Gadgetmania: a round-up of guest posts! Thank you!

Readers, this week was very busy with birthday celebrations, school visits, and, of course, sewing. I will post updates on the projects I managed to finish and new techniques I tried. But today, I want to get back to my traditional Friday Gadgetmania posts.

First of all, many thanks to these fabulous ladies who invested their time researching sewing tools and shared the results with you here:

 Astrid of Frøken Hanghøj, blogging about award-winning Needle Twister

Gwen of Gwynhug.com, who offered The Original "How much Fabric?" cards as a giveaway to Frabjous Couture readers

Maris Olsen of Sew Maris, giving an overview of her favourite KAI Scissors

Rachel of House of Pinheiro, who blogged about her favourite marking and tracing tools.

Carmen of CarmencitaB, revealing  unconventional use of glue in sewing.

Vicki of VickiKateMakes, who explained to use the importance of the thread twist.

Ruth of SewRuth, sharing with us her adventures in finding a new dress form

Laura Bolčina of My Little Nook, who contributed not one, but two posts on rulers! The first covered straight rulers, and the second dealt with curves.

 
Thank you, ladies! I was so flattered that you chose Frabjous Couture to write about sewing tools and notions!

We heard so much about useful tools, so I want to ask you what were some of the most useless sewing tools you came across??? All your nominations will be featured in a separate post! 

Gadgetmania: Dress Forms and Mannequins by Sew Ruth

Dear readers, this week in Gadgetmania it's all about dress forms. We all (?) know that a good dress form makes the process of fitting and sewing easier and faster! Ruth, our guest blogger this week, is in the process of choosing a new dress form for herself. She has made some research and now needs your help choosing one of the many options. Some of them are completely insane - see yourself!

I used to stand on the kitchen table in my half-made skirts and turn slowly while my husband pinned up the hem. With complete confidence in his decision I’d cut, trim and sew; try on and never wear the skirt in public.

Customers of the haute couture houses will have an exact body double made – I need one of those.

When the Fashion Department at work were having a clear out, there, lying drunkenly and partly obscured behind fraying embroidery projects and garish costumes was Doris. Brown with age, watermarked, frayed around her neck and arms and tattooed about the chest area with a red felt-tip pen, she was indeed a sorry sight. This girl needed clothes and I could give them to her. With permission of a long-term loan, I took Doris home, patched up the frayed areas, put a T-shirt on her and installed her in the sewing room and all of a sudden I was transformed into an atelier at 31 Rue Cambon.

There are still problems. Doris is from the early 1960s but maybe earlier and is 38”, 26”, 36” - real hourglass and sexy – not like me at all. Made by Yugin and Sons, London, I actually think she was really intended for display purposes, not fitting. Below is the Vogue Patterns measurement chart and Doris fits across three sizes (as do I but not the same three as Doris).

SIZE	Small		Medium		Large
	10	12	14	16		18
Bust	32 1/2	34	36	38		40
Waist	25	26 1/2	28	30		32
Hip	34 1/2	36	38	40		42
	DORIS	DORIS	ME	DORIS / ME		ME

I have been thinking of replacing her. I should have a dress-form that resembles me but which one? I’ve done some research and need your guidance on the best choice.

Top of the Range

Seigel & Stockman make for the French Haute-Couture industry. Their forms can be made to an individual's exact body measurements.

These artist designed models retail at €2.200 and they’re all sold!

The Italian MD Studio produce a range called Manicini – they can provide a snake skin covered version if you want, but I don’t think you can stick pins in it.

If you think Doris’s shape is 50 years old of date, what about a 1895 dress form for those of you who have a 16” waist. This genuine Stockman mannequin is available from http://www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk/

Kennett & Lindsell, UK, use high tech electronic scans of real people to produce an average dress form for women of the 21st century – including my favourite – the oversized version →

Mid Range Options

This is a Chil-Daw mannequin, made in England. It’s adjustable and a wonderful colour but I’m not sure about pin stickability. She doesn’t have any hips either. You have to buy vintage as Chil-Daw are no longer in business.

Modern and adjustable: this model is PerfectFit from Adjustoform – she even comes with a hem marker too. No more standing on the kitchen table then…

And finally……..

