Channeling Vionnet - Draping Inspiration

The Neo-Classic Look
 Ancient Greek styles inspired Vionnet to turned a design corner in western women's fashion

Some of my favorite Vionnet
creations are her petal dresses

Madeline Vionnet was a dressmaker in the great and traditional sense. Her job integrated an understanding of cloth, body, gravity and artistic sensibility. 

She had a natural hands on feeling for fit - an understanding between a piece of cloth and a woman's body.

She developed new ways of  working with gravity and the release of her cloth, to find the perfect hang of a garment.

She created beauty from cloth and form by draping, not from a sketch.

I know I'm residing in a corner of her atelier every time I setup Conchita, my dress form, and prepare my muslin.

Traveling back through time, to be inspired by Madame Vionnet is just one more thing that keeps me . . .

Enchanted by Sewing

A little tissue and inspiration from my Betty Kirke Vionnnet book
helps me to imagine creating the perfect petal dress.

It looks like Holly the Dolly is more suited to
rounded petals in the Petal Dress tissue pattern
I created for her.

~ ~ ~
Web Resources
http://thecoincidentaldandy.blogspot.com/2011/02/pythia-of-fashion-madeleine-vionnet-art.html

Ench By Sew-022- Summer of the Blouse - Amaryllis

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 

~ 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

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

I like Amaryllis with jeans too!

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

* * *

In my slow sewing July, I focused on sewing just one pink and white striped seersucker sleeveless blouse.  Like my  CA Summer skies shirt– (that was blue and white checked seersucker shirt ) I sewed and talked about last months show, my new sleeveless blouse, who I call Amaryllis (in honor of the musical, "The Music Man"),  has quickly become an important staple of my summer wardrobe. And sewing a few more blouses, as a result of what I thought and learned about sewing this most recent garment, is something I’m considering when it comes to more summer sewing.

In this month’s show

1) Pensamientos Primeros
Slow Summer Sewing – Budgeting my sewing time and energy and coming out on top by improving sewing skills. Increasing my wardrobe choices. It’s about Feeling satisfied with my sewing recreation time and output.

The slow living movement includes slow stitching. Look for more about slow living and sewing on the web

http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/wardrobe-refurbish-sewist-loves-to.html

http://www.slowmovement.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downshifting

http://theslowstitchingmovement.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/welcome-to-the-slow-stitching-blog/

2) Entonces, Technicos y Mas
i) What’s a shirt what’s a blouse? http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/08/whats-shirt-whats-blouse.html

ii) About Amaryllis, a summer blouse

Music Man Inspiration for this blouses name http://simpleromantic.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-travel-primer-lesson-6-music-man.html


Now I've sewn Amaryllis, I'm envisioning other sleeveless blouses  http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/07/fabric-for-rosa-summer-dreams-blouse.html

iii) Technicos –My Amarylis Blouse
- More Seersucker Sewing
-       Sleeveless blouse facings
For my sleeveless blouse facings, I used techniques similar to those I described in my blog posting, Sewing a Fitted Facing, in Oct two years ago
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/10/technicostechniques-sewing-fitted-facing.html

- Seam Finishes - Cut and Pink
- Altering a shirt pattern to become a blouse

3) Pensamientos Finales Blue Skies Sewing - I can't sew it all at once, but I can dream!

A couple of Inspiration Dresses are related to Bustiers, including the Stella McCartney floral http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/sewingbustiersinspiration/

Stella McCartney inspired my interest in this pattern for a bustier-related dress, Vogue 8849

I discovered the pattern at this great blog, Fitnottofit http://fitnottofit.wordpress.com/tag/v8849/

I bought my copy of this pattern from
https://sewingpatterns.com

More about designer Stella McCartney http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_McCartney

Ench By Sew-021- CA Summer Skies Sewing Summer Vacation Is a State of Mind

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 

~ 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

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

I know your June weather may not be the same as mine. Here in CA it’s time for summer skies, a little more heat, and a vacation feeling whether or not we’re able to leave town. (Hey,  feel free to post about what kind of sewing your climate inspires below!)

