Weekend Review: The Grace Kelly Dress

 

The Grace Kelly Dress / Brenda Janowitz
NY: Graydon House, c2020
336 p.

I've never read Brenda Janowitz before, and the blurb by Emily Giffin on the front didn't bode well since I don't usually like her books. But the dress element of this book convinced me to pick it up. And I am glad I did! It was a poignant and enjoyable story of three generations of women, and one dress. 

The story moves between three women: Rose in 1958 who is creating The Dress, Joanie in 1982 who wore it after her mother did, and Rocky in 2020 who is getting married but doesn't want to wear her mother's dress. 

The chapters are all short, and each woman is quite different so it's easy to keep them sorted. Also, Rose is a seamstress in Paris, Joanie is a college student, and Rocky is a contemporary software developer, so they're distinct in their interests, surroundings and behaviours, too. 

Of course I loved Rose and all the time spent in Madame Michel's Parisien atelier, where she works. Rose is very skilled, she loves sewing and designing; her focus and her sketches catch the eye of Julian, Madame Michel's assistant, and is called upon to assist him in keeping the atelier running after the unexpected death of Madame Michel, which he is trying to keep a secret. Lots of drama! 

Joan is a young college student, a sorority member and recently engaged to a fraternity dude, but she's starting to question a lot about her life. She tries very, very hard to be 'good' to make up for the loss of her older sister, who died at age twenty. This character was a little weak to me, because in parts it felt like she was living more in the late 60s than the early 80s, with her sorority and her pearls and her innocence. But she certainly experiences some of the early 80s when she leaves campus in search of the truth about her sister. 

Rocky is a bit rough around the edges, unlike her sultry sister Amanda. She likes logic and order and things being straightforward. She wants a simple wedding, and isn't thrilled about wearing the elaborate Grace Kelly dress from her mother -- but doesn't want to hurt her mother by turning it down, either. There are a bunch more side stories in Rocky's chapters; Amanda is gay and longing for the last girlfriend she ditched, Rocky's fiancé is South Korean but was adopted by a Jewish family and he's now searching for his birth mother, there are mother issues between Rocky and Joan. 

But through all three of the stories, the dress, and all the details of making it, shine through. I loved how Rose takes the inspiration from the Grace Kelly wedding dress that was the ideal in 1958 and updates it for a younger client. She talks about details like shortening sleeves, updating necklines, adding lace motifs, and about how to construct a dress like this (in separate parts, skirt held up with underpinnings and cummerbund to cover the bodice and skirt join. As a sewist, a reader can picture this and understand how it makes a gown like this work on the body).

Joanie adapts the dress to her taste in the 80s (think poofy Princess Diana sleeves) and Rocky eventually comes to see how she can make it work for her, too. (no spoilers...) It ends with a fairytale-like omniscient narrator telling the story of the dress' future, and it works, and it's touching and sweet. 

If you like stories that move between characters, and don't mind the sentimentality of a book centred around love and weddings, and of course you like to read about sewing, give this one a try. You can't go into it cynically or it just won't work, but if you're looking for a gentle read with some great sewing content and an interesting set-up, you might just find it's exactly what you need. 

A Simple Mend

I have a favourite black cardigan that I bought years ago -- it gets heavy usage! Just this week I noticed that there was a run in the knit right close to the pocket. Not surprisingly, since that the area that is most handled, plus at the level to catch on things.

Thankfully, I'd just finished Mend by Kate Sekules when I noticed this. So I tried out some of the ideas she shared in her book, and mended my favourite black cardie to wear another day. I didn't use any of the colourful visible mending techniques, I just wanted this one to patch the run so it didn't grow, and so I could wear this black topper with everything, as always. 

So I just used some DMC 310, basic black, 3 strands, and gave this a basic darning mend. I think it turned out pretty good, and will let me continue wearing this without causing more damage. It's more of a weave than a knit mend, but it's nice and secure and fairly unobtrusive. I'm pleased with it! 

The success of this basic mend also inspired me to finally do a very fast mend of the lining in my winter jacket, which had split at the shoulder seam. It just needed the seam stitched back together for about 2". Why did I put it off for a whole season? No idea! Anyhow, done now, and another mend satisfactorily off my mind. 

Hopefully this trend of fixing things before it's too late will continue around these parts... ;)

2021 Word of the Year: Shift

 

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

I like to choose One Word for the theme of my years -- if you aren't familiar with this concept, you can find more about it here. What I enjoy about this is that instead of specific resolutions to improve oneself, which will be forgotten shortly after January, the one word theme just helps to guide you through your year, in every area. 

