Dress - Bias cut - Denim, screen print

Took the kindness of the fabric given to me by the gentlemen to match it with the kindness of my Mom. Used her pattern for a dress she made many for herself decades ago. Bias cut.  I hadn't sewn it before, and didn't catch a "trick" of putting it together (there are no written instructions)..thankfully did it in a test fabric before executing in this denim. I made slight modifications to her original, but essentially the same.

   

Fabric with possibilities

 Was walking around after visiting an exhibit involved in a research project I have been working on for some months.  Nearby town that is sometimes too touristy in parts, but I was in the more "real" part of town..all of it with pretty views.  Stopped into a workshop of some gentlemen that I had met prior -- wonderful ideas they create. They encouraged me to take a piece of fabric they had decided to give away. Interestingly, I knew what I wanted to do with it near the beginning, inspired by kindness. Still clothes for self, so not too altruistic here, but hopefully it flows with the entity. 

Silk Scarf Dresses -- V and deep necks

 

Three more dresses made from silk scarves.  This set was focused on plunge necks, though only the one below is super deep. May tack it, depending on what wearer may want. The one below is more avant garde -- sleeves super long, lots of flow in part of size of scarf and perhaps weight differences. 

Silk dresses from scarves -- more!

 

Trying to reduce the scarf pile -- created more dresses.

Silk Scarf Dress

 

Dress made from silk scarves. 

Silk Dresses - two more

 

Created two more dresses out of silk scarves. Basic composition stays the same, but sizes of scarves involved does change elements. If one wanted to travel light, could likely pack 5 along with your normal stuff in a large handbag. Easy care, and hand dries quickly because material light. 

Photo Shoot - Silk Dresses

 

Experiment here to see if we can get it to look to level we like. Photo shoot with the kids -- using the silk dresses as the product. Hopefully helps to  develop 'process steps" thinking, matched with their already creative bent. Many more steps to go, but learning and collaboration achieved already with our first couple sessions. 

Silk dresses -- made from scarves

  

 

Scarf Dress #too many

Used silk scarves to complete another dress. :) 
 

Dress made of Scarves

 

A little trickier than what I thought when I started. To work the scarf sizes together -- granted the simple shape helped, but more engineering than I had thought. In hindsight, I would have chosen a different one for the top -- makes too strong a "bigness" up there..pattern and drape.   The American Airlines scarf still needs some ironing(lower back) ...must have been folded for a long time. :)

Denim Patchwork Skirt

Years of denim from the early days. Mom had envisioned a quilt with squares, and did quite a bit of cutting up from childhood denim from four kids. I took the leftovers...(the good of someone who saves stuff) mainly....and pieced them together.  Plenty of somewhat unorthodox sewing going on to make things fit together on the right...hence a little bunching and some tilt.  Denim patchwork skirt.

I was going to embroider it, after seeing an inspiration piece (that started this project out) of a Chinese embroidery on denim/dark blue fabric from image secured at recent visit to Met, but then the denim piecing took over, and the embroidery seems like it might be a bit much on top.

So...embroidery project to go, but denim fabric ready for skirt ready now. Like I need another skirt....

Auntie Camp

For the past month or so, each week have my nieces over for "Auntie Camp."  Print an agenda, with blocks of time and the "area of study" the particular niece will experience.  My sisters and Mom join in...piano, sewing (origins of....wrapping saris, etc to hand sewing, to machine..doll clothes to the bag below) , cooking (what's for dinner? how to think of feeding yourself/others...more than opening the refrigerator door), science (bubbles, gases), geography (map making), book making, math games,  word camp, poems, making a mermaid, 3D construction, etc.   Fun for all!

Scarf into Top

Take a scarf, sew ends together, leaving 12-14" for head to fit through and scarf side to sit on shoulders. Kind of a cape, kind of a top. 

Mickey Mouse Disneyland Skirt made from Tee Shirt

Saw a well worn Disneyland tee shirt...their classic font......and knew what I had to do.
M-I-C-K-E-Y....

a. Cut across top for straight-ish line.
b. Cut off sleeves.
c. Sew side seams..which really just closes up the holes you made by cutting the sleeves off the
    body...it make a little funky side seaming, but looks like an arrow in a way.  The seam stops at low      hip  (where the cut from the sleeve was), as this tee was circular (no side seams).
d. Cut sleeves in half, sew strips together lengthwise to form waistband for elastic/drawstring.
    You could just fold over the top of the tee, but I wanted "Disneyland" a little lower on the body,
    so I needed to add some "length" via the top to drop the word down.
e. Sew waistband strip to top of tee.
f. Insert elastic or drawstring.
g. Smile.

Found another one...did it again. This time, pictures of process.

Antenna for Positive Hat

Have a friend with whom I was joking with about his somewhat verbal observation of the things that are wrong rather than things that are right / ok/ good.  Suggested he put his personal antenna up for taking in the positive. He got it right away, and subsequently has put his finger up from his head when he catches himself headed down a negative path.

This hat will serve as a reminder -- a training cap.   Happiness, sunshine, assorted "good" things that have brought joy even just for moments..  Of course, we should encourage each other to do it without the hat -- register the positive and internalize it, but that seems to be easier for some than for others.

Sew with felt..hand stitch and machine. 

Embroidery on Sheer Fabric -- City Buildings

Idea for future...sheet tightly stretched...city landscape ...granted not an "ordinary" city, but one filled with lovely buildings.  Reflection of some more tame buildings in glass that these were behind on the street in Prague.

Skirting

Ok, enough!  Though one thing lead to another, and the closet is becoming too full. 

First is dyed by my hand -- organic cotton and indigo dye. Easy enough to dye, though the need to be vigilant on dye stuff highlighted by the few times I wasn't be very careful.  Rib makes for easy fit and seemingly good shape retention thus far. Second jacquard paired with color similar color tunic..a few seams for both, very easy shapes. Perhaps too billowy, but will road test and see -- the balance of relaxed and sloppy.  The third silk..decided to cut the longer hanging piece at hem finally...was for "different-ness," but required too high a shoe or prone to dragging.  

The ease of shapes -- the light came years ago while looking at a old garment in a museum some years ago -- very simple, few seams, though drape and fabric made the statement.  The natural fabric do this best ..the silk, the cotton. Not yet into painting them for pattern...though that may come. 

New Leaf

Skirt number two of the weekend. Tapestry type fabric..jacquard.

Leaf and Bird Skirt looking at the Sun

A quick sew as usual, a kind of heavy linen type fabric, good for warm days in winter, which we appear to be having this week.  The sun inset the patio was done when we were kids..one of my sisters......shaped from Styrofoam, and then cast in bronze by Dad, and eventually incorporated here.

Spring House

 Spring house discovered on recent walk. I hadn't seen one before. Apparently they were used to help keep food cool -- the food would be sheltered inside the house located on a Spring or river.  This particular water way wasn't a rapid, but perhaps it would do the trick.   Rendered in fabric below.

Version One above, Version Two below. I need the water.