Journal Notes- Downton Abbey - Positive Ending Note

Getting ready to enjoy Downton Abbey, especially it's clothes, and hats.

What future pretties will I create, based on this BBC series?

Of course soon this show's historical scenes will be history itself.

Instead of being sad, I vote we focus on telling our own stories!

Ench By Sew-029: The Importance of Scrap

This show is created, produced and brought to you by Laurel Shimer.

Izzie the Teenage Tabby Says ....
There's no doubt about the value and importance of scrap!

Forget about analyzing scraps, Laurel
Let's just play!

A cada quien su gusto – To each her own

As well as being useful and cost effective, using up the Scrap from our garment sewing, opens up a world of personal creativity, as well 

Coming up with different ideas for utilizing my scraps, keeps me . . .  Enchanted by Sewing.

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web (while sewing perhaps?:-) by 
clicking on this link

Listen to the Audio right on the web (no need to download) http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/0/a/4/0a434cb127a32469/castdraft5c64KBFINALScrap.mp3?c_id=8392386&expiration=1424335944&hwt=830d2bcade44bea6cbc704a4ae4b8ce0

*****

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Listening Option II)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes

( https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enchanted-by-sewing/id566370325)

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is, an extension of my regular sewing blog - Me Encanta Coser,  (http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com) which,  roughly translated means, Enchanted By Sewing

My blog is written in English. The name celebrates the historical and modern use of the beautiful Spanish Language in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, where I live.

This month’s show  is  

Please *Rate* the Enchanted by Sewing Podcast on itunes, to help other sewists find it.

Email me at EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

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Clearly, scrap is important to the newest member of our household, Izzie the teenaged tabby cat.

Scraps are just as important to me as they are to any cat. Working with scrap, gets my mental processes humming,in ways not so different than they do for Izzie. I have a habit of going to my scrap bins when I feel the need to get a little jolt of playfulness. That’s something I think our young cat can relate to.

I like to work on my scrap habit. It’s good for the planet, and it reminds me that I don’t always have to purchase a new product, 
to make something useful, fun or really beautiful. To top it all off,  focusing on playing, oh I mean experimenting!, with my scrap,
gives me a chance to build more neural pathways - It sparks my creative juices, just like it does for Izzie the Teenaged Tabby Cat. 

 A cada quien su gusto! Or, maybe you say To each her own!

Izzie says, Just get out the scrap, let’s play!


Here’s what I talk about, in this month’s show, “The importance of scrap”, recorded in February of 2015

1) Pensamientos Primeros
Scrap – Rags, Patches and Snips.  How useful a sewists leftovers can be!

Scraps are sewing leftovers. I call some of my  larger scraps, remnants, These are scraps, from which, I might still make another tee shirt, a camisole or  maybe a tote bag or little purse .  

Entonces/Then there are the smaller remnents odds and ends– not big enough for a whole garment, but quite useful for a variety 
of projects and make -do challenges. 

Finally there are my snips – tiny bits and pieces, and strips that are just too pretty to toss. These bits and pieces are what really bring my creativity to life.

 * * *

I'm sorry I lost the link to this site.
I remember it was a public site in Australia

 Yup that’s me singing that old hit, "Ragg Mopp" , once sung by the Tenriers and the Aames Bros. Rags might be considered kind of  lowly to some folks, but in fact these leftovers have been important for a lot more than wiping up spills and polishing cars throughout history. Rag mops and rag rugs are just a few of those very utilitarian, and sometimes beautiful ways to repurpose strips of old or new fabric.

1. Ragg Mopps and Raggggg Rugggggs
iii. Nice link to Little House Living a woman who makes her own rag rugs for her own home.
http://www.littlehouseliving.com/how-to-make-rag-rugs.html

According to this link, rag mops are the best mop in the world, and the author says the that professionial cleaners in many countries swear by them.
http://www.instructables.com/id/HOW-TO-MAKE-%22THE-BEST-MOP-IN-THE-WORLD%22/

 I’d love to hear from listeners who’ve made either of these raggy kind of projects. How patient do you have to be? I’m thinking of trying out something more basic along these lines like coasters. Could you maybe braid and curl up hot pads from repurposed scrap or old clothes?

