tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47644156628785855552024-03-20T19:59:26.737+00:00A Stitch a Day Keeps the Boredom AwayButterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-9163759888782172072018-05-03T08:50:00.000+01:002018-05-03T08:50:16.305+01:00A quick sorry to Everyone, especially CGCouture - On where I've been, and where I'll go from hereI entered the blogosphere sevenish years ago. In the few months that I was actively blogging, I got many, many encouraging comments from you guys. I also won a giveaway and a beautiful vintage pattern. And then real life struck.<br />
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Before anyone starts seriously worrying: There were no dramatic, traumatic events; no sudden deaths; no complete upheavals. I did fail a few maths exams (my Papa's professor for mathematics though :/ ). But there were unresolved conflicts adding up - with my mother, with growing up multicultural, with the study programme's coordinator. Mostly with modern "feminism" and my femininity and belief in the scientific method. (I also had to stop dancing, and doing sports altogether seeing as I got injured. Nothing to put my mind of things).<br />
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<b>It was not a good time.</b><br />
<br />
I should have seen a psychologist.<br />
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But that's not something "strong, independent women" do. Nor do they point out the methodological faults in feminist (insults to) statistics. Or be scientists instead of "women in science". Or have male role models (We're incapable, did you know?). Or admire stereotypical females (You know, the ones who sew, and knit, and care about their families, and like pretty things). Especially the ones who blog about it.<br />
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So, yep,<b> I stopped blogging. Without warning. And in dept of a giveaway. Sorry about that. </b>Also, CGCouture never got to hear what happened to her pattern.<br />
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I'm also sorry if this sounds bitter. I'm not. Just ... healing. But English isn't my native tongue, and this blog post is already a bit more emotional labor than I'm comfortable with. So I'm typing as fast as I can, seeing where my thoughts take me, and you'll have to take my feelings as they come. Sorry.<br />
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I'd also stopped sewing, and journaling, and drawing, and wearing things (skirts) that made me feel happy; took a year longer to finish my degree.<br />
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But I recovered. Mostly following the example of my great-grandmothers who are some of the strongest women I know. And I mean real strength. The getting displaced in WW2, losing most of their families, and picking themselves up again kind. I took a bit of a break from uni, then started my masters at a smaller university (where I found myself an incredibly sweet, non-judgemental friend), took only the (all the) courses that were interesting, said yes to everything for a year, did an exchange semester to Russia (which was hilarious, and got me far away from things, gave me time to breathe). I'm in my last semester now, with a great thesis topic (programming a user interface to make maths pretty and understandable, and help save the environment to boot) that unites all of my passions: Maths, science, the environment, aesthetics. I got a pink, twirly skirt that's not the slightest bit "empowering", and makes me feel like I could lift mountains.<br />
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<b>In short, I'm on the mend.</b><br />
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Right now I'm taking being me one day at a time. I'll start blogging again. Go back to sewing and growing flowers, doodle in my bullet journal. But it's slow going, and I've only got one great-grandmother left for real-life role-modeling.<br />
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The goal (specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and time-bound) is to slow-sew that give-away dress in time for my thesis defense in five months, and blog about it. I did have a wearable muslin, which was worn to death, and there is a pre-cut day dress based on that pattern. But my measurements have changed a bit so I might have to fit it all over again. I might also post on my mending-progress, just maybe on my <a href="http://theperfectbasicsproject.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">other blog</a>. While<b> I will be blogging again, the post might be few, and far in-between; or come in clusters.</b>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-83162631113002577222012-07-10T15:01:00.001+01:002012-07-10T15:01:52.845+01:00Remember when ...... I was to busy with exams to have time to think let alone sew?<br />
... when I had to use my mobile phone to take pictures <a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.de/2012/07/i-will-spare-you-photos.html" target="_blank">last time</a> because I couldn't find the cable to get the photos to my laptop?<br />
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Well that camera broke down on me shortly after that. And I passed the tests with flying colours :) Go me! And as a reward my parents want to give me a gift. Yay! And it might be that the camera broke down, or that I really want to make the evening/dance dress work and show you lot's of beautiful pictures, it might also be that I won the give away at <a href="http://countrygirlcouture.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Country Girl Couture </a> and that while the mail is being <span style="background-color: white;">terribly slow I already have everything planned out and of course I'll want to take thousands of pictures of that and it's also possible that I want to join didyoumakethat's <a href="http://didyoumakethat.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/the-wip-pitch/" target="_blank">WIP Pitch</a> and tantalise you with detail shots of unknown work in progress. And any or all of those might have made me blurt out "A camera!"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">My parents both know a think or two about cameras so faster than you can say "Boo!" they started debating over which camera to get me. But then they decided that as someone who finished as one of the best of her year in a good part of the exams I should be allowed to pick my own camera.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I'll mostly be using it to take said detail shots and shots of my self made projects. So question to you: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Which camera do you use? Do you like it? Why? And could I ask for it without -you know- ripping my parents arm of? Because I really don't want to do that.</span><br />
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ButterflyButterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-29240843612413274712012-07-08T19:22:00.000+01:002012-07-11T22:41:52.002+01:00I will spare you the photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmxFINqgSniZlpTI9FPQxDrC55ZJUGMFgUe2wnlTYGxO9x_HO9hG0sKlUTdoPGo8LhAEK2NL7iZrQy6OtxkF-9zs_LsC0jFoYCDjDlVNT8SVxBuJISzR1bwIw3Sd4r2Zy05dOhS0Rb5o/s1600/2012-07-08+19.06.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmxFINqgSniZlpTI9FPQxDrC55ZJUGMFgUe2wnlTYGxO9x_HO9hG0sKlUTdoPGo8LhAEK2NL7iZrQy6OtxkF-9zs_LsC0jFoYCDjDlVNT8SVxBuJISzR1bwIw3Sd4r2Zy05dOhS0Rb5o/s320/2012-07-08+19.06.17.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautifully finished with a double zig zag*</td></tr>
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After sewing so many toiles of my dress I finally felt ready to sew my real fabric. I don't know why but I was terrified of that fabric. I have already (successfully) sewn more expensive fabrics, more slippery fabrics, fabrics that where more prone to fraying and any other hardship you might think of. But this fabric truly scared me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IsPpVaMJXl4OaEw3igitarWtQ_SoD5vYvzlI-Y7FYUx4xTKy1zBbM_CzMn4pDoaa0bSx1TlfE39OZJFYiSu1uZh8CzOq4fUcYMMT6mkoVd_4701P3fEDvLRl4RhkLg03muJqauFq5Ns/s1600/2012-07-08+19.02.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IsPpVaMJXl4OaEw3igitarWtQ_SoD5vYvzlI-Y7FYUx4xTKy1zBbM_CzMn4pDoaa0bSx1TlfE39OZJFYiSu1uZh8CzOq4fUcYMMT6mkoVd_4701P3fEDvLRl4RhkLg03muJqauFq5Ns/s320/2012-07-08+19.02.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiz question: How much fun is turning a corner with this fabric? I actually poked a n 8 mm knitting needle right through several times. How can this even happen with such a tight weave?</td></tr>
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So after psyching myself up with all those toiles I told myself to get a grip and just cut into the cloth already. And so I made lots of notches and hand basted all my seams (even the straight ones), tried out the best tension settings and stitch length on a scrap piece of fabric. Then I decided that sewing the lining first really wouldn't be procrastinating. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnVd3mNHlxkS9f_He0ryMZIaRgp50Awu75xelnTZJM6NKsnv0E_uG_M90cxAMEHodKoUBUm2xpQSzr50FzOFzvChaWuv7b5XEuP5wXGVNdw-a3_4Hn-jBxyP1YewVymOdxVPeBvNvZtk/s1600/2012-07-08+19.06.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnVd3mNHlxkS9f_He0ryMZIaRgp50Awu75xelnTZJM6NKsnv0E_uG_M90cxAMEHodKoUBUm2xpQSzr50FzOFzvChaWuv7b5XEuP5wXGVNdw-a3_4Hn-jBxyP1YewVymOdxVPeBvNvZtk/s320/2012-07-08+19.06.36.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favourite seam finishes: Fold and stitch. In this case a zig zag stitch on the lining seams.</td></tr>
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When I finally started sewing I was still afraid. And there was this nagging doubt that things would work out as nicely as in the muslins. But I kept sewing anyway. And then I tried the dress on. And quelle horreur! It has stress lines in places none of my muslins or the lining had them. And a ripply zip fastner! The zip was fine on just the lining and I had a notch every 5 cm to match up my seams. And for some reason you can see the facing peeking out in some parts!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqdKSkVCX6JXG2hr04zZHVOPhfvo4f1y0Dt_e8SjYWeSAmqeLLAVIneS0Zv8Q7VBNZYnMFnBD6BP1iB_SMP_x7M6gIOCgbC80tyKFueeME1vCIQu2_0gLYC1NdsRRV7gVGFTNQsuCrJ0/s1600/2012-07-08+19.03.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqdKSkVCX6JXG2hr04zZHVOPhfvo4f1y0Dt_e8SjYWeSAmqeLLAVIneS0Zv8Q7VBNZYnMFnBD6BP1iB_SMP_x7M6gIOCgbC80tyKFueeME1vCIQu2_0gLYC1NdsRRV7gVGFTNQsuCrJ0/s320/2012-07-08+19.03.54.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No rippling when lying flat. Also: This fabric can only be sewn once and I had already started unpicking here. Hence the pulled treads.</td></tr>
