Sequins & Stars: Cutting out the Tulle and Embroidering Planets

Well after finishing the beaded bolero, I have made some progress on my planned galaxy inspired black tulle circle skirt! Before I can really get down to the rather daunting task of embroidering on all of the starts and scatterings of sequins, I had to cut out the layers of tulle and make the larger applique embellishments!

Before I even cut out the layers of the skirt, I decided to play around with painting some of the tulle metallic gold with acrylic craft paints. While it turns out painting tulle isn't exactly possible, I did discover a really cool effect by accident! If you dab on a lot of paint and then peel off the tulle net very slowly, the paint gets caught in the windows of the net like little tiny stained glass almost. I made a bunch of small rectangular strips in gold and silver using this effect and I think they will be great stardust/background galaxy filler for my skirt!

I did have to cut out the layers for the skirt eventually though, so I wrestled the tulle into submission and cut out 3 layers of circle skirt from really wide (108" wide I think it said?). Using super wide tulle means you don't have to have side seams in the layers of your circle skirt. See crudely drawn illustration below! Simply layer the wide folded (it comes folded off the bolt) as wide as your circle skirt pattern is "long" through its center. Layer as many times as you want for how dense you want your skirt. I cut mine at 3 layers of folded tulle (so 6 layers of net total but with the folds lined up). That was 6 yards of tulle by the way for 3 layers. I accidentally bought shiny tulle instead of matte, so I cut a 4th layer for my skirt out of 45" wide matte tulle since I had some in my stash. Since this matte tulle was only 45" wide this top layer of the skirt will have side seams, but I doubt it will be that noticeable in the end.

So above you see my top layer of this skirt laid out on the carpet so I can play around with how I want to arrange the galaxy of appliques and embroidery on top. I am in the middle of creating some sequin and bead embroidered planets for my fictional galaxy that I will cut out and sew onto the skirt tulle. Once these larger appliques are sewn on I will populate the galaxy with hundreds of sequin stars...but lets not think about that now as it is going to take ages!

Now you may be thinking I am a bit mad, and also that all of this would be much easier if I had a large embroidery frame (they certainly use big tambour frames for this type of work in couture), and you would be quite correct. Seeing as I only have small circle frames however...I'm doing the best I can!

Also my desk looks like this...

Beads and sequin everywhere! The silver moon (or wait...that's no moon!) you see in my embroidery hoop there is finished, but as it took way too long to bead so precisely, I will be using more simplified designs for the other planets!

I had never done tambour embroidery on tulle before and so far I am not a fan! Usually when making appliques you would use silk organza which is much stronger that this nylon (poly? I don't know what they use to make tulle!) tulle netting. Despite tulle being obviously much cheaper than silk, I would still much rather be using silk, but the only place that stocks it near me is 40 minutes away and I didn't want to make the trek! For those of you unfamiliar with tambour embroidery, it is done with a tiny needle sized hook that is much like a sharp crochet hook at a miniature scale. (I sort of wonder if anyone has tried to crochet with one of these before?) To embroider, or more often to sequin and bead, you work from the back side of the fabric and push up the sequins from underneath. You can only really do this on sheer fabric since you wouldn't be able to see what you were doing otherwise! Here is a video showing how tambour embroidery works. I was super lucky to take an introduction to tambour class at the Royal School of Needlework while I was studying abroad back in university. In fact the instructor in that video (Robert Haven) was the same instructor who taught my class at the RSN! I highly recommend embroidery classes at the RSN by the way, you get to sit inside Hampton Court Palace and embroider which makes the whole experience extra special!

So this has been the crazy galaxy sequin skirt update! Hopefully I will have more progress to show you all soon! Are any of you working on a crazy or long term project these days?

Lesage of the Rockies

There comes a time, every so often, when you just have to make something a bit impractical and over the top like a black wool pencil skirt...oh wait, no, I mean an embellished jacquard bolero!

