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I’ve been published in Threads!

Published by The Dreamstress

Almost 20 years ago, just after I learned to sew, I discovered Threads Magazine.

The local library had a subscription, and while you weren’t allowed to check them out, I was hooked.  The articles on fabrics, garment construction, and sewing techniques were amazing.  Whenever I was in town and had a little time, I would sit in the corner of the Kaunakakai Public Library, perusing the back issues and absorbing information.

Thanks to Threads, I learned the basics of pattern drafting, how to set sleeves perfectly, how to take a pattern from an existing garment, and masses of beautiful sewing techniques and finishes.  By the time I went to university, I was good enough to be hired by a costume shop (where, admittedly, I learned a HUGE amount more, because there is no substitute for hands-on learning from experts).

When I went to buy a comprehensive modern sewing book a few years back, I instantly picked up the Threads Sewing Guide.  Then I questioned myself: am I just being a fangirl?  I spread out every sewing book available in Borders on the floor, and went through the different techniques and topics: zips, welt pockets and buttonholes, fabric types, twin needles…

The Threads Sewing Guide won hands down for most comprehensive, with the best tutorials, layouts, and photos.

It has pride of place on my sewing bookshelf as the only modern general sewing guide I own, and is my instant first point of call for any modern technique.  Online sewing blogger tutorials are all very well, but I know Threads has tested and tested anything they put out (and, to be quite frank, I recognise a fair amount of sewing blogger tutorials out there as re-hashes of Threads articles).  If it isn’t in the book, I try Threads online.

Then, nine months ago I got an email from an editor at Threads.  Would I like to write an article for them on my take on the Vionnet chiton dress?  Would I!

My version of Vionnet's 'Chiton' dress thedreamstress.com

Definite massive fangirl moment!

So, this quarter you can  buy issue #177 of Threads and learn how to make a 1920s panel dress inspired by Madeline Vionnet, written by yours truly!  (with tons of editing and beautiful sewing and layout fabulousity by Threads of course!)

Threads magazine article thedreamstress.com

I may not have accomplished everything I wanted to this year, but boy is this making me feel accomplished!  It’s one of those things that it didn’t even occur to me to aspire to.

Time to break out the champagne cherries!

The HSF ’14: Favourites for Challenges # 17-20

Published by The Dreamstress

When I started this post, there were just four challenges left to go in the HSF 2014.  And then, at some point in writing the post, those challenges and all of life’s other challenges caught up with me, and I never finished it!

So, a bit late, but no less appreciated, here are some of the fantastic creations from challenges #17-20 that inspired me.  I picked items that were well made, interesting to look at and think about, pushed the boundaries of the makers knowledge and experience,  and that  I thought best represent the spirit of the Historical Sew Fortnightly; the quest to explore history, raise our skill levels and standard, stretch ourselves (or sometimes just get something done, rather than just procrastinating);  and  the spirit of the individual challenge.

It’s really, really hard to pick, because there are always so many amazing things (even as we experience the inevitable drop-off in submissions towards the end of the year).  For every challenge I’ve tried to showcase a range of historical periods, ways of approaching a challenge, and levels of experience. There are so many more wonderful creations  that I simple couldn’t showcase, so do have a browse of the links through the challenge pages on my blog, and the HSF facebook albums.

Challenge #17 —  Yellow    (and  the facebook album  for the challenge)  

  1. Maria’s mid-14th c gown  –  just stunning.  A beautiful shade of yellow, a gorgeous garment, and don’t you love the apron?
    HSF '14 Challenge #17 Maria's mid-14th c gown
  2. Black Tulip’s recreation of an early 20th c evening bag  — She’s analyzed every detail of the original, and carefully recreated each of the elements, even dyeing her own ribbon when needed!
  3. Segolène’s 1880s corset  —  The corset would be beautiful enough on its own, but she also dyed the fabric and the ribbons using natural dye, making for a thoroughly fascinating and fabulous project in every respect!Bonus: (obviously there are going to be bonuses for this one, because I love yellow SO MUCH and all the photos just made me bounce with happiness).  You must see Asa’s early 17th c yellow doublet, and History Seamstresses medieval needlecase, and Jennifer’s phenomenal yellow tea gown, and Hvitr’s pineapple reticule, and..oh, just go see the whole FB album before I list it all!

