New Fireshow Costumes

This is and old version of our poi costumes. Vest (by dressmaker), belt, kerchief (no hair should be visible) and stretch trousers from market (I took me a bit of time looking at old fireshow photos to recognize what could be improved:-) ).

And new version - black loose pants and black bracers. I had to make five trousers (one male) and five pairs of bracers. One pair I had to sew the night before the performance:-D
I like that shoes aren't visible so much now. However I couldn't make the trousers long to the ground as shoes would deform their natural straight look (they're made of twill as well).
No hair should be visible again.

And a picture you might long to see:-) Bracers and skirt together sounds strange but look great. Twill plated skirt as well.
I wear trousers under, tucked in my socks, like harem pants.

These costumes were ment for one certain performance in Moravská Třebová. We had cameramen with us and they made a very nice clip for us. They are really skillful. (And we too:-) )
Enjoy!
(I recommend to watch in high quality)

Fake Bracers

These are black bracers for fireshow. I wanted this accessory as I like how it looks with fire costume.
I made patterns in accordance with measurements of wrist perimeter and perimeter 8cm above wrist.
The first step: eight centimeters height, two perimeters laid as widths, all joined in trapezium.

Step two: room for velcro. Four lines perpendicular to the basic ones. I prolonged them on the left for 2 cm.

A bunch of lines for those who don't own a curve:-D You can spot two horizontal lines at the point a vertical supporting line meets lines from step two. Short lines at the break to smooth the pattern.

Tiny lines finish the curve. You can see well now the symmetrical pattern with two cm added for the velcro.

I cut four pieces (all different - two wrong and two right sides) and marked position of velcro.

Ironing these wasn't very comfortable as the pattern was drawn inside. Steam helped a lot to deform the curved edges.

I sewed on 8 x 2 cm velcros by zigg zagg stitch. I think it's a lot tighter than just straight stitch.

I took two matching pieces (cut the edges to minimum) and sewed them together two milimeters along the edge. That's all:-)

Fire Skirt

Here's how I continued in the process of making a skirt for fireshow.
I made paper patterns according to the prototype, cut these shapes out of black twill and ironed all sides according to the method I already described. Then I sewed three sides of appropriate couples together.

Then I cut four rectangles at the same ratio as the lenghts of the blak pieces and made three sides of them more civilised by serging and folding them in. The upper side has been plated and pinned as you can see in the picture.

I sewed it through which wasn't the easiest thing to do and you can watch how I spoiled it. I couldn't see how the fabric looks at the wrong side and I didn't manage to catch the black fabric everywhere. I didn't fancy ripping and correcting it so I just sewed it again a bit further from the divide.

Then I invented something better. Handling all the stuff pinned was uncomfortable. I pinned the plates in other place than where I would sew and marked spots where the two pieces would match with chalk. The result looked far nicer (you could see at the previous one that the plates weren't of the most regular).

This was just a "cosmetic" but very useful treatment. I wanted the cords of lacing not to fray. I took a double thread, made a knot at the end and pulled the needle between the two threads at the knot.

This gave me a tight hold. I twisted the thread around neatly, hiding the end under. When finished I tied it, pulled the needle through the cord and cut out.

I measured the right distances and set in five grommets at each side. I love lacing:-)

Patch

I've had a lot of work to sew, but as my father was so kind as to help me create fire staves I paid back by sewing his denims. He had a big hole on the back.
I fast sewed the hole in hand, then placed a piece of fabric on it and drew a picture I'd found on the Net.

I sewed it with a black zigg zagg stitch as an application. Then I followed the lines, with simple red straight stitch, to match the rest of denims.

It was a good exercise for me not to forget what I learned at gryffins:-)
You can take a look at how big the hole was. I didn't find any other way but application..

Dad put them on the following day. I mentioned the hole and he said that he knew about it, but didn't have time to sew it yet. He didn't notice! :-D :-D :-D

Gardecorps' Body

I cut the velvet according to the patterns. Serging everything. I got two pieces in light brown and two in dark brown. First I sewed together the pieces of the same colour.

Then I sewed these together along the lower edge, right sides in. This wasn't easy, as allways *grrr. I made a slit in the front. It's in the shape of roof at the top -> three little cuts at the sharp angles.

This is the state before turning over. When having turned the cloak, I sewed the rest - the shoulders of the same colours. I left the pins inside when sewing to get more precise results.

