piece and pressed 'Z' 3 times to rotate it to the same position as going anticlockwise. The sleeve did not need rotating as I planned to knit it in the conventional direction.

I now changed from displaying Dimensions to displaying Stitch Counts.

Because I was planning to knit by hand from the left side, I set the cast on points to be the bottom left of the fronts and the top left of the back, by clicking on the numbers at these points. I also decided to work the sleeves top-down to allow for easy length adjustment, so I set the cast on point at the top right of the sleeve.

The shaping instructions were fairly straightforward. In order to work a moss stitch edge, I needed to manually add instructions to start and finish a moss stitch portion around the neckline as well as the opening edges at the fronts and the bottom edges of all pieces. I also needed to manually add the buttonhole.

I started knitting with the left front, so I could check my tension, and also weighthe finished piece to determine the stitch count by weight to determine if I had enough yarn.

I finished the cardigan with a large button at the top of the asymmetric opening, and press studs down the rest of the opening to prevent it flapping open.

~Gabrielle Stanley

August News

2011-08-04T12:47:00.001-07:00

If you have signed up for our Newsletter and did not receive the following, Check your Spam filters, or Spam folders, Or you can try adding info@cochenille.com to your address book or approved senders list.

Hi Everyone,

New:

Mac has released a New Operating system 10.7 Lion, our programs are not

currently 10.7 compatible, but we are working as fast as we can to get them

compatible. We will send out an email as soon as we have more information,

thank you for your patience.

Cochenille on the Web:

Blog: If you are interested in doing a Guest post, please email us. Lots of

you have wonderful information to share. We could really use the help of

some aspiring writers. http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Wow, Thank you all for your support and participations, we love

seeing all those pics.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encinitas-CA/Cochenille-Design-Software/241040118585?ref=ts

Where We'll Be:

http://www.cochenille.com/events.html

August 5 - 9 Cochenille Design Retreat, Cimmarron, NM

August 18 - 22 American Sewing Guild Conf. Los Angeles, CA

August 25 - 28 Stitches Midwest, Schaumburg, IL

August Specials:

http://www.cochenille.com/spec.html

Back to School Sale

We hope you are all enjoying the last weeks of Summer before going back to

school. For all of you Fashion students, Design Students or just students of

Life type your field of study in our Promocode: field and receive 10% off

you entire order. That makes a Garment Designer $179. instead of $199.

Thank you all for your support!

Susan Lazear

http://susanlazear.blogspot.com

Sonia Barton

http://modistamodesta.blogspot.com

Business Blog

http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com

Cover for a Dress Form

2011-07-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

I picked up a dress form out of a dumpster a long time ago. She was missing her legs, which I fixed quickly I just put her on a stool and she became the perfect height also strong enough to hold the heavy wedding gowns.

When I picked her up I just figured I would sew her some very tight fitting clothes.

I took her measurements:

Entered them in Garment Designer:

Brought up a contoured style, and then moved all of my points in to mimic the sloper. I bought a stretch knit fabric, so I needed no ease.

Printed it out, sewed up my seams on the serger and Voila she has her first outfit!

Because Garment Designer shows you the Sloper (body Measurements) under the pattern pieces you are drafting, it's easy to see what kind of ease you are building into your pattern pieces.

~Sonia Barton

Jan Cochenille News

2011-01-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

We hope everyone rang in the New Year there best way possible. We wish for
all a Very Happy, Healthy and Profitable 2011!

New:
We have finalized a few dates for 2011.

First the Cochenille Italy Retreat, June 25th - July 3rd, 2011
Some of our classes will be in artist studios, some on location (in the
fashion field so to say), and some in the courtyard of the Medieval building
where two of the apartments are located. There will be one out-of-town tip
to Venice. Visit our Events page for a full itinerary, details of included
items in Cost of $1,500. There is a Max of 8 participants - You must call
Sonia at 858-259-1698 to register with a $500 deposit.
http://www.cochenille.com/events.html ONLY a few spots left.

And then our New Mexico Cochenille Design retreat will be August 5 - 9, 2011
in Cimmarron, NM.

Cochenille on the Web:

Blog: http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/
This month the Tip/Technique blog post is on Drafting a baby Onesie for
sewing and knitting. We hope you enjoy it. Feel free to send us an email or
comment, any suggestions or questions you would like answered.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encinitas-CA/Cochenille-Design-Software/241040118585?ref=ts

Where We'll Be:
http://www.cochenille.com/events.html

We don't have any Tradeshows, Retreats or Workshops in Jan.

Jan/Feb Specials:
http://www.cochenille.com/spec.html

A Valentine's gift from Cochenille to you. Place an order of $75 or more and
recieve one of the following items free:
http://www.cochenille.com/producthtml/prodcbook.html

Stitch Painter lesson book CD
Get the most out of Stitch Painter and learn basic design skills as you
go...Motif Creation, Motif development, Basic Repeats, Coloration & Design
Inpiration.
Promocode: FreeSPLBCD Regular: $14.00

Stitch Painter Training Video
GIn this 90 minute plus video, you will be given a guided tour through
Stitch Painter's. . .Toolbox, Color, Symbol and Texture Palettes and Menu
Structures and Commands. To solidify your learning Process, Susan will
demonstrate the creation of two projects: a stitchery oriented project and a
knitting oriented project.
Promocode: FreeSPVD (for VHS)or Free SPDVD (for DVD) Regular: $29.95

Garment Designer's Easy Seven Jackets
Learn how to think 'outside of the box' and use our software to the fullest!
Book includes: 7 jacket styles with instructions on how to make them in
Garment Designer software, Illustrated Sewing Instructions, Knitting Tips
and General Techniques and Tips.
Promocode: FreeEasy7 Regular: 24.00

Thank you all for you support:

Susan Lazear
http://susanlazear.blogspot.com

Sonia Barton
http://modistamodesta.blogspot.com

Business Blog:
http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Drafting a Baby Onesie in Garment Designer

2010-12-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Having questions to answer makes writing blog post must easier. Do you have a question you want answered? Email it to us at info@cochenille.com

Basics of Drafting a Baby Onesie in Garment Designer

First you will want to make sure you have the correct measurements if you will be working with a knit fabric. The best thing to do other than try and reinvent the wheel is to find a Onesie and measure it off. First measure the Onesie and then measure the child and you will figure out the amount of Negative ease that you will need to build into your Onesie. For a woven fabric, well I don't think I've ever seen a Onesie in a Woven fabric you just might be the first. Please send Pictures if you sew one up!!!

For Sewing:

Select from your drop down menu's the following:

Category: Top Plus Bottom
Size Group: (the size you need) Standard Infants' (example)
Size: (the size you need) Newborn (example)
Top Group: Basic
Top Style: Average
...
...
...
Sleeve Shape: Semi-Flared
Sleeve Length: Short
SubCategory: Pants
Pants Group: Generic Template
Pants Style: Underwear 1
...
...

When you start doing Advanced work in Garment Designer it will sometimes generate Error messages. This doesn't mean that you are doing something wrong - as long as you know what it is you are after, you can simply read the error messages and sometimes you need to do as they say, and it will let you move on. Once you are done you can Check the Information and Recommendations page to see if there might be something that would make your design unusable.

I received the following:

Error 51: The Top Plus Bottom Category is intended as a limited use preview category only. You should normally work in the Top or Bottom Category. See Appendix E. - First the Appendix E depending on Which version of Garment Designer you have - will either be as a PDF in a folder called Tutorials Plus in the Garment Designer folder on your Hard Drive - or at the end of the Garment Designer PDF manual. That will give you more information on how best to use the Top Plus Bottom feature.

Also as your moving points around you might receive others - Your not hurting the program just click Ok and keep working.
Don't let it detour you.

You then simply move your points around to draft the pattern you want.

I moved up the bodice hem to line up with the underwear waist, I didn't worry about it being perfect. I'll be cutting out the pattern as one piece so the inside doesn't matter. Then I moved the Bodice Side Hem point in to meet the Underwear side waist.

I then Displayed my Deminsions and my Grid - to change my armhole to match the one I had measured off.

I then worked on the sleeve. The Onesie has a small set in cap sleeve. I Chose the Semi-Flared Sleeve Shape because that style sleeve give me a curved sleeve hem with two Bezier curves I can control. A simple cap Sleeve follows the curves of the cap. Like so:

The last thing I needed to do was extend the back underwear crotch to build in an overlap for the snaps. I simply disabled my Front/Back Symettry and draged my crotch line down 1 1/2 inches (which I had measured off my existing Onesie).

I added 1/4 inch Seam Allowance to use my serger. The pattern pieces are ready to use:

For Knitting: (you will need to be a bit more creative and do a bit more point movement)

Select the same styles as for Sewing.

Select from your drop down menu's the following:

Category: Top Plus Bottom
Size Group: (the size you need) Standard Infants' (example)
Size: (the size you need) Newborn (example)
Top Group: Basic
Top Style: Average
...
...
...
Sleeve Shape: Semi-Flared
Sleeve Length: Short
SubCategory: Pants
Pants Group: Generic Template
Pants Style: Underwear 1
...
...

With one big difference: Select for your Top Style: Tip Center Curve.

You are going to trace the outer underwear shape with the bodice points, so that you can generate shaping instruction for the whole piece.

Simply select the hem points and start adjusting your curves until you get a good replica. You will need to do the front first.

Then turn off your Front/Back Symmetry DON'T turn off your Left/Right Symmetry because you'll want to display both left and right right before you generate shaping instructions.

Do your Crotch Overlap extension and then move your points and copy the shape. The back doesn't come as exact as the front but comes really close. If I wanted a good curve there I would generate a pixel-per-stitch graphic and paste in into Stitch Painter and there touch up the back crotch curves. But that small amount I don't think is going to make a big difference.

The sleeve and armhole pattern drafting you do the same as the Sewing instructions above.

Then Change your Category to Top. Display both the Left and Right side of your Front and Back. Then Generate your Shaping Instructions.

If you have any questions feel free to email us at info@cochenille.com

~Sonia Barton

Note: Some of the Styles used require Style sets 1 and Style set 2.

My Inspiration Files

2010-12-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

My Inspiration Files . .

Let’s Get Organized Electronically!
Susan has developed an electronic database that can be used to store images for inspiration. I started this project by pulling out all my folders in the file cabinet that had all my clippings.

Installing the software was really easy to do. The installer makes a My Inspiration Files folder in your program files folder (Win). So the first thing I did in order to start off organized was to make a folder inside the My Inspiration Files folder called Graphics. All my images that I scanned or acquired from the web went into the folder. It made it so easy when I went fo create a back-up CD. If I have learned anything in the last 6 months it’s create a back up, even if you just did one yesterday.

Scanning
I scanned everything I had. I even scanned little pieces of paper I had sketched ideas on. Needless to say I was side tracked more than once, when I found stuff I hadn’t seen in a while. The process totally rejuvinated the artistik flow. It took lots of hours to get everything scanned. Oh the reward when I was done. I could open the program and place each image on an individual card, and scroll up and down, and search and look at years of collecting in a matter of minutes.

I entered as much information as possible in the description box. I tried to make sure that I used key words that came to my mind when I thought of that image, so that when I returned to the program to do a search I could find it easyly. Always make sure to fill in the field that asks for the file name of the image, so that if you didn’t place the image in your graphics folder you have the name in order to do a search and find the image.

Image Mode:

List Mode:

This is a perfect aid to organize images. You can also find images on the web and sort and organize those in the same manner. See newsletter #1 Pg #5 for further instruction on acquiring images from the web.

The program also has a list where you can organize your favorite inspiration web-sites. It comes with a starter list of over 150 sites. It was fun to visit the sites that were listed. I kept a lot, but I knew some I just wouldn’t use in the future so I replaced those with some from my own list of web-sites, there finally of those little pieces of paper. By giving them a rating and typing in key words you can easly find inspiration in the future. This really helps when you loose a computer and you realize you didn't back up your web-browser to keep all you bookmarks.

As with any software make sure you do a back-up of your file and images often. I have chosen to keep my paper files on top of having them on the computer. My compurters seem to be accident prown.

Cheers to Organization.

~Sonia Barton

Garment Designer Shortcuts...

2010-11-30T15:17:00.001-08:00

Garment Designer Short Cuts...
by Sonia Barton

Garment Designer is so user friendly that you can simply install it and get started. This is a great thing, the only problem is that most of the time the manual doesn't get read and the vastness of the programs abilities can be missed. One thing that will help you get the most of Garment Designer is to learn the short cuts.

I'm a one hand on the keyboard and one hand on the mouse person. It just makes a project go a lot faster.

File Menu

Most programs have the same File commands and the same short cuts. The one I use often is Ctrl + S, Save. Save your work often, if you are doing something that you don't think you want to be permanent to that design then do a Save As and create another document. Just in case you have done something you don't want but you don't want to move all those points back or select the points and do an undo All Point Movement On Selected Points.

Edit Menu

The edit menu is also some what similar to other programs. The Undo, Cut, Copy and Paste. Garment Designer has a couple more shortcuts for this menu. When you are in the Pixel-Per-Stitch Window you can use the following shortcuts. x/X to Flip Horizontal, y/Y to Flip Vertical, z to Rotate Right and Z to Rotate Left.

Sloper Menu

There is one listed shortcut in the sloper menu. I must admit I don't have this one memorized. I don't use it often. However, while I'm here I would like to mention how you delete a sloper. This question comes into Techsupport often. When you are viewing a Custom Sloper the Delete (the last command listed in this menu) with no longer be grayed out. You simply choose the sloper you want to delete from the Custom Sloper library and click on Sloper along the top menu bar and click on Delete...

Options Menu

There are more shortcuts to this menu than those that appear in the menu sidebar. Simply press 1 for Project, 2 for Garment, 3 for Knit. The Top/Dress Length is listed as Ctrl + L. Then you can press 4 for Yarn Data, and the Last two are listed as Ctrl + 5 for Enable Symmetry, and my favorite Ctrl + 6 for Symmetry Options.

Additions Menu

These are so handy when you get to the end of pattern drafting your project and you can then quickly add your Bands for your knitting projects and your Facings, Extensions, Hems and Seam Allowances for your sewing projects. Goes so much faster, especially if you are like me and you use different seam allowances on different parts of the garment. With one hand on the mouse I select my lines and the other hand on the keyboard I hit Ctrl + K on the right side of my keyboard with my thumb and pinky - perfect hand span. There is one shortcut on this menu not listed on the menu side bar, you can press e/E for Edit Custom Additions.

Extras Menu

There are two listed shortcuts in the menu. While I'm here I would like to explain a few things. The grayed out menu items that have a colon : are Sub headings to the Extras menu. Collars:, Pockets:, Edging:, and Shapes: will never be ungrayed. In order to use those functions you must select an item from the list below the sub headings. If the menu items are grayed out then it means that something needs to happen first, like for an edging on a hem you need to first select the hem and then the Bottom Hem option will no longer by grayed out.

