The Demise of This Blog-and new Instagram Account

 Well, the signs have been there for a couple years now.  Slowly, blogging has become harder and harder.  All kind of troubles and costs have befallen this blog and honesty I just don't find myself drawn to communicating on such an extensive level about my sewing projects anymore.

I love sharing with all of you and I am so grateful that you've tuned in.  I now have about 1900 followers on my Constant Contact list.  But CC has become super expensive and charged me almost $500 to renew this coming year...and they did it automatically with NO notice thank-you-very-much.  And I can't get them to answer the phone or email me.  Really frustrating.  So I'm disputing the charge and stopping that mail service.

So....I have decided to start an Instagram account using @gayleygirlsews to report on my sewing/dyeing and other creative projects.  I hope you will swing over and follow me there.  I think it will be much easier to post on that platform and, hopefully, I'll do it more often!

Here's a photo of a recent make.  It's a pair of pants I copied from a ready to wear garment.  Balloon pants with big pockets...yes, right up my alley.

Hope to see you over @gayleygirlsews on Instagram soon!  And thank you for following me, our conversations back and forth over the years have been wonderful.  But hey, that's another reason to stop this format, I'm no longer able to answer your comments, something that really frustrated me.

Blogger and Constant Contact, take notice.

Printed Cashmere and Trouble With Blogger

Hi everyone,

Truthfully, I'd blog more often but Blogger makes it SO difficult to respond to questions I hesitate to write a post.  At this point, everything I did to resolve that issue is not working and I can't respond to the lovely Gill who asked about the pattern paper I use.

Thank you, Gill.  Here's the answer.  The bridal isle runner paper I've used, Suresta, is no longer available on Amazon so I've gotten another brand.  It's working fine as well.  It does not usually need ironing like traditional pattern tissue so I don't have to iron very often.  But I have ironed it and it's fine. I'd make sure my iron isn't too hot first!

Reluctantly, I'm going to turn off comments on this blog.   I don't want to do it but I see no other way to move forward.  Maybe it will encourage me to post more often!

In the meantime, here's a shawl I made with more of the printed cashmere I talked about a couple posts ago.  I really like the shawl better than the sweater I made with the other pieces so I've cut that up and am making another shawl!

And here's a shot I worked on in the app, Waterlogue.  Super fun app!

Love to all, sorry we won't be chatting in the future but please keep showing up!!

 

Graffiti Puffer Jacket

Often, when I attend one of Diane Ericson's Design Outside The Lines retreats, I'll swoop up a hand painted piece of fabric made by her son Miles Frode. 

This one was a huge painter's drop cloth with loads of personality.  I don't usually wear hot pink but hey, why not!?

I had fun with this one.  I decided to quilt it since the winter storms were blasting the central coast here in California.  I also used it to polish my welt pocket skills, a goal for 2022.

 Since the canvas had so much body on its own I used a lightweight cotton batting.  For the stitching, I tested several thread weights including pearl cotton and carpet thread but ended up using sashiko thread. 

I sewed the body of the jacket together with machine stitching, cut away the batting along the seam lines and hand stitched the lining seams.

For the lining I decided to use a beautiful silk scarf I'd purchased from Michael Brennand-Wood at a Shakerag Workshop several years ago.  It was hard to cut into it but using what I have has become a mantra in the last two years.  And I know he would approve since he's the king of re-use.

But...there wasn't enough fabric in the scarf for the sleeves.  I rummaged, and rummaged and finally decided to use the sleeves leftover from a puffer jacket I made out of two bright orange puffers I'd bought cheap in Ashland.  I realize now that I never blogged about that coat.  I'll take some pics and show it soon.

I actually like the spot of orange at the cuff, even tho there isn't any orange in the canvas.  Carrie Bradshaw's bright blue heals that didn't match a thing she was wearing in a Sex In The City episode all those years ago had an affect on me!

And here's a little lining reveal.

And the full lining with the puffer sleeves.  It feels so comfy and what they say is true...you really do feel different when you're wearing something that only YOU know is inside!

If you're thinking to yourself, "Doesn't this woman have enough coats?" the answer is yes, and the bed in my spare room agrees.