Source

The duct tape dress form – nothing left to say really.

http://sewruth.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Ruth, for this amazing research!

Readers, which dress form do you vote for? I am all for the snake-skin Manicini! as a second choice after the professional dress form, of course! The problem that I see with Doris, is that the bust is fuller than Ruth's. Otherwise, I would have padded the form where it is "skinnier" and continue using it! Your opinions?!

Gadgetmania by Maris Olsen: KAI Scissors

Readers, I am so delighted to introduce to you another lovely Gadgetmania Blogger, Maris Olsen of Sew Maris.

Sew Maris works and teaches in her home studio in Bellevue,Washington. No wonder she is passionate about fabrics, notions, patterns, sewing books and tools. She attends sewing workshops and conferences and takes classes whenever she has a chance. By the way, tomorrow, her first(!) granddaughter is due, and Maris is now on her way to New York to spend some time with her family - so, let’s wish them all the best! And, thank you, Maris, for finding time to write this great post! 

(By the way, sorry for the absence of images, as KAI Scissors is very strict about linking to their website, even if it constitutes fair use, such as this review. Just follow the links below to learn more.)


Hi! My name is Maris Olsen, and I am a full-time sewing nerd and part-time instructor in Bellevue, WA. When Marina asked for guest bloggers to write a post about their favorite tools, it was a no-brainer for me. I LOVE KAI scissors!

OK. First order of business – a little description. Kai scissors are made of Japanese steel and vanadium. Van-ah-di-what? I will spare you all the scientific mumbo-jumbo – what you care about is vanadium makes the steel harder. Which means it retains a sharp edge longer. That is goodness for people like me who want to cut fabric into all hours of the night and hate, hate, hate dull blades slowing them down. They also have awesome-ly ergonomic handles. Also, more goodness for prolific sewers, and people who might be developing a little arthritis in their hands. Not because they are old or anything, but just because. ;-)

Kai has several different lines of scissors and tools to suit a variety of uses and budgets. Kai makes 17 different scissor styles in their Standard line – all of which are part of the 5100 series. I own one of these babies – the Kai 5135C 5 1/2 inch Curved Blade Scissors. I use them every day. I love how the curved blade makes grading seam allowances a little easier. I also use them to trim threads when I can’t lay my hands on one of my 4 pairs of the little yellow handled 4 inch craft scissors. Which also, BTW, do an AMAZINGLY fast job of snipping thru a seam I need to unpick.

I also own two pairs from their Professional line – the Kai 7250 10 inch Professional Shears and the Kai 7240-AS 10 inch Serrated Edge Shears. These are both part of the 7100 series, and are they ever sweet. They cut like budd-ah. The action on both these shears is just a dream, and every time I use them I am happy. I wish, wish, wish I had owned the serrated ones when I was cutting out yards of silk charmeuse for my daughter’s wedding dress.

If you would like to do yourself a favor and own a fantastic cutting tool, high-tail it on over to Kai Scissors and place an online order. You are not likely to regret anything you buy from this fine brand. Hmmm, maybe I should try out one of their universal rotary cutters – works both right or left-handed – sounds like another tool I need!

Maris Olsen
http://sewmaris.com

I hope you enjoyed the post as much as I did! I heard great reviews of KAI Scissors and will try them  once I will need a replacement for mine.

By the way, if you also want to contribute a guest post, write me an email at mvk(dot)fashion(at)gmail(dot)com. For more details, visit the original Gadgetmania post (http://frabjous-fashion.blogspot.com/2011/11/gadgetmania-revival-guest-bloggers.html).

What scissors do you own, readers? Share your experience and links!

Wondered what's (home)sewing is like in India? Read this guest post from Lakshmi of Adithi's Amma Sews

Dear readers, I am back from my vacation in beautiful Maine, and am very glad to offer you this guest post from the winner of the Crescent Skirt Giveaway, Lakshmi of Adithi's Amma Sews. Lakshmi, who lives in the South Indian State of Tamil Nadu, shares here her thoughts on traditional Indian garments and home sewing in India,


I thought it was an interesting post as it provides an insight into the world of sewing many of us hardly know anything about. On the one hand, Lakshmi is so privileged to have a hands-on access to oh-so-fabulous traditional Indian sewing and embroidery. On the other hand, she has to deal with challenges of not having access to some basic sewing tools, notions and materials while living next to several significant Indian textile hubs - isn't it ironic?


