So one of the tricks I picked up this past weekend for matching patterns is using a running stitch to put the pieces together. Brianna advised me to use a contrasting thres (in this case, white) so when you actually sew the pices together (on the machine) you have a clear line to follow. And because everything is already basted together, you don;t have to worry about slippage while the fabric goes through the machine.

Ok, yeah, it's a lot of work...but, Damn!...look at the results! How can you deny it?

Three hours of planning, carefull cutting, hand stiching, some ironing and there it is! As close to perfection as I can possibly manage!

I was very excited about it!

Yes, I said was.....







But then, I made a realization about something. And it wasn't one of those good "A Ha!" moments. It was a bad "A Ha" moment...

"A Ha!" the moment says to me " You used the wrong freakin' pattern!" "Go ahead," the moment taunts me with "try and turn a standard Middle Eastern coat into a Robe of Honor. I dare yah- I double doggy dare ya, cause you know you can do it! Go ahead, I just wanna see how much fabric you waste in the attempt.... Oh, and I don't even want to even mention the time it would take to redraft the bloody thing. C'mon! Go to it butthead! You know you want too!"

And on a regular day I would have tried. But today was no regular day... Nope. I called Brianna. Yah, I'm not very pridefull- I know when I'm fighting against an enemy grerater than myself, so I called in the cavalry- that's what a Laurel is for, right?

Just to prove that today isn't a regular day, I'll resist the urge to advise every single peer reading to reconsider their peerage, the reason why they accepted the peerage and the job they're failing to do, and to get schooled in how to be an effective role model for the people you serve...like Brianna does. Oh no though, can't learn anything from Brianna, every body knows she's just another power hungry bitch who doesn't deserve the accolades she has, much less getting recognized for anymore, cause it's not like she hasn't done the work more work than most of the pelicans put toegether...See, I told you it was a different kind of day!

Brianna was kind enough too translate what the moment was trying to say- that it, you can infact take an ME Coat pattern and make it into a Robe of Honor, but you would have to redraft the pattern. Well, hell....that doesn't gain me any time.

Ok, get the right pattern and start the whole process over.

So, the first rule of matching patterned fabric is what? Thats right! Always match patterns in the fabric when you're fresh and awake and actually give a fuck. Leave the linings and interlinings for when you don't.

And at this point, it's plain to see that I will- very shortly- violate that rule.

And I did, and the result were plane to see- atleast to me- after another couple ours of work and a bunch more hand sewing, I ironed that puppy down, and Fizzle! The pattern wasn't perfectly matched. Most people would say it was good enough, but not me. But I also know when to quit for the day and this is a good stopping point. So, untill next time- probably next Friday....

9-11-09

Happy governement conspiracy theory day! Have you sent your congressman the appropriate Halmark greeting card with the requiset unidentified white powder yet? Nah, me neither...

Anyways, here I am, about to violate (atleast in part) that rule again. But thats ok- see I have a plan! Since the pattern is exactly the same on both sides of the fabric, I'm going to tack all those little "eyes" in the middle of each rondell together, then I'll baste the hell out it, and quite possible- should it work- I might even get to turn on Victoria today!

I'l let you know hown it goes....

Oh Hell YES!!! Like seriously practically perfect in every way! Geeze that was hard! Ok- not really, time intesive, yes, but not terribly difficult. and it only took an hour! Yah so anyways- whats next? No really...I can't remember...oh wait ok the rest of the garment.... Ok...back panel and side panels out of silk.

Hmmm...darn it. Not enough silk. Not of the silk I wanted to use anyways. Shoot. Ok...dig dig dig...



9/12/09

Ha! Found enough of the silk....Back on track...It's a good thing I save all my scraps. This particular silk I didn't end up giving to Mistress Eilidh for her ornaments. Normally, what silk I have left over I drop off to her, but I guess I had a plan for it...Can;t remember what, but thats neither here nor there.

So, back to  the grind!

Aha! Finished the back panel! 
It's different then the ones I made for

Yah, so there.

Ok- so here comes the part...let's see, what haven't I done on this piece yet? Oh Yah- the front panel, the lining, the facings, the cloud collar...at least I know what needs to be done. Hmmmmm- it's 9:58 am right now- any chance of thise being done by 6 pm tonight?

