Monday 31 December 2007

Green Dress Sleeves

If you can remember the dress I was going to make, I have good news. I made some progress. This is how I can imagine it.

And this is what I already have. My friend helped me with the petticoat basic pattern. Bless him! Without him I'd probably have never made it.
The unsewed sleeves look like wings :-D

Now I'm working on the green tunic-like dress. It's a rectangular and this time I'll try the advice of my sister - to sew the sleeves to the rectangle as the very first thing, without sewing them to a pipe.

You can see how I make a draft of a neckline. So I've sewn the sleeves. Next I have sewn them to pipes.

And the only think that remains is to sew the hips line. Chalk marks mean the beginning of the future gores - at the belt line.

Yeah, sleeves and the body done. I just don't have the length. It'll be the last as it concerns the embroidered borders.

I don't have the petty sleeves yet, of course, there's a pair of pyjamas under :-D

Monday 24 December 2007

A Mysterious Present

I made a little puzzle gift for my boyfriend. I have finished (today, uuuf) this pouch and I didn't set it together but gave it to him in this form.

He didn't realize what this piece of leather was but when he found out he liked it:-) It took him some time to think out how to complete it. And that's how it should be. No simple presents:-P We like creativity.

Sunday 23 December 2007

Pearls Cobweb

Christmas dance performance. For this special occasion I had to make something special.
I started with a pearl flower.

Then I threaded a line of pearls and made a knot on the end. Then went back and threaded one of the flower pearls. On and on. A needle was too thick for this tinies. I used a thin thread instead - I had the line threaded there and back at a time:)

The las line: I threaded three pearls with both cord ends, then one of them made a circle (tucking itself between the two cords in each line of pearls) and when it gets back it continued the same.

I completed it with a wreath - a big pearl in a rose case in the front that I had to attach thrice to be still.
The wreath is doubled in the half and one line turns around the braid and the other one hangs free. The wreath is fastened with four pinns.

The cobweb is discrete and it's attached with five pinns (they all are half an average hair pinn size and I was excited about them). I used a linen thread for it to be strong enough (I hate being afraid if it breaks), I don't use a silon cause I don't trust to its knot.


Merry Christmas!

Saturday 22 December 2007

Gryffin Outlined

Yeah, I got it:) I already know how to cope fith the blue fill. I'll start from the border, in a shape of the blazon as long as I can. At the moment I touch this inner outline I'll start to make pools - every closed part will be outlined in the same style.

The white places inside the embroidery might be corrected in the very finish:)

Sunday 9 December 2007

Last Pillow

The third pillow was the most difficult. A block instead of a square. This time I (of course cutting the pieces and ironing) sewed both ends together before attaching the zipper. Altgough I had measured the length, when I put the zipper in the hole was too long. I wonder if this happens to all dressmakers or only to me :-D

When fitting the hole that I shortened by sewing one end a bit further I accidentally sewn a part of the fastener into it. Then, when sewing the other half of the zipper I sewed a bit of pillow into it. And in the end I found out that I had stitched too close to the fastener so it was unable to open. Ha ha ha. This is how I get experience.

I didn't sew to the end, the slider disabled it and I decided to make it at last - I sewed from the left to the right, then down to secure the end and back left below the zipper.

Yeah, the zipper's in. Now just sew two rectangles to finish the block.

After ironing seams. I hope it'll fit:) I can't judge it without the pillow itself. The pillow case is made of very thin fibre and I couldn't take a picture just on the floor as itwould have looked just like a mass of someting..

I asked my model to hold the pillow case for a while. It's the person I would never be able to make this one without. I'd like to thank him very much this way and say his help is important for me in all I do!

Saturday 8 December 2007

Chain Gryffin Done

I have finished the pocket theme (didn't know it'll go that fast). I used mouliné cotton to stitch - they're pretty thick and I hadn't tought they'd be so nice for broidery. I'd like to have a border from several chain lines and the rest will be blue. I don't know how to fill the blue rest - I suppose I'll have to begin from outlining the gryffin but how I'll get to the straight state at the borders - smeg knows... I'm really not sure how to balance this difference :,-(

Thursday 6 December 2007

Back Pocket Chain Stitching

I wanted to try chain stitch as a method of filling - I've always loved it's structure when there were several lines one next to each other. I'll decorate my jeans pocket - if I'll have enough patience:) My biggest problem all the time..

I cut the printed image and transported it with chalk to the fabric (leftover from stockings:-) ). I know that te chalk always disappears when I work with it, so I highlighted the lines with a pencil.

I begined with contour and continued to the wing. Smeg knows how this will end up..

Wednesday 5 December 2007

Dark Pocket Holes

I was afraid that the thin leather could be damaged by closing and opening the sack and I decided to use metal studs. As a fastening I chose an oval stone.

