Monthly Archives: April 2010

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Anatomy of a ball dress, pt 3

22/04/2010 8:27 am \ 3 Comments \

OK.  This may not look like a lot of progress has been made, but it’s taken time nonetheless.
Firstly, the shot silk taffeta petticoat has been hemmed, by hand…

And the lining of the petticoat has been hemmed, by machine…

Then, since blogging about sewing machines and stuff recently I made time today to service my sewing machine …. (no picture, boring technical stuff)
Have cut out the lining of the overskirt, fitted it to myself, basted together…

And made two lining versions of the corset top, using Simplicity 9775, also fitted to me.

Doesn’t look very exciting I admit, but once I start adding the fashion fabric to the lining it will start to look like it’s on the home stretch.

Oh, the fashion parade last night?  With my usual lack of loquaciousness…. wow.  
No, just kidding, I was overwhelmed by the excitingness and interestingness of it all but I’ll try to remember enough to give a bit of an overview…  Of course now I feel like my wardrobe is oh-so boring and I now want to concentrate on making more interesting stuff to complement it…
I wish I could have taken pictures, but I’ve located some of the garments we saw last night on www.style.com
My favourite portion was the Comme des Garcons garments; all khaki and air force blue, and interesting shapes like… Hmm imagine a sort of de-structured, military nun, and you’re getting some idea.  Jackets like frankensteined trench coats, with mismatched fabric sleeves and random asymmetrical capelets,  BIG midcalf pleated skirts; I laughed with my friend R that my old school uniform skirt was a big pleated navy blue skirt just like the ones we saw and we teenage girls refused to wear it, but instead opted for the tight pencil skirt a la Grease.  Well, (shamefaced) it was the 80’s…  If only I’d known I would have hung on to my old school skirt, it would be tres chic for this season!!
There were also some interesting light grey wool dresses with overlays of apricot pink chiffon, like the lining was on the outside of the dress.  Formfitting, straight skirts below the knee; quite dreamy and pretty and so interesting (at right, Comme des Garcons, Fall 2009, from www.style.com).
There were also some “boyfriend” jackets in charcoal grey flannel that looked cosy and very wearable, slimline pants in khaki, air force blue and “greige”.  I secretly congratulated myself I already have some greige gabardine sitting in my stash that I’m planning some winter pants for…
For spring Isabel Marant offered some lovely formfitting short lacy dresses, with navy and white striped nipped-in blazers; a look I’m planning to file away for spring…
The Marc Jacobs look I liked the best was the trench coat (woah!! I’m halfway there) belted over tartan/check chiffon dresses; the dresses were a little froufrou for my taste but I liked the tartan idea…
The Alexander McQueen dresses were very lovely.  The parade I’d viewed on style.com had big stiffly structured dresses from vaguely skeletal aquatic reptilian printed fabrics that I thought were interesting but not particularly wearable; the versions that we saw last night used the same prints on soft jersey fabric, made up into very simply constructed short T-shirt dresses.  Really lovely; unfussy beach-chic and perfect for the Australian lifestyle.
I noticed a simply stunning necklace that I may have a go at a DIY at some stage; a multi-stranded pearl and diamante necklace with a BIG diamante pendant…
Some of the colour combinations I liked; obviously the khaki and air force blue was my favourite and one I’ll be using for sure, but this winter I also will be experimenting with hot pink paired with charcoal grey; and mustard yellow with charcoal and light grey; forest green and teal blue; and light grey paired with big gold jewellery…
Photos below, left from Marc Jacobs spring/summer 09, centre from Alexander McQueen spring/summer 10.  Imagine this McQueen print in a simple little T-shirt dress with cap sleeves, and that is what we saw…, and at right from Comme des Garcons fall 09, interesting details and mix of fabrics in this coat

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“Tablecloth” skirt, the black-and-white look

