Archive for the 'textiles' Category

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STYLISH DRESS BOOK 3 : DRESS 'W'

Published on June 1, 2010 in japanese dress/craft, stitchery and textiles. 20 Comments Tags: anna maria horner, Good Folks, Stylish Dress Book.

The one textile that I picked up when we went to Brimfield a few weeks ago was a vintage swatch of navy lace. I specifically was looking for something to go with this navy Anna Maria Horner ‘Good Folks‘ fabric for the yoke of a dress. When I found this swatch, I couldn’t believe how perfect it was. I have never seen a ‘plaid’-looking lace like this, but it certainly echoes the diamond pattern of the fabric. This particular vendor had lots of lovely lace swatches, but they were a bit pricey and so I decided to just get this one.

The pattern is the first that I’ve made from Stylish Dress Book 3. It is a slight variation on Dress ‘W’. Rather than create a separate skirt, I simply extended the bodice to make a short shift. I’ve been wanting to try doing a lace yoke on a dress for a while, I was a bit worried about sewing it and whether it would hold properly since the holes are rather large in between the lacey bits. I serged all the edges of the lace when I serged the rest of the pieces for the dress. I thought this would help to give it a bit more stability. The sewing was easier than I thought it would be. I was extra careful when attaching the bias tape around the neck since you can see through the lace to the underside of the bias tape. I think it turned out really well. I really like the little gathered sleeves on this pattern.

My special pocket detail this time used the fuschia Heather Ross mermaid fabric. Surprisingly, I haven’t used any of this fabric before and now I’m a bit sad that I didn’t have the foresight to stash a bit more of it away for myself. Oh well. I did just order the ENTIRE new Heather Ross Far Far Away 2 collection for the shop and I won’t make that mistake again.

Navy is where it’s at right now. I have another navy dress that I’m trying to finish off. (that’s 3 navy dresses in a row!) It has a super cute detail that I’m excited to show you!

A DAY IN THE PARK BACKPACK TOTE

Published on May 4, 2010 in stitchery, textiles and the workroom. 25 Comments Tags: a day in the park backpack tote, liesl & co., nani IRO.

As the weather started to show signs of getting warmer, I started wanting a more summery bag. I also really wanted to try sewing something with the new nani IRO laminated cottons. I decided to try out The Day in the Park Backpack Tote. I love the idea that it changes from a tote bag to a backpack. Since I’m out walking with Maisy so much, the idea of having my hands free is pretty appealing.

I made one small change to the pattern, which was to make the sides two inches wider. This change was made specifically so that my large camera would fit into the bag.

I expected to have a hard time sewing with the laminated fabric, but it was really nice to sew with. Since the fabric has a coating, you really shouldn’t use pins when you are sewing it. Any holes you make won’t go away, like they do in your fabric. Paper clips or binder clips are a good alternative. Since this bag has so many pieces and there are several curved seams, I decided that I would still use pins. I just always made sure that my pins were placed inside the seam allowance, so that the holes they made wouldn’t show up on the outside of the bag. I also used a slightly longer stitch. It’s a really good idea to use a fresh needle on your machine and then change it after the project. I didn’t find that I had any problems with the fabric sticking or slipping on my machine, but you can always use a Teflon foot or place a layer of tissue paper on top and tear it off, if this is an issue.

The laminated fabric is made with the nani IRO double gauze and is really beautiful. Much nicer than many of the other oil cloths I’ve seen. People have been buying it to make table cloths, placemats, lunch bags, zippered pouches, totes and dust covers.

Putting the bag together was pretty straight forward, but there are a lot of steps. I really couldn’t visualize how the handles were going to work, until I actually sewed them. The key is the ‘O’ ring. (which you can get at the workroom) I used a small amount of echino for the handle, so it looks like there are birds flying up my handles.

This bag is a bit smaller than what I normally carry, but that’s one of the reasons I really like it. I need to stop carrying around so much stuff! The bag also has a magnetic snap, a zippered pocket, an outside pocket and inside divided pockets. The design is pretty great. I’ve accessorized it with the little blue fabric log that I got from Killside Krafts at the Love & Rummage Trunk Show.

You may recognize that I’m wearing my gingham dress, which I am currently making another version of. I think it’s my new uniform.

BIB FRONT DRESS IN GINGHAM

Published on April 20, 2010 in stitchery and textiles. 23 Comments Tags: gingham, Nikon d40, Pattern Drafting : The Skirt.

Back to dressmaking! My latest and current favourite dress is this adorable bib front dress made with Japanese cotton/linen gingham. I made this dress for our trip to New York.