The skirt is indeed a recent project as well, and I had been wanting a winter appropriate black pencil skirt for ages, but lets face it, it's not exactly the star of this outfit is it? I had some of this sapphire blue jacquard left over from when I made a wiggle dress out of it earlier this year, and I had a sudden surge of inspiration one afternoon to attack it with black lace and sequins! There are some gorgeous embellished jackets from the 1930s and 40s by Schiaparelli and Balenciaga and I thought perhaps with those fabulous boleros as my example for the style I could get away with something like this bolero in my retro wardrobe. I'll be wearing it with the matching dress soon to an event I have coming up, but I think it works with more sober black as well.

I wish there were such a place as a Lesage here along the Rocky Mountains, but alas my sewing room will have to suffice. I'm no couture embroider, but I'd love to take lessons at the storied school one day! For those who don't know what I'm on about, Lesage is a couture embroidery specialist atelier in Paris France who have worked with the major French couture houses for nearly a century, and now work with Chanel (and are indeed now owned by Chanel). Masion Lesage create the most spectacular embellishments and embroidery for haute couture collections and I highly recommend watching some videos of the artisan embroiderers at work for mega inspiration. I used all kinds of sequins for this bolero, but most were from Cartwrights including the matte black slightly cupped sequins that make up the larger flower shapes and the teeny tiny 2mm sequins that create the sparkle effect over much of the lace. The black lace itself is arranged motifs cut out from a length of faux alencon lace I bought years ago at Colorado Fabrics (back when it was called Denver Fabrics) fit around the neckline and fronts of the bolero. The kimono sleeved all in one style of bolero isn't really the best suited for this heavy sequining, as it creates folds around the armhole by the nature of the style, but I only had so much extra jacquard to work with!

Even though this little jacket was a ton of work, I had a lot of fun doing it and it feels so good to see it finished knowing I sewed on every single bead and sequin by hand. I'm a nutter for sure! Now I've moved onto the tulle galaxy circle skirt, which has a lot more space (ha! pun) to cover but the embroidery will be a lot less dense so it shouldn't be so bad. I'll get back to it then, I hope you have all had a lovely week!

Bolero & Skirt: Made by me
Top: Banana Republic
Shoes: Royal Vintage Shoes
Tights: Amazon
Earrings & Clutch: Vintage

On Plasticflex Handbags

I mean it when I say I want one in every color, Plasticflex clutch handbags are the best! Over-sized, super modern looking, and durable to this day, whats not to like? I tried to do some research for this post and had to stop because I was discovering so many different versions and colorways of these handbags that my mental wishlist was overflowing with mind boggling desire. I can't imagine finding one of these handbags in the wilds thrifting or in an antique shop. The first in my small collection you see above, black striped tiles in alternating directions with its original pull tab chain. This bag is what started my obsession for the style! Now I've got three...oops!

 Here is the image for when inventor Florence Kuhlman filed for the patent on March 28th 1941! You can see how these bags are made with the tiles being hollow underneath with openings for the plastic coated cotton cord (to look like leather) weaves through to create the chain mail like flexibility.

"This innovation relates to decorative material of the type which may be employed for covering handbags, belts, and other accessory articles of apparel...The units may be suitably shaped and may be made of any rigid material. However, it is preferred to make the units of plastic compound of "Catalin," "Bakelite," "Beetleware," etc."

I would have never thought when I first got my first clutch that this design was from so early in the forties, they were made and were popular throughout the decade. It is imagined handbags like these made out of unconventional materials were created out necessity due to leather rationing during WWII, but no one seems sure. It certainly makes sense, and they have a great retro futurist look about them don't they? The sort of chocolate bar style tile design shown in the patent above is the same as one of the handbags I have managed to get a hold of, and mine is even chocolate brown which really sells that mental leap!

Often when looking for these clutches the ones in poorer condition have the coating from the cotton cord wearing off or worn off completely. Other condition factors today include the state of the lining, whether or not any of the tiles are cracked, and noting if the bag still has its original zipper pull tab (often shaped to match the tiles on a matching plastic chain). Some colors seem to be rarer than others, but it could be that some colors are just in higher demand today. Who wouldn't want a bright red one of these after all!

