Cut from the Same Cloth

Muslin is a woven cotton cloth. Unbleached it is the color of pale sand. Available in several weights, it is frequently used for creating a prototype of a garment, also called a

muslin

.

Details are worked out in the muslin. This requires that one use material with properties similar to the fabric in which the garment will ultimately be made, such as elasticity and weight.

A few years ago found pale rose, shallow ribbed merino wool at an excellent price. Bought yards of it. It has served as a

muslin for many projects to be sewn in a knit fabric. Note similarities between the long sleeve tee pictured here and in the

post below

? The construction of the cuffs, the cut of the armsyce (where the sleeve meets the body) as well as the finishing details for the neckline and hem were developed in this fabric. Soft, warm and with the natural stretch of wool jersey it's also ideal for long underwear. It's a wardrobe staple!

Cut from the same cloth: long johns, bloomers, a long-sleeve tee [wearing it as I write] and heck, socks.

Swiss Cheese Tee: Pleasures of the Threadbare

Wool jersey Tee with Velvet Trim, 2015

Thought about photographing clothing I've worn to bits like teddy bears loved threadbare. Put one tee shirt on the dressform to photograph it. It looked more swiss cheese than shirt.

Mending only goes so far; there have to be fibers strong enough to support the mend. Recently labeled a small bin: Clothing in Retirement.

For a new tee began with an idea, shaping the pieces without bothering to make a paper pattern first.  Based the sleeves and the U-sweep neckline on a 'retired' shirt. Cut out the front, the back and sleeves in lightweight rose wool jersey. It had the glimmer of a swift project: a tee that could be worn to dinner that evening!

The process of making a garment refuses to be hastened. It's very odd. Even with well-honed skills and practice it is almost as though there's a muse who requires respectful devotion. "Oh, I will just whip this out," is invariably an approach that leads to the opposite results. It's uncanny.

Wool Jersey Tee (side view)

At the end of the day there were perplexing puzzles to solve about the design. Doubts had arisen. Had dinner with friends. (How good to be out and about!) The next day the road blocks were gone. Gathered the sleeve where it meets the shoulder, finished the neckline with pale chiffon. Decided upon a couple modifications. Cut a second version from dark purple wool (shown here). The neckline is bound with velvet, which does in fact glimmer.

All snowflakes are different. What if all tees were unique?

The Conscientious Consumer

Announcing a new video!

We're surrounded literally and figuratively by stitched material: the sheets we sleep between, the sofas we sit upon, the clothing we wear. The goal of this video is to share some knowledge with you, giving you the ability to make more considered choices when in the market for sewn goods.

How can you tell whether the bed linens you are buying are well made?
Verysweetlife shows some details to look for before you make a purchase.

Leather and Rhinestones

A cummerbund belt. Made to wrap around the back and cross over the front panel, the tapered ends are secured on either side of the torso. Love a low-riding belt!

The blouse is (rumpled) linen. The leggings, wool knit. Warm and sleek, am wearing them often this winter.  Glad to have made two pairs. When it works, it works!

This making all I wear... have been thinking about the ease of buying, of finding a beautiful item to acquire. The process of imagining, planning, experimenting and making has become second nature. I'm a stronger designer as a result.

Playground Fez

Just the thing for the playground: a dragon fez.

Was making holiday gifts, a trio of hats for three kids. The first one was made of fairly thin red fleece. Being a little too floppy it was put aside. Then one very cold night when it was chilly even under the covers I reached for that fleece fez. It was soft and added a little warmth, plus wearing a hat is soothing. Really, it has a subtle calming effect. Since then on nights when it's chilly indoors I'm wearing a version of one of these (without the dragon, admittedly). Think I'll put it on now!

Foundations

In a sort of inverse to spring cleaning, am shedding leaves (of paper) and mulching (metaphorically) garments as autumn descends.

Have treasured letters from lengthy correspondences with friends near and far. Prior to the ease of email the arrival in the post of an airmail envelope and a foreign stamp generated excitement and warmth. Leaves of paper were handwritten then folded, traveled a distance to where they were unfolded and the words slurped up. Glorious.

Undeniably there is ample room in a lifetime for a multitude of friendships. These collected letters are cobblestones along the path. A celebratory bonfire is more appropriate than a dustbin.

Bra in Blush Lace (with black straps), 2014

There is always room for metamorphosis in attire. The season of layering has begun. Am in the mood for that which is...

Sparkling.

Soignée. 

Elegant.

These qualities in mind, have discarded some clothing and made more lingerie.