I used Amy Butler’s Liverpool Shirt Dress as the starting point, but you’ll see that I made so many customizations that it’s really a completely new dress. Having done the Pattern Drafting class last summer, I felt pretty confident to play with drafting in my ideas for the perfect dress. I love dresses and tunics with yoke or bib fronts, so that was my first change. I cut the bib on the bias so that I could play with the gingham pattern. Then, I added in a little bit of gathering underneath the bib front. I also wanted to have sleeves that would roll up with a button tab, so I omitted the cuffs and made the sleeve straight. I already has those sweet little buttons in my collection, I’m pretty sure I got them at M&J Trimming in New York years ago. Now that I’ve started adding pockets, I’m completely hooked. It’s so fabulous (& easy) to have pockets, so I added pockets into the side seams. For the pockets, I used a french text print.

I didn’t want a collar, so I just kept the collar stand. I really wasn’t too sure how it would turn out, but all my drafting went just as planned. The one thing I forgot to think about was how I was going to get into the dress. Halfway through making it, I realized that I had removed the button front of this pattern and if it was tight fitting, it might not slip over my head. In the end, it did slip over my head, but that was a good lesson about thinking things all the way through when you’re redrafting something.

With the leftover fabric, I made a scarf for Andrew. I simply cut a piece that was 11″ x 60″. I sewed around the perimeter about 1/2″ in and then removed the loose threads along the edge to create a little bit of a fringe.

There will definitely be another version (or two) of this dress. It’s so comfortable and easy to wear. I must say that I’m pretty proud of my skills on this one.

p.s. That’s me with my D40 is those photos. We had some fun times together. You’ll be seeing photos from my D40 for a while still. That’s how much I use my camera. (and how slow I am to post)

UPPERCASE 5

Published on April 16, 2010 in reading, textiles and the workroom. 12 Comments Tags: Denyse Schmidt, Lara Cameron, Michelle Engel Bencsko, Nikon D90, Uppercase Magazine.

I really want to thank you for comments on my last post about my stolen camera. You made me feel so much better with all your cheer, support and suggestions. You are the best pep squad a girl could ask for!

I went out yesterday and bought a new camera, a Nikon D90. I NEED to have a camera. Here’s my rationale for making myself feel better. I had my D40, plus lens for over a year and a half. If I break it down, I paid $2 per day for that camera. What a deal!! All that happiness and preserved memories for less than a cup of hot chocolate. Rather than stay with the same level of camera, I felt I should upgrade now and really continue to push myself to become better with my photography. Screw you, camera thief!

These are some of the first photos taken with my new camera. First impression – LOVE IT.

We received a large shipment of the latest issue of Uppercase Magazine. I was absolutely honoured that Janine asked me to participate in this issue by writing an article on textile design. I interviewed three incredible ladies who have inspired me with their pattern design and successful careers. Denyse Schmidt, Lara Cameron and Michelle Engel Bencsko were kind enough to tell me all about their working process. Their answers were totally fascinating. I hope you enjoy reading it. The entire issue is jam packed with wonderful features, including cover art by Matte Stephens. Uppercase just gets better with each issue. You’ll also notice the workroom’s first print ad (whoo!) at the back of the magazine, designed by Andrew.

365 : 84

Published on April 3, 2010 in 365, natural dyeing and textiles. 1 Comment Tags: 365, Debbie Arruda, natural dyeing.

March 25, 2010 of 365 : natural dyed textile creation by debbie arruda

Debbie is in her last days of school and she’s making some really awesome stuff!

NEW YORK CITY : SOUVENIRS

Published on April 1, 2010 in accoutrement, textiles and traveling. 6 Comments Tags: B & J Fabrics, Erie Basin, Fafi, Fine & Raw, Found My Animal, NYC, Saipua.

I was surprisingly restrained with my retail spending on this trip. Usually I view a trip to New York as a ‘free pass’ to spend like crazy. I tried really hard to find a new pair of jeans, but nothing was quite right. I very rarely get out these days to go shopping, and even still I just found myself making mental notes for ideas I wanted to try making for myself.

When we were at Erie Basin, Andrew saw this pair of vintage earrings that caught his eye. He had me try them on and we both loved them, so he gave them to me as a gift! Just looking at these earrings makes me imagine all kinds of wonderful stories of where they have been.

I bought a Mango Butter soap from Saipua. I can’t wait for my current soap to run out!

I finally bought a ‘Found My Animal‘ leash for Maisy. I almost bought one on our last trip to New York, but didn’t. Then I saw this photo on the Sartorialist – it kinda looks like me and Maisy. (Now I just need to make a cute blue layered dress) I was so happy to find that they had them at Smith & Butler. The concept behind Found My Animal is really great. They are trying to raise awareness and money for adopting animals. Each accessory they make is numbered to indicate how many animals have been helped by their products.

I bought a stack of Fine & Raw chocolate bars as gifts. (and a couple for myself) I love their packaging and couldn’t resist the one with the Fafi artwork. (I LOVE her) That bar has dried wild blueberries in it – YUM.

