Category Archive for ‘textiles’ at make something

Archive for the 'textiles' Category

COLOURFUL FABRIC DRESS BOOK : POCHO TANK TOP

Published

on September 1, 2010

in japanese dress/craft, stitchery and textiles

. 7 Comments

After I finished making Dress ‘W’ with the Pocho nani IRO, I looked at my leftover fabric and thought I could squeeze out a simple tank top. I remembered that there was a tank dress in the Colourful Fabric Dress Book. I just traced out the two top pieces for the dress.

I don’t know why I don’t make more tank tops! It is the perfect thing to do with leftover fabric. I think you’re going to see a lot more of them from me. I wanted to try a couple finishing details with this. I made facing pieces for the armholes, rather than do bias binding. Sometimes I just prefer a more elegant invisible finish. I also tried doing a silk bias binding on the neckline, with the raw edges facing out. I have a box full of beautiful shades of vintage silk charmeuse. A bit fancy for everyday, but so incredibly beautiful. I’ve been wanting to use them, so this is a good start. It’s a simple way to add a little bling to a basic piece.

I also made a matching silk tank top to wear underneath. I wanted this to also have raw edges, so I sewed the seams on the outside to emphasize this. I need to perfect this pattern a bit more before I show it to you, but it’s a good start for a layering piece.

The day I took these photos it was WAY too hot to be wearing jeans. Even today, the first day of September is going to be a scorcher. I’m a bit confused about what I should make next – a sleeveless summery dress or something more autumn appropriate.

STYLISH DRESS BOOK 3 : DRESS ‘W’, NANI IRO

Published

Karyn

on August 31, 2010

in japanese dress/craft, stitchery and textiles

. 9 Comments

This nani IRO double gauze fabric was one of those bolts that arrived at the shop one morning and by the time the shop closed that night, it was all gone. I’ve ordered more, of course. These huge polka dots are just too cute!

I envisioned a dress made from this fabric with a little gathered sleeve, so I went back and pulled out my pattern for Dress ‘W’ from Stylish Dress book 3. Instead of cutting out a yoke, I just put the two front pattern pieces together and cut a single front bodice piece. The rest of the dress is pretty simple. For the pockets, I used a lovely tiny stars prints. I think it goes perfectly.

One detail that I’m really happy with is that if you look at the sleeves, the polka dot colours match on each side. Love!

This is the first dress that I’ve made of the double gauze, I’ve mostly made tops. The one thing I’ve noticed is that with the fabric being so soft, if I have anything heavy in my pocket (ie. my iPhone) then the side seams pulls down a bit. Nothing major, just something I’ll keep in mind for the future.

I had cut two metres of this fabric and after making the dress, there was a little bit left. I didn’t want any of it to go unused, so I was able to make something else with the leftovers. I’ll share that project with you tomorrow!

THE NIGHT BEFORE LIBERTY

Published

Karyn

on August 24, 2010

in textiles and the workroom

. 17 Comments

There’s a shipment of Liberty of London fabrics in transit to the workroom. So, of course, I am up late looking at each of these six prints and wondering just what fun things they will become.

Mauvey, Kate Ada, Kitty Grace, Ebs, Douglas Stripe and Clemmie – we’re going to have so much fun together!

STYLISH DRESS BOOK 3 : DRESS ‘W’

Published

Karyn

on June 1, 2010

in japanese dress/craft, stitchery and textiles

. 21 Comments

The one textile that I picked up when we went to Brimfield a few weeks ago was a vintage swatch of navy lace. I specifically was looking for something to go with this navy Anna Maria Horner ‘Good Folks‘ fabric for the yoke of a dress. When I found this swatch, I couldn’t believe how perfect it was. I have never seen a ‘plaid’-looking lace like this, but it certainly echoes the diamond pattern of the fabric. This particular vendor had lots of lovely lace swatches, but they were a bit pricey and so I decided to just get this one.

The pattern is the first that I’ve made from Stylish Dress Book 3. It is a slight variation on Dress ‘W’. Rather than create a separate skirt, I simply extended the bodice to make a short shift. I’ve been wanting to try doing a lace yoke on a dress for a while, I was a bit worried about sewing it and whether it would hold properly since the holes are rather large in between the lacey bits. I serged all the edges of the lace when I serged the rest of the pieces for the dress. I thought this would help to give it a bit more stability. The sewing was easier than I thought it would be. I was extra careful when attaching the bias tape around the neck since you can see through the lace to the underside of the bias tape. I think it turned out really well. I really like the little gathered sleeves on this pattern.

