I can’t be the only designer/maker person in the world who has a love affair going with her tools. I’ve blogged about some very old tools used in my practice as a designer; here are a few pix of fave stitchery tools.
A very unsexy photo of one of my favorite aspects of my babylock sewing machine… the little hidden toolbox. Look at how perfect it is! The tiny compartments holding bobbins, a seam ripper, an extra foot. I find this so charming, esp. b/c the machine is pretty high tech, an embroidering computer really.
And of course this dear thing always comforts. It morphs from holding pins to holding buttons, fabric scraps, ribbons… any old thing. These tomato pin cushions have been around for so long they always make me think of my grandmothers and of carrying on stitchy traditions in spite of modern technologies.
I know you people love your scissors like I do! Above, my super sharp and pointy little snips for thread and detail work. Below, the big mama sheers which came nestled in a beautiful velvet lined gift box/coffin. Both purchased a few years ago, I might never have bothered except for the incredible gothy typeface of the company name–Gingher— etched on the scissors and tin.
And, below (as well as detailed at top of post) my dear tiny screwdriver, the perfect size for the screw that unlocks the machine’s needles. I have had this thing forEVER and have no idea where it came from. I have always loved the deco styling, the cherry red handle and the little golden bakelite piece but it was just today that I noticed the tiny white type reads: COMPANION. Yep!
A crazy stitchy day yesterday, several things going at once including this little tshirt remake dress.
Big breakthroughs in stitching tshirt fabric: 1. Buy JERSEY needles for your machine. Life-altering and about $3. 2. Zig-zag keeps the fabric stretchy, and it works to set your stitches wide and flat.
To make the top, just find a tshirt that you like (this one is a thrifted Volcom, I like their graphics!) and that fits your chest and cut it into whatever shape suits you. I tend to like no sleeves (cap sleeves could be cute too), a wider neckline and back to bare my tatt, and a higher waist. I do this freehand, but you can also use a favorite tank as your “pattern.” Don’t fear the scissors!
We interrupt this sewing for a kitty break. Napping kitties are irresistible, don’t you think?
Big fierce yawn!
Fully awake, ready for snacks. Or to sit on fabric laid out on floor for cutting.
Here is another in-progress thing, a dress, but I’m not sure how it’s going to be finished. I want it to be extremely plain, sort of prairie/nun-like. So I may end up not using the pretty vintage doilies (a whole set, thrifted for a couple of bucks).
Definitely will use the Victorian scrap pictured at the top of above shot. It’s really lovely.
The pieced part will be the main dress, the fabric is sheer and super stiff, like voile.
Here’s the finished Desert Babydoll dress, which needed… something… and got a flaming heart treatment + gold spray-painted big safety pin.
I just love how this piece looks with my tassel necklace.
Close up of the velvet heart (it’s a pocket!). The shimmery turquoise fabric is INSANE, and was scored at ScrapDC during one of their fill-a-bag sales.
All photos can be seen at full size over on flickr.
The first rule of Fight Club is to watch Fight Club at least once every few years in order to go crazy over the sets and costumes, most especially HBC who is one of my always and forever fashion icons. The styling in Fight Club launched a million dystopian thriftstore wardrobes and wannabe revolutionary soap-makers among other things. Oh, and kids, smoking is not cool, ok?
So here’s some stitchery completed over the weekend. I’ve always wanted bits of neon in my dystopian costumery, and sparkly flotsam/jetsam of the post apocalyptic world.
Above pictured mermaid Mad Men remake is the work of Mo Lappin at Howlpop, a scissor sister whose work I’ve been collecting for awhile now and who inspires endlessly. Her freedom to slash, burn, and collage celebrates the punk aesthetics of chaos, mistake, and chance. The red velvet bag is my creation.
The dress was not a perfect fit for me, so I decided to revise, knowing Mo would be cool with my collaboration. Thus, the back zip was removed, the dress opened up to a slightly more swingy and less wiggle-tight, can’t-sit-down style. Altho the decisions seem random, I worked to integrate my changes front and back. Hello matte black spray paint.
