A Marcy Tilton interview and giveaway? It’s true! Get yourself a cup of coffee or beverage of choice, sit back and enjoy!
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I am so pleased to announce the utterly creative Vogue Patterns designer, Marcy Tilton is kicking off my series of interviews with leaders in the sewing industry.
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When I think about how I’d live my life differently if given the chance, I’d certainly be more adventurous like Marcy Tilton, who in the mid 70′s, with a group of friends, drove from Denmark to Kenya. When her clothes began to wear out she bought wonderful cotton fabrics from the markets and made herself clothes sewn entirely by hand from patterns created from newspaper.
After reading her biography I knew I must interview this creative and original woman.
In 1981, Marcy opened a business entitled the The Sewing Workshop in San Francisco based on her passion for combining teaching and learning with creativity. The Sewing Workshop evolved into a center for talented teachers and people who loved learning about fiber arts of every genre. Marcy sold The Sewing Workshop in 1993 but it continues bringing together teachers who are artists, authors, designers and enthusiastic students hungry to learn.
Today, Marcy Tilton lives in Southwest Oregon where she designs a clothing line and clothing patterns for Vogue Patterns. Marcy and her sister Katherine also lead biannual trips to Paris.
1 0 Q u e s t i o n s f o r M a r c y T i l t o n
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1. Many sewing patterns mimic Ready-to-Wear trends, but your Vogue patterns reveal a sense of originality. What is your source of inspiration?
Probably a mix of what I find in Paris, what women tell me they want and the direction/s I want to go in my own wardrobe. I am an avid reader and hunter-gatherer of images and design inspiration, so I read magazines, blogs, books and pay attention to random conversations about clothes and designs. One pattern came about because the owner of Fabric of Vision in Ashland (a great local fabric store), said, ‘Marcy, we need a pattern for a dress that is like a vintage little French house dress’. This came at a time when I was beginning to crave more dresses in my life and the result became a Vogue best seller. I’m also interested in developing patterns that are practical for wardrobe building so the pieces work together, layer together and can evolve with the seasons and work for travel.
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2. I detect an appealing whimsy in your patterns but find certain abilities are needed to pull off this fun and effortless look. Are your patterns designed for a particular skill level?
Some of the patterns are very easy to sew, others will have an unusual twist or technique which is always in the instructions. Most of the patterns are aimed at a beginner to intermediate sewist. When I work on the pattern prototypes, the instructions are written and re-written as I sew. Gwen Spencer, one of the finest sewists I know, comes down from Corvallis and we spend days sewing together, brainstorming fabric choices first, then as we sew, we discuss how to best write the instructions and what is the best technique to use. The wonderful women who make up the ArtBarn team are pretty basic sewists, and they make a perfect test group. We have a lot of mini lessons, sometimes I’ll call them into my studio as I am working on something or they bring in their projects for feedback, so as I put a pattern and instructions together, I ask, ‘would Roxy understand this?….what questions would Shelley ask?…
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3. How does one go about successfully combining fabrics for garments? You do it with such flair!
That is one of the biggest keys to success. I’ve got the 10,000 hours of experience here and I still make mistakes. That said, this is a very fun skill to develop….and if you sew, you probably are already interested. Intuition and instinct help.. Practice and experience are crucial. Mistakes are inevitable, just toss or give away and move on…I learn more from my mistakes than from my successes! Shopping ready to wear is an invaluable lesson. On my Paris trips, I suggest that people go into the shops and scrutinize the clothes, not necessarily to buy, or for what you like, but to check out the fabrics and fiber content, and to do this at both upper, mid and lower price levels. In auditioning fabrics for a garment, I play with them, unfurl a length that replicates the proportion of the garment, hold it up to the mirror. I consult with anyone who is around. Katherine and the ArtBarn team members and I do this all the time, with questions from customers, for our own projects, for the best fabric for a pattern prototype and in putting together the Cool Combos we offer for the website.
Just this week a customer called wanting to make a jumpsuit. She had a couple of fabrics from the site in mind, but I did not think that either one was a good choice (both were better for tops), so we all got into the act of going through the fabrics to find just the right weight and shade of gray. If I am deciding between several different fabrics, I put them out in the studio where I can see them as I go about other things. I keep vignettes of fabrics I’m auditioning for future projects arranged in the studio so I can study them and play with them, sometimes in messy piles at the end of the design table, sometimes in artful arrangements.