So, read on, I hope you enjoy it and if you are interested in some of the techniques or traditional garments she mentions, visit her blog for hands-on tutorials. 

Dear Readers of Frabjous Couture, I am Lakshmi, aka Adithi's Amma from Adithi's Amma Sews. I am a stay-at-home mom of a 4.5 yr old little princess, an aspiring freelance fashion designer, and a dream of having my own custom clothing line in near future.

Before moving onto further details, I would first like to thank Marina for having me over here and sharing this post with her readers! When Marina and I discussed the subject of my guest post, she suggested I write about home sewing in India ... and, maybe, give a brief intro on traditional Indian outfits, such as well-known Indian silk sarees, Silk skirt & top known as Pattu Paavdai in South India or Ghaghra in North India. If you want to learn how to make a Saree blouse, Pattu Paavadai  or other traditional Indian outfits like Angarkha ( a wrap once worn by royalty and back in vogue  now!), check out tutorials on my blog! 


Back to home sewing in India. My mother's grandmom used to sew all her children's, as well as grandchildren's, outfits by hand! India has a fascinating history of needle arts, various forms of embroidery have their roots here, or have been adopted and well nurtured here!

This outfit for my darling daughter has detailed Aaari and Zardosi work done on it!
Fabric is silk, of course!

Zari embroidery has its roots here in India and is extensively used even today in most of the traditional garments such as Saree, Silk Kurta, Ghaghra, Lehenga (Skirts) worn on festivals or at weddings. India is a vast country with many different needle art forms spread across the country. 

Frabjous Couture: India has long been known for its gold thread, zari ...Currently, real zari is made from flat silver wire that is electroplated with gold. Zari made from these precious metals is used for ceremonial sarees, richly embroidered apparel, furnishings, etc. Imitation zari, on the other hand, is made from copper wire. A third variety, plastic zari, is made from a chemically-coloured metallic yarn. More than 20 colours of zari are now produced, and there are varieties such as zari on glass, zari on wood etc. Source

I am South Indian and have lived all my life in South India,  and Zari work on local Sarees is really mind boggling - ask anyone who has seen a Silk Saree, they would vouch for it! Kancheevaram (City of 1000 temples, just 47 miles from where I live) is famous for its hand-woven silk sarees! We get many of them in Chennai (the capital of the southern Indian state Tamil Nadu), and the main shopping area is always crowded!


There are more embroidery types in India, such as Zardosi, Chikankari from Lucknow, Phulkari from Punjab, there's also Aari, Patchwork, Kundan - the list is endless.

Sequin and bead embroidery on my RTW Saree! 

Take a look at some of my silk wedding sarees ! Indian weddings mean Rich Traditional Garments!

This is the simplest silk saree I own (imagine!)

 Here is a snapshot of a brocade Saree blouse I made for myself! You can find a detailed Saree Blouse Drafting and Sewing Tutorial on Adithis Amma Sews.

Apart from Sarees, Salwar Kameez, which originated in the Northern India, is now worn throughout the country as it has a traditional yet contemporary look to it and is very comfortable to wear and move around! Salwar refers to the pants and kameez refers to the top

Patiala Salwar and Kurta I made for my sister

Simple Churidhaar (slim pants with gathers at ankle) and Kameez made for self

Anarkali is another style of kameez or top with an empire waist bodice with flared skirt. A tutorial on how to draft one using basic Shift Dress block is available HERE!

Fabrics used for traditional Indian clothing are amazing!


Starting with the Khadhi fabric, which had been made immortal by the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi! 