Sometimes I’m able to take an actual summer vacation and other years I focus on treating the summer like a vacation, even when I don’t leave the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live. This summer I was able to take a mini vacation weekend trip to Disneyland. As a matter of fact I just got back☺  I went with my beautiful, kind and funny, young adult daughter. Getting to bond with her at this age is really fun!  I took along a newly finished garment from my summer wardrobe on the trip and I’ll talk about sewing that in the show. I’m going to continue to focus on treating the rest of the summer like a vacation, no matter what I get to do. And I’m going to continue to sew for my summer vacation, no matter how far afield of home I manage to go.

Here’s what I’m talking about in this month’s show

* Primero: Planning My Summer Vacation Sewing

I may be a casual dresser, but I'm not into Normcore, anti-fashion. No, I go for an arty-romantic look, creating summer vacation outfits that make me feel special– whether I wear them on a trip across an ocean, a local museum visit, or just special tea with a buddy on my patio, is the kind of thing that keeps me Enchanted by Sewing

I’ve gotten a lot of great ideas for summer sewing, either for a vacation away from home or making a includes patterns for relaxed and beautiful garments that vacation right where I live, from this new-to-me book



* Entonces/Then Key pieces I’ve created so far for my summer vacation sewists wardrobe

Love my new denim skirt - It flatters my figure type!
And how about that CA Summer Skies Shirt?
You bet I'm happy with my latest rendition of B5526
Of course I had to get some new red sandals to enhance my blue and white summer wardrobe theme :-)

a. Straight denim skirt
b. Summer Skies shirt

c. I refurbished two pair of shorts and and a pair of pants by adding thread belt loops. Guess who feels like she got three new garments? This posting from my regular blog includes a how-to link for those belt loops http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/06/wardrobe-refurbish-sewist-loves-to.html

d. Closet Shopping turned up a couple of pretty, arty shirts I’ve made in past that work well with my refurbished pants

These garments together give a slightly dressy edge to my summer vacation and make me stand up a little straighter and really feel good about myself. -

* I followup with Technicos: Focusing on seersucker sewing  with my CA Summer skies shirt


 

Ench By Sew-020- Mind of the Maker

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 

~ 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

Did I miss any links mentioned in the show? If so, please post here and share them with everybody

Email- EnchantedBySewing@gmail.com

~ ~ ~

- Pensamientos Primero  

Reflecting on Making

For some people, sewing is just practical . For another segment of society, and I’m one of them, sewing is an important creative outlet that helps us to stay healthy and happy.
- Entonces /Then

She B. Coole

Live talk from our local Makers Faire includes extempore  interview with professional embroideress (Tapistres?) Barbara Coole (B. Coole)
o B. Coole Shares
• Thoughts on the realities of garment sewers investing both time and money into modern machine embroidery equipment and know-how
• Her advice on choosing an embroidery machine

- Pensimentos Finales:  What I’m thinking now, when it comes to my dream embroidery machine

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

This Steam Punk Sewist
is right at home at
Makers Faire

My Regular Sewing Blog Me Encanta Coser http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com

She B. Coole - Barbara is a professional embroideress and textile artist.  As Barbara (B. Coole) reminds us embroidery is “… an art form that’s been going on for thousands of years.” People have sent out their embroidery to be done by professionals,  for hundreds of years.  B.Coole  does detailed projects involving professional couture embroidery to order . She also sells a wide variety of embroidered bits and pieces, parasols and more along with embroidery motifs that sewists and non-sewists can add to their garments, bags, hats, etc.  http://www.bcoole.com
bc@bcoole.com
(707) 575-8924

You’ll find that under-pocket cat embroidery created by Hiroko Kubota, along with other embellishment ideas on this pinterest board. http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/embellishment-sewing/

The Steam Punk Esthetic http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/steampunk-era-or-state-of-mind/

I have several sewing inspired boards at pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/

Maker’s Faires are found in many different cities http://makerfaire.com

She’s Hep With Tech  

Mind of This Maker
http://www.hepwithtech.blogspot.com/2014/05/mind-of-this-maker.html

What Would Beethoven Print? (3D Printing)
http://www.hepwithtech.blogspot.com/2014/04/but-what-would-beethoven-print-3d.html

Poiret Draped for the New Woman

The Lines of Paul Poiret's Fashions
Helped Defined the New Woman of the Twentieth Century
Click on the Illustration above to really enjoy the details!