It is early morning. The pleasant fragrance of toast from a neighboring apartment wafts in. Birds that have yet to migrate are chirping in a community of song. It is a less riotous sound than a summer morning brings. Bra and birdsongs, the foundations of a day?

Receptive to Material

Sewing, 2014

Fabrics made from natural fibers have distinct properties (e.g. density, surface texture, friction, weight, suppleness, crispness...). These determine how best to cut pattern pieces from a material, the type of sewing needle and pins to use, even the way to press the seams. It's a collaborative process--working attuned to the cloth.

In between other projects have bit by bit made a linen shift to wear as a slip. This is a fabric I love. Rarely use pins when working with linen. In the photo my right index finger is tucking under a narrow edge of the linen while my left hand keeps the material aligned as it passes under the sewing needle. A foot on the pedal powers the motor simultaneously. There's a harmony to it.

Lately it's primarily silk taffeta on the cutting and sewing tables. This material! It is magnificent. Taffeta has the subtle sheen of the surface of a lake at dusk. It is so sculptural one could make origami with it. Working with silk taffeta is like entering an elegant home whose hostess' inviting manner makes one at ease in the sumptuous surroundings. A lot of metaphors for one fabric. Honestly, it's poetic stuff.

Synthetic fibers have advantages, of course! Though they aren't quite penicillin, Lycra and its kin have allowed clothing to become softer, more durable and to be adapted to different climate conditions and provide simpler sizing [applauding: stretch].

Always Room for a Hat

Sun Hat Scalloped Hem Jacket Pirate Pants Wrap Belt Lace-edged Blouse Photograph: Robert Lucy

Labor Day Weekend. Summer's last hurrah has been a generous wave of heat and humidity.

Autumn is on the way.

A sun hat, sandals and lightweight linen (blouse, pants). A jacket to usher in the season.

A hat hook on the exterior of a building?! (A matter of perspective.)

Lingerie and Lemonade

Fancied new lingerie. Lace. Was headed to the Garment District.

En route popped into a textile trade show. Looked at neatly displayed samples of lace in a manufacturer's booth. Chatted with the sales representative (about laundering the lace, its elasticity). The three day expo was closing. She and her colleagues had hundreds of samples to pack. She spontaneously offered that I should take samples of the lace to try. Thought about which pieces would be useful. Chose a swatch of wide white galloon lace. (Galloon lace has a decorative scalloped border along the top and bottom edges.) There was a black piece too--both with stretch. Perfect for lingerie!

Barely any scrap of white lace remained once it had been patterned, cut and sewn. Combined the black lace with cotton for a different style.

Moonstone Lace Lingerie. (Nylon, cotton) 2014

Buying has its merits, yet there's an intangible joy in making. With a desire to share the benefits was practically singing, "I want to teach the world to sew...(tra-la)."

Yesterday passed by a stoop sale. A seven year old boy was pleading with his mother (who was selling the wares) to let him go to the corner deli to buy lemonade. She was explaining to him that he was too young to go on his own.

An hour later walked by the stoop sale on the way home. The boy was drinking lemonade from bottle with a straw. He was smiling widely, his grin extending on both sides of the straw. His mother had relented. To the boy that lemonade must have tasted better than any other. It was flavored with independence. To make what one wears has a similar essence.

(The background in the photos? Fuchsia fabric draped over the ironing board.)

Studio Visit

Visited in the studio by the curators of Ground Floor Gallery.

Tool Belt

Noticed a handyman standing outside an apartment building holding a large wooden door. He wore a canvas tool belt. On a quest to make a belt to hold daily supplies (keys, phone, pens, etc.) my attention has been drawn to examples of belts with pockets, fanny packs or bags worn around the waist of a passersby. His tool belt looked pretty great--useful and with a soft patina of wear to prove it.

Tool Belt from Home Depot

The tool belt came from Home Depot he said. In the photo is an identical one found there. It is well constructed (in India), made primarily of heavy canvas. The bottoms of the pockets and the edges are bound in suede, the corners reinforced with rivets. An adjustable nylon webbing belt is stitched and riveted in place along the back length of the canvas.

It was a good taking off point.

Tried it on. It was heavy. The nylon webbing used for the actual belt was stiff and scratchy making it difficult to adjust. The belt had to be removed to work the webbing through the plastic fastener. The cotton canvas--a natural, sturdy fabric was ideal. The pockets were spacious and varied in size. That they were open facilitated accessing tools. Having previously made a belt with open pockets, however, decided for the urban landscape it is more practical to have ones that close.

Belt Sketch, 2014

Above is a sketch of the bag I was thinking about. Lidded pockets in a variety of sizes. A hidden back pocket. Water resistant canvas fabric. Two loops for the bag to hang from any belt.