Follow the Drinking Gourd - The Spiritual 

http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/What_The_Lyrics_Mean.htm

http://www.contemplator.com/america/gourd.html

SewRuth, who I think hails from Ireland, had several ideas I hadn’t thought of. She had some very nice photos and how-to for belts, covered jewlery - bracelets, watch straps  and embellishment for handbags.. I’m going to revisit the tutorial part of that posting when I think about making a belt from scrap I also really liked her idea about making an obi .That posting is definitely worth a visit if you’re into using up your scrap in an artistic way. 

Sew Ruth Wee Scraps - https://corecouture.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/wee-scraps/comment-page-1/

Me Encanta Coser - Using Up Scraps http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/02/using-up-scraps-green-sewing.html

A couple of postings about the buttercup purse pattern, including a free pattern link
Embellishing a buttercup purse with tatting http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/tit-fortatting-embellishing-my.html

Do you love butter? In Praise of the Buttercup Purse. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-you-love-butter-in-praise-of.html

Pinterest - Sewing Fabric Flowers http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/0-sewingfabricflowers/

2) Entonces/Then - Technicos – How I sew appliqué
I have my own way of doing a somewhat deconstructed appliqué

AngelLea has her own ideas  
http://angelleadesigns.com/tutorials/how-to-make-and-apply-appliques

3) Pensamientos Finales/Final Thoughts – A Story of Scrap 

Downton Abbey Cloche Hat Works Today - Starting to Make My Own (Hats, Millinery)

Do you remember when Lady Sybil wore this cloche? It was in the episode when Branson drove
her to a political meeting she wasn't supposed to attend. So it wasn't a super dressy occasion.
I want to create a head fitting pattern out of multiple pie-shaped wedges like this. 
I'd also like it to have a nice rolled brim
that displays some kind of lovely lining.
I'm thinking about trying for something like this in lightweight denim.
Sybil's hat appears to have some kind of ribbon around the crown as well.

I'm enchanted by the cloche hats on Downton Abbey. A lot of them would be very wearable for modern times, especially for folks like me who live in a mild-winter California climate and walk a lot. We need to protect our skin (in addition to our SPF 50!) and keep the sunlight out of our eyes. So far I've mostly created fabric caps for this purpose. I like those, but I'd also like something with a brim that goes around the entire hat, not just a bill in the front. 

I use an inexpensive foam wig stand for
storing this straw hat I produced from the first millinery class I took (Wayne* blocked the straws for us, we trimmed them).
See the tissue sticking out underneath?
I need that because my head is 2 inches bigger than
the crown of the stand. My hat is 3 inches bigger than the
stand (for comfort)
It's important to store hats on something that holds the material of the hat in place,
because otherwise eventually, they will collapse.

The wig stand is only 21" around the crown
The crown of my head is 23" - and that's a very tight fit
When I make a hat, it's 24 or 24 1/2 inches, for a comfortable fit.

I want to create a pattern for a cloche hat.
This one measures about 24" around, after I strapped a number of layers of duct tape tightly over my head.
My cloche will have some kind of a brim to keep the sun out of my eyes,
but the first thing is to get a well-fitted shape around my skull
I made this one out of duct tape and a nylon stocking (the knee high kind)
The stocking (more or less!) kept the duct tape from sticking to my hair
I got my ideas for this form from this post on Crafster

After I peeled the duct tape form off my head (pulling out a few stray hairs along the way!) and trimmed the knee high stocking, the rest of the stocking started to peel away, so I applied leftover (tee shirt) cotton knit scraps on the inside. Then I reinforced the edge all the way around with more duct tape. It was actually helpful, making the head/hat block more stable.

