Persimmon Plunder (Haiku)

There for the picking.

When fruit hangs over the wall,

How can I resist?

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!

Moss Landing Power Plant (CA Field Trip, Monterey area)

Moss Landing Power Plant, Castroville, CA. On a field trip with mah belle seour. We went there to go to Succulent Extravaganza, for the sake of our gardens, and we stayed on for the scenery. 

Never been there? It's not far from Monterey. Ocean, nearly deserted soft sandy beach, harbor, and loverly farm land - California at it's bestEst.

Resources

If you're a succulents fan, you can't do better than to stop in at Succulent Gardens. http://sgplants.com 

Check to make sure they're open and bring cash/checks - no credit cards.

Vionnet and Ericson Inspired my Circular Work (Draping)

Back of imaginary jacket I created from a full circle

Sandra Ericson's recent talk on her fashions, inspired by the work of Madeline Vionnet, has me looking at dress forms with a new eye.

In a recent draping class (our midterm actually) we were asked to fold a square of fabric - I chose a 45 x 45 square, round it off into a circle and see what we could create. 

This is one of my designs. In this case I cut a line along one radian of the circle.

Here's the fantasy front
I like how it swings!

I wonder if that sleeve I created by simply pinning a line up from the edge, part way, would fit me? And would that tuck coming down from the shoulder at an angle fall well, and be comfortable on my body?

I liked the way the cuff rounded up from the base of the circle. That is something I plan to try in a real garment.

I also plan to try out the multiple layers of hem, at different levels. Some kind of sheer floaty fabric - like voile or silk organza - would  be nice for that. Wool jersey would be good too, but with our climate, I'd get very little use out of a jacket made from that.

My favorite features?
The triangle pocket, the diagonal shoulder tuck,
and the curved cuff.

The swinging lapel in the front, gave me the opportunity to create a little chest pocket at the top, another feature I'm definitely going to integrate into a real jacket!

Playing with circles in fashion lab is the kind of thing that keeps me,

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~ 

Resources

Sandra Ericson and Madeline Vionnet - Modern fashion inspired by historical beauties

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/10/to-drape-or-not-to-drape-no-question.html

If this were a real, complete garment - which it's not - it would be a Zero Waste Pattern. Zero Waste designs are something I'd like to create. Here's an article about them, I found on Sandy Ericson's site.
dn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0131/0182/files/Zerowaste.pdf?1471

Free Grub(s) - Chicken Haiku

A few neighbor gals

Stop by unexpectedly

Guess the grubs were good

Antique Threads - Up to Dating Ruffles and Teacups (Historic Inspiration)

If you listened to my July podcast from the fashion gallery of the Victoria and Albert (V&A) in London, you'll recall that I was in sewist heaven when it came to studying fashions in the V&A's collection.

I haven't even finished blogging about some of my ideas from that trip yet - thoughts on creating new looks based on gorgeous antique and retro garments I talked about and photographed in the V&A - before a new book purchase*  get me heading out to search the free on-web collection at the V&A museum, to look up more details from several historic beauties mentioned in this delicious book.

What's the appeal? Not only are were the
edges of these silk strips left raw, the gathered band
was also twisted in a sinuous pattern.

As a result, I have fallen for a dress. 

It's one of those sewing danger things, right? Bad enough when the inspiration garment is something I might wear only once to a wedding or a performance at the opera, but I had to get knocked over by an embroidered silk doozy from the late eighteenth century. 

We're talking here about twenty or thirty yards of silk. We're talking about major ruffles and teacups. We are talking about something that would not even fit through the door of the mini van!

It's the pinked and scalloped strips of silk on this gown** from the late eighteen century that have me itching to come up with a modern way to use this style of embellishment. But I haven't been able to see past the style of this lovely, but totally impractical for modern times (!) sack-back gown. I couldn't see it in a vest, jacket or skirt. OK, I could but the look would have been waaayyyy too fussy. 

.

I had forgotten, however, about this outfit*** I pinned on my Pinterest Historic and Retro Sewing Board. Me oh my, it gives me ideas for deploying that really cool ruffle. 

Can't you just see that snakey, raw edged, twisted, ruffle in a very light weight denim? I can. It's slithering along the edge of a nicely flowing denim shirt or jacket. Perhaps it's just a touch narrower. And in combination with something like this floral skirt in a lovely, fluid voile - or maybe a homespun style check or plaid like the trim on this skirt -, it would really hit the spot.

I bet you know how it goes. Historically inspired, modern fashion is the kind of sewing daydream that keeps me....

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~

Resources

* Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Fashion in Detail, by Avril Hart and Susan North 

Search the V&A Collections http://collections.vam.ac.uk

** Details on and photos of the glorious gold sack-back gown at http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127134/sack-back-gown-unknown/

I have several Pinterest sewing theme boards at http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/ You don't have to join Pinterest to look at them.


*** I'm not sure of the original context for this garment. I saw it on someone else's board. The only link that comes up for it is 
http://p7.storage.canalblog.com/76/26/647625/85282790_o.jpg

Patterns Haiku: Straight of Grain Runs True (Fit)

Straight of grain runs true

The warp threads don't stretch so much

As the weft strands do

~ ~ ~

http://thecuttingclass.com/post/3233126291/grainlines