2497 mark II

Another version of Simplicity 2497 made in a lightweight denim

I made view A with neckline treatment from view C.  I say treatment as the actual neckshape and armhole were slightly different between the two views.  I decided to go with A to ensure sleeve was a good fit.  The only issue was the binding for C was a little short, so mine has a small piece in it.  I should’ve unpicked and recut the binding, but seeing as it had the frill over the top I couldn’t justify the time

The sleeve is really interesting and goes together like an 80s bubble skirt.  I may use this on another top I have ideas of making

I decided to give the dress some contrast by way of topstitching.  I cut bodices and skirts with seam allowance at CF and CB so I could seam and top stitch. Photography hasn’t done me any favours here - the topstitching is much more obvious in real life.  The frill has a contrast rolled hem and the skirt hem has 4 rows of contrast top stitching.  Where I added these top stitched seams I deliberately didn’t gather the skirt and bodice to continue the flat look.

Denim from fabric market at Malleshwarem, approx $4 per metre.  Zip from my local guys at Para’s – $0.40!  You can’t see it I’m sorry – but it matches the thread

I love it with this necklace from my gorgeous cousin Kerrie

It’s a pretty dress but in denim I can get away with it for more casual occsaions

supplies

I brought a reasonable supply stash with me from Australia but am always looking for places to buy firstly ‘what I need’ and more interestingly, ‘what I didn’t know I needed, but really must have’

I’m hoping to find more in the Indian interesting category and I found this shop a few streets away from our house

I’ve been twice now, returning with my Bangalore sewing buddy, and it’s quite the treasure.  The two shopkeepers let us go inside to rummage around, and for once having someone present us with random items in their shop is a wonderful thing!

Most of the cotton lining fabrics you can see are 35 rupees a metre (approx $0.70 aussie/US).  They also had pure silk for 200 and satin for 140 ($4 and $2.80)

Zips were available in a rainbow of colours but invisible zips in a smaller range.  On returning for my second visit they had sourced more – and at 20 rupees each, I bought quite a few.

A funny anecdote – I asked for different sizes of the invisible zips and they looked at me quite puzzled – and told me to simply trim the zip to size.  In Australia zip prices vary by length from approx $2 to $4, so you buy according to your need.  I managed to explain this to them with the help of google and they thought this was hilarious – ‘why keep so much stock?’  they asked.  Good question!

I’ve already used one zip and will take photos of my new dress today and my girls will be beading and bracelet making

This is more what I had in mind when I moved to India

simplicity 2497

I bought this pattern at least 12 months ago and even though it made it to the top of the pile numerous times, it always remained ‘unmade’

After a failed attempt at another Simplicity pattern where the waistband was just too small, I made this with some modifications.  A friend recently made a scrunchie waistband and I decided that could be the comfort answer I was after in an extreme heat dress.  I did some dodgy patternmaking, laying the bodice and skirt pieces together, blending and cutting all in one go to make a sheath dress with a belt.

The fabric has a crinkle finish and came from Spotlight.  I’m pretty sure it was from the Lisette range.

The pattern called for a twice turned narrow hem, but I used the narrow rolled hem on my overlocker

After seeing photos I will go back and make some alterations.  I will fit the bodice under the arms and sculpt it at the waist to remove some of the fabric bulk and make the scrunchie smaller

cottonandcurls

And after seeing this I’m going back to make it again, with the waistband and pockets.  I like this little cap sleeve and the length too

2497 will see another day!

 

simple skirt

Sometimes an elaborate fabric calls for simple styling.  This is an embroidered cotton I picked up on a recent trip to the fabric markets in Malleshwarem

It has a micro-waistband, invisible side zip and lining made from a pale silver/grey stretch satin (stash – used many times before)

I have added to my list the absolute need to re-work this pattern as I always have to alter it, taking it on over the hips.  Either I have to do this, or put my zip in the centre back so adjusting evenly over the hips is a simple exercise, rather than taking out and re-inserting the zip!

