01/13/12 06:51 - ID#55906

These bags

are everywhere. Frankly, they look kind of hideous to me. Like someone sewed up an old tattered mattress coverlet en masse. ugh

Permalink: These_bags.html
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Last Modified: 01/14/12 10:13

Category: fashion

12/02/10 06:41 - ID#53194

Wool and Lace - Part I

Alright! I am going to give this vintage winter wool coat sewing obsession a real spin and see where I get. (And of course, inflict all my non-progress on you.)

I see I am stuck in step 2. Researching fabrics has to wait because I am off to another exciting salsa class!

tinypliny writes at 05:17:46 12/04/10 - Comment #59542: Heh, it's not a lot of time but a chunk of mindspace. Salsa is one hour a week and fashion is ten minutes when I think of a direction. But you see, it *seems* like all of the time because at (e:strip), my mindspace expands to fill almost 100% of my journal. I write about 95% of my conscious work elsewhere. :-)

But I have to admit, I am fascinated with Salsa and the whole culture around it. I am drawn to the intensity of the dance and in love with how the music transports me to a very tropical beach when I am walking in a bleak landscape of snow. Its a way to reconnect with art physically - something which I have sorely missed for so many years now.

Fashion is a way of doing the same, in a more subtle way. I miss the wild colours, the mirrors, the embroidery and the precisely tailored clothes I used to wear. They were part of me and who I wanted to be everyday. I miss waking up everyday and knowing that I was not going to be worried about whether my clothes were depressing or not. So, I want to regain at least a minimal part of my expression. I think I now have a hang of how fashion works here. Since tailoring is so expensive, people find alternative ways of avoiding feeling like a dowdily dressed rag. Either they have lot of money (which, I don't) or they spend time hunting for the right fit, the right size and whatnot (which is a herculean task for me since I don't fit the population average and don't have a lot of time or the means of transport to do it anyway).

The only other alternative is pretty clear - personal tailoring. You might think that this coat is a complicated project (and it probably is, technically speaking). But it is just a way of trying to see if I can overcome the sense of being utterly plebeian and expendable - a feeling that I get everyday wearing clothes that clearly were not made for me. It's an experiment, in that sense. I may not necessarily finish this experiment or even get anywhere but atleast, it will have graced my mindspace as an art form!

It's strange that both the Salsa and this insane sewing obsession are really the same thing in a lot of ways...

heidi writes at 11:31:03 12/03/10 - Comment #59541: How do you suddenly have all this time for salsa and fashion?

paul writes at 10:27:41 12/02/10 - Comment #59522: sounds fun, good luck!

Permalink: Wool_and_Lace_Part_I.html
Words: 53
Last Modified: 12/02/10 11:40

Category: fashion

12/02/10 12:37 - ID#53192

Turns out...

that this

is not how a pattern works or even looks like.

And that has been your sewing lesson for the day.

Permalink: Turns_out_.html
Words: 24
Last Modified: 12/02/10 12:56

Category: fashion

11/30/10 05:11 - ID#53178

Patterning and Sewing a Winter Coat

Call me insane but I have been taken over by this compelling urge to make this black coat (and the grey woollen vintage-fashioned coat below) from scratch by myself.

The trouble is how does one make a pattern and sew a coat based on photographs? Does anyone have any experience in drawing patterns (with appropriate sizing) looking at photographs alone?

tinypliny writes at 01:36:48 12/04/10 - Comment #59553: I totally agree with you. It's got something classically vintage about it - like warriors and artists in the 1800s.

The wool and lace coat is more modern-looking than the gored coat.

matthew writes at 12:40:54 12/04/10 - Comment #59550: I really like the first coat pictured. I'd wear that.

tinypliny writes at 08:18:43 12/01/10 - Comment #59512: Femmy??