 

Jackets, Tops and A Vase

Lots of rain, cold and COVID combines to give me loads of creative time.  I feel like one of the lucky ones who figured out a passion and it serves me so well right now.

My pal, Sharon, and I bought a 1930's-50's comforter for a wonderful Paula Kovarik class a few months ago.  We agreed to split it and I came home with my half, never having used it in class.  Wondered what to do with it and finally decided to paint it with Dy-Na-Flow. 

I cut out the pattern pieces for a haori, drafted by the talented Wendy Franzen of West Zen Studio.  I've used this pattern lots.  It's a great canvas.  I followed the stitch lines on the comforter as a start then added elements as I went.  

I need to heat set this, or never wear it out in the rain, one or the other!  It's so comfy!  Maybe that's because it reminds me of a bed jacket my grandmother used to let me wear!

This shell, made from painted lace pieces, is the result of a long story.

Another pal, Lisa, has an airbrush and compressor she let me use.  I wanted to use various pieces of lace as stencils to spray paint pieces of cashmere.  The cashmere pieces looks so great after I sprayed them.  Then...it all washed away, even tho I did everything I was supposed to do to set it.

But, I had loads of grey lace to show for it.  Interestingly, when I washed the lace the paint stayed in.  They all came out in various shades of grey, which is good.  So, what to do with a bunch of grey lace?

Seemed a simple pattern would be best and I used a self drafted top that is basically a rectangle.  

This is 100% hand sewn, very drapy, looks great over black.  I aspire to wear it to the grocery store this year....because the way it feels right now, that's the only place I'm going!

I'm still going to work on getting cashmere to take spray painted color.  Lisa wisely suggested trying Dye-A-Flow with the airbrush sprayer.  I like this idea.  I'll probably have to thicken it just a bit with the alginate I use for me printing.

As soon as the temps get above 50 I'm giving it a try!

And finally, I've been lusting after the vessels made by Zoe Hillyard for years.  

I finally decided to give this technique a try.  It marries both my passions; pique assiette and textiles.

Since I've done so much pique assiette I have a pretty good idea of how to keep the pieces sorted to keep the shape.  The technique was generously supplied by Zoe in a vimeo video entitled, Rags to Riches, Zoe Hillyard.

I'm headed to my fabric stash right now to begin my second one, a huge bowl.  This should be easier to manipulate but I'm going to have to make the inside look as good as the outside this time.

Welcome to 2022.  Keep making, keep sane, keep sweet!

 

One Holiday Cashmere Sweater Using Three

It's raining here on the central coast of California which is always good news.  Perfect for the solstice and the approaching holiday.

It's been really chilly, too.  Sweater weather, for sure.  This time of year I bring out my copious supply of secondhand cashmeres and go to work trying to reduce the stash.

I bought a sweater at a D.C. consignment store a couple years ago that I love and wanted to copy.  Seemed like cashmere would be the perfect tester material.

The original is a short, boxy style that I wear over lots of different tops.  I'm wearing several short, cropped tops that are made of drapy fabrics.  In winter they're cashmere, in summer they're cotton knits.

Of course, all of my cashmeres have holes in them; that's why I get them for $8 each.  Hence the square patches.

I used three sweaters to make this and have lots of scraps leftover.  I intend using all of the scraps I've accumulated over the years.  Any ideas for using small cashmere scraps?  My friend, Gwen, makes beautiful lap blankets, using 2 inch squares.  I may follow her lead but I'm open to suggestions!

I copied the garment construction verbatim using  raw edge, flat fell seams so that both layers of cashmere show along the edge of each seam.  I like the look of raw edges so this worked well for me.  

I don't hem any of the remade cashmere sweater I make because thin, closely knit fabrics don't unravel and the bulk of a hem just doesn't look right to me.

I've been doing a LOT of sewing but not much posting these last months.  I promise to catch up after the new year.

Stay sweet, stay safe, keep sewing!

 

Recycled Cashmere

A good friend taught me a new textile trick last July.  I know it's been around for quite a while but it was new to me.