I've been recovering from a little light surgery lately. (Little for the surgeons point of view, I guess). Are you like me when your getting over stuff like that? Do you also  watch your Downton Abbey video collection all the way through? I spent a goodly part of my video viewing time watching for the corseted Edwardian styles to transition into the modern twentieth century era.

Of course it was folks like Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet who inspired the kinds of clothes the Crawley gals, and their Mama, are wearing in those heady times. (Not so much Anna, Daisy and the other servants, unfortunately for them.) Both couturiers were also known for ushering modern, twentieth century women - the New Woman- into the beyond-corsets era of fashion.

Like Madeleine Vionnet, Paul Poiret is known for creating fashion through the process of draping. Nothing like laying in a cosy get-well-nest of videos, drinking plenty of fluids, working to pull together and feeling the comradeship of a fellow draper. 

~ ~ ~

Web Resources

My Pinterest Draping Board

http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/draping-inspiration/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Poiret

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Vionnet

Bustiers: Made to Measure - Altering the Pattern (Draping Skills)

A little blue-sky sewing
created this bustier:-)

Recently I posted about my imaginary bustier. This blue-sky sewing illustration (I created it as a bookmark/luggage tag) has helped me to develop a general design sense for my project for the bustier class I'm taking from Lynda Maynard* at Cañada. OK, sure my figure doesn't resemble Barbie Doll's, but still we all need an idea of what we're going for!

You may have read in this blog, that I took a draping class this last fall (2013), where I learned to create patterns using a dress form. My goal from that class is not only to occasionally create my own pattern that fits and flatters me, but also to learn to alter commercial patterns so that they work well for my own figure.

You may also recall that I did a podcast about creating my "Uniquely You" Dress Form over the summer.  There, I created my own dress form, Conchita. I'm really glad that I began learning to work with Conchita over the fall. Those experiences are coming in handy as I work on altering the Simplicity bustier pattern Lynda Maynard* recommends for students in her class. (We can chose a different pattern if we want). So far I've spent a good chunk of time over the last three weeks, working on creating and altering my version of the pattern. I sure hope I'm getting close to a flattering fit.

My dress form Conchita is helping
me to alter the Simplicity bustier pattern to fit
and flatter my figure.
Does this look like anything I'd actually
wear in public?
!!!

Working through muslin garment versions and multiple pattern variations, can really take the time. It's an exercise in patience. And does it look like anything I'd actually wear in public while I'm working through the process? You look at the illustration to the left and be my judge!

 Worth it in the long run? You bet! I was really happy with my first pair of jeans that I made in Lynda's pants drafting class in the fall.

The muslin version looked truly terrible, and for a number of weeks too! Now, I wear those jeans nearly every day, and am looking forward to making another pair once I'm done with the bustier. There's nothing as great for a garment sewist as creating clothing that is truly made to measure.

~ ~ ~

Resources

Laurel's Bustiers Board on Pinterest : http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/sewingbustiersinspiration/

And stop by and check out some of my other sewing boards! http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/

Cañada College Fashion Program, Redwood City, CA
http://canadacollegefashion.com

*Lynda Maynard
http://canadacollegefashion.com/blog/2013/11/instructor-lynda-maynard/

Bustiers: Class Pattern
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/01/bustier-class-pattern.html

Bustiers: Not a Corset! (Class)
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/01/bustiers-not-corset-plus-free-printable.html

Creating Dress Forms: An Audio Podcast About the two different dress forms I created in 2013
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-creating-dress-forms.html

Draping: But What Is It?  -One of several postings I wrote about draping last fall:
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/11/draping-but-what-is-it-pattern-altering.html

Draping Holly: In Progress - Valentines Day Already!

Not too long ago, I posted about Holly, the tee shirt I quickly draped for the Holly-days.