Some years, like last year, a word pops into my head and I know it's right immediately. This year I have been really puzzling over it, and trying out various words that seemed almost right, but nothing clicked. Finally a few days ago a word just came to me, and immediately felt right. 

My word for 2021 is: 

SHIFT

Merriam Webster defines Shift as:

1 : a change in place, position, or direction.

2 : a change in emphasis or attitude a shift in priorities.

Although perhaps these later definitions may apply here too ;)

3  a: to go through a change

    b: to change one's clothes

And I'm also keeping in mind that this word means the very opposite of Shiftless, which is a lack of ambition or resourcefulness. I'm planning on building up both of those very things this year, and will remind myself of this word throughout 2021. 

Do you choose One Word for your year? Share it, if so! Or do you go for the more traditional resolutions route?

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Weekend Review: Mend by Kate Sekules

 

Mend! / Kate Sekules
NY: Penguin, c2020
227 p.

I'm delighted to be sharing this book this week -- it's a new book on the mending trend, one that I really enjoyed! It's so colourful and funky to look at, and is a solid read both on the history and meaning of mending, and on some how-tos as well. 

The author is one of those women I envy, who seem to have limitless energy and gumption, and end up doing tons of different things. Kate Sekules is/has been a journalist and writer, a professional boxer, online clothing shop owner, PhD candidate in material culture, mending educator and more. She is cool, thoughtful and thorough in this book. 

The first half of the book is a look at mending over the ages. As we all know, fast fashion is a recent invention. Before that, textiles and clothing were valuable and sometimes scarce. Mending was just what you did. She shares textile history from prehistory to current day in a pithy way, with some intriguing stories that I hadn't heard before, like Otzi the Iceman, who was discovered mummified in the Tyrolean Alps; he's over 5000 years old and was wearing tattered pants made from a patchwork of animal skins. She talks about the professional menders in existence from Ancient Greece right up to mid-20th century England, specialists who could repair items to keep them in service and looking new. 

There is a section in the middle about some of the current day menders and stitchers who are leading this field and encouraging people to embellish and repair their clothing, as well as use these techniques in a political way, to focus on sustainability and such. This is a great chapter, and while I have already heard of many of the people highlighted, there were also some new finds to research further! I loved seeing the varied approaches and focus areas of each person; they take a slightly different tack in each case, and show that there is room for everyone interested in this topic. 

And then most of the second half of the book gets down to practicalities. How do you mend -- whether it's patches, darning, visible mends, embroidery, upcycling or even needle felting, there are instructions, lots of photos to follow step by step and a lot of encouragement. She's clear that creativity and trying things out are the perfect approach, it's not a strict follow-these-rules kind of book. I love some of the down and dirty fixes, like sticking a pocket on top of a hole or stain if it's a pocket friendly location. So quick! And she talks about where to harvest mending materials from, ie: an old blouse that isn't repairable any more can be cut up into patches or reinforcements for underpatches. It's very frugal and resourceful, and I found it inspiring. Also, at the end of this section there is a massive chart of the kinds of items you might want to mend, the kind of damage, the appropriate materials and the appropriate techniques that might work best for that type of fabric or garment. Massive -- it's four pages long! Plus there's an adorable "periodical table" of mends too. 

I liked the approach of this one. It's not just another book on mending your jeans with sashiko inspired stitching. In fact she hardly mentions jeans. I loved the combination of history, social consciousness, and hands-on instruction. Plus she's a great writer and knows her topic inside out. Add in the plethora of bright, clear photos, and it's a real hit. Recommended. 

If you want to see some of the inside of this book, go to the publisher's page and click the "look inside" button. It brings up a window to scroll through that gives you a good idea of what the book is like. 

The High Rise Dress, or, McCalls 8960

I sewed up a very unseasonable project this week, but I saw this fabric from my stash alongside this 80s pattern from my stash (McCalls 8960 c.1984) and they came together like peanut butter and chocolate. I was obsessed and had to make it immediately! 

I had pulled out this fabric because I was looking for anything in my stash that resembled this year's Pantone colours. I've had it for a long time -- picked it up on the ends table as "unknown fibres". But it feels like a rayon twill to me. It's a little too lightweight and cool to wear at this time of year, despite the subdued colours. But the fabric is so soft and smooth and feels great to wear. It also reminds me of lit-up windows in a high-rise as viewed at evening...so it's now known as the High Rise dress. 

