Well, the weather is finally dropping below 75* in central California, and the leaves on the trees are starting to blossom in to Fall colors. Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous Autumn to us all!
I am pretty anti-black friday (I worked retail for SEVEN Christmases!) and intend to spend the biggest shopping day of the year snug in my living room with a cup of cocoa laced with chambord and maybe get a jump on a project that has been sitting around waiting for me to feel like making it for a very long time (it's booooooooorrrrrrriiiiinnnnnggggggg). I encourage everyone to stay home and watch movies in their jammies. It's so much more interesting than battling the crowd at the mall.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
knittin' the mittens
Not actually mittens, but around here we do call them "mitties".
I knit, though I am not the very best knitter in the world, or even on Etsy. I hate to admit it, but I find knitting a bit tedious. I decided to knit something to sell, though, because I found this fun yarn spun with strands of iridescent sparkles and thought they would make excellent fingerless gloves. I wear mitties almost constantly in the cool weather to help keep my junky hands and wrists warm, but, though I love white I just can't wear it because I work with my hands.
So, here are the mitties that I designed to use this pretty yarn. You can't see much of the sparkle here, but it's there!
The good thing about knitting for the shop is that I can watch TV while I knit (not so much while I sew, I usually listen to music instead). These mitties were knit to the accompaniment of Star Trek the Next Generation, the Tudors, and a strangely surreal anime show called "Princess Tutu".
I knit, though I am not the very best knitter in the world, or even on Etsy. I hate to admit it, but I find knitting a bit tedious. I decided to knit something to sell, though, because I found this fun yarn spun with strands of iridescent sparkles and thought they would make excellent fingerless gloves. I wear mitties almost constantly in the cool weather to help keep my junky hands and wrists warm, but, though I love white I just can't wear it because I work with my hands.
So, here are the mitties that I designed to use this pretty yarn. You can't see much of the sparkle here, but it's there!
The good thing about knitting for the shop is that I can watch TV while I knit (not so much while I sew, I usually listen to music instead). These mitties were knit to the accompaniment of Star Trek the Next Generation, the Tudors, and a strangely surreal anime show called "Princess Tutu".
Saturday, October 15, 2011
detail oriented
I like to try new techniques. In fact, I have a massive backlog of interesting details I want to incorporate and handwork I want to try out. A lot of designs end up being inspired by the simple fact that I want to try something new and different. I have wanted to try this style of quilting (which is called "trapunto" these days but was called "Italian quilting" back in the day) for years, and finally decided on a garment I could use to experiment with. I had this wool suiting around the house already and I designed this little vest pattern last year for the Organ Grinder vest. I've decided that it is just about the perfect thing to try out interesting fabric manipulation and embellishment techniques, because it is relatively small and is made up of two basic and simple shapes. Interesting surface design benefits from simple garment construction for practical reasons but it's also a good idea to limit garment complications to keep it from looking too "busy".
Anyway. Here I used a simple double-arch shape (which reminds me of gothic architecture) and threaded black cording underneath the ivory colored fabric, to create a subtle pattern. The finished product reminds me of scrimshaw and wedding cakes. It also oddly reminds me of the church my husband's family belongs to, as they use that peaked arch shape in just about everything in the place.
In a related note, I love craft books from the 70s. While there are lots of lovely craft books out these days (to go along with our great crafting revolution) the last great resurgence of crafting was in the 1970s. That is the era our moms were inspired by, and those are certainly the books I grew up with. In my adulthood I have actually gone to considerable lengths to acquire old copies of some of my favorites. I absolutely love the Sunset Soft Toys and Dolls book ( I found it used through Amazon marketplace). I also use a sturdy old copy (that I stole from my mom, sorry mom!) of the Golden Hands embroidery book for a lot of my embroidery, quilting, and surface design inspirations. I think these two books did more to inspire me to sew and create than anything else in my childhood.
Anyway. Here I used a simple double-arch shape (which reminds me of gothic architecture) and threaded black cording underneath the ivory colored fabric, to create a subtle pattern. The finished product reminds me of scrimshaw and wedding cakes. It also oddly reminds me of the church my husband's family belongs to, as they use that peaked arch shape in just about everything in the place.
In a related note, I love craft books from the 70s. While there are lots of lovely craft books out these days (to go along with our great crafting revolution) the last great resurgence of crafting was in the 1970s. That is the era our moms were inspired by, and those are certainly the books I grew up with. In my adulthood I have actually gone to considerable lengths to acquire old copies of some of my favorites. I absolutely love the Sunset Soft Toys and Dolls book ( I found it used through Amazon marketplace). I also use a sturdy old copy (that I stole from my mom, sorry mom!) of the Golden Hands embroidery book for a lot of my embroidery, quilting, and surface design inspirations. I think these two books did more to inspire me to sew and create than anything else in my childhood.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Autumn!
Fall began on Friday, and this little Autumnal jumpsuit has been waiting around for more than a week for photos to finally get taken. It's a steampunk-y take on a 70's style. I bought this fabric and all the zippers several months ago, right before leaving my fabric store job. I found these lovely vintage brass stampings of flight wings on Etsy, and used industrial strength glue to attach them to pin backings so they can be removed from the jumpsuit.
The brown twill fabric this is made from is a poly/lycra blend. Not what I would have chosen if I had another option, but the color was the very best I could find. Anyhow, the stretchiness of the fabric made putting in the zippers and attaching the pockets something of a time consuming battle. A lot of stabilizer had to be deployed.