21/04/2010 6:11 am \ 5 Comments \

Remember how I said I’m often inspired by high end fashion shoots in making my daily outfit choices?  Well today I thought I’d share my inspiration shot with you today.  This outfit was in this month’s Vogue Australia.  Of course the original is Dolce and Gabbana head to foot and my version is low rent and handmade, but meh.
I don’t wear the black-and-white look very often but love this D&G outfit and was inspired to give it a go.  Being from a European fashion shoot it’s a springtime outfit, and I do think of the black-and-white look as being a very spring-y colour choice.  Now I’ve got it on though I’m very pleased with how this ensemble looks.  I also thrilled at how this skirt, first posted here, is shaping up in my wardrobe.  (And no, it’s not actually made from a lace tablecloth, but certainly inspired by them…!)  When I made it I thought it would be too summery to wear outside of the summer months, but am feeling very comfortable in it today with socks and boots.  It’s actually a tad warm for boots but I’m going on to a fashion parade tonight and the nights now are cool enough that my toes cry out for sock coverage… so a little overheating during the day is necessary here.
Speaking of fashion parades, I’m pretty excited about going tonight.  There will be some very swish-o labels on parade, so I’ll be doing lots of mental note-taking.  A sample of the labels promised are Isabel Marant, Alexander McQueen, Maison Martin Margiela,  Comme des Garcons and Junya Watanabe.   Yes, (air fist punch) Perth is finally getting some of the avant garde designs in stores!  Of course we love our boring basics, like Country Road etc but we love us some international wow-stuff too…

Details:
Skirt; own design, stretch lace
Camisole; Country Road
Cardigan; Picnic
Boots; Sunday, Andrea and Joen, from Uggy’s in Dunsborough
Market basket; can’t remember where I got it from

Photo above from Vogue magazine, 
Dolce and Gabbana Spring/Summer 2010, 
photographed by Steven Meisel

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Anatomy of a ball dress, pt 2

20/04/2010 10:44 am \ 6 Comments \

I apologise for the lack of progress pictures on this dress.  Pretty much I’ve had heaps of work and errands to catch up on, and am restricted to sewing in a more limited amount of spare time than I’m used to.  I hope I get it finished!!  No, I’m kidding, this dress will get finished, even if the pictures become a bit sporadic over the next week…
Oh, and thankyou everyone who commented positively on my petticoat in its early stages!  It’s so nice to receive lovely supportive comments, I’m very grateful for each and every one of them, you are all wonderfully kind people… Thankyou all so much!
So last night I finished draping the flounce to my satisfaction, folded down 1cm under the top edge and sewed it onto the petticoat with a double line of stitching.

I then inserted the zip and finished the centre back seam.  Haven’t put in a hook and eye as yet, doh!!
(Apologies for the poor quality of the following pictures.  I took these this evening and it’s too dark for outside photos…)

I handfinished the lining inside the petticoat, yes, my now well-documented obsession with having a nice looking inside; here is a photo of the inside of the bodice

And the petticoat so far.  I have to model it myself from now on because as I’ve blogged about previously, as wonderful a model as Bessie is she is bigger than me and so once the zip has gone in I can no longer do it up on her… 

The next step will be to hand hem the petticoat, which I will do in front of the idiot box tonight… stay tuned…

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Turquoise and sand

19/04/2010 3:45 am \ 4 Comments \

Today is the most magnificent day, with blue blue skies and not a cloud to be seen…  The last time I wore this skirt I went for bright bright bright, but I think I love it even more with these warm caramelly neutral tones like I’m wearing today.  Colours reminiscent of sandy beaches, crystal clear waves and clear blue skies, no?  I must be pining for the hues of summer already, although the weather today is glorious enough for the most perfect summer’s day.
And have a look at this fluffy little purr-monster.  She came up and instigated a love-fest while I was taking my photos today.  Have a look at those eyes!
Sadly I have lots of office work to get through even though I would much prefer to be out in the garden.  I’ve done a tiny bit more work on my ball gown but have hit a standstill…  I’m heading back up to the fabric shop after work to get a bit more fabric for my flounce, as the one I have pinned to the petticoat now is not as flouncy as I desire.  Must have plenty of flounce!  Flounce is gooood!  Tomorrow I should have more progress to show you.

Details:
Skirt; Vogue 1023, turquoise polycotton
Camisole; Cotton on, tossed out by my daughter
Cardigan; my own design, coffee and white net
Scarf; Country Road
Sandals; Salvo’s op shop
Nail varnish; Fool’s Paradise, BYS
Zoe; as herself

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Introducing my other children

