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Just a short interruption in the tour of my workroom.
I’d like to let you all know I’ve updated the photo pages on the right side of the screen. Now you don’t have to search through my random blog posts to view pictures of some clothes I’ve made! How exciting!
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This is what you will find across from my machine wall. I have a small reference library, and shelves to hold various projects. You can see my old Singer machine body on top of the white shelves, which my husband rescued from the garbage for me. It doesn’t work, it has no belts or underbelly, but I love the shape of vintage machines, and it’s fitting decor for my room. My pegboard of scissors is hung above my sweet cutting table (built by my dad again). I love this table because you can convert it from super small (20″x40″ surface area) to super huge (72″x40″) by folding out the two side flaps. And it’s covered with linoleum so I can use my rotary cutter on it’s surface. Beside this, my iron and board, and some more shelves for containers of buttons, trims, ribbons, cords, appliques, and various component parts.
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These are my three machines, domestic, serger, and industrial. (I wish I had more clever names.)
The first picture shows, from the left, the domestic Kenmore sewing machine given to me by my Grandmere, and the White superlock serger. The Kenmore I don’t use as much since getting the industrial, but I do still use it when I need to make buttonholes, or if I want a zig-zag stitch. This is the machine that helped me learn to sew. The serger is (for those who don’t know) a finishing machine that trims the seam allowance and binds it with looped thread. It gives clothes a nice professional finish. I got it for Christmas several years ago from my parents and sisters, and cried like a baby cause I was so happy. (Sewing Nerd!!)
The second picture is the Brother industrial lockstitch machine that I bought three years ago. It is my workhorse, and it gets a lot of use. The only type of stitch it does is a straight lockstitch, but it can sew anything, from a sheer chiffon to multiple layers of thick denim if you’ve got the right needle. This machine is electronic, programmable and has automatic thread cutting and backstitching functions. You can raise the presser foot manually, or you can raise it using the knee pedal to keep your hands free! There are dials to control how fast it will stitch and tack, and lemme tell you this machine can run. I bought it used and there are probably newer machines with fancier features, but I do have a penchant all things old. It does everything I need it to.
I don’t want to come off as materialistic, but I kinda love all the tools and equipment that enable my creativity.
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This mirror is on hinges so that you can check out your back side when trying on clothes. Beside it is another box of fabric, and storage drawers containing (from bottom up) large spools and serger thread, tools and elastics, lace trims, thread, and scraps of various trims. The bag and stacked boxes are full of my collection of commercial patterns, a few bought and maaany free ones. I am currently working on their organization.
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This is where my clients can change for a fitting. It is my lovely folding room divider, for which I sewed the panels and my dad built the wooden frame. My dad is a master woodworker as a hobby. It’s quite handy to have him around 
The piece of fabric I used was fated to become these three panels. I found the last piece of this charming print on a roll that they had just marked down to $2.99 the day before. It was exactly the length I needed, so cutting it in three and adding black cotton strips down the sides made it right. I like how the vertical black stripes continue down to the frame of the mirror. So pleasing to my eyes!
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Welcome to the tour of Andrea Pelletier Experimental Design Headquarters!
We begin with the journey through the fabric corridor. (You will have a chance to peruse my collection in a few posts.) I store my materials in shelves, crates, rubbermaid bins, and sometimes just huge plastic bags. This is the result of my serious habit of gathering and stockpiling textile goods. I shopped at thrift stores to find vintage and/or interesting clothes and fabrics. I worked at Fabricland for maaany years, spending my pay checks on sale items and 1st choice remnants (and 2nd and 3rd choice ones too…). I am a well known sewer to friends and family, so any fabrics, threads, etc. that are destined for goodwill come to me instead. hmmm, sorry goodwill 
I also have a problem parting with the things I’ve collected.
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Oh goodness, I’ve got to catch up on my blogging….
So, my trip to New York was amazing of course (how could it not be!?) Just me and my bestest friend seeing the sights. We went to a different museum every day, I went to the opera for the first time (we saw La Traviata, soo good!), I got two new tattoos (thanks to the lovelies Steve Boltz and Sarah Schor), and bought some new clothes. I was refreshed and inspired on this vacation, and reminded how glad I am to be doing the work that I do. I also was reminded how important it is to do work for myself, just for the sake of making something that I want to exist. Making clothes for clients is great in its own way, but I need to set some time aside to do things for myself. Sometimes we get lost in our jobs and tasks and forget that an individual person is inside with their own set of needs. I need to CREATE! Just for the sake of creating. Otherwise I would wither up I’m pretty sure.
Just a couple pictures of my friend Courtney and I, lookin’ good in New York City. We had a lot of fun dressing up and buying clothes. There is our shopping spree laid out on the bed. Clothes make me feel so warm and fuzzy….
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Happy New Year and back to work! I’ve got several projects in the planning stages just waiting to come to fruition.
On the list:
-wedding dress 1 (a slim fitting tea length lace dress inspired by the colours of her Grandma’s cameo),
-wedding dress 2 (a remake of her Nana’s Italian vintage lace party dress),
-a few proper fitting pieces for a music student to wear while performing
-a polka dot pencil skirt for my best friend to wear when we go on a trip to New York in two weeks. (Yes, that’s right! I’m goin’ to New York City! For a much needed break. I will be sooo fresh when I come back
-as well as a few smaller jobs of alterations and curtain panels.
All this as I’m migrating to my new work space. Updates on the way….
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I was a busy bee for the month of December, making gifts for our friends and family just like a little elf. I can post pictures of all the gifts now that they have been given… And also a picture of them all wrapped up in fabric and ribbons under the tree, cause it looks so pretty! I am most proud of my designs for the book covers (you can fit them to the thickness of your book) and for the dinosaur hoodie for my nephew (which he’ll have to grow into a bit, since it fits me)
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