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As fate would have it I all that procrastinating meant that I had to wear the dress out ripply zip and all. I had a great night and I got a lot of compliments on the dresses colour and cut and even more for being able to sew something like that. But I felt like Everyone was staring at my back and the ripply horrors there!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHSGf9TAtZJpZdms7O_FCleJBQ_-BQ6C65vefYm5j_mqzauPCU9yh4dgjyWC1cJ5EyVT7MklkqfiY99Wpi90a545h0gx75wUQJ9afArIPlaE12RmTQgxJb-Kt-kOM8xAUmlniXsmGsfI/s1600/2012-07-08+19.05.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHSGf9TAtZJpZdms7O_FCleJBQ_-BQ6C65vefYm5j_mqzauPCU9yh4dgjyWC1cJ5EyVT7MklkqfiY99Wpi90a545h0gx75wUQJ9afArIPlaE12RmTQgxJb-Kt-kOM8xAUmlniXsmGsfI/s320/2012-07-08+19.05.00.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't they have noticed my perfect rolled hem instead? Both from the wrong side.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6scGZI281p4zCx0odMkSGzEM4vndQBFuxm9E7w2A4qTYpT9Nscqx3er9KBDjCA1DrZ_lswi5LnFQ8gDmxNQc0f9rjeXaaTDby4wKkIHdHsaUfhnUOQT9AQMY9qs7Np3Dtm6mYDXFOHxA/s1600/2012-07-08+19.05.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6scGZI281p4zCx0odMkSGzEM4vndQBFuxm9E7w2A4qTYpT9Nscqx3er9KBDjCA1DrZ_lswi5LnFQ8gDmxNQc0f9rjeXaaTDby4wKkIHdHsaUfhnUOQT9AQMY9qs7Np3Dtm6mYDXFOHxA/s320/2012-07-08+19.05.18.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the right. Isn't the fabric beautiful? Even though the colours are of ...</td></tr>
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The question remains: What am I going to do with the back. I have a feeling that a cool pin tuck design might help. But if it doesn't I'll have completely ruined the fabric.</div>
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Butterfly</div>
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*<i>Once again sorry for the bad picture quality. I couldn't find the cable for my camera so I took all the pictures again with my phone.</i></div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-72304728464522853932012-06-18T18:20:00.001+01:002012-07-11T22:41:19.559+01:00Sewing my muslin(s) and sketches ... lots of them<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAXLaSQ_yFcrrV1o7Pe5mVpBzG05DL_2dZQFp6XDid9vNg8AirrSc-TImBaqBRPO9PXdiks0fodlbXmFifDjIF1fj4P7HHPugni1HGLZ3nmpqUW1EC8lJPQurfw6KaGOvBoI0P7rsrMk/s1600/Sketches+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAXLaSQ_yFcrrV1o7Pe5mVpBzG05DL_2dZQFp6XDid9vNg8AirrSc-TImBaqBRPO9PXdiks0fodlbXmFifDjIF1fj4P7HHPugni1HGLZ3nmpqUW1EC8lJPQurfw6KaGOvBoI0P7rsrMk/s320/Sketches+007.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some sketches that didn't make the cut for various reasons.</td></tr>
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Since I want this dress to fit really really well, I'm actually made a muslin. And then another one after I noticed that it looked amazing in dance posture but had some weird wrinkling and bunching when I'm standing naturally. Since I want the best of both worlds I made some alterations, decided that cut outs in back would be perfect for reducing fitting issues (with dance dresses they're always in the back, that's why most dance dresses don't have a back to speak of). And then I made another muslin and some alterations on that. And then another one.<br />
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Long story short: I'm up to muslin number four by now and it's "hopefully" (fingers crossed!) going to be wearable. Since I need a LBD I'm going to sew it in black with a different skirt. I also have enough fabric to swap the back to a "normal" one after I checked the fit.<br />
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Have I already posted my sketches? I know I drew a bunch with the intention of uploading them ... Please forgive the bad quality ... I can't draw to save my life and my scanner wasn't co-operating :(<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDXVrVrai8CYr3-8Gs-XW1AFUwwWMDUMOcppEi_PMzcwIvonV4QXaUiDCUXCBPr8js2Qs2fYEH9ro_fZeIZHhHLLOg4_s4kZz68ll2-wsQFbOqEu8I1qXcUkn3W-0KIYUGCy12LN7ED0/s1600/Sketches+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDXVrVrai8CYr3-8Gs-XW1AFUwwWMDUMOcppEi_PMzcwIvonV4QXaUiDCUXCBPr8js2Qs2fYEH9ro_fZeIZHhHLLOg4_s4kZz68ll2-wsQFbOqEu8I1qXcUkn3W-0KIYUGCy12LN7ED0/s1600/Sketches+008.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first couple of ideas I had ... I'd already thrown them overboard when I started these sketches. But I always find it fascinating to watch other people's ideas evolve and so I thought you'd do to ;) I just might have watched a lot of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxzRJmQ_CeM">Ginger Rogers an Fred Astaire </a>before drawing the sketch on the right. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxzRJmQ_CeM">better view of the dress</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWwEh2Wiw8pT5hrmPMJmY7QglX9xxdYVXhDNfcvYXXlFC4BGoZiIj1XeZBJiXOIMaXi_nOD9al8t7lEYVtnLCc6Ph1Ps4dlaN5g9S98uLYG9X4G5wLYW0bPdihuhhuPhHggCTfnJzALo/s1600/Sketches+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWwEh2Wiw8pT5hrmPMJmY7QglX9xxdYVXhDNfcvYXXlFC4BGoZiIj1XeZBJiXOIMaXi_nOD9al8t7lEYVtnLCc6Ph1Ps4dlaN5g9S98uLYG9X4G5wLYW0bPdihuhhuPhHggCTfnJzALo/s1600/Sketches+009.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dress on the right is basically the inspiration dress I posted a while ago in longer. Even though I made fun of the lower back design right after drawing it I do actually kind of like it now. Unfortunately I don't think it offers enough eh em ... support</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpEr4goKX228zRCWQ0UXct0sSCkm4i1pGsY5Em4d6x17MnIKYOaZq5hBEKdrL1fkMIUuKrANSR7td4f-cDCG4GkP_XIjETzLtWvnF3LifnYsJUa1UVOA9uoeMY32um2SajVfIHqL17g0/s1600/Sketches+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpEr4goKX228zRCWQ0UXct0sSCkm4i1pGsY5Em4d6x17MnIKYOaZq5hBEKdrL1fkMIUuKrANSR7td4f-cDCG4GkP_XIjETzLtWvnF3LifnYsJUa1UVOA9uoeMY32um2SajVfIHqL17g0/s1600/Sketches+006.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upper back designs look kind of weird and again there's a "support-problem", which is also existent in the bottom right one. The one on the bottom left is of course a classic. But I wanted something a bit different. But since I liked the cross at the back the most I decided to improve on that. Which ultimately led me too ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtljzOohwXmueVcyS9x3FUswS9MIUec0zwr4EMtXGNiTG-5WekUhoCRAN3B6HdIDfYly2iOhAmrDvYbjoj5PLSR9M-Nr7rTdxTX-4EZ7fHhi0dI1zKs7mDXl88eJ3ixHfjqyfFPgJbhRU/s1600/Sketches+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtljzOohwXmueVcyS9x3FUswS9MIUec0zwr4EMtXGNiTG-5WekUhoCRAN3B6HdIDfYly2iOhAmrDvYbjoj5PLSR9M-Nr7rTdxTX-4EZ7fHhi0dI1zKs7mDXl88eJ3ixHfjqyfFPgJbhRU/s1600/Sketches+010.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two "winner" designs. They where morphed together. See ho they'd have worked with both the princess cut and the triangles and circle skirt design?</td></tr>
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What my dress will ultimately look like remains a surprise ;) What I can tell you is that the muslin will be sewn as a shorter version of the triangles and cirlce skirt dress. I will only post pictures of the muslin after I have checked the fit and converted it too a halter top.<br />
<br />
In case anyone's wondering ... here's what the pattern for the "circle skirt" looks like:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH9xk6eIRxAmz5uwHLdcMjr4fywKIXh8QVk8cmoeFriLNpKkMXjn5gyOCftStD_qA7QBUEmkDxuj-B5bH3fffeq2lO4lyNWqDLvpqFgageC9VcqI5GTHcSmX6a28D5GVxB5HiciEZjco/s1600/Muslin+skirt+pattern.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnH9xk6eIRxAmz5uwHLdcMjr4fywKIXh8QVk8cmoeFriLNpKkMXjn5gyOCftStD_qA7QBUEmkDxuj-B5bH3fffeq2lO4lyNWqDLvpqFgageC9VcqI5GTHcSmX6a28D5GVxB5HiciEZjco/s400/Muslin+skirt+pattern.gif" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weird, no?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And here's how I got there:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxdzIAKC0YCATJV5IogE0fiVNTu6bD6xmKv7aXKHQ7v5f0t8rE61Dtq9p9alxww2gfJrXPAjIzxHVrYGYPagYeNavJeO-1UtyML4iyq7TtqneqWh6rSczTXrKM5xl-embDNW9P_k0CAg/s1600/Muslin+skirt.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxdzIAKC0YCATJV5IogE0fiVNTu6bD6xmKv7aXKHQ7v5f0t8rE61Dtq9p9alxww2gfJrXPAjIzxHVrYGYPagYeNavJeO-1UtyML4iyq7TtqneqWh6rSczTXrKM5xl-embDNW9P_k0CAg/s400/Muslin+skirt.gif" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of slashing and pivoting. It looks like an eye! The white pointy thing was a dart. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have some fabric marking to do! See you soon!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Butterfly <3<br />
<div>
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-70956021998332894532012-06-12T19:00:00.000+01:002012-06-20T11:41:14.405+01:00Look what I found!I don't even know why or where any more but while I was thinking about what to make for my summer wardrobe I saw a picture of an Indian woman wrapping her saree (or sari). What really spiked my interest was the that you could see what we westerners call her "sari blouse". Indians call them choli blouses as far as I know. They're midriff baring, made out of cool linen or cotton fabrics, they come in bright colours and I think they're worn without bras. Or they can be anyway. All of this makes them perfect for summer. I don't think I'll dare to wear them as a normal top (it has actually cooled down a bit but when it gets warmer ... who knows?) But me thinks they'd make a perfect sports bra or sleep top if they're sewn with a bit more ease.<br />
<br />
Wouldn't this make a perfect running ensemble? It's a choli top (I might have forgotten to draw in the three bust darts) and a wrap skort (which is going to be longer than that due to the fact that minis don't suit my body shape very well).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgKgVmV1NYBuQisZ9eoYEbIqPm2mo6WocJECB8hbrEJrUt733mCX9e9nWmyfpK_QjfEflGWdYG5XbpwkMYLygIuNDXRKOWJaut3IF-ZGiWj3ViHrjrW5bZy41WyDj0SO5z4ST86-QQ3g/s1600/Idea+scetch" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgKgVmV1NYBuQisZ9eoYEbIqPm2mo6WocJECB8hbrEJrUt733mCX9e9nWmyfpK_QjfEflGWdYG5XbpwkMYLygIuNDXRKOWJaut3IF-ZGiWj3ViHrjrW5bZy41WyDj0SO5z4ST86-QQ3g/s320/Idea+scetch" width="118" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much for bright colours :P</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I wanted the skort to mimic a sari. Looking at the video bellow I could tell that I'd need pleats with lots and lots of fabric gathered into them (they've got to walk somehow right) and a wrapping section after that. I might drape the wrapped over part a little bit to mimic the draping going up to the shoulder.</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NcUOLcyIAS0?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>