My special pocket detail this time used the fuschia Heather Ross mermaid fabric. Surprisingly, I haven’t used any of this fabric before and now I’m a bit sad that I didn’t have the foresight to stash a bit more of it away for myself. Oh well. I did just order the ENTIRE new Heather Ross Far Far Away 2 collection for the shop and I won’t make that mistake again.

Navy is where it’s at right now. I have another navy dress that I’m trying to finish off. (that’s 3 navy dresses in a row!) It has a super cute detail that I’m excited to show you!

A DAY IN THE PARK BACKPACK TOTE

Published

Karyn

on May 4, 2010

in stitchery, textiles and the workroom

. 25 Comments

As the weather started to show signs of getting warmer, I started wanting a more summery bag. I also really wanted to try sewing something with the new nani IRO laminated cottons. I decided to try out The Day in the Park Backpack Tote. I love the idea that it changes from a tote bag to a backpack. Since I’m out walking with Maisy so much, the idea of having my hands free is pretty appealing.

I made one small change to the pattern, which was to make the sides two inches wider. This change was made specifically so that my large camera would fit into the bag.

I expected to have a hard time sewing with the laminated fabric, but it was really nice to sew with. Since the fabric has a coating, you really shouldn’t use pins when you are sewing it. Any holes you make won’t go away, like they do in your fabric. Paper clips or binder clips are a good alternative. Since this bag has so many pieces and there are several curved seams, I decided that I would still use pins. I just always made sure that my pins were placed inside the seam allowance, so that the holes they made wouldn’t show up on the outside of the bag. I also used a slightly longer stitch. It’s a really good idea to use a fresh needle on your machine and then change it after the project. I didn’t find that I had any problems with the fabric sticking or slipping on my machine, but you can always use a Teflon foot or place a layer of tissue paper on top and tear it off, if this is an issue.

The laminated fabric is made with the nani IRO double gauze and is really beautiful. Much nicer than many of the other oil cloths I’ve seen. People have been buying it to make table cloths, placemats, lunch bags, zippered pouches, totes and dust covers.

Putting the bag together was pretty straight forward, but there are a lot of steps. I really couldn’t visualize how the handles were going to work, until I actually sewed them. The key is the ‘O’ ring. (which you can get at the workroom) I used a small amount of echino for the handle, so it looks like there are birds flying up my handles.

This bag is a bit smaller than what I normally carry, but that’s one of the reasons I really like it. I need to stop carrying around so much stuff! The bag also has a magnetic snap, a zippered pocket, an outside pocket and inside divided pockets. The design is pretty great. I’ve accessorized it with the little blue fabric log that I got from Killside Krafts at the Love & Rummage Trunk Show.

You may recognize that I’m wearing my gingham dress, which I am currently making another version of. I think it’s my new uniform.

BIB FRONT DRESS IN GINGHAM

Published

Karyn

on April 20, 2010

in stitchery and textiles

. 20 Comments

Back to dressmaking! My latest and current favourite dress is this adorable bib front dress made with Japanese cotton/linen gingham. I made this dress for our trip to New York.

I used Amy Butler’s Liverpool Shirt Dress as the starting point, but you’ll see that I made so many customizations that it’s really a completely new dress. Having done the Pattern Drafting class last summer, I felt pretty confident to play with drafting in my ideas for the perfect dress. I love dresses and tunics with yoke or bib fronts, so that was my first change. I cut the bib on the bias so that I could play with the gingham pattern. Then, I added in a little bit of gathering underneath the bib front. I also wanted to have sleeves that would roll up with a button tab, so I omitted the cuffs and made the sleeve straight. I already has those sweet little buttons in my collection, I’m pretty sure I got them at M&J Trimming in New York years ago. Now that I’ve started adding pockets, I’m completely hooked. It’s so fabulous (& easy) to have pockets, so I added pockets into the side seams. For the pockets, I used a french text print.

I didn’t want a collar, so I just kept the collar stand. I really wasn’t too sure how it would turn out, but all my drafting went just as planned. The one thing I forgot to think about was how I was going to get into the dress. Halfway through making it, I realized that I had removed the button front of this pattern and if it was tight fitting, it might not slip over my head. In the end, it did slip over my head, but that was a good lesson about thinking things all the way through when you’re redrafting something.

With the leftover fabric, I made a scarf for Andrew. I simply cut a piece that was 11″ x 60″. I sewed around the perimeter about 1/2″ in and then removed the loose threads along the edge to create a little bit of a fringe.

