awayuq: reappearance

favorite references

Elsebeth Gynther: Easy Style: Sewing the New Classics
A fabulous book if you have the urge to create your own clothing designs. Basic patterns are provided, along with countless variations in sketches and photos. In addition to raglan and set-in-sleeve tops, pants, and skirts, there are pocket patterns, hats, and dozens of collars. There is a lot of basic sewing information, and there are many garments presented with step-by-step instructions, but this book is especially valuable because it gets you thinking about design possibilities. (btw the image is incorrect--it's the cover of an american knock-off on the same theme. The original is a paperback in yellow). (*****)
Nina Ericson: Klader:Creating Fantastic Clothes
Great ideas for creating simple clothing. Most have very simple construction; the appeal is in using unusual materials to convey personal style. There are patterns for blouses, skirts, and coats, but for me the inspiring photos of real people are the true charm of this book. (****)
Verity Wilson: Dress in Detail from Around the World
An inspirational feast for lovers of clothing, cloth and embellishment. Replete with detailed line drawings and sumptuous full-color photographs of garments from all times and places: Palestinan dresses, Indian trousers, Korean jackets, Russian coats (of salmon skin!), African tunics. The photos provide endless ideas for ornamentation, the drawings show every seamline as if to cry “recreate this!”. I just found this book-- it was love at first browse. (*****)
Madelyn van der Hoogt: The Complete Book of Drafting for Handweavers
With my imagination in a very advanced yoga pose, I could conceive of a weaver who didn't need this book. Maybe if you did only plain weave, or only tapestry, you'd never have reason to pick up this volume. Or of course you might be a natural genius. The rest of us occasionally need some help, and this is where to find it. Essential. (*****)

February 21, 2005

reappearance

Some of you have been so kind as to wonder where I have been. The answer is: right here, enduring the buffets of life. And, in recent days, transforming chaos

into (relative) order:

My closet is still too small, but at least it's better. Now that all the current home organization projects are done, it's time to move on to actually doing things in the new space. First some socks which were finished a while ago and have been complaining because they didn't get their moment of fame.
050221socks They are very nice socks, very warm, perfect for the the kind of day we had today, snow falling for hours and hours. That's my grandmother's rug, by the way. My mother wants you to know. Big Blue Orenburg is getting a little more attention lately. My current listening favorites are old radio mysteries from the 1940's. Could this be linked to my recent discovery of Brenda Starr? In any event, here's an image of Big Blue; you can just make out the center squares which are beginning to close up.
050221bigblue_1
It's still very relaxing, orenburg is not very difficult lace; but as usual, I'm dreaming of all the luscious things I could start if only this one were finished. I'm longing to try the circular daffodil pattern from "Modern Lace Knitting" in--you guessed it-- yellow.

Before that though, I need to give a weaving demonstration for a class tomorrow. Since I haven't done it in a while, I decided I'd better make a small warp and see if I still remember how it's done.

Phew. That wasn't so hard. Thank goodness I can still do the basics.

Finally, there is a sort of indirect result of the great studio clean up. In going through all the boxes of stuff I found this girl, along with some half-finished clothes that I'd started oh so long ago. You would not believe how small I can handstitch when I have a mind to. Perhaps I should say could, since I haven't tried to replicate these tiny rolled hems in a long time. Anyway, in my lust for tidying up, I decided one evening to just finish the darned dress for goodness sakes! I found some lace tucked away in a drawer which made it more fun. Now she's fully clothed again, hand-worked buttonholes and all.
Sashadress
By the way, when I went looking for a brown-haired sister for this girl, I found that these dolls are not produced any more, and the ones in existence appear to be getting quite valuable. Guess I'll hang onto her for a while....