Creative Impasse

Since this seems to be the only place I'm doing any writing, what the hell. I rescued another mistake today. A Chinese style tunic I made for myself turned out way too large at the top. Who knows what pattern I was using, but I cut it down, did some clever trim, added gussets, which made it hang correctly, and after taking it apart, removing facings and changing them a couple of times, I actually think I'm almost done and it might be good. Still embroidering, and looking at knitting some neck cowls as gifts. I used a gift certificate from my mother from last year and bought some beautiful yarn. I've taken 4 sweaters apart in the last 4 years and wound the yarn to reuse, reused it, and taken it apart again. Maybe things made with one ball of yarn will be easier to finish. How is it that my skills have fallen by the wayside, like making my pie crusts. I used to make wonderful pie crusts, for years, and then every pie crust I made was like an old worn tire, rubbery and chewy. But now my pie crusts are good, actually, a little better than good. Can I redeem my sewing, my embroidery, my knitting skills? Who knows, but I'm tryin' to find out.

Creative Musings

Having worked meticulously within the confines of a commercial pattern, I finally finished a jacket made from a kantha quilt I obtained from an Afghani merchant friend. I had great hopes for this jacket. It seemed a good choice of fabric and the pattern was exactly what I was looking for. However, upon finishing and trying it on, I realized that this really wasn't the pattern for me, at least not in this fabric. The pattern will work, but will require modifications. So, the jacket is quite charming and well made, but I will never wear it. This is a common theme for me. There seems to be a disconnect between what I like and what looks well on me. I use up more fabric that way. I will put this jacket up for sale and move on.

The next project I made from some linen I dyed this summer. The Asian style tunic came out splendid. I made some modifications to the pattern and it is well suited to my style.

I moved on to a vest I made from hand woven indigo dyed cotton I bought on my first trip to Laos. I got it from a Lienten village outside of Luang Namtha and chose to make a traditional Chinese style vest. I have made this pattern before and I didn't like it then and didn't like it this time so I took the seams out and began modifying the design. It took a lot of patching and cutting and shaping but I finally ended up with something that is very cute and works.

Then I tackled a 16th century pattern I made of a jacket worn by everyday people in the Netherlands and England...a sort of a "Cut Your Cote" style using the maximum amount of loomed fabric, very simple. I made some adaptations again and the result is a jacket is a jacket that I will definitely wear. I used another length of linen I dyed a couple of years ago and ended up having to piece the sleeves because I ran out of fabric. It looks like every seam was intentional. I faced the sleeves and front openings with some vintage cotton feedsack print I bought from Etsy and I just love it. I am contemplating an embroidered border of some sort. It would look just dandy!

My conclusion is that I am better at adapting and rescuing things than following strict pattern guidelines. I do well under pressure, whether in my writing or my cooking or my sewing. I just wish that instead of spending a lot of time making something and then having to take it apart and re-construct it, I could cut that part out and go right to the garment proper. Could it be that this is my "process"? If so, it is a tedious way to create, but the only one that seems to work for me.

Photos will be posted of these four garments.

Embroidery Obsessed

I am exploring stitches and having a blast. It's frustrating, crazy tense at times but just really interesting what a needle and beautiful thread can do. Why not?
The photo at the top of the Owl and the Pussycat came out a really crazy color. I still have poor photography skills. I loved doing the eyes and want to do a hand as well as master the feather stitch, which has me baffled. I'm trying to let go of "have to" and "should" and just let my mistakes speak to my journey of learning. I have no idea how I ended up here.

New Jewelry

These earrings are made from vintage turquoise beads I've had in stock for years, 2 nice antique coral beads, and new sterling silver beads from India. So nice I may have to keep them!



More new stuff...

Kantha Jacket

The embroidery continues. The jacket looks like a crazy sampler since I use it to practice stitches that have completely slipped my mind and fingers. I love learning new techniques and seeing the patterns grow. In the meantime, I used a lovely kantha quilt I got from Frioz on his last visit to Bellingham and made a jacket from a Simplicity pattern classed as "easy". Well, most of it was easy, until I got to the front lining and the collar, when it looked like a crazy jigsaw puzzle. But it worked! All it needs now is buttons.

Finished...here are the photos

Almost finished. I had the kitty outlined in black and she didn't show up so I picked it all out and went with gray. The crescent moon is done with an underlayer of white pearl cotton and silver thread over for a padded effect. The stars are in silver. Havin' fun!

The Owl and the Pussycat

I started embroidering again and it's working out quite well. I am full of ideas about what to do with this old Flax tunic and have decided to use it as a sampler, to learn, to explore, and have fun. Here is a photo of the bottom front right.

This is the cartoon for The Owl and the Pussycat, which will cover most of the back of the jacket skirt. I have since added a crescent moon. I got the design from a drawing online. I'd like to do the moon in some silver embroidery thread I bought.

Ready to sew

Three patterns cut out. One new tunic pattern from Marcie Tilton, a gored jacket pattern using the Kantha quilt I got from Firoz' visit, and a third, a jacket pattern I reconstructed of a Georgian garment from the 1700's. I used a piece of cotton/linen I dyed brick red last year. Should be fun to see how these turn out. I will post photos.

Sewing Projects

Here are some of the sewing projects I've been working on. the first two photos are my interpretation of a Khamu jacket I brought back from Laos in 2011. I had to size the pattern up. The green jacket is hand woven Lao silk lined with Robert Kaufman polished cotton. The blue jacket is indigo dyed hand woven Lao silk lined with purple polished cotton.

The third Chinese style jacket is hand woven Lao silk lined with purple, again. the cuffs of the jacket are pieces of a hand woven silk skirt border from Laos.

The black jacket is a rough bengaline style silk, hand woven, bordered by Kaufman's silk/cotton blend in a bright peacock blue. It is fully lined and generously sized. Very elegant.

The last piece is my own pattern for a steampunk/circus vest made with kutnu,a cotton silk ikat woven fabric from the Gaziantip area of Turkey and long used for folk costumes, jacket and traditional yeleks. It is lined with red silk/cotton.

When All Else Fails, Drop Back and Knit

Today I finally put together the dress I've been thinking about for several months. I made the pattern for the bodice, but I am afraid I didn't put as much energy into it as I have on some projects, and because of that, the entire design was just a little off. This always pisses me off, because I've gone and ruined another piece of perfectly good, and somewhat expensive, fabric. As I ripped out the seam that connected the bodice to the skirt, I was careful to smooth out the pieces I will salvage and use for some other, now smaller, project. Sewing is like that for me. One great triumph and several crappy failures. So I decided to start the embroidery project I had laid out. Well, it's just not my day. The embroidery cotton was too thin for the project I had in mind...I do have plenty of other, thicker colors, but I found myself frustrated and astonished that my embroidery skills had deserted me too. So, yes, I have thrown in the thread. I'm downstairs now, knitting...and that would be re-knitting...the sweater I started last year and decided to unravel and start again...with a different pattern...one that is very simple and I'm sure I can finish...maybe.

Assuit Project

The cost of vintage assuit has gone through the moon of late. I was lucky to get this piece at a very very reasonable price. I refuse to pay over $200 for them, so...I was quite surprised when this one arrived. It's very large and heavily embroidered. I cleaned it in oxyclean, yes, I know, not the preferred cleaner, but it did the trick. After a good rinse and a nice layout on towels to dry, it came up quite well. The color is off-white, not yellow as when I received it, and the tarnish spots have reduced to a very small area. There are two tears, one in the net and one in the midst of some embroidery, a little harder to repair. I do love it.