For those who haven't yet been bitten by the draping bug, here's the way it feels for me, when I'm creating a work of fabric art. 

I had a lot of fun seeing how fast Holly went together, especially compared to Lucy. Lucy is a linen dress, my final project for draping class. I like her a lot, but she was quite a lot more involved than Holly.

In Lucy's case, I created a pattern I can reuse. Holly is a one-off. No other tee shirt will ever be quite like her! I draped the fabric directly on the form - just like the really fancy, schmansy couture customers get. Nobody else will ever have a tee just like Holly! :-)

With a change of necklace,
I'm already in a Valentines mood

So far I've worn Lucy once and Holly four times.  And, as you can see,  I've already swapped necklaces and turned her into the perfect Valentines tee. No, it's not too early!

Hummmmmmm. Yeah, both were worth the effort I put into them.

I can see that draping is another newly developing skill that's going to really keep me.....

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~
Resources

Draping: But What is It?
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/11/draping-but-what-is-it-pattern-altering.html

Terminado! Draping Holly - http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/12/draping-holly-squeezing-in-holiday-shirt.html

Terminado! Draping Lucy - http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/12/draping-lucy-terminado-new-dress-and.html

Draping Holly: Squeezing in a Holiday Tee Shirt

Yup in the 'midst of multiple holidays I managed to squeeze in a new tee shirt, Holly. I just love this new addition to my wardrobe. No, the photo doesn't do it justice, and I know better than to say that.

I draped Holly on my dress form straight onto the fashion fabric - no midway ground creating a pattern or using interim fabric. If I want to make another like her, I'll have to start over. Features include: a minimal cowl neckline, an asymmetrical tuck that runs across the bodice, side gathers that pull up at the sides, hanging fringes of trim at either side (really can't see those in this picture, can you?), deconstructed trim that runs along the asymmetrical tuck and along the waistline of the shirt. Those trims form the fringes at the sides. The fabric is some kind of cotton knit that I picked up in the freebie pile at school. It's heavy'ish with minimal stretch and an ever so sightly scratchy hand.

Having just come off my first draping project, Lucy, on which I spent a couple of months, it was a lot of fun just designing and sewing this shirt quickly. I've already worn Holly out for a festive day with my daughter and husband, and plan to include her in my day's activities tomorrow. Hard to tell but I'm wearing a long string of tiny beeds resurrected from a 1920 flapper's dress, originally worn by my husband's aunt. My niece found the beaded trim put away in a drawer, and created necklaces for all of us one year. What a pleasure it is to combine them with this top. They go together perfectly. I also made a deconstructed tie for my hair that ties on headband style. I just cut a long strip with pinking sheers, and pulled on either end so they fabric rolled inward slightly. I did the same thing with the fringe'y ends at the hips.

I designed Holly to work with my first pair of jeans I created and sewed from the pants drafting class I took in the fall. Those jeans have seen so much use already. I bet I've worn them more often than most of the pants in my closet.

Sewing a quick holiday tee is exactly the kind of project that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing

Draping Lucy - Terminado! New Dress and back to Rec Sewing

Lucy is the first garment I've
created  from a pattern I
made entirely myself, on my
custom dress form.

I haven't done any regular, recreational sewing all semester (one semester = 16 weeks) because I've been focused on the class work and final projects for my two fashion classes at Cañada College. The first class was Pants Drafting, taught by Lynda Maynard (that's the woman who knows what we really want to sew, and teaches us how to do it!).   In that class, I used drafting techniques,  and many fitting followups, to produce inumerable muslin garments, tissue pattern drafts, and my first pair of jeans. Can't wait to use that pattern again and again!

My second class was Draping. This class is excellently taught by Judy Jackson. Again I went through a lot of muslin, this time learning to design my own patterns by draping them in muslin fabric on a dress form, then creating tissue patterns from those draped garments. You may have seen some of my posts this fall that showed off some of the basic garment shapes I created on a standard sized 10 dress form (I called her Babs, a name that seemed appropriate for a mannequin who came to life in the early '60's). I also began draping on my own custom dress form that I created over the summer. 