The cloche form needs to be stuffed with something to fit well on the foam head block
I could use leftover cotton knit scraps
 (I left the scraps sticking out in this photo just to make the point)

Or I could stuff it with tissue scraps
 (again, I'd actually stuff the tissue all up inside)

At this point, I can start creating a pattern that fits my head, with or without a brim.

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Web Resources

My tapestry cap inspired an Enchanted by Sewing show. In August of 2014 I recorded an entire audio podcast about sewing fabric caps, including technique and pattern talk http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/08/ench-by-sew-023-capping-off-summer.html

*In this posting I talked about my experiences in Wayne Wichern's millinery class. We focused most of our time on a fabric-covered buckram hat. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/matters-millinery-making-my-own-hats.html,  Early this year, I'll be taking a three full day hat making workshop from Wayne in his studio in Burlingame. I expect to block my own straw and felt hats there. 

My first fabric cap in 2013, was a lovely subtle denim print. I've just about worn this out! http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/06/caps-off-chewing-bun-with-tuppence.html

Alvan's Crafster post about making a duct tape cloche hat form helped me with my form. Thanks! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=gjkdubsculiivgd9tu5t1g50k3&topic=361109.0

Floracraft makes an Inexpensive form for base of a head block - a foam wig stand http://www.michaels.com/floracraft-wig-head/10315631.html

Mind Of This Maker

(co-published with She's Hep With Tech)

We used to be called "creative", but now we're called "makers".* 

Do you have Maker Faire's where you live? Maker Faire is kind of like a Renaissance Faire, and kind of like Silicon Valley translated into a modern day county fair. I went because I'd been under the weather physically and emotionally, and I wanted to recharge my mental batteries.

Good idea.

There's a lot of technology at the faire. A lot of it is fantasy technology reinterpreted as semi-reality - like the big metal octopus that shot fire, the traveling cold drinks dragon-headed vendor that shot fire - in fact shooting fire seemed to be an important aspect of the faire. There was also a big chambered Nautilus that brought to mind Jules Verne's Captain Nemo. The kids were lined up to zip into there and head up on top for a visit with the Steam Punk'y looking guide.

Steam Punk comes to life at Maker Faire. You know how Steam Punk works right? These folks are a natural for this zone.  Steam Punk people combine dressing up in Victorian 'esque clothing with  elements of imaginary technology. They don't live in a reenactor world like Renaissence, Civil War Reenactors, and Dickens Faire participants. They're part of the mainstream plane, but also apart from it. The costumes and the tech are all mixed up together. Gears, cogs and wheels are big with Steam Punk folks. Anything mechanical is big.  And corsets are very important. There were a bunch of Steam Punk costume vendors there, selling Steam Punk garb off the rack. They charge $250 for custom corsets. As a sewist who spent three months creating a custom boned bustier, I can tell you that is not overpriced.

There's a sense of computer games come to life at the faire. Lots of robots and robotics. Lots of little booths that help you make toys that look like they come off your iPhone screen to life. There are Radio Controlled goodies for you RC lovers.

The Bay Area Lego Users Group has a booth. It's part model railroad, part completely huge old style city streets, flotilla of military looking ships in a life like bay. If you like to play that way, you could play for a long time.

I went looking for Crafts, Needlework and Sewing stuff, because that's one type of of maker I am. There were tables of people stitching and chatting and having fun interacting, either adding to a big existing project or doing some kind of make-and-take sample. I was hoping to see a lot more of this type of making, but I had a limited amount of time and may not have found it all.  B. Coole was there with her Steam Punk oriented embroideries, parasols, tassels and other nifty Victorian 'esque and Steam Punk accouterments.  She gave me some good audio input for my monthly Enchanted by Sewing podcast, all about buying and using a home embroidery machine.