Well, then I am hook, line and sinker deep into the femmy stuff. I LOVED everything in that vintage store that had brocade or lace. I didn't want to come away from the shop and my brother had to drag me out in the end.

heidi writes at 04:29:12 12/01/10 - Comment #59503: That coat is way too femmy for me! Good luck on figuring out how to do it.

tinypliny writes at 10:46:16 11/30/10 - Comment #59497: I am going to post what I think the pattern is... But first I have to take a primer on what patterns are and how sizing is achieved. I guess the Frogs knew what they were talking about (for a change!) when they said that thing about Rome not being build overnight... :::link:::

tinypliny writes at 10:43:35 11/30/10 - Comment #59496: Maybe we could make that 2 of that coat, one for each of us. :-)

tinypliny writes at 10:42:43 11/30/10 - Comment #59495: So interested in helping me draft ze pattern? hehehehe

heidi writes at 09:56:32 11/30/10 - Comment #59493: That second coat is really adorable. I love the zig-zag front and the lacy collar & sleeves. It is somewhat less difficult than the other but still inset sleeves, princess seaming, lining...

tinypliny writes at 08:57:19 11/30/10 - Comment #59492: I meant 1949 - not 1909.

tinypliny writes at 08:55:48 11/30/10 - Comment #59491: You have to retrieve those pics and post them!!! :-)

PS: What do you think about the difficulty level of the vintage coat I just posted (apparently, it is from 1909)?

heidi writes at 08:30:03 11/30/10 - Comment #59490: I agree, it's a wonderful skill. I make simple alterations to some stuff, but not as much as I always think I'm going to do.

It is time consuming, as is any hand art/craft, but very satisfying. Building physical objects is neat. I've tried lots of different ones but crocheting is the one that keeps sticking.

heidi writes at 08:25:39 11/30/10 - Comment #59489: I still have the outfit in my storage unit in Pa. That's where the pix are, too, unfortunately. I miss my stuff!

tinypliny writes at 08:11:52 11/30/10 - Comment #59488: Oh wow, thanks so much for sharing that story, (e:heidi)! Fascinating! I will admit I never thought about adding the cost of a sewing machine to the coat price. I guess if I total all the effort and cost, the total would be waaay above $450. The vintage coat I posted just now fit me very well but you could tell that it was very old and would not stand up to extensive wear - part of the reason why $456 seemed like a lot to pay.

I think the ability to sew and pattern is such a wonderful skill and art. People who master the art probably never have to wear stuff that doesn't fit them and look like a pelmet. It's time consuming and probably very frustrating... I sometimes wonder whether the end result is worth it to anyone who makes their own clothes. Maybe all the effort that went in makes it 100x more beautiful...

heidi writes at 08:01:00 11/30/10 - Comment #59487: The cut and shape of the coat are both difficult - if you look at the coats on that page, few of them have nipped in waists, flared bottoms, detail work, and interesting collars like this one, they're kinda boxy (although some are quite cute!). Second, the wool you need for a coat like this is pretty expensive ($15-20/yard, might need 5 yards, plus interfacing, thread, buttons, lining), and you'd want a pretty heavy wool to make the coat at all practical. Linings are always difficult and this would need a full lining. You'd need a heavy-duty sewing machine. So you're looking at over $200 in parts, depending on the quality of the machine you get.

I used to sew as part of a 4-H club when I was a teenager. My last year I made a two-piece outfit out of this slippery blue satiny stuff that was really hard to work with. The top was double-breasted, partially lined with interfacing and satiny stuff, princess seams, complicated hemline. It may have had slight shoulder pads (it was the mid-80s, i think the summer before 10th grade, 1987?) The skirt had six panels, fluted, hidden zipper. Of course it fit me amazingly well because we fit it as we went along. My sewing instructor, Peg (one of those amazing real Christians) was so mad that I didn't win first place at the county fair that she gave me the difference between the second and first cash prizes (I think it was a dollar or two.)

I haven't sewed much since other than curtains and repairs - I've tried a couple times but Peg always coached me thru things and I just don't quite have the 3-D visualization/manipulation skills that a really good tailor/seamstress has.

If I find a coat I love and fits, I think it's just worth buying it. I'll end up wearing it until it wears out. I've had a series of (usually black) wool coats since I was in my teens. They usually last 5+ years and I patch the lining as it rips and tears. My coats are a fairly standard style, so I don't usually have to pay more than $200, usually about $120. That's a very low per-year cost.

tinypliny writes at 08:00:59 11/30/10 - Comment #59486: Damn. My secret is out?

