Fitting Form just for me

Dressmaker's Mannequin. Tailor's Dummy. Torso. Dressform. Body Double. Cast. Bust. Mannikin. Mannekin. Moulange.
It's hard to fit clothes on yourself! I heard about "duct-tape-dummies" and thought it might be the exact solution I needed for making better-fitting clothes.

And so my wonderful friend came over - she'd done one before - and helped to tape me up and and then cut me back out of the mould!

It's a funny looking thing. A bit freaky sitting on the couch next to me.
I think there's how-to videos on you-tube or other blogs.

Songs of Stage and Screen

I'm doing the "costumes" for Maynooth Musical Society's upcoming production: Songs of Stage and Screen.
It's a variety show so they aren't really costumes, just bits the perfomers put on to help the audience understand the song a bit better - a hat, jewellery, apron, scarf etc. I'm having a ball.
Come see it if you're near the Glenroyal Hotel on Friday (5th April 2013) at 7:30 or Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30.

Map the Sewintists - Giveaway in Ireland?

There are so few of us in Ireland... or so this map shows. If you're a sewer (or a sewintist...?!) add yourself to this google map.

And if you'd be up for a "giveaway" without excessively-priced postage to foreign lands! I'm up for organising one in Ireland if there's enough other participants.

Cutting Table

My back was broken leaning over the kitchen table to cut fabric.
So I came up with a solution.
The ironing board is a perfect height. So I bought a slim sheet of wood to lay on top of my ironing board.

The board is MDF (hardboard is fine too, approx 3-4mm thick). I bought a huge sheet (maybe 2m x 1.2m) and got it cut down in the store to 150x80cm.

Learn from experience

The smaller size board is 1.2m x .6m - I had used this previously. It was actually 3.2mm thick hardboard and, as a material, worked fine but the size was too narrow... because when you think about it, fabric is typically 36", 45" or 60" (90cm, 115cm or 150cm) so you need the board to be able to take a folded-over width of fabric, ie half of 60"/150cm = 30"/75cm therefore my suggestion of a board 80cm wide makes practical sense and this calculation shows that the board which is 60cm is too narrow and will cause frustrations. Trust me! I've been through it!

Costume Design for Opera

I am having the experience of a lifetime. In Brussels shadowing the assistant costume designer for a production of Lucrezia Borgia at La Monnaie|De Munt.

Photo from La Monnaie|De Munt website taken by P. Hoffmann.

On the other hand, I don't believe in experiences of a lifetime. I think everything can be made happen again.

3 men's ties

The "tie" on the right is just fabric, I forgot to take a pic of it and had already posted it off to my brother abroad.
I used the same pattern as I have used previously. ... with a few personalisations that I hope to post about soon. With the tie on the right, I used a stiff-ish interfacing and no lining, so the interfacing is sewn onto the tie fabric (I'm not too pleased with this finish). On the middle tie, I didn't use any lining or interfacing - it's got quite a casual feel to it, day-to-day, grunge chic which suits the fabric pattern. The third tie is very substantial. I used dressmaking interfacing, the fabricy kind which is not so stiff. And I lined the tie in black cotton voile. I
I set out to follow the pattern exactly and to be able to compare the three ties using the same criteria but I simply can't seem to confine myself and un-confuse things! I like variety... and besides, I didn't have a lining that matched the midtown fabric.
The fabrics are, from right to left:

• Flock - Kaleidoscope in Blue
• Center City - Los Angeles in Midtown
• Curious Nature by Parson Gray - Universe Night

Each have a very different personality. I hope the receivers will approve.

Coolree

At the Wexford Festival Opera the town's and the region's best was on show. In the Colman Doyle Gallery, I met Alex from Coolree yarns who was sitting behind his spinning wheel.
I bought a skein and hope I won't make a mess of it. It's so beautiful.

I robbed this image from his website - where there's a blog and online shop - www.coolree.com

exquisite hand-dyed wool blends

Coolree is in Forthmountain near Wexford town.