This tunic length top began life as a happy/dressy little number, and was quite lovely as-is, though missing enough sequins to eliminate the possibility of wearing to any real-life high-end affair (as if I go to any of those). I knew when I thrifted it for 4 bucks that it was destined for an attack of some kind.
It’s hard to capture these garments in photos and without being body-worn; they fit gorgeously since I drape/pin them on my antique dressform and on my own (antique?) body. The colors in this one are just off the hook; colors that seriously may not have existed until right now. While it can be difficult to get used to chopping into, stitching onto, and spray-painting a garment that you know was once extremely expensive… that’s really the exhilaration of it all. Trust me.
I love the juxtaposition of neon polyester sports fabric with all these dressy sequins. A perfect downgrade to a more plebe use of this rejected little number. Maybe she once attended a swank DC ball, something I’d never be invited to. Ha, and look at her now, ready to tromp through the post apocalyptic wasteland. With ancient Afghani beaded tassel necklace, likely once worn by a camel. Because yo, the apocalypse WILL have a desert theme, right?
A hideous camisole meets a nasty discarded curtain swag in this little flirty desert-punk babydoll dress. Another Afghani tassel necklace, the beadwork on this discarded item literally breaks my heart.
From the back, the garment includes an ancient piece of Victorian lace, avec neon spray paint. Held my breath and cut loose with the can. Was it the fumes or the act that made my heart race? This one is still in progress, needs hand-stitchery.
Loving the sick juxtaposition of trashy crap manufactured lace with insanely gorgeous handmade heirloom lace. In yer face.
And again, previously non-existent colors. I kid you not. The thrills just keep on coming.
This is the most elaborate piece in the collection. Started many months ago and threatening to be sadly overworked, with weeks of distance I was able to edit out the nonsense and get it to its essence. This is a burlesque-y top, short in the front with full-on neon bustle out the back for a big booty shake. The embroidery references a cosmological event, SW 1644+57 that you want to check out. We’re talking a black hole that ate a star and then blasted a 3.8 billion light-year beam at the Earth. Yeah, freaks, that’s what I’m talking about.
BTW, this started life as the ugliest plaid “work” dress of your worst office nightmares. Unwearable by any standards. This is actually the lining of the piece, over which a shapeless sheath hung like a limp feedsack in jaunty tartan. Why hide all that body-hugging sex appeal under a plaid workaday burka? This is a question you’ll have to answer for yourself. Oh wait, I just did.
The second rule of Fight Club? Don’t talk about Fight Club. But you knew that.
My exhibit entitled Curiouser & Curiouser, sponsored by Takoma Park Arts & Humanities, runs through June 15.
There are four large glass cases filled with everything from jewelry, to textile work, to clothing explorations. Hard to photograph through the glass… but I hope you get the idea.
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD, 20912. Also please visit the senior show of the Einstein High School arts magnet program in the Atrium Gallery.
Some of the work is for sale at So Charmed, other pieces are from my personal collection. If you visit, send an email inquiry regarding purchase.
We forgot to get photos of the petite artiste herself (resplendent in a PUT A BIRD ON IT taxidermy-festooned vintage 1930’s hat that Isabella Blow is coveting from fashionista heaven), but never fear. Yours truly was interviewed by a nice young man from Takoma Cable Television! Not sure when that will be available for local viewing. And available, and available… I’m sure this will be at least partially, if not fully mortifying.
Big loving thanks to friends and family who came by for the opening and a special huge hug to Molly for her amazing skills at setting up the cases while Mom was just pretty much freaking out.
I’ve been making a lot of dresses based on the Piece of Cake frock pattern by Jody Pearl of Sew Outside the Lines and when the above pictured African wax print textile (lower fabric) arrived at my attelier (purchased here) , I decided to make something in a queenly maxi length. I also became utterly obsessed with this gorgeous fabric, searching high and low for info about it. Is it genuine wax print or fake? Most importantly, what ARE those strange objects and why do I find them so impossibly alluring?