This was a pretty easy project, aside from the shiftiness of the fabric. It's a typical 80s pattern, full bodice with dolman sleeve, elastic waist and straight skirt. I like the way it fits although I might take a little bit of the fullness out of the bodice if I make it again. As it is, the only changes I made were to cut the sleeves in between the lengths of both views so they're a bit longer than the above-elbow of View B, and then to shorten the skirt  by 2". I didn't like the original length, which falls right in the frump zone. Not knee length or midi length - ugh! So I shortened it to knee length. (of course I am 5'2" so shorten most things anyhow). 

The only pattern matching mishap I had was on the centre back seam; I got the fabric shifted slightly when cutting out, so the yellow squares aren't exactly matched across the seam, but once the skirt was gathered you can hardly notice. 

The flaws in the pattern were few. The back walking slit was hugely long and would have been way too high for my short legs. I don't even think it's that necessary in the shortened length, but I did leave about a 2" slit there. The other flaw was that there were no side seam pockets included! What! Thankfully that's easy to remedy with my favourite pocket template. I sewed them right at the top edge of the skirt so that they'd be attached to the waist seam and stay put. The only thing to note about pockets like this with a gathered skirt is to be sure to gather the skirt first and then pin the tops of the pocket bags to the waist seam over the gathering before sewing them together. You don't want to gather your pockets. 

Narrow hems on both sleeve and skirt, a quick rectangular sash sewn and pressed, and the dress was done. I needed to press it carefully as it is heat sensitive and quite wrinkle-prone (yes, pretty sure it's rayon!) 

But I love the final effect. It feels quite subdued and quiet to me, like a rainy day. I feel calm in it! Unfortunately I'll have to put it aside until the weather warms up, but it was just one of those projects that I had to make immediately upon envisioning it. Now on to more seasonal wear...

Cover Designs 20!: Arctic Fury

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well.

Today's choice is The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister. 

In 1853, trail guide Virginia Reeve is offered an extraordinary opportunity - to lead an all-woman expedition to the Arctic in search of the missing Franklin expedition. Each woman on the team has been chosen for her specific skills, but that doesn't mean that they'll all survive.

Moving back and forth between the expedition and Virginia's trial in Boston when she returns without some of the women, the book looks at what happens in extreme circumstances when women are tested to their utmost. 

This cover is lovely, though hardly Arctic weather appropriate -- no gloves? No hat, no scarf, no face covering? A blouse under a pretty cape? Not going to keep you alive long! 

Nonetheless, in our non-Arctic weather a cape like this might be just the thing to top a pretty outfit. To make this, you'd want to choose a sturdy wool and find some faux fur trim to stitch along the edges. 

Try using the Fairy Tale Cape from This Blog Is Not For You (we don't know what the front of this woman's cape looks like, do we?) It would just need the hip length view, with perhaps a little added to the back for the high-low view of our cover image, and some trim attached. 

Use a grey melton wool like this one from the MacPhee Workshop, and search for some applicable faux fur trim from the choices on Etsy, and you could get a great copy! 

Or try this multi-view pattern, McCalls 7202. View B is exactly right with the hip length and hood options; there are even pockets on the front for the cover lady to stick her freezing cold hands into!

With some luscious dark grey boiled wool from Simplifi Fabrics (and again some nice trim) you'd get a cozy cape to wear on a snowy day. 

Whichever you choose, I hope that you'll also add some proper winter accessories if you're going out in frigid weather! 

Weekend Review: Making Designer Trims

 

Couture Sewing: Making Designer Trims / Claire B. Shaeffer
Newton, CT: Taunton Press, c2017.
144 p.

This is a wonderful book, which I fortunately got my hands on via Interlibrary Loan. So inspiring! It's one of the titles in the Couture Sewing series by acknowledged expert and Chanel collector Claire B. Shaeffer. (If you haven't heard her talk about her collections, check out this podcast by Threads).

This book is full of great information on making and applying trims to that Chanel style jacket you've just spent so long working on. Rouleau loops, piping, ribbon, self fabric fringe or selvage piping, insertions, embroidered edging; there is so much here to work with. Since it's couture focused, most of the work on these trims is done by hand, and really seems like it needs to be to get a good result. Quick weekend projects these are not. 

Personally speaking, I'm not likely to sew up a couture jacket any time soon, but the ideas here are so beautiful and interesting. I can already think of many other ways to use these ideas on simpler projects, and dress up a plain silhouette with something that is already at hand. One thing to note is that this book is about using ready made trim for the most part -- ribbons, gimp, self fabric strips etc -- and not creating your own trim from scratch, ie: braiding, weaving etc. 

