Spring Skiing??????

Greetings from Timberline, Mt. Hood!

Unbelievable! This is spring skiing in January??  But it is truly luscious.

Mt. Hood is gorgeous, in spite of the less than usual snow pack and the skiing is tremendously WONDERFUL!

We are so grateful to get to swoosh down these delightful trails - thanks to all those fantastic snow groomers who work all night long on our ski trails.

What does this have to do with sewing?

I am glad you asked.

Another moment of gratitude:  Because I have a well equipped studio and some technical skills, I was able to adapt and reinvent the parka I am wearing and my new mittens with features that were missing.  They just don't include all the conveniences that used to be normal for ski wear.  Bummer.

I am one lucky skier/seamstress!

From Fortune Art Designs:  "Red Wine, White Wine, Champagne, so many choices."  After this succulent day on the slopes I chose champagne!!!!!

I see London, I see France. . .

Well, it has been quite a week.  Sandwiched among a menu of challenges, the most traumatic when I was working on a design challenge and I probably have ruined the thing.  It may have to become a wadder! I have managed to move on to this project of invention.

Sophia Grace has steered me in the direction of making undergarments for my first pieces.  Due to the fact, I am sure, that I released her from her place in the magic lamp (my big box of goodies).  I have been studying pictures, books, and old patterns in my stash.  Here is the start:

A pattern from the 30s

or how about this from the 20s

I feel drawn to combine these two ideas.  Could be a teddy (chemise/tap pant all in one), or separate tap pant with chemise.  But I want the versatility of using it with whatever the outwear becomes.

I made a croakie (a sewing term for the drawing of a body that is used to draw designs) of myself by tracing a photograph of me in a leotard.  I know, I know my feet look like flippers for a seal.  But here it is in all its glory:

She doesn't quite fit the paper but it will be fine.

I want to use cotton batiste with some of the lace from my treasure chest.

I promise not to shock you with photographs of myself modeling this layer!!!

Have a great day and "walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet." Thich Naht Hanh 

My Box Runneth Over

I am so overwhelmed with today's event.  A dear friend sent me a surprise box loaded with handmade (Actually hand crocheted.) laces, thread and miscellaneous items dating from 1878 to 1930. He was unaware of my personal challenge(see my last post) of hand sewing an entire outfit.  Such a cherished synchronicity. This is where I start.  These laces are screaming out undergarments. Do you agree????  Here are the treasures:

The black taffeta and lace jacket is most surely from 1878, judging its design.  Here is a close up of the fabulous battenburg style lace.  You can see how the fabric is deteriorating around the neckline.

Can you imagine how much time has been spent to hand crochet all these lace collars, cuffs, trims and yardage?  It simply blows me away.

See the glorious gloves draped over the left side?  They are are a delicate machine knit, maybe silk.

The hands that fit in these were extremely small. I love the covered buttons on the snap closure.  The collar pictured here is quite finely detailed.

Next you can see these super starched cuffs and collars.  They feel like paper!   I can see some manufactured lace from Italy used as insertions.

All in all this is the most magnificent springboard anyone could ever desire.

Then to top it all off this itty bitty one inch photo was nestled among all these treasures:

For me she will be my muse as I continue this adventure.  I will call her Sophia Grace since there is no written name on the photo.

More about all these brimming delights REAL SOON!!!

My New Year

I am an addict.  I am a geek.  OK. OK.  So, I am both a sewing geek and a sewing addict.  A favorite past-time for me is collecting vintage patterns, sewing books, laces and findings.  Recently, at a nearby used book store, I found a most interesting book, "Art of Dressmaking" published by The Butterick Publishing Company, copyright 1927:

This jewel of a book is compiled by Mr. Butterick of the famous pattern company.  I became captivated by the charming drawings and gorgeous displays of sewing techniques.  The art-deco body forms are intriguing especially the emphasis of two dimensional, rectangular bodies:

There is evidence of the sexism from the era:

References to sewing for men are few.  I saw just this page and a note about measuring men along with a short chapter about sewing for men and boys.

There is a chapter in the early part of the book discussing using a sewing machine.  However, almost all of the illustrations are shown using just a needle and thread.  Interesting.  Typical:

Now, I have always enjoyed occasionally hand-sewing buttonholes.  I think they are so elegant, particularly on silk.  

A technique that caught my eye:

So I decided to sew this "Dart with Fulness on One Side," just to do it.  I eliminated the seam in the gathered (fulness) portion by cutting my sample fabric on the fold. Otherwise, I pretty much followed their instructions.  Of course, I sewed by hand. I felt myself becoming entranced with the meditative nature of sewing without a sewing machine.  First, it is quieter and second, the control of the fabric is quite different.  I like being able to have more control of sculpting the fabric.  Additionally, it's just fun.  Here is my finished sample:

The cotton fabric I used was a gauzy type but more dense than cheese cloth.

I have to say that this little exercise has inspired me.  Can I tell you my thoughts?  While I sewed it occurred to me that hand sewing a project could simply not take more work/hours than to knit a sweater or lace shawl, etc.  So I have accepted a personal challenge of hand-sewing a complete outfit for this year.  Are you ready for this?????

Here is my sewing machine:

Next, I will be exploring my vintage pattern collection, current reproduction patterns, historic books of patterns and design ideas of the period.  For now I feel as though the early part of the 20th century is calling me; maybe the 20s and 30s.  Stay tuned as I audition designs and fabrics.

For 2015 I will complete a jacket/coat, dress or pants ensemble plus all my undergarments.  There will be posts of time and progress with all accompanying pictures.  I would love to hear from everyone who enjoy doing projects like this one.

As Confucius reminds us:

A journey of one thousand seams begins with just one small stitch. . . .  

  

 

Introduction

Hello EVERYONE,   Today is the first day of my blog about how I dilly dally as a textile artist.  For starters let's play with "Eco Colour" a lovely book by India Flint.  My friend Myrna Geisbrecht (worth watching her blog) introduced this to me.  I had to try it pronto and am excited about the results.  

First I collected leaves, moss and such from my yard.  These were spread randomly on a piece of silk charmeuse.

Next, I carefully rolled up, folded and bound the entire kit and caboodle.

I decided to steam it with pure distilled vinegar in my steam pot.  I let the vinegar do its job for several hours.

After it cooled I removed it, opened it outside, shook off the plant material.  It was them immersed in an alum solution, washed with light soap and voila:  here is what it looks like.  The colors are beautiful golds, browns, black and even some pinks.  

Close up of some of the gorgeous leaf patterns.  I wish the perfect sheen of the charmeuse would show here, but I think you can get the idea.

Highly recommend this style of dying.  I want to now do some experiments with one type of plant to understand how the colors work.

Enjoy!

Fortune Art Designs fortune for this wonderful day:

Remember to color outside the lines - - - OFTEN!