5/21 San Francisco Patternmaking Workshop at Britex Fabrics

Britex Fabrics Drafting Collars

Top: Our Linen Palazzo Pant Jumpsuit; Bottom: Our Linen Colorblock Lowered-Waist Shirt Dress

Join me in San Francisco on Thursday, May 20, 2015 for a 2-hour patternmaking workshop on drafting collars at Britex Fabrics. I will discuss different collar types and demonstrate basic patternmaking techniques including a live demo on how to draft styles including the Peter Pan collar, Mandarin collar, and more. I’ll share some expert tips on pattern plot and manipulation, drafting undercollars, and applying interfacing to collars. This workshop is open to students of all sewing levels and may be particularly helpful to students looking to update and personalize existing sewing patterns that you use regularly, or those looking to delve deeper into fashion design and patternmaking.

Drafting Collars
Thursday, May 21, 2015 from 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Britex Fabrics
146 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
Register Now
$25.00

9/27 San Francisco Sewing Workshop at Britex Fabrics

Sew A Swing Top With Jamie Lau

Featuring our exclusive Swing Top sewing pattern available only in this workshop

Join me in San Francisco on Saturday, September 27, 2014 for a 4-hour sewing workshop at Britex Fabrics. In this hands-on course, students will learn how to sew a relaxed Swing Top using one of my original pattern designs. I will discuss pattern and fabric layout and demonstrate various garment construction techniques including: sewing gathers, applying neckline and armhole bias binding, and hemming. This fun top features a front and back yoke and is a great canvas for color blocking or mixing solids with prints. This easy-to-wear style slips on effortlessly without the hassle of a zipper and is great for layering or wearing as-is. This sewing pattern will be made available only in this San Francisco sewing workshop, so sign up today!

Sew A Swing Top
Saturday, September 27, 2014 from 10:30 am-2:30 pm
Britex Fabrics
146 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
Register Now
$45.00

Britex Fabrics is offering a 20% off discount on regularly priced fabrics to students purchasing supplies for this class. Sewing machines provided by Ray’s Sewing Machine Center.

Sew A Swing Top With Jamie Lau

The top features a front and back yoke and is a great canvas for color blocking or mixing solids with prints

Weekend Intensive: Skirt Pattern Making Class at Hart’s Fabric in Santa Cruz

Swingin' Circle Skirt Dress with princess seam bodice in Nani Iro fabric

Swingin’ Circle Skirt Dress with princess seam bodice in muted pastels and polka dots

Join me next month in Santa Cruz, California for a special pattern making workshop at Hart’s Fabric on Saturday, October 12, 2013. This hands-on weekend intensive will focus on drafting your own skirt patterns based on your measurements, starting with a basic skirt sloper, or final pattern. Students will also learn how to design an A-line skirt pattern variation, in addition to drafting a retro-style circle skirt.

Jamie Lau Designs Circle Skirt

Circle skirt cut on the bias with Japanese fabric by Nani Iro

Basic Pattern Making: Skirt Sloper, A-line Skirt, and Circle Skirt
Saturday, October 12, 2013 from 12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Hart’s Fabric
1620 Seabright Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Buy Tickets
$85.00 class fee includes pattern paper
Supply list: French curve set, hip curve, 2″ x 18″ clear gridded ruler, soft tape measure, tracing wheel, tracing paper, mechanical pencil, eraser, red pencil, pins and/or pattern weights

Skirts are great foundation pieces for your wardrobe and can be sewn as separates, or incorporated into a dress by simply pairing with a complementary bodice pattern, such as in the examples below:

Jamie Lau Designs Striped Linen Sunset Dress

Striped Linen Sunset Dress featuring a basic bodice paired with a gathered-waist skirt with a coral, blue, black, and white gradient effect

Jamie Lau Designs Sweetheart Gingham Colorblock Dress

Gingham style colorblock dress in contrasting yarn dyed Japanese fabric featuring a sweetheart neckline and A-line skirt

Thanks for the awesome fabric, Hart’s! See you soon, Santa Cruz!

