Mannequin making - Sleeves

Its Thursday, my favourite day of the week, and I'm up early and posting my 2nd blog in a week...am I feeling ill?!

I'm not fully back to work yet so am making the most of having free time by bulk cooking and freezing meals so I have food to eat after a long day at work. 

One of the projects I got up to at the end of last year was more Mannequin making, but this time focusing on one particular limb, the arm.

It came about as I was finding it difficult to make a lining pattern for a jacket I was altering.
I teach Dressmaking in Belfast Met on a Monday and borrowed their detachable arm one evening, returning it the next day. A strange sight was a rigor mortis arm tucked sticking out of my backpack while cycling home.  It was a wonder I wasn't stopped and questioned. 

 

I needed to recreate this arm.  I find thinking always a lot easier with a cup of tea :)

 

 

I love the old dress stands and parts, stains and all. They are so expensive though!

 

 

I cut some calico (cotton) fabric on the bias (stretch cross grain).  The bias makes it easier to mold the fabric over the arms curves.  I marked where fullness needed removed around the elbow with a dart.  The armhole socket and the wrist were traced onto calico forming 2 circles.

 

 

By pinning the fabric in place it allowed me to make final alteration so I could achieve a very close fit.  I made a paper pattern, adding 1cm seam allowances and re-cut out. 

 

The dart was made and the sleeve was machine stitched in place.  Then stuffed tightly with polywadding until the amount of firmness needed was achieved.  I forgot to take photographs of these stages! 

 

The end circles were handstitched firmly in place and the arm was given a good steam with an iron to make it fit and sit.

 

 

 

 

Side view.  I pinned my arm to my stand using leather pins.  The pins need to be strong and secure the arm in place when using to fit a garment.

 

 

Front view.  A view lumps and bumps, but sure haven't we all!

 

 

I was now able to create a sleeve lining pattern a lot easier than before as this fabric was really soft and didn't hold a sleeve shape on its own.

 

 

Finished jacket.

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the post and it encourages you to make your own. 

 

Until next time

 

Happy Creating!

Christine x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Year, New Wardrobe!

Happy New Year to you all ... I've a feeling that its going to be a good one!

2014 is a very significant year for me... I was born in 1974 and that means I'm turning 40 in April!  I'm really looking forward to it!

New Years always means a good clear out. The last pine needle of the tree has been brushed outside ( although Im sure I will still be finding them for the next few months in the house) the decorations are down, the house is sparkling, focus turns to a good wardrobe clearout.  Or as its called in Northern Ireland, 'a good read out'. (said as 'red')

Back in September I had decided to rip out my wardrobe, so armed with tools, wrenches, hammers and many other gadgets I rolled up my sleeves and set to work.

 

These were the 2 doors before

 

With the door frames only coming up so far it meant there was a lot of wasted space. When you live in a 2 bedroomed 1920s terrace and own a lot of clothes, every bit of space is important.

 

These nails were SO big, and took a lot of struggling with to get them free from the door frame.

 

All my clothes had to go into the spare room until the job was done.

 

A very messy bedroom floor!

 

All the woodwork off from the door frames

 

I used some of the better pieces of wood from the door frame for another clothes related project. I will share that in another post.

 

At this stage I could do no more.  The next stage involved finding a good tradesman and I found https://www.facebook.com/HandyMattNI?fref=ts'  Handy Matt' by facebook.  

 

Where the shadow is was wasted space.

 

 

Matt took away the partition wall in the middle, checking that the ceiling wouldn't fall in first and then did a bit of plastering. 

 

Then rails and shelves were added.  A curtain rail was put up.  I stitched curtain tape to a very large old Irish linen tablecloth and hung it as the wardrobe closure.

 

All the vacuuming done, and the clothes are hung in place.  Making full use of every inch of space.

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 ...I added the tie back today. 

 

 

 

Now that the wardrobe structure was finished, and the New Year and all its resolutions had been made it was time for a wardrobe clear out. My sister Linda of 'Hey!Homewrecker' came over last night and hanger by hanger went through the rails.  Somethings require the losing of a little weight to fit back into so its back into running and yoga as of next week.

 

Today I left 3 bags full into Oxfam :)

 

 

 

It was decided that no more charity and vintage shops are to be visited, and that although I have lots of really nice clothes, I have no basics!

 

A trip into the shops, January sales in full swing, led to me coming straight home, having bought nothing only an M&S pastry to console myself after having to deal with the nightmare that is high street shopping.

 

The kettle called to be put on, the tea was poured and up to my bedroom I went, plugged in the laptop, logged into La redoute, and shopped online for colourful basics.  Bliss ....

 

 

This little pouch is from the 'House of Colour' when you get your skin tone and hair colour assessed and shown all the colours that suit you best. Handy to have when wardrobe shopping.

 

The final curtain. 

Night night

 

xx

 

 

Recycled home haven and garden

In one week my life should return to normal working hours after 3 months sewing costumes for Game of Thrones season 4.  And while it is wonderful working on the hand stitched costumes, the hours are long and leave me pretty much with no time to do my own thing, and no time to blog about doing my own thing!
 
So this Sunday evening finds me comfortably sitting on my sofa, listening to Chopin's Nocturnes on Spotify.  My sofa being 1 of 4 things in my house that has not been salvaged, recycled or found in a skip.
 
