Ride 'Em Cowboy

Artwork - Part II

I'm still working on the artwork. This can be a slow process due to the fact that I like to think about how things look by letting them sit for a day or so and see if I still like what I've done when I come back to it.

Once I get the main ideas on paper, I then make samples. I start by making samples of the quilting in all the threads, fabrics and patterns I intend to use. This gives me a chance to adjust the tensions for specialty threads. It also allows me to check the scale of the quilting pattern to make sure it fits the project as a whole. The quilting is important as it usually sets the background for the other embellishments. It is not the main event, but part of the look as a whole. For this reason, I usually prefer to use threads that are the same color as the fabric. That's not a hard and fast rule. I use whatever color works for the project.

I thought it would be really cool to use turquoise thread to quilt a plaid-like effect, but when I saw it stitched I didn't like it at all because I realized it would compete with the appliques, especially the steer. It looks nice, but not for this project. Fortunately, I had other ideas using various black metallic threads and stitched up some of those as well.

Once I decided on the quilting thread, I started working on the next layer, the rope. After exploring some machine stitches and quilting options, I decided to hand embroider a rope using a chain stitch and embroidery floss. Much of the embroidery on western shirts is traditional done in chain stitch, albeit stitched by machine. Although I like the color, I think I will change it to a metallic gold floss when I actually start stitching the project.

Next, I started to work on the applique and other embellishments. I cut out applique samples to mix, match and rearrange in several sizes and try them out in various arrangements:

At the same time, I pulled out all the sequins, beads and trims that might work with the project. It then became the elimination game, by removing all the items that don't match, are the wrong size or just don't work for the project. My collection of many small bags of star sequins in various sizes and colors can be seen below.

So what do I have so far? This:

That's black "plaid" quilting with twin and single needles (not very visible, sorry!), hand embroidered chain stitch rope, appliqued and embellished stars. This whole arrangement will be on the yokes and cuffs. Those are separated from the turquoise body and sleeves of the shirt by red piping and gold soutache. This might seem a bit elaborate, but really it isn't since the yokes and cuffs are the main focus of the shirt.

What I'm trying to decide at this point is do I make several sizes of turquoise star sets to place across each section or do I make larger central stars and then surround those with the star sequins. I'm not sure yet, but when that comes together, I can start cutting and preparing the appliques. On Monday, I will start quilting the yokes and cuffs of the shirt.

As you can see, the planning and artwork stage takes quite a bit of time. At least it does for me. I know there are artists who can just create on a whim and turn out some breath taking work. Unfortunately, that is not me. For me, everything is very planned to work together as a whole so that while each little detail is important, they each play an important role in the overall look of the artwork. It is a balance! Finding that balance and working out all of the details can take months of thought before I even pick up a pencil and start drawing, let alone stitch. I actually find the planning just as exciting as the actual stitching. It is sometimes frustrating to try idea after idea to see that in real life it's not as cool as I thought, but when I find *the right idea* is it extremely rewarding!

Meanwhile, the bull has got stars in his eyes just for fun:

Q/A: I have several questions to answer, but I am trying to group them with appropriate posts, so over the next week, I'll try to get those answered. Elaray wanted to know: "Are all of your pieces for a contest?" Yes and no. I make them because I love doing the work and the challenge of it. It also so happens that I can enter my work into contests and shows. I don't plan a specific outfit for a specific show unless it happens to be challenge style contest where one must work with a specific fabric or style. The piece is then designed to fit the rules. Most often I make whatever I imagine and hope other people like it, too! For LindsayT: I live about 1 1/2 hours from your sister. What is the name of the book? I might be able to find it at a library or purchase a copy.

Parting Shot: Library Ready. Today is library day amongst other errands (buying binding fabric for quilt and geting shirt interfacing and buttons for my husband's shirt!). You can see that each child has their own individual style!

Ride 'Em Cowboy - Introduction

Artwork, Part I

Whenever I start an new art garment, one of the first things I work on besides gathering all the materials is the artwork. All of my artwork for my garments is hand drawn by me, which alleviates copyright issues. I research any artwork I want to attempt by searching the internet and by reading books.

