Sunday 30 April 2017

The beads are still going on... 24-30 Apr

Week 17 - 2017

no.113

no.114

no.115

no.116

no.117

no.118

no.119

no.120

all of April's beaded fabric packets.


next month - yellow on grey

Saturday 29 April 2017

slow and steady - or not

I have really struggled to work more than about 2 1/2 hours a day on the gown. Too many pains.
And suddenly, here is another week. But I am making progress slowly.
I wanted an exposed zip and had one in brown with metal teeth. Cool.
I tacked it into the lining. And after a bit of inside out, unpick and redo sort of thing, I got it in there.
At this stage I was thinking of doing something wing-like with the extra waterfall parts hanging by the zip. the previous photo shows them held open.

So, the fabric I am using is a leather-like fabric. It has a sort of alligator texture embossed into the thin plastic layer on top. The backing is a knit fabric. It is so soft and very drapey. and has a bit of stretch to it.
However, it is also very heavy. So, when I started doing the draping, I had to work out some issues.

I wanted folds like overlapping scales. But because it was heavy, I needed to work out distances of folds (I didn't want them regular all the way down) without a lot of holding up, putting down.
So, I took a flexible measuring tape and folded out lengths on it, adjusting as I went along. Besides, I wanted to know how long a piece to cut off.

So, then I marked the folds on the fabric with chalk, folded them out.
Most leathery fabric has to be handled carefully because pin holes don't seal over. So, I started with masking tape to hold the folds in place.
But the fabric was too heavy to hold when I was manipulating sections of fabric into the folds and taking round to the back.

So, I tried somewhat fine pins. No problems, the marks sealed over.

But the front was taking a bit too much pulling for the fine pins to stay stuck in the dummy. So I went ahead with just pinning the folds in place.
However, I did have to use a stool to rest the bottom portion of the fabric on, because this stuff loves gravity!

and from there it was getting everything in place.

Stay tuned.

Something on Saturday

Cow - 16

I love this little mother and baby.
They are very tiny, as you can tell from the pattern on the tablecloth behind.
You might also glimpse a little something by the back leg of the calf near the mother. He lost part of his leg (though it is in some little pot of bits and pieces somewhere) so, he stands on a little something that looks a bit like an upturned bucket.

Sunday 23 April 2017

The beads are still going on... 16-23 Apr

Week 16 - 2017

no.106

no.107

no.108

no.109

no.110

no.111

no.112


Saturday 22 April 2017

a bit more on the gown

I have been taking photos of processes as I go along, but have had a bad head for a couple days, so didn't get anything posted. (*oh! and then this didn't get posted either!)

Anyway...I tacked the zip in, trying to think where it would be if I wanted the waterfall section to be on the outside so it could line any potential waterfall of the main fabric. (keeping in mind that the outside of the lining draped - right side - would then be the inside.)

oh. well, the waterfall bits are now on the inside. You can tell when it is zipped.

OK. untack zip, untack the centre back fold.

Turn and press fold and pin zip in place.
Tack

zip inside

zip outside

good. Next step, begin to drape main fabric.

*I started draping the main fabric yesterday - not a bad head, but still fragile. Today I have been at a conference in London. So, I will tell you more on Monday. and hurrah I didn't have a bad head!

Something on Saturday

Cow - 15

This is the cow from a miniature nativity set I bought at a craft fair.
Only she lives with the other cows the rest of the year, instead of being put away.

Tuesday 18 April 2017

new gown

I have been developing a new gown. I draped the lining a few weeks ago, but have been getting my head around the rest of it.
Today I got the thread tracing/tacking done for the darts and shaping. About ready to go for it with the main fabric, which is a bit special!

This is sort of a commission, but I am not ready to go into detail yet. However, there may be something dragonish about it!

Oh, and there will be something to hold it up...it does look like it is rather low, doesn't it?

Sunday 16 April 2017

The beads are still going on... 9-15 Apr

Week 15 - 2017 Happy Easter!

no.99

no.100

no.101

no.102

no.103

no.104

no.105

Saturday 15 April 2017

Something on Saturday

Cow - 14

Easter related! I saw these one year at the V+A shop on sale. A bit dear still, but how could I pass them up.
As we don't really do dippy eggs (soft boiled eggs you did toast soldiers into), I keep these egg shaped stones in them.
I love the expressions and detail!

Friday 14 April 2017

in the studio

The Thoughtful man has added a bit of height to my work table.
It is a large desk, so with some thick boards, the top of the desk comes up to about waist height for me. I have been really struggling with a variety of pains when I am leaning over doing work.
We will see how it goes and then smarten it up a bit...perhaps. If it works, I might just get on with it, like the drawers beneath!

Wednesday 12 April 2017

the other bead project - 4

I went to my friend's exhibition today, but forgot the camera. Oh well.
But you can get a glimpse of things if you go to their Facebook page. Creative Xpressions

This is how the marks made of beads have progressed on the dress.
Week 15
While the dummy was at my exhibition at Lady Sew and Sew, I stitched without checking the direction. So, I will need to centre the 'point' at the bottom at some time.
I have come to the end of that type of black bead. So now that March is over, 1/3 of the way through, I have begun to stitch at the back to get some balance in the weight. The front is very heavy at the moment.
I haven't showed the back before. It will be laced, probably by shortening the dress and making ties from that, but I will figure that out when the time come. I wanted more fit options should the dress ever be modelled.

Tuesday 11 April 2017

70,273 project x's 148-157

More red x's for the 70,273 project.

x148

x149

x150

I have enough, now, for the 50 to commemorate my brother who lived about 25 more years after a rare kidney disease and a subsequent transplant. (on top of those I did in memory of my MIL.)

No, you don't have to do 1 for every year of a life in memory of someone as you commemorate of one of those murdered in the programme at the beginning of the Nazi regime. But I like stitching them when I have moments. And I also like goals. So, that is what I am choosing to do.

Now I am beginning some in honour of another family member.

x151

x152

x153

x154

x155

x156

x157