The Artful Shirt: Supply List

Only you know how quickly you make fabric choices and sewing decisions and how much time
it might take you to construct a garment. Pondering this can help you decide what you will
need for the week. You can make a shirt out of woven fabric/s or a tee/tunic/top out of knit
fabric/s or one (or more) of each. You may also bring an already constructed shirt to embellish.
The possibilities are many but your suitcase/car/van/truck will help you decide. This is the kind
of a problem I always like — using boundaries/limits to foster creativity.

The fabrics and threads you bring are your art supplies. Creativity requires art supplies and my
philosophy is that it’s always nice to have more than I need. Raid your stash or buy more fabric
but do bring some choices.

We will be discussing:
• how to combine prints, solids, colors and fabric placement
• how to determine what looks/works best on you with your coloring/body type
• how to ‘break up’ a pattern for design interest
• possibilities for collar, neckline and sleeve variations
• simple surface design and embellishment techniques using paint, appliqué and/or threads
with machine or hand stitching.

List of Supplies Participants Should Bring:
• 3-5 images that you would like to influence your design direction
• a sewing machine with extra needles (possibly double needles for topstitching) and a walking
foot if you will be sewing with a knit — if you are flying in please contact Shakerag about the
possibility of providing a machine for you
• fabrics for your shirts — think in terms of combining 2 or 3 (2-3 solid colors, 2-3 prints) or
stripes with solids, stripes or dots with prints — as long as you like the colors/prints you
should be fine
• thread to blend with your fabrics
• patterns for your shirts, preferably Katherine’s Butterick/Vogue patterns, that you know are
the right size and do not require a lot of fitting (I call what I do ‘fitting without a license’ so be
aware that fitting is not an emphasis here)
• sharp fabric scissors and smaller scissors for clipping threads
• pins and hand sewing needles
• any sewing notions you like to use — seam ripper, chalk, disappearing pencil/pen for
marking, chalkers, marking paper, pin cushion, magnetic pin holder, press cloth
• fusible interfacing, knit or woven in a lightweight that will work with your fabrics (for plackets,
shoulder stabilizing, collars, etc)
• a notebook and pencil for notes
• your creativity, curiosity and willingness to play

Optional:
• a rotary cutter, cutting mat and weights if you prefer this method to using scissors and pins
• embroidery thread and large eyed needles if you want to embroider on a shirt
• a sewing ruler and measuring tape
• sewing machine oil