Would you wear one of your toiles?
I only ask because of this: I had some unwashed calico to use for making toiles and experimenting on, and one day I was desperate to try out a pattern even though I hadn’t pre-washed the fabric yet. So I used some in its unwashed state to trial a coat pattern. The resulting toile was then stuffed in the fabric stash, why? because I’m a fabric hoarder and hardly ever throw fabric out. When I was doing this latest toile I thought I might be able to re-use the calico from the coat-toile, so tossed it into the washing machine to pre-shrink… and then just slung it on Bessie awaiting further action.
My daughter sees it. She wants it. She thinks it’s cool and looks expensive, like something one would find at more! (very expensive local boutique). I look at it again and admit she’s right. It does remind me of some extremely expensive garments I’ve seen on occasion in very exclusive boutiques, the sort that you wonder are a designer’s idea of a joke on the customer. However the ?jacket? (if it’s worthy of that title!) does have a sort of post-grunge charm about it. I’m not sure I could get away with it, but I think my daughter could because she’s young and gorgeous. Would you wear this garment?
Anyhow, on to the real point of this post, my first foray into Pattern Magic, the very exciting book by Nakamichi Tomoko. Not having even the most basic understanding of Japanese (I know, I’m terribly ignorant) I think our first project is to make up a custom fit bodice pattern from a few basic torso measurements. The accompanying diagram and two tables look terribly complicated, especially for a non-Japanese person, but I thoroughly enjoyed this process nonetheless. I studied the pages for quite a while to work out the angles and precise meanings of the measurements marked, then finally taped together a few sheets of copy paper, got an accurate ruler and a protractor and got drawing and measuring. This took me right back to my school days doing geometry and trigonometry (was called Maths III back then, but that’s ancient history…) This was lots of fun. I’m serious. I’m a real geek at heart.
Finally ended up with this.
Cut it out, taped it up and made a few adjustments to get this bodice pattern, tailored to me:
And made up my bodice:
I enclosed the edges with scraps of bias binding because I wanted some bias-binding practice, then added some buttons and buttonholes at the back when I started to vaguely consider adding it to my wardrobe…. However its just a bodice, not a blouse, so I decided I would need a very high-waisted skirt to get away with this, so will probably not be wearing it and the buttons will go back into my button bag…
Funny story: when I was working on this, I had this conversation with my husband…
Me (studying my Pattern Magic book): “Do you think the library would have a Japanese dictionary?”
Him: “What?”
Me (still studying): “A Japanese dictionary. If I could just work out what a few of these characters mean it would make this so much easier.”
Him: “What?”
Me (louder and a little impatient): “A JAPANESE DICTIONARY!”
Him: “Are you serious?”
I finally look up and see him smirking at me. Realisation dawns. We both start laughing, a lot.
Today is the most miserable of days Perth has to offer; we’ve had tons of rain in the last 24 hours and it’s windy and stormy to boot. Good news for the farmers, though, this rain has finally broken another very long dry spell that has my friend J worrying over their crops…