18/04/2010 6:43 am \ 12 Comments \

Sandi asked me in a comment recently about sewing machines and which functions I thought were useful ones for dressmakers to have, so I thought this would be a good time to introduce my work-horses.
Firstly, my ordinary machine.  I’ve had this little beauty for about twenty years now and it’s been wonderful all this time.  It’s a very basic Janome machine, that is capable of forward stitching and zig-zag and has a reverse toggle.  Yup, that’s about it!!  Of course it does buttonholes too, but that is just a manipulation of the zig-zag stitch….  It also has six fancy stitches, which are on the far right of the green and blue labels on the top right.  I’ve used these stitches only once or twice in the whole time I’ve had it.  I’ve done all my adult sewing on this machine.  I really like it because, being so basic, I can service it myself, and have managed to carry out a few minor repairs once in a while too.  The most complex thing I’ve done is change its drive belt.  It has no computer and so no fancy automatic functions, but this suits me to a T.  My mother has a wonderful computer driven machine, and the one time I used it it’s automatic “needle up”/”needle down” function both startled me every time it did it, and frustrated me too.  Plus, she always seems to be having to take it in to get “looked at”. because some timing thing is out or some such trivial disfunction, which renders it unusable.  So annoying.  This would drive me round the bend if it was my machine.  
The one “modern” application I’ve seen on new machines that I think would be pretty useful is the automatic buttonhole maker.  I’ve seen shirts made using this function and the buttonholes are works of art, while my efforts fit into the category “the best I can do”.  After years of practice though at least I think I can say my buttonholes are now consistent, if not as perfect as the computer produced ones.  Meh.  Other than that, I’ve never felt the need for more than the basics offered by this machine.  It’s sewn its way through countless garments for me, countless clothes for my children through every stage of their lives, er, three shirts for my husband (poor man!), quilts, handicrafts, the curtains for two entire houses…  I couldn’t be happier with my little beast.

And here is my overlocker.  If my ordinary machine is the golden child in this family, then my poor overlocker is the problem child.  The Cain.  The evil sister.  
I got another Janome, and the big plus with them both being Janomes is that I can use the same foot pedal for both machines, I just switch the power cord from one machine to the other and bob’s your uncle.  Handy.  I have a love/hate relationship with this machine.  When all is going swimmingly then we are happy and harmonious together, completing our project.  If my overlocker is having a bad day, say has taken a dislike to the fabric I’m using, or has been threaded in a way that some tiny weeny little thing is not quite right then it can rapidly become the machine from hell.  Sometimes it can be the tiniest thing, one thread de-threads itself, overlocker throws a tantrum, and the re-threading can take ages, and use metres of thread.  I really only use the basic 4-thread serge, and the rolled hem function.  I don’t trust my sanity to try anything trickier on this thing…
There is a note in my overlocker instruction book that has me puzzled.  For oiling of the overlocker, it recommends once a week for normal use, and once in ten hours in continuous use.  (double take) Huh?  Every ten hours?  I’m wondering if this is some manual-writer’s idea of a joke.  I can imagine a few nerdy Janome technicians hunched giggling over their computers, “Ha ha ha, I’ve got a good one, let’s recommend re-oiling every ten hours, hehehe!!”  I mean seriously.  And what is “normal” use anyway (ah, the age-old question…!)  I only use my overlocker about once a week, anyway.

What machines do others use?

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Anatomy of a ball dress, pt 1

17/04/2010 11:01 am \ 12 Comments \

I’ve made a start on my ball dress.  Although I was a bit late to get started on it I’m making up for lost time now.  Yesterday I did more sewing on my daughter’s dress than I did on my own!!  And I think I’m spending way too much time on the internet, particularly my new favourite site, Po___re, yes, you know the one.  It’s way too addictive, and I’m setting a new rule for myself that I will only go on once a week from now on.  I’ve got lots of other things I prefer to do with my time, and more constructive things too, sewing being one of them.  So back to this dress!
Typically for me, I launched straight into this project and neglected to take any photos at first…  For the red petticoat component I’m using a pattern that has worked successfully for me before; Butterick 4657, with a few modifications I’ll address here as I get to them.  
I started by constructing the “velvet bra” part of the bodice.  Immediately I ran into a few challenges.  Let me outline the challenges in this part of the exercise for you:
1. The outer shell of the upper bodice is of velvet
2.  I’m working with velvet here
3.  I’m lining the bodice with some leftover silk taffeta, which frays like nobody’s business
4.  I’m working with velvet
I’d forgotten what a pain in the derriere velvet is to work with.  I’ve made things from velvet before and its thick pile makes it “flatten” first one way and then another, and makes for a very difficult seaming process if you don’t pin and baste very carefully.  I also started out with a small boo-boo, I initially sewed an easing line between the small dots on one of the bodice side fronts, rather than the front as I should have and tried unsuccessfully to sew them together with the ease stitching on the wrong piece before realising my mistake…  this completely ruined these two pieces.  As anyone who has worked with velvet knows, you just cannot unpick stitching successfully with this stuff, the fabric is too fragile and the pile is marked forever once stitched on.   With velvet it’s essential to get your stitching right first time, or else prepare yourself to cut out some new pieces.  Luckily I had bought 30cm, leaving me enough leftover to cut out a new side front and front… just.  
I’m not making the sleeves of this pattern, but using some matching velvet ribbon for thin shoulder straps… so here is the upper bodice front constructed.  At right is the inside of the same, I’m lining with silk taffeta rather than lining fabric because I’ve got enough leftover from my planned skirt frill/flounce to cut out these pieces… and I believe in waste not,want not, even in fabric… notice the mad fraying going on at the bottom there?  sheesh..