Gardecorps Pattern

I wanted to make a cloak for my beloved boyfriend. I have one but he doesn't and I wanted to make him something special for his round birthday:-)
I took his clothes he's supposed to wear under and made a pattern according to the upper part. You can see it as the smaller paper. I drew a pattern of the cloak - I made almost the same neckline, the P will be bell-shaped so I made the armhole diagonal to the original one, and a bit bigger.

This is the whole pattern - I had to join two pieces of paper with sellotape. I measured the desired total length of the P. I tried to make out geometrically the curve at the bottom but it was too shot at the front. I let it be (it will be comfortable to walk) and made the back pattern more circular. The back's also a bit wider.

I tried to make a pattern for the sleeve, but it didn't work..
By the way, I don't like that these types of cloak (with sleeves) are often forgotten and people wear only and only the basic cloaks with broach or band in the front. This one is called "karnáč" in Czech, but it's more known as gardecorps.

Fire Top

According to the yellow top I showed you a couple of days ago I made the final version. It was a bit higher (/lower?). This is the alternated pattern.

I sewed it and where I should have used a bias tape, I left just a few milimeters as an edge that I folded inside. As it was so thin, it deformed at the edge and had effect similar to the bias tape.

I can wear a black bra under:)
This I'll be wearing at the fireshow that takes place on 30th August..

Crochet Plant Beginning

I wanted to make something for mum's nameday. I probably won't manage to finish it in time, which doesn't matter much as it's a rather silly project..

It should be a ground plant. What you can see is foundation chain. 12m of foundation chain :-D

This is how I made the first leaf. For leaves I use half double crochet or double crochet. So I finished the chain and went a bit back with HDC stitches.

At the top I inserted several stitches into each loop so that it made a rounded point of the leaf.

Then I continued crocheting, when I get to the chain I always use HDC as a stem.

Fire Skirt Pattern Finished

I inserted four grommets in regular distances. The fifth will be added afterwards. I ironed the lower curve inside - now there are three sides sewed and one's waiting to be.

I took four rectangles of canvas, pleated them and pinned into each piece. The fact that I'd ironed both layers assured me that I'd hit them both when sewing.

I sewed it and placed the fifth grommets. I hope I'll have my real skirt a lot wider...

Fire Skirt Pattern

I want a new, (cotton) twill costume for fire fans dance. It's safer to have a dress from natural material than synthetics as they broil in contact with fire.
I did patterns first from a fiber I didn't need for anything else. You can notice the yellow top. I took a pattern from the top I have for belly dancing. From a stretch fibre. That means quite a lot of time alternating it for canvas. Stretch looks soo good when you want a fitted piece compared to canvas:-D

At the photos I have the skirt pieces almost finished, I just want to indicate how I made the pattern. I put on a pair of trousers and placed them in the height where I wanted the skirt to be. I measured the front piece - distance between the middle of my thugs by some ten centimeters.
The back piece was the same, there were just a few centimeters more at the lower side so that the 10 cm sides were slightly angled.

Then I took a piece of fabric and placed it between the two pieces pinned to my trousers. I traced their outlines on the fabric and completed the curve for it to be continuous.

Almost Orange Kerchief

This is one of the pirate kerchieves you might have seen here. And the colour's the nearest hue to orange that was on stock. I put a small heart from the red fabric to compare.

I tried to dye it in yellow. I have colours that have to be added to water with salt and boiled with the fabric. I knew I couln't make real orange out of red. Dyeing to lighter colour's tricky. It ended up like this and I'm quite happy, as you can notice, it's yellower than the heart.

Not a "real orange" but now the red's more yellow than pink. It was just a try.. :-)

Snake Bracelet

A new book came that I had ordered! The Bead Crochet Snakes. I loved the pics on the Net, so I couldn't resist:-)

The main principle is that you thread a cotton this way with threading on a usual thread first. Then you crochet and slide a bead to the piece in some state of progress at every single crochet. The colour pattern can be drawn on square paper and has to be known before you start crocheting (to know how to thread on the beads).

The inside of the mouth is beadless and for the snake to be worn as a bracelet, it is sewn around the tail.

Trousers No 2

There's my progress in pirate stuff. I made the second trousers similarly to the green ones. That may be quite boring for you so I have some details you'd like to see.
The center of the four seams. I didn't know how to serge it at first. I do it this way and it looks ok. I serge the upper two seams separately.

Then I serge the legs in one movement, not stopping in the middle. The two previous seams are laid in one direction.

I put a gum inside again. I just forgot that I have 2cm gum and sewed a 3cm tunnel. I repaired it with the second line of stitches for it not to turn over inside the tunnel.

And here is the second pair of trousers.