All of the artwork is designed specifically for the space it will fill. To begin, I trace off the pattern pieces where the artwork will be located and make sure that I draw in the seam allowances.

I then will work on drawing the actual art - sometimes it is directly on the pattern tracing or sometimes it is on another sheet. You can see that the steer is drawn directly into the space it needs to fill.

At some point, I also draw in quilting lines, just to get an idea of how the whole piece will look when finished. Occasionally, I will also color in portions of the artwork to get an idea of how the colors will work together. The red curved line above will eventually be piping.

I'm still working out the rest of the details for this project, so this artwork isn't quite finished. The back yoke, the front yoke and sleeve cuffs will all be similar in style, with the same quilting and motifs, but I need to make sure that they all relate well to one another artistically and that they all share the same motifs. This is the time consuming part as I try out different ideas and discard what I know I don't like. In this photo, you can see that my worktable has been taken over with the artwork. There are samples, drawings, reference materials and tools.

You can see that from the first photo and the photo below that I've drawn in ropes, a common western element that I'm trying out as filler for the pieces. The ropes were a suggested by both my parents. I asked them both separately to see what they'd suggest and they both said ropes or lassos. Ropes it is then, and from studying period pieces, the lassos do make quite a few appearances as background filler.

The photo above also has stars. I've drafted and cut out 3 to 4 of different sizes so that I can place them in various locations to check the effect. If I think it might work then I make a sample out of fabric to see if I like it enough to make it that way.

I will show you the samples in another post, as soon as I have some time to work on them!

Parting Shot: Almost! I almost have an iris! Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll actually have blooms.

The Yellow Quilt

Quilted and Ready for Binding

Thanks for all the kind words regarding my son and his new shirt. He was so excited when I told him it was done and that he could wear it to school, as he had just come down to the studio to check on my progress. God has given me a great little boy and I'm thankful that he's healthy and happy!

The yellow quilt top is now done and has been quilted. Quilts of this size are best quilted in one of two ways: by hand or by a long-arm quilter. Hand quilting is a time consuming labor of love and no one could ever really pay someone for their time and loving care for doing it. Long-arm machine quilting is the perfect solution. Quilting something this size (107" x 107" or 272cm x 272cm) on a home sewing machine is out of the question - the quilt, batting and backing are large, heavy and hard to maneuver.

A long-arm machine is an industrial sewing machine head with a larger area for stitching that has a specially designed frame that the quilt is rolled onto and a special track system so that the machine itself can be hand guided to do the actual stitching. It is a skill that takes time to master, and there are some really beautiful quilts being made by true artists. If you'd like to see pictures of some beautiful quilting, check out Vivian Love's blog: Quilts With Love. She posts about all sorts of interesting things, but do scroll through the first page - you'll see a lot of lovely work. Although these are not the only two manufacturers, you can also see these machines these two websites: Gammill and APQS.

The yellow quilt is not nearly as heavily quilted as Vivian's quilts, as I wanted to keep it simple as per the client. Here are some photos of the designs used in the stars, melons and squares of the quilt:

You can see what's in the box better from the wrong side:

Now, I need to bind the quilt - not an easy job as all the edges are curved! That's what bias binding is for, though, so over the next few days, I'll be binding the quilt. First I've got to decide should I do white or yellow? Both have advantages. Hmm . . . .

Parting Shot: Rhododendrons. Or at least this is what we think this bush is. At first we thought it was an azalea, but the more research we do we think it is a rhododendron. At any rate, it is the only thing blooming in our yard right now and is a nice little bit of color!

Weekly Wardrobe

Patrones #265, Model #37

My son is growing out of many of his clothes, and to fill in one of the gaps in his wardrobe, I made him Patrones #265, model #37. As you can see from the photos below, this isn't a very complicated little shirt and it actually looks like most of the shirts he owns.

The fabric is an Italian shirting that I picked up at Fabric Fix some time ago. The piece was about 3 yards, but this shirt only took about a yard. The plaid is uneven, and was a fun challenge to line up properly. As I look at the photos, I realize I could have cut the back so that the back pleat would have been folded so that there would have a been a white square at center back or folded the pleat differently. As it is, the white square is there, but enclosed in the fold.