When I last talked about my custom dress form I was calling her Colette, but I've since realized that she is really a Conchita. 
I found working with Conchita even more challenging than working with Babs, and Babs wasn't an easy customer. Was it because Conchita represented clothing I actually plan to wear? I'm not sure yet. But if I figure it out, I'll let you know!

Starting around midterm time, I spent several weeks creating a muslin sloper (a fitted bodice and fitted straight skirt) for Conchita. For some reason I found this very challenging, though I had produced the same garments for Babs. My teacher seemed to think that there should be the same amount of challenge, if only I was careful with my measuring. I worked very hard to be exact but all I can say is that it was much harder for me and just took a lot of time, muslin, tissue and patience.

Another view of Lucy

As you can see, I moved on from my sloper to make my first garment. I had originally planned to make a traditional shoulder-yoked, dropped shoulder, shirtwaist dress with a collar and front button plackets. I was of two minds as to whether the dress would have a separate skirt joined by a waistline seam or be a one piece dress. I was planning to use a beautiful piece of deep forest green silk noil (raw silk) that I have for that dress. In my mind the dress I was planning to drape was named Ivy. I'm still planning to take up with Ivy in the not to distant future. But I got distracted by Lucy....

I'll be writing more about the process of draping Lucy in upcoming postings in this journal. One thing I know I'll be reflecting on repeatedly, is learning to read the fashion fabric's story. This lesson came from my experiences in both my pattern-creation classes this semester. In both cases I saw that constructing beautiful garments is not just about designing a piece in my mind or on a sketch pad. It really comes down to watching the behavior of the fabric I've chosen to sew with, after it's cut out and initially put together on me or my custom dress form. Creating a muslin test garment is an important part of the pattern making process, but once I start the ball rolling with muslin, I then really have to listen to the story the actual material for that garment is telling me. That's what is going to guide me to bring the garment I'm sewing to life.

Learning to listen to, and read the fabric's story really keeps me

Enchanted by Sewing

~ ~ ~ 

Resources

You can drape on a person or on a dress form. When creating for ourselves, it's easiest to use the dress form approach!

In the September Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast Dress Forms Episode, I described my experiences creating two different dress forms. You can listen to this talk either online on the web, or you can download the show to your mobile device (like an iPhone, Android, etc.)
http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

I'm just beginning to learn the historic and modern art of draping. It's a very artistic experience !  I've begun to develop my skill set in a class taught through the Cañada College Fashion Department. I'll be continuing my draping journey by continuing to follow the richly illustrated draping tutorials and examples in our class textbook, The Art of Fashion Draping. This excellent, and highly regarded book, by Connie Amaden-Crawford has been in use for decades. both within the industry, and by home sewists. 

Thanks Sponsors! 
When you buy products through links in this blog, you support the regular work of this blog and The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast.

Vintage Threads - Katherine Hepburn Mid-Rise Waistlines

Hepburn often sported a mid-rise
waistline - a very 30's look

I've been exploring waistlines off and on since early last month. I started with thoughts on no waistlines, then moved into under-bust waistlines. I've also included some elements of fashion history. 

Now I'm moving on down to think about mid-rise waistlines, those that occur between the under-bust (like Empire style dresses) and the natural waistline (like those on "New Look" bouffant skirts).  

You see the mid-rise waistline at several times in history. Some of my favorite are those sported by Katherine Hepburn. The timeless striped dress she wore in "Bringing up Baby" had a mid-rise waistline. I journaled about that dress back in a discussion of vintage godets - the Bringing Up Baby post

Of course Hepburn wore this waistline frequently because it was what was in style, however I also think it flattered her slim-hipped figure. For women who don't go out much in the hip area, this look lengthens the body. It also shows off the leg line. Hepburn had a very active style about her. Indeed she was quite active, and liked to get a lot of exercise. Her mid-rise waistlines make the most of her quick style of movement.

I don't have Katherine Hepburn's slender figure, but I do share one trait with her. I don't curve out much in the hip area. I noticed when I worked on fitting my first pair of jeans, that a high-rise waistband is flattering for me. As I'm working on my first complete (and final) garment assignment for draping class, I'm paying very close attention to where I'm defining the waistline. I've marked both a traditional and a mid-rise waistline on my custom dress form, and I keep experimenting with where to define the dress waistline.