<br />
So as soon as the idea hit I started looking into the making of choli blouses. I found this video series which is great. It would be perfect if I could actually understand what they're saying. I'm quite sure it's English thanks to words like "margin" and "dart" and I've always prided myself in beeing able to understand as good as every person who speaks English. Yep even Chinese Business English. But this? It feels like a completely different language :( This is the earliest video I could find. You'll have to go to their channel and search for the others. I'm not through all of them yet since searching takes up a lot of time. Time I'm stealing from sewing my evening/dance dress muslin.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oUjIcU4BdZQ?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
<i>Look!</i> No back stitching, no smooth curve at the end of the dart. I imagine it would be under quite a lot of stress since these blouses have no ease so that probably solves the nipply-dart-problem but why doesn't the stitching become undone?<br />
<br />
Butterfly<br />
<br />Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-75203251837803958662012-06-06T13:39:00.000+01:002012-06-06T13:39:06.858+01:00Can you tell?... that I have time of college? After weeks of writing one test after another I finally have time to lounge around my parents house, cook, sew and write blog posts :) Today is all about my personal colour palette. And how to find yours if you're hard to fit into the classical four colour seasons or the 12 or even 16 flow colour seasons.<br />
<a name='more'></a>So as I mentioned before it has been really, really hard to define my colouring. I saw the 70's seasonal colour analysis fail quite quickly. For all of you who don't know it sorts people into four colour categories:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Spring which has light and warm colouring</li>
<li>Summer which has light and cool colouring</li>
<li>Autumn which has dark and warm colouring</li>
<li>Winter which has dark and cool colouring</li>
</ul>
<div>
The principle is quite simple. You find your season and all the colours you'd normally associate with your season (every colour an autumn leaf might have or the bright pastels of spring flowers ...) will suit you well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's the problem:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtLsBtC8UhA/T89Dm91uOpI/AAAAAAAAAHI/P0KRz0Nko_Q/s1600/Me!" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtLsBtC8UhA/T89Dm91uOpI/AAAAAAAAAHI/P0KRz0Nko_Q/s320/Me!" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very quick (read: don't expect anything artistic) sketch of what I look like. I should probably have traced that photo ... instead I just selected the colours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As you can see there's a lot of different colouring going on. My hair is quite dark and cool but my skin is very pale. It also has cool undertones and warm overtones. So which one do I choose? My eyebrows are a lot lighter than my hair and my lashes are almost chestnut coloured. If you zoom in on my eyes you'll see that they are crazy! They have a dark blue outer circle and then change quite abruptly to a dark blue-gray* to gray to gray-green to almost olive green with a few bright green stripes and a good sprinkling of brownish-orange spots everywhere that get more condensed toward the centre. Unfortunately they really don't photograph well.<br />
<br />
The point is that I really don't fit into any of the four seasons. Then I came across flow season colour analysis where they have things like autumn flowing into winter and winter flowing into spring. The later is coincidentally what I decided I am. But not from taking one of the many on line quizzes.<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Tutorial: Finding your colour season/ flow colour season</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's my method:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>find a good colour or a colour someone makes you a compliment on </li>
<li>exclude all palettes without this colour </li>
</ol>
OR<br /><ol>
<li>find a colour you can't wear at all (bright orange for me)</li>
<li>exclude all seasons and/or flow seasons which have this in their palette</li>
<li>every time you find a colour from one of the left over palettes dash into the sunlight and get out your mirror</li>
<li>ask yourself: does this colour make me look good (healthy glowing skin, no dark circles, sparkly eyes, shiny hair) or does it make me look bad (greenish or yellowish skin and/or hair and/or eyes, mousy, like you really need a holiday) or is it just okay</li>
<li>go back to the top and repeat until you only have one palette left</li>
<li>hope that your family and friends are too used to you being you that they don't get annoyed</li>
</ol>
<div>
The hardest part here is being perfectly honest with yourself. I had to admit that my favourite light yellow-orange blouse just wasn't my colour after several friends had worried about my health while wearing it. That also explains why I look so much worse than everyone else when I have to put on fake tan for a show: Self-tan-orange is my worst colour :(</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You have to take the dashing into the sunlight part literally btw. Trying to eat a tomato ended in me dashing to the bathroom, tomato still in mouth and deciding that I really shouldn't eat tomatoes when there's a handsome guy across the room :P</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT00FSUqEQUNnD-5W_HReaNeWHaRSzZgicy942_wzOau7BEoSGhqg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT00FSUqEQUNnD-5W_HReaNeWHaRSzZgicy942_wzOau7BEoSGhqg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Especially not like this ... <br />(not my picture but I couldn't help sharing)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm of to find inspirational pictures to show you which colours I'm going to be able to wear. The nice thing about these palettes is that if you stick to them you can mix and match all your garments because the colours never clash. As a "Clear Winter" (winter flowing into spring I actually have the gayest colour palette so I might not mix quite that freely. Highlighter pink and plum anyone? ^^ I also hope that it will help me to embrace my new colour "choices" instead of feeling they're just a bunch of stiff rules dictating my fabric choices.</div>
<div>
Butterfly</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
*Anyone know why Blogger wants me to write that with a capital letter?</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-534339316397029102012-06-04T15:12:00.001+01:002012-06-04T15:12:56.995+01:00Summer crept up on me!A sudden heat spell seems to have come over all of Europe. Unfortunately I don't have enough summer clothes. Since I really want to sew something anyway I'll be making new ones for myself :)<br />
<br />
<b>What I need</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>something cool to sleep in (I might have slept in my undies and filled a hot water bottle with ice-water last night ...)</li>
<li>tops - preferably out of bright and cheerful Egyptian cotton - Those that I do have don't seem to tight in the bust and to loose in the waist. That's a good thing, but slightly annoying since i thought I'd just get out my summer tops from last year. I also don't want to use knits since I find that they cling and as soon as they're thin enough for such temperatures they're really see-through. And don't even get me started on people with knit tops and sweat-stains EVERYWHERE.</li>
<li>shorts - Once again I can't wear those from last year since they're to tight in the rear and to loose over my abs. I also feel like I might fall out of them since they're not long enough to give enough coverage in the back</li>
<li>skirts - something loose and knee length since I already figured out that mini skirts just aren't cutting it for my body type. Circle skirt anyone?</li>
<li>shoes - I'm not going to make these myself :P But dancer's feet are really ugly so I can't confront my fellow earthlings with sandals ...</li>
<li>a tunic to cover up in the sun - since it's quite humid this probably isn't going to help me stay cool but I burn really easily</li>
<li>DRESSES I always need more dresses </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>The problem(s):</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I could really kick myself for this but I still haven't perfected my new foundation pattern. I know, I know! It took ages to find someone willing (and able!) to take my measurements. In the end I just showed a measuring tape into my little sisters hand. So I'm still making alterations.</li>
<li>My pay check arrives in three days and I'm pretty close to my have-some-money-in-case-something-unexpected-happens-limit. So no fabric shopping until then :(</li>
<li>I still haven't completely found my way through all the colour advice</li>
</ul>
<div>
But I finally have time for some serious sewing.</div>