The sleeves have a tuck in them, which I used for making the hem. The bottom of the sleeve was brought to the fold line and the tuck stitched, enclosing the raw edge.

I carefully matched the pocket and added red buttons just for fun:

Overall, this was a quick little shirt to make, and my son really likes it. My husband was impressed and said it looked just like any RTW shirt we could buy for our son.

Parting Shot: Favorite Spot. Now that the weather is warm enough to actually open the windows, Kiwi has enjoyed sitting in the windows and watching all the activity outside.

Inside the Envelope

Advance 9363

This post is for Paco who asked in the comments about the underarm gusset. I thought I'd share with you that portion of the pattern and how that single right hip pocket (shown below) is made, as these are interesting details. Neither of these details are often seen in today's patterns. I also found one other interesting detail that I'll share last.

The underarm gusset is seen often in tight fitting garments or in garments with kimono style sleeves that are cut in one with the bodice. These sleeves do not give the wearer a great range of motion without ripping out the seams under the arm. The gusset gives more space under the arm and allows for more motion. Some gussets are diamond shaped pieces of fabric that are inserted where the four seams under the arm intersect. Some patterns have a one piece gusset that is longer enough to also be a side panel for the bodice. This pattern is different in that the gusset is actually made of two pieces, a front and back.

Here are the instructions for the front, as you can see the gusset piece is inserted at the underarm area after reinforcing and slashing the fabric:

The back is constructed the same way, then the front and back are then joined in one long seam from the sleeve edge to the bottom of the bodice:

The hip pocket has a welt, yet is constructed similarly to a slant pocket. First the welt is made and basted to the right side of the skirt at the opening:

The pocket is then placed on top of the welt/skirt and stitched in place. The pocket is turned to the inside and pressed. The yoke and pocket piece (after stitching the dart) is stitched in place to form the pocket bag and yoke of the skirt:

This dress also features the bound buttonhole. What I really found interesting were the words you see below, "Instructions for making bound buttonholes are printed on separate tissue included with this pattern."

You know I had to find them and see what the instructions were. Here they are:

This is the same method I use and there is even a pattern piece for the patch and a pattern piece with guidelines for stitching. Very interesting and I'd never seen a separate piece of pattern tissue with the bound buttonhole instructions.

Q/A: Regarding REC, Elaray wanted to know, "Is this the first time you've done an art piece for your children? " No, this isn't. My daughter has an outfit called "Little Red Empress" which was made for her. Of course, now my son has to have an outfit, too. I do realize that they will grow out of the outfits, but they are keepsakes and the children can take them with them when they grow up and move away if they want to. She's been on the runway a few times in the outfit and I've won a few first places with it. One of the photos below was taken backstage at a show.

Parting Shots: Curious Kiwi. I picked up the yellow quilt from the quilter today, and Kiwi was very curious about where it had been and what the quilt smelled like. More on the quilt in future posts.

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Introduction

I think I'm finally ready for another art garment! This one is for my son and is called Ride 'Em Cowboy. This inspiration for this ensemble comes from one of the most popular cultural themes in America of the 1940's through the 1970's - the cowboy. From either radio, TV or the silver screen, many people remember shows and stars such as The Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and a host of others. Cowboys were popular with children and adults alike. This of course, makes a perfect vintage theme for an art garment ensemble.

If you were a really lucky little cowboy in the 1950's, your mother might have made you a shirt or ensemble from of the following patterns:

It just so happens that my lucky little cowboy will get one item made from each pattern: a shirt from McCall's 1310, the trousers from Butterick 6328 and the jacket from Simplicity 3403. Each garment was chosen based on the style or how close it is to what some of the famous cowboys wore. I've never seen any other copies of the Butterick or Simplicity except for the ones I own. The Simplicity is in really terrible shape - even the instruction sheet is brittle and "crunchy". The tissue is actually in better condition than the envelope or instructions.

The fabrics I have chosen for this ensemble are 100% cotton, black, turquoise and red. The jacket and trousers will be black twill, and the shirt will be turquoise with black yokes and cuffs accented with red piping.