Generate Menu

This menu has a bit of shortcuts that are not listed on the menus sidebar. You can hit g/G for Pixel-Per-Stitch Graphics, b/B for Band Pixel-Per-Stitch Graphics, 5 for Shaping Instructions, 6 for Garment Area, 7 for Pattern Layout, n/N for Project Summary, Ctrl + M for Sloper Measurement Chart and m/M for Information and Recommendations.

Display Menu

There are four known shortcuts in this menu that are not listed on the menu sidebar. They are p/P for Print Preview, d/D for Dimensions/Counts Options.., Ctrl + 7 for 1/8 Scale and o/O for Highlight Moved Points. There are times when I am working on a project and I have the measurements displayed in decimals and I will select a point and use the arrow keys to move it up or down to try to get an exact measurement and it will skip the number I want it at. You can solve that problem by zooming in and then using your arrow keys to move your point up or down. When you are zoomed in the arrow keys move the points a shorter distance, so you are able to get more accurate point movements.

Garment Pieces Display Window

These shortcuts are not listed in the window. To use the following you need to click inside the piece you want it to effect. i/I for independent, a/A for Adjacent and j/J for Joined. This menu also has the following shortcuts that you can use: f/F for Show front of piece, k/K for show back of piece, l/L for show left of piece, r/R for show right of piece, c/C to Show corresponding on body or sleeve and h/H for hide.

Other Shortcuts

There are a few other listed Shortcuts, as I mentioned before you can use the 4 arrows to move your points, I use these a lot especially on a laptop without a mouse. Then there is the one I use most s/S it toggles Symmetry on and off. 0 is for Detailed Dimensions/Counts, and you can use your spacebar to move your screen around. You press the spacebar and Click + Hold + Drag your mouse to move your image on the screen.

****Note: Mac users would use the Command key on the keyboard instead of the Control key for windows.

Also there is a PDF that you are able to print out in either Mac or Windows in the Help Sheets folder that is in your Garment Designer folder on your Hard Drive. Printing them out will help you have them handy for easy access. I hope this helps in speeding up your Design process while on the computer and gets you to your knitting or sewing faster.

~Sonia Barton

Garment Designer Workshop in Toronto

2010-11-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

Meet Heather, Beatrice, Sonja, Sandy, Judith, Jackie, and Kelly.

This past Friday, I spent the day with a group of Canadians (and one American) at a Garment Designer workshop. We had a great time. It is always fun for me to see what people are interested in learning re: Garment Designer.

November News Email

2010-11-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, the Holiday season is upon us. We hope everyone is
well underway with there projects, if there is anything we can help you
with, Please feel free to call or email. We're here to facilitate your
Sewing, Knitting and Textile arts projects.

New:
Susan has finished a couple more video's you can view them on our website:
http://www.cochenille.com/garm_videos.html Come see! She's working on more
so if you would like to comment or suggest one feel free to email
info@cochenille.com

Cochenille on the Web:

Blog: http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/
This month we have a few more 'what we've done post' and a Product Review of
'Grammar of Ornament DVD's". If you have Tips/Techniques or would like to
write an article or product review for our blog feel free to email us with
your thoughts - info@cochenille.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encinitas-CA/Cochenille-Design-Software/241040118585?ref=ts
A big Thank you to all who came over and participated on our Fan Page. Feel
free to come over and write a review, post some pictures, or started a
Discussion (or you can introduce yourself on the Discussion already
started).

Where We'll Be:
http://www.cochenille.com/events.html

Nov 19, 2010 - Garment Designer Workshop Richmond Hill, Canada Area (3
spaces left)

November/December Specials:
http://www.cochenille.com/spec.html

Cochenille Holiday Specials
It's BUNDLE time!

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, Hanukkah, Christmas & Kwanzaa. For the
holidays, we are featuring several 'bundles' which should tempt you for all
that holiday gift giving.

What if you already have 'part' of a bundle? We will discount 10% on the
remaining items. Please supply your software serial number. We can ship
ground or air express if you need fast service (for an additional charge, of
course). The last day for Christmas Day Delivery will be Wednesday, Dec.
22nd (with expediated shipping charges).

Garment Designer Bundle 1
Garment Designer 2.5, Style Sets 1 & 2, and your choice of either Easy 7
Jackets Book or Garment Designer Lesson Book.
SP-001 $230.00 Regular: $273.00

Garment Designer Bundle 2
Garment Designer 2.5 and your choice of Style Sets 1 OR 2
SP-002 $195.00 Regular: $224.00

Stitcher's Bundle
Stitch Painter Gold With Full Color Import module, Stitchery Module and SP
Lessons Book
SP-004 $225.00 Regular $263.00

Beader's Bundle
Stitch Painter Gold With Full Color Import module, Beading Module and SP
Lesson Book.
SP-005 $230.00 Regular $268.00

Knitter's Super Bundle
Garment Designer 2.5 with both Style sets 1 & 2, And Stitch Painter Gold
with Full color Import Module
SP-006 $395.00 Regular $463.00

Thank you all for you support:

Susan Lazear
http://susanlazear.blogspot.com

Sonia Barton
http://modistamodesta.blogspot.com

Business Blog:
http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Garment Designer at Tennessee Tech University

2010-11-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few Universities that have incorporated Garment Designer in there Fashion Design or Home Ec programs.

One of those Universities is Tennessee Tech University. Tennessee Tech University has two programs Merchandising and Design and Human Ecology.

In response to a call for Customer work submissions Sue Bailey, Ph.D., CFCS submitted the following:

Hi Sonia,

Based your call for customers to send blog material, I am attaching four photos of the students who designed vests and dresses in the spring'10 pattern making class at Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN. Garment Designer was used to design each project. I have secured permission from each student to have their photo and work posted if you should choose to use them.
As the class instructor, I simply love the ease of using Garment Designer in the apparel design classes. And, the new videos on You Tube will be extremely helpful. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Sue Bailey, Ph.D., CFCS
Director
School of Human Ecology
Tennessee Tech University

What wonderful Student work! Thank you so much Sue for your kind words and submission.

~Sonia

Product Review: Grammar of Ornament

2010-10-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Grammar of Ornament CD Rom Collection of Clip Art for Mac and PC
by Susan Lazear, Encinitas, CA

Many of you may be familiar with a large coffee table book called The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones.

First published in 1856, the Grammar was the first text book on ornamental design and design theory. It is a marvelous collection of designs that cover a vast range of cultures and history, from the Egyptians through modern time. The original Folio edition has over 2,300 designs on 100 color plates. It was printed using Chromolithography.

Direct Imagination (Pasadena, CA) has taken the book and reproduced it on CD ROM for use with computer graphics. They has used Adobe's Acrobat software to create a 'click and choose' format for the user, and Adobe's Acrobat Reader is included free on the CD ROM. There are two versions of the CD ROM collection: a Compact version $99.00 and a Professional version $199.00. In both versions, you have access to 2100 copyright free images and you can use a 'click and choose' approach to locate, view and read about the images. You may print an mage, move it to Photoshop (by simply clicking on a Photoshop button) or copy the image to the clipboard and transport it to the graphics application of your choice. The Professional version includes additional files (160) which are in vector format for Illustrator or Freehand. These will give professionals output that is non-jaggy. In addition, the Professional version includes greyscale, black/white and line art version of all the vector files.

What you get:

The program comes packaged in a beautiful box which will aid you in keeping things together. This box was created to simulate the original packaging of the plates. You receive two manuals; one explains the 'how to's' and the second manual is pictorial synopsis of the various plates or images found on the CD Rom. The CD Rom is multi-platfrom (as are the manuals) and can be used on either a Macintosh or a Windows computer.

To Begin:

The first thing you will need to do in order to use the Grammar of Ornament effectively, is to ensure that you have Acrobat Reader installed. Since this is included on the CD, this process is simple. Once installation is complete, take a quick tour, by clicking on the Demo icon. Finally, you may delve into the images. Walk through the tutorial, as laid out in the manual. This will teach you how to use Acrobat to view the various images.

