Sewing

Making (Very Slow) Progress

02.07.2016 by Tracey //

I’m still here! And I’ve been working on my skirt (as well as other sewing projects like the 30 Incan tunics I’m making for my daughter’s class!). It’s slow going, people. I was so excited about draping the pattern for this skirt and so happy that I have all the couture skills I need to pull it together that I didn’t really stop to think about the enormous amount of hand sewing that would be involved. Hand sewing is really my favorite part, so I wasn’t too worried, but my goodness, this is really excessive!

Pattern pieces

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, I needed to lay out the pattern pieces, carefully placing each piece to preserve the stripe effect of the fabric. It’s difficult to tell in photographs but there is also a subtle verticle pattern as well. Different ribbons are used to give the fabric a beautiful change in texture, so I had to be mindful of where I was placing the pieces vertically as well as horizontally.

I gave myself enormous seam allowances because this fabric unravels at the slightest touch and I didn’t want it to totally disintegrate before I got the skirt together. Next, I laid out each piece over silk charmeuse and pinned like crazy. Then the two fabrics were quilted together. The pieces are so narrow that I was only able to manage one stitching line down the center.

Seam Allowances

Once I stitched all the fashion fabric pieces together, this is the mess that was the inside of the skirt. Seam allowances galore! Now the next step was to turn this unruly jumble into this….

Silk Lining

You can see the machine quilted stitches alternating with the hand made fell stitches. It’s a work in progress as I still have two more seams to complete before the front of the skirt is done. Yes, just the front! I haven’t worked on the back at all yet!! It’s going to be warm before I finish this. Oh, well. It’ll get worn eventually.

Here’s more pictures of the work on the lining. I’m going to want to wear the thing inside out with all the effort that has gone into the interior work.

Seam Detail

Lining Detail

And a look at the outside…

Car Wash Skirt

Time to settle in front of the TV for the Super Bowl.

Then it’s back to sewing. So, I’ll see you when I see you.

Work in Progress

12.13.2015 by Tracey //

Here we go. An unfinished skirt in the unfinished attic. The muslin is done. (For those of you who don’t know, a muslin is the “trial” garment used to get the perfect fit. You also have the opportunity to make design changes at this stage. You’ll notice the hand written notations on each pattern piece.) This is when I really appreciate how much Vivie helps me. I draped this muslin on her, then just sewed it up. And it fits with no adjustments.

Although, I didn’t add any ease for this muslin, I think that I’m going to add just the tiniest bit of ease at the center back. I’m not going to add too much because my garments tend to get a tad bit bigger going from the muslin to the real garment. It’s just one of my personal sewing quirks that falls into the “good to know” category. And considering the number of seams this garment has, that can add up to a whole lot.

I pinned the seam allowances back so that I could get a sense of how the ‘flaps” are going to look and how they are going to move. I walked all over my house flipping those panels every which way and littering the floor with pins. I’m really thrilled with their movement and I think this skirt is going to be an absolute blast to wear!

I’ve got a way to go to before this skirt comes together. Cutting the fashion fabric, thread tracing, quilting with the silk charmeuse lining, sewing it all together, putting in the hand sewn couture zipper, fell stitching all the lining pieces, and hemming. I love this part!!

Photography by Santiago Vanegas

Have a great week, everyone. We’ll see you soon.

Introducing….

11.29.2015 by Tracey //

I heard once a good way to unlock your creativity is to name your inner artist and your inner critic. For years, I have tried to do just that, and for whatever reason I’ve come up empty. I finally gave up.

When I got my dress form, I was asked frequently if I’d named her. The question never failed to make me uneasy. Even as I worked to shape my dress form into my own personal measurements, I eyed it with a certain level of reserve, maybe even suspicion.

The stand-offishness that I had with my form didn’t help at all when it was time to start draping. For some reason, I’d decided that draping was the true test of my sewing chops, and if I couldn’t do it, then I’d have to admit I suck at something I desperately want to be good at.

After my first workshop with Julien (read about it here), I brought home my form, perfectly sized to my proportions and marked accurately to practice the art of moulage, which is a specific way of draping that uses corresponding lines on the form and on the muslin. Guess what?! I didn’t touch that form for a whole year!! Believe me, I was sewing like crazy. But draping? Not once.

So I signed up for a second workshop with Julien. And this time I decided that I would not walk in that door until I named my dress form. She would be a stranger no longer.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Vivie! It took a lot of time to come up with the right name. Some of you may have already guessed that she’s partly named for Vivienne Westwood whose garments are world famous for their amazing drape. But last time I checked, I’m no Vivienne Westwood, and using the name Vivienne sounded pretentious. But a nickname, yes! That works! Vivie has French feel which is my way of honoring my teacher Julien and the very French method of draping that he taught me.

Can I confess to you now that naming her worked? It really did. Where I was tight and inhibited, Vivie is fun! She brings out the best in me and we now have a lot of fun working together.

So, it’s only fair that Vivie get her own photo shoot. She’s earned it. She’s currently wearing the draped car wash skirt. You can see a video of our work together on our Instagram.

God bless you, if you’ve read this far! And if you’ve decided that I’m not a total lunatic (or that my kind of crazy matches up with yours) then come back next week to see a muslin of the car wash skirt. See you soon!

Photography by Santiago Vanegas