If this is something that appeals to you, this book will definitely give you some ideas, and some specific techniques for applying the trim and finishing the edges cleanly and so on. And there is also a gallery of Chanel pieces at the end of the book to get a good look at many of these options in person, so to speak. Really lovely to look through, like the rest of Claire Shaeffer's books. 

I really love that faced cuff on the back of the book!

Burda Darted Blouse, in a floral extravaganza

This lovely floral blouse (105-04-2018) is the final project in my Burdastyle Academy Advanced Teacher Certification Course. It's an interesting pattern, with lots of detail -- front darts, two piece sleeve with a gathered cuff, collar and stand, and so on. 

It was an interesting make, with lots of challenging bits. Nothing really super hard, but lots of steps. I enjoyed it! I used a floral cotton from my stash, one that I've had for a really long time, and was delighted to finally find the perfect project for this fabric. Not only that, there was a very amusing typo in the selvages that entertained me -- so I had to use it as a garment label. Shout out to my fellow peons! 

This cotton behaved very nicely, taking pressing well, so that the darts and seams all lay nice and neatly. I had to shorten the sleeves quite a lot (thanks to my T Rex arms) and took 1.25" off both the upper and lower sleeve bits. Fortunately, with the cuff, that made them just the right length for me. Whew! 

I didn't shorten the body, although I could probably take a bit off the bottom length. I do like it as it is, however. I cut the inner collar stand and the interior yoke out of a tiny scale yellow gingham, also in my stash -- partly for the vibrant contrast, and partly because I didn't have quite enough of the narrow width floral to cut a second yoke anyhow ;)

I had a bit of a quandry picking buttons, but decided (with the help of many voices on Instagram) to go with this blush tone floral button from the extensive stash of shirt buttons that my sister thrifted for me a couple of years ago. I'm set for shirt buttons for a while!

My Janome is a little quirky when it comes to its automatic buttonholes -- they sew up nicely, but always slightly bigger than necessary. I get around this but testing with a button slightly smaller than the one I'm going to use, and when I get a buttonhole I like, I go ahead. I only put one button on each cuff rather than two, mainly because it's a bigger button and two would have looked squished.

I was so glad to have the extra instruction in the class to finally get the Burda bias strip sleeve opening done properly. It's just a little fiddly with attaching a bias strip to finish the slit, and then turning one side in before attaching the cuff -- makes sense once you do it, but hard to understand beforehand. 

I love how this turned out. I am really pleased with the fit and love the print. It was so great to have this push to make a more detailed project. It was really satisfying to slowly work through each step and make sure it was done and pressed well, then on to the next. And also a joy to use some of the beautiful fabric in my stash that has been hidden away on the shelves for far too long. 

That's it for my Burda classes, but I've earmarked a whole stack of Burda patterns I would love to make this year now that I'm much more comfortable with their patterns. I find they usually fit me well, and I'm planning to make a dent in my Burda magazine stash. For now I'll just swan around happily in my faux-Liberty "Europeon" blouse! 

Weekend Review: New Encyclopedia of Fashion Details

New Encyclopedia of Fashion Details / Patrick John Ireland

London: Batsford, c2008.

304 p.

Another book I really enjoying skimming through, this one is from my local library, and I've checked it out a couple of times over the last year or two. It is full of sketches of -- no surprise -- fashion details from across the 20th Century. 

It really is about 95% sketches, along with some introductory and explanatory notes scattered among the drawings. It's divided into sections like collars, waistlines, hems, sleeves, pockets, gathers, insets, draping and more. There are sketches of closeup details alongside full body outfits with colour added. It's really aimed at designers who need to sketch their ideas for presentations and so on, but I find it's very interesting for home designers as well. 

Looking at the details in each section, there is sometimes a representation of how the idea was used in the past, for example, draping in the 20s or 50s. But they are not period drawings, just sketches showing how that detail might have appeared in say, a flapper dress or a 50s bodice. The overall feeling of the book is late 80s/90s to me, despite the publication date. I quite like that, though. 

Even if the particular full outfits wouldn't appeal, just the number of design ideas shared here makes this book fascinating to look through. I can imagine using one detail to change up a pattern and add something a bit extra -- extending your own pattern collection or self drafting with neat little extras like piping, tucks, insertions, yokes, gathers or pleats, and so forth.