Yeah, I never thought about the overlap point... I think those flowing things are called gores (but I am very new to all this sewing jargon).

heidi writes at 08:00:44 11/30/10 - Comment #59485: The cut and shape of the coat are both difficult - if you look at the coats on that page, few of them have nipped in waists, flared bottoms, detail work, and interesting collars like this one, they're kinda boxy (although some are quite cute!). Second, the wool you need for a coat like this is pretty expensive ($15-20/yard, might need 5 yards, plus interfacing, thread, buttons, lining), and you'd want a pretty heavy wool to make the coat at all practical. Linings are always difficult and this would need a full lining. You'd need a heavy-duty sewing machine. So you're looking at over $200 in parts, depending on the quality of the machine you get.

I used to sew as part of a 4-H club when I was a teenager. My last year I made a two-piece outfit out of this slippery blue satiny stuff that was really hard to work with. The top was double-breasted, partially lined with interfacing and satiny stuff, princess seams, complicated hemline. It may have had slight shoulder pads (it was the mid-80s, i think the summer before 10th grade, 1987?) The skirt had six panels, fluted, hidden zipper. Of course it fit me amazingly well because we fit it as we went along. My sewing instructor, Peg (one of those amazing real Christians) was so mad that I didn't win first place at the county fair that she gave me the difference between the second and first cash prizes (I think it was a dollar or two.)

I haven't sewed much since other than curtains and repairs - I've tried a couple times but Peg always coached me thru things and I just don't quite have the 3-D visualization/manipulation skills that a really good tailor/seamstress has.

If I find a coat I love and fits, I think it's just worth buying it. I'll end up wearing it until it wears out. I've had a series of (usually black) wool coats since I was in my teens. They usually last 5+ years and I patch the lining as it rips and tears. My coats are a fairly standard style, so I don't usually have to pay more than $200, usually about $120. That's a very low per-year cost.

metalpeter writes at 07:55:42 11/30/10 - Comment #59484: I think you really want it cause you can hide your Samurai sword on you. It looks like an out fit a vampire hunter or naval officer (female would wear) kinda like the mall version. it looks tough to make with out knowing to much because the left side has to go under the right and the overlap then you have the neck thing. not only that but it has and hour glass shape. those rufels what ever they are called at the bottom aren't just lose or extra material I think they are shaped that way. Good luck!

tinypliny writes at 07:10:30 11/30/10 - Comment #59480: Gaaaah!! I was looking at The Great Coat Sewalong :::link::: and it looks like they ALL made a pretty coat.

(e:heidi), have you made coats before? What makes a coat difficult or easy - is it the number of pieces? I went to this vintage store in NYC and fell in love with a coat but its price gave me heartburn. It was $456. I took a ton of pictures. I will post them as soon as my brother sends them to me.

(e:metalpeter), the coat I posted above is out of stock and fashion from a few years before and when it was in stock, I think the price was around $450. It's in part, the price and in part, the sizing that is making me lean towards starting this rather intimidating project. None of the coats I saw fit me well because of my strange measurements. Apparently, my shoulders are too narrow and my bust size is below the mentionable limit - so everything sags like a dowdy rag on me.

heidi writes at 06:16:47 11/30/10 - Comment #59478: This coat would be classified as "expert" and/or "difficult" even with a premade pattern. You should check out Simplicity, Vogue and other pattern catalogs first, and examine the steps involved.

metalpeter writes at 06:06:25 11/30/10 - Comment #59477: 1. Looks Like something they might wear in an animee
2. Not that i know anything about sewing any more But
3. I think there is a way that you can take pictures and from there figure out how to cut materials .
4. #3 being said I think you would need more pictures like of the coat open all the way laying front and backwards.
5. Again I would have no idea how to do it but I'm sure with the right stuff it can be done....

The Better question is since you like this coat why not just buy it.... I mean if you want to try to make it for fun or for a gift. But if you want to wear why not just spend the cash and have a nice coat....

Permalink: Patterning_and_Sewing_a_Winter_Coat.html
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