Maybe you’re beginning to get sick of hearing about all the wonderful fabrics my mother gives to me? Sorry, but here’s yet another such post. This Chinese silk she purchased on my behalf, on a trip to that Eastern fabric wonderland. The pattern is lovely, with many different motives, like happy dragons, sea folk and floral patterns. I think it is quite like a fairytale.
My greatest challenge was to use the 3 metres long and 72 cm wide fabric wisely. Because of the motives, the fabric could only be used in one direction, so I couldn’t get as much fabric from it as if I could have used it in both directions. Therefore I sketched and scrapped several ideas before I started the pattern making.
Making the mockup
As usual, I layed the fabric out on the mannequin and pinned it down and cut away superfluous fabric, in the way that made the fewest wrinkles.The vest-like top of the dress, cut in one piece, with the only two seams in the sides.The skirt part, where I tried to get as great a circumference as possible out of the narrow fabric. I ended up with three panels – one in the front and two in the back. As you can see, I had not yet decided whether to make the vest and skirt as separate pieces, only sewn together in the back and closed with push buttons in front, or sewn together the whole way around. Because of limited amounts of fabric and lack of persistence, I ended with the latter.
After having made the mockup and transferred it to pattern paper, I was ready to cut the precious fabric. To my horror, I found out that I had made the fancy “one-piece-vest-part” too wide for the fabric. I had to divide this part in three, by making seams at the usual place, at the shoulders.
The unfortunate disproportion of the pattern (with “breast-fronts” in one part with the back)A wiser dressmaker would have folded the pattern at the shoulder, to match the side seams, and the have cut it at the fold. I didn’t, but it turned out alright anyway.
Then, I was finally ready for cutting the fabric and sewing the dress!
I made my own Chinese fabric buttons. There are great instructions on Google.
The finished dress
Actually I haven’t tried the dress on since it was finished. I posted a photo of it on Facebook the same night, though, and received so many lovely comments, that I am highly motivated to make a proper photo shoot soon! Unfortunately there’s freezing wind roaming outside, so I will wait some days, until spring find its way back to Denmark.
Spring Photoshoot!
I remember well how we laughed at our Swedish friend, when we visited her in England and she proudly took us to a pond, which was called the “lake”. After five years in Denmark, my husband and I experience something similar, but concerning the “woods”. We are so happy to have found a Christmas tree plantage. This our piece of wood. <3
We are also very happy to have discovered a park, surrounding parts of preserved countryside. Here are some beautiful cherry trees, that are now covered with blossoms!
I made a new aquintance today. While trying to attract some pleasant ducks with bits of pizza, there came a white furry ball crashing through the bushes, towards me. This dog was super happy to get some cuddling from a new friend, but his owner was a bit embarrased for him.
Idag är min sista dag i Sverige. I våras gav jag min syster löftet att sy en klänning av det vackra tyget, som mamma tagit med från Kina. Hon fick välja mellan modellerna på denna skiss.
Today is my last day in Sweden, for this summer. This spring I gave my sister the promise of making her a dress out of the beautiful fabric that our mother had brought home from China. She could choose from these models.
Hon valde den som är lite skymd av en annan. Jag fick hennes mått via mail och började göra en toille. När jag kom hem till Sverige kunde jag justera toillen och börja klippa i det riktiga tyget, som var 1*4 m långt.
Sedan har jag jobbat och haft en massa andra projekt, så jag planerade att åtminstone bli klar innan sommarens slut. Nu i veckan hade vi provning. Jag har sytt som en tok och igår blev klänningen klar!
She chose the model that is a little hidden behind another. I had her measurements by email and stared making a pattern. When I got home to Sweden, I just had to ajust the pattern and start cutting the real fabric, which was 1 x 4 metres.
Then I had worked and had a lot of other projects, so I planned to at least be ready by the end of the summer. This week we tested it. I have sewn like crazy since and yesterday it was ready!
Min ovanligt trevliga syateljé, denna vecka. För instruktion om hur man syr i dragkedja, se inlägget om min rutiga klänning. // My unusually nice sewing studio, for this week. For instructions on how to put in a hidden zipper, se the post on “My checked dress”.Klänningen färdigsydd, men utan kantbanden. // The dress is ready, but still without its lining tape.Kantband i urringningen // Lining tape in the neckline
Eftersom ni ser i tidigare inlägg hur klänningar med liknande modeller, tar form på en provdocka, visar jag bara det som är unikt för denna klänning: de “kinesiska tygknapparna”:
Because you see similar models taking form on the mannequin in my earlier blog posts, I will only show you what is unique about this dress: the “Chinese buttons”.
