Garment making part 4

Posted on

Well the finished garment was finally unveiled yesterday at Yarnival. Am I pleased with it? Hmmm, I confess that overall it didn’t turn out quite as well as I’d hoped but I’ve never designed for a tree before and I didn’t even see the tree until the unveiling.

I think a little shorter might have been better. The colour is pleasing and quite eye catching and the detail below is my favourite shot.

For those who’d like to see how it was attached to the tree, here it is from the back.

It’s now dried and packed away whilst I ponder what the next opportunity for it to be used will be. More of Yarnival tomorrow.

Garment making part 3

Posted on

Work has progressed slowly on this corset, fortunately for me the client has been very understanding Although her waist is a tiny bit on the generous side I am providing a little assistance in the bosom area.

Once stitched up, no-one will ever know. I also thought the bust line needed a little extra lace so have carefully added more. It’s starting to look quite good. The final items to complete are the holes for the lace up.

A first fitting was held on Sunday and the client is so delighted that I have permission to exhibit the corset this Saturday (day fater tomorrow, better get it finished!) at Yarnival. See you there I hope, whilst I anxiously await your verdict.

Garment making part 2

Posted on

Had you forgotten about the garment? It’s a large-ish project and |I have been doing some more work on it. So here are a few  photos of progress.

I’ve laid out in Blue Faced Leicester fibres and here you can see I’ve put some net along the edge and some hand dyed Teeswater curls. This will be followed by another two layers of BFL.

The red fibre is the top 2 layers of BFL and as you can see I’ve now also added some black lace. Someone must be able to guess what this is now.

I don’t know about you but this is definitely the longest felt rope I’ve ever made. It’s 7’9″ or 229cm long excluding the curls on the ends. As I’ve said before, this is a large client so everything is larger. Can you guess?

 

Garment making – part 1

Posted on

I don’t usually make garments, don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with it but it doesn’t normally enthuse me. This time however, I’m very enthusiastic. It’e to be a very feminine garment and for a  larger lady with a 48″ waist. Given that when working with wool tops you need to start larger to account for shrinkage during felting it means it’s going to be a big piece of work.

Preparation is key and it’s really not worth rushing this stage. So lots of  measurements, quick sketches, a look at images on the internet, thinking through the processes and various stages, then it’s time to start gathering equipment and supplies.

Lots of bubble wrap, bits of lace and a quick sample of how I might make it look very full through gathering.

Lots and lots of fibres, both tops and locks plus some yarns. I’m hoping to make an impression on my stash!

I’ll be laying out at 160cm x 78cm so it’s going to need two tables to work on or I’ll be crawling round the floor again. There’ll be more to see next time but do feel free to speculate in the interim.