Kittys Drawings

Hi All
Ack! Mega late posting! To think I wanted to get this up on Saturday! Bah!
What did I DO with my weekend???
Well it was pretty busy in fact – if you count going out and drinking quite a bit on Friday, recovering Saturday, talking bridesmaid duties Saturday evening and theeeennnn….What DID I do Sunday? Oh that’s right – I made another version of last weeks Butterick top for a friend!
Isn’t it crazy how the days can get away from you?

So…To drawing…These were the last two weeks of The Drawing Salon. In week 7 we covered stripes and wool texture. As well as being taught how to draw your own croquis template. This was a really neat technique which I’ve actually done a tutorial for. If you want to see it let me know – and I’ll have to ask Angie if I’m allowed to divulge some secrets!

I’m not sure I’m too happy with this one …. Surprised? Haha. It’s a bit too – overworked. Meh. These watercolours will take a while to get used to.

Week 8 was lots of fun too. The topic was collage and we used fabric and paper to make our images. The 3D aspect was neat – My gown was much puffier but then I carried it home jammed into my sketchbook and proceeded to flatten it further with the scanner *cough*.

The flowers on her head are cut outs from some fabric.

Annnnnd that’s about all for now. Got a few things coming up next week so I’m hoping I’ll find time to take pics of more sewing stuff amongst it all.
My folks are coming to visit next weekend which will be ace! I haven’t seen them in a year almost (I think!).
Also, heading to Sydney for the day on Saturday, with a nice roadtrip back.
Busy busy.
Well, must run!
Till soon…

Hullo Everyone!
Why look, I have a sewing post – at last! It’s not the one I intended to write about today…that didn’t happen because yesterday the batteries for the camera went flat as I was about to take pics. And then I found a lipstick stain on my dress. Bummer! So now it’s in the wash and I’m showing you Butterick 6740 (view A) instead.

This pattern isn’t mine – I borrowed it off my epically stylish best friend > Brand New Armour so I could make it for her. And then I made myself one. And then I will make her another – cos it’s such a neat pattern.

It’s SO easy to make – even though it came with no instructions, you don’t really need them. The envelope tells you enough – the neckline gathers into a band which ties to make a bow. The sleeves I faced with bias tape (blue satin in this instance) and they are all cut in one with the bodice.

My fabric is a poly cotton blend found at Savers. It’s nice and lightweight and has just the right amount of body. That said, you could make this shirt in a lot of different weights. The one I made for my friend is much lighter and slightly sheer.

I made a few teeny changes….brought the bust in a bit because this one is big for me and even then it has TONS of ease. The neck band needs to be twice as long!! YES. I don’t know what kind of skinny necks chicks in the 5o’s had but if you followed the pattern, you’d be strangling yourself and not even have enough to make a nice looking bow.

The buttons are amazing blue cut glass – possibly from the 30′s. These came from Etsy and I just love them. The colour is such a vivid and deep blue.

Comes together in a couple of hours…And so flattering. I do need to make more for others – share the love….The variations are endless for this. You could even do a contrast neck band. Or make it out of something quite slinky.

Yays!

Check out my shoes too. I am so in love with these. They are Miss L Fire (of course), with little raffia flowers on them and a carved wooden heel. I also tried to do something with my hair – only just passed as a moderate success….maybe. I suck at hair! Must keep practising. I saw a girl at a cafe yesterday with an amazing green coat and a fluffy grey fox around her neck – she had long black hair and bangs….I think I want a fringe…Maybe. But it’s one of those things that if it doesn’t work out, you have to live with the blah for months til it grows out. Anyways – the length is getting better….It needs a trim but I will wait a bit longer.

Other news: I have a drawing to post but I’m a bit blah about that too. Might put it up during the week with the final Drawing Salon class results.
The green coat is coming along nicely (check Facebook for a preview). I’m at a standstill now…next week is payday so I will buy some more green wool for the facings and sleeve (I am thinking of re-cutting so they aren’t tapered like in the pattern)…shame about all the wastage of the amazing fabric *sad face*. I’ve put all the seams together apart from the side ones. Which is a good thing because I’ve decided it definitely needs pockets – what kind of coat doesn’t have pockets? – so I will use Tasia’s Cambie Dress pockets and insert them in my side seams. This should be pretty easy. Except I need to make them out of the lining fabric. Which I don’t have yet. I’ve been looking for an interesting rayon stripe but not had much luck. I might just go with a solid colour.
Do you think a rayon lining is a good idea or should I go with silk?
I don’t want anything too thin – my current winter jacket (RTW) has got the crappiest lining that is literally falling apart and it’s only in it’s second season. I know a lot of clothes are ‘throw-away’ these days but is it too much to expect all the components of one garment to at least have the same life span? The outside is fine and holding up beautifully, but each mend I make on the lining, the next day there is another tear. GRR!
So yeh, I want something that’s going to last as long as my coat will. Ideas?

