Headpiece

Nothing like deadlines for finishing things. I needed this headpiece for a show, I was doing several numbers and wanted flowers in my hair for one of them. I had thought about it for quite a while an in the end I decided to use chicken wire for a base. That way I could bend it into shape and it would also be easy to fasten things onto it. I thought the sharp edges of the uncut wire would hurt me and/or eat their way through the covering fabric so I cut some leather to line it with., but that turned out to be too stiff and the wire alone actually worked fine.

The fabric is a velvety kind I had in my stash. I had originally thought of linen, but I didn’t have any, and as it turned out the velvety fabric was great since it held the headpiece in place without any bobby pins.

I didn’t have time to sew that many flowers onto the thing in the end, just one, but maybe some other time!

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Bees in the bonnet

Lately, these last few months or so, I’ve started several project and finished almost none.

This has been due to several reasons such as lack of time or energy and warm weather never setting in, but also what I call the WTF factor.

When I start making something, it’s always with a very vague idea of what the finished item will look like. Yeah sure, I have the material, and sometimes a pattern as well, sometimes even a pattern with a photo on it, but still. The picture shows someone else with a thing made from a different fabric- I don’t have the mind to see myself or my future finished thing. So I’ll set to work, usually with a happy, confident stride and when the time comes to try it on I’ll think- WTF! This isn’t what I had in mind! This is of course because I only had a very vague idea to start with, so it’s virtually impossible to meet my very etherical expectations. Also, the item will look “bad” because it’s a sketch, you know what I mean, it has no buttons so I’m holding it together, or it hasn’t had it’s curves cut, whatever. What I’m getting at is that at this point I need to start my problem solving and go on. And this is actually quite often fun, although sometimes I get caught in blaming my lack of skills or my general hybris by taking on more than I can handle.

Now lately when I’d abandoned so many projects at this point I didn’t give myself the chance to show I can do this, I didn’t give myself the satisfaction that finishing something usually does, I didn’t give myself the challenge of actually solving the riddle, I just left. In short, I wasn’t being nice to myself.

So this bonnet had to be made for a show this Friday, no pattern, made from whatever was at hand at home, and by Jove, it’s done!

Starting over

Lately I seem to have even more difficulties  finishing things than i usually do. I can’t remember when I finished something last. I do know when the last time I started a new project happened, though- it’s today!

I’m making a dance top, sort of like an Indian choli. Constructing a new pattern by merging and modifying old ones. This is one of the things I enjoy most of all when it comes to sewing, but to actually wear the things I make is kinda fun too. Let’s see if this one ever come that far.

Bowie pants

I was going to Tokyo to visit my son and felt I needed to dress well. I had the idea for some short wide pants and found this really great blue green linen to make them from. I used a vintage pattern Stil 6166, but made the legs straight instead of bell bottomed and of course shortened them. I also made the waist dubble width and put on two buttons to hold them up, I’m really plesed with how they look and they go so well together with my Bowie boots!

Sweeping

Late spring is a busy time in the dance teacher business. When my own shows were over, I stepped in to help others. This last week I’ve been sewing Pink Panther’s tails, tutus and hats for the seven dwarfs like crazy besides  everything else that dance shows require. Way too busy to get any pictures.

Now all that’s left are the loose sequins, feathers and fabric extracts that I sweep up in my sewing room.

Pants! Again!

I’ve made thes awesome pants for a client, she’s a bit shorter than I, otherwise we have the same measurements.

They’re made from this pattern, a reprinted original from the 1940’s, but she wanted them a little less baggy.

Now it’s back to making Christmas presents, then I think I’ll make a pair for myself

Checkers and stripes

I’m making these pants on commission. After making the muslin she’s to try on I decided I like the pants so much I’ll make a pair for myselt.

In my stash was a wool that was perfect, as I was about to cut it I realizes it’s checkered on one side and striped on the other. Which to use? I think I like the checkers a little bit more, but the striped side is shinier. On the other side, the non shiny side is perhaps a tiny bit itchy?

Now I’m lost in indesicion. I’ll zig zag the parts at least, and hope I come to a conclusion.

Just in time!

Yay, my outfit is done!

Well actually it isn’t, I was panic working on it yesterday to have it for last nights performance. Let’s say the insides are a bit sloppy, but hey, the outside is what shows, right:)

Not a mess at all

I’ve now cut all the pieces for the top of my dance outfit. I used Stil 23414 as a general guide, but I wanted it to open in the front, to have a square neckline and to be shorter. I want a folkloric feeling to it, and the princess cutting of will see to that. We’ll see how it ends up.

Getting there

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My dance skirt is coming along just great! I feared I wouldn’t have it ready for a show on the 25th, but a day off changed my perspective

In the end I decided to stitch both side seams, after contemplating some smart fastening device on one side to get into it more easily. I used a sturdy, broad elastic sewn onto the waist and folded over- I wanted to be able to step into the skirt. (at shows there’s sweat and make up to consider when changing outfits quickly, the over-your-head alternative is an unnecessary stress adder:)

At the pictures, I have just hand sewn the left side onto me (as well as onto my underwear) and haven’t yet put a fastener at the waist.

Need to hem it and then I can start working on the top!