Experiment and Enjoy:

Direct Imagination had done a wonderful job in organizing the images and creating a easy to use environment via Acrobat, so that all you need to do as the user, is click on the appropriate image to be taken to a new chapter/image/text description, etc. A pictorial index exists in the form of icons or button, and these act as 'links'. When you click on an image icon, it links you to the next image. If you click on the notepaper icon, you link to a text description. It is really wonderful! As you explore the collection, you will see that Direct Imagination has also included 'clickable button' that show you movies of morphed designs, end-use application of ornament artwork, etc.

So, how would you use this wonderful source of clip art images?

There are numerous ways you, the craft person or textile artist can work with the images. You could print them onto Heat Transfer printer paper and ultimately decorate your clothing. Or, you could take the images into a paint or image processing program, reduce the number of colors, and import the graphic into Stitch Painter. With Stitch Painter's Full Color Import Module you can take images directly from this Ornament clip art collection into Stitch Painter, which will color reduce and graph the images for you. That is when things will get wild and wonderful. Another use for this clip art, is 'ornamentation' of anything you do on your computer. Imagine creating your own letterhead or business cards, using the artwork from historical eras. Or, create party invitations and banners yourself. Your only limitation is your imagination.

This collection is a must for any designer who wants copyright free, historical ornament at there fingertips! Not all craftspeople would need the Professional version, but if one does desktop publishing in any form, this would be recommended.

~Susan Lazear

Blast from the Past

2010-10-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all you machine knitters from the past. This past weekend I was at Newton's Fall Seminar. I ran into a long-time-ago friend.
Can you guess which machine knitter instructor and author is here with me? Yes, we were having fun with Photo Booth on the Mac.... creating Andy Warhol type images.

Susan

Workshop in Denver

2010-10-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, we had a Garment Designer workshop in the Denver area. It was a great day. Computers were lined up around the table and adjacent areas, and lots of laughter and learning occurred.

Thanks to college room-mate Edie, for hosting the workshop.

Cochenille News Monthly Email

2010-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

A few words about signing up for our email list.

If you have signed up on our email list on the website and are not receiving it, you might want to check your spam filters, or you can try adding info@cochenille.com to your address book.

If you have signed up by writing your email address on a list at our booth at any of the trade shows we attend, and are not getting our emails - you might want to check the above first, if you still don't receive anything go to our home page www.cochenille.com and subscribe on our website. I might not have been able to read your handwriting.

We will start adding the monthly communication here, just in case you still can't get it, check back often.

Here is Octobers:

Hi Everyone,

October is here, and the weather is reflecting it. We hope you are all safe.

New:
Susan has been busy making short video's about Garment Designer, She has
finished a fair amount and posted them on our website:
http://www.cochenille.com/garm_videos.html Come see! She's working on more
so if you would like to comment or suggest one feel free to email
info@cochenille.com

Cochenille on the Web:

Blog: http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/
This months Tips/Techniques blog post is "Beading..Peyote Stitch Basics" a
Compendium article by Eleanor Romanowicz (Egor) from Phoenix, AZ. If you
have Tips/Techniques or would like to write an article or product review for
our blog feel free to email us with your thoughts - info@cochenille.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encinitas-CA/Cochenille-Design-Software/241040118585?ref=ts
We so wanted to give away a Free Europe Summer/Fall 2008 Fashion
Inspirations DVD, but no one came over and wrote a review, posted some
pictures, or started a Discussion (or you can introduce yourself on the
Discussion already started). Well we'll give you another chance the first to
do any of the above will get the DVD and maybe depending on how many we get,
we might give away two!
http://www.cochenille.com/producthtml/prodcsw.html#fall2008

Where We'll Be:
http://www.cochenille.com/events.html

October 9, 2010 - Highlands Ranch, CO - Garment Designer Workshop (1 space left!)
October 28 - 31 - Hartford, CT - Stitches East

October Specials:
http://www.cochenille.com/spec.html

Here's your Holloween Treat from Cochenille to you. Place an order of $75 or
more and recieve one of the following items free:

Stitch Painter lesson book CD
Get the most out of Stitch Painter and learn basic design skills as you
go...Motif Creation, Motif development, Basic Repeats, Coloration & Design
Inpiration.
Promocode: FreeSPLBCD Regular: $14.00

Stitch Painter Training Video
GIn this 90 minute plus video, you will be given a guided tour through
Stitch Painter's. . .Toolbox, Color, Symbol and Texture Palettes and Menu
Structures and Commands. To solidify your learning Process, Susan will
demonstrate the creation of two projects: a stitchery oriented project and a
knitting oriented project.
Promocode: FreeSPVD (for VHS)or Free SPDVD (for DVD) Regular: $29.95

Garment Designer's Easy Seven Jackets
Learn how to think 'outside of the box' and use our software to the fullest!
Book includes: 7 jacket styles with instructions on how to make them in
Garment Designer software, Illustrated Sewing Instructions, Knitting Tips
and General Techniques and Tips.
Promocode: FreeEasy7 Regular: 24.00

Thank you all for you support:

Susan Lazear
http://susanlazear.blogspot.com

Sonia Barton
http://modistamodesta.blogspot.com

Business Blog:
http://cochenilledesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Beading..Peyote Stitch Basics

2010-09-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Beading.. Peyote Stitch Basics
by Eleanor Romanowicz (Egor),
Phoenix, AZ

Peyote stitch is the best known of the off-loom beading techniques. In Native American tradition it was used to make religious and ceremonial items associated with peyote rituals.

It is a versatile stitch that can produce a variety of forms. As flat peyote stitch it can be used for bracelets, belts, straps, headbands, earrings, and sewn to form pouches or bags. Tubular peyote is used to form ropes that an stand alone as necklaces or hat bands. Tubular can also be used to cover objects, such as bottles, feather quills, crystal points and even embellish larger beads. When tubular peyote stitch is done on a larger number of beads, it can form amulets, pouches or even larger bags. All of these forms can be created using either an odd or even number of beads. Peyote stitch can also be used for creating textures or embellishments by utilizing techniques such as two-drop, flower clusters, ruffles, curls and spirals, in which each row worked contains only half of the total number of beads in the width of the piece and the following row fills in the spaces formed by the previous row. The grid one designs on for peyote, is thus a 'brick' type grid. It reflects the shifted position of the alternate rows.

Because of the interlocking stepped grid/stitch, using beads of consistent size is critical for the look of the finished project. It also explains why Japanese Delica and Antique beads have become so popular. These beads tend to be consistent in size and since they are tubes rather than round beads, the holes are more consistent and larger which facilitates the necessity to pass the thread and needle through each bead numerous times.

As with many woven crafts, the tension of the thread is critical to the texture of the piece. This is especially true for the first four rows of peyote stitch, since you are establishing the steps of the stitch and the beginning of your design. The foundation row of flat peyote starts as a simple strand of beads equal to the total width of the item with a stop bead at the far end to prevent the beads from sliding off the end of the thread.

This stop bead is usually a larger size or at least a distinctly different color so that it is not worked into the piece by error. The end of the thread is tied around this bead to keep it in place. This bead is removed and the thread end is secured and tucked in after the first rows are completed.

**The illustration below shows you an alternate colored setup row of beading. No stop bead is shown.

The next row of beads is now added by placing one bead between every other bead of the foundation row. When you place a bead between every other bead of the foundation row, you will be displacing the bead that was strung in that position downward. The result of this displacement is that when you get to the end of this row or round, your piece will look as if you have 3 rows in place. If this seems confusing, take some beads and string a foundation row on yarn or thread. (Sometimes a first try or two is best done with larger beads and threads that are easier to handle and hold on to). Now add the second row with beads of a different color than those chosen for the foundation row and watch that your foundation row becomes 2 separate rows of the same color as the new beads displace them.