No matter where I draw the waist's line, considering and placing it to best suit my own figure is the kind of project that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

~ ~ ~

Resources

Vintage Threads - Bringing Up Baby - Katherine Hepburn's striped dress with godets http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/11/vintage-threads-katherine-hepburn-in.html


Enchanted By Sewing Audio Podcast - Creating my own Dress Forms http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-creating-dress-forms.html

My first pair of jeans, created as the final project for my pants drafting class,  have a mid-rise waistline http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/10/jean-sewing-my-first-jeans-are.html

Christmas Tutu 2 - Romantic (Blue Sky Fantasy Sewing)

This ballerina is wearing a classic Romantic Styled Tutu

As I found the last time I blogged, fantasy sewing is a nice release from challenging project like the one I'm working on for draping class. And tutus are perfect fantasy sewing for December, a month when I'll definitely be attending the ballet.  After all, it's Nutcracker month!

When it comes to actual sewing work, I'm still working on my final project for draping class. And I'm not yet ready to write about those experiences in this journal!  I don't feel negative about what I'm doing, in fact I love learning about draping. I just can't stand back from the work yet and see where I am. Also my concept for my final project keeps changing as I move through this first full scale draping project. The fabric is telling me a story, and I'm still learning how to listen. I'm looking forward to being able to tell that tale in this journal a little way down the road.

Fantasy sewing for this Christmas tutu- togged ballerina helps to remind me that, no matter what challenges I encounter,  I'm still....

Enchanted by Sewing

~ ~ ~

Resources

I love to pin tutus and other ballet related pages. Check out my virtual bulletin board at ... http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/tutus/

" The problem in modern ballet is the problem of the color line. Scan the rosters of the nation’s top companies and African American dancers are rare, while African American ballerinas are nearly nonexistent. " Read more at http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/shannon-harkins-the-face-of-african-american-ballet-dancers-struggle/2013/11/26/06c28738-5083-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html

Cracking Nuts at the Opera House: A Nutcracker Visit http://www.simpleromantic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cracking-nuts-at-opera-house.html

Christmas Tutu 1 (Blue Sky Sewing)

A Christmas Tutu
Sewn in the Imagination of  LR Shimer

What I'm actually working on sewing 'wise, is my final Draping Class assignment. I'm at that hard point where I'm still creating a pattern and it looks nothing like what I originally planned to make. Funny how that is.

I'm under the pressure of a deadline to finish up that pattern and sew the garment it represents. It's just as well to have those deadlines from a class, of course, because it makes me quit changing my mind and focus on completion. Creating can be like that - Drape or cut bait* I guess.

A little fantasy sewing is definitely in order when I'm getting a little fussy about completing a project. I love daydreaming about all the other things I could be creating, but had better not be distracted by. The more impractical those projects are, the better they are for soothing any concerns over finishing up a challenging task.

Big on my fantasy sewing list this year, is a Christmas tutu. I actually do hope to learn to how to sew a tutu in the future, though probably not in 2014. One thing that inspires me to participate in this lush world of costuming is this youtube video from the costume shop at New York City Ballet.

My love of tutus is also inspired by daydreaming about the art of the ballet. When I was writing My Heart Beats Faster in Past Times, I was entranced by the scene where Larissa explores the beauties of the Lilac Fairy's classic romantic tutu, and helping the little ballerina prepare for that role in a performance of the Sleeping Beauty Ballet. It was one of those times when I didn't need to think about what to write, I just let the people in the story take it away, and the words came out.

One day I will sew a tutu. 
It will be worthy of dancing in the Sleeping Beauty. 
It's knowing that sewing fantasies can become real, that keep me...

Enchanted by Sewing

Resources

I love to pin tutus and other ballet related pages. Check out my virtual bulletin board at ... http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/tutus/

* If English isn't your first language, I'm referring to the idiomatic phrase "Fish or cut bait." It means stop daydreaming and finish the task you're working on.