Challenge #18 —  Poetry in Motion  (and  the facebook album) I’ll admit that I was a teeny bit disappointed that more people didn’t get excited and do this challenge, because I thought it was a fascinating idea, and my creation is one of my favourite items and posts of the year, but at least the few submissions there were were fantastic!    

  1. Hvitr’s recreation of Hera’s veil   — I mean, she made Hera’s veil!  From the Iliad!  With real carnelian beads!  Talk about inspirational inspiration!
  2. Etta’s 1910s skirt  —  Poetry, far more than prose, can inspire emotion, and Etta picked a particularly pathos inducing poem to recreate, to beautiful effect.
  3. Sophia’s Mina Loy 1910s dress  — A most effective  garment which elegantly combines inspiration from the poet, and the poem.

Challenge #19 — HSF Inspiration  (and  the facebook album)  To keep in the spirit of the challenge, I’ve linked to both my favourites, and their inspiration (and resisted the temptation to just pick people who were inspired by me, which was quite flattering!)

  1. Andrea’s 1840s petticoat  —  they aren’t the most glamorous or exciting of items, so they are easy to overlook, but I really admire the beautiful thought and detailing put into Andrea’s petticoat – the same qualities she admired in her inspiration.
  2. Britta’s Edwardian corset  — a stunning piece of corsetry, inspired by Wearing History’s corset for Challenge #4, Britta’s version immediately made MY inspiration folder!  
  3.  Hvitr’s Egyptian headband – Hvitr, and her inspiration, Catherine, both consistently create fascinating, meticulously researched items, and I always learn something new from their work.  This beaded headband is no exception.

Challenge #20 —  Alternative Universe  (and  the facebook album)  This was our chance to get out and be a little not-historical.

  1. Loose Thread’s historical/fantasy gamurra — I love the combination of fantasy and historical research in this garment, and the though that went into developing her character and costume.  It makes the finished garment so much more ‘real’ and interesting.
  2. Wyldehills ‘unspecified timeperiod’ Renfaire jacket  —  Renfaire’s are often an alternative universe of of their own, but the practical thought and details that went into this garment give it beautiful authenticity.
  3. Jeannette’s Steampunk corset bodice  — A great backstory to the outfit + a great sewing story, and to top it all off, a fantastic finished garment!  Her steampunk outfits are phenomenal!

Well done everyone, both those I highlighted, and those I didn’t manage to list – you all made fantastic things, and I am so inspired by the work you do!

Rate the Dress: red + lavender in the mid ’20s

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week I cheated and started the New Year of Rate the Dress with something nice and easy and crowd please-y: a 1660s dress in gold.

There were some minor niggles about the bodice flange looking like an eel (ahem, eels are awesome), and the precariously low neckline (trust me, those bodices could have four  5 kilo weights suspended off them and dangling down your skirt, and you’d end up with majorly bruised shins but the bodice would STAY PUT), plus the fact that it isn’t a very move-able, practical cut (fair enough, though that was kind of the point), but overall it was love.  9 out of 10 love!  Impressive!

This week we move from classic gold to a very unusual colour combination: tomato red and lavender (though I personally would say this is much more of a lilac than a lavender, and someone doing the catalogue at the GMD really likes the term ‘tomato red’)

This frock is all about mid-20s decadence and design motifs, but the details aren’t as new as they appear.  The vivid colours, rich abstract floral embellishments, and extremely chic (according to the period) unbalanced line  all look extremely modern, but are directly derived from late  Edwardian orientalism, ultra-embellishment, and asymmetry.

The skirt is almost as short as hemlines would go – in a few years the hem would climb to just under the knee in the ‘extremely short skirt’ of ’28-’29, which was already being called ‘absurd’ in 1932.

The dress is asymmetrical not just from side to side, but from back to front, with the full drape of the front replaced with a much more straight and severe back, and the lavender moved from the hem to the waistline.

What do you think of this frock, which looks backwards and forwards at the same time, and quite different from back to front?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10