The stone will be on a leather cord that will hold the stone when the pocket's open. I hoped that in water the leather would extand its size and after sewing it would shrink again around the stone. I kept it in the water for some weeks but it didn't help much, if I'm lucky it'll be ok ;)

Monday 3 December 2007

Dirty Stockings

I sewed the foot at first and then attached the pipe with a hidden backstitch. Then I did the seams. This is the way I tried as first - I pricked to the middle of the seam in every second stitch, when I did only the long stitches, the seam wasn't flat, and pricking every stitch I was too lazy to:)

But fortunately I ended up at this technique. Attaching every half of the seam. I always worked only with the upper layer, so it wasn't visible from the right side.

And these are my stockings - after two days of use (my shoes are half-open). Dirty and creased:) They're fastened with a strip of leather I tied as a belt :-D

I wondered they're not tight as all my other products. These in company with my gloves protected me from cold in Austria and I'd like to thank them;)

Monday 19 November 2007

Notebook Case

What to do with a sad gray notebook case?

Well, now seeing these two states together I can say that it's not that elegant anymore, but on the other hand, neither am I :-D

Saturday 17 November 2007

Cross Braid

I made this on my sister for our birthday celebration. First I divided hair to five parts. Not very regularly, I know, I wanted to make it quickly:)

Four of these parts were turned into Dutch braids coming from upper front of each part diagonally back down. The upper two braided together. Sister has so nice long hair that even these three simple braids suit her:)

I crossed the smaller braids several times around the big one and add a rubber band and a ribbon.

She didn't like that she had so little hair below so I made two twisted accents, but I thought it had suited her very much..

And I added some T-shirt post I made a year ago..

Thursday 15 November 2007

Stockings - Feet

I've done both pipes, now I had to get down to the foot pattern. In the end it wasn't that difficult. Just to step on a piece of fabric, lay another piece on and pin everything together. I let there the gothic spike at the toe:)

To be sure I did some basting but it seems it'll go well. And these are final pieces. The left rim of the right one will be the point of attachment to the pipe piece, I won't cut it neat and fit it as the very last step.

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Bracelet Finiiished!

After several hours spent weaving (during university seminars:-) ) I finally made it. It helped me not to fall asleep. This (pseudo)bracelet won't serve as a jewel, it will have another goal..

I must admit that I like this pattern. As I was searching the web there were quite few patterns original and nice at the same time.

Sunday 11 November 2007

Stocking - Correction

I tried to correct the back of the stocking. As I get experience I see that pattern's lines should be as gently curved as possible. I must remember this for the next time not to have to resew.. Of course the right line's the upper one, the result was not perfect, but better :)

Friday 9 November 2007

Stockings - Beginning

I want to make stockings for me not to freeze on the winter long (two:-D ) days in Austria. I saw this type of stockings on several sites but the main sources are Věřiny modré stránky and a picture from Kostým - section dochované originály -> evropské středověké -> ponožka; I saw one exemple as well at Krea's Pages.

I folded a strip of canvas in the middle and pinned on the edge. Then I pushed the fabric like this and pinned along the leg. It's a way I took from Cotte Simple. In fact I don't know how to make patterns. It's the part when I suffer, but this goes well:)
I drew a line along the pins and made a template.

I cut it twice, the canvas is thin, I'll double all and have a triple sole. Before making other patterns (which I'm not looking for much) I sew the line just produced. It's backstitch. I don't like this stitch, I use a version that alternates the long stitch on the right and on the left. It looks better:)

I hope that the quip will disappear after cutting edges inside.

I plan to tie the stockings with a leather band with a little buckle.

I must do the other stocking's base later..

Wednesday 7 November 2007

Pouch Base

I finished the basic pattern. I think I'll add some decoration to the cover, at least a line along the border could suit:)

Tuesday 6 November 2007

Gothic Try

I decided to make something really gothic:) I took this picture, there women's hair visible from several positions.

You can notice that their hair (when not in a braid) goes verically. Well, I split my sister-victim's hair in two halves - strand by strand. They will alternate - one will belong to the lower braid and one to the upper. The "upper" hair is pinned up.

I started with taking the left front quarter of her hair, which is not split. When I tried to begin with less hair, the braid was very thin..

I use a Dutch braid (which pretends to be just a classic braid laid on the head) and finish when coming to the right front quarter of hair, reserved for the other part.

You must pay attention when braiding - I made a little mistake, on the left side I took a strand too late so that it's visible that I used several strands.
On the sides I twisted the tail twice and pinned.

I think that from the back point of view it resembles the original quite well.

The front side's not bad as well, I just doubt the sideview..

And this is just a piffle, sister didn't want to come in this hairdo on the street. I understand:) I tried a little remake but she undid it anyway.

When I looked at the picture after finishing, I realized they could have started from the hanging part. The woman on the left might imply this. I'll have to improve this one. Another thing is that girls used to wear a wreath that could hold the braids in some way.