</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-53686254273216384172012-06-04T15:10:00.002+01:002012-06-20T11:41:51.268+01:00Self-Punishment-Skirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Most of you probably know by now that I love to dance. And you've probably seen the beautiful standard gowns. If not just Google it (They have very full skirts and lots of rhinestones. And even more rhinestones :P.). So as you can imagine dancing in a skirt is quite a different feeling from dancing in pants. That's why I always practice in skirts. Mine and those I sew for others are usually sewn on the bias. It's how Ginger Rogers achieved that "swishy" look in her dresses. She also weighted the hem but I'm not doing that for practice wear ;)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So here's the deal: I managed to loose my practice skirt. You can go back and read that again: I lost an almost floor length skirt that flared out into two full circles. How do you do that you ask? Well ... and the rest is lost in mumbling as I bow my head in shame. To punish myself I figured I'd sew my new practice skirt out of knit fabric. I just don't like wearing knits. And you're heel catches in the hem during practice: I actually managed to get mine caught in the hem of the dancer next to me ....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My pattern pieces basically looked like this:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaKRqEj51928Zs_50gdmWYcmbzdA29AtsXrvcstnGogqWSitqC_7mFsqjyknORh_Vark8bAUilY3axhYto-O9dM0o221QOgYSdkOVbYGz1ewZX7iOseuY4LnBeVzXCdwp0LelHngxjB4/s1600/Skirt+pattern.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaKRqEj51928Zs_50gdmWYcmbzdA29AtsXrvcstnGogqWSitqC_7mFsqjyknORh_Vark8bAUilY3axhYto-O9dM0o221QOgYSdkOVbYGz1ewZX7iOseuY4LnBeVzXCdwp0LelHngxjB4/s320/Skirt+pattern.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is the half finished skirt: It has a separate waistband, that goes almost all the way underneath my but. The teal coloured fabric is a polo knit that I - obviously - never used. It's now serving the purpose of an interfacing. I just have another 3 meters to somehow use up ... I don't know if you can see it but I'm actually in the middle of pinning my waist elastic to my "interfacing". I like to do this on the body as it provides neater results. It serves much the same purpose as waist tape for full skirts made out of heavy fabric: Holding the skirt up. Only that it isn't gravity I'm fitting against but my own (and others!) dance shoe's heels. The knit is so light weight that even centrifugal force in quick turns shouldn't be a problem without a waist elastic, but the heels just won't stop hating knit hems ...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaVsI-5XoUYt0NWg4O2UFD0w8GU0zkBP8nDorO_YeHmwMesttjMHFPqlaa_A3xihNyJrrFG3tiRhkNJMT8GHvJD6tf_hyhetVM75uqak9B04xqSfCNZiCv0bTMatSLFKjvA0qVFdqItg/s1600/2012-06-04+13.01.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaVsI-5XoUYt0NWg4O2UFD0w8GU0zkBP8nDorO_YeHmwMesttjMHFPqlaa_A3xihNyJrrFG3tiRhkNJMT8GHvJD6tf_hyhetVM75uqak9B04xqSfCNZiCv0bTMatSLFKjvA0qVFdqItg/s320/2012-06-04+13.01.55.jpg" width="124" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like I'll have to repin ... the seam is supposed to be further down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;">While this knit fabric actually looks quite nice (better than I'd thought knits could look anyhow) it's somewhat see-through in the wrong lights (read: bright light, read: stage light and summer sun-light) so I'll have to sew a short lining skirt. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I'm going to sew in short shorts like the those Ginger Rogers had underneath her dresses. Can you tell I'm a bit obsessed with her? It's perfectly normal for Ballroom gown (both Standard and Latin-american) and probably American Smooth and Rhythm gowns to have sewn in panties. You're not even allowed to compete without them. Yep there are rules for that. They're written down <a href="http://www.worlddancesport.org/doc/competition/rules%20and%20bidding/2009/idsf_dress_regulations_macau_2009.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. Some countries have "extra" rules though.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I'm still not sure if I'll </li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a) not hem at all (less for the heels to hold on to).</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
b) use horsehair braid in the hem (probably to pretty for a self punishment skirt but a lot closer to the dresses we'll actually dance in) which is very much in vogue in standard gowns at the moment.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You can see some examples of horsehair braid in hems here:</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Isn't Joanne's skirt just beautiful? I think it's has a very full crinoline underneath and tulle flounces with light fishing wire in the hem. Anyone want to guess the meterage?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Butterfly</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-38095869453052617652012-05-20T12:15:00.001+01:002012-05-20T12:15:34.509+01:00Preventing a sewing rehabSo I'm finding it incredibly hard to make my list of death and really develop a plan of what I should be sewing for myself. My body type shape is somewhat weird and I needed lots and lots of reading into dressing for your body type. The next step would be to find "my" colour palette. But once again that will take up a lot of time. But I feel like I'm in a sewing rehab until I have all that sorted out. But I don't really want that so I'll be combining my two addictions and sewing stuff to dance in!<br />
<br />
I'm currently running some ideas past the lovely ladies at pattern review. They have a huge thread on sewing dance wear over there. But it's more about drafting for dance wear and selecting the right fabrics. I'll be sewing myself at least two long sleeved shirts for dance practice and maybe a new practice skirt too. I don't really need one but sewing all those - mainly straight - lines is fun and I'm still experimenting with getting the cut that looks most beautiful when twirling. I'll upload sketches as soon as I get the scanner to co-operate :)<br />
<br />
I also found a really beautiful dance dress that I'll be copying - more or less - for my special occasion dress.<br />
<a href="http://www.vivadancewear.com/pld001.htm" target="_blank">This is the dress</a> unfortunately the link is down at the moment.<br />
<br />
Until then!<br />
ButterflyButterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-46171417656455056432012-04-30T13:28:00.000+01:002012-04-30T14:36:02.498+01:00The list of death<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Good morning blog-land!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I can't believe how
crowded the past few <strike>weeks</strike> month have been. I went
from writing pages upon pages in my diary every day to writing maybe
a page every three weeks :( I always just fell asleep before I got
the chance to write anything. But thinking about my personal style
and all the clothes I'm going to make when I have a break from
university calms me down and helps me focus better afterwards. So
let's get started shall we?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In my last post about
body shape and personal style I came to realise, that I am an
hourglass with shoulders that are just a bit to wide. It might just
be my preference for pear body shapes over hourglasses. I don't know
why but I also prefer heart shaped and inverted triangle faces over
oval ones. Contemplating why that might be is a matter for another
post though. So my aim today is to find a list of desirable
properties for my clothes and also a list of things I should avoid at
any cost.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Since my ideal body
shape isn't the same as the “ideal body shape” all body shape
bibles etc. talk of I had to piece this together for myself. I mainly
used two great websites to help me do so:</div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.insideoutstyleblog.com/">http://www.insideoutstyleblog.com</a>
which is simply amazing! Imogen Laport – who runs the site –
defines more than just the standard four body shapes and even shows
photos of different women for each shape. All the tips are very well
thought through and coherent. I found her hints for minimizing
square shoulders especially helpful.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://bodyshapestyle.com/">http://bodyshapestyle.com</a>
is also a great place for advice. I especially enjoyed this article
about the whole skin vs. shape dilema and also the butt vs. bust if
you go for showing skin. Though it is meant only for evening wear I
think it can also be used for every day wear. There was also an
article that contained the sentence: “Use the best type of fabric
you can afford.” What's not to love about that?</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So I started with the
list of things I shouldn't wear:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>THE LIST OF DEATH</b>
(not melodramatic at all)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK0QvsAsWlb2lTyor5bQ5M7C7laIZQlorY4BXOh9uf5n92B2tD3rK5F4eVxByAvmX800yJyannhAxV4uZkBhMVTqr5XEiUSHnoE6-8UupyLrV0S4MwRhq9XEZbOWsbDL7VT4sxJSVigk/s1600/gathered+sleeves.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
high necklines, especially turtle necks as they make my shoulders
look wider and overemphasise my bust</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXZKfGo4I4WiRGRl9DpsoPgQJWZM5ceuH_cyg_eKpHrS6r_NFbTnHnRGcsPWGHLscfBO4A0eNXNv87cidLHotfCNlh7fgyHxfHmLI-wBMG6eqB7FrY1OUDArEqu9oRUCxmhWafDWbgqk/s1600/high+neckline.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXZKfGo4I4WiRGRl9DpsoPgQJWZM5ceuH_cyg_eKpHrS6r_NFbTnHnRGcsPWGHLscfBO4A0eNXNv87cidLHotfCNlh7fgyHxfHmLI-wBMG6eqB7FrY1OUDArEqu9oRUCxmhWafDWbgqk/s320/high+neckline.png" width="216" /></a>
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
cap sleeves or
gathered sleeves: again to much emphasis on the shoulders</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK0QvsAsWlb2lTyor5bQ5M7C7laIZQlorY4BXOh9uf5n92B2tD3rK5F4eVxByAvmX800yJyannhAxV4uZkBhMVTqr5XEiUSHnoE6-8UupyLrV0S4MwRhq9XEZbOWsbDL7VT4sxJSVigk/s1600/gathered+sleeves.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK0QvsAsWlb2lTyor5bQ5M7C7laIZQlorY4BXOh9uf5n92B2tD3rK5F4eVxByAvmX800yJyannhAxV4uZkBhMVTqr5XEiUSHnoE6-8UupyLrV0S4MwRhq9XEZbOWsbDL7VT4sxJSVigk/s320/gathered+sleeves.png" width="134" /></a>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Since this is a
fluffiness issue extra fullness at the hip and emphasis on the waist
could work</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6o3SZaOeELpedh_rEapTO_3BYj9ku32W3IwmTGJ9yx-8dmoT1ZLrrpZimfeU9l8QsXGj6DN21nspXTp7DvR5_-tBhTjKWGcNihJSXJqi0Kr4Cw7F2TIuSOS63eAnVCs4YntFHWIuqvIU/s1600/gathered+sleeves+%252B+fluffy+skirt+%252B+emphasis+at+waist.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6o3SZaOeELpedh_rEapTO_3BYj9ku32W3IwmTGJ9yx-8dmoT1ZLrrpZimfeU9l8QsXGj6DN21nspXTp7DvR5_-tBhTjKWGcNihJSXJqi0Kr4Cw7F2TIuSOS63eAnVCs4YntFHWIuqvIU/s320/gathered+sleeves+%252B+fluffy+skirt+%252B+emphasis+at+waist.png" width="134" /></a>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
frills and colour
accents around the shoulder line</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
this one goes
without saying: baggy clothes! No-one looks good in baggy clothes!