She showed us how to imprint a silk scarf with recycled men's silk ties.

The lightbulb went off and I thought, why couldn't you do the same with vintage silk scarves and recycled cashmere sweaters.  And that started a two-week frenzy out in the garage!

I've been saving vintage scarves for over ten years.  I used them on cashmere jackets that I sold for many years but after I stopped making those I couldn't bring myself to give away the two huge containers of scarf bits and whole scarves. Unfortunately, my scarf stash doesn't look like I even dented it!

There are several good tutorials online explaining how to do this technique if you're interested.  Basically, you tightly wrap the silk ties or scarf pieces around a dowel with the cashmere (or silk scarf), bind it together very tightly and steam it.

 I pieced the scarves on large cashmere sweater fronts, backs and sleeves so there really aren't that many seems in this garment, even tho it looks quite patched.

At first I was going to make a large patchwork shawl with the pieces I dyed.  But then I thought I might use a sweater more so tried this oversized, slouchy sweater pattern I drafted from a RTW garment.

The sleeves are very tight fitting so it gives the garment a bit of shape.

Here's a close up.  Most of the colors really printed well.  Every once in a while one scarf didn't print so well.  And then every once in a while my burn test to determine if it was really silk failed!  Then I got NO print at all.

I also used some old kimono prints.  I was surprised that so few of my vintage kimono scraps were silk. Most must be rayon, I guess.  

I've been sewing and doing loads of surface design these last few months but just haven't gotten to blogging about it cuz I've also been lucky enough to begin taking classes and going to retreats again.  It sure feels wonderful to be with my sewing pals again!

I hope your sewing is bringing you joy.

 

Versatile Vogue 1817--New Marcy Tilton Pattern

Marcy Tilton's new jacket/vest pattern is super versatile.  I've made it in a techno fabric and a French terry, both are super comfortable and the perfect all-year weight for my climate.

This is another quintessential Marcy pattern; somewhat of a puzzle, challenging but so gratifying to make.  This version is the techno fabric that has a bit of metal thread woven in so it retains its crinkles in a good way.  

I finished it with a twill tape and snaps and changed the collar.

I tend to wear it closed more often.  It has just the right amount of asymmetry for me.

There are many interesting details in this pattern.  Both front and back bottom pieces are single cut,  all four different.  A lapped flange separates the upper bodice from the lower pieces. 

Twill tape/snap detail.

This one is out of her Icelandic Black Tweed French Terry.  It looks a bit narrow at the bottom in this photo but it's fuller when worn.

The French terry fabric called for a hoodie.  It wasn't hard to make the change.  I took the pattern pieces from a Katherine Tilton OOP pattern, adjusted the circumferences, and it went in without a hitch.

This is a very stylish and wearable pattern that can be adapted to lots of different fabrics and occasions. Heck, I could even see this as a shirt.  I urge you to give it a try, especially if you need a bit of a sewing challenge.

 

Spoonflower Printed Fabric

I finally did it!  I've been wanting to have the fabric I print (I use a silkscreen process that's a combination of what I learned in Pat Pauly and Kerr Grabowski classes) reproduced by Spoonflower.  It's been at least 3 years and I finally made it happen.

It started with a 3-one month online Photoshop Elements classes taught by the Pixeladies.  These gals know their stuff but more important, they know how to teach.  And they're FUN!

I was a three time Photoshop loser/dropout, couldn't get the hang of it, till I found Kris and Deb.  

I had some of my prints professionally photographed and started designing them in Photoshop Elements to make repeatable patterns .  I was pretty successful but I have a ways to go.

Here's my first actual wearable garment using fabric I had printed using Spoonflower.  It's their Cotton Spandex Jersey.  I like the fabric.  The black background came out sort of heathered, which I actually like.  The Pixeladies have done a whole blog on the blacks you get with different companies.  

I must have goofed on the sizing though.  The motifs came out much smaller than the original piece of cloth.  I'll have to figure out what I did.  I don't mind this size but I'd like to know how to size my designs so that I get what I want.

Here's the original piece of cloth.  It's 1/2 yard, about 52"wide.  The "windows", which is what I call this fabric, are each about 5-6" tall.

