From the Collection: Falda de Guatemala, and Vintage Pattern Pledge!!

I've mentioned this lovely woven skirt from Guatemala before, but it's been taken from storage and is now adorning our bedroom.  It's huge: sewn into a loop about 10' long, 36" wide.  Women step into it, then use a belt to tie it tightly.  The warp threads are really just that--about the width of sewing threads.  Which is one reason it's so detailed, but I cannot imagine how long it must have taken to finish it!  

Here's a nice photo of women in similar skirts.

And one last photo.  One of the reasons the Roommate & I collect textiles is the loving care that goes into them.  This skirt not only displays the intricate weaving process, it also has a lovely velvet border added along part--probably the front, to make it a bit dressier.  I love the idea of a woman, somewhere, deciding to make her skirt just a little bit prettier!  You go, chica!  

Also, I'm joining the Vintage Pattern Pledge, started by A Sewing Odyssey, over at her blog. You just have to look through all your amazing vintage patterns, then choose 5 that you pledge to make in 2014.  Fun, huh?  I will be curious to see what everyone else comes up with.  And am already wondering if some of the vintage-inspired patterns, and vintage reprints count?!  

You can tweet about it here: #vintagepledge

My first up vintage will definitely be Simplicity 6693 (1974), which I've already started on.  The Roomate has two so far, but I've already started on one for a friend! 

From the Collection: Straw Into Gold

Whenever I look at weaving or knitting, or ikat or batik or crochet or quilting, I think "straw into gold." Which is really what any type of textile craft/design/skill/creation is...

Artists take this

or this 

or even this 

then turn it into fiber...then into art!

This is a skirt (falda) from Guatemala.  It's cotton & woven of fibers not much thicker than the thread used for sewing.  And it's incredibly long (33" x 152"), meaning that it must have taken ages to make.  The narrow ends are sewn together to make a loop and the women step into them, then wrap them around and tie them with a belt (cinturon). 

This is a Baluchi woolen rug, from northern Oman.  Though the wool is quite coarse, I love that the design is so intricate, again a lot of work (and paying attention).  The dyes are all traditional, too, which is hard to find. 

Here's another example of amazing work, but with modern dyes, a woolen rug from southern Egypt.  

And one example of Navajo weaving...a saddle blanket. Probably from the 1930s (again, natural dyes give a hint of age, but also that it's worn).  But I'm no expert!

And another Navajo weaving, a chief's blanket, also from the 1930s.  The dyes are in better shape on this one...perhaps because it was used less (it would have been worn around the shoulders, not sat on)?  

Finally, a recent arrival to the collection...a friend just gave me this, she got it in Thailand. It is very finely woven with cotton and silk yarn not much thicker than sewing machine thread!  I cannot begin to imagine how much time this took! 

To give you an idea of the work involved, here's a picture showing the back & front.  Sorry the photos aren't the best; there seemed to be a glare off the fabric, which is one of the reasons I'm pretty sure silk is one of the materials.  

I just realized I have a class tomorrow evening at Bits of Thread, so have to go prep for that!  Thanks for reading!  

What I'm Working On: Copy your Clothes - Try Try Again

I took the Copy Your Clothes class at Bits of Thread DC a while back (a year?).  And I started pants, but never finished them (feeling fat keeps me from shopping & also from finishing sewing projects!).  

Anyway, I'm copying a Coldwater Creek skirt, linen, which I wear a lot.  This is not the greatest photo, but it gets its fullness from eight panels, all cut on the bias, and then all those vertical seams are finished w/ flat-felled seams, so they really stand out and, I think, are slimming.  I like the fullness, too, because a) it's more fun to wear and b) it gives the illusion I have a waist!  

The neutral color is great because I have lots of tops that are bright colors and many many jackets made from West African fabric.  I wear it year round, with woolen tights & boots in the winter & with bare legs & sandals in the summer.  The only thing I don't like is the lining is polyester, so on some of these extra humid & hot DC summer days it's not as cool as I'd like.  

So I decided to copy it because I have got so much use out of it and I think it fits great.  Plus I wear lots of skirts and summer is coming and one that is about 5 years old, also made from a West African print, is wearing out and I'm afraid it won't make it to Labor Day.  So I need another skirt, or 2 or 3.  

I bought two 1-yard pieces of this wonderful batik at a quilt show last month.  The fabric was really cheap ($5/yard) and though it would have been easier to have one big piece, I managed to get the pieces out of the two 1-yard rectangles.  I've finished flat-felling the seams, but didn't have a zipper.  I have lots of zippers, but they never seem to be the right size or the right color, so off to G Street & Joann tomorrow to top up my supplies.  (I need more 1" elastic for another  pair of knickers for the Roommate, too.)  

So hopefully it will be finished soon.  Oh, but I have to get some lining fabric...and line it, so maybe not finished real soon!  

Batik always makes me think of Bali & the Kecak dance.  So watch the video & you can think of it too!

BTW, If you're looking for some behind-the-scenes info regarding Project Runway, read a bit of Mondo's blog and find out about the basement!  

Pattern-making: Skirt Class at Bits of Thread, DC

I needed 1/2" binding for my skirt class, so decided to try to make some.  I bought the little gadget from Clover, sliced up some skirt fabric & you can see the result in the photo, above.  

I was also in our basement & came across some paper inside an Ikea box...I think this is the paper others were recommending buying to use as pattern paper, so I rolled it up & will take it along to class, too...though we might be making our patterns on muslin instead.

The fabric is a wax print that I bought in Ghana.  Wax prints have a strange and wondrous history, all based on shipping routes & trade.  Find out more here!

I took this in class.  It was a great class...highly recommended.  I learned SO much!  I'll go back next week for the final class; I have the pattern done, but haven't cut out the skirt yet.