Draping: But What *Is* It? (pattern altering and design)

A flared skirt I draped in
Fashion Lab
You're right, that hem wasn't
yet even!

Before people sewed they draped. 

And we continue to drape today. 

Most of my buddies, both sewists and non-sewists, understand what I'm talking about when I say I bought a pattern, altered it to fit a little better, and sewed it up. But when I say I'm studying draping, they give me the funny look. When I explain what draping is, I get another look.

Draping is the most historic way of creating clothing. Long before people applied the first ancient bone needles and early threads to join pieces of fur or fabric together, they hung or draped clothing on themselves and others and found ways to fix those materials onto the body. 

You may have tied or wrapped stuff around your own or a dolls body at one point in your life, and achieved a serviceable garment. Ever tossed a hole-embellished sheet over your head, and been a ghost for Halloween? I know I achieved a lovely Roman goddess effect with a large blue sheet and a little twisting around my self and over one shoulder, back in sixth grade.

In most cases of early draping, the fabric was draped directly onto the body the piece of clothing was intended for. Eventually pins were added to hold things in place (If you can knap stone or bone to create an arrowhead, why not a pin?). By the time the Romans dominated the western world, many civilizations were using something along the lines of the Roman fibula, a kind of forerunner to the modern safety pin to hold longer clothes on. They were also pretty savvy about tying fitted workmanlike garments onto their bodies.

Stitching things in place came rather later in history. It was the tying, draping and arranging of fold and fabric that counted. 

Skipping forward quickly (did you know I'm an inveterate time traveller?) we find that though modern folks have invented the flat pattern method of clothing construction, clothing designers and sewists continue to use draping as either an alternate method of creating a pattern, or as a way of testing, altering or polishing the fit of a garment created with a flat pattern. 

I'm taking a draping class in order to develop skills I can use with my custom dress form. (You may also choose to buy dress forms that you can adjust to reflect your measurements.) That means I'll be better able to alter commercial patterns to fit me, in addition to beginning my journey into creating my own patterns. I also hope that someday I'll be bold enough to create a garment from scratch right on my custom form, just like the couture houses do for their high-end clients!

As I learn to drape, I'm learning more about this ancient art form, increasing my appreciation for historic garments, and developing a sense of why the lines of different pieces of clothing fall the way they do. 

Learning to drape, and studying the history of draping is the kind of thing that keeps me...

Enchanted by Sewing!

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Resources

The profession known as a "draper", has an historical significance that goes back to medieval trade guilds. http://www.ask.com/wiki/Draper

You can drape on a person or on a dress form. When creating for ourselves, it's easiest to use the dress form approach!

In the September Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast Dress Forms Episode, I described my experiences creating two different dress forms. You can listen to this talk either online on the web, or you can download the show to your mobile device (like an iPhone, Android, etc.)
http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

I'm just beginning to learn the historic and modern art of draping. It's a very artistic experience !  I've begun to develop my skill set in a class taught through the Cañada College Fashion Department. I'll be continuing my draping journey by continuing to follow the richly illustrated draping tutorials and examples in our class textbook, The Art of Fashion Draping. This excellent, and highly regarded book, by Connie Amaden-Crawford has been in use for decades. both within the industry, and by home sewists. 

Thanks Sponsors! 
When you buy products through links in this blog, you support the regular work of this blog and The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast.

Waistlines: Designing Without - The No-Waistline Look

This gorgeous no-waistline frock is from the

 Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2014 Collection

This month I'm musing on the different waistline levels I select to sew.

The no-waistline look in this Dolce & Gabbana dress, sets off the gorgeous fabric* the designer used. No sewist would want to cut through this print!

When we choose a waistline style - or lack of one - by selecting a pattern, designing a flat pattern, or designing by draping our own pattern, we are choosing where the garment, or a part of the garment, hangs from on the body for which we are sewing. 

In this case, where there is no waistline, the garment hangs from the shoulders. The folds of this garment drape from the high bust point. If the model were more curvaceous in that area, the folds could hang differently, and the way that the print is displayed might be different too. 

