Ench By Sew-026: Embellishment Via Vancouver B.C., Canada

Hey! 

The latest Enchanted by Sewing Podcast has been published!

Listening Option I) You can listen to the show right on the web by clicking on this link

http://traffic.libsyn.com/enchantedbysewing/CastFINALNov2014VancouverEmbellishmentD6.mp3

*****

~ OR ~

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)

This month’s show  is  EMBELLISHMENT VIA VANCOUVER B.C.

The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast is, an extension of my regular sewing blog - Me Encanta Coser, 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. 

Recently I was in western Canada, in Vancouver BC for a six days trip. My husband attended a conference for GSA. Not being a geologist, I went along for fun!

I’ve taken four trips to Vancouver in the last six years. It's a place we really love to go. We are all really drawn to the city and the vicinity. We identify with the city as fellow westerners. There is a strong bond of shared history and culture, between people in the western Americas, particularly down along the coast. There's also a lot of ross culture with my home in the San Francisco Bay area. 
That said, there is a spice of difference and Canadian feeling. We feel both comfortable, and excited with the sights sounds and smells(!). 

In the show I discuss . . . 
On my slow travel trip, I kept embellishment in mind when I

- Shopped
- Looked for inspiration for sewing projects
- Designed and Worked on a small sewing project

I also included a lot of travel notes in the 'cast. You'll hear about how my interest in very accessible forms of Native American art in Vancouver, the out of doors, and local city life affected my sewing ideas and my travel style.

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

Sunset Inn and Suites – Burnaby St, West End, just off Davie
http://www.hotels.com/ho164255/sunset-inn-and-suites-vancouver-canada/?PSRC=AFF01&dateless=true&gclid=Cj0KEQiAkJyjBRClorTki_7Zx8QBEiQAcqwGMeXJ-gc2KOCEPb-gB9qWOWmCcrtOOkuID51u6QGew0UaAvNr8P8HAQ&hotelid=164255&rffrid=sem.hcom.US.google.003.08.02.s.kwrd%3DZzZz.s8fvadtdYZr1h.0.55304224213.1020qs718367.d.c

Button Button - A Unique, Artistic Button Experience
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/11/embellishment-buttoning-up-vancouver-bc.html

Button Button is on the edge of Gas Town. It's where the Steam Clock is. Yup, it was being renovated when I was there!
http://creativefinds.ca/art-retreat/attachment/vancouver-gastown-steam-clock/

Dressew http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/10/californian-visits-vancouver-bc-sewing.html

Beadworks http://www.beadworks.ca
Bead store on Granville Island
In the Net Loft building

5 - 1666 Johnston Street, V6H 3S2
T: 604.682.2323 | F: 604.682.1303
" Located in the Net Loft Beadworks is the ultimate destination for all of your jewellery making needs. Choose from thousands of different beads; from pearls to shells to glass and everything in between, and materials for making earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more. Ask the helpful staff for tips, and you can even create your one-of-a-kind accessories in-store. We also offer classes."

Inspiration
From Nature, City Walkings, Fantastic Museums and People I meet

Stanley Park is a huge fantastic city park. Wonderful views of the water, water activities, biking, walking. Woods too - take your pick.

- Native American Art Good locations there
- Behind Maritime Museum Mungo Martin Totem Pole
- Totem Poles, Spirit Park in Stanley Park
- Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at University of British Colombia (UBC), carvings, crests on totem poles, bentwood boxes, modern and ancient sculptures
o http://moa.ubc.ca
o Explore the MOA Collection Yourself - Images, Info, etc. http://moa.ubc.ca/collections/
o First Nations Collection at MOA http://moa.ubc.ca/collections/firstnations/
o

Vanier Park
Museum of Vancouver (MOV) http://www.museumofvancouver.ca

Exhibit - From Rationing to Ravishing Through early March 2015, 
http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/exhibitions/exhibit/rationing-ravishing


Maritime Museum - nearby the Museum of Vancouver
Exhibit - Babes and Bathers, History of the Swimsuit
http://vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/press/babes-bathers-exhibit-opens-maritime-museum

Drill for Structure (Pearly Wannabe Jacket)

Early on, when I began blogging about my Pearly-Wannabe jacket project, I noted that one of the features was drill utility fabric, which I'd used as an interlining between the two layers of fleece that make up the front and back of the jacket.

I didn't start out doing this. As I've mentioned before, I've made Butterick 3573 (an out of print pattern, but highly available on the web) in double layers of fleece a number of times, both in the original pattern jacket length and as an extended weight sports vest.