This is how I’m modifying the upper back piece; because my gown has thin shoulder straps, I cut the piece off at the upper edge of the dart as shown here…  at left is the pattern piece and at right is the piece as I cut it, without the upper half.  Because I was cutting at this point I was able to fold the dart on the paper pattern piece to eliminate it before cutting the fabric piece…  If you have the opportunity to eliminate a pesky little seam like a dart when working with a bulky fabric like velvet its a good idea to do so!

Then I measured the ribbon straps to fit me (By the way, even though I’m not mentioning it I am constantly fitting these pieces to myself and making appropriate fitting adjustments at each stage here.  You’ll thank me for sparing you photos of any of this fitting; me in a semi-attired state? No.)  I would have dearly loved to have some of those strap length modifier thingies like you get on lingerie for the straps, but they didn’t come in a matching colour, which is the only way they would be acceptable to me on an evening gown.  I contemplated painting some with nail varnish for a few seconds… but decided that would be too tacky!

And completed the upper backs, and attached them to the upper fronts at the side seams…  (Small detail: its been pinned here with the wrong front lapping over, but I got it right when I sewed it, so no biggie!) 

I then attached the middle fronts and backs, and then the lining version of these on the inside (not shown)  Why am I lining the bodice of a petticoat?  I honestly don’t know.  Blame it on my obsession that the inside of my finished garment look as good as the outside…

Here are the petticoat skirts joined together…  The raw seam edges have been overlocked to finish.

And now I’ve attached the petticoat skirt to the middle bodice.  At this stage the zip has not been inserted and the skirt is left long, longer than it will eventually be.  The next stage will be to add the silk taffeta frill/flounce I’m planning to go on this skirt.  In my planned final version of the dress; the velvet upper bodice and the planned silk taffeta frill/flounce will be the only visible parts of the petticoat.  

Stay tuned, more on this project in a couple of days…

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Pistachio and lilac

16/04/2010 3:21 am \ 5 Comments \

The last time I went op-shopping at the Salvation Army I found this stunning lilac suede skirt.  Yes, you read correctly, suede!!  I cannot believe the lovely things people throw out sometimes…  It has a very slightly graded frill around the bottom, is completely lined in mauve lining and has a raw edge hemline.  It has one label reading Otto collection, and its care label is completely in Japanese.  It’s in immaculate condition and fits me perfectly.  And I love it.  And it was $10.  How could I walk away from a winner like that?
And since today is a glorious warm and sunny autumn day I’m wearing it with my pistachio linen top, refashioned from an old pair of drawstring pants here.  And my boots, because it was just chilly enough this morning that my feet were cold.  I’m not sure about this old necklace.  At the time I made it I though it was so wonderful, but now I’m going off it a bit…  I put it on because I wanted a bit of … something to add pizazz and fill in in the big open neckline of this top.

Details:
Top; own design, refashioned from old linen pants
Skirt; Otto collection, opshop
Necklace, own design, made by me
Boots; Enrico Antinori, Zomp

Just to show you, Polyvore just had a nautical competition and here is my entry.  Not very classically nautical (like, nearly every single other entry was navy, red and white with stripes tossed in there somewhere) but I was going for something a bit different and fun here.  And turquoise is so hot right now!!