And I don't sew for myself only to have clothes with horrible fit
either.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXZKfGo4I4WiRGRl9DpsoPgQJWZM5ceuH_cyg_eKpHrS6r_NFbTnHnRGcsPWGHLscfBO4A0eNXNv87cidLHotfCNlh7fgyHxfHmLI-wBMG6eqB7FrY1OUDArEqu9oRUCxmhWafDWbgqk/s1600/high+neckline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7r3xRFqduebaPQGmaez4MzG-fxE-2tlYsewzVyCX2s3mqb-lio-linM2gSDy_gt2LhByo_2js5Ac5dTje19yasQfc7LeaXRchx4RskZ_Z5cRKVqpiIPzOqTsvBqNQV0HCjaQAulTBz-Y/s1600/staples.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7r3xRFqduebaPQGmaez4MzG-fxE-2tlYsewzVyCX2s3mqb-lio-linM2gSDy_gt2LhByo_2js5Ac5dTje19yasQfc7LeaXRchx4RskZ_Z5cRKVqpiIPzOqTsvBqNQV0HCjaQAulTBz-Y/s320/staples.png" width="134" /></a>Wide necklines –
I'm taking this to mean necklines that go past my bra strap as
necklines that just about cover them look great as long as they're
not to shallow.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Chunky fabrics –
I'm not objecting as I like “feminine”, drapey fabrics that move in the
breeze much better</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
anything strapless
as I like to be able to dance in all of my clothes and I think a
strapless bra sliding up and down all the time wouldn't be very
helpful</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
this picture also
illustrates that I have to be careful with short hemlines as it
tends to look cheap very quickly (but I'd be happy to accept other
opinions on this … do you find this dress appealing on my figure?)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On another note: These
pictures make me realise that my ribs seem to be sticking out quite a
lot. That might explain some weird fitting issues I have around the
waist and under bust region. Do you think I could/should wear a
corset for formal events to push my ribs in? It wouldn't need to be
industrial strength as I can just push my ribs in with my fingers. A
long line bra might be all that's needed now that I come to think of
it. That might also help with the strapless bra problem. Does anyone
have experience with wearing a long line bra to go strapless?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Butterfly</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
PS: Thank you for the nice comments :)</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-7422397705371841252012-04-27T17:48:00.001+01:002012-04-27T17:48:11.503+01:00What are you cooking?Because I actually don't know what I'm going to make. But lets start at the beginning shall we?<br />
<br />
Every morning I eat muesli. With milk of course, but a few month ago I stared to wonder if might be lacorse intolerant. And then I decided to let it get checed out since I was getting really bad stomach cramps after breakfast. The results arrived and I can tell you it's not lactose intollerance. I'm actually allergic to milk protein. So now I'm stuck with not beeing able to eat any dairy products at all.<br />
<br />
It's not quite as bad as it sounds though. I actually like soy milk a lot better than cows. It migth just be my body's way of sighing in relief but it tastes good either way. What I'm really concerned with is cheese. living as a vegetarian for years I don't really know what I should put on my bread. Or how to replace mozzarella (yep, concern number one)! Or pesto for that matter. Does anyone have good milk-free, vegetarian recipies?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abbottnutrition.com.my/images/ped/cmpa_img2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.abbottnutrition.com.my/images/ped/cmpa_img2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sounds familiar. All of it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
ButterflyButterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-68101992775333505022012-04-20T07:31:00.001+01:002012-04-20T07:31:32.343+01:00A new dress for me!!! Let's look at what I should be wearing ...So I have three month until I need a prom dress. That gave me a real kick in the butt to continue contemplating what looks good on me and what doesn't and also what I feel comfortable in because it's just so me :)<br />
<br />
So first things first: My body shape! After looking at the photos from <a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.de/2012/04/remember-me.html" target="_blank">my last post</a> again I decided that I'm really more of an hourglass. I'm still confused about the difference though. It seems to me as if a cello is just a plus-sized hourglass but then again they said, that size doesn't matter ... I think the hourglass would have needed a more fitted top to truly show the proportions of her waist. And a better bra. Or it might just be my weirdly high bust that makes me think everyone isn't supported as well as they should be.<br />
<br />
But the thing that tipped me in the end was the legs and the high hip. Mine just look more like the hourglass' to me. The hourglass has more rounded calves and the thighs have more weight towards the crotch instead of resembling cut of cones.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1Rw3oL4Z2FqgEsg-dW2Qs7fEua_dxGoZo9gQe7qAHI6angyhv2zxmvjIlbzdrQZeAhquHJsr7PML6A4zicCATjbcHySHQb0YmKxoWhgtcxQr0uFid1qMpDb49X6kbenamm21BrbVUYw/s1600/thighs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1Rw3oL4Z2FqgEsg-dW2Qs7fEua_dxGoZo9gQe7qAHI6angyhv2zxmvjIlbzdrQZeAhquHJsr7PML6A4zicCATjbcHySHQb0YmKxoWhgtcxQr0uFid1qMpDb49X6kbenamm21BrbVUYw/s320/thighs.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cello's legs (on the left) don't seem to fit mine, the hourglass' come closer to the truth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The hourglass' high hip is also more dramatic which also more closely resembles mine.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttCZCGENIWjaPBSP6CIRrsLtRA7r5BgZElPhcIYHLsiIx2Qis3Hf5taav4gUi0_50G3KwIpRpB-x5L71sPy7c_T7sP1-ECSnxClcQ3zF-uEfzPhEMCDuB2X3L1dCTBoBjPJU9GTXq0a0/s1600/high+hip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttCZCGENIWjaPBSP6CIRrsLtRA7r5BgZElPhcIYHLsiIx2Qis3Hf5taav4gUi0_50G3KwIpRpB-x5L71sPy7c_T7sP1-ECSnxClcQ3zF-uEfzPhEMCDuB2X3L1dCTBoBjPJU9GTXq0a0/s320/high+hip.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hourglass' high hip (on the right) seems to flare out like mine does.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I'm an hourglass. But what the pictures also showed is that my shoulders are squarer and also wider:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_iBSIvwfTexHQknYnJK3yqrfJakhK5y6HEjuJcNishTEGCLJuzQHaf7LKX4G_BsHCj_Ox46bT90ehs1-AyQ7JugXfuNaL0sQjeMG7ibIMQ06FSFVXVNuZR7j-LGhfOi5NID_BuWEsBc/s1600/Shoulders.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_iBSIvwfTexHQknYnJK3yqrfJakhK5y6HEjuJcNishTEGCLJuzQHaf7LKX4G_BsHCj_Ox46bT90ehs1-AyQ7JugXfuNaL0sQjeMG7ibIMQ06FSFVXVNuZR7j-LGhfOi5NID_BuWEsBc/s1600/Shoulders.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This might just be the result of a weird camera angle (photographed by tiny tots), but I know that my shoulders are pretty square. Therefore my primary figure type is an hourglass, my secondary is probably a goblet even though my back is anything but wide. So what does that mean for me?<br />
<br />
I'm going to stick to all clothing recommendations for hourglass body types. And I'm going to pick out anything for goblets that I think applies to me. Even though I might just take the hints for cornets instead since they are supposed to minimise only the shoulders and not the bust and I kind of like my bust ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-58879836230190939652012-04-04T15:58:00.000+01:002012-04-04T15:58:22.773+01:00Remember me?Once upon a time there was a little butterfly, who started to write a blog. And she was really exited to finaly have a place to show of her work and ask more advanced seamstresses for advice. But then she fell into a most terrible sewing de motivation factored by two things:<div>
<ul>
<li>The new sewing machine she was supposed to get for Christmas simply wouldn't arrive. She drove by the shop on a daily basis. The shop owner always saw her coming in and before she could even inquire about her new baby he made an apologetic face and lifted his hand's in an it's-out-of-my-power-gesture. Now who would want to continue doing anything creative under those conditions?</li>
<li>The one thing this little butterfly loved more than sewing was dancing. Unfortunately spending twelve hours per week at dance practice resulted in some mayor changes in her figure. And so she'd have to unpick everything after less than a month and do alterations. And the little butterfly hates unpicking seams.</li>
</ul>
<div>
But eventually the sewing machine arrived and the little butterfly at least started to write her blog again in order to ask people for help with defining her new shape.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So uhm I'm back again :) As you probably realised I'm the little butterfly. Even though the story might be just a bit melodramatic.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But let's get to the point shall we? Nothing fits any more! The <a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.de/2011/10/not-so-straight-edged-spiral-skirt.html" target="_blank">practice skirt</a> I'd sewn for myself now looks like a sack of potatoes on me. If I hadn't sewn in a waist band elastic by hand it would just fall over my hips. It's not all due to weight loss though since it went in the tumbler and the stretchy fabric came out permanently stretched. I'm still not sure if I want to sew a new one any time soon. It still looks better than the other practice skirts in my formation. They're just meters upon meters of jersey gathered to a too tight, too thin elastic waistband. They also have a lot of holes around the gem because your heels will still get caught if you shorten the hem to 30 cm of the floor. Paint a bad enough picture yet?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What I'm currently concerned with is finding out what my new body shape is and what would suit me now.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-DhLeg0ons/T3xCoaiTuEI/AAAAAAAAAFA/mQxkYcqcr8g/s1600/body+shape.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-DhLeg0ons/T3xCoaiTuEI/AAAAAAAAAFA/mQxkYcqcr8g/s320/body+shape.png" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What body shape am I?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i> </i>I took this picture right after breakfast so my stomach is a bit puffed out. It's usually more concave. I also had ten hours worth of dance practise the day before so I'm still half in dance posture<div>
But lets get started on analysing that shall we?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I seam to have:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>equally wide hips and shoulders</li>