VSL Belt. Water resistant cotton canvas, leather, 2014.

When it was partially sewn I realized the center of the bag would pull away from the body if it only hung from a belt at either end. Decided instead to follow the Home Depot model: sewed a belt to the bag. Made of leather it adjusts easily; the bag may be worn at the waist or slung low around the hips. The pocket edges are pleated so they can expand [think cargo pants pockets]. The entire length is backed with heavy canvas--another echo of the HD belt. 

Athletes use the mind to envision the performance they wish to achieve. (Hurrah for H.A. Dorman's

The Mental Game of Baseball

.) Is it very different for the artist? There are identical components: acquired skills and practice, planning and spontaneity. Removing the finished belt from the sewing machine and clipping the threads was sort of astonished. Had long been thinking about the design, planning it, paying attention to examples, drawing different versions. Now here it was!

Performance Art

Made lingerie that is ideal for summer. The material is very soft rayon, almost like knitted silk. The bra's lower edge is trimmed with black peaked elastic (detail photo below). The straps are made of the same. Elastic is hardly a sexy word though the type used here is just that.

It has been a process, figuring out how to photograph undergarments. A useful tip came via information from stylebookapp: lay clothing out as it looks when one is wearing it. Kind of obvious in retrospect.

In the morning I am running an errand on foot in the neighborhood. It is quiet before local shops have opened for the day. I walk a couple level blocks then turn to head up the hill. At the first corner I wait at the curb for the traffic light to change. A black SUV is stopped at the intersection with its front windows rolled down. (These early days of summer the air is a tonic.) The driver's gaze is turned away from the road. He is looking over the empty front passenger seat staring at me through the open window. I wonder, maybe it is only in my general direction? The signal changes in his favor. The SUV lingers.

From the dimly shaded interior I hear, “Can I borrow that hat?’

I grin. The driver has the height and mass of a linebacker. The hat I'm wearing is enormous--21" wide. It is made of woven straw with a downward sloping brim. I've lined it in pleated folds of geranium pink silk. He’d look phenomenal. “Sure!” I reply. Gesturing to the SUV I lob back, “May I borrow that car?”

Laughing he agrees. The deal established he drives away at a leisurely pace. As I walk on I'm envisioning making another of these hats. Maybe I'll use a different lining, one befitting a linebacker with a sense of humor.

Detail: Elastic (and more accurate color)

In a Breeze

Western Hat, Prairie Dress, 2014 Photograph: Robert Lucy

Along came a breeze...

The hat began with a western shape, however, I chose to give it an ultra-wide brim. The only downside to such a generous brim is its tendency to lift in a breeze. It also is impossible to wear on a crowded subway train! That may be why cowboy hats traditionally have radically upturned brims; they are aerodynamic. (Referring to the wind dilemma rather than the crowded subway scenario. Rare is the western hat on the R train.)

The dress is aerodynamic! Have made it in a variety of lightweight fabrics including silk and cotton, varying the sleeve length and its fullness. This dress forms part of what has essentially become a summer uniform.

Fell in love with western hats on a family visit to a working ranch in Wyoming when I was 9 yrs old. Found equally appealing: wide belts with prominent buckles, shirts fastened with metal rimmed opal snaps in lieu of buttons, riding horseback on an open plain to round up cattle and square dancing.

Urban Prairie

Fedora, Prairie Dress, 2014.  Photo: Robert Lucy

To find a style of one's own... 

Made the fedora a few years ago. I'm also wearing it in the profile on the right. Though it looks faintly blue here it is decidedly dove grey. It has been a canopy in light rain and collected snowflakes on its brim in winter. A well made hat lasts! There is a wonderful story about a man's affection for his hat in I Thought My Father Was God And Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project, titled "A Felt Fedora".

The dress' fabric is printed with a quaint butterfly motif. The material is so light it sways with every footstep and floats in a gentle breeze like a curtain billowing across a windowsill.

The photograph above was taken by Robert Lucy, an artist who is both an exquisite photographer and a painter.

Fabric detail: butterfly pattern. Washed, lined dried... yet to be ironed

Every Day A Hat

Hats for Winter

Just inside the door stands a hall tree with an abundance of hats. Before exchanging the felt hats with straw ones designed for hotter weather, here is the collection I've made for winter. With the exception of the synthetic fur hat (middle left) they are fashioned from felt which is first steamed then molded onto a wooden form called a block and anchored into position to dry. For years I've worn a hat every day, favoring large brims (or enormous ones)! In this walking city, these hats seem to invite conversations with strangers on practically a daily basis. I love it.