I've written about 3D printers in this blog before, and you can bet I checked them out at Maker Faire. I saw several genres.  There were kids designing and printing their own toys. This reminded me of the Fun Flowers and Creepy Crawlers I used to make with Plastic Goop. (I also saw kids running around in cardboard box assemblages playing at being robots - no 3D printing required.) There are the home printer and the send-it-off service types. The home printers often create/print/make the items in plastic (PL or a TGlass) type. People might design things like a speciality screwdriver or tool with these. Some folks use Google Sketchup software to design with. There are also resin type home printers that allow people to design highly detailed things like jewelry.

There were design it and send it off to be printed services too. You can create 3-D designs, and send something off to be printed in precious metals, ceramic, stainless steel, etc. I saw a large old fashioned stylemetal key - it might cost $35 to print that. A gold (plated?) bracelet that might code $200. There were design your own shoes (all produced in a variant on plastic) that were designed to fit your own feet. Prices were in the $200 range. I don't think they're competing with Payless Shoe Source. Yes, I'm waiting for them to print in leather and fabric too!

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Web Resources

A Sense of What Maker Faire is All About http://makezine.com/2014/05/18/from-learn-to-solder-to-weekend-projects-everyones-a-maker/

Lots of different cities have their own Maker Faires http://makerfaire.com

B. Coole Designs - Machine Embroidery, Steam Punk and More http://www.bcoole.com

Bay Area Lego Users Group http://www.baylug.org

* Golden age mystery author Dorothy Sayers considered herself a maker. I highly recommend her book, The Mind of the Maker. Look for it in your public library

You might design your 3D printable with http://www.sketchup.com

Regency Romance Novel Cover is Not the Assignment! Historic Inspired Draping

I was thinking Regency Romance Novel Cover
When I draped this bodice
But I was supposed to be thinking about
working with the circles!

This is not what my draping teacher was looking for - at all - when she had us draping with circles in class.

I finally pulled off a project she was happier with ("More organic. Work with the circle."), but I can't seem to help having this dress-my-Barbie-doll reaction when somebody tells me to get creative with fabric and form. 

What deep seated emotional problem does this mean I suffer from? And can I get my community to pay me to overcome it, so that I can buy more fabric and notions?
:-)

Playing with materials in draping class keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

Ench By Sew-12 Creating Dress Forms (Podcast Episode)

Co-Published with the Show Notes for Enchanted By Sewing

http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com

Hey! The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Two Ways to Listen

i)You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on the this link

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~ OR ~

ii)  Click on this link to iTunes  to download this and other Enchanted by Sewing shows to your mobile device (iPhone, Android, etc.) free from iTunes 

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and let me know, or else email me ,  EnchantedBySewing AT gmail

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This month show is about my experiences creating and using two different types of dress forms - 

a) A duct tape dress form

b) A Uniquely You dress form

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Please send your thoughts about this month or next month's topic – Jeans Sewing -in the Post a Comment section,  below :-)

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Please Note

My Uniquely You Dress Form Instructor was Judith Jackson. I referred to her as "our teacher" in the original recording, as I was waiting to ask her permission to include her name. She said 'yes' :-)

In this month's show

1) What is a dress form?

a. A mannequin who’se shaped like you. A fitting or body double, a way to fit patterns, garments, drape and design as though you’re the tailor and the dress form is you

b. Listen to Lori's Sew Forth Now Podcast for a history of dress forms

Lori not only talked about history, she also talked about the style of dress form and I’m not repeating any of that. Please listen to her wonderful show (she said it would remain there for the near future) esp interesting to me is lori’s archeologic work, uncovering the history of dress forms.

http://sewforthnow.blogspot.com/2008/05/episode-28-dress-forms.html

Lori uses an adjustable dress form, I worked with two different types – duct tape and a Uniquely You dress form

c.

2) Why I wanted a dress form

a. Fit

b. Trying out patterns and muslins in 3D

c.  Create and play around with my own designs, and minor commercial pattern alterations and design changes

d.  Because Lori made them sound so appealing!

e. Maybe for photographing in my blog….

