Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Art Journalling with birds

This collection is art journalling that I did for a project. I used it to create some new stencils.
I also painted, used water colour pencils, sketched with colour pencils and did a bit of collage. It was very therapeutic and great fun.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1GOEDFRTdtb96RmeZAr4X40JN0T17DVHG
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kxIYW085Ig9IkrTz5CzBvWk-e_4DdYRIhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1T9OXA8ktfeTtu2TLoXTL-t95GsMO9b68https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1QiZy4L7fkjJEJIX9PVjO4InLgczi57Nvhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1FSeKTuOll03wlwUdNde8fxdKCBpXGlHehttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kRZ08cQRSgXE721rwxM0jWrmnO23u5oihttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1UUnB6jeMSXQkCG9HQxYl9Ykuu9Pd2-4L
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1hxOqtclXw6yE49a7nrQW2H-5A0s9YTiVhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Uq5qjyP-eTNyZeWIFKlTuDJ2Zzq3HyrYhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1AZEIb-tFzkdTdLEfxj_g_KqDi4RfozNehttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1d5QI6DNCW_8NTarb1SgYf5SDa3NshlZxhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1w1YUqoNCTyAk5D9CAWhRqWaFCrvcDsxYhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=136MH16UckGYdW-zYa9FpuO14kMC_qyy5https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1B1MVNpPKFr2feZ3ODAnTbnCZvZXid7Khhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1-5om51oDxl6YRwg7GtS5fHTuJci_ZPJq
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1-t7dPa94sSRjy1Y-AneOWoHySE6J3HJ7https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1o_B0oa6kyp6QonPPc67W_FdtbY0_NHU7https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=12zwiCn152lDe8jgao0-6JRevNk5P6Y6Mhttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Eyx42OeXrJzmA_qI_ET-YrjddWc9w6cX

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Upcycled kimono fabric top

I originally bought two of these pieces of kimono silk to use for my wedding dress, almost 8 years ago. The concept didn't work out and the fabrics have sat in my stash for all this time. The white piece was a gift from a friend that I have used as a scarf. I needed the extra fabric for this project though so it was time to refashion it.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1luqnQn3B12W9l-xW6s9_7Yk5GOfWnomY
This Simplicity pattern is a new favourite of mine
- one of the few that is generous rather than stingy with its measurements. 
There was just enough fabric to cut the top out! The front and back both have seams down the middle, but they look fine.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1yvPix8n0Glb_mYcIRTzxbfUJeuSxl7HG
Kimonos are made from panels of fixed-width fabric, which is why I knew that I could use the two completely different pieces.
The embroidered piece is stiff and has a lot of loose threads on the back that would catch on everything.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=10lfN7xwsVruV5uQ2H5FqaG9xhdqs6EYi
I decided to line it with fabric from a dress that I didn’t wear because the cotton was too thin. Green is my favourite colour!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1fLy5HTg9bS9MTu5HM8HCx80AzaJ63U0N
It made the front bulkier but way more comfortable. It also made the seams less bulky. Time to sew the front and back together!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1geArTQomFqwqjWrQhnKEwhRNbmx_gsTF
The next question was sleeves or no sleeves?
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=120KP3Y4iClAWDOIKiyFnXbSxmTaa7yS-
I went with the sleeves, sewed them on and created a collar.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1T7S5bnSxHUwUYg34rNxOlMBftaoXWzll
I hemmed the bottom, turning the cotton to the front for a contrast. 
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1fOJP2FslattQu8aIXxrU7ziGFqsgRsR4
Finished top!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1AYwc4DYLFg-5jdLbRWohrNQpT-jWdqlP
Thought about wearing to to work for frock up Friday, but the outfit was a bit much!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1N8BupBJ3w48ze6JWiOHA8NisYNEBZe01
#lovelypennypatterns

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

My Brother's Japanese Jacket

I lived in Japan for 9 months, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. They also have amazing textiles... so my family members all got a kimono. I regret not buying more, now that I can do all sorts of things with fabric, because I would have some amazing dresses by now! Next trip... though I'm starting to eye this one on the wall....
As he was unlikely to wear it as-is, my brother asked me to turn his kimono into a jacket.
No before picture, sorry, this post was semi-retroactive. It was a black kimono with a patterned bottom though. Phoenixes, even.
What I decided to do was unpick all of the pieces. It was a thin, silk kimono, so it wouldn't be a very warm jacket. I scoured the shops online and found a decent men's jacket that would fit my bro.
I wrapped the bottom pattern around the body of the jacket and pinned it into place
Pretty much a perfect fit!
It sounds odd, but the blacks matched really well, too, so the addition doesn't look out of place.
There was an extra motif, which I pinned to the sleeves of the jacket for extra detail.
Because of the thickness and shape of the sleeve, it was too hard to get all of this through my sewing machine. So I had to hand-sew all of it! This is the sleeve partially done:
It was going to look great when it was done!
I ran the back of the jacket through the machine- hand sewing would have taken forever!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1P4eI3BCsn5JQJHuT4rVq1v8qRlNgEbGl
And here it is, minus all of those pins:
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ogOVut64fLyZ9zWg3_Vzdwq9jqfR5Xvahttps://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=17684Gy7V3vI7t1N7CJeGgcyR4awumg4G

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Owl Dress

I had this fabric in my stash for a few years, waiting to find the right pattern.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14F_D3opq--9d656T5EMRxKVtCS1v5LZg
This dress looked interesting, and I always love things with pockets.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=13fRLc9LteiosD8QXNf1UjltT4aOhtVK4
I had 3 metres of fabric to work with but by the time I pinned it all I ran out!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kLPA0RCSmAxfBwu4-P9WJuQvqE65NLgu
The back of the top had a lovely shape.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1FSMuQmCxzYfdfVFeX1mJXUlOnulbARyL
But when I pinned it all together, it didn’t quite fit right - too big on top.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1nYePWqfRdJtCto8t95eJl715vB2qHYD8
The join between the bodice and skirt didn’t match up, off by almost 30cm.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Ylm1AO4fTQZIBO0DM9ZGHQQIFIwG8yF-
I tried a number of different tucks to match them up - eventually got there after 4 more darts than the pattern called for!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=167K2zCsoashMoj34ie1BzfmvSqaNqmOH
It was finished off with large pearl buttons.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=10RF5cfggmznmfSdX6mF3cWI9YOQT03_b
And there it is - the owl dress!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Xfw9xGp0krBPa91R8OhwewjzNptmesmL
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1QgEeQbowYH9whVCFqJ_9ZI27722NnHBK