along with my exhibition

Apparently (meaning I only have limited details of what this was about), the Cloud Puppy might have got some exposure this week... and may be in the Henley Standard at some point.
Jon from Lady Sew and Sew asked to take him to a meeting in Henley on Monday night where a photographer from the Henley Standard was going to photograph a group of people standing around each holding up a piece of art. He wanted to take something that would stand out a bit more in such a setting.

So, yes! That would be great! But rather unclear, as to the whys and wherefores! Maybe a meeting looking ahead at the Henley Art Trail in the beginning of May? As I am not in that area or county, I am unsure when any such photo will be published so I can get a copy. I should ask Jon.

Who also asked please could I have something in the Henley Art Trail. Motivation for another Fire Creature perhaps?

Also, the Dragon Gown.
Still somehow the dummies might be thin in the waist, but are too busty for it! I still can't get it zipped right up! It worked on my dummy, because I draped it right on the dummy. ??😕
So, this time I have folded in the zip at the top.

It works quite well and since I pinned the edges of the sip with brown-headed pins, the result looks as if it were meant. Well, sort of.

I will have to get a photo of the Heat and the Flame dress because I put a net petticoat underneath. It looks really good with the skirt standing out to show the embellishment.

Dragon Gown Finished

In September, one of the things I finally finished was the Dragon Gown. I delivered it to Lady Sew and Sew in Henley when I went up to teach the Beginner Machine Embroidery.

I had forgotten to get photos of the finished product here. But remembered when we had displayed it up there. Unfortunately, the dummy has a patterned cover and has a bigger bosom than my dummy! So, a bit of strain in the front and is gaping at the top of the zip in the back. Made straps for it from the lining fabric...mainly because I thought it might be displayed on one of the dummies that is much smaller than mine!

Anyway, This view shows the back.

This view shows the front and the placement for display next to the rolls of fabric where this pleather fabric can be found.

beading the dragon gown still

Last weekend I finished the beading on the dragon gown.

Front

It needs hemming, and because it is rather heavy and might be displayed on a thin dummy, I want to make some sort of straps. Which may possibly get some more beading.

Back

I was glad for the increased nerve/pain calming medicine starting to work. It has taken me a long time to get this done. I usually have spent the good part of a day at this sort of thing. This time I could just about manage 2 hours and that was not straight through either.

I have started working on some other commitments, so I would really like to have this totally done!

The zip

The zip is stitched in using a little set of 3 beads at regular intervals.

I am colouring the metal zip orange with a permanent pen so it will blend with the rest of the work. You can see the difference between the pull and above with the lower portion.

Beading the dragon

So, I have finally got the bulk of the beading done on the dragon gown. Because the fabric is heavy, and I draped the gown on the stand, I was not getting the fabric to lay right for the zip.

So, with the beads holding the folds, I could at last pin the zip pretty much where it wanted to go. (I am doing an exposed zip).

And then trim away the extra fabric.

Next, turn under the edge and stitch it down using more beads.
Yes, I could have stitched with machine, but I didn't want the extra line showing. and also, because of the awkwardness of layers, I need the flexibility that hand stitching the zip will give. Some of the folds have 4 or more layers if the underneath part of a fold below extends up past it.

When the zip is properly in, I will sort out the bottom of the seam. It may/probably get a godet, which is why I haven't trimmed away the extra there until I work out what I want to do.

Back to beading a dragon

So, now that I have cleared the decks from most things, and before I say I will do even more. (!) I am back to working on the dragon gown.

Having a lot of back complaint...which is not usually part of sitting. But because it is there to work on, I can do it between stretches.

or something...

Teaching Beginner's Machine Embroidery tomorrow!

Slow Progress

But at least it is progress.

I am using the opened top drawer of one desk set to hold the weight of the gown. And the other set to hold the beads closer for picking up.

Close-up

The beginning of the beading.

Also gives a close-up of the pattern on the leather-like fabric.

bead options

Some of the possible combinations of beads for embellishment on the dragon gown.

Though I did a red lining and had hoped to do red beads, it really wanted orange. So, orange it is!

the dragon gown

And so, from the pinning, I still found it hard for the folds to stay in place because of the weight.
So I threw caution to the wind and used my beefy pins.

And it worked. And the fabric still sealed up behind the holes when it was pulled out.
The fabric is pulling some because of the weight and how I have had to pin it. But it will get adjusted before it gets set in place.

In the meantime...I have decided to do away with the waterfall/wing effect because the lining is different to the fabric and it just won't behave together.

So, I have got the zip properly in to the lining. I have sewn the darts of the lining (yeah, I should have done it sooner, but I had the zip thing going on.) And I have sewn the inside of each fold to try to keep it in place.
Now I am working on beading...not just for the sake of beading or even for the decoration, (but you knew I would be doing something like that anyway)...but also for the simply practical reason to keep the folds even more secure and stop them unfolding from the weight of the fabric.

I still haven't dared trim the fabric by the zip and stitch it in place. But I am at that point now where I have to do that before doing anymore. (wish me luck)

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.

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!

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?

