Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who commented so kindly on my Mermaid Gown.  It took me forever to get the post up, as I wanted some close-ups of the embellishment and it just wasn't happening.  So, here they are.  I used a very free-form style of beading and just found a bunch of beads that I thought looked good together and with the fabric.  I wanted something that would end up looking kind of floral and encrusted without being too much.  I am very happy with the way it turned out.


 This is the twist at the waist and the strung beads and cords that hang down from it.

The second photo shows the central drape a little higher up showing the twist and what's just above it.  There are a lot of silk ribbon 'leaves' mixed in with the beads.

 The third photo is higher up yet on the drape, showing the main style of embellishment.  The curving beads are cut pieces of spiral shells, a little hard to stitch on, and they don't stay perfectly still, but that's okay, it gives a little more movement to the design.

This is the perfect packable gown, as it seems to eschew wrinkles no matter what, and in fact I was carrying it around the house in a tote bag while I was beading on it.  Since it can't and shouldn't be hung, it now lives in a fabric-covered box on a shelf in my closet, waiting for its next appearance.

I can't tell you how much your kind and tremendously thoughtful comments mean to me.  I appreciate and reread each and every one.  Thank you.

Mermaid Gown

 I have been working on this gown for quite some time, since I wasn't in any hurry and didn't have any place to wear it particularly.  When the 90th Anniversary Banquet for my Mu Phi Epsilon alumni chapter came up, I knew I had to finish it.

The fabric is a mint/dull-red cross-dyed stretch velvet which was a gift from my dear friend Patti.  In the photos it shows as much more red than it does in person, I think because of the flash, but it is very changeable, and a lovely fabric.  She bought it and later realized that it wasn't her colors.  However, it IS my colors, and she was kind enough to let me have it.  I didn't have any plan for it originally, and thought it might become a nice, snuggly winter top.  And in fact, I was holding it up in front of the mirror last winter to see what style might be good when I draped it around myself and realized that it wanted to be an evening gown.

I have long been an adherent to the theory that you can't just pin a length of fabric around yourself and stitch it up as is, with no underpinnings, and have it look good once you're past about 18-20 years old.  I was shocked when I did just that with this fabric.  It was almost magic, the way everything just worked as if it was meant to be.  I don't expect to ever have it happen again.  I simply tacked it where I had pinned it, and didn't even cut at all.  Since the inside is a dull red, it makes a great contrast to the mint/sage green and red of the right side, and I used that contrast for the turn-over at the top.  The slit in the skirt shows both sides as well. 

The only interior 'work' I did was to add a grosgrain waist stay that is attached at the point where the waist drape twists.  With all the skirt fabric hanging from that point, it became heavy enough to sag after I added the beading, and the stay holds everything in place.  I wasn't uncomfortable once during the evening, or nervous that my dress was going to move out of place.

The beading was fun, and I just started in without any great plan other than an idea of what I wanted it to look like when I was done, and added more and more, and after the Kenneth King Weekend, I added silk ribbon embroidery and even more beads and some cording and strung beads that hang from the waist drape. 

The shawl is a piece of silk chiffon embroidered with starfish (appropriate for a mermaid gown?) that I purchased from eQuilter several years ago.  It's simply hemmed on the ends, and uses the selvedges for the other edges.  It turned out to be the perfect colors to go with this, and just what I needed.

Netbook Sleeve

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I have a little netbook computer that's great for carrying around with me, but I didn't have a sleeve for it. I decided this would be a fun project where I could go pretty wild if I wanted to. I think this is pretty wild, and I even got to use my new jewelry anvil to flatten the ends of the metal pieces (heavy gauge wire) so that I could stitch them to the pocket and appliques. There's beading, I stitched small triangles of fabrics to the appliques, and one of the metal pieces is wrapped with fine wire. All of the ends are turned toward the sleeve so there isn't much chance of scratching anything with the metal. I have to say that this was SO much fun to do, though.