This 1945 Sear's catalog page lists a "flexible cubed plastic" clutch as being not available! Sadly this means we don't get the price listed either, but the first sentence says "A white bag that's ever fresh, more popular each season." I doubt they knew then that such handbags would be collectors items among women even well over 60 years later, I'd say they retain their popularity alright!

I would also like to note that the woven fold over straw clutches pictured here are readily found now and are often labeled as being from the 1960s or 70s but clearly the style dates back to the 1940s too! These could be vintage pieces mis-dated, or just later examples, but either way they are much easier to find and much less pricey than plasticflex so keep a look out for those! The clutch from the first page with a wooden top clasp (H) also looks very similar to bags I see labeled as 70s on Etsy often, so it pays to look at old catalogs and photos so you can be a more informed customer since so many sellers don't seem to know what they really have. Honestly it is the best when sellers don't know...you can get such deals sometimes! For example I got the checked plastic clutch from Monday's outfit post for only $25, which is quite a deal when you see most plasticflex clutches selling for $80-$200 dollars!

Top on my own wishlist now are red and white versions next, though now that I have seen rainbow striped ones, and ones with solid color tiles but multicolored lacing...and really cool tile designs I had never seen before...goodness I'll be on the look out for any of these in my price range! I shouldn't have even brought them to your attention! But they are too cool not to share <3

Do any of you have a Plasticflex clutch? Have you ever found a particular style of vintage item you love and want to collect more than everything else? Tell me about them below, unless you don't want to me to end up competing with you out in the wilds of vintage shopping ;) In which case I'd totally understand ha!

Wistful Wisteria

The day started out sunnier, and I had high hopes for nice light and pretty blue skies to match my gloves, but then things turned grey and my new spring dress seemed to be suddenly a bit out of place. What's a girl to do when the weather isn't behaving?

I mentioned on Instagram last week that I figured out a fabric that had been languishing in my stash for ages was actually rayon after I had long thought it to be polyester. Why oh why did I ever think this lovely cold rayon was poly? I pulled this wisteria print out last week and was surprised to find the drape was much nicer than I remembered from when I bought it years ago, and a quick burn test confirmed it was rayon! Silly me! Determined to have a new dress by the weekend, I cut out a simple A-line late 30's/early 40's basic silhouette. I finished the interior seams, sleeve hems, and hem with rayon seam binding and the neckline is finished with a self fabric facing. This was the first time I have ever made a matching belt with a covered buckle and I found it really fiddly! I'm not sure I am a fan, as the buckle still feels so light and like it will pop apart to me, but perhaps that's just because I'm not used to these sort of kits. I do have some old celluloid buckles that I can use for future matching belts so I may stick to using those for now. I do still need to make or buy some little shoulder pads for this dress too, but you know when you have a new dress, you just have to wear it right away! 

How about this handbag though?! I love my black vintage plastiflex clutch so much that I snapped up this checkered brown and ivory version when I spotted it for sale. I dream of having a rainbow collection of these woven plastic clutches one day, there is something so modern about them even though the patent numbers inside date them to the earlier half of the 1940s. The tile design on this one is very different from my black clutch, they remind me of Legos a bit!

I finally finished beading the bolero I mentioned recently and I just have to finish tacking the lining down a bit inside as it wants to move around a lot for some reason. I haven't made much progress on the galaxy tulle skirt yet, but I promise I'll show you as soon as I have made some headway! I also accidentally ordered some really pretty fabrics from Mood this weekend, you know...when you accidentally buy more fabric, could happen to anyone ;) I hope you all have a wonderful start to the week!

Dress: Made by me
Clutch, Gloves, Hat, & Jewelry: Vintage
Shoes: Bait Footwear
Fishnets: Amazon

Pattern Drafting: Creating a "Kimono" Style Sleeve (Version no. 2!)

