The Powers That B

B's birthday has rolled around again, and if there's one good thing about making things it's that you don't actually have to think very much about buying stuff for people - y'know, except at Christmas, which is a a bit of a frenzied exception. I've been fretting a bit as I've vaguely been promising many beautiful things for B, none of which had an actual timeframe.

Anyway, I finally decided on a waistcoat. B has recently begun dancing with Gog Magog Molly and is building up all the components of his costume. You know what, this might actually count as my first real costume as well!

If you think this looks a little bright, you'd be correct. We have some very particular specifications to meet. Broadly, it should be: bright/saturated colours, coordinating but deliberately haphazard/mismatched with the rest of the outfit and the rest of the group, interesting to look at from a distance and also up-close. Look at them all together - doesn't seem so outlandish now, does it?

So, the waistcoat - the fit is fine but not great. I wouldn't repeat it at all, so will need to trace a new one from somewhere if B ever needs a formal waistcoat. And maybe actually measure B at some point instead of guestimating. The pattern is Burda April 2014 #136. I'm not used to the men's sizing in Burda so assumed 94-110 was normal, when actually it's a tall pattern. I traced approx 102 and resized to a normal/petit size.

The outer is a patchwork of scraps - chosen for their brightness. In there you can see last year's birthday gift, EDF Zingy, our lounge curtains, my first (and only) button down shirt, yellow jeans and a bunch of others. I pieced together a big bit of cloth and laid the pattern on top. Things are deliberately mismatched a bit across the seams (mostly to annoy any perfectionists in the neighbourhood). It's underlined in a teal muslin I had lying around around.

The lining is Amy Butler Love Paradise Garden in periwinkle which I had used many moons ago for a Blue Sky sunhat. There was just enough left for the lining of the waistcoat. In the original plan there was an idea for facings and labels like a proper garment. This is still an actual lining, it's got pleats instead of darts. Those plans changed when the potential to make it reversible came about, so the waistcoat is now fully reversible. This really helped mitigate some worries that the other members of the troupe wouldn't approve of the actual outer.

I added 3 poppers/press studs as a fastening.

I also did 3 rows of topstitching in bright colours around the edge (2 rows around the armhole). This was some really nice hand sewing - uncomplicated. However, an injured index finger made it a little more difficult. Think papercut but with dressmakers' pins, right at the tip of your finger. It did affect dexterity a bit!

To complement (though actually it came first), I also hand sewed this brooch to give some 3D depth and movement to the costume. Honestly, it was a compromise after being told that I wasn't allowed to copy someone else's spangly sequin trim. Good luck meant that it also perfectly suits the B-side-formerly-known-as-lining!

It's basically a feather boa spiraled up on to a felt oval. I used the whole length of a boa and was glad that by not cutting it, it didn't generate too much fluffy mess. This was a plus as I was sewing it on the train and other passengers (or crew) might not appreciate the yellow feathers everywhere. The result is lovely and dense and fluffy. The fluffy supplies are from New Trimmings and other supplies are from my stash.

You should all be proud of me for having this finished in good time before the big day! You should also be completely unsurprised that at 22:30 the night before, I decided it wasn't enough.

You know what safety pants are, right?
You can guess what they are, right?*

B's had the Comox pattern from Thread Theory sat in his stash for a while. I traced it off and buzzed up a pair of pants. This was a first for me and I rejigged things to omit of the opening at the front. I mean, it's more appropriate because they're safety pants for dancing in public. You really don't want easy access! I was also thankful because this helped to speed up the process. In my idiot sleepy state the one-way print ended up upside down, though I really doubt it's important.

Shark pants! Safety pants! Safety Shark Pants!

(And there was enough left to make up a pair of shark pants for me too)

That's it! If you see these guys out and about, please stop, watch a dance and say hi

Bye!
K

Photos courtesy of Andrew Swaine

*Unfortunately I have no illustrative photos of safety pants in action. The idea is that when you are dancing in a skirt or dress, sometimes the skirt will fly up and show off some areas that are best kept private. Members of the Gog Magog Molly are encouraged to wear safety pants under their skirts, but over their tights, as part of the costume.

That was the year that was (the year of the trouser)

I've finally emerged scratched an battered from December's festivities. It's by far my favourite time of the year, though after a month of non-stop parties (and great company), I'll be grateful for any darkened or quiet rooms that might cross my path. People (even the ones you love dearly) are exhausting.

Somehow I managed to make a few Christmas gifts for the most discerning of loved ones:

Tap shoe bags for 2 lovely teachers

A Thread Theory Newcastle Cardigan for B

2 teddy bears

2 bird ornaments

Keep your eyes peeled in January (or maybe Feb at this rate) for a proper write up of the teddy bears and the Newcastle Cardigan, both of which were really engaging and rewarding projects.