My research deadended and I sort of gave up, and then, while searching for more textiles on Etsy, I came upon the above (purchased here). Uhhhh, wait a minute! That’s MY textile. And I like it even better in this crazy colorway! I immediately contacted the lovely seller, Angela, who came forth with loads of info about the The Gallery of Poems textile collection from Vlisco, renowned Dutch (not African) textile manufacturer.
Here is Vlisco’s description of their 2011 Collection: GALLERY OF POEMS: DRAMATIC ROMANTICISM
Once upon a time, Vlisco created a mysterious new fabric collection called ‘Gallery of Poems’. Dreams wander, floating into your own fairyland. Step into a new world and view the designs as objects of inspiration. Some designs will magically transform into a piece of art, adding a romantic touch to the poetic drama, while others illustrate a surrealistic passing of time. The decorative collection is intensified by a flamboyant colour palette. ‘Gallery of Poems’ makes you feel like a fairytale beauty.
This is where I about fell on the floor. Surrealism? Although this is another story for another time, suffice to say that at age 14 I came under the influence of members of the American Surrealist Movement (one of whom remains one of my oldest friends), and my life at that point was forever changed. Thus, it seemed that my locating this textile, and the subsequent journey into the world of high-fashion African wax prints, was deeply connected to other aspects of my life as an artist.
Of course, me being me, it doesn’t end there. The above video from Vlisco is absolutely fascinating, explaining the wax print process (pattern ends up on BOTH sides of the cloth) and a lot about the history of the company. These fabrics are so incredible, words can not express. Vibrant color, a slightly stiff substantial hand, and beyond gorgeously weird concepts that combine traditional African imagery with modern Western icons in a global village collision that makes my head spin. Pricing aligns with the incredibleness… yardage is sold only x6 yards and at $15 per, + shipping from the UK… OMG. Here’s your source; Vogue Fabrics UK.
I’m obsessing over the four textiles shown here.
Know someone who might want to share yardage? Put them in touch, ASAP!
Because I….
…want to make more dresses!
PS: Added bonus video; How to tie tradtional African Gele (head wrap):
Those of you who follow my ramblings on Facebook and my pins on Pinterest, know that I’ve taken a sewing detour of late and have been making the prettiest little dresses using Jody Pearl’s Piece of Cake frock and tunic pattern. Pictured above is my favorite cake to-date worn by me, and featuring a crushed velvet top and yardsale damask (art deco) skirt. Not to mention vintage French faux-fur trim… it is quite the confection! You can see the rest of the cakes in progress and finished/worn over on flickr.
Meanwhile, I spend an inordinate amount of time scouring the world (real life AND virtual) for textiles; a recent post highlighted an obsession with Japanese prints and I’ve been haunting my local thrifts for curtains and bedspreads! This post will highlight fabrics found on Spoonflower; an incredible web site that allows anyone to design and upload/sell their own textiles. And there is truly GORGEOUS stuff to be had.
One of the coolest things about the cake dresses is pairing the fabrics so I’m going to upload these images in order of possible pairings. I love odd color combos and on Spoonflower I seem to fall in love with some very macabre, outre textiles!
First pairing of flies and skulls. Second is a pair by the same artist and I actually like the similarity of color with the difference in imagery… busses and telephone wires.
Above, an odd rococo pairing with squids ‘n roses (like guns ‘n roses only better)! Apologies for not linking all the swatches, they are easy to find by searching Spoonflower and ARE linked over on my Pinterest Craft Board.
Cities (Tokyo) and wolves… I LOVE this pair.
Bones! Scary Forests! The mind reels with possibility. Spoonflower, btw, is print on demand. They offer eight fabric choices and you can obtain a swatchbook for just a dollar, which I’ve done. The fabrics are pricey (but I think it’s worth it to support the designers), starting at $16.20 per yard for quilting weight Kona cotton and going up to $34.20 per yard for silk crepe de chine, which I will NOT be ordering. For the cake dresses I recommend either the Kona, or (and especially) the linen-cotton blend which will be similar to the Japanese fabrics I’ve used and work really well to hold pleats, giving the frock nice fit/form.
A few weeks ago I posted about a terrific pattern I’d discovered; a dress called the Piece of Cake (by Jody Pearl of Sew Outside the Lines). Pictured above is my dress in progress!