It's much easier to silk screen pieces that are about 1/2-1 yard.  Then have a company print more yardage.  I'd been trying to print several yards myself but it's just too danged hard to get what I want.  Plus, when I print smaller pieces I can combine them into one file on Photoshop.  Here's an example. 

 I started out with these three panels. Each is about half a yard.

And combined them in one Photoshop file that turned out like this.

I had it printed in their Signature Cotton which I'm not all that thrilled about.  I'd like to find a company that uses really fine garment quality fabrics.  

Something interesting happened when I put on a garment using my fabric but commercially printed.  It didn't have the same energy as when I wear garments in the original cloth.  I hadn't expected that.  There's something tangible and exciting about wearing the original that is somehow lost when they are reproduced.  That doesn't mean I'll stop doing it but it was interesting.

I plan to take these three classes again when they offer them in a few months.  

It was a super productive way to spend during COVID confinement and I'm glad I got something like this accomplished during that time.  I would never have done it otherwise.

What did you get done during COVID that you're proud of???

 

Textile Surface Design on Vogue 1784

I'm continuing to use the fabrics I printed last time.  Every part of this process makes me happy, from printing to finished garment.  I love figuring out where to use the various pieces of cloth.  

Each piece is designed to have several elements so that one piece of cloth looks like you are using more fabrics than you actually use.  I've been studying with Pat Pauly for the last couple years, love her techniques.

Here I used three different fabrics, but it appears there are many more.  And it's stretching me to put fabrics together I wouldn't have tried before.

This last printing session I used more blue than I usually wear.  But I think combined with black and red (it reads pink when I screened it lighter) will make me pull it out of the closet more often.

This, again, is Marcy Tilton's pattern, V1784.  Third time I've made it.  This time I simplified the collar by omitting one pattern piece...after all, it normally used 5!  And I added a cuff in a different fabric.

It took me quite a while to figure out where all the fabrics would light since they were all very different.  

Stay tuned, the fun continues now that I've learned how to use Photoshop Elements to replicate pieces of cloth for Spoonflower.  I took a 3 month Pixeladies class online and boy are they great teachers. 

 I combined 3 different pieces of cloth to create the image below.

But mostly I've used one piece of cloth and worked on it in PTE to make a repeatable pattern.

I've printed three different fabrics so far.  I'm happy with all of them but the last one I got up the nerve to ordered enough fabric to make a tunic.  It was the first time I ordered Spoonflower's Cotton Spandex Jersey and I like it. Next time I'll try the Modern Jersey.

I've also tried their Signature Petal Cotton but it's a bit too heavy for my needs.  Wish they carried a lighter weight cotton.  I'm researching other companies that print on demand, there are several now.

California opens up tomorrow!  I'm looking forward to going into our local fabric store, Hart's Fabric without a mask!  If you haven't checked out their online store you need to.  They have so many great fabrics.  We're so lucky, here in Santa Cruz County, to have such a good fabric store.

That's all till I take pics of the tunic I made from the jersey.  I'm off to Diane Ericson's Design Outside The Lines in Ashland!  I'm so excited.  She is hosting Amy Nguyen, a textile and garment designer I've wanted to study with for years.

Thanks for dropping by!

 

Surface Design on V1274 Tunic

First, a bit of housekeeping.  As I mentioned last post, Blogger will not be allowing you to follow me by email, using their Feedburner link, after July.  So, I'm switching to Constant Contact as of this post.

If you follow this blog by email there is nothing you need to do.  You will continue to get this blog in your inbox, but it will be under the name gayleygirl and will be provided by Constant Contact instead of Feedburner.  In the email, there will be a clickable link to the post, just as before.

I have already sent out an announcement email to those of you who subscribe that way, letting you know of this change.  Hang in there with me while we see how this change shakes out.  I think it will work smoothly.

So, on to what's new.

My continuing obsession with surface design has been a life saver during COVID.  I took another 5 day class with Pat Pauly and continued printing for the following two weeks.