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Exhibition; Madonna costumes

15/04/2010 8:04 am \ 7 Comments \

Yesterday my daughter and I went into the city and viewed the exhibition of Madonna costumes currently on show.  Unfortunately I had done a bit of research before going in and was disappointed to see that the Perth exhibition was a bit pathetic compared to the “same” collection that was shown in London… I guess they assumed Perth people were not internet savvy enough to check out what was happening internationally and even if so that we were too dumb to notice that we were only going to see about half the exhibits… a typical attitude towards Australians, I’ve noticed…  
Anyhoo, about the clothes themselves…  I loved the whole exhibition but I won’t post all of my pictures here, but just review the few that I liked the most.
I was very excited about seeing some of these exhibits.  I was especially looking forward to seeing some of the Jean Paul Gaultier offerings as I know he’s designed for Madonna for years.  I’ve been mesmerised by JPG ever since seeing watching “the Fifth Element” and being blown away by the costumes.  And well, everything else in the movie really.  Even now years later I still adore simply everything about that movie.  It comes as close to a perfect movie as you can get, I reckon.  Except for the ending, which is a tiny bit sappy.  The JPG items in this exhibition did not disappoint.  Look at the precision stitching on these corsets!  My photos may not be good enough to view the closer stitching details, if so please take it from me the stitching is superb and I was impressed.  Of course these garments are stage costumes, so I was interested to note that there were make-up stains on the edging of the bust cones on the cream corset.  When I had viewed these on the internet earlier I had noticed the same make-up stains from photos of the exhibition in London.  It just goes to show; satin is a bummer to launder, even defeating professionals with museum-standard cleaning skills…

It was fantastic to see this magnificent jewelled gown; the “Inaugural” gown from the movie “Evita”.  Look at the detail of this beading.  Tres magnifique, no?  However, I did cast a critical eye over that hemline.  Now I know this is a vintage garment.  My research has unearthed that it was originally made for an actress/dancer called Carol Lawrence, but I can find no other details on this gown; its maker, its year of construction or its lifetime, except that it was also worn by Daryl Hannah to meet the Queen!  For all I know it has endured a tough life on stage and screen and is thus naturally showing the signs of wear, but still…  What I know about garment preservation and restoration could fit on a postage stamp with room to spare, but I still can’t help feeling that perhaps not much is being done to maintain this gown in good condition.  Any seamstress worth her salt would curl up and die before sending a hemline like that out for people to look at.  However, nit-picking aside this is one magnificent dress and you don’t see workmanship like that beaded bodice every day…

The Material Girl dress was lovely.  Again, there are no details on the internet about the maker of this dress, which appears to have been a dress for rent when it was used by Madonna for her video, and was subsequently rented out several other times to other people before it was purchased for this collection.  I couldn’t help it, (I’m such a dreamer!) but this fact inspired a little fantasy in my imagination.  Just imagine, this gown being made by some little amateur seamstress such as myself for some special occasion.  With a firm vision in her head and surrounded by hot pink satin she toils over her sewing machine for a few days.  She finishes her creation, wears it and basks in her man’s admiration for an evening.  Special occasion over and having no further use for it, she sends it off to the rental shop.  The wardrobe mistress for a little known singer steps in to the store one day, fate happens, and without the anonymous lady’s knowledge or intervention her lolly-pink creation becomes an international sensation, viewed and admired by thousands…  a Cinderella story for a gown?  Why not?

Now to the Versace outfit.  This outfit is very rock star, and tres chic and I’m a big fan of the all-cream look, but this is not an exciting outfit from a seamstress’ point of view.  Again, look at those hemlines?!  To my eye they look extremely wonky and skewiff.  However I obviously didn’t get a chance to inspect more closely (no touching allowed!) and maybe the pants were just hanging funny on the mannequin.  Again, these are stage costumes and perhaps have seen a bit of hard wearing in their day.  Those huge glittery gold belt buckles are to die for and give the whole ensemble a splash of OTT, 70’s, pimp-inspired bling.  I loved it.

In my own sewing news, I have recently woken up to the fact that my husband and I are attending a ball in just over two weeks!  Panic stations!  I bought this fabric about ten days ago, just BT (before trek) and gave it some thought DT (during trek).  I want to make something inspired by this beauty by Carolina Herrera, but fuller and more busty, and with no sleeve, but shoulder straps, and with the skirt more open and layered…  yeah, OK, I’m envisioning something quite different so I guess it’s the colour scheme that’s inspiring me here and not so much the design of this gown.  Not being much of a drawer I can’t show you any sketches, at least not any that won’t make you fall about laughing.  I’m thinking of making a separate red petticoat with red velvet bodice with velvet ribbon straps and a full red silk skirt, and with the cream/black fabric as a separate strapless overdress with a tight waist and a boned bodice.  Any thoughts?  I’m making a start tonight and will keep you posted on progress…  Wish me luck!

Photo above from Carolina Herrera, Fall 2010

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