Fabric Trees

Ok so I know that money does not grow on trees... but lucky enough in Wellington, New Zealand fabric does it seems. I spotted the knitted trees the other day and a few weeks earlier the crochet trees in the Botanic Gardens.

I love them, my favorite being the stripey one.


Still working away on costumes for the workshop performance which runs this Friday and Saturday. Maybe after this I will get some of my own sewing done...

xx

DIY shout out

Just a quick blog today.

My friend send me a link to Spoonflower, a service in the US that will print your fabric, how wonderful! I have really thought about doing this for ages and all you have to do is upload and arrange your pattern image... oh and pay :)

Then in good ole New Zealand there is Ponoko who do a similar thing but they laser cut different materials from your uploaded image. Sweet as.

Then to keep you further amused the Threadbanger episode below is on how to make your own hat mould from and existing hat... cool.

Have fun. x

Her Naked Skin

One of the reasons that I am so busy and not so blog-e these days is due to four projects running at the same time. My most imminent deadline is costuming a workshop performance of the play Her Naked Skin by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. The period is Edwardian, the year 1913 and the setting is the Suffragette movement in the UK.


Even though a workshop performance is not fully costumed it is still an involved role to design and source. I have been researching lots of different sites and found amazing images. One picture library that our school librarian directed me too was the Mary Evans collections and I found the Museum of London to be really great too.

It really is an amazing time in history and an often overlooked civil rights movement.
If you want to see the performance information on dates and how to book is here

Corset tools

One great thing about making corsets is that you get to use tools! Specifically heavy duty wire cutters. Instead of whalebone nowadays we use plastic and steal boning for corsets and the cutters nip through them in a jiffy. Then its sanding them on each end to make them smooth (so not to pop through the fabric when under strain).

I finally got the perfect fabric for my 1750 corset and made my own bias binding from a silk scrap that I found in the costume workshop. This is the second item of my mid 18th century costume, I made my chemise a few weeks ago. I will post a photo when its finished.

I am using modern methods to create this for the stage (sewing machine) but in the 18th century it was all made by hand. One blogger Carolyn Dowdell of Rockin the Rococo has finished her masters project where she made all her I8th century garments by hand, she will be exhibiting her items on her site soon so keep a feed out on her site or you can read a quick interview here.

It is hard enough to make them using the sewing machine and tools so congrats to her :)

xx

Return to the house of refashion

I want to look good when I am dreaming in my day bed... and this refashion may still be around when I actually have a day bed.

If the fabric looks familiar that's because I have already used it in one of my previous refashions, the Scrappy ReFlapper... but i still had some of the floral material left over. So with some fabric from my stash and an opshop pattern, TA DA a nightdress was created. You can read more about it on Wardrobe Refashion and see the comfy pants I made to go with it.

I am now going to wear my refashions and go to sleep and dream of day beds.

xx

Links

During my research for my major work on my costume course I came across these three blogs that I thought were worth sharing.

Fashion - 18th century blog - Fashion and culture from the 1700s - very dedicated blogger to all things 1700, I love the illustration for her site too (above). Great links and inspiration.

Rockin' the Rococo - not only are the costumes being made in traditional 18th techniques they are being made by either natural or candle light, just like they would have been before the electric light.

Diary of a Mantua maker - see how 18th century fashion items are made reproduced.

My costume is just about past the design stage, will post up pictures once they are ready for the world to see :)

xx

OpShop Delight returns...

I have not been able to buy much of anything recently due to my return to poor student status. That does not stop me from having the odd visit and rummage in Opshops and the other day I found a lovely corselet style top for $4, so I sacrificed my flat white coffee for the day. It was too cute to pass by.

The top underneath I made a few months ago, I still have some adjustments to do as the neck turn out a tad wonky and being a slight perfectionist, out came the unpick! Hopefully it gets finished really soon as the fabric and style is really great. The pattern I used was from Built by Wendy. I really like these patterns as the fit is always spot on for me, plus they are unfussy and modern.

She has published two great books too, I really liked SEW U when I started to sew as it gave me basic patterns and advice on how to change them.

Until next time xx

Dear fashion godmother...

... can I please have this
and this...

and this...



... minus the hair do's as it is so windy in Wellington :)

Check out more of John Galliano's ready to wear here

xx

Featured Refashionista

Hi, my first interview in blog land, read it here

For a while now I have been designing a warm cozy and stylish hoodie in my mind. I got bored of fleeces last winter and plan to head into the colder months in style and in the pink!


I spotted a pink leather jacket by Diesel in a magazine and loved the cut... then I thought of Chinese quilted jackets... add to the mix bed jackets and some very yummy, 18th century inspired pink material from my stash and hey presto my next project looms.

I would like to quilt the bodice of the jacket and replicate the wide quilted hem too... I don't now when I will find the time for this but I will have to squeeze it in somewhere, the wind is getting cooler already.

xx