**The illustration below shows you a second row of 'alternating' colors being added which is a second approach you can take to working with color.

Now, designing in peyote. It is practically impossible to design peyote on a normal straight grid, thus designers always look for special peyote graph paper. With Stitch Painter Gold and the Plug-in Bead Module, one simply chooses a peyote grid, sets up the proportion of the grid (according to the bread proportion), and begins. A second thing to consider when designing a peyote project is whether you are working with and odd or even number of beads. As far as turning the work at the end of flat peyote rows, it is always simpler to use an even number of beads since you will always come out o the last bead at the end of each row. Then all you have to do for the nest row is puck up on bead and go through the nest bead sitting up from the previous row. Sounds simple enough.

The problem is, if you want to do a symmetrical pattern that has to be centered, it can't be done. Why? Because you are working on an even number of beads in each direction, so that you will always have an extra bead at one side. The problem with working with an odd number of beads is that at the end of every other row you will add on the last bead and have no where to secure it in order to get to the next row.

This turn can be accomplished in a variety of ways, depending on your teacher, but I would describe two of the most popular methods that I have come across over the years. One is to run your needle under the loop formed by the threads at the end of the last tow rows and then go back through the last bead of the row you just finished and continue on as if this was and even row.

The second method is to place that last bead at the end of the row and run your thread down into the end bead of the previous row. Then weave your thread in a figure 8 pattern through the beads of two previous rows so that you re-emerhe from the last bead of the previous row and then go back through the bead that needs to be secured. Continue the row as above. I know that this is a lot of words and sounds confusing, but try doing it with those practice beads and yarn and it should become clearer.

One last note about designing flat peyote stitch with an odd number of beads: Since this number cannot be divided evenly, remember that on one row you will be working on an odd number of beads, but on the next the bead count will be even. Therefore, in order for that symmetrical pattern to be centered, the center bead must be placed on a row that contains an odd number of beads.

Before you start any major project you may want to make some practice samples and keep them so you have a reference when you are planning the layout of your next project. Also when you're doing the exercises to see how the first tow rows become three, or are checking out how to turn a corner or end a row. remember that you may see things more clearly if you change your bead color from row to row.

I hope that this will serve as a basic introduction to peyote stitch and maybe answer some questions so that you might feel more confident in using those unusual grids.

HAPPY BEADING!!!

~Egor~

Vicki Star of Beady Eyed Women Enterprises (one of our beta testers) designed this 'bat' Amulet Pouch using Stitch Painter. The Stitch Painter graph is to the right of the finished Amulet Pouch.

Tip:When you have more than one application open on a Mac you can move between open application by pressing the Command Key and pressing the tab key while the Command key remains depressed. You will see a rectangular box appear on your screen with the name of the open programs running in the background. Each time you press the tab key, you will swap into the next program.

Blog Special: Beader's Bundle $225.00 Sale 263.00 Regular price. The bundle includes Stitch Painter Gold, The Full color Import Module (which allows you to scan in color graphics and reduce there color and place them on the grid) The Bead Module (which gives you the ability to shift the grid for Peyote and Commanche Stitch) and a Stitch Painter Lesson Book (PDF, which helps you learn the basics of Stitch Painter very quickly). To order please call 858-259-1698 Mon - Thurs 9:30 to 4:00 PST.

Our Website: www.cochenille.com
Our email: info@cochenille.com

San Marcos Design Retreat

2010-09-21T10:56:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful group of ladies join us for our Cochenille Design Retreat.

On Thursday Susan and I tag teamed it and taught a quick Garment Designer from beginning to end type work shop, Showing where all the menu's where what you used them for and then took some measurements. We work through the step by step on how to create a pattern for sewing or knitting and how to print, cut paste and tile the pages for sewing and how to read the Shaping instructions for knitting.

On Friday Susan put together a Day of Exploration in San Diego.

We started with Spirit of the Cloth - They have wonderful fabrics, Vintage fabric, Kimonos, Vintage Fabric, Cambodian, Japanese and Thai Silk. I loved the way she cut a piece of fabric, she finds a thread, pulls and follows it across the fabric and then cuts at her line. This insures the fabric is square and you don't have to loose fabric as you try to straighten yourself. It takes time, but definitely a lost art.

Then visited:

Lost City Beads

Shepherdess

The retreat participants picked up yarn and beads and lots of cool stuff to use for there accessories!

Those were all in the general area of Old Town San Diego.

We then traveled over to Carol Gardyne Boutique a wonderful shop in the Little Italy area of San Diego. She creates some wonderful Hand Painted Silk Scarves.

We then changed gears and visited the Quilt Visions Gallery and the Mingei International Museam.

Both had wonderful eye candy - color, history, fabric and inspiration.

Saturday Susan taught how to pattern draft by hand and with Garment Designer - Hats, Belts and bags.

The paticipants worked hard, had there hands full of projects and idea's.

Sunday Linda Medina showed us the many ways to embellish our Hats, Belts and Bags.

Here are a few of the decoupage books that the participants made for themselves to make notes about all the different things they learned at the retreat.

We had a wonderful time hosting such wonderful ladies, Thank you all for coming. We look forward to next years retreats, keep an eye on our events page for dates and locations, or email me info@cochenille.com to sign up for our monthly email news.

~Sonia Barton~

Linda Arndt: Stitch Painter Project

2010-09-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Linda Arndt, a Cochenille user, recently shared some of her work with us.

We were so delighted to see what she does with Stitch Painter that we asked Linda to tell us more.

Here is what she told us:

The weavings are prayer flags. The inspiration is from a show I saw on public TV about Tibet. The mountain sides were covered with flowing prayer flags. That brought thoughts of my mother who had passed away a few years ago. Just the thought of prayers being carried up on breezes struck a note with me. This is when I started designing the flags using the Stitch Painter program.

I designed the alphabet and a master layout. Using copy and paste I just drop the letters onto the graph.

Weaving is very straight forward. Method is Double weave pick up. Threading the loom is 40 ends per inch 4 ends per dent in a 10 dent reed. 24 ends in background color, 24 ends in pattern color per section, warped in a straight draw on a 4 harness loom. I used lunatic fringe 10/2 mercerized cotton.

Thanks Linda, for sharing!

Below, a few more images

Meet Elizabeth Wilkins!

2010-09-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all

I am pleased to introduce Elizabeth Wilkins (on the right) to you. She is a past student of mine from Mesa College, and she will be assisting Sonia and I in bringing more web content to our audience.

Elizabeth currently lives in Atlanta, GA. She studied Fashion Design at Mesa College, and wow!..., is she creative. She will be sharing her ideas and designs with us, and is also helping me prepare training videos.

So... lots of good things to come!

Another show of Elizabeth and I, taken from Photo Booth.

Stitch Painter Speed Demon!

2010-08-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

Stitch Painter Speed Demon! (Or...Speeding Up Your Work With Keyboard Shortcuts)
by Ginger Luters, Grass Valley, CA

Stitch Painter is such an easy, user-friendly program. Designers can get to work quickly, without a long, frustrating learning curve. But, once you are past the beginning learning stages it is easy to stop right there. You can do what you need to do, and of course, no one wants to read the manual! But if you will take a bit of time to take the next step...to learn some of the keyboard short cuts, you will find that you can work faster and in a more concentrated manner, without the distraction of having to move your cursor to various menus and tools.