3) Body Issues and your Team

a. Body issues are a part of our culture

b. Find helpers/team who help us feel good about ourselves

c. A dress form helps us distance ourselves from body issues – it’s just data

d. A dress form helps us notice our best features – what do I want to flatter more?

e. A dress form helps us make patterns or garments we design ourselves more flattering, so we learn to play up our best features

f. A dress form allows us to experiment with a muslin/toile – Can I make a shirtwaist that flatters my figure type?

g. Choosing our Team

4) Two types of dress forms I experienced. Basically what they are,  

5) Cost

6) Materials (tools)   and Resources (web stuff) - I list some Resources below

7) Safety- Working around kids,  young or older goofy, fun loving kids - Two good reasons not to !

8) Social Comfort/Body Issues – You need a work group, at least one other person. Find someone who supports your best interests and helps you feel good about yourself

9) How I’ve used my dress forms , what other things I or others might do w/ them

 - Fitting, altering, trying out new patterns, hand sewing/deconstructed neckbands - helps me conform neckline to lay well on me

- A Wedding in your future? Formal/Special Occasion Wear I would guess that if you’re doing a formal dress for someone with beading or close fitting - and maybe they aren't available at the drop of a hat, might be worth making a duct tape (or other type )  dress form for them

10) Technicos: In-depth details about how I made these two different styles of dress forms. What I actually did to create them

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Resources

Listen to the Podcast on web - no need to download to a mobile device
http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/draft5_dress_formENCHANTEDbySewingFINAL.mp3

There are so many fun things about dress forms - making them, draping on them,  displaying historic, artistic and other garments on them, and enjoying them as an art form - whether full sized, half size, miniature or doll size. There are even topiary forms inspired by dress forms. Whenever I see a good dress form that fits any of these categories, I pin it on one of my virtual bulletin boards http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/dress-forms/

Lori recorded a Sew Forth Now podcast episode on dress forms. I tried not to duplicate anything she already talked about in this great show

http://sewforthnow.blogspot.com/2008/05/episode-28-dress-forms.html

Dress forms are a popular theme with sewing bloggers 

http://makingitwell.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/i-made-my-own-dress-form.html

"Threads" Magazine has many articles related to dress forms

Quick and Easy Duct-Tape Dress Form

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3630/quick-and-easy-duct-tape-dress-form/page/all

Some people think Paper Tape works better than duct tape. Haven't tried it myself, but I'd be game!

      http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3633/paper-tape-dress-form Paper Tape Dress Form

Kenneth King make an extra body to use for two people  in Threads issue 161

 June/July 2012

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/31229/make-your-dress-form-work-for-multiple-figures

I looked in the Threads Magazine Archive to find different articles. You can find that at...

http://www.tauntonstore.com/threads-magazine-issues.html  You can buy individual Threads back issues, if you or your public library doesn't have them on the shelf.

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/29304/dress-forms-can-be-a-sewing-room-essential

1) "Fit for Everyone" by Kenneth D. King in issue #161. This describes how to sew removable covers to make your dress form work for multiple figures.

A. "Tip: Meet Madeline" by Sandy Moeckel in issue #153. This tip describes how Sandy inexpensively made her dress form suitable for herself as well as her daughter.

1) "Tip: Identical Body Double" by Anne K. Brenz in issue #144. This tip describes the way Anne made her dress form fit her every curve.

• "The Dress Form–A Sewer's Best Friend" by Carol Fresia in issue #123. Described below.

• "Make An Arm for Your Dress Form" by Shirley Botsford in issue #90.

• "Clone Yourself a Fitting Assistant" by David Page Coffin in issue #75. This article explains how to make a dress form from scratch.

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Things I might try out for arty fun and practice with my dress form 

Making a newspaper dress on a dress form. Fun way to learn draping?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlHmzXCWEh4

A tutu might also be a fun way to experiment with draping on a dress form too "How to make a tutu out of paper" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp6nKpzd0eI