I produced a heck of a lot of cloth, got some new inspiration and tried a couple different techniques.  Here is a tunic made with Vogue 1274, one of my tried and true patterns.

Instead of screen printing I tried hand painting.  This is a beautiful Egyptian Cotton I got from Emma One Sock.  I can't fault the fabric, the dyes or anything other than my technique for the less than desirable outcome.  I'm not totally displeased with this but I sure learned a lot...mostly what not to do.

I was unhappy enough with the original design that I decided to add a block print I made last year.  It's the long black vertical lines of different circle shapes.  Think it helps a lot and I like the idea of mixing techniques.

I added a collar detail with a raw edged piece of lightweight cotton stripe and used the perfect buttons from my stash.  Yes, for once I actually had the right button for the job.

I have several new things to show you and will be posting more frequently, I hope.  Future subjects will include;

•  the Photoshop Elements classes I took over the winter with the Pixeladies and the images of my fabric I am creating in Photoshop and sending to Spoonflower to print
• my new career as a hat maker, having been taught by a wonderful Santa Fe hat maker how to replicate a straw visor I got in Tokyo 
• more clothes I've been making and a tunic I made using block prints, sashiko/boro techniques with vintage Japanese textiles.  

Now that things are opening up I'm re-inspired to start sewing clothes again.  I'm actually wearing makeup and dressing up again.

Enjoy this spring, we deserve it!

 

Marcy Tilton V1784 Tunic

First, the bad news.  Blogger has decided not to allow RSS feeds and email notifications for blogs anymore.  I guess that means readers would have to remember to visit blogs...or, I need to find another way to let you know I've posted.

Hmmm....not sure how to proceed.  If any of you have figured out what to do next please advise!  I'll keep looking for ways to let you know I've posted.  Also, I'd love to know how you see my blog.  Do you get it in your mail inbox, on Bloglovin', some other way?  Thanks for the help, any help will help!

Now on to what I've been making.  There are several things I've completed, and lots of fabric has been screen printed.  But those will be posted in a week or so.

This post is about Marcy Tilton's tunic pattern, Vogue 1784.

This is a fun make.  Super easy and wears very comfortably.  I would make it one size smaller next time (and there will be a next time), it's roomy.  The lines are flattering and the details are fun.  There's a pleat in both the right front and center back that bring a lot of movement to the garment.

Asymmetrical hems also give it a lot of visual counterpoint to the bottom of the tunic.

I love the collar, it's fun,  not difficult to construct and can be altered in several ways by either stitching parts of it together...or not.

I made it in Marcy's stretch cotton shirting which is sold out with the exception of a lovely lavender and white stripe.  It is indeed a beautiful fabric, as are all of her fabrics.

It's a spirit-lifting, sunny morning here on the Central Coast of California and I intend to sew today, after doing a deep dive into our collection of books...trying to cull, organize, and make sense of it.  Ongoing...

 

The Lessons of Hand Stitched Lettering

I've heard several friends refer to hand stitching as a form of meditation.  I used to think that wasn't the way I experienced it.  But I've just changed my mind after starting the book, How To Meditate-A Guide to Self-Discovery by Lawrence LeShan.

If I can paraphrase, Mr. LeShan describes meditation as a practice in which you are always striving for improvement, acknowledging your shortcomings, meanderings and frustrations along the way.

I now realize hand stitching is like meditation for me.  I'm really pretty bad at the nuts and bolts of it.  I'm not a consistent stitcher and no matter how hard I try to work towards exact stitches my words are rarely even or good looking.

But I persist.    

My mother, to whom I owe my great curiosity for and ease in making things with my hands, passed away in 1992.  Not only was she a passionate serial maker but she had a phrase for everything.  

The day she passed away her sayings began to pop up in my mind.  I started writing them down and for the next week I kept writing.  They just flooded back, one after another.

By the time we gathered at her grave, I had a pageful of them and recited them that day as my eulogy.  During this time of covid I've been cleaning drawers, file cabinets, the garage, the basement, you name it.  It was in one of these clearing that I found that piece of paper with all of her sayings.