I'm planning a variety of embellishments and will share the details as the ensemble takes shape. Hold on to your hats, this could be long ride!

Parting Shot: Advance 9363. Although it doesn't have the envelope anymore, I couldn't pass up Advance 9363. This dress has some really interesting details: kimono sleeves with two piece underarm gussets, side front snap and button opening and a hip pocket with a welt.

The Great Coat Sew Along

Yes, I'm part of the GCSA, too. I've been wanting to make myself some winter coats, but just haven't found the time to do so. The sew along is perfect in that the coat will be made over the summer and will be ready to wear in the fall when the weather is cooler. I found out this worked out really well for me when I made the trench coat. The photo shoot for the trench was done a windy, cold November day and a week later there was snow on the ground. The trench at that point was too thin for the cold, but it was really nice to have it waiting in the closet this spring!

I'd like to make more than one coat, but for the moment, I am focusing on a coat that is warm, but a bit more stylish than my ski parka. I love my parka, and yes, it is warm when I'm loading groceries into the car and the temperature is 5 below zero degrees F, *without* the wind chill *but* it isn't the most sophisticated looking coat, either!

That said, I had a hard time decided exactly what to make. I wanted something double breasted and military looking, but I also knew I had a limited amount of fabric from my collection that I wanted to use. I also wanted something unique and that I would love wearing. Why make something you don't love? I've finally decided on a combination of the two patterns shown below, both out of print:

To get a better idea of the lines of the Vogue coat, here is the line drawing:

I plan to make the following changes:

1. Put pockets in the front princess seams and remove the pocket flaps. The flaps are decorative only, there are no real pockets.
   
2. Make the upper portion of the collar smaller. I am a petite and that large collar will most likely overwhelm me anyway.
   
3. Lengthen the coat to mid-thigh length or "car coat" length more like the mid-length version of the Burda pattern. I'm not absolutely sure about this - I will check the length when I make the muslin. I'll adjust the collar size then, too.
   

My fabrics are a wool plaid and a dark charcoal grey wool:

Some of you might recognize these fabrics as they are the same ones I used to make my son's coat last fall. There is just enough left of the plaid to make the body of the coat and sleeves. The collar, front facing, sleeve cuffs and epaulets will be made of the grey wool for contrast. I plan to interline with Thinsulate. I've used it before and it really makes for a warm, yet light weight garment. Add a red scarf and I'll be ready for any cold weather!

Parting Shot: Iris! I will have irises this year! This is one of my larger variety that is yellow and purple when it blooms.

Threads To-Go Bag - Number 2

My son wanted a library bag, too, so what better way to try some of my own ideas for the Threads To-Go Bag than to make another one? As you can see, his fabric choices were very different from his sister's! He really wanted the flame fabric and red trim! Aside from the fabric here are some of the changes I made for the second bag:

First, I made the pocket deeper. This is easy to do. Just add twice the amount of depth you wish to add. If you'd like the pocket 1" deeper, add 2" to the cutting measurements.

Second, I added one long strap to the bag that attaches to the sides and did not make the original straps. The new strap is made out of webbing instead of self fabric. My son thought this was a better idea than the "girly handles" his sister's bag has.

Third, I added a flap and snap so that the bag would be more like a messenger bag. The flap is just a rectangle the same finished width of the bag and long enough to go up and over the top. It is lined in the same fabric, by stitching the flap and lining together on three sides and then turn the piece to the right side. The flap is attached to one long side of the bag after the body is constructed, right sides together. The flap is then turned up and topstitched down. The snap was stitched on after the bag was completed.

He was so excited so to see it finished this morning, as I was working on it when he went to bed last night.

I am very pleased with the changes and like the way the bag turned out. As in my previous post, I still think this bag is a good base pattern and starting point for making additions and changes to make it your own.

Parting Shot: Vintage Western, 1948 or 49. I'll be showing you my small collection of vintage children's western patterns over the next couple of weeks along with other parting shots. I will be introducing my newest art garment project in the next fews days and these patterns are very important!