What better incentive to get machine peddle to the floor than a special occasion.  My friend Gail and I attended a masterclass here in Bangalore with Kate Bracks

Kate was also wearing embroidered black.  Great taste hey?!

Here’s a close up of the fabric

I’ll be looking for other Indian speciality fabrics like this

breezy

I thought I could get away with just wearing what I want to wear, but extreme heat has its own ideas

Bangalore is going through a bit of an early heatwave and loose cotton or linen clothing is the order of the day

I’ve made a great friend who is also a sewer and together we’ve been exploring a set of little streets and laneways crammed with fabric and clothing stores that sell remnants, seconds and over-runs.  The stock changes frequently and is cheap (although we’re sure we’re not getting the local price!)

This is one of the fabrics I bought last week

It did occur to me as I started to cut this fabric that the reason it was cheap was probably because it wasn’t straight, but so far, so good.  A wash will tell!

Although not quite so cool I’ve made this extended waist band from a stretch woven (stash, hauled from Australia)

and added elastic stitched to the inside facing so that the waistband won’t roll down

I can even wear it with black!

No pictures yet, but my sewing room is taking shape.  Looking for a dressmakers model and maybe even a straightstitch flatbed with an underbed trimmer – I miss my old one so much

Lx

Holi

Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in the festival Holi. The festival has many purposes. First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring. Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. It also has a religious purpose, commemorating events present in Hindu mythology. Although it is the least religious holiday, it is probably one of the most exhilarating ones in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw colored powder at each other, and celebrate wildly.  Wikipedia

 http://www.festivalsofindia.in/holi/Celebration.aspx

mymodernmet.com  Students smear each other with colored powder during the celebrations of Holi, in Kolkata, India on March 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw)

Our kids were well into the spirit of Holi

 

This was so much fun with lovely friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Block printing

A few weeks ago I spent a few inspiring and creative hours learning about the art of block printing.  In a stone courtyard garden with 5 other girls it was a surreal experience.

Although the craft is mostly considered to be from the north of India, our teacher, Poonam, was taught and is based here in Bangalore.

Poonam described to us the history of block printing, the techniques used to produce large format fabrics (with multiple artisans printing simultaneously in many colours), and the types of dyes/paints available and their limitations.  Natural dyes are often not visible, or at least very difficult to see when the block is being applied.  Take a second to consider the difficulties of lining up your block!  These colours will transform when the fabric is washed, in strong running water – like a current in a river – for 20 minutes or more.  The current helps to wash the excess dye away from the fabric so it doesn’t end up as part of your design.  Poonam said women would stand in the water holding the fabric.    We used synthetic dyes with all the benefits of colour range, good fix, no washing so eco water friendly – and we could see what we were doing!

Concentrated pigment was mixed with kerosene and a fixative to a thin cream consistency

and poured into a piece of foam.  The foam allows you (after practice) to load the wooden block with the correct amount of dye

We tried our chosen blocks on paper first

The blocks are wooden and hand carved or  some are made from metal and tend to be finer and more delicate in design.  Many blocks had 2, 3 or even 4 blocks that layered over each other to create a multicoloured design.  The skill in carving those is incredible.

This took me back, many years ago, to the Assoc. Dip of Art and Fashion I studied where we designed our fabrics before garments.  Back then I suffered many lino cuts making lino blocks for a crude but similar print method.

The dyes that were placed on round plates turned out to be a little difficult to use.  The sloping sides of the plates made loading up a large block tricky.  Hence I used a lot of black (but that was going to happen anyway!!)

I pinned my fabric to the table.  You can see that loading the block is 50% then even pressure and good luck is the rest

Different fabrics give a different result – this is an open weave tea towel.  The 3 stripes at the top are woven tea towel, not printing

Me hard at work!

This is linen from stash from Sportscraft days – pre 98!  I’m playing around with pattern pieces and there may be enough for a pair of linen pants with some cool hem detail.

Need to do more of this!