Ench By Sew-35:Enchanted by Charles James - 20'th Century Fashion History

The Charles James Ribbon Gown - Muslin in the background

Enchanted by Charles James - Stepping into a liminal space to study and enjoy glorious fashion designs and analyze the construction of those garments is the kind of thing that keeps me … enchanted by sewing.

Hey let’s go to the show together! To do that you can either download the ‘cast from iTunes - Click on this link to iTunes  , 
*OR* listen directly on the web, by clicking on this link


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  Some months the Enchanted by Sewing podcast, journals my own sewing project accomplishments, techniques and creative ideas. Other times I share the source of  some of my sewing inspiration. This month is inspiration time, as I take you along on an another in-the-,moment fashon exhibit - a visit to the beautiful Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco , where I went repeatedly to  view the exhibit, High Style: The Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection  exhibit of the Brooklyn Fashion Museum.

This collection – which is housed  and curated by the Metropoliton Museum of Art  in NY City- includes a wide range of the work of 20’th century designers and couturiers.

There was no way I could share all of what I saw with you.

By my third visit, I realized that , despite the charms of designers and coturiers in the exhibit- Elsa Schiaparelli and Madeleine Vionnet, just to name a few of the big names, and some that have been almost forgotten- the hands-down winner for sharing with you, was Charles James. That’s because James, and his clients and admirers, worked to see to it, that more than his beautiful garments were saved in this collection, to motivate and educate future sewists, designers and couturiers. This historical treasure trove includes sketches and muslins which really tell the story of how he worked, and what went into the garments he fashioned. They are an inspiration for the creative process.

The body of Charles James work extends from the 1930s into the1950s. The garments he designed, constructed and created were worn by high society types like  Austine Hearst, the wife of Mr. William Randolph Hearst, Jr., Millicent Rogers and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. They were also made for women with less blue blood like Jeanne Bultman the wife of the artist Fritz Bultman, and Gypsy Rose Lee!

James didn’t just sketch up a gown and expect others to produce it. He worked in the true couture tradition (some say the only American designer who did). He draped fabric in complex ways to get what he was after. Often he created specialized support systems under his gowns, to enhance and extend their third dimensions . Charles James also used fabric in studied ways working with color, light and reflectivity in addition to the hang or drape of the material. He also focused on developing seaming techniques that molded the fabric into directions he wanted it to move.

I’ll be blogging more about Charles James garments I saw at this exhibit over time . You’ll find those in the podcast show notes and at my regular blog, MeEncantaCoser.blogspot.com. So if you find Charles James as appealing as I do, subscribe to the podcast show notes or Me Encanta Coser to be notified about new James postings.


Show at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/legion/announcements/collecting-fashion-20th-century-couture-costume-and-textile-arts-collection?utm_source=Fine+Arts+Museums+of+San+Francisco+E-Mail+List&utm_campaign=e68929bce3-15_3_4_e_news_general&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9757c5111b-e68929bce3-85610377

Other SF show links
https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/highstyle

https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/highstyle/about

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The Entire (over 400 items) Charles James Collection is Freely Available and Searchable Online at the Metropolitan Museum - Brooklyn Costume Collection. This collection includes not only beautiful garments, but muslins and design sketches James created along the way.

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search?&ft=charles+james&what=Costume&pg=1

A few Example Links in the above collection - Use this link to do your own searching

Muslin for the Ribbon Gown  http://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?ft=charles+james+muslin+ribbon

Charles James Fashion Sketches

 http://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?ft=charles+james+sketch&x=0&y=0

Clover leaf Ball Gown Sketches

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/156716

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/156717

Entire online collection at the Met.Wow!
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online

Articles about Charles James

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a1451/charles-james-couture-profile-0214/

http://agnautacouture.com/2013/12/15/charles-james-the-first-american-couturier-was-an-egomaniac/

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/fashion/charles-james-and-me.html?_r=0

San Francisco Legion of Honor ( Field Trip)

European Art

Love Collections and China.

Best Part? View of Bay!

Fantastic views of the Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin, wonderful waking paths - and, oh yes, did I mention a lovely, lovely museum with a great café. 

Make sure to visit to the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, next time you visit San Francisco. 

https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/about

Even a Stopped Clock Shows The Right Time Twice a Day (Cut-Fold-Make your own Stopped Clock)

PLEASE click on this clock project picture to bring up the fully detailed

print'able migonette clock

I was inspired to create this migonette clock after my friend Marilyn and I went to see the Cartier exhibit at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Though we enjoyed taking in the wealth (no kidding!) of glorious and exotic luxury items on display, after a while we both felt a little jaded. It's an odd feeling to think of such a concentration of money being in the hands of such a small group of people.

My favorite items were not the lavish necklaces and opulent rings. They were the clocks. I was particularly struck by a collection of tiny migonette clocks all made, of course, from precious gems and layers of pricey stone. One particular gem-of-a-clock was sheeted in blue and white stripes.

It doesn't really matter to me whether a clock is made from alabaster and pearls, or resin and simple beads. With their obvious time portal abilities, I just like timepieces. So I designed and created my own blue and white striped masterpiece from card stock, using the box-outline template that Victoria magazine artist-in-residence Olivia Kanaley, used to create little fall-themed boxes in the October issue of Victoria. Olivia kindly granted me permission to use her box-shaped template in this project and make it available to others on this page.

Keeping in mind, as the poet says, that 'even a stopped clock shows the right time twice a day' (a lot of people seem to be in disagreement about which poet said that), I hope you enjoy constructing your own stopped migonette clock. Feel free to use it either as a time portal or a little container for treats, for you or a friend.

My newly constructed migonette clock is sitting temptingly on my desk. That Henry Purcell piano piece has been rather challenging. I'm thinking that a quick trip back in time, for a Baroque era music lesson with the maestro is in order.

The Simple Romantic recommends that, after your click on the picture to bring up the full view, that you then print this project on a piece of card stock paper. You can get card stock at an office supply store in packages, or often you can buy individual sheets at a large photocopy store