The term khādī (Devanagari: खादी, Nastaliq: کھادی) or khaddar (Devanagari: खद्दर, Nastaliq: کھدّر) means cotton. khādī is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth.  It is a versatile fabric, cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 

Khadi is not just a cloth, it is a whole movement started by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The Khadi movement aimed at boycotting foreign goods and promoting Indian goods, thereby improving India's economy. Mahatma Gandhi began promoting the spinning of khādī for rural self-employment and self-reliance (instead of using cloth manufactured industrially in Britain) in 1920s India thus making khadi an integral part and icon of the Swadeshi movement. The flag of India is only allowed to be made from this material, although in practice many flag manufacturers, especially those outside of India, ignore this rule. (Source: Wikipedia)

Indians used to wear a lot of cotton and cotton blends, because of the climate, of course. In the north, summers are very hot and winters - very cold; and in Chennai, where I live, summer and summery winters is all we get! So, synthetics are a big no-no! However, with air-conditioning everywhere,  more people  buy synthetics, but the love for pure simple cotton is still here! 


Apart from cotton, another fabric that has traditional roots in the country is silk! After all, it is the second largest producer of silk in the world (after China)! For more information on Silks in India Visit http://indiansilk.kar.nic.in/silk.html. 


Silk Garments are worn by young and old in India. My daughter loves her Pattu Paavadais (traditional silk skirt and top), and my MIL loves her silk sarees! Men also wear silk - in the form of Dhotis (traditional garment in South India, which is wrapped around the waist and the legs) and Kurtas.

Even my daughter's Barbie doll has a silk saree-style gown:

Ghaghra Choli and Lehenga Cholis are a skirt and a top worn along with a shawl called 'Dupatta', and are quite popular as wedding outfits, not just for the bride! I made this one for my sister:

and this one for myself:

The Challenges


All this may give you an impression that Indian home sewers are spoiled! But this is not the case.


Knit fabric is the best example. India is one of the major manufacturers and exporters of knit fabrics, it is hard to get them locally, as they are mostly available for wholesale! When I see those awesome printed cotton knits on online fabric stores from the US or Europe, I drool over them and wish I could get them here, from where they may have actually come from! Tirupur, a textile hub and  an important trade center in India, is famous for its knit garment industry, yet there is no option for a retail buyer to purchase knit fabrics produced there, what an irony! In India, as far as I know, we do not have the luxury of buying fabrics online. But we do enjoy going to the market and searching for that specific color, texture, feel of fabric we have in mind! I spend hours shopping for fabric; my stash is always brimming, and storage space is always cramped!

Buying sewing machine and supplies is not that difficult, as we have sewing machine dealers all over the country, but the variety available to home sewers is limited. For example, we do not have access to sergers here in India. I had to buy an industrial 5-thread overlocker because nothing else was available!

Talking of notions, there are numerous craft stores, one for almost every residential area or at least in main market areas. However, they stock mostly used notions, and less specilized notions that an avid sewer can't live without, such as, say, invisible zippers, for example. I have to go to a wholesale market area and beg a wholesaler to sell me 10 to 12 zippers! However, lace and trims are found in plenty, and so are bead-worked accessories! 


As for commercial patterns, I can't find them here in India! I can buy them online, of course, but shipping costs are high! In 50s and 60s, and partly in 70s, there were a lot of craft magazines, mainly about needlework and sewing, which included free patterns. Look at this 1975 magazine I got from my aunt (who taught me sewing!)

Where have they all vanished, i was wondering! Then I realized that even amidst my family and friends from the current generation, there is hardly anyone who sews. Most of them prefer ready-made garments available a plenty in nearby stores, or having their clothes made by a neighborhood tailor! 


Tailors are in great demand in our country, and there is a serious shortage of skilled tailors! Gone are the days when you bought fabrics months before festivals like Deepavali and rushed to give them to your favourtie tailor before his order list gets filled up! I wish they make a come back! One reason is that my body shape does not fit a ready-to-wear average size (i am very petite and slim!), and second reason, which stands good even today, are  that design, color and fabric choices, or their combination, are just not the right kind of mix I am looking for! 


For my darling daughter, it has always been home-sewn wardrobe. The few RTW outfits she owns were all gifts from relatives! Here are couple of garments I have sewn for her:

Dhoti Pant / Cowl Pant - a tutorial on how to sew this can be seen here

Thank you, Marina, for having me here, and to all your readers for having the patience to read through such a long post!