However something about not only extending the jacket but also slashing and spreading the front for added fullness changed the character of the double layers of fleece. The garment took on the character of a nice warm blanket. A nice Snuglie! as a friend in Sewing Lab commented.

Time for a visit with Auntie Seama Rippah. (That gal will be expecting overtime after this project) I ripped up the hem again (remember my challenges with how to bind the hem in the last post?) and interlined the inside/lining layer of fleece with the utility fabric drill * up to about the bust level. I then channel stitched the drill down to the lining layer. So if you peep into the inside, you'll see what looks vaguely like decorative stitching patterns, hiding my structural secrets.

The result? The fabric takes on a new character, hanging in an almost wool-like manner and with plenty of shape and structure.

Keep your Snuglies for watching late night t.v!

* I had drill on hand because I use this heavy twill-weave fabric to make the pocket bags in trousers and pants. Fashion fabric in pockets may look and feel elegant, but my pockets see hard use. They need sturdy fabric in this no-show area, to support the weight of the two sets of keys and cell phone I invariably carry.

Jacket Features (Pearly Wannabe Jacket)

My Pearly-Wannabe Jacket
This not exactly mainstream garment,
suites my arty-romantic California style

In previous posts, I debuted my Pearly Wannabe Jacket and discussed my experiences with the base pattern.

Of course.... I made quite a few alterations to the base pattern -Butterick 3573, a tried and true( T&T) favorite of mine.

Out of Print, but plenty of vendors
still carry this big seller fleece jacket pattern

Jacket Features

1) Button On/Off Sleeves. These were the most important of my original goals for the garment, allowing it a double life as jacket or vest.

2) The Pearly's! I used quite a lot of repurposed / recycled men's shirt buttons both as decoration and also to support the garments usefulness.

3) Separating Sports Zipper keeps me cosy

4) Double layer of fleece front and back is warm. Drill utility fabric, used as interlining, gives it solid structure and keeps the jacket fabric from looking like a blanket.

5) Weights in hem and along the edges of the center front below the zipper give the jacket a more solid feeling as well. I used a combination of pennies and drapery weight cording. A pants hook just below the end of the zipper, helps the jacket to close more neatly, and hang better.

6) Tucks in front and back give a little shaping. I slashed, slit and added to the original pattern shape to add in more fabric that I then tucked back in.

7) Home dec fabric is used as an under collar, for trim and for the button on/off wings. This heavy weight cotton fringes nicely. Integrating the pinks and blues in the home dec fabric with the red plaid fleece, gives me lots of wardrobing options. It means this jacket goes with shirts and blouses that include a variety of colors.... blue, white, red, pink, yellow, green etc.

8) Shirt weight cotton lines the wings and is used in decorative finding.

More on these details to come

El Debut: My Pearly-Wannabe Jacket

Yes, I double-checked 'el debut' really is the Spanish version of the word we often think of as French for 'presentation'

I have been working on this jacket for probably six weeks now. I can't even begin to catalog what went into the creation and imagination of this new adjunct to my wardrobe, though I plan to highlight some of the sewing techniques and items I used in this blog. Several of them were new to me and I plan to use and try them again in less complex projects.

Nor can I say that this garment is absolutely finished. Note the piece of floral binding still hanging down from one of the faux pocket flaps in front. And I keep finding other places I want to add buttons. I don't even dare show you the back! We are not talking a mainstream piece of clothing here, yet it's definitely something I plan to wear in my everyday world.

This Pearly-Wannabe garment (you know about the Pearly's right?) has button on-off sleeves, so that it can live life as either a vest or a jacket. I'm hoping that will make it a useful travel garment.

I'll share more on this creation over time. The base pattern is one I've sewn many times in the past, but altered tremendously for this garment.

After working so long on the Pearly-Wannabe, I'm craving some plain, basic sewing time. I'm already working on a pink flowered shirt (that's where the binding that's going on the faux pocket flap and the lining for the button on/off sleeve wings came from) and have a pair of very simple black linen cropped pants cut out as well.

This jacket, no matter how much she wants to be one, doesn't really qualify as a Pearly. For one thing, all the Pearly clothes I've seen, are solid black, then trimmed with elaborate patterns of buttons. Also the Pearly roles are inherited. And they're British!

What can I say? This gal's a California Pearly!

~ ~ ~

For more on Pearly's

http://www.pearlysociety.co.uk/Main%20page.html