There is also some basic reference to the actual drawing itself - fashion figures in the beginning pages, some suggestions for guidelines and techniques to draw an even flounce or collar line, things like that. And sometimes for the full colour images, the type of paper and pens/pencils used is noted. 

Overall, I find this a fun book to flip through -- mostly for ideas to add to patterns in the past, and now also for some tips on drawing. I find the line drawings appealing and helpful to imagine new details in my sewing. Great book for when you just want to relax with some clothing ideas.

"Waist Knot" Burda knit dress

I'm working away on my Advanced BurdaStyle teaching course, and the first assignment was this dress with the special "Burda twist" feature at the waistline (Burda 101 01/18)

I used a lightweight polyknit from my stash that I bought ages and ages ago, and because it was so stretchy I could leave out the back zip. A more stable knit would require a zip as per pattern but I went with this stash fabric because it was handy. As my sister commented, it made this dress a real "Waist Knot, Want Not" outfit anyhow!

It was a fun challenge, although the air was a little more blue than green when I was trying to figure out that waist knot. You sew one folded piece, leaving a centre opening, thread the other one through and then sew it up. It's fiddly and requires a lot of fabric shifting to get it to work, then there's the zhushing of the twist once it's sewn together. Argh! But I got it to lay properly, and then basted it to the front. It's a great design, though, just narrower than the bodice piece so that when you wear it, it stretches to fit and doesn't sag. 

One thing I didn't think about was how the vertical stretch would lengthen the dress due to the weight of the fabric. The bodice is about 1/2" too long now, especially in the back -- I'd raise and widen the back waistline a smidge if I made it out of a fabric like this again. Or I'd just use a knit without this kind of vertical stretch. 

But I like the actual length of the skirt; this feels like a 30s tea dress to me now, like I should be swishing around doing the foxtrot or something. And surprisingly enough, I think the oversize flowers work. I wore a cropped orange cardigan with this in the same tone as the orange in the flower and it looked quite cheery and festively autumnal. I did wear the long sleeves pushed up all day though - must remember that I much, much prefer an elbow length and/or 3/4 sleeve over a full length one. 

The rest of this pattern was quite straightforward. I like the fit overall, even if the back waist is a bit too narrow for me. I hemmed skirt and sleeves, and finished the neckline, with a twin needle, something I finally learned how to do in this Burda course. I really like the effect and am going to try to keep using this finish when I can. 

This one is an unexpected hit for me -- I enjoyed making it and it was fun to wear, too. 

Make Nine / Use Nine 2021

 It's the beginning of a new year, and time for a new sewing plan! I made a #20in20 plan for last year, but am not making a 21in21 for this year -- continuing that trajectory could just get ridiculous ;) 

Last year I ended making 5/10 of the patterns I'd picked, and using 4/10 of the fabrics. Not too bad, it did help to have them written out like this. 

I'm moving back to the basic #MakeNine this year, and adding in a #UseNine as well. Just like last year, these are aspirational lists; I'm not holding myself to anything! I'm really a mood sewist, just like I'm a mood reader, so these lists are fun to make but not rigid at all, or I will get sewing block pretty quickly. I know myself. 

Anyhow, my list for 2021 of nine great patterns from my extensive stash that I'd like to make this year are as follows:

1. Montana Midi Dress by Style Arc

This is a simple dress that is just the style I like wearing in summer. I have tons of lightweight cotton and some linen that might all work with this one.

2. Melrose Dress & Top by Itch to Stitch

Another perfectly simple silhouette for an easier make -- and Itch to Stitch is always reliable with drafting and fit, so I know that I'll like this one. Even has a boxy top view as well!

3. New Look 6159

Skirt suits are appealing to me right now, and I think this pattern is just what I'm looking for. I'm planning on a classic matchy matchy outfit here. 

4. Butterick 6655

I like the short sleeve, short length view -- this is essentially a well-fitted shift dress with a faux button placket stitched on. I think if I could get this fitted well it could serve as the basis for many variations.

5. Talulah Knit Dress by Style Arc

I like the look of this one, if I can get the fitting right -- petite-ing a dress with all the detail in the hem area can be a bit tricky but I'm willing to give it a go.

6. Bento Tee by Liesl & Co.

I love the silhouette and the cool pockets and I saw someone on Instagram make a dress version which is also tempting. I've liked the patterns I've tried from this company previously so this is next up.

7. Fringe Dress by Chalk & Notch

This one was on my list for 2020 but I didn't get to it. I still really want to make it so I'm carrying it forward! 