When I am working intently on a design, zoomed in to get every detail precisely right, I find it extremely distracting to have to stop what I'm doing and move my cursor over to the tool box in order to erase one or two squares, or up to the top menu, in order to zoom out to see the entire design. Over the past year, as I've worked more and more with Stitch Painter, I've gradually learned to automatically use many of the keyboard shortcuts.

I love how they simplify and speed up the design process. I sit with my left hand near the lower left corner of the keyboard. My little finger is near the Ctrl and Shift keys. From this position, I can use most of the shortcut keys with very little movement of my left hand. My right hand is working with the mouse, while the left hand controls various tools, zooms in and out, undoes errors, etc. I've just finished a design project that required reworking an older design that was done in Stitch Painter. This involved a great deal of cutting, pasting, picking up of brushes, flipping, etc. and the keyboard shortcuts were invaluable here. While I certainly could have accomplished this without the use of keyboard shortcuts, it would have taken much more time, and would have been a more complex, less fluid process.

As you begin to learn the various keys, you'll probably find it useful to keep a "cheat sheet" near your monitor. You can use the Quick Reference Card that came with your Stitch Painter Program, or make your own. Don't try to just sit and memorize the various short cuts. Learn them as you go along, as you need them in your work. This way, you'll learn the ones that are most useful to your first, and you can gradually add others as you go along.

Tool Shortcut Keys

Some of the easiest to learn, and I think most useful, are the various Tool Equivalent keys. By using these keys, you can switch from one tool to another without ever moving your cursor from your design. These keys are simple because you only have to press one key (Ctrl is not needed) and in most cases, the letter that you press is the first letter of the name of the tool. So, let's imagine that you have pressed "p" (for pencil) and you are drawing a design. You decided that you need to erase an entire area. Just press the "e" (eraser), erase whatever you want, then, press the "p" again and go on working. If you erase more than you intended to, you can press Ctrl + Z, to undo your last action.

Once you have drawn a small design, you may wish to pick it up and use it as a brush.. Your left hand is in just the right place to press "s", the Selection tool. Once you have outlined the area you wish to pick up, your left hand is again right where you need it to press Ctrl + B (Capture Brush). If you leave your brush to work with some other tool, it will remain in the program's memory until you create or load another brush. So, if you press "l" (Line Tool) in order to draw a straight line, and then you want your brush back, all you have to do is press "b" with your left hand, and the brush that you picked up is there again.

The other tool shortcut keys are equally simple. The Dropper is selected by pressing "d". You can then click on any color in your design to make that the working color, and you will automatically return to the tool you were last using. The Paint Bucket is chosen by pressing "t", one of the few keys that isn't the first letter of the tool's name. Think of the "t" at the end of both words in the name of this tool. painT buckeT. Rectangles are, not surprisingly, selected by pressing "r" and circles by pressing "c". If you want the solid version of these shapes, just capitalize the letter on the keyboard. Finally "q" will give you a Curve tool. I think of the curved line that a written "q" forms.

Flipping, Rotating, and Zooming

Other single keys that I frequently use are the "x", "y", and "z" keys. These will flip your brush horizontally, vertically, or rotate it. I love to pick up an abstract little brush and then rotate it four times, stamping it down each time without moving the cursor. This creates an entirely new motif...and of course, you could press "s", select this new motif, press Ctrl+B to pick it up, then press "z" four times to rotate the new motif.

Zooming in and out is also speeded up by the use of the keyboard, Just press the number 1,2,3 etc. to zoom in the desired amount. When you want to zoom out, press Shift along with the desired number. I find that I do this all the time ... zooming in to work on a detail or to stamp down a brush in just the right place, then zooming back out to get the overall effect. Once again, most of these keys are on the left half of your keyboard and can be reached with very little movement of your left hand.

Menu Bar Equivalents

Nearly every item found on the Menu bar across the top of your Stitch Painter screen can be chosen with a keyboard command. We won't go over each one of them here, but lets take a look at some of the most useful shortcuts. The one I probably use the most is Ctrl+Z, the Undo command. If my right hand slips, the design isn't quite right, I just press Ctrl+Z with my left hand and do it over again. I also use Ctrl+G a lot. This toggles the grid on and off the screen. I like to use the grid as I'm designing, then remove it to get a more realistic overall view.

I mentioned Ctrl+B earlier, the Brush Capture shortcut. This is very handy, especially at times when you are focusing on the brush and what you are going to do with it..you don't want to stop and move the cursor up to the Menu bar. I often copy brushes to the Windows Clipboard using Ctrl+C and then paste them back into some other location or document, using Ctrl+V. Ctrl+X will cut (instead of copy) a selected area of your screen. This can be a speedy way to remove part of a design, rather than erasing it bit by bit. You still have the cut section of the design on your clipboard, just in case you want it back. Ctrl+A will select all of your design, ready to be manipulated as you choose. I also find it handy to be able to turn the Stencil on and off using Ctrl+T. Finally, Ctrl+R will select the Draw in Repeat function. While I frequently use this function, I find that I usually need to set the repeat size, so I am forced to move my cursor up to the Layout Menu for this item.

Miscellaneous Keys

There are several other keys that I find myself using more and more. Pressing the spacebar while you are working with any tool will toggle you between that tool and the previous tool. Pressing Shift constrains your drawing to a precise horizontal or vertical axis. The Back-space key will remove any selected area. This can be a quick way to erase large areas (have you ever noticed how many different ways you can erase in Stitch Painter?)

There are many other keyboard shortcuts that we haven't discussed here. You can open new files, open old files, close files, save, print, and quit, using keyboard commands. I find that I use these less frequently, probably because these operations are separate from the actual design process and I don't mind clicking on the top menu bar for these. Probably as I work more with this intriguing program, I will find myself learning and using these additional shortcuts as well. For now, I'm thoroughly enjoying the fun and ease of designing with Stitch Painter.

~Ginger~

On Windows, many keyboard shortcuts use the Ctrl key. The equivalent key on the Macintosh is the Command key. For this article I use the Windows shortcuts, but Mac folk, just realize that you use the Command key instead.

Facing Alternatives

2010-08-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hi all...

I'm excited to say that I have an article in the current issue of Threads. It is on Facing Alternatives.

It should be on the news stands now.

~Susan~

Garment Designer Retreat, New Mexico

2010-08-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, eleven Garment Designer users met up in Santa Fe and Cimarron, New Mexico. We had four great days together, the last three were spent working with Garment Designer. The retreat took place at Casa del Gavilan, a hundred-year-old inn.

Here is our group... both serious and not so serious.

One of the projects embarked on, was the copying of ready-to-wear. Here you can see Rebecca wearing a top everyone fell in love with.

Below, you see the muslin, made after creating the pattern in Garment Designer. A shawl collar was the focal point of the garment.

Maybe we can get some of the retreat girls to upload the final tops they made. Ladies!!

The last night, we had dinner out 'in town', and met a few of the locals.
Maureen..

and Susan...

Using Brushes with Stitch Painter

2010-08-04T14:49:00.001-07:00

Using Brushes with Stitch Painter by Betty Abbott, Christchurch, New Zealand

**Note: Although this article addresses machine knitting examples, one can learn and adapt the concept to their own craft.

Stitch Painter brushes offer so many opportunities for short cuts in design that it is worthwhile creating 1TOOLS FILE to keep them all handy and in one place. Of course, you can save each brush individually, to be called up when needed, or you can toggle to the 1TOOLS file to select, capture and make a brush when you need it. Why not call your master file simply Tools? Because it takes time to run through all the alphabetically listed files until T appears. Put a 1 in front and it jumps the queue and appears on the opening list... And of course when 1Tools gets to large, 1aTools will be added.

