Tuesday, January 27, 2015

From Thai Silk to Tie Silk

I had to abandon the velvet and Thai silk as the Thai silk never arrived. I did buy a length of tie silk I found in a bin. What? It was all forlorn and followed me home. This means I'm on my third design for  a ladies bustle tea in February (I have been helping a friend with design and construction as well). And design is the part that takes me the longest, I dither and fret. Once I have the design firmly in mind I can sew a blue streak.
I love a men's wear foulard.
Now the push is on. It was going to have draped swags and fancy turnings but it's going to be pretty basic and serviceable.  No time to dye velvet to match for cuffs and such and the buttons are coming from Ebay. Because the giant can of vintage buttons I have already wouldn't do. I did use stash cotton for flat lining, because all the cotton will never be dresses... the precious.
The sewing room is strewn with  shrapnel of discarded designs, I pick my way across and scrape a little room on the ironing board. Wish me luck!
Every Your Thimble Servant,
Miss Brilliantine

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Patience is Rewarded... Eventually.

I'm dead in the water. I ordered some silk off of Ebay on Dec.17th from Thailand, and am still waiting for delivery. Before you sigh and say "What did you expect". I'll answer I have ordered from India before with very quick results. It was posted that delivery would be by Jan. 3rd then 9th and now 15th. it keeps on changing. I'm done. When it does come I'm returning it. Now I start from scratch. I could have been plugging along but now I have a deadline which I don't like. I hate to sew when pressed for time.  @&*%$!
Pretty, I know but it's dead to me now. Watch, it'll come today.

Ever Your Thimble Servant,
Miss Brilliantine

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Pocketses

It's not all pony rides and penny whistles over here, occcasionally I make something really utilitarian like sturdy bags for groceries or a vest with pockets, many pockets. The BF works at the International Theme Park Company and he wanted a not so fancy vest with pockets for pencils and styrene bits and straight edges. Also probably bits of string, marbles and a frog.
To the book case!
I've looked at flat felled seems all my life on every pair of jeans I've ever owned but never actually made them, so I got out the old Singer Sewing Book, first edition was 1949 mine is from 1953.
With this 
DEDICATION-
"This book is dedicated to women and girls-
and especially to teachers of sewing everywhere-
who enjoy  the feel of fabric, the beauty of textures,
the precision of stitches, the smoothness of seams,
and who delight always in appropriate fabrics
carefully cut and made up for a happy purpose." 

I couldn't have said it better.
Is that Joan Crawford? LOL, Mommy Dearest!

.


He patterned and cut, I sewed. Team work.
Not fancy, but it does have pockets. Success! When you see these old sewing books grab them, I have a few and they are invaluable, well worth the 5 bucks.

Delight always in appropriate fabrics, my friends.

Ever Your Thimble Servant,
Miss Brilliantine