There will definitely be another version (or two) of this dress. It’s so comfortable and easy to wear. I must say that I’m pretty proud of my skills on this one.

p.s. That’s me with my D40 is those photos. We had some fun times together. You’ll be seeing photos from my D40 for a while still. That’s how much I use my camera. (and how slow I am to post)

UPPERCASE 5

Published

Karyn

on April 16, 2010

in reading, textiles and the workroom

. 13 Comments

I really want to thank you for comments on my last post about my stolen camera. You made me feel so much better with all your cheer, support and suggestions. You are the best pep squad a girl could ask for!

I went out yesterday and bought a new camera, a Nikon D90. I NEED to have a camera. Here’s my rationale for making myself feel better. I had my D40, plus lens for over a year and a half. If I break it down, I paid $2 per day for that camera. What a deal!! All that happiness and preserved memories for less than a cup of hot chocolate. Rather than stay with the same level of camera, I felt I should upgrade now and really continue to push myself to become better with my photography. Screw you, camera thief!

These are some of the first photos taken with my new camera. First impression – LOVE IT.

We received a large shipment of the latest issue of Uppercase Magazine. I was absolutely honoured that Janine asked me to participate in this issue by writing an article on textile design. I interviewed three incredible ladies who have inspired me with their pattern design and successful careers. Denyse Schmidt, Lara Cameron and Michelle Engel Bencsko were kind enough to tell me all about their working process. Their answers were totally fascinating. I hope you enjoy reading it. The entire issue is jam packed with wonderful features, including cover art by Matte Stephens. Uppercase just gets better with each issue. You’ll also notice the workroom’s first print ad (whoo!) at the back of the magazine, designed by Andrew.

365 : 84

Published

Karyn

on April 3, 2010

in 365, natural dyeing and textiles

. 1 Comment

March 25, 2010 of 365 : natural dyed textile creation by debbie arruda

Debbie is in her last days of school and she’s making some really awesome stuff!

NEW YORK CITY : SOUVENIRS

Published

Karyn

on April 1, 2010

in accoutrement, textiles and traveling

. 7 Comments

I was surprisingly restrained with my retail spending on this trip. Usually I view a trip to New York as a ‘free pass’ to spend like crazy. I tried really hard to find a new pair of jeans, but nothing was quite right. I very rarely get out these days to go shopping, and even still I just found myself making mental notes for ideas I wanted to try making for myself.

When we were at Erie Basin, Andrew saw this pair of vintage earrings that caught his eye. He had me try them on and we both loved them, so he gave them to me as a gift! Just looking at these earrings makes me imagine all kinds of wonderful stories of where they have been.

I bought a Mango Butter soap from Saipua. I can’t wait for my current soap to run out!

I finally bought a ‘Found My Animal‘ leash for Maisy. I almost bought one on our last trip to New York, but didn’t. Then I saw this photo on the Sartorialist – it kinda looks like me and Maisy. (Now I just need to make a cute blue layered dress) I was so happy to find that they had them at Smith & Butler. The concept behind Found My Animal is really great. They are trying to raise awareness and money for adopting animals. Each accessory they make is numbered to indicate how many animals have been helped by their products.

I bought a stack of Fine & Raw chocolate bars as gifts. (and a couple for myself) I love their packaging and couldn’t resist the one with the Fafi artwork. (I LOVE her) That bar has dried wild blueberries in it – YUM.

The last morning we were there I went on a solo mission to B&J Fabric. When I want a little ‘fix’ of NYC fabric shopping, B&J is my best bet. It’s so well lit, organized and not too big. I’ve really been liking checks, gingham and plaids recently. The navy blue fabric is linen with gold thread detail. I imagine this future dress will have a cute yoke or perhaps bib front. The purple and grey plaid is cotton shirting and I’m not sure just yet what that will turn into. Hopefully I’ll be showing you real soon!

BUZZ SAW QUILT FABRICS

Published

Karyn

on March 19, 2010

in colour, home, patchwork, stitchery, textiles and the workroom

. 5 Comments

It’s time to choose fabrics for another quilt. It’s one of the hardest/funnest parts. For some reason it is so much easier when I’m helping someone else choose their fabrics.

These fabrics are for our new quilting class, the Buzz Saw Quilt. I got especially excited when I realized that the Banksy print over our couch has a buzz saw in it AND we could definitely use a bigger quilt for the couch. It couldn’t be more perfect.

After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to do a very tonal quilt in dark and light greens. Our couch is dark espresso brown and there are touches of dark green in the room, including curtains in one of Tula Pink’s scalloped Neptune fabrics.

All my green fat quarters are now pre-washed and I’m ready to get started on yet another quilt. I think I’m going for the world record of ‘most quilts on the go’!