So what brushes are saved to a 1Tools file?
Mine are geared towards knitting pattern design. Using lots of single bed jacquard (fairisle) it is preferable to keep floats to a maximum length of 7 stitches.

So first up is a float check: a horizontal line of 7 stitches in a bright, easily seen colour. Load this and run it over any new fairisle design to check the float length. If it doesn't span the space between any two stitches in the pattern the float will be too long and the pattern needs editing.

Alternate row alternate needle selection is a frequently used but tedious to draw pattern. Keep a block of it on hand as a saved brush - and use a brush of a single row of alternate dots to create it. When you want a diamond filler, load the brush, stamp and trim it to shape, load the adjusted shape and enjoy the time you've saved.

2 x 2 selection? Load the 1 x 1 brush, BRUSH MENU set size and double the width and height. FILE MENU, save as: 2x2check.

A one stitch one row diagonal? Hold down Control as you draw with the line tool, save as a 1stdiag brush.

Or a one stitch two row diagonal? load the 1stdiag brush. BRUSH MENU set size: double the height and leave the width unaltered, FILE MENU, save as a new brush.

Trellis? - diamond or block - useful in several sizes. Above: Examples above and below show a double stamping of the brush alongside. - a fun way to create new borders or allover patterns.

Above: If you are going to be using several related 'tools' in a pattern, save them all as one brush, load, positioning at one side of the page well out of the way of the developing pattern and recapture each individual tool as it is needed.

Gridding lace patterns can be very tedious business with lots of scope for errors. But if you analyze the sequences most frequently used, brushes can improve accuracy and speed up the design process at the same time. You may want to open a separate Lace Tools file for quick access to them.

Suggested sequences are:

Multi diagonal transfer sequences separated by 2 rows stocking stitch.

Diagonal single transfers separated by 2 rows stocking stitch.

Vertical single transfers separated by 2 rows stocking stitch.

Brushes about 4 transfers high/wide are a useful size. A large pattern will build up quickly and accurately by overlapping the last stitch with each stamp, with the minimum of erasing when the pattern is small. Neither is there any need to be concerned about direction with diagonal transfers. A horizontal flip (x) will slope it the opposite way.

Perhaps a GCARTOOL file as well? Moss stitch and double moss, basket stitch, ribs, broken ribs, double garter stitch, diamonds made up of one stitch two row diagonals and so on. The same for Tuck and Slip.

Not directly pattern related but nevertheless very useful is a numbers brush. Although there is already a set of numerals in the SYMBOLS palette (WINDOWS MENU, Symbols) for my purposes I found these a little on the small side so created a set of my own which were loaded into the working palette, lined up on the page, and saved as a NUMBERS brush. Now whenever I need to add numbers to a pattern which is to be printed I load the Numbers brush. But to access the numbers I must also go to the PALETTE MENU, and click (tick) 'Use Brush Palette'.

This loads the palette in use when the brush was saved i.e. the palette which contained the set of numerals. Remember that all the other brushes mentioned here relate to stitch pattern composition; this one does not, so DO NOT include numerals in a pattern which is to be downloaded to your knitting machine. Remember also, that numbers are symbols and may require a larger grid size in order to be seen properly. Ideally, a grid size of 8 x 8 or greater is recommended, depending upon your symbol..

Any frequently used sequence can be ready to use or adapt at any time. This holds true for HANDKNITTING AND CROCHET where certain operations, such as cables are repetitive and used in various projects.

Making a brush of various operations is an worthwhile timesaver.

Now for some 'pattern building' shortcuts you may not have used.

Want to draw with a thicker pencil? Create a brush to the pencil shape you want and click and drag to draw. The shape does not need to be squared off - experiment with rounded corners and see the nice curves they draw.

Rows of horizontal lines? in a vertical line draw one stitch for each row required. Select and create brush (s and Ctrl B or Command B). Hold down the Shift Key as you click and drag slowly across the page.

Rows of vertical lines? Draw a horizontal line with one stitch for each row required (or rotate (z) the horizontal line brush, mentioned above). Create brush, Shift Key, click and drag slowly.

The more I use Stitch Painter the more exciting become the possibilities of this wonderful design tool - and I'm sure these ideas have barely scratched the surface of the innovative ways in which Brushes can be used.

~Betty~

Click Here for some Stitch Painter files. Do so will download a zipped folder called betty that has some Stitch Painter files and some Stitch Painter brush files.

Designing Quilts and Quilt Looks with Stitch Painter

2010-08-04T14:46:00.001-07:00

Designing Quilts and Quilt Looks with Stitch Painter
By Tracy Ahrens, Cardiff by the Sea, CA

Many of us have grown up with the quilts that have been handed down through generations and quilting today is one of the most popular fiber-art crafts that exists. From the home consumer to the Smithsonian, quilt designs provides an innovative canvas you can use to convey your art.

There are endless options available now for the computer and choices that can be used for exciting new concepts in quilting. Any texture/print or color combination can now be tested and determined on the screen. In addition, you may experiment with block rotation and manipulation quickly and effectively. The end product does not necessarilly have to be a fabric quilt. Rather, you can incorporate a 'quilt-look' into a stitched piece of canvas or a knit garment. The idea is that quilt blocks serve as your inspiration.

Using Stitch Painter you can create your own quilt blocks, or as we did in the following tutorial, you may use pre-drawn blocks from the Traditional Quilts, one of Cochenille's Elements Clip Art collection. In the following lesson we will us Stitch Painter, and two files from Quilt collection; PINWASK2 and NTHMBLS2.

Creative Play 1 - Using different block sizes to create your quilt.
The quilt above was designed with the brushes named PINWASK2 and NTHMBLS2. These are 4-patch brushes in 2 colors. To start your quilt in Stitch Painter you will need to determine the size of the finished piece. In your mind, you will determine the scale of each grid square. For example, you may decide each grid square in Stitch Painter will represent a square inch or half a square inch. We will use 1/4 square in. The size of the grid doesn't really matter, as long as it is square. Therefore, lets set it at 8 pixels wide, and 8 pixels tall (Layout/Grid menu).

Your document size would be equal to the finished size of your piece multiplied by the gauge/count (if knitting or stitching) or the inch scale (if quilting) of the materials you are working with. Lets say your quilt will be 3 ft x 3 ft and we want each square (grid) to be 1/4 inch. Multiply 36 inches X 4 Squares to the inch to get 144. Our document size will thus be 144 units wide, and 144 units tall (File/Set Document Size). As it turns out, our clip art blocks measure 24 units wide and 24 units tall. If each unit on the grid equals 1/4 inch, then our blocks will measure 6 inches square (divide 24 by 4).

After you have set your document size you may then start loading brushes, experimenting with different colors and sizes, and begin stamping the blocks in place. I enlarged NTHMBLS2 to a brush size of 30x30 and began to stamp it in place. When you are loading brushes, you may change the size by using the Set Size selection under the BRUSH menu. I also enlarged PINWASK2 to a 60x60 brush because I wanted the center design larger than the borders.

At this point you could manipulate your quilt brushes as you set them in place, using your keyboard shortcuts; x to flip horizontally, y to flip vertically and z to rotate a quarter turn. You could even capture a particularly interesting area of the quilt as a brush and use that for your border.

One of the best features of Stitch Painter is the ability to change colors and motif sizes in a snap. After bringing in both brushes and stamping them in place, I wanted to change the colors. This time I chose the simple approach, and selected the Fill Bucket and a color from within one of the blocks (using the eye dropper) to fill in the white background spaces of the quilt.