Jamie Lau Designs Hart's Fabric

Hart’s Fabric is an independently owned fabric store in California and has been open since 1969

 

My Color Blocking Workshop at Pop-up Britex

Beautiful textured fabric from Britex Fabrics in San Francisco

Beautiful textured fabric from Britex Fabrics in San Francisco

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I went to Britex Fabrics to pick out fabric for some dress samples in preparation for my upcoming Color Blocking Workshop in May with Pop-up Britex, a new monthly mobile sewing and textile class series. It’s so exciting to collaborate with one of my all-time favorite fabric stores and to have access to all four floors of colorful, high quality fabrics to sew my designs in. Some of my finds include luxurious Armani wool cotton blends and linens, bright floral textured Swiss cotton, contrasting large and small polka dots, and striped Guatamalan fabric.

I also had a chance to have my portrait taken at Photobooth, which is where the workshop will take place. The photographer was kind enough to give us a step-by-step, behind the scenes tour of creating an authentic wet-process tintype in their studio and darkroom. Registration is now open, and you can read more about the workshop description below:

Pop-up Britex: Color Blocking Workshop With Jamie Lau
Thursday, May 16, 2013 from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Hosted by Photobooth
1193 Valencia Street @ 23rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Buy Tickets
$25 class fee includes all materials

Color blocking is a fashion trend that emerges time and time again on the runway and beyond. In this interactive and creative workshop, students will have access to an assortment of fabric swatches and use croquis templates to sketch out design ideas by combining two or more blocks of color in an ensemble. This can be for a top, bottom, or dress. Liven up an old sewing pattern or bring a simple silhouette to life through color blocking and explore the use of monotone, bright colors, muted colors, contrasting and complimentary colors, and more!

We’ll review examples as inspiration for creating your own designs, from Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic 1965 Mondrian dress to styles by modern-day designers. The instructor will also provide a live demo of altering two existing patterns to achieve a new color blocked look.

Pop-up Britex brings textile and design education to neighborhoods across San Francisco in collaboration with our favorite venues and artists. To help us sharpen our wits, Four Barrel Coffee provides drinks and bites for every pop-up. Special thanks to our sponsors Apparel Arts, BERNINA, and Photobooth.

My Podcast Interview on Thread Cult

Thread CultCheck out my interview on Thread Cult, a podcast for the sewing, fashion, and textile obsessed created by Christine Cyr Clisset of the blog Daughter Fish.

I was honored to be Christine’s first guest on the show. Tune in to the latest episode to hear us chat about how Jamie Lau Designs got its start, current textile inspirations, my new book BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern, and more!

My New Book Release: BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern

BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern

Paging all fashionistas, DIY sewers, handmade hobbyists, and vintage enthusiasts! My new book is coming out in exactly one week, entitled BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern: Mastering Iconic Looks from the 1920s to 1980s. In fact, it’s already available for pre-order on sites including Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

Working on creating the designs and projects featured in this book has truly been a labor of love. It’s so surreal to think that all those countless hours of hard (and oftentimes painstaking) work have finally resulted in a beautiful, tangible object to share with the fashion sewing community and beyond. Nothing about working on this project in the past year and a half has fallen short of the words “DIY.” I wore multiple hats throughout the entire process, including co-author, lead designer, technical writer, art director, photo shoot producer, and yes – even project manager!

BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern comes with five customizable sewing patterns that yield literally endless variations, such as transforming a 1920s drop-waist silhouette into a modern-day Jackie O.-inspired sheath dress. Starting with basic forms for dresses, pants, skirts, and shirts (and yes, there are even menswear projects!), you can transform from one look to the next with my easy-to-follow instructions and comprehensive visuals.

In addition to sewing and pattern making tips, you’ll also get a crash course in vintage fashion. Each chapter focuses on a different era including signature silhouettes, designers you should know, must-have accessories, and style icons.

The book comes out on December 11, 2012, but help start spreading the word today! BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern is the perfect holiday gift for every sewer, from beginners to experts, and offers enviable vintage looks with modern sensibilities.