Hats (clockwise from top right): Garbo Fedora, Outbacker, Round Crown in ochre, royal blue, pine, (on table: Navy Fedora), Edwardian 'Fur' Hat, Texas by way of Milan.

Combining Eras

Detail: Linen Tunic, 2014

Am attracted to aesthetics of different eras. Accordingly, here is a linen tunic that harkens back to the late 1800's with a lace edged neckline and long sleeves. The sleeves are full and airy at the shoulder then taper to the wrist. Linen is wonderfully cooperative to work with, moving in tandem with one's hands as it is sewn. Dressed in linen the body seems to inaudibly whisper, "Ah, this is what I was meant to wear." 

In the photo below the tunic is paired with leggings made of a wool pique knit from Italy. This material achieves winter’s trifecta: warm, non-scratchy and stylish [take that, Polarfleece]! Gravitate to wearing them so often that I made a second pair.

The belt. It is draped from the hips. Adjustable. It combines the appeal of a weightlifting belt with a style of...my own.

Linen Tunic, Wool Leggings, Leather Belt, 2014 (Jacket in progress on the left.)

In Which to Dance the Can-Can

Detail: Cotton Petticoat, 2014

Beneath an ankle length scarlet red wool skirt, a petticoat with a pleated band stitched around the hem in a wave of crests and troughs. Paired together, the light wool gauze drapes over the ruffled petticoat which lends fullness to the skirt's silhouette and adds a layer of warmth.

The prolonged winter is ebbing away now, slowly. Tree branches have begun to bud. Spring will be sublime, bursting with color. In the morning birds chirp vigorously as though anticipating a fireworks-like display of radiant blossoms and greenery.

Skirt & Petticoat. Wool, Cotton, 2014

Summer in Winter

1920's Singlet. Wool/Nylon, 2014.

To ward off the snowy chill there is wool, silk, and...dancing (the perfect antidote to winter's inducement to hibernate). Wore multiple layers for the journey to a party on Sunday night. Then, on the dance floor, layers were shed. It was among the pleasures for all who, in staunch denial of the long darkness and deep freeze of a Sunday night mid-January, had come to revel. Revealed under coats swiftly tossed aside were tee shirts, singlets and partially unbuttoned shirts. Summer attire. Bodies in motion swayed and stomped to the beat in boots that had recently trudged through the snow. 

Wore a soft wool singlet with a low scoop neck. Its material and style are reminiscent of a 1920's bathing costume. The pattern was easy to design and assembly was quick--wool absorbs stitches like a thirsty sponge. Yum. 

It took much longer to make a silk jersey camisole with a minimalist design (photo below). It has wide straps which taper as they meet the front and back panels and a tiny scalloped hem. As soon as it was finished (two weeks ago) wanted to wear it every day. Developed the pattern a little further, slimming the width of the straps, repositioning where they attach to the back, raising the height under the arm and narrowing the front panel. Then, with these modifications, sewed another camisole. The silk is warm and alluringly fluid along the body's surface. ("What?" asks the invaluable proofreader, "fluid"? Am explaining when she confesses that she happens to be wearing the silk long undershirt I'd sent her last year. "Comfortable" she says softly, "and luxurious.")

Wrapped again in layers left the party and headed home. Was warm for hours.... It was the wool, the dancing, the happiness.

Camisole with Scalloped Hem. Silk, 2014.

Camisole. Silk, 2014.

A Rug, A Labyrinth

Weaving a rug from scraps of fabric is the kind of project that, if it holds one's interest (as it did this lad's) becomes meditative. Strips of fabric are woven outwards from the center in a widening spiral. A rug, a labyrinth? Indeed. 

Taught a rug making workshop for children and grown-ups last weekend. Had as much fun as the kids! Demonstrating the steps during the workshop, wove a mini-version of a rug. Afterwards brought it home where it makes a good table mat.

Woven Table Mat, Cotton. 2013

Urban Slumber's Consolation

Purchased a yard of patterned silk in the garment district. Brought it to the studio to sew a set of pillow cases. Its woodgrain pattern in violet, green and white was difficult to pair with other colors. Looked about for a fabric to use as a border. Nothing worked well. Then found a small scrap of olive green silk that was nearly perfect. There was enough for one border. For the other border used a different fabric. (They are fraternal twins.)

Many sounds [one might more accurately write "noises"] in Brooklyn: sirens, incessant car horns, construction. (If a car horn were as loud inside the honking car as outside would it be used as liberally?) Am longing to write, work and sleep where nature's sounds are unmasked by the city's loud rumblings. Until then, an urban consolation: to slumber with one's head upon a soft silk pillowcase--grassy green, orchid purple.