<li>a high (short) waist, which looks average since ...</li>
<li>my bust is a lot higher than most peoples</li>
<li>my widest point from the front (just around crotch) is not my widest point from the side (butt)</li>
<li>I have muscular thighs from dancing on slippery floors (the "quicker" the floor is, the closer you get to squatting)</li>
<li>my calves are also well defined from the rise and fall action in standard dances (rising unto the tips of your toes and going back down in something that resembles a sine wave)</li>
<li>I screwed up the arms because they are actually more muscular than some of the boy's I know (thank you seven years of climbing)</li>
<li>my waist is my smallest part</li>
</ul>
<div>
That would leave me as an hourglass wouldn't it? But the side view doesn't look very hourglassy to me. It's more like an inverted triangle with shapely legs .... What do you think?</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since that didn't really help I tried to find which body shape I am by layering <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-488236/Trinny-Susannah-reveal-12-womens-body-types--you.html" target="_blank">these pictures</a> over my own:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MnpPG0h1jeA/T3xe9T19ZTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/NkM-dVbi85U/s1600/Trinnity+and+Susanahs+Bodyshapes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MnpPG0h1jeA/T3xe9T19ZTI/AAAAAAAAAFU/NkM-dVbi85U/s1600/Trinnity+and+Susanahs+Bodyshapes.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After a bit of stretching I could finally start looking for my body shape.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm not a vase since my shoulders and hips peek out and her waist peeks out behind mine. Can you see what I mean?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And then I can't be sure if I'm a cello or an hourglass since both pictures seem to "fit" my body equally well. Of course that leaves you wondering at what the difference between the two is. Anyone want to help me play spot the difference?</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-61163290825836688362012-01-11T15:03:00.000+00:002012-01-11T15:03:03.974+00:00And still no sign of my sewing machine :(<i>Warning: Rant incoming!</i><br />
<br />
I was supposed to get a new sewing machine for Christmas. And it still hasn't come! It's just a small Brother and it isn't as good as the other one ... but I have a feeling I'll only start sewing again when it has arrived. I don't use complicated stitches or methods:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I love rolled hems and I never use anything else</li>
<li>I never use anything more complicated than a zig-zag stitch (does anyone)</li>
<li>I often feel crushed by all the fancy stitches my sewing machine has to offer</li>
</ul>
<div>
Most of you would probably use this as a travel machine. It would be the perfect everyday machine for me though. So why can't it just arrive?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it does I'll finish the sweatshirt jacket and sew in the zipper on a bright pink skirt. But until then I can't even be bothered with knitting or sketching. The only thing that keeps me sane right now is coming up with crazy, beautiful, new sewing projects and keeping a lookout for the perfect fabric.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Butterfly</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-37778495164093297462011-12-30T00:37:00.002+00:002011-12-30T00:37:51.389+00:00And I'm of again :)The time around Christmas and New Year is always the busiest for me: I have to wrap presents over presents, visit friends and family and spend as much time dancing as possible as competitions start in January. There seemed to be a big gap in my heart where sewing and stitching and everything crafty usually reside (to melodramatic?). In my desperation (definitely overdoing it here!)I got out a pair of knitting needles and bought some cheap yarn and started on a lace pattern my mother was working on. I didn't even like it, but I had to do <b>something</b>. I did use thickish wool, because I don't like the look of lace. I prefer it if it looks like this.<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.e-yarn.com//upload/faqImages/winterlaceLg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://www.e-yarn.com//upload/faqImages/winterlaceLg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But somehow it just wasn't mine. It had to many edges and right angles for my liking. I never thought I'd say this, but it just wasn't playful enough. Also I'd just started knitting and so I didn't know that this thing would be huge. As in: Even-Bigger-Than-A-Blanket-Huge. I opened it up again. Since I do quite like the brightness of the wool I will probably make a scarf from it. And since I can't give up I'll just play around with the lace pattern until it's a scarf-pattern I like :)</div>
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That is phase one of my Anti-Craftiness-Deprivation-Programme (ACDP).</div>
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<a href="http://www.caron.com/images/yarn_images/simply_soft/ss_proj/ss_bright_kimono_1_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.caron.com/images/yarn_images/simply_soft/ss_proj/ss_bright_kimono_1_lg.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Phase two will be digging out <a href="http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/ss_bright_breezy_kimono.html" target="_blank">this pattern</a> from Caron International, that didn't work out so well. What drew me in where the bright colours and the simple design. As well as the playful stitches, that aren't fussy enough to dwarf my already slight frame (well the bone structure any ways). And it didn't look like it would be far to warm. I was in love and then I started knitting and it went so easily and quickly. But the stitches didn't look anything like in the photos. So with my heart in a thousand pieces I started unravelling. I showed everything in a corner and tried not to think about that lovely jacket denied to me. </div>
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But it would call for me in the depth of the night:</div>
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"Butterfly, Butterfly! Don't you love me any more? Just think of my lovely bright red hue that matches your complexion so perfectly! Oh and how soft I am! And isn't this look flattering on just about everyone?"</div>
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So I spent an hour looking for ways to fix the problem. I will not be made a fool of by a few stitches!</div>
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This is what the folks at Lionbrand got, when they knitted the same pattern.</div>
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<a href="http://www.lionbrand.com/graphics/stitchFinder/meshPatternLg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://www.lionbrand.com/graphics/stitchFinder/meshPatternLg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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See? Not at all like the kimono! So I went in search for a holey pattern, that looked as though it had been woven.</div>
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First I came across the <a href="http://newstitchaday.com/woven-cable-stitch/" target="_blank">woven cable stitch</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://newstitchaday.com/files/2011/11/NSAD-Woven-Cable-Stitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://newstitchaday.com/files/2011/11/NSAD-Woven-Cable-Stitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But it didn't have any holes in it and according to the instructions it drapes badly.</div>
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Then I found this <a href="http://saltwaterpurls.blogspot.com/2007/09/knotty-stitch-mini-pattern.html" target="_blank">great tutorial</a> by Jill. It's still not quite the effect I'd hoped for (or rather: I'd have to use a different yarn to make it work.), but it gave me an idea of how to achieve "my" pattern. If it doesn't work I'll go back to this though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY_beFTbLc9U81T0jE1nB7vA0zt1SAjbZlTCaLenFAlnGgawGLJZ9iAj0tw8GlIkgboSAyGdyLraPKLC1zhVmaf3y1Ru17dmEVkqGA04mxlqYJnU6SFIW_13dsFt3HLqWI2Bd9JV4GDs/s320/pattern+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY_beFTbLc9U81T0jE1nB7vA0zt1SAjbZlTCaLenFAlnGgawGLJZ9iAj0tw8GlIkgboSAyGdyLraPKLC1zhVmaf3y1Ru17dmEVkqGA04mxlqYJnU6SFIW_13dsFt3HLqWI2Bd9JV4GDs/s320/pattern+001.jpg" /></a></div>
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I won't be able to post for at least a week as I'll be travelling to my aunt's and uncle's and I want to give them and their two darling sons my undivided attention. And afterwards I'll be in dance boot camp. I'll just drop straight to sleep as soon as my coach let's me go in the evening.</div>
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The photo uploading is still somewhat tricky. I managed to upload the photos for the last post with Internet Explorer but it just doesn't seem to work with Chrome. It's kind of funny that there should be a glitch with using Blogger with a programme made by Google. But the point is that I just got all my pictures of the web and so I can't claim credit for the photography.</div>
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Until then!</div>
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Butterfly</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-13900907179044770942011-12-24T06:35:00.000+00:002011-12-24T06:35:01.727+00:00Merry Christmas!I find it fascinating that so many different cultures and religions have come up with celebrations for solstice. So no matter what or how you're celebrating; Have a really good time with family and friends. Do something special and show everyone how much you care.Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-91777834032032736932011-12-12T16:13:00.000+00:002011-12-12T16:13:00.585+00:00Uhm a little help please?Does anyone have any idea whatsoever on how I can upload pictures? The pictures start loading normally and then the thing just freezes :( I have something I'm really exited to show you, but it needs lots and lots of pictures to be fully appreciated and I can't upload even one ...Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-14420815979656539182011-11-21T16:31:00.001+00:002011-12-20T16:48:52.376+00:00So I thought I'd beat the stomach flu ...... and then it kept me in bed for almost three weeks :( Between sleeping, reading other blogs and - um well you know - ... I actually got crafty ^^ So what DID I do?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsz3CB620LGI5ysMJCi-BqmvHoTfATEJf5g6VvU73Jemh1K_SylJbF3K_44pO2SGI8DWyrDEBMb2nYvDf0n6PdZPUcXOCI7lsbdST3_f4bsA_OrTOaQSnbjWxoCYepYXz7LHfRBDDdsRo/s1600/Mend+Pile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsz3CB620LGI5ysMJCi-BqmvHoTfATEJf5g6VvU73Jemh1K_SylJbF3K_44pO2SGI8DWyrDEBMb2nYvDf0n6PdZPUcXOCI7lsbdST3_f4bsA_OrTOaQSnbjWxoCYepYXz7LHfRBDDdsRo/s640/Mend+Pile.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuff I want to fix BEFORE christmas ...</td></tr>