Another crucial thing is to make test samples. I’ll cut a swath of 2-3 different fabrics I’m considering for a project and sew seams, test design details and pressing to see how they respond.
I have a very good eye, design sense, knowledge of fabrics/textiles, years of sewing experience in making my own clothes and in teaching and working with hundreds (thousands??) of women in classes and workshops. Every fabric is hand selected by me and I only buy fabrics that I would work with myself. Literally, I buy every good fabric that I find! I buy from many sources, some in regular channels but also from designers I’ve formed relationships with over the years who call me with the chance to buy their surplus fabrics which gives the opportunity to offer fabrics not available elsewhere.
Katherine is side by side with me at fabric shows, we vet the choices together, she has a great eye too, and we see different things which adds to the mix. I’m fussy fussy fussy about prints, passionate about practical wardrobe building fabrics. I got the ultimate compliment from a well known and admired sewing expert who told me she thought I had the best selection of prints. Prints ‘pop’ and sell very well, but I seek out more quiet basics that are the backbone of any wardrobe: neutrals in warm and cool tones, foolproof pant fabrics, rain coating, solid colors in knits, suitings and coatings. Often the website postings are organized in a ‘story’ of like or blending colors.
We offer personal service to our customer. Shelley and Beth in the ArtBarn are on the phone offering feedback on what goes with what, suggestions for garments, help planning a travel wardrobe or special occasion dress. I pick up the calls too and enjoy hearing from customers. Just this week a woman called wanting to make a jumpsuit and it was fun to steer her to some good options. We also accept returns on fabric, something that was unthinkable in the retail fabric business.
5. Do you ever buy Ready-to-Wear? What fashion designers do you most admire?
YES, I buy RTW. I love clothes and love to shop (I’m a buyer by nature) and not only wear the clothes I buy, but study them for sewing techniques and design ideas. I have a collection of purchased clothes that I wear with clothes I make. It is just not practical to make everything and I like to have an eclectic mix. (I could never bring myself to join in on your RTW fast!!!) I just packed for a month in Paris, had a little sewing marathon, made my primary jacket, coat, 2 pants, 4 T-shirt/tunics, 2 vests and combine these with newer and older purchased pieces….with room in the suitcase to pick up some new things. My all time favorite designer is Issey Miyake,
but I also admire Gautier,
Alaia, Yoji Yamamoto, Chanel, Dries van Noten, Comme des Garcons, Rick Owens and on a practical level, Rundholtz Black Label,
Lillith, Elm, Annette Goertz,
Oska,
Cynthia Ashby,
Babette.
6. You practically live in France! What do you find most appealing about French fashion?
French fashion has a refinement in cut, fit, details and workmanship. The French grow up with an awareness and pride in the fashion world. Even the Paris taxi drivers know what is the new color of the season and have an opinion about it. I love to look at the clothes for the innovative use of fabric, scrutinize the cut and details, and to have the chance to try a different look. I encourage the women in our tours to look beyond what they think they ‘like’, and if given the chance to have the French vendeuse/sales person make suggestions to dress them, to leap at the chance.
One of my favorite Paris shops, Miller et Bertaux, has the most marvelous, inventive (and expensive) clothes. I take the group there. The owners often are in the shop and take us a few doors down the street for a peek into their tiny atelier where everything is designed and produced. I’m always surprised that someone in the group, often an unlikely suspect, will start trying things on and end up buying.
I search out this kind of shop that is small, designed and made in France with the designer/entrepreneur actively involved. I find it very appealing and heartwarming that the French continue to train young people to work in the fashion industry. Leather workers, pattern makers, beading, flower making, sewing is all taught in specialty schools. In the couture houses, often there are 2 generations in a family. I love the conversations we have in the shops. Last year we went to the Gaultier RTW shop in the Passage Vivienne, shopped and chatted with the staff. We asked about the clothes and were told that in the couture division, the women who sew like to make the entire dress from start to finish. I begged to be allowed to visit the workrooms, but it is not practical or possible, but I keep hoping! (Gaultier announced that this is his last season to produce a RTW line, will concentrate on couture).
Another fabulous aspect of French fashion is the museum shows which are breathtaking in the scope and the way the clothes are displayed.
7. You have been involved with sewing since you were a child. What changes have you noticed in home sewing trends over the years? Is home sewing more of a luxury or necessity these days?