There are lots of photos in this post, and you can either click on the individual links and choose a larger size to see them better, or click on the first photo link, and then click through them that way if you like. By the way, the netbook is in the sleeve in all of these photos. It fits very nicely.

I used some heavyweight buckram for the inner layer,

and wrapped it with several layers of cloth, then added a silk outer layer with stitching, and a needlefelted embellished pocket on one side, and appliques on the other.

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I originally thought I would use the purple cotton with embossed circles for the whole thing, but after doing the needlefelting and free motion stitching on the pocket, I thought that would be too boring and dark. I recalled the lime silk I had left from a pair of summer pants, and it proved to be the bright punch I wanted. I did some stitching on it, and added a few narrow ribbons as well, but it stayed fairly plain.


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This is a close up of the pocket and the appliques.


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Finally, you can see it with the cord 'in' the pocket as well. I wanted the sleeve to just fit the netbook, but I swear the cord and transformer, etc. takes more room because it's so bulky. Anyway, it's in no danger of falling out. I'd probably have the cord in my purse separately anyway, since one doesn't always need it.



I'm going to a workshop at UNL tonight and Thursday. It's being given by Susan Taber Avila, and is called Building a Three-dimensional surface with Solvy & Stitching. She has a show in the Hillestad Gallery right now which is worth seeing, and I'm hoping this will be a useful workshop as well. I'm sure it's going to be fun anyway.

Finally Finished with the Bazaar

Here is the finished pair of cuffed gloves. I finished the second one much more quickly than the first, since it was simply a matter of repeating the steps. Here's the pair as worn.

Green Gloves

The green pair sold, as did the purple below. They're a completely different style, with a plain outer cuff faced with a rayon batik.


And once again, as worn.

Purple Gloves

I came home with only 2 scarves and 3 dishcloths that didn't sell, so I feel like it went well, and the best part is that now I can go back to concentrating on my coat. The poor sleeves have been sitting there ready to set in for a week now, and I'm ready to get on with it.

I am thinking of doing a pair or two of the cuffed gloves for Xmas gifts. They're fairly quick, and rather fun to do.

Bazaar Things

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I'm donating things to sell at a fundraiser for my local chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon again this year, and I've knitted a bunch of scarves for it, but wanted to do something different too. After seeing a cuff (bracelet?) on a blog, I decided it would be fun to do very fancy cuffs to attach to gloves. The piece above is what I did for this. It's for a pair, and is a wool Melton with lace, roving and yarn attached using the Embellisher. I also used Shiva Paintsticks in gold and copper on them. Here's the first finished one. I think they're kind of fun.


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I lined them with a rayon twill, added a couple pleats and 3 buttons. I'm sure the second one will go much faster, as the hard part was figuring out just exactly how to attach them to the gloves. I'm using the little knitted "magic gloves" you find everywhere since I wanted these to be one-size, and I didn't want to put a lot of money into the gloves. They could easily be removed from these and put on any gloves, as they're just handstitched. If the other one turns out as well, it's going to be hard to let them go. Now I have to figure out what to price them at.

For a little quicker item (I hope) I am going to try to copy Barbara's gift pouches at Cat Fur Studio. I think these would be good sellers, and I hope I can do some as nice as hers.

As an experiment, I also have begun to work on a beaded necklace that has the large fabric pieces that I've seen in some designer shows. I think I'm going to add a chain twisting through the yarns to add a little more weight. Both sides of each piece is beaded, so no matter how they hang, it's the "right" side. I think a ribbon bow or two may go on this too.

xxx 

xxx 

One Last Sewn Gift

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I needed a quick gift for a little girl, and decided last night that an embellished bag would be just the ticket. Fun for me to make, and fun for her to get. I used some Pendleton wool that I'd used for a larger purse for her foster-mother a couple years ago, so I think she'll be pleased to have a "matching" bag. The lining is a black stretch cotton printed with stick figures in gold. One end of the handle is topstitched to the front and one end to the back, and a there is a snap closure. This is a very, very simple project, but I think it's just right for a six-year-old.

Showing the Inside.

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Better Photo of the Lining.

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