We drape material on human-shaped dress forms, to see how different body types affect the fall - or drape- of a particular piece of fabric. We also look at how the material's textures and prints will hang on a similarly shaped human form.

~ ~ ~

Resources

I'm just beginning to learn the historic and modern art of draping. It's a very artistic experience !  I've begun to develop my skill set in a class taught through the Cañada College Fashion Department. I'll be continuing my draping journey by continuing to follow the richly illustrated draping tutorials and examples in our class textbook, The Art of Fashion Draping. This excellent, and highly regarded book, by Connie Amaden-Crawford has been in use for decades. both within the industry, and by home sewists. 

Thanks Sponsors! 
When you buy products through links in this blog, you support the regular work of this blog and The Enchanted by Sewing Podcast.

Fabric Notes

* The print in the Dolce & Gabbana frock above is quite reminiscent of one of the Alexander McQueen fashions I talked about in the fashion gallery audio podcast tour I shared from the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London last summer. In that tour, I give catalog information, so that listeners can use links from the show notes to look up further museum cataloging information about, and find images of, garments that were mentioned during that tour. 

For links to the V&A collections database, follow the show notes link at http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/07/ench-by-sew-010-v-fashion-gallery-tour.html

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You May Also Like 

Waistlines:  What's Natural? (Haiku)
http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/11/waistlines-whats-natural-haiku.html

Enchanted By Sewing Audio Podcast: Dress Forms http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2013/09/ench-by-sew-12-dress-forms.html

My Virtual Bulletin Boards on Pinterest

Draping Inspiration Images and Articles - http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/draping-inspiration/

Dress Forms Articles, Arty, Make Your Own, Etc - http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/dress-forms/

I have several other sewing related Pinterest boards - http://www.pinterest.com/lrshimer/boards/

Gypsy Skirt is Also NOT the Assignment - More Historic Draping

Instead of thinking - work with the circle-
I was thinking...
"A gypsy's life is gay and free not cares have we!*"

Remember my other two in-class draping projects that focused on draping a full fabric circle? 

The jacket one was the right way - The Gallant** way. (OK, I journaled about that project first, but it was actually my last creation. The one where I finally figured out what was being asked for). The first two were my Regency Romance bodice novel cover inspiration and this gal. 

Both were Goofus style, and oh so fun! 

The jacket was fun too, but controlled fun.

Yes, this skirt  was another one that my teacher indicated was not at all what she was looking for!

The problem? I just loved it. I loved it as much as the Regency Romance novel cover bodice.

Once more, I incorporate a little twisted rose at the side. I love those. 

Clumps, my teacher said. "You really like those clumps. Work with the circle. Let it flow."

Flow? The gypsy needs her skirt out of the way.

She studied the tiers I'd pinned so carefully into asymmetric lines. "Don't fight the circle."

I'm not fighting it. I'm giving it character! No self respecting gypsy wants her skirt to just fall from her hips. She wants style. 

Yup, I finally figured it out and got on with my jacket. It helped a lot when I remembered how inspired I'd been,  sitting and listening to Sandy Ericson talk about Madeline Vionnet's work as a fabric technician. (See  "Vionnet and Ericson Inspired my Circular Work (Draping)"  

And along the way.... I had an awfully good time!

Not taking my sewing designs too seriously is the kind of thing that keeps me..

Enchanted by Sewing!

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Inspired by the work of Madeline Vionnet, Sandy Ericson creates beautiful fashions 

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

* Do you know the "Gypsy's Life" song?

It's a jolly little tune I learned as a kid

“A gypsy’s life is gay and free, no cares have we.

 No taxes need a gypsy pay, no wealth has he. 

What care we for castles high, o’er our heads is the bright blue sky. 

Never a hurry and never a worry, a life that’s free.” 

** Remember Gallant in  Highlights magazine ? That's right the magazine you read in the dentists office as a kid. He's the little boy who always pays attention and does things 

right the first time. Goofus was the sluff off kid who didn't do things right and always suffered the consequences.

Hint - We are supposed to want to be Gallant. But sometimes he is just a bit much.