Home sewing still carries the illusion of economy, but we all know in our hearts that you don’t really save money by sewing. There seems to be a growth spurt, thanks to Project Runway and its spinoffs, and I’m noticing more quilt stores coming back to offering garment fabrics. For many women of all ages today, making their own clothes is a satisfying creative expression. The blogging world is putting out the word and that sparks interest and growth. But the ‘home sewing industry’ is not a growth industry, it works hard to hold its own.
8. Do you find creative growth comes with improved skills? Is one more important than the other?
Improving skills and creative growth go hand in hand. I call this the ‘artsy-fartsy’ vs the ‘techno-weenie’ syndrome. There needs to be a commitment to growing, learning and experimenting in both areas.
9. What advice do you offer for aspiring clothing, textile and pattern designers?
Take classes, read books, study design, but most of all, step out into your own style and territory and experiment. Find a teacher who will work you, be ruthlessly honest so you can grow your work and become a better problem solver. Find an artist or designer whose work resonates with your heart and really REALLY study them…..like creating your own design muse. Play with no attachment to the outcome. Make mistakes. Work every day, get better at what you do every day. Develop a creative community around you, people who share your passion and hopefully, people who are more skilled, talented and smarter so you can learn from them. Collaborate. Take time alone. Play. If you want to make a living at it, develop your business and entrepreneurial skills. Learn to understand the connection between creativity and responsibility.
10. What would you like people to know about your business?
Sharing my passion for fabric and creativity with others is at the heart of my business. I’ve been teaching since I was 15, and this business is the result of a longtime dream. I love what I do and love the opportunity to share it with others. There is a creative community that has grown up around this online business. The ArtBarn team is a small creative community, we all love to sew, and sometimes we have mini lessons on their projects or mine. There is a larger creative community in our customers. I see every order that comes through, and have gotten to know many of our customers over the years. Beth and Shelley are often on the phone, with questions and requests, and they each have their own ‘special’ people. We all love to sew. Not only do I do the buying, but photograph and name all the fabrics, run the back side of the website, write the descriptions of each fabric. I enjoy teaching, connecting and sharing via the website and blog.
marcytilton.com is located on my 4 acre property in a pristine valley in Southern Oregon, about 5 miles from California and 50 miles from the coast.
The online fabric store got its start 10 years ago when I sold small amounts of fabric in workshops and lectures, then grew to a website with few bolts of knits and a handful of silk screens, located in my design studio with Shelley as my assistant. We’ve grown to a team of 6, remodeled the ArtBarn, where current fabric is kept and shipped from, expanded Katherine’s studio while adding a mini warehouse, then expanded our receiving warehouse/photo studio. I do the buying, photograph and name each fabric, run the back side of the website, do the marketing/advertising, write the blog and if I am lucky, get into the studio and sew. The ArtBarn team keeps the orders flowing.
I develop my Vogue Patterns, make prototypes and finished garments for photography and write the directions, all this with the able assistance of Gwen Spencer. With my sister Katherine, I conduct small group tours to Paris twice a year.
The tours have a focus on design, (also fabric, fashion, food and fun), and while many come who love to sew, it is not a requirement. We have sewists and non-sewists from all over the world in our groups.
When I sold The Sewing Workshop in San Francisco over 20 years ago and moved to the country I imagined creating a new endeavor, and feel very lucky to be living the dream. I love every aspect of what I do and love sharing my passion for fabric, design, making and creativity with others.
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Many thanks to Marcy Tilton for the thoughtful and detailed answers!
I am inspired, Readers – are you?
To further your inspiration and creative juices, Mary Tilton is giving away a
$100.00 gift certificate
To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below. Do you know how you might spend your gift certificate if chosen? (You can change your mind if you win ![:)]()
) The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 5th.
Good luck, dear Readers and a huge thank you to Marcy Tilton for the fabulous interview and generous giveaway!!
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Still energized by sewing with lace and the Sew the Perfect Fit Craftsy course led me to make one more dress with Vogue 8766 for an annual event my husband and I attend – this year with Regis Philbin.
My fabric is a silk matelasse featuring a sporadic metallic pattern.
It’s a fabric that is beautifully affected by differing lights.
It’s not the first time I’ve sewn the mirror image of an asymmetrical pattern and I doubt it will be my last 