More detail on the shoe bags

I also finished my last 2 pairs of trousers for the year at the tail end of November

The brown ones were a remake of Burda 10/2013 #126 Bootcut Trousers using my stamps fabric and a brown denim from Ditto Fabrics. I sized up to a 36 for this pair after my previous versions (34) were too tight. Again, still not bootcut!

The rainbow ones were a bit more special and deserve their own post in due course. I still have 2 pairs of "in progress" trousers waiting in the wings. I tried to dedicate a lot of time to trousers over 2015 and have learned a lot in doing so.

Firstly, I learned a lot of new things about fitting and patterns. Assuming that all clothes are some weird geometric 3D experiment, it's still mind boggling to imagine how a 2D alteration will affect the 3D garment once it's on a body. To that end, I'm still not sure why you'd ever need or want to make an adjustment to the crotch seam on a pair of trousers. A bit like my approach to armholes I guess: check the shoulder, the chest, the torso, but do not mess with the armhole unless you absolutely have to, and you know all of the follow-on corrections you'll have to do afterwards. With trousers it's best to check the wait, the hips, the height, the grain etc. I'd only want to directly mess with the crotch seam as a measure of last resort.

I've also learned a lot about finishing and detail, the factors that really make you feel like your project is a cut above everything else. A lot of this is RTW industry standards (it's one way to spend the tube commute) and expectations for trouser styles. This is the really nerdy stuff about reinforcements/bar tacks, where the top-stitching goes, appropriate pocket styles etc. I'm all about making it look as good as it can be. Part of the general trepidation about sewing trousers is probably based around the finishing and making them look "real" (and not like a pair of clownish pyjamas), moreso than just fitting.

Anyway, that was the year of the trouser.

I'm clearing out my textiles at the moment ready for 2016's theme. It's been really useful to look at RTW, me-mades and fabric stash all as the same thing for once. The holistic approach is going to be my guide for the year ahead. 2016 will be the year of the outfit.

My making usually takes on a bit of a delay between inspiration and finished item. The stuff I found really exciting and inspiritng in November should (hopefully) be ready before the end of March. And you know, some of that is pretty flashy and challenging. If I only make that stuff then pretty quickly I'd have no underpants or pyjamas. You know?

I liked making nothing but trousers for 3 months. I liked production-lining wrap skirts (it was efficient!) but it's time for a different approach because my old RTWs are slowly wearing out and the projects that were "just about good enough" aren't getting chucked out when they should really go.

Thinking in terms of whole outfits will (hopefully) mean I can balance the fun with the sensible and really make sure that professional/officewear is fit for purpose too. You see, I want to dress in a very specific way at work. I want my bosses to think I'm valuable so I want to dress like I'm valuable. It's cheeky- but why not.

2016 is shaping up to have some interesting sewing challenges ahead: more little'uns, more softies, more gifts, more garments, more pants.

K

Feeling the Effects of Fringe Thinking

Fringe Thinking: (noun) The effect on memory, perception of time, and ability to distinguish separate events as experienced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

I just got back from my first real theatre show since Edinburgh; and as the lights went down, I found myself wondring "how long can a physical theatre contemporary adaptation of Uncle Vanya really last?". Luckily, it was just about the length of a Fringe show, I'm still not sure if my attention span is back to normal. Meanwhile, it could be fun to quickly mention a few shows which had a particular memorable effect while at the Fringe.

Leaving, Limbo, Landing

This was an outdoor physical theatre show by Caroline Bowditch and East London Dance. The show explores the reasons and motivations behind why people choose to leave their home towns, or countries, to move elsewhere. I found it interesting because I'm sure one of the performers was deaf, and some of the choreography integrated sign language. The costumes, designed by Anny Grewcock, were also very striking. Made out of uncommon materials including bubble wrap, hessian sacks and postage tags, the costumes also involved a lot of interesting shapes that were well fitted and morphed as the performers moved. I'd definitely like to take creative inspiration from Grewcock and translate some of them into my own future projects.

Fork

Finnish electronic acapella. Sixteen quid. This show was a good reminder that you get what you pay for. The show struck a particular technical cord because of some mad wizzardy in getting singers to sound like the actual instruments. Now, although this is seriously impressive, does it undermine the whole idea of an acapella group? In a full length show, would they strip down the effects so we can understand the processes behind the performance? And surely the sound engineer deserves a little more recognition?

Departure Lounge
This show was completely unexpected. It's about four British lads stuck in an airport departure lounge, waiting for a flight home from Spain. Everything from the stripped down set, the costumes to the style of the songs and the subject matter, is completely alien to my concept of "musical". Perhaps that's why it's so easy to remember.


What do you think? Are there any shows which have had lasting effect on you?