Workin' it out

Updating more often seems to be working out--I'm taking more in-process pictures, and I feel better about how much I'm getting done. It's easy to forget all the little things you do if you only look back every two weeks.

Promised pictures of the Cathedral Window dress yesterday, so here they are. At least it's on a mannequin--I know the pictures are not the best. One day I'll have a decent camera.

I should also mention the mannequin's chest is a little too large for it--it's meant for a fairly small person (though the fit is meant to be loose in anycase)


Now I just need to figure out the underdress. I was thinking maybe something light gray, or ombre-dyed light to dark grey? Or maybe patchworked scraps? Not sure yet.

Started over on the undershirt for the wing shirt--going simpler this time.

Cutting it out. Check out my sloppy brown-paper pattern.

Basting the shirt together to check the vest over it. I used to be too lazy to do this, but you know, it doesn't take any longer than to pin it, and it works better.

Cutting the length to match the curve of the wing.

Un-basted, then I cut slits in it to insert godets to add fullness. Not sure yet if I'm going to dye the godets or leave them white. Or if I'm going to leave the seams raw, or do french seams or bias or something. I want them on the right side, to add some line texture.

I've also been trying to crochet filet mesh with strips of wool--I think if I get a bigger crochet hook, it will work. I also top-dyed two fair-isle sweaters tonight, though one came out spotty, and I'll have to redye.

Old Lady Time--Crochet and Quilts

So I skip yesterday. I needed a little break, and seeing as it was my day off of work, I took the whole day off. But I did get a fair amount of stuff done. The cathedral window dress is done! Except for the underskirt, which I need to think about. No pictures, I really need to get a shot on a person or mannequin, hopefully I can manage that tomorrow.



Bargello quilt is now officially a top. I added two scrappy braids to make it a normal size, since the bargello part was a little bit odd and square. Same technique as on the braided shirt. Need to layout my batting and baste it together, then I'll hand-quilt it. It'll have to wait until I can bring everything to school, I don't have enough room in my apartment for it.


Testing out some crochet meshes. As far as I can tell, they're generally used as backgrounds in filet crochet and Irish lace, but I really like them on their own. I'm thinking I like it best at extreme sizes--in thin thread, and maybe in several strands of wool, or strips of wool fabric.


Putting it to work on the side of an under-shirt. The pink thread is silk, and the undershirt is some sort of slubby raw silk, I may dye them both, I may not, after all, it's in a place that would be covered up by clothing.


Quick and dirty shoe mock-up in some crappy felt.

Thinking from the bottom up

I just bought a pair of Red Wing boots to replace my old winter boots. They were an extremely strange pair of boots, shaped like a pair of Clark's chukkas, but fur lined and made of some sort of hard, dark leather. Unfortunately, they were also from the 60's or 70's, and cracked along the sides.

So I've been thinking about shoes. Plotting and planning about making them. I have some ideas, I have some thick wools and leathers, and I'm eying some waxed linen thread at my school's resale shop.

A while back I tried to make a little wool shoe:

Which is a good jumping off point. And I've been drawing shoes too:

Hopefully I can get to a scanner soon, sorry for the awful photo-of-a-drawing. I was working from images of old armor--Leg armor called graves and cuisses. And samurai armor as well, most of it is made from bamboo and fabric, and I feel like I can emulate that in boiled leather and wool.

I also want to try doing some cut work for more delicate, lace like boots.

Some shoes I'm looking at:

The New Deal

Is that I'm going to take a page from Seamus's blog Days Run Away and really give it a go updating daily, or at least semi-daily. I feel like I keep missing days until it feels too late, and then I have about a month's worth of photos, so I end up not posting half of the progress shots. So here goes.

I've been doing some little samples of new techniques. I finally figured out how to crochet, after 4-5 years of scratching my head after making a chain stitch. Don't know why it suddenly clicked, I was just staring at a drawing in one of my needlepoint books, and it all made sense.

The other piece is something called 'Hungarian Cloth?' or at least that's what the old book I saw it in called it. It's basically a dense double buttonhole. I think it'd look good black-on-black.



I really want to try Hardanger embroidery soon, just looking for an appropriate even-weave fabric. Also thinking about translating broderie anglais to wool on a large scale. And card-weaving is still in the back of my head, especially since I know i have a weaving-based project once I get back to school.


I've picked up this dress again to try and finish it by school's start--I'd really like to get it, another shirt, and a pair of shorts done before I start. We'll see.
Getting through all the needlelace sections is a grind...

I'll admit the fit's a little awkward, but it was really dictated by the size of the window-squares. Next time I'd make them a little smaller. And not out of wool (I don't have a fair picture yet, but I'm playing around with the pattern in silk organza, the transparency is really beautiful.)

The needlelace gradated from very tight to loose. I think I'll put a dark gray fabric as the underskirt, it'll soften the effect a bit I think.

More tomorrow, or so I hope!