(Quit laughing, it's possible you know...)




So progress today has been completed the shell, except for the sleeves and 60% done with the lining. By the close of business tomorrow I'll have the piece hanging and be most of the way done with the under cote. I already have the unders done, except for a pair of shalwar, but those will have to wait untill I find decent light weight material for them.

9/13/09

It's been a long day and I'm tired....

But at least it's been productive!

Here's the front of the almost done Hilak!

And here's the back:



I also started the cote. It's in an incredibley peacock blue twill and will be trimmed around the cuff with silver dupioni...

But, as I said, I'm tired, so i am probable just going to find me a comfrotable couch with a decent movie and to some handsewing. War isn't that far off and I have a lot of work to do!

So, on my todo list for this project- cloud collar,closures, and facings for the Hilak. For the coat- lining and finish sewing. Also need a to make a pari of generic Shalwar for underneath. Then I can get started on everything else!

Sigh....

9/18/09

Well, it's Friday and I am woefully behind. I'm hoping to make up a tremendous amount of time this weekend. I have one of Alana's work dresses almost done- thats one out of six- and no new movement on the Hilak and coat and undies (as of 12:50 pm). So now I have to bust ass like nobodies business! Already- to finish the peacaock coat today. Have to, have to, have to!

It's the end of my workday 'cause I'm tried and it's a stupid idea to costume when your tired. mistakes come frequently and just serve to piss me off when I come back into the my version of ther Man Cave (I call it "The Dungeon"....Things go in, stay for great amount of time, and leave- only if their lucky- and never in the same condition as the first entered) and have to waste a whole lotta time fixing the problems which should have never happened and could have been easily avoided providing I only stopped in time. But here's what got accomplished-


 


As it happened I had the most beautifull blue canvas which I had no idea what I was going to use it for. I bought it specifically for the color and it's been sitting for almost a year (literally since last GWW). Now, it was a bit stiff in the begining- nothing that a hot bath in the washing machine with a bunch of fabric softner could fix!- and it certainly wasn't somehting I would normally consider using for a Kaftan of anysort, but the blue is just the most amazing elcetriv peaacock blue I had ever seen! This picture does not do the color justice by any means...

Anyways, I did light trimming around the cuff with silver dupioni and the plan is to do an understated collar piece from the same dupioni. I don;t want to overpower the blue but I do want to spruce it up abit!

You'll notice just a slight peach color peaking out from the collar. Thats the lining. It was not my first choice in lining, but Damn! when I put it against the blue, it just made the come even more alive. It didn't just pop, it banged like an M80 in a school toillette!













So here's a sneak peak of the Hilak and Kaftan together. Yes, it's not finished. Yes it still has pins in it. Yes the hem isn't done and the collar decorations aren't finished either- or even started at the time of this photograph. Yes, I know.

One the other hand, I needed to know what the vaugley finished product was going to look like. I needed to see how the colors played off of one another. I needed to see that I was actually getting somehwere with it!

When you have as many unfinished projects as I do, it really healps to see something your working on actually is making progress....

Yes, it's pathetic, I know. STFU.

Anyways, where was I... Oh yes...Damn! The picture above gives a truer account of the blueness of the Kaftan. Oh hell, it's really a decent piece.

OK- there is something you have to know about me. I hate every I project I do. Thats not entirely accurate. I'm really inlove with them when I start them. I like them in the begining, but somewhere in the middle the loathing for my work really kicks in. It could be Armani quality while redifining Haute Couture and I'd hate it- completely and utterly. Why? Well, hold on a moment and maybe it will make a little more sense.

Living in a state of passion means you feel everything. Every victory is sweeter then anybody elses. Every defeat, more devistating. Every joke holds more gaiety and every insult more pain. Both loyalty and betrayal brings tears and inspires much of the same in kind. Every act of passion brings a swirling addicitive rush of different emotions which is more intense than any high form any drug on the market. Creative fervor, sexual passion, violent expressions, infectious jockularity (I love that word! Thank you Father Mulcahy!)- there is no difference!

This passion we live with is expressed and channeled in so many different ways. But in the end, it comes down to two types of people. The optimist, and the cynic. The cynic takes his or her passion to new levels of negativity. Their joy is dwarfed by their hatred and they express their passion in highly destuctive forms- constantly attacking other to rob them of their innate joy and to steal their passion.