This blog is the 1st of a few on the subject of recycling, upcycling, skip-hoking whatever tag name you wish to give it, for it has many.  Kirstie has made her own TV series about it, and I was interested to read that she has been labelled 'the pioneer of skip searching'.  Hmmm, I have been at this since art college when me and my friends Grace and Alison rescued a Denby tea set, a fish platter and a glass serving dish from a skip at the corner of Royal Avenue circa 1992.
 
Let me share a few of my finds, upcycles, recycles, re-thinks, re-fashions around the home.  Kirstie eat your heart out!
 

 

I found this old spade handle in a bag of firewood my dad gave me. I instantly thought that it had a purpose and could be saved from a firey end.

 

 

I visited my local DIY store and asked for a 'double - ended screw'.  I was given a strange look.  12p it cost.  I charged up my sisters drill and in less than five minutes had a new hook to hang my satchels on.

 

 

Leather + wood = LOVE

 

 

This satchel was a charity shop find at £7.50. 

 

 

 

An unwanted mirror with a solid wood frame becomes...

 

 

My new pin/black board.  Re-using all my corks that used to be strung up for curtain tie-backs.  I am still working my way through the paperwork!

 

 

 

Next we head upstairs to the bathroom where the towels have been neatly rolled in this rack for 7 years.  I scratched this 7 year itch, and found a use for a drawer which I picked up for free in an old closing down linen factory.  See my previous post DIY Stacking shelves for another drawer uses.

 

 

Upturned and upcycled drawer with added shelves.  Perfect for storing loo rolls.  The towels are now rolled up into a woven straw basket.

 

 

They are stacked here before getting hung on the disused spool.

 

 

 

 

 

And finally for this evening, into the kitchen for a before and after found on Gumtree.

  

 

Cast iron Tractor stool before...

 

 

Tractor stool after a coat of red gloss.  It now sits in my kitchen beside the frame of my great grandmothers Singer sewing machine.

 

 

 

 

I hope I have inspired you to look at things differently before throwing them out or giving them away. Keep following my posts to see new ways to furnish your space for next to nothing. 

 

Till next time...

 

Keep Creating and tell me what you have been DIY-ing

Christine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

DIY minature Mannequin

 

Hello everyone, its been a long time ...

 

I hope you all have been having a great summer so far and I am happy to report that in Belfast, Northern Ireland we have been having non -stop sunshine for 2 weeks!!

 

 

I've been working just a little too hard since May and honestly only getting a still moment to write this blog.  I prefer not to bombard you with blogs, posting thoughts that I haven't had time to think about.  Sharing what I have been up to is very relaxing for me, so here goes...

 

 

I have always loved mannequins, but they are so expensive, so I decided to make one myself.  I really wanted a miniature, but these are over £250 to buy.  Having a padded one, rather than a wire one, means I can design and play with ideas before cutting the full size pattern. 

 

 

 I bought the frame from Dunelm Mill for £9.99 and set to work with some polyester wadding, tshirt jersey and calico. 

 

 

Filling up inside the whole frame to make it solid.  Wrapping wadding around the wire arms to give shape.

 

Shaping up nicely

 

Adding some bosoms and pin-ipples.  Stretching the jersey over the form to shape and keep all the wadding in.

 

Adding curves and definition by stitching through the wadding and jersey

 

Jersey covered stretched and sewn in place. 

Slightly lob-sided, but hey aren't we all?

 

Fitting the back calico cover

 

Shaping the front calico cover

 

 

Sunday sewing...raising the neck height and slip stitching in place.

 

 

I named her Dolly.  She's not perfect, but I am really pleased to have taken the time to make her myself.  Looking forward to adding her to my sewing room.

 

After I made Dolly I came across this website for modern, vintage and antique dress stands www.vintagestylemannequins.co.uk 

 

 

 

Happy sewing, crafting and creating

 

Till next time

 

Christine

 

 

Reinventing the collar.

Hello everyone, I hope you have been enjoying the May day bank holiday weekend!

Blogging activity has been reduced to once a month lately, which is not favourable to either me or you.  There is much going on in the making world of Colour and Cloth and over the next month I will be setting time aside to tell you all about it.

Today you find me on a peaceful journey over the Irish sea after a beautiful weekend in Scotland.  Enjoying the 2 hour ferry journey catching up on news, the latest magazines, text messages and of course blogging!

Here's a little project that had been put on the back burner for a while...

A buttery chocolate brown leather jacket by Irish designer Roisin Gartland. 

 

 

Im a real sucker for Irish designers.  I like to support local talent and industry, even though it was a charity shop find for £5 a few years ago.  I never really wore it and I have just realised why...it was the collar.  It had to come off!

Scissors in hand I started snipping. Now what to do with the now detached collar?

I love sheepskin, and had a very small skin than had never really found a lasting purpose.  Inspired by our costume making for the 'Wildlings' Season 2 Game of Thrones' I played about with some collar ideas on my mannequin.

 

Northern Ireland's very own Ciaran Hinds in the HBO series Game of Thrones wearing his Wildlings costume well.  Image by Helen Sloan.

I love designing accessories and garments that can be worn many ways and this was no exception.  Heres are at least 5 ways to wear. 

 

Option 1

 

 

Option 2

 

 

Option 3

 

 

Option 4

 

 

Option 5

 

 

Lets not forget about the leather jacket...heres how it looks now.  Much better I think, and more comfortable to wear.

 

 

Pity the weather is hotting up now...I will have to wait until winter to wear it! As they say in Game of Thrones 'Winter is Coming'.
I say lets have Spring, Summer and Autumn first!

                                                                       Until next time,

Enjoy creating
Christine x