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<li>I drafted slopers based on my new measurements. I'm probably going to have to make new ones again in a month or so. Loosing weight can really annoy you. But twice as much dancing is worth it.</li>
<li>I started sewing these trousers / leggings based on my new slopers. I choose to experiment with shifting the side seams. Even though they're not finished yet I wear them around the house. They just fit that well.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSX-yC0LFE0QvcW_q_vT-Z9d44YStUylVmM6uTNEdopyWQFrW-rvwv-kJWjHwn8fxtTU2rvtJEQd5leLMBHMdQsRdYFAB8CY6aQHuPzwiDHDkvzJLEwFNhLxXqcvjEDqiKiJKNNC8Yt10/s1600/Grey+Leggins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSX-yC0LFE0QvcW_q_vT-Z9d44YStUylVmM6uTNEdopyWQFrW-rvwv-kJWjHwn8fxtTU2rvtJEQd5leLMBHMdQsRdYFAB8CY6aQHuPzwiDHDkvzJLEwFNhLxXqcvjEDqiKiJKNNC8Yt10/s320/Grey+Leggins.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wrinkling will disappear ...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7sMolioree4a9-bc__UztvfHH34EMSaivEvE_ieYLu4IiVww7DbyKph9pNvzqo2QWMuUcVqmrCZtHKFOip4HLUhTHBz0yl7jxPs9J0JJOcGkwkMzYnmadXXVIDud1wyYUl6Ec7QnJkg/s1600/Grey+Leggins+STB+Placket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7sMolioree4a9-bc__UztvfHH34EMSaivEvE_ieYLu4IiVww7DbyKph9pNvzqo2QWMuUcVqmrCZtHKFOip4HLUhTHBz0yl7jxPs9J0JJOcGkwkMzYnmadXXVIDud1wyYUl6Ec7QnJkg/s320/Grey+Leggins+STB+Placket.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... as soon as the placket is closed</td></tr>
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</li>
<li>I finally took in the under bust band on my favourite bra. I have tiny bone structure and lots of mass on top. Ergo: Bra size 26-28 H. Only I can't find any bras in that size. Therefore my bra bands keep sliding up over my shoulder blades. Well not any more!</li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3gMGgxnZzJgEOCYV5HOGKL2VgnO4g1s04-P21RheuUrIW1h30vhS_mUj6KVabASkJ3lkKvaHhJYbGlQeYhlTj-er0PPHzqlAAjfyj9nEG1LPgvcvDl6eH49Q-qJN2_L5nN_Vg9kYBsY/s1600/Are+my+ribs+really+that+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3gMGgxnZzJgEOCYV5HOGKL2VgnO4g1s04-P21RheuUrIW1h30vhS_mUj6KVabASkJ3lkKvaHhJYbGlQeYhlTj-er0PPHzqlAAjfyj9nEG1LPgvcvDl6eH49Q-qJN2_L5nN_Vg9kYBsY/s400/Are+my+ribs+really+that+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I like the length I'll do a neater finish ...</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>I restarted a project I'd just showed into a corner a while ago. My feet are weird. They're small in all directions. Having short feet is typical for dancers (they actually shrink ...) Having a very small arch isn't. Nor are slender feet. I'm rambling aren't I? So anyway I decided to make my own shoes. I don't like moccasins. Even though those I have made turned out really well. Instead I wanted to make my own ballerinas. I also decided not to use any glue with them. I want to be able to throw them in the washing machine! But when I started sewing the insoles everything went wrong. The sewing machine was skipping stitches and badly stretching the felt layer. I'm going to spare you a picture of those insoles! That's about when I gave up. But now I carefully undid all the stitching. I used a lot of pins. I never use pins so this is a big change for me. I'm also sewing the two layers together by hand.
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A big thanks to you for choosing to put up with my rambling and start following my blog. :) Now I don't feel like I'm writing to myself.<br />
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Butterfly<br />
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</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-67229365423051631422011-11-12T09:11:00.001+00:002011-11-12T09:17:35.759+00:00Sloper decisionsAs I'm still undecided about the <a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.com/2011/11/fitting-question.html" target="_blank">sloper issue</a> I decided that Dolly (yeah the name stuck) gets to have a new skirt. That really doesn't make sense as I threw out the horrid dress she came with and made her a wrap skirt instead. She needs a jacket or a top. But yeah, now she has two skirts. I'll post pictures of both skirts and how I continued drafting as soon as she has a top. She might be made out of plastic, but she'd feel pretty embarrassed otherwise.<div>
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Oh and my sewing machine is finally going to the doctors.</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-54039546442251077722011-11-08T16:44:00.001+00:002011-11-08T16:45:45.724+00:00The Influence Films haveTo start of with: It's perfectly acceptable for me to think about selfish Me!-Me!-Me!-projects again. My mum actually bought a new coat. The fit is horrible. But it's much better than the last one. So I'm not going to complain (as long as you don't get me started on the princess seams that is). So there goes the <a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-christmas-coat.html" target="_blank">CCP</a>.<br />
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So what's the next selfish project? As you can tell from the post title it comes from a film. "Enchanted" to be precise. I got around to watching it. I know a lot of people consider it overly kitchy (why hasn't blogger spell-check heard of it?). I for one think the producers where mocking themselves with it. No? Well you don't have to believe me of course ^^. I will however stick to my hypothesis.<br />
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If you start from 4:44 you can see the dress I mean in action. As well as Giselle's "cutting layout". That shot actually made me smile. But not for the same reason as HE did. It's more like the seamstresses perspective ;).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-LNTs2Ye9yk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Anyone who knows me also knows how much I love dresses like that. The full skirt and the fitted bodice: Oh my! I do believe the bodice has a lot of boning, with the bones between the lining and the fashion fabric. The boning channels seem to be by sewing straight seams down the bodice. All in all it reminds me of stays.<br />
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So that's the dress I'd like to sew. Do you think it's prom worthy? I know I can neither pull of the colours nor the flowery print. I can't pull of prints in general. In the little flowery ones I look like a child in a nightgown. And quite frumpy too. In the large prints I tend to look like an overhung Christmas tree. Geometric and non-flowery prints work from time to time. But I don't think it would be formal enough. So maybe shiny, navy fabric? I wear a lot of navy as it is my favourite colour. So to spice it up maybe a bright pink petticoat?<br />
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Come to think of it, the first dress would probably suit me well too. And it reminds me of the Titanic swim dress. As a matter of fact I haven't seen Titanic yet. As far as I know there's no book that says you can't admire the costumes though.And know the music of by heart. I'm strange like that.Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-37892318402664680882011-11-07T19:08:00.000+00:002011-11-12T09:10:31.890+00:00A fitting questionFor the next pattern drafting step I'd have to use my own sloper. Unfortunately it doesn't fit any more :(A mixture of dancing and stomach flu has caused me to slim down. I didn't actually loose weight. It's more like putting on muscles in the calf, thighs, but, lower abs .... okay everywhere. Even the bottom of my feet! <br />
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But I digress. The point is that I feel like I'm wearing this when I put on a "dress" made from my sloper. I nicked the pic from the lovely Marissa at her wonderful <a href="http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. You should really check it out if you haven't done so yet. This dress for example gets transformed into the cutest thing ever.<br />
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<a href="http://newdressaday.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/dscn1385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://newdressaday.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/dscn1385.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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The really important question now: Should I draft new slopers (again!?) and make my skirt pattern from those? Or should I hope to put on weight again and make it from my old sloper?</div>
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Oh and just because I love stealing pictures I find on the Internet and sharing them with you. This is what a blogger suggested to put on clothing labels:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAARxgwx7p4i2LqLio_veqB8KsuoDq9VVkl0QaQmNPqA21QNV34G5bhgAX_OtfxCeSU2gtbjH4aSZuMmn643vxIAInlFbjivbXDsF3evNFmGQzJzHhx-FN9wAES57DrKvsblPfzuhBfDM/s1600/just+right.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAARxgwx7p4i2LqLio_veqB8KsuoDq9VVkl0QaQmNPqA21QNV34G5bhgAX_OtfxCeSU2gtbjH4aSZuMmn643vxIAInlFbjivbXDsF3evNFmGQzJzHhx-FN9wAES57DrKvsblPfzuhBfDM/s320/just+right.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-25198621345406608592011-11-05T20:50:00.001+00:002011-11-12T09:10:49.142+00:00I got hacked :(Yeah that's right: A very mean trojan attacked my computer jumbling up ALL my files in the process. So instead of spending my time sewing or knitting I played around with my computer. I love to hear music while I get crafting and it annoyed me that I couldn't. But after a few thousand crashes and hours spend in safe mode I got it out. Let me tell you it was not fun: I had to delete tons of files and redirect loads of processes too. It was almost 40 (!) in total.<br />
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On the bright side:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I now know that my antivirus hasn't been able to update in almost 3 month (Whoopsie! Why didn't I notice before?)</li>
<li>I won't complain about nerve racking sewing details or difficult projects ever again! If I do you may send me another virus :(</li>