The hardest part of this (I think) is the slight altering to the pattern that I worked through this week. I went between sizes for the top, and opened the front neck and arm holes a little. Super easy, really.
You may remember my excitement over Japanese fabrics I’d located on etsy, and yes, I did end up ordering some. However, for this first dress, I don’t want to start cutting into $18 per yard (GASP) linen, hence the above pictured mid-century table cloth I dug out of my dining room sideboard. It’s really lovely! And I was able to avoid the holes! The top fabric looks mid-century, but I’m not sure; it may be reproduction. It was a pair of pajama bottoms — already cut up a bit — scored at a yard sale.
I’m going out to buy seam binding tape (any ideas for color??) and if you missed by facebook post on how to sew seam binding, here is a terrific and very funny video on the subject:
This is truly just so exciting and fun. I am enjoying it immensely and finding that I mostly do have the patience to do things slowly and with care. Sewing commences this weekend… wish me luck!
If you love corsets but find them awfully expensive, here’s a great simple corset you can make yourself. With NO sewing! I saw it in a shop window here in Takoma Park and immediately thought: I can do that!
The most challenging part of this project is locating the vintage army surplus spats you’ll need. The ones I used are from WWI and were scored on Etsy for about $20. I’ve seen them on ebay as well, sometimes as much as $40-$45… still not prohibitive and lots less than a corset which will run you hundreds (not that I would know :).
Step 1: Acquire a single pair of spats. Step 2: Lace them up. You have just made a gorgeous steampunky corset.
A note about fit… the spats tend to be small through the curvy waist part. My teenage daughter can fit into this with the front nearly laced closed, and she’s a skinny minnie, size 0-2. On me (30 waist, size 6), the front is pretty open. I was dubious about the cloth fabric laces in the front… but it turns out that it really works if you’re going to wear it more open, as it forms sort of a “panel” in the front (as shown in middle photo). And I do like the girly color with the manly spats. So, I think 30-31 waist might be the maximum for a single pair of spats/corset. HOWEVER, there’s nothing that says you can’t add another pair, lacing up the sides… right?
Oh, and that furry neck thing in the top photo is a collar I knitted. Another no-brainer of a project for the craft inspired-yet-impatient/challenged!
Having some fun with solder again today. These necklace focals are both made with thin sheets of micro glass, between which stuff is sandwiched, then soldered.
This is particularly fun, because you can see the lace from the other side of the charm. I used two little claw-foot findings to make loops for stringing chain. They were a beeeyatch to solder… I need one of those third hand thingees before I burn the bejeebus outta myself. The lace is tea stained and the flower is millinery, both very vintage.
This image shows you the flip side of the scissor charm. These are vintage tobacco tags from India, with the coolest graphics. I used a filigree broken in half for the top… one piece soldered to each side. Crafty!
I’m so excited to share this with you… a new necklace focal — printed images soldered between thin pieces of glass. Above is one side, below is the other. I added the little fleur de lis charm for fun and patina and sanded everything to a messy aged black.
Since giving up the resin process, I’ve been agonizing over not being able to play with text and images. Having had this entire soldering kit around the studio for several years, and having experimented with it a bit lately, I finally got inspired to go the full distance creating one of these sorts of picture things. The technique is nothing new. But I hope I’ll be bringing that So Charmed touch to the whole thing.
And here are some CRAZY tribal focals made with clay (polymer), wire, and dental teeth, which I believe are porcelain, but not sure. They didn’t melt in the oven… so I’m assuming they aren’t plastic! I have a few cards of these… they are used (I believe) for shade matching.
I have to say, these scare even me. They are so incredibly creepy. But I do love them and can’t wait use them in jewelry. Big hugs to Steph of Vladthebatsattic and Simona of HappyFallout for the clay inspiration. Visit their shops to see really great stuff made with actual fired clay… much better than my efforts!
Here’s the second Marie focal, with a vintage brass ribbon thingee soldered on. This is LOTS OF FUN to do.
The back of this second charm features an ancient guillotine illustration. Had to go there…