More from the exhibition

A few more photos now that I have had time to sort them. I am going to have to retake a few that were too fuzzy to show.



we made collections of gowns that worked together.
 - silks and lace

 red velvet

 the rust piece above, made in 2007, worked well with the 2 new pieces that also make a statement about global issues.


you should have seen the efforts to make a suitable display for a 10 year old! The one on the right had lacing that could open enough to get it over the shoulders of the dummy. But though it was a thin model, it is quite busty and tall for a young Tudor. The other 'dummy' is made up of a child soft manikin piggyback on the shoulders of a half child model!


and we hung the coats for the ensembles from the rafters open so the scene in the inside back could be seen, as well as the back of the coat. But I need to get a better photo of the other side.

another finish - Bridesmaid gown

The pink bridesmaid gown was finished and delivered on Monday. I put in bra strap stays at the edge of the bodice to keep it in place over the bra.

They took longer than the hems!4 bra strap stays with one part of a popper on either end and the other part on the gown. So, basically 16 times sewing the bits!

I had just enough of the transparent poppers...they were in a load of things from someone's mother's sewing supplies when they went into a home.
I think I will look for more, just in case.

Golden Grace in the Fashion Show

I really enjoyed the Fashion show this year at the Festival of Quilts. Besides the fact that they did a very good job and that the models knew how to show off the garments properly (from a different place). I had my friend Helen Cowens there as my guest. How lovely to look at the clothing with someone who also sews/drafts/designs herself. and how fun to look over at each other on certain things and find that we were both thinking the same thing! so then elbowing and laughter.
I don't see Helen often as she lives in the North of England/nearly Scotland. But I hope she enters next year. Her gowns are lovely.

It was special to see my gown up there.
I just got one photo of the front

and one of the back.

I did get pearls and beads on, but these photos are zoomed in a great deal, so they aren't showing so well. More and better completed photos to come.

Back to the blog

In the meanwhile, I have been 2 days at Festival of Quilts. At the wedding. Getting over the headache which was part of all that and watching Olympics.
Starting on the bridesmaid dress -sister of the 1st wedding dress I did.

Interesting comparison for lacing up the back.

Lacing on the wedding dress from last weekend made of interlined satin.

Lacing on the bridesmaid dress made of chiffon - not interlined.

Yes. Hmm.

So, I adjusted the folds onto the loops for the lower part of the lacing, found out she could still get in and out wit the lace loosened from this above this point

...and then as part of the other adjustments, I tacked the lace to the loops for the last few. Oh, and stitched up the gap below the lacing as it looked like an unfortunate ripped seam when she had it on.
No, I didn't have to, but I was watching Olympics anyway. What the rest will look like will depend on who is lacing it up. But I won't be at that wedding.

More lovely photos of the dress (well, Bride and Groom) from the wedding last week.
front

back

She was beautiful.

Something on Saturday - Golden Grace

The gown is finished! Well, it already was, but now it has pearls.

Now, I have a few days to relax, not worrying about finishing things off in the poor light of a hotel room.
but, I can also add a few more extras here and there because I want to and not because I have to.

lace trim

Yesterday, hemmed the under layer after hours of trying to get the overlocker set to the 3 thread narrow setting. Actually, this one didn't really need it, but it was easier to trim and overlock at once. Then turned for a narrow hem.

Today stitching the lace trim in the new position and trimming away the excess lace behind.

Then we will be done.

Life happens

So, I haven't been around here as much as I like. By the time I get time I have been too tired.

I had a nerve block done on Monday (my birthday!) for my neck...hoping it will help headaches. but in the meanwhile, since the injection sites are on the back of the head...well. I am finally getting around to the point where I don't feel like I banged my head on several nails. The first few days I also slept more than I expected I would.

The neck is already better in that it isn't just the pain from recent times that has eased off, but also the everyday for many years pain. So, it is sort of like something is missing! It is helping me not to tense up so much and hold my shoulders around my ears.

And today I sewed. So, I am glad for that.

On Sunday we checked out the lacing for wedding gown no.2. We found it worked best for her if we started at the bottom.

2 things besides the fact that we haven't put the modesty panel in yet.
- I wish I had started the loops nearer the top, But I was concerned they wouldn't be so secure. So, there is a wide elasticated waist stay which we found isn't needed as a waist stay because of how it makes it sit at the front. And today I took it out (only stitched in from the side seams.) and I am repositioning them to pull at the top of the bodice. Pulling the lacing wasn't helping the bosom to fit, but when we pulled from the side seam at the top, it did work.
It is not the easiest thing to do, what with all the boning spronging the bodice around when you are trying to get it under the machine...and the integrated petticoat weighting and pulling the dress away from the machine!

- The pulling lines across the hips are more from the boning I used holding the curve from being wound in the package. So today I steamed/pressed the humps and they seem to be straighter.

And when these are sorted. There is the hem! A straightforward hem on this one. Lining is behind the netted petticoat, so doesn't need to be hemmed at the same time as the layer of fabric behind the lace.
And then re-siting the lace...a matter of a bit of hand stitching and no embellishments!