8. Simplicity 1542

Another great pick for a blazer -- this one has 3 great views, plus a flippy skirt. I like all 3 versions of the jacket, just have to choose one to try out this year.

9. Ivy Pinafore by Jennifer Lauren

Another item from last year that I didn't get to but am carrying forward, mostly because I want to wear it while jumpers are still in fashion, plus, I have a great wide-wale blue corduroy I want to use for this. 

Next up, the 9 fabrics I want to use this year -- some a few years old, some quite recent. This may be matched with some of the patterns above, or they may not. It all depends what I am feeling! 

L to R: checkered cotton canvas (lightweight), reddish wool blend houndstooth (thrifted),
wool blend b&w houndstooth with faint gold sparkle

L to R: crinkle polycotton floral, gorgeous tropical print rayon,
vintage poly blend faille (thrifted)

L to R: rayon abstract alphabet print, rayon knit, poly blend knit with faint houndstoothy vibe

There are also a couple of alphabet prints that I'd put on my list for 2020 that I haven't gotten to yet but really want to make up this year. Text based print, houndstooth and dark florals -- all my favourites for this year! Plus green, I'm really loving it right now. 

So that's my plan for this year. Let's see how long it is before I'm distracted and veer off this path ;) I also have at least 10 Burda magazine patterns I'd like to make, not to mention my vintage/retro stash... oh for more time! 

With all these plans it will be interesting to see what my stash looks like by the end of the year. Have you made sewing plans this year or are you planning to go with the flow? 

Weekend Review: The Secrets of Fashion Drawing

The Secrets of Fashion Drawing / Noel Chapman & Judith Cheek
London: Arcturus, c2014
160 p.

One of my delightful Christmas gifts this year was a set of EXTCCT fashion rulers, seen first on @Julie_Eilber's instagram account and then put onto my list. A nice little gift came from my Mom -- these rulers and a tube turner set. Love the enabling! :) I've already tried out the rulers -- there's a torso, legs, and three complete body shapes; one with arms, one without and one with no head on it. You can basically make any outline you want. I did a few quick pencil sketches over one of the body outlines to get a feel for them, and had quite a bit of fun. It's like playing paper dolls again! 

Anyhow, playing around with these made me think about fashion drawing, which then reminded me that I had The Secrets of Fashion Drawing on my shelves, but had never really looked into it much. And I'm so glad I pulled it out, because it's really interesting! 

It's written by two fashion industry types from England - one an illustrator and one a lecturer. The book is aimed at fashion students or beginners who want to break into the fashion illustration world. Well, that is definitely not me, but this book has a lot more to offer the casual reader too. 

After a clear intro, the book moves on to essential equipment for an illustrator -- papers, pens, brushes etc. As a stationery freak, I really enjoyed this even though it's not my aim to become an illustrator. But then there is a 17 page chapter on fashion terminology, ranging from types of fabrics and notions to fashion terms relevant to professionals. This glossary is useful for sewists as well, and suitably, the pages are sprinkled with lovely little illustrations of things being described -- and throughout the book there are many, many examples of fashion drawings in all sorts of styles by different illustrators, which is charming and visually so satisfying. 

After that comes a 30 page chapter on colour. I loved this. First there are pages with a breakdown of colour meaning across from a full page spread of that colour in a mood board style image. Then a few pages on colour palettes, choosing a colour to work with for a collection, and the like. This was such fun to read. 

And then begins the drawing instruction itself. They give tips on life drawing, drawing directly from a garment, creating flats and floats, and then doing more of a finished fashion illustration. It really covers it all for anyone in the field. It does assume a fair bit of art knowledge but that's kind of their market. 

The rest of the book is examples of successful fashion drawings and illustrators as well as a fair bit of business advice for the fledgling fashion artist. I skipped over some of this, just reading bios and looking at work samples that are surprisingly different from one another and enjoyable to skim through. 

My interest in fashion drawing is piqued by this, and I think some of the suggestions might come in handy when I'm using my new rulers and trying out project ideas on the page prior to sewing anything up. Even if I don't use them for practical purposes, I find that drawing outfits is relaxing and fun, and I think I'll keep on doing it this year. This book gives me some inspiration both in the drawing area and in more general sewing plans - the discussion of colour and collections and fashion planning may just be helpful when building the sewing queue! 

2021 is Here!

 

Happy New Year! 

Good wishes for a safe celebration

& better to come in the future