Mom always encouraged me to make things.  Tables were set around the house with materials she was currently using to make one thing or another and I had full access.  What a gift.  To learn at an early age the effortless practice of just sitting down to start something using your hands.  No judgement about the way it will turn out.

The only thing she hated to do was cook.  She was a good cook with a two week rotation but she never liked it.  When I came home from school and saw the turquoise electric skillet set out on the counter I knew dinner would be Rice a Roni and Jimmy Dean Sausage casserole.

This shirt started out with just her sayings but as it went along I felt the need to tell her story.  

Here is Otafuku, from a Japanese folktale.  She represents mirth, joy and good fortune. 

This was a project that took over 8 months to finish.  Mostly because hand stitching is a love/hate thing with me.  I used a thrift store Brooks Brothers shirt.

I haven't worn it yet, not sure it was ever intended to wear.  Maybe this spring.

 

One More Shirt

Here's another shirt made with fabric I printed in two Pat Pauly classes.  It is an OOP Marcy Tilton pattern V9174.  I wish Vogue had not discontinued it.  This shirt is one of my favorites.

I've used most of my printed fabrics that have enough yardage for a garment.  I wish I had more, I love sewing with them.

I'm learning how to print enough fabric of the same or similar designs.  At first I only printed a yard at a time.  Then realized a yard of fabric wouldn't be useful for me.  

So I started printing three yards at a time.  That turned out to be way too cumbersome on the printing table.  From now on I'll print in 1 and a half yard lengths and print two or more of the same or coordinating designs.

I created this barbed wire screen in a screen printing class at Cabrillo College many years ago and return to it every once in a while.

Can't wait for warmer weather to get back out in my printing studio, otherwise known as my garage.  Pat Pauly, watch out, I'm going to take another class in the spring!

 

Staying Busy...Slowly

Our days here on California's Central Coast have been fairly mild.  Lots of sun and chilly, although that sun keeps my mood fairly even.  But dang, some day's it's hard.  I feel swept up in all the angst and yet find myself feeling detached because I'm so disconnected to my usual life.

I have slowed down, something I've wanted to do for years.  Days and sometimes a week go by without anything on the calendar.  That means my creative pursuits are front and center in my thoughts many hours of the day.

I'm practicing several disciplines at the same time, a luxury.  I have projects all over the place; started a Kaffe Fassett Persian Poppy shawl; hand hemming an organza scarf I printed; working on an Alabama Chanin piece I bought at her factory in Alabama 3 years ago, stitching away it,  still not sure what it will be; eco printing paper and cloth along with India Flint's Eucalyptographia class;  am signed up for three Shibori classes with Aya Fiber Studio, let's see...oh yeah, I'm sewing.

I'm still working down my stash of fabrics I created in both Pat Pauly's and Kerr Grabowski's screen printing classes.  This is Marcy Tilton's OOP V9174 shirt pattern that lends itself well to multiple small pieces of cloth.

I originally printed two-1/2 yard pieces a year ago but needed more to make something.  I printed another two yards this past October in Pat's class.  The various yardages aren't exactly alike, as no two pieces of hand printed cloth can be.  But I'm satisfied with the two together.

This is Kerr's technique of deconstructed silk screening.  I like both Kerr's method and Pat's method which is...well, I can't really find the words to describe the differences in their work.  Kerr's seems looser, where you are not sure what image you will end up with, while Pat's is a bit more studied in form and line.  Please, if I have offended either one of you (if indeed you are even reading this) I'm sorry.  I love both of you and your work!

 

This pattern is flattering, easy to wear and super fun to sew.  It's still a bit cold to wear this now, I look forward to wearing it out in the spring!  I've made this pattern twice before and seem to pull it out of the closet often. 

I used buttons I got in Kyoto in 2019.  They have been so special to me I didn't want to use them but they were the only ones in my stash that looked right. After sewing them on I realized that of course I should use them, when if not now?!

I had to do a bit of piecing, not every inch of fabric I screen print is worth showing so I just sew a little patch of the good stuff over it.  

 I'll show you my second make using this pattern and my screened cloth soon.

I hope you are staying busy, doing what gives you joy and makes you learn something new.  It's a life raft right now.