The optimist, on the other hand, takes even the mot negative and finds something positive with in it. He or she works for the betterment- not just of themselves- but all around. They react passionately, but are passionate about creation, not destruction. They pour forth their passion into everything they do, in the life they live. Whether it be listening to music, or sewing, or doing ones job- it doesn't matter. they live their life with passion and use passion to constantly be in a state of creating.

Both types need moderation. I've dealt with cynics too much to waste more time on them here and now. I am a raging optimist. My moderation comes from experiance and I have developed an indominable spirit- patients, yet still fervently passionate.

So what does this have to do with Garb? Balance. You can't love and idea. The idea doesn't exist. It's an illusion inside of an illusion. There is no way to love an illusion, but people of passion frequently do. Most find the process tedious, sluggish. Resentment ensues and eventually hatred developes untill at which point there is progress made and the passionate actually see that their illusion within the illusion is starting it's metamorphises into simple illusion. Then it becomes exciting again and we are re energized.

Never ask the passionate their oppinion, they'll give it. It may change with new information- or for some simply new stimulus. So it's true, I hate every project I work on. I also am madly inlove with that very same project. It's all the same passion. And at the end of it all, after the process has been worked through the true oppinion cna start to be seen. Once the dust has settled- in this case, the piece is worn in public and I can see it in action at GWW, then I'll know for sure what I think of the piece. Untill then, when asked (or simply expressed) I'll give my oppinion- very honest, with no deception, but subject to change with new information.

So yah, back to the workbook...

9/19/09

I'm hungery, I need food. Be right back!

Mmmmmmm yummy!  Protien shake and a bagel with cream cheese! Brain food!

Alrighty, so whats left on the Hilak and Kaftan? Collars, finish the facing on the Hilak, bag out the kaftan. Closures on the kaftan, buttons on the hilak. Hanging and hems...time to get to work!

Lunch break. To much drama at the house for a Saturday. Seriously guys, a simple "No" solves everything...

Anyways, started on and almost finished the cloud collar for the Hilak. Now, I've neve done one of these so I used Brianna's pattern. Ok, so let's play Round 2 of What's Wrong With This Piece?...
 

So I decided I was going to do the cloud callor out of the same gold dupioni that I used for the gores of the hilak. Sure- why not?

like I said, I've never done one of these before so I used Brianna's pattern and guidance . It looked pretty good when I was cutting it out.

Except that it looked flat, and I didn't want a decoration that looked like it was painted on. Instead I wanted to give it a little texture, a little oomph. After all, I'm not silk screening this puppy on. Nope!

So I backed the the cloud collar with what was left of the lining of the hilak.




But I was smart. Check this out. I backed it with the good face of the lining on the inside, so that the out side- which is primarily white would be showing after I tunred the collar right side in prior to sewing it on.

Why was this smart? Because I plane to bead the collar prior to sewing it on and the white part will allow me to use a fabric marker to draw the pattern on to it. you know, like fore thought and prior planning and all that good stuff. The lining of the hilak, by the way, is of a dark maroon background with brightly colored floral pattern. Now this is a big hint as to the answer for round two of the game.

Take a close look at the next picture as I continue my explanation of what I was doing...



If you look at the pattern I used, there are ver few straight lines, so easing all of the curves and corners were an absolutue must. And, since it was about 80% curves and corners, it simply made no sense not just ease the entire thing. it only added about 30 seconds of time at most to the project and it completed that frill look that we all like to have on the insed of our garments.

I will say that after all the easing it looked a really fancy doily...

Ok- so have you come up with the answer yet? Seriously? How many hints do I have give. I gave pictures and descriptions and everything one would need to come up with the correct answer. It's not a trick question, I swear!


And the answer is: I sewed the incorrect faces together. Yup, I was a dumbass and didn't check my work as I went along. So I wasted an hour of time doing it wrong. and another 45 minutes redoing it. Sigh...

Atleast I did it right the second time....feh...

Whelp I'm done with this project for the day. Both the Kaftan anf the Hilak are hanging in preperation for hand sewing....

Now on to my Merchant Class....