<li>I also took the time for a computer clean-up. I can't believe how much faster it is now :)</li>
<li>I am healthy again! No more yoga pants and ugly, comfy knit-skirts for me. Even though I'll still wear the later for dance practice.</li>
<li>I have new dance shoes! They're just plain, normal, golden dance shoes. Exactly like the pair that died on me! BUT: They're a size smaller! So they don't keep falling of. And they're still clean. Until next practice that is.</li>
<li>I have a new dance partner. I just don't know who yet. Most of the options aren't quite as good as my old one. But they have talent. And they're way better than my replacement! Who had a knack for toe-stepping and boob squashing by the way.</li>
<li>I have training tomorrow. For six hours or so <3 Yes I am crazy. No I can't just not dance: It's addictive! But I won't be able to post tomorrow.</li>
<li>I found a RTW blouse that actually fit. Okay ... it's not really meant to be worn with a top underneath and the top buttons open. But if I do it just fits!</li>
<li>I have sketches for the <a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/project-christmas-coat.html" target="_blank">CCP</a>. Now if the scanner worked ...</li>
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Butterfly</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-17922665671199450802011-10-26T16:02:00.001+01:002011-11-01T20:34:24.631+00:00Not so Spirally Spiral Skirt -Drafting Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the best resemblance of me I could find. I was down the past few days, I still don't want to eat anything. I have moved from PJs to extremely soft jeans though. Enough whining from me and on with the tutorial!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wxdGxiZQoByuLiHi6KuyOWcb8uUv7rEN8wM9dPK53CMYs3qyVWfcK6ZBlcB8DWaNvgQpQfJa3NapzGeb68j5JFZ6BDYSn6uIG8JYV2HOQtpGHpUumPwQA-yyVMZWtZmaBXYPCXImUS8/s320/sick_21880619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wxdGxiZQoByuLiHi6KuyOWcb8uUv7rEN8wM9dPK53CMYs3qyVWfcK6ZBlcB8DWaNvgQpQfJa3NapzGeb68j5JFZ6BDYSn6uIG8JYV2HOQtpGHpUumPwQA-yyVMZWtZmaBXYPCXImUS8/s320/sick_21880619.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://astitchadaykeepstheboredomaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/not-so-straight-edged-spiral-skirt.html">Last time</a> we got as far as drafting the position of the break. Today we'll shift the dart control so you don't end up with a bag that shows your undies for a skirt :P!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghpBSEIfH2FnsAT5MYT2iStzuondyoiU5AIUNP9lmXzqRsfs0a18UYvI8zUEok2ha0w-ajKE5DJ89U6DjvSlvb7LR2UoHMYTs0Q7hd2ecdiBD_z-4MNJZLf2q-4k91ezu2WoazSg6IW0/s1600/Seam+Position.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghpBSEIfH2FnsAT5MYT2iStzuondyoiU5AIUNP9lmXzqRsfs0a18UYvI8zUEok2ha0w-ajKE5DJ89U6DjvSlvb7LR2UoHMYTs0Q7hd2ecdiBD_z-4MNJZLf2q-4k91ezu2WoazSg6IW0/s320/Seam+Position.png" width="266" /></a></div>
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<li>On your break line draw in the points directly underneath your dart apexes. </li>
<li>Then draw a straight line from apexes to hem. This line should go through the dart apex and the point of the right-side neighbour on the break line (If you want the skirt to spiral in the opposite direction you can just flip the entire pattern around at the end.).<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rCC2OsFIWhQMEnzlTij_IKQ7KEt_LuDJydOxy0B6m0TbIOLVFfuEbj4X3bqcIRh_lvfniPw-qpGZP91AnonnmVa0DF-BvlrLLmie8onbdzVpWpvXaQjsmbVIQVZeJwihco7KBiik9yI/s1600/shifting+darts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rCC2OsFIWhQMEnzlTij_IKQ7KEt_LuDJydOxy0B6m0TbIOLVFfuEbj4X3bqcIRh_lvfniPw-qpGZP91AnonnmVa0DF-BvlrLLmie8onbdzVpWpvXaQjsmbVIQVZeJwihco7KBiik9yI/s400/shifting+darts.png" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSep3JgQcuTaDNrkix8TVJZNPmgHVp05dCnK0zhCUrt5NAWfns8hE5EkQv3VLsz8OfAQJb7vKLvvBNPlPQk6M4dknpPd2dh6ELK5xVTxvLSuVIJvOfPxNt7ten7RTwI_MwqeGdXK6DaSw/s1600/shifting+shaped+darts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSep3JgQcuTaDNrkix8TVJZNPmgHVp05dCnK0zhCUrt5NAWfns8hE5EkQv3VLsz8OfAQJb7vKLvvBNPlPQk6M4dknpPd2dh6ELK5xVTxvLSuVIJvOfPxNt7ten7RTwI_MwqeGdXK6DaSw/s640/shifting+shaped+darts.png" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>Shift the darts as shown in the diagrams.</li>
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I couldn't find an elegant way to pivot the shaped darts and keep the seam straight. I'm sure there is a method though. I just have to find it. For this it doesn't matter all that much. The skirt is cut on the bias. Well the non-true one anyway. I'll explain about that next time.</div>
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So much for today. I'm going to make myself another cup of tea.</div>
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Butterfly</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-60394025004718445242011-10-26T12:30:00.000+01:002011-11-12T09:11:07.390+00:00Sorry to keep you waitingSo it looks like I can't get the drafting post written in the next few days. A friend of mine just fell over yesterday. I mean honestly one moment he was walking next to me and the next he was just lying on the floor. So I spent the day making sure he went to see a doctor. So I couldn't type it up yesterday and I don't have a lot of time until the weekend. But I promise to try!<br />
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<br />Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764415662878585555.post-76003775381618253182011-10-24T18:31:00.000+01:002011-10-31T14:31:15.353+00:00Straight Seamed Spiral Skirt - Drafting Part 1<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5P0E7aGyvFukimRItwP-6e5Z2ukF_3Io7Ol0LTMxpKcuGrwojbKxDAFcHFyi2R6T_2y7172cGTzi5R2w3Gypjn2Odb6aCOxU7YH7Egx358LMjGMk_1A5DZPjLsDp_qtFGhC4Th4IZhGs/s1600/Spiral+Skirt+Basics.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5P0E7aGyvFukimRItwP-6e5Z2ukF_3Io7Ol0LTMxpKcuGrwojbKxDAFcHFyi2R6T_2y7172cGTzi5R2w3Gypjn2Odb6aCOxU7YH7Egx358LMjGMk_1A5DZPjLsDp_qtFGhC4Th4IZhGs/s320/Spiral+Skirt+Basics.png" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration of a possible skirt outcome<br />
The area where the break is is shown in blue.<br />
The red part shows the amount of turn.<br />
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</tbody></table>
Here is the promised tutorial on how to draft and sew a skirt with gores that wrap around the wearer. I will show you how to do a skirt with 6 gores. This is the easiest thing to do, as you won't have to shift the darts around to much.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Materials:</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>basic skirt sloper (pattern of a well-fitting pencil skirt)</li>
<li>pattern paper (you can use newspaper, butcher paper, paper table cloths, normal paper taped together ...)</li>
<li>long ruler or other straight edge</li>
<li>measuring tape</li>
<li>French curve or a flexible ruler or a piece of washing line</li>
</ul>
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Procedure:</span></b><br />
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<ol><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_SahOre73mw2n7Mr9YotNrHjrP5OV4FjSeBwM_Q-tYZl0QMawC_JtMbUMljJUsRArrytEFGGKR4Ua4xcMiZQ73iC6dE2edgV0rGY2zLg2RCjlHRDHZtV_0YtgvgGCB86YVsUHMJGnBI/s1600/lengthening+sloper.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_SahOre73mw2n7Mr9YotNrHjrP5OV4FjSeBwM_Q-tYZl0QMawC_JtMbUMljJUsRArrytEFGGKR4Ua4xcMiZQ73iC6dE2edgV0rGY2zLg2RCjlHRDHZtV_0YtgvgGCB86YVsUHMJGnBI/s200/lengthening+sloper.png" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">This is roughly what the skirt sloper<br />
for Dolly looks like. As it is only<br />
knee length I lengthened<br />
it to just above the ankles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li style="text-align: left;">Trace front and back parts of your sloper (or of your skirt without the seam allowances).aligning the side seams. As this is an asymmetric design you'll need to trace both halves. You'll have shaped darts at the side seams and a "normal" dart in each of the pieces.</li>
<li>Measure the distance from CFW (centre front front at waist) to how long you want your skirt to be. Shorten or lengthen the centre seam accordingly. Shorten or lengthen al the other seams by the same amount and draw in the new hemline.<ol></ol>
</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm2wkzl4CelNT0kC4ZLvThFyOXVx34ITcjkM4WSYoCQ9zKxryz3LjNdXhG0byDSQtJWUooxSOC5ZBIpCHfFFyHQWUykgfKuRQkpb5duP2DwZWVR_gyH-jfxX3C_hUzK0erwtvhBFgUoc/s1600/places+to+add+or+take+away.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggm2wkzl4CelNT0kC4ZLvThFyOXVx34ITcjkM4WSYoCQ9zKxryz3LjNdXhG0byDSQtJWUooxSOC5ZBIpCHfFFyHQWUykgfKuRQkpb5duP2DwZWVR_gyH-jfxX3C_hUzK0erwtvhBFgUoc/s200/places+to+add+or+take+away.png" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The red lines show where I will<br />
add length and the green lines<br />
show where I will take some away.<br />
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</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>Measure the hip measurement (play at connecting the dots with the apexes of the darts) and divide this measurement by six. Dolly's hip measurement is precisely 14 cm. This gives me a result of 2.3333 cm. I will round this measurement <b>up</b> to 2.35 cm. Please remember that you should never round your measurements down.</li>
<li>Start shifting the darts and side seams by folding the pattern in one place and adding the same amount somewhere else. This works because you don't have any sharp angles in your body so you can shift the darts a <b>little</b> bit.</li>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYjnkFjGduwAw8bC6QgmrG0VLwsstGSLAwrKMNY9GcGrqpUD8Xs6rAOlBhv23tn7O__lBj31wf8a8Ytc_3e7dOYKrnpJUtJDyS7_0vbqRK_Tu-pf2bzINKsVXnNOjOfgBrnLeGbsia3Q/s1600/break.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYjnkFjGduwAw8bC6QgmrG0VLwsstGSLAwrKMNY9GcGrqpUD8Xs6rAOlBhv23tn7O__lBj31wf8a8Ytc_3e7dOYKrnpJUtJDyS7_0vbqRK_Tu-pf2bzINKsVXnNOjOfgBrnLeGbsia3Q/s200/break.png" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I choose to have the break in<br />
the middle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>Decide on where the break should be by measuring down from your waist. Draw this line on your pattern paper. It should be the same distance from all the darts. NOTE: The break line can only be as far away from the hem as half the distance from hem to dart apexes.</li>
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So much for today. I'll have the rest for you within two days.</div>
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Butterfly</div>
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</div>Butterflyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16838492254690525993noreply@blogger.com0