Jag använde kantbandet, men vek och sydde ihop det på längden. Sedan vek jag det ytterligare en gång och började forma knappen av ca 24 cm långt band. // I used the tape, but folded it and stitched it on the long side. Then I folded it again and started to form the button from a 24 cm long ribbon.Jag rullade båda ändar och nålade ihop. // I rolled both ends and fastened wit needles.Sedan sydde jag // Then I sew.Och slutligen fäste jag knapparna i kragen. // I finished by adding the buttons to the collar.
Jag blev jättenöjd med klänningen och det var en fröjd att överräcka den. Hon är ju vacker som en dag och en av döttrarna utbrast: “Du är så vacker att jag måste krama dig!”. Dessutom fick vi några fina kort i deras coola verkstad och trädgård.
I was so satisfied with the dress and it felt so good to give it to my sister. She is beautiful. One of her daughters exclaimed: “You are so beautiful, I just have to hug you!”. We had some nice photos in their rustic work shop (?) and in their garden.
Förutom klänningen, visar jag här lite annat som jag sysselsatt mig med under sommaren:
Except for the dress, I show you some of the other things that have kept me busy during the summer.
Konserter
Den 7 juli hade jag konsert med Olle Långström, i Vimmerby kyrka och den 1 augusti hade vi vår årliga konsert på Kröngården – jag, Hanna Karlsson, Malin Karlsson, Kalle Sellbrink med vänner. Jättekul!
The 7th of July I had a concert together with Olle Långström, in the Church of Vimmerby. The 1st of August, we had our annual concert at Kröngården – Hanna Karlsson, Malin Karlsson, Kalle Sellbring and his friends, and myself of course. We had great fun!
Små sömnadsprojekt
Liten väska till att matcha den edwardianska kjolen från försommaren. // Reticule-wanna-be, sewn in a haste to accompany my Edwardian skirt from last summer.Jag klädde om en ärmstrykbräda, som jag fått av mormor. . // I put new fabric on a ironing board for sleeves, which I got from my grandmother.Till edwardiansk håruppsättning – klipp itu en hår-donut, sy fast ett elastiskt snöre. Trä över huvudet och vik om håret runt, et voilá! // For an Edwardian hair – cut a ”hair doughnut”, fasten an elastic ribbon to it. Put over your head and twist your hair around it, et voilá!
Reparera lampskärm
Jag klädde om en lampskärm, som tillhör en lampa som min gammelfarbror satte ihop i sin ungdom. Den hör förresten hemma i “Gamla Stugan”, där den numera beryktade Hilda växte upp. // I put new fabric on an old lampshade, belonging to a lamp that my great uncle made in his youth. The lamp itself belongs to ”The Old House”, where the now famous Hilda grew up.
Historisk trevnad
I sommar gick det upp för mig att jag inte är ensam i Vimmerby, om intresset för historiska dräkter. Mot slutet av lovet fick jag nöjet att hålla edwardiansk tebjudning för de kära systrarna, Hanna och Malin. Otroligt trevligt!
This summer, it became clear that I was not the only one in Vimmerby, who was interested in historical clothing. By the end of the holidays, I had the pleasure of having an Edwardian tea party for the dear sisters, Hanna and Malin. Delightful!
Till min lycka, upptäckte jag att dessa förtjusande systrar också gärna ville bära historiska kläder. Därmed klädde vi upp oss i mina olika kreationer och ordnade edwardiansk tebjudning. // To my great joy, I discovered that these delightful sisters also wanted to wear historical clothes. So we dressed up in my costumes and had an Edwardian tea party.Lika stelt som det ska vara vid lång exponeringstid. // Just as stiff as it should, when using the camera obscuraInnan de fasansfulla sconesen kom fram på bordet. // Before the horrible scones appeared.
Tack för en härlig sommar, alla ni som har förgyllt den med er närvaro!
Thank you for a lovely summer, all of you who have made it so by your existence.
– where you can see what I do – designing, sewing, singing, creating etc.
Actually I haven’t tried the dress on since it was finished. I posted a photo of it on Facebook the same night, though, and received so many lovely comments, that I am highly motivated to make a proper photo shoot soon! Unfortunately there’s freezing wind roaming outside, so I will wait some days, until spring find its way back to Denmark.
