Mad Men Project: Reality Check

So, Mad Men Fashion Project #1 (and part of my holiday wardrobe): circular skirt!

Digging in

I did find some nice full skirt patterns in my vintage pattern stash, but there was always something I was not happy about. I knew I need to be able to manipulate the garment and the best way to go about it is draping it.

Draped it will be

This draping book - Draping: Art and Craftmanship in Fashion Design, by Annette Duburg and Rixt van der Tol – is exactly what I need. (By the way, it seems it was sold out on Amazon and the price is outrageous now.)

It has instructions on how to drape a one-seam circular skirt. With holidays approaching faster than I can handle I need the simplest possible design. I will compensate it with fabric and trimming and choose something special.

The Plan

I want to finish this skirt by Christmas. I will drape it, cut it, sew it, wear it and while I am working on it I will be posting instructions and observations on this blog, so, dear friends, if you want to DRAPE-ALONG please join me.

Small Print

I have never draped in my life! And I have never hosted any drape-along or sew-along! But if I don’t try I will never know, right? Remember, we set our own limits! And if we manage to put together a small drape-along circle I am sure we will learn from each other.

Next Steps

Starting from tonight, I will be posting instructions and comments on the project. We will use the draping textbook as inspiration for this project. Please reply to this post so I know if anyone is interested in it. If yes, I will set up a separate group on Flickrso everyone can upload images and exchange ideas and feedback.

Ok, wish me good luck!

Mad Men Project

I love Med Man fashion. Those early 60s silhouettes with pencil skirts and circular skirts with hems falling right below the knee, slips, petticoats and boned long-line bras, and gridles… I want to own every single piece from this show.

Oh, frabjous 60s!.. And despite the fact  that the show is sometimes seen as sexist, it has had a great impact on today’s fashion. Yet again – just like “Dallas” and “Dynasty” in 80s.

Look at these silhouettes by Louis Vuitton and Prada:

Whatever the answer is, I want to have at least one of those circular skirts! And I haven’t even attempted looking for it in stores. This is going to be my Mad Men Project and I will begin it with one of those circular skirts. 

And if you want to read more about Mad Men Fashion and how it relates to the show's female characters read this post on Fashion in Motion Magazin.

For those who get hooked, read regularly Mad Men Fashion File  

(to be continued)

Holiday wardrobe: what can be done in 4 days?

I have almost abandoned my holiday wardrobe dreams, but luckily my machine arrived yesterday evening. Yes,  I am a proud Bernina user!

But, well, I need to catch up on my holiday wardrobe. The flight is on Saturday, I have no day off 'til then and my plans to finish several garments and leather gloves for my husband need dramatic modification.

I did finish one skirt - done completely by hand. Now I do need a blouse or top to go with it. I went through my neatly archived vintage patterns and found this Advance 6068 Sew-Easy pattern.

My plan is to make it from a dark navy silk organza and line it with nude silk chiffon.

 It would be probably faster to do it without lining and use facing only, but I wanted to give this top some body and finish  the armhole and neck openings using decorative binding from the same silk charmeuse.

The size on the pattern is smaller than what I needed, but after measuring the pattern I decided to try it on muslin before making any alterations. I haven't changed a millimeter. Judge yourself:

I don't think I need to alter anything, it looks pretty good. That means I may finish this one in time.

Thou shall be called....

.... Eve!

what else? She is perfect and she is the great grand daughter of the first hemstitch machine. (distant clarification provided in this post)

Does your sewing machine have a name?

Who's Hanspeter Ueltschi?

Now, how many of you know who is Hanspeter Ueltschi?

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?

??

?

ok, the guy is, actually, the great grandson of the legendary Karl Friedrich Gegauf who invented the hemstitch sewing machine. This event took place in 1893 in Steckborn, a small municipality and the capital of the Swiss canton Thurgau, in a workshop run by brothers Gegauf. 

117 years later and the workshop is still in Steckborn, still run by the same family and still producing some of the world’s best sewing machines.

Look, here is Hanspeter himself wishing me very happy and successful sewing experience:

This masterpiece of Swiss engineering is the Rolex of sewing machines. It is so good that even decades of sewing hardly affect the price of Bernina machines.

The Instruction Manual. Look at it:

Those familiar with the history of graphic design will recognize the Swiss Style (or International Typographic Style). It is omnipresent in this simple brochure: grids, amazing typography… I could go on and on…

Just compare, until recently I had this:

This died after a year of light usage

Merci vilmal, Herr Ueltschi, I really love your  beautiful, perfect Swiss sewing machine.

Solnishko, you are the best husband in the world! Thank you for this wonderful present! I love you!

Jetz isch färtig luschtig! Grüezi mitenand, Uf Wiederluege!

[me buzzing:

You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher...