The Work Of Deborah Cook

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I'm in love with little details in clothing and miniaturisation in general so the work of Deborah Cook just gets to me in all the right ways. She's a costume designer who works in stop gap animation and is responsible for the clothing worn in both Coraline and Paranorman.

All the garments are hand sewn so that they can work in tiny detail, even making a map for visible stitching so that when the film is expanded to the size of a movie theater screen it looks consistent. They might have 40 versions of a costume in use so it really does matter.

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In 2010 Deborah Cook did an interview with the FIDM Museum Blog that's really worth a read. I found it really interesting to learn about their use of fabric and how the size of the puppets made an impact. Because the figures are so small it's not realistic to use the same fabric you would use on a lifesize person, but they wanted it to look the same, so they had to source a good replacement that looked close enough that would stand up to scrutiny. They even examined it with magnifying glasses!

The costumes in Coraline are gorgeous and if google is to be believed then the main characters yellow raincoat is the most popular garment in the movie, among cosplayers at least, but I'd have my own starry jumper if I could pull anything out of the computer screen. It's pretty and feminine but it looks so comfortable that you could wear it almost all day, every day and not get bored.

Maybe when I've cut down on my fabric stash a bit I'll go searching for the right sweater knit and the right silver fabric? It wouldn't be that hard to put together, even if the stars might be time consuming. What do you think?

This Post Is Brought To You By The Colour Blue

I subscribe to a stupid amount of blogs. Most of them are sewing blogs, but there are one or two others in there and Bored Panda is one of them. It's full of funny, inspirational, and down right cute pictures but I've never really been inspired to do more than share something to facebook before I go back to whatever it was I should have been doing.

They had a post about award winning photographs a little while ago and they were beautiful but it was the colour combinations in one of them that stuck with me.

(Amazing autumn fall landscapes)

I think it's already kind of obvious that I'm a fan of blue, but blue and orange is something you don't see that often so I never really thought of it. I couldn't even find anything on spoonflower.

I did think about trying it in one of my projects, but I don't know if I could pull it off. I like fun clothing, but I really can't tell what's good when it comes to colour.

I quickly realised the answer was shiny things! (It often is.) Silver, gold and copper are like black, they go with everything without looking ridiculous (as long as you don't overdo it) and even I can put something together without looking silly.

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Top left: (Beautiful embroidery)

Top middle: (Beautiful crazy quilting)

Top right: (Dany Atrache 2012)

Bottom left: (Gilded paradise dress)

Bottom middle: (Dior)

Bottom right: (Copper and teal)

It's not really a big thing, but I kinda trace my terrible colour matching skills to my mum. It's not her fault, she's colour blind. The only way she could choose things that matched was to go for two things that were the same colour (usually purple) or rainbows. Even then it still went wrong sometimes. :-)

Muff Love

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I'm pretty sure everyone's worked out by now that I'm a bit of a slow sewer. I also have an odd, sometimes old fashioned and sometimes out there style. Those two facts combined mean that a fur muff is the perfect project for me.

Muffs are basically just a cylinder of fabric or fur, sometimes hung on a chain or string around the neck, that keeps your hands nice and toasty warm in the winter. I think they look quite gorgeous and fun, plus a lot more practical than gloves in some ways.

They were popular from the 16th century right through to the 20th, but for some of that only for women, and I think they deserve a revival for more than just little girls and wedding ensembles.

Hand warmers might be a weird thing to be thinking about at the beginning of July, but if I stick to my sewing schedule then it's just the right time for it.

Now for some gratuitous photos!

(brown muff on sewing dummy) (black and white muff illustration) (black cape and muff) (white rabbit fur muff) (glam beaded muff)

Looking Less Like A Theater Goer And More Like The Cast?

I've started trying to design clothes instead of just throw myself into them lately, and decide what kind of thing I want to wear with the help of Pinterest. I've come up against a hitch.

It seems like many amateur seamstresses, who's blogs I read for far to long each day, have an aversion to hand made clothes that look 'home made', 'home-ecy' or like some kind of costume, but I don't seem to have the same problem.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to wear poorly made or poorly fitting clothes, but looking a bit like I've just come from a street carnival doesn't set off the alarm bells that maybe it should.

The people I hang out with probably contributed to this. I've talked about my goal to make a cosplay costume, now even more important for going to video gaming conventions with my boyfriend, I've talked about going to goth festivals with my family, and I regularly go to parties where the dress below would be greeted with joy, complements, but not one weird look.

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I love ridiculous embellishments, frills, useless buttons and stylish embroidery and I went through a phase when I was a teen where I wore pink feather fake eyelashes and borrowed the glue from them to stick plastic gems to my face. I see feathers and gold and silly hats and I start thinking about how I could make one for myself.

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Maybe I have a not so deeply buried dream of being a costume designer. Maybe I just want to be an art instillation. Do you think it would be possible for a woman to make a bit of cash posing for pictures in ridiculous dresses like drag queens or people who impersonate superheros and celebrities?

Maybe I should have been born a drag queen. I'd have come out bright pink feathers and all.

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I've mostly decided just to live with my nutty side. Any friends I want to keep won't treat me any worse for it, it brings me incredible joy to dress up and hey, even if I get made fun of on the street I can just take a taxi.

Burlesque

I finished sewing my back facing onto my top yesterday but that's boring. I want to talk about what I did in the evening.

I spent Saturday evening watching 'An Evening of Burlesque' with my boyfriend and we had so much fun I came home afterwards and browsed the theaters website to plan another outing.

I'm pretty sure I've talked about my love of burlesque before but it bares repeating. I just love the whole aesthetic, the femininity and even the craft of it. It's even something I could seriously see myself having a go at.

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Plus, the costumes drive me crazy. If I lived in a world where I could wear whatever I wanted and a country where is was warmer I'd be decked out in feathers every day.

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If nothing else you have to appreciate the body confidence that it takes to stand up in front of a (hopefully) crowded theater with only pasties and a pair of knickers protecting your modesty.

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Maybe when I get more practice with beading and sequins I'll douse myself in glitter for my own entertainment but for now it will have to stay a fabulous dream. At least till after I've finished my gingham dress, that is.

Jackets

I've talked a lot about jackets on this blog for someone who owns so few of them. I talked about corseted jackets, Lilli Ann jackets and hoodies and touched on the subject in several other blog posts but I hardly ever buy them. I went snoop shopping a couple of days ago and spent ages trying on jackets only to leave disappointed. What can I say, I'm picky.

It also doesn't help that I spent most of my life responding to cold by either adding figure swallowing layers or hoodies. You just have to look through the old photo albums to see how much I've failed with jackets, and there was actually quite a nice figure hiding under there somewhere.

Maybe that's why I still have problems buying jackets. I never learned what I liked and what looked good. The combination of a desperate need and reading through the archives of Alreadypretty is making me take a hard, long look.

I pretty much already know that princess seams and nipped in at the waist is good for my shape but beyond that I'm stuck. I don't even know what's available. I guess I'll have to work through my small collection of jacket patterns and learn through trial and error.

As with all things like this, I turn to Google and Pinterest. The jacket below has the shape that I like but it's really the embellishments that sell it for me. I have a weak spot for sparkles.

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This next one is only an illustration but I love the use of fur. It's definitely not a style I'd buy or make as is but there are parts of it I like.

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I had to add this one just for the waist (doubtless requiring a corset) but the silver stripes and the embroidery are quite awesome. I also like the idea of a folded back collar like detail on the bottom corners.

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Those of you who've been around for a while or read some of the earlier posts might remember Newlook 6035. I started trying to make a toile but then put it away to make my 40s dress and didn't go back. I'll definitely have to do that before it gets cold.

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Maybe July will be the month of the UFO (unfinished object).

Dressing Gowns

I was at the charity shop yesterday and felt horrific when I came home so there was no sewing done, plus it seems from my chesty cough and lack of energy today that Chris has been a dear and shared whatever was making him feel like a half eaten beef jerky.

So I've spent all of today in bed in my dressing gown drinking energy drinks and dosing up with paracetamol. That isn't good for my to do list but it at least gave me something to talk about.

As far as I'm concerned there seems to be two kinds of dressing gown, big fluffy ones that you wear when you're wet or sick and long, flowing, silky ones that you wear to feel sexy and before you've decided how to dress that day.

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Dressing in a soft, slightly old lady like dressing gown is awesome when you feel like death warmed up, when  you're wet from the shower or even soaked from cold rain but knowing there are two types shows me a big dearth in my wardrobe. I've never had a sexy dressing gown but I want one.

The problem is, I can't see myself buying one. In shops they're very much seen as a luxury item and the prices are high, plus they seem to be not that fashionable at the moment so they're hard to find on the high street.

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It's when you start delving into vintage and vintage style clothing that you start to find what I'm after. See-through fabrics, silks and sex appeal, fur and lace trim, anything that makes you feel a million pounds!

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Maybe I'll just have to make myself a couple. Just another thing to add to my to do list. Until then I'll just look at all the pretty pictures on Pinterest.

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A Day At The Beach

I got absolutely nothing sewing related done yesterday because working at the charity shop leaves me tired and lazy so I figured it's time for a bit of inspiration. Those seem to be my most popular posts anyway so no great loss, plus I think they're a bit more interesting.

It's just getting to the nice, sunny part of the year here in England so me and the boyfriend are talking about going to the beach one day if it's nice and we both have the day off. I've never lived close enough to the coast to do that before so I'm looking forward to it.

The problem is that I don't have any swimwear that fits. What with aging and changing size regularly it all looks kind of silly.

I actually went onto the high street to brows a bit a couple of days ago, ostensibly to get boxers for the boyfriend but he was to picky to buy any. The selection there wasn't great and I didn't buy anything, but now I need to find something. I'm not up to sewing one yet and I want to go to the beach!

I really didn't like the way they built the busts on the bikinis. They were either simple triangles of fabric, fine for smaller busted women but not a D like me, or the hideously overstuffed cups that seem to have become popular in bras as well. I don't like padding and I just want something that will comfortably hold what I already have. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

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I love pretty patterns on swimwear, one thing I like on the bikini above, because when else do you have a built in excuse to wear something that summery and colourful? Plus, even the most overwhelming patterns aren't covering all of your body so they're in small enough doses to look good.

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The best ways to add interest to swimwear and make it cute seams to be shaping and pattern cutting, but these all add to the price. A swimming costume is something most people don't wear to often, especially if they aren't part of a gym or live in England, so it hurts a bit more to splash out. For me, the more I'm likely to wear something the more I'm happy spending.

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For a little bit of sexy, what about cutouts? I have a little weak spot for them, especially ones that would show and compliment my tattoo. (I have a pink and purple Celtic not butterfly tattoo on my side.) Sometimes they look cool but sometimes they just look tacky. The one below is cool though.

This last one is for children but it's so friggin' awesome I had to include it.

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What about you guys? What kind of costumes do you wear? Would you ever make your own? Would you wear a padded one?

Gingham: Good Or Bad?

When I first pulled five meters of blue gingham out of my fabric stash I was a bit worried about making a whole dress out of it. I was worried that I'd look like an idiot.

The last time I wore gingham it was my summer school uniform. There's something about blue gingham that makes people think little girls.

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Maybe it was always like that, or maybe it's because of our friend Dorothy? I've never actually watched 'The Wizard of Oz' all the way through.

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Still, since I'm at least a couple of years away from trying for a kid I might as well give it a go.

It might be a little bit late for looking at inspiration pictures but maybe these will help some of you. That and I need to figure out what to do with the five meters of red gingham I have.

Maybe just a top is better for something this striking? Something like this with black jeans? Even if I don't make it up in the same kind of fabric it would be lovely for summer.

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On the other hand, maybe the way to deal with it is to go all out? Embrace the craziness and know that if it's over the top at least it's intentional. I think the dress below is made of printed fabric rather than pieces sewn together but I could see myself doing block work with some black gingham and some red.

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Maybe something a little bit more adult? This dress really looks sophisticated and a little bit south american. If I had something like this I'm sure I'd feel the urge to dance!

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This last dress is a little slice of vintage. It's both feminine and grown up. Maybe you have to go vintage if you're looking for that?

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What do you guys think? Do you wear gingham? How would you use it?

Onesies

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I haven't seen any other sewing bloggers talking about this and probably for good reason, but I wanted to write at least one post about onesies. They've been in the news every now and again because some silly people go round town in them and look kind of ridiculous.

I'd never wear one to the bus stop but my boyfriend brought over his awesome panda onesie last night and I slept in it as pajamas. He bought it to wear at a comic convention because his costume arrived after he left and it's so amazingly soft and warm that I could just curl up in a little onesie cocoon and sleep for a couple of months.

Maybe it's one of those things that would be simpler just to buy, but I've decided that at some point I want to make one for myself. I have some suitable black fabric in my stash and if I want some other colours then I can just pop down to the fabric shop. They seem to have almost everything there.

You can get them made to look like loads of different animals, from dogs to dinosaurs, but I won't be bothering with that. At least for my first one.

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The other type, apart from the "cool" ones which I don't count, are the cutie ones. Imagine a three month old girl all grown up but still wearing the same clothing. They're more likely to have feet because they aren't even pretending to be grown up and if you only wear them round the house than why not?

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Would any of you make a onesie? Would you even wear one?

Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a cheapskate to the bone. If I can save 10p on noodles then I'll walk a mile. It's not like I'm living hand to mouth, I'm just a cheapskate.

On the other hand, there are some things you shouldn't skimp on. Your loved ones, because they're worth every penny, your glasses, because incorrect prescriptions only make things worse, walking shoes, because you'll feel it if you don't, and the one I want to talk about today.

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I firmly believe that you can't skimp when you're
buying an umbrella. I've made the mistake one too many times of going for the cheapest one I can find then getting annoyed at myself when it blew out and broke on the second or third use.

For the last two years I've been using the one in my profile picture and I love it. I bought it at the Derby Pride Festival just a few minutes before it started raining and it's worked beautifully since then, but it's getting a bit battered (mostly because it got some boxes put on it while I was moving house).

So now I'm on the hunt for a new umbrella. It has to be hardy, big enough to give my torso and legs some protection and make me just a little bit happier on a sad, grey day.

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I'll keep my eyes open for something in the shops, but I suspect I'll end up turning to the internet for what I want, and that comes with it's own risks. When you buy something without seeing it you don't really know what quality it is? Do you think any of them offer to take it back if breaks in the first month? If I end up spending £30 on one of the really nice ones then they'd better!

Oh, well. Of all the problems in the world that isn't a big one.

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New Jacket Inspiration

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I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration. I don't know that much about style in general and my style in particular so it's great to see something to bring about new ideas.

I was looking at suits on google when I came across a Lilli Ann jacket and I fell in love.

There isn't a lot of information about Adolph Schuman or his designs (the name comes from his wife Lillian) but there are quite a few pictures and a blogger or two. I've been reading through the posts over at Dividing Moments, Vintage Vixen and Pintucks.

I'm no where near skilled enough to make my own and originals seem to start at £300. Looks like it'll stay a dream for now.

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Pencil skirts

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I'm not a big pencil skirt wearer, haven't been in years. I've spent most of my life either in school uniform or lounging at home in jeans or, I'm a little embarrassed to say, pajamas.

I've only owned one that I can remember and if I still have it then it doesn't fit.

Before now I haven't really had the confidence to wear skirts. Clothes were for keeping out the cold and I just threw on whatever was easiest. Plus, I've never been very confident about my weight and preferred clothes that would swamp me rather than show off my body.

In the next few weeks I'm going to be making my first pencil skirt. Partly because of changes in my tastes and partly because the pencil skirt pattern block is the pattern that is the basis of all other skirt patterns.

If you want to make a pencil skirt then there's a lot of information online and you can look at the old sew along over at A Fashionable Stitch.

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