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's Journal
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11/30/2010 17:11 #53178
Patterning and Sewing a Winter CoatCategory: fashion
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?
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?
11/21/2010 02:15 #53145
Salsera!Category: dance
11/21/2010 00:28 #53143
Salsero!Category: dance
11/20/2010 21:54 #53142
Scientific SalsaCategory: dance
Cue music!
The dance is a fascinating study in body dynamics. Quoting Joanna Bosse, who conducted ethnographic research into Salsa...
One of the most difficult aspects of salsa dance to convey to newcomers is the distinctive counter-body motion—a product of a particular combination of knee, hip, and ribcage movements.
Generally, the basic position requires one bent knee while the other remains straightened, and the basic movement involves alternating bent and straight knees. This juxtaposition of one bent knee and one straightened knee causes a secondary response as the hip above the straight knee juts out slightly. Simultaneously, the ribcage moves in the direction of the bent knee, opposite the direction of the extended hip.
The position of the ribcage serves to balance the weight distribution of the extended hip. With each beat of the music, salsa dancers alternate bent and straight knees and direction of the ribcage, maintaining a level height (with little rise and fall or bobbing of the head) and a balanced center of gravity. Another secondary result of this motion (in addition to the hip movement) is that the arms move forward and back in small circles, following the direction of the ribcage and shoulders.
This combination of movements is very subtle and can be executed in a number of ways, depending upon other elements such as arm movement, posture, foot placement, and direction of knee movement; however, it was present to varying degrees among most, if not all, of the Latin American salsa dancers with whom I worked. This is not to say that all Latin Americans were great salsa dancers, but generally speaking this particular issue was not a problem. During my six years of fieldwork I never personally witnessed a salsa dancer specifically reference this aspect—the counter-body motion—in any way. They generally focused on the rhythm and placement of the footwork.
{and this is such an interesting observation...}
Though the Latin American salsa dancers I worked with understood that their hips were moving, their focal awareness was invested in the active engagement of the knees and virtuosic footwork.
In contrast, outsiders to the genre overlooked the complex interplay of body movements and singled out only the movement of the hips as the root of salsa’s energy and perceived sexual appeal. Many fixated on the hip movement and worked exclusively on its performance, forsaking the necessary footwork and knee and ribcage movements that actually make it possible. This movement was not a typical component of their movement dialect and as such, it was very difficult to master and became something upon which newcomers fixated. This fetishization of hip movement on the part of my informants who were new to salsa resulted, in part, from the fact that the requisite counter-body movement was not a typical component of their movement dialect.
References (Taken in whole from):
Joanna Bosse. "Salsa Dance and the Transformation of Style: An Ethnographic Study of Movement and Meaning in a Cross-Cultural Context." Dance Research Journal 40.1 (2008): 45-64.
::READ PDF::
The dance is a fascinating study in body dynamics. Quoting Joanna Bosse, who conducted ethnographic research into Salsa...
One of the most difficult aspects of salsa dance to convey to newcomers is the distinctive counter-body motion—a product of a particular combination of knee, hip, and ribcage movements.
Generally, the basic position requires one bent knee while the other remains straightened, and the basic movement involves alternating bent and straight knees. This juxtaposition of one bent knee and one straightened knee causes a secondary response as the hip above the straight knee juts out slightly. Simultaneously, the ribcage moves in the direction of the bent knee, opposite the direction of the extended hip.
The position of the ribcage serves to balance the weight distribution of the extended hip. With each beat of the music, salsa dancers alternate bent and straight knees and direction of the ribcage, maintaining a level height (with little rise and fall or bobbing of the head) and a balanced center of gravity. Another secondary result of this motion (in addition to the hip movement) is that the arms move forward and back in small circles, following the direction of the ribcage and shoulders.
This combination of movements is very subtle and can be executed in a number of ways, depending upon other elements such as arm movement, posture, foot placement, and direction of knee movement; however, it was present to varying degrees among most, if not all, of the Latin American salsa dancers with whom I worked. This is not to say that all Latin Americans were great salsa dancers, but generally speaking this particular issue was not a problem. During my six years of fieldwork I never personally witnessed a salsa dancer specifically reference this aspect—the counter-body motion—in any way. They generally focused on the rhythm and placement of the footwork.
{and this is such an interesting observation...}
Though the Latin American salsa dancers I worked with understood that their hips were moving, their focal awareness was invested in the active engagement of the knees and virtuosic footwork.
In contrast, outsiders to the genre overlooked the complex interplay of body movements and singled out only the movement of the hips as the root of salsa’s energy and perceived sexual appeal. Many fixated on the hip movement and worked exclusively on its performance, forsaking the necessary footwork and knee and ribcage movements that actually make it possible. This movement was not a typical component of their movement dialect and as such, it was very difficult to master and became something upon which newcomers fixated. This fetishization of hip movement on the part of my informants who were new to salsa resulted, in part, from the fact that the requisite counter-body movement was not a typical component of their movement dialect.
References (Taken in whole from):
Joanna Bosse. "Salsa Dance and the Transformation of Style: An Ethnographic Study of Movement and Meaning in a Cross-Cultural Context." Dance Research Journal 40.1 (2008): 45-64.
::READ PDF::
heidi - 11/24/10 03:30
Article is excellent! Thanks for posting it.
Article is excellent! Thanks for posting it.
tinypliny - 11/22/10 23:45
I think you will really like that article. She views the way people move as a function of who they are, their gender, their culture and their past and present shared experiences. I too, really like the way she describes dance as an extension of language. Give it a read! I am uploading the PDFs in the post now.
I think you will really like that article. She views the way people move as a function of who they are, their gender, their culture and their past and present shared experiences. I too, really like the way she describes dance as an extension of language. Give it a read! I am uploading the PDFs in the post now.
heidi - 11/22/10 23:24
I love the concept of "movement dialect".
I love the concept of "movement dialect".
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.
I really like the first coat pictured. I'd wear that.
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.
That coat is way too femmy for me! Good luck on figuring out how to do it.
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:::
Maybe we could make that 2 of that coat, one for each of us. :-)
So interested in helping me draft ze pattern? hehehehe
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...
I meant 1949 - not 1909.
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)?
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.
I still have the outfit in my storage unit in Pa. That's where the pix are, too, unfortunately. I miss my stuff!
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...
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.
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).
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.
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!
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.
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.
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....