The last morning we were there I went on a solo mission to B&J Fabric. When I want a little ‘fix’ of NYC fabric shopping, B&J is my best bet. It’s so well lit, organized and not too big. I’ve really been liking checks, gingham and plaids recently. The navy blue fabric is linen with gold thread detail. I imagine this future dress will have a cute yoke or perhaps bib front. The purple and grey plaid is cotton shirting and I’m not sure just yet what that will turn into. Hopefully I’ll be showing you real soon!

BUZZ SAW QUILT FABRICS

Published on March 19, 2010 in colour, home, patchwork, stitchery, textiles and the workroom. 5 Comments Tags: Banksy, buzz saw quilt.

It’s time to choose fabrics for another quilt. It’s one of the hardest/funnest parts. For some reason it is so much easier when I’m helping someone else choose their fabrics.

These fabrics are for our new quilting class, the Buzz Saw Quilt. I got especially excited when I realized that the Banksy print over our couch has a buzz saw in it AND we could definitely use a bigger quilt for the couch. It couldn’t be more perfect.

After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to do a very tonal quilt in dark and light greens. Our couch is dark espresso brown and there are touches of dark green in the room, including curtains in one of Tula Pink’s scalloped Neptune fabrics.

All my green fat quarters are now pre-washed and I’m ready to get started on yet another quilt. I think I’m going for the world record of ‘most quilts on the go’!

STYLISH DRESS BOOK : "B" IN VOILE

Published on March 4, 2010 in japanese dress/craft, stitchery, textiles and the workroom. 9 Comments Tags: anna maria horner, cotton voile, Japanese dress book, little folks, Stylish Dress Book.

Stylish Dress Book (available at the workroom)
Top ‘B’ : Anna Maria Horner voile ‘Berry Colouring Garden’

I really wanted to try a project out with Anna Maria Horner’s new cotton voile. When you feel it, you can hardly believe how silky smooth it is. Voile is a very lightweight fabric that is slightly sheer and has great drape. I had never sewn with it before, so I was unsure of how tricky it would be to handle.

I chose to use a tried and loved pattern from Stylish Dress Book. Style “B”, is a favourite. I’ve seen it made up in various different fabrics and on different people and the result is always really cute.

I’d like to make a note here about drafting out this pattern, that I didn’t mention in the post about my first style “B” top in nani IRO. When tracing out the pattern pieces for the sleeve you’ll notice that the two sleeve pieces (top of the sleeve & gathered bottom of the sleeve) are printed beside each other on the pattern sheet. When you trace the bottom of the sleeve, you may notice that it is the same width as the top of the sleeve. In order to create the gathering and fullness in the bottom sleeve piece, you need to split that pattern piece down the centre and spread it apart by 10cm. This is something that you can easily miss, because the only notation for this is found on the huge pattern sheet and is well, in Japanese.

Sewing with the voile was no problem. Even making bias trim was easy to manage. For any pattern that has a ‘flowy’ style, this fabric would look amazing the way it falls and drapes. This is why it is a great fabric to use for many of the Japanese Dress Book patterns, as it can make that extra fullness of some of the styles look more elegant. For sure, the best part is how it feels. Wearing this fabric will just put you in a blissful mood.

This particular print is called, ‘Colouring Garden‘ and the colour is ‘Berry’. I really appreciate how Anna Maria Horner has taken prints from her ‘Good Folks’ collection and recoloured and reprinted them in flannel and now voile. It’s exciting to have new fabrications to choose from.

HAPPY HOMEMADE VOL.3 : C-1 BASIC

Published on February 19, 2010 in japanese dress/craft, stitchery and textiles. 19 Comments Tags: alexander henry, Happy Homemade Vol. 3, wild horses.

I’ve had my eye on this dress pattern for a while. It’s my favourite from this book. I really like the yoke with the little split down the centre of it. The open sleeve is also pretty cute.

I made few alterations to this pattern. The first was to take a couple inches off the sides of the dress. I could tell from the picture that all the gathering would just create too much volume for me. The next thing I did was to add pockets into the side seams. Finally. I don’t know why I’ve been avoiding taking this extra step with my dresses, it’s so nice to have pockets! I simply took another dress I have that has pockets I love, traced the pocket piece and measured how far down they were placed. So easy. I also added a little contrasting bias strip between the yoke and the body of the dress and faced the hem of the sleeves since they are so exposed. I learned these bits of detailing when I made the Oliver & S Tea Party Dress and I’ve been wanting to use it again. The metallic floral print was also used for the pocket pieces. These extra details didn’t take that long to do and really make the dress extra sweet.

The fabric is really what this dress is all about though. It is called “Wild Horses” (of course) by Alexander Henry. It looks like it belongs on the side of an 80s airbrushed van and for some reason I love it so much. It was one of those fabrics that when I saw it, I could hardly believe how great it was and then I selfishly bought a bolt because I knew I had to make a dress from it.

I’ve been wearing it with these amazing purple tights I bought in Paris. Perhaps the whole thing is a bit much together, but it makes me pretty happy.