The brown twill fabric this is made from is a poly/lycra blend. Not what I would have chosen if I had another option, but the color was the very best I could find. Anyhow, the stretchiness of the fabric made putting in the zippers and attaching the pockets something of a time consuming battle. A lot of stabilizer had to be deployed.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saying So Long to Summer With Stripes
See what I did there?
My world has been all about stripes for the last week, though admittedly I am pretty fond of stripes all the time, anyway. For my first week of self employment I made a mod dress from custom printed striped fabric I designed on Spoonflower.com. After a long hard week (not really so hard, to be honest. Working from home is pretty rad!) I came in to possession of a pair of plain fabric mary janes, so as a project for myself I painted them in sailor stripes and added red rhinestones in nautical designs.
I know, I know. Stripes and sailors are for Summer time and it is rapidly approaching Autumn. But it is 100* here today and I never got a chance to do any fun Summer sewing because I was working all the time at the theater! In any case, September is when we take our annual vacation to the seaside, so I am feeling the urge for sea-faring clothes!
AHOY!
My world has been all about stripes for the last week, though admittedly I am pretty fond of stripes all the time, anyway. For my first week of self employment I made a mod dress from custom printed striped fabric I designed on Spoonflower.com. After a long hard week (not really so hard, to be honest. Working from home is pretty rad!) I came in to possession of a pair of plain fabric mary janes, so as a project for myself I painted them in sailor stripes and added red rhinestones in nautical designs.
I know, I know. Stripes and sailors are for Summer time and it is rapidly approaching Autumn. But it is 100* here today and I never got a chance to do any fun Summer sewing because I was working all the time at the theater! In any case, September is when we take our annual vacation to the seaside, so I am feeling the urge for sea-faring clothes!
AHOY!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
What the Designer is Wearing This Season (part 2 in an occasional series)
In order to fill space and kill time I have been meaning to post some more of the things that I make for myself that no one ever gets to see online.This new red skirt is making it's first outing tomorrow, when I will wear it to a dress rehearsal at my theater job. It's my very favorite color, so you will probably see it popping up pretty regularly if you pay attention to my wardrobe. The fabric is a cotton poplin with a touch of lycra in it and the design is a very simple tiered peasant style that can be styled in lots of retro ways. The little top was purchased a million years ago at Target but had a plunging neckline that I am not entirely sure who could wear out in public, really, so I added the little panel to the top. The necklace here was made by Christina (she doesn't have an Etsy store yet, so we should all encourage her, yes?) and is made from vintage rosaries and jewelry findings and a tintype.
My perfect pair of maryjanes is still out of commission (I swear I will take them in to be fixed SOMEDAY) so I will be wearing gold wedge sandals with this tomorrow night.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Summer Lovin'
Aw, man. So I've been working on this vest for a month...
Not just the sewing of the vest, though. I also had to design the pattern and work through a test garment to tweak it first. I know, I always seem to be doing that. But then I have a perfect pattern I can use to make a million things with, right? If only it worked out that way! I just get bored with doing the same thing all time.
Anyhow. Here is a vest that I have dubbed "Eugenia". I was going to call it "Eugene" after my favorite Andrew Bird song, but thought slightly better of it at the last moment. Slightly.
The inspiration for this vest came from the fabulous draped styles of one of the premier art deco designers of the 1920s, Erte. These days you mostly see his illustrations of theatrical costumes and other elaborate formal attire, but he also deigned lovely draped day wear with fascinating interlocked and wrap-around pieces.
The fabric I used here is 100% wool and 100% cotton. I have moved away from synthetics whenever possible, these days. Natural fibers are more comfortable to wear, as you probably already know, but they are also better to work with. You can mold a piece of wool in ways that polyester would never allow, and silk drapes in such beautiful ways that synthetics will never quite replicate.
The edges of the front panels, here, were all stitched by hand and took eons to complete. I am quite happy with the way it worked out, though! Originally I was going to make the buttons functional and space them out down the front in a normal sort of way. I was inspired along the way, though, by one of those happy accidents, and instead settled on decorative buttons and a snap-front closure. I use snaps on most of my shirts, rather than buttons, because I like the hidden quality of them as well as the fact that you can't mess up an otherwise perfect garment by sewing a snap on the way you can by sewing a buttonhole on a dicky machine.
Not just the sewing of the vest, though. I also had to design the pattern and work through a test garment to tweak it first. I know, I always seem to be doing that. But then I have a perfect pattern I can use to make a million things with, right? If only it worked out that way! I just get bored with doing the same thing all time.
Anyhow. Here is a vest that I have dubbed "Eugenia". I was going to call it "Eugene" after my favorite Andrew Bird song, but thought slightly better of it at the last moment. Slightly.
The inspiration for this vest came from the fabulous draped styles of one of the premier art deco designers of the 1920s, Erte. These days you mostly see his illustrations of theatrical costumes and other elaborate formal attire, but he also deigned lovely draped day wear with fascinating interlocked and wrap-around pieces.
The fabric I used here is 100% wool and 100% cotton. I have moved away from synthetics whenever possible, these days. Natural fibers are more comfortable to wear, as you probably already know, but they are also better to work with. You can mold a piece of wool in ways that polyester would never allow, and silk drapes in such beautiful ways that synthetics will never quite replicate.
The edges of the front panels, here, were all stitched by hand and took eons to complete. I am quite happy with the way it worked out, though! Originally I was going to make the buttons functional and space them out down the front in a normal sort of way. I was inspired along the way, though, by one of those happy accidents, and instead settled on decorative buttons and a snap-front closure. I use snaps on most of my shirts, rather than buttons, because I like the hidden quality of them as well as the fact that you can't mess up an otherwise perfect garment by sewing a snap on the way you can by sewing a buttonhole on a dicky machine.
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