Creative Play #2, Repeat Functions
Another Stitch Painter functions that is wonderful for design and visualization is the ability to create repeat patterns. With the quilt blocks in the Elements Collection there are two sizes to work with; 24x24 for the 4-patch quilts and 36x36 for the 9 patch quilts. Let's build a repeat with a 4 patch block:

1. Set the grid size to 4 pixels wide by 4 pixels tall (Layout/Grid), as this will create a smaller squre grid, and you will see more of the quilt at once on the screen. Again, we will assume that each square represents a 1/4 inch.

2. Load your 24x24 quilt block as a brush (Brush/Load menu). Use either SAILBOAT.SBR or EVESTAR.SBR on the disk.

3. Set your Document Size to 120 units wide by 120 units tall (File/Set Document Size.)

4. Under the Layout menu choose Set Repeat Size. We'll use 48 as the width and height. (a multiple of 24)

5. When you stamp your motif on the screen, it will repeat every other block in the width and height. You may want to stamp the first brush in the upper left corner of the screen in order to ensure that the blocks all fit perfectly on the document.

In the illustration above I loaded SAILBOAT.SBR (9 patch) from the Elements Collection and I used that block repeat. Since this block was a 36x36 unit brush, I chose Brush/Set Size and changed the block size to 24x24. You can also flip and rotate the brush by using x, y or z on your keyboard. After stamping the sailboat block in alternate checkerboard manner, I loaded a second block/brush, EVESTAR.SBR (4 patch) and played with it. If I had wanted to, I could have simply created a solid colored block by using the solid rectangle tool.

I decided to create a positive/negative color effect with the EVESTAR brush. To alternate the colors in the blocks, use the fill bucket. I temporarily changed the dark blue of one block to pink (with Repeat still turned on). Then using the fill bucket you can exchange the light blue with the dark blue then exchange the pink with the light blue. You have now the same blues but reversed in the alternate EVESTAR blocks.

Stitch Painter allows you to exchange colors easily and quickly once the quilt is designed. To do this, open the Color Mixing palette/window (Windows/Color palette on the IBM, or tear it off on the Mac). Then, using your eye dropper, select a color in the quilt you want to change. Once this is the selected color in the Working Palette (on the left), choose the new color you would like to try in the Mixing Palette. The new color will move into the old colors place. You can continue to experiment with various color ways until you create the quilt of your dreams.

Stitch Painter also lets you swap colors for symbols and Textures (Gold version only) at any time. When your design is finished you can also estimate your yardage, yarns or floss usage by clicking the eyedropper tool in the Tool palette and your number of stitches will show up at the lower left corner (coordinate bar). Depending on the scale you have determined, you can then estimate yardage usage by how many units you have of that color. In addition, if you plan to knit or stitch the garment, this process will tell you how many stitches of that color.

~Tracy~

Carlsbad Cochenille Design Retreat

2010-08-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Every year Cochenille Design Studio and Susan Lazear host a Design retreat. This year we will be back at the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort, wonderful place. They gave us a room rate that is almost half there usual rate.

It will be September 10th to the 12th, 2010, If you have the weekend free and will need to relax after getting the school year started again. Join Us!

Day 1 Field Trip: San Diego Area Friday, Sept. 10th
Meet at 9:30 a.m. This day will involve exploring various studios, galleries and shops to get inspiration, and to pick up goodies (if you desire) to use in your projects. We will visit an assortment of the following: • Wearable Artist Studios• Fabric and Trim stores • Yarn Store(s) • Other related and inspiring venues

We did this 4 years ago and it was great, there were about 15 ladies and we visited so many local artist and great Art places in San Diego, that I didn't even know we had in the area! I look forward to driving around town with a good group of ladies.

Day 2 Accessory Design Susan Lazear Saturday, Sept. 11th
On this day, you will learn some of the basics of designing accessory items. In the a.m., Susan will show you how to draft patterns by hand or by computer (using Garment Designer) for purses, totes, hats, non-traditional scarves etc. She will also teach you the art of draping a contoured belt on a body. After lunch, students will choose one or two accessory items, and create patterns for these to use the following day.

Susan Lazear is a Professor of Fashion at Mesa College in San Diego. She teaches fashion courses in- cluding Patternmaking, Draping, and Textiles. Susan designs wearable art, and is a computer graphic artist. In addition to her teaching she writes books and articles for creative audiences. She combines her skills in the development of a line of software for the textile arts, developed under the Cochenille Design Studio name.

I learned a lot of what I know from her wonderful classes at San Diego Mesa College. You do not need to be an expert and because Susan is teaching Design principles you can apply them to either sewing or knitting. You don't have to own our software everything she does on the computer you will show you how to do it by hand. Plus you don't have to be an expert all projects will be step by step from start to finish!

Day 3 Construct and Embellish Linda Medina Sunday, Sept. 12th
Linda Medina will teach you various methods of constructing and embel- lishing (whether knit or sewn) accessory items. You will be exposed to a variety of techniques, and may choose which ones to incorporate into your project. In addition, you will be encouraged to make samples of multiple techniques so that you can later pull from them to develop further projects.

Linda Medina is an artist and designer. She has made custom and one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories for many years,and teaches needlework, sewing and knitting. Her knitwear designs have been in all of the major knitting magazines and many books. She introduced a line of knit and crochet patterns under “Medina Originals” in 2009 and plans to add cross stitch and nee- dlepoint designs in 2010. Linda’s work is included in the International Friendship Tapestry in Iceland, private collections, and is in the permanent collection of the White House.

These two wonderful ladies are ready and willing to show you how to make some wonderful accessories and how to make them stand out.

If you have any questions or you want to Register or just would like more information. Call me: Sonia 858-259-1698 Mon - Thurs 9:30 to 4 PST.

Past Retreat Post

Garment Designer Pant Tutorial

2010-06-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

A couple months back we created a facebook fan page for Cochenille. You can join us here. .

I posted a question asking what people would like for specials - I have a hard time coming up with them each month, feel free to comment on the subject if you like!!!

I didn't get a 'specials' suggestion - but it was suggested if we could do a Tips/Techniques once a month instead of or in addition to. My next question then became 'What would you like to start with?' and the suggestion came 'Copying Ready-to-wear'.

The thought for the post quickly formulated in my mind, mainly because I answer the Cochenille phone's and know a lot of the common questions - which by the way I have started to write down to include in these monthly Tips/Techniques posts.

I will start with the answer to the most common question 'Do you have Tutorials?' Yes, yes we do. You find the Tutorials in the Tutorials plus folder that is in the Garment Designer program folder on your Hard drive.

For Windows people - you click on My computer then Open the Hard drive (C: drive for most computers) then open the Program files folder then open the Garment Designer folder and there you will find the Tutorials plus folder.

For Mac people - you open the Hard drive then open the Applications Folder then open the Garment Designer folder and there you will find the Tutorials Plus folder.

Garment Designer versions 2.1.3 and below have the Tutorials plus folder:

Garment Designer version 2.5 has no folder, just the Tutorials PDF:

Tutorial number 2 (Pant Tutorial) Method One is a Tutorial that Susan wrote taking you step by step in how to copy a pair of pants you already have. Once you work your way through this tutorial you will be able to copy anything you already own using Garment Designer to create your pattern pieces.

Also most of you also own the Garment Designer lesson book 1, in that one Susan copies a Top, also step by step with fully illustrated instructions.

So the facebook fan group challenge for the month will be to take a garment that we own and replicate it using Garment Designer and what you have learned from the Tutorial.

I'm working my way through a pair of sweat pants that I'm turning into long shorts for summer - I'll write up a blog post, and tell you all what I learned working through the Tutorial and show you my results.

Feel free to join us on Facebook - or the Yahoo Group to tell us how you are doing and show us pictures of your project, and ask any questions that you might have.