So back in October of last year I wrote a post about how I converted my basic bodice pattern to have all-in-one kimono style sleeves, but... I recently made a whole new bodice pattern! With the changes in the fit, my new bodice pattern was shaped a bit differently than my old one of course, so I had to make a new kimono sleeve version of my pattern. When I got ready to do so it became very plain I wouldn't be able to use the same simple method I had always used in the past, as the armhole shape was way too different!

Above you can see my old basic bodice pattern in blue and my new bodice pattern traced on top in red lines. The armhole shape is totally different! So while in the past I was able to just draw on the kimono sleeve without messing with any other part of my pattern, this time I couldn't because the armhole area was so much more curved and generally smaller.

The first thing I did was consult my pattern drafting book from my university days to see how it suggested drafting kimono sleeves from a basic sloper. The book created the sleeve shape by opening up the side dart into the armhole to provide the ease and room needed to draw on the kimono sleeve! So I decided I'd live it a try and it seems to have worked like a charm. I'll show you how it's done...

Draw lines through your dart points to find the exact apex point at the center bust. Draw a line from the apex to the center of the armhole.

Draw another line from one of your side dart points to the apex as well, we are going to cut these two lines to allow for moving the dart.

Cut along these two lines to the apex, but not through it, so you can sort of hinge the piece around, we are going to close the side dart which will re-divert the fullness into the opening in the armhole.

Close the side dart and tape the overlap closed.

Fill in the newly opened area in the armhole with spare paper and tape together.

Now with the added room in the armhole you can draw on the kimono sleeve like I showed in the first version of this post (here).

And there you have it! A kimono sleeve from a pattern with a very curved/smaller armhole! Since the back of my pattern didn't change in the big ways my front pattern did, I was able to use the original method on the back piece without issue. I still have only used this new kimono sleeved pattern for a bolero so I'm not 100% positive I like it as much as my old pattern yet as I haven't really tried it yet, but I hope it will work out just fine.

Have any of your discovered and new pattern drafting tricks lately? I feel like I am constantly learning!

Dry Creek Trail

Well, why it sure is dry right now, in summer I assure you this area is usually quite lush with green and has a lovely fishing pond (usually populated with ducks, but on my last visit just two geese). This park is one of my favorite spots in the late spring through early fall, so I was worried when they recently filled the place with tractors and started tearing down trees and moving around a whole bunch of dirt. Turns out they had drained the creek, bulldozed a ton of bushes and a few nice old trees (!!!), moved a lot of dirt where the creek had cut in a very miniature canyon so that the area was now smooth, and then laid down some concrete (in a brown color to match the surroundings) in "natural" stepped rock shapes in some areas of the creek bottom (but not all?). Though they did quite a lot of work to the creek area, I was relived to see they left the old fishing pond and lightning gnarled huge trees alone. Hopefully we will get some rain soon and lots of new grasses and plants will begin to spring up and cover all the unnatural looking landscaping they smoothed over down by the creek.

Anyways, while I finish up several sewing projects in various stages of completion, I give you a modern dress from a fast fashion brand! Quelle horreur! This dress has a rather 1930s silhouette, the back even has a long keyhole from neck to waist like some slinky 30's evening gown. I'm happy whenever I discover something vaguely vintage at a high street store (as the Brit's would say), and as I like digital prints in theory I appreciated the more subtle color tones in this languid orchid design. To try and make the dress lean more vintage, I paired it with a suede belt, black straw hat, and creamy celluloid jewelry. As it has been so dry (not good for my dreams of spring greenery), I wore my wonderful Remix suede heels without worry. These shoes are still the most comfortable heels I have ever owned, I can run errands for hours with no pain, they are magic shoes! I must try and get my hands on another pair of Remix shoes this year, I'd love a pair of their basic pumps in black suede for year round wear <3

I am working on some sewing projects that you won't be seeing for a few weeks as they are for my upcoming vacation ;) I even got chic new suitcases this week in preparation for this trip! They are smaller and I'm glad we won't be burdened with huge bags this time around. I'll let you all know my destination soon, and till then I hope you all have a great Friday!

Dress: H&M
Belt, Clutch, Jewelry, & Hat: Vintage
Shoes: Remix
Hosiery: What Katie Did