Erm – I probably have more to ramble about but it’s time to hit the sewing machine…

Ciao!

Hi All!

I sure am behind on my sewing posts aren’t I?! The weekends have been too blah to take any photos, though I have been sewing. I cut out three garments like a madwoman on Saturday. And made an apron. And did a tiny bit on my coat.

But – to drawing. This week it was Fur & Shine. Fur is tricky as hell to draw! All those soft edges you can’t actually draw because then it won’t look like fur.  Shine was a bit easier – reflective surfaces usually have harder edges.

Not sure I like this one too much. Didn’t think it through hard enough before starting to paint. Should have done a very light wash for the skin tone before doing the fur. Need to experiment with creating soft tones and variations for skin using watercolour.

Anyways, promise to have sewing stuff on the weekend.

Ciao!

Hi All

Fly by post today. Cleaning the house duties mean I have no time to write much.

So – this week’s topic was watercolours, patterns and lace.

But first, some ‘extra curricular’ activity. Sketch done in low light so I couldn’t see my colours properly. Inspiration take from Julia Trotti’s amazing photography (new discovery – um, WOW!). Yes, I did some drawing without playing tricks on my brain to start it.

Anyways – class work. The original photo that we used as ref had a big green skirt but we had to make it leopard print instead. Watercolours are so versatile – and fun! I want to try more techniques with them! For these effects I wet the paper first and then washed over the paint. Then using a watercolour pencil I drew in the spots. The wet paper blurred the pencil and gave it that fuzzy, velvety effect.

The lace was done in a similar manner but with the pencil super sharp.

There’s still lots to learn, and the random and unpredictable nature of watercolour means you’re never quite 100% sure of what you’re going to get….Something I think you have to take advantage of instead of fight

Well – til soon! Next post should be sewing!

Hi All!

The Drawing Salon this week was all about legs and learning how to use paint markers – or whatever they’re called – those Copic pens.  I bought 5 off eBay which arrived just in time. A grey, a skin tone, a colourless blender and two more contrasting shades, a pink and a green.

Legs are really fun to draw because you can make them so shapely. We practiced first on some bleed-proof paper.

Then onto the main drawing – A fairly tricky pose, especially with the sneaky addition of those hands. And the way the leg twists is an awkward one to capture.

I really got into it though, and I’m loving using natural media again. The pens are interesting – they behaved very differently on the two papers. The blender will take a bit of learning too. I also used Derwent watercolour pencils, which when mixed with the pens can give a lot of flexibility with colour mixing and textures. Lots to explore there!
Some detail…

Annnnd thats all for now. On the weekend I will be heading to the Love Vintage fair – most likely on Sunday so if you see me – say Hi! Other plans are a secret for now but I may have some cool pics for you next week. And if I get a chance, I will photograph the latest dress I finished. The coat is being worked on – I’ve underlined it now with my silk organza. When I start putting some seams together, I might even be able to show you.

Anyways, time to go!
Ciao!

Hello All!!
This week’s work is finished and also I have my homework from the faces class. This is the profile view and Angie’s tips helped again, breaking the face down into easy proportions and points of reference.

This week we did hands – another tricky subject, one where practice counts above all! And “fashion” hands are not normal hands – noooo – they have to be stretched and thinned, stretched and thinned, until they’re pretty much alien looking. Because the longer you look at hands, the weirder they become. It’s true – its like the visual equivalent of saying a word so many times it stops sounding like a word at all.

Some practice ones to warm up – and a close up of the just the hands (super hard!).

Then a full figure…

I liked this exercise – how cool is the model’s pose? No one stands like THAT in real life!

Anyways, onto other things…
This week has been busy – I’ve not had a chance to sew since the weekend and probably won’t get a chance to again til Friday evening. I am seriously considering taking a week off work to just do HEAPS of sewing and drawing. A “working” holiday of sorts.
Till soon…

Hi Everyone

Oh look – another post so soon! Yep – I went to my fashion illustration class yesterday night and I’m here to show you the results.

This week we did faces. The tasks we were set were the face in profile, three quarter and front on view. The profile drawing is homework – I better get cracking!

Angie taught us the easy way of lining up the features of the face and tips on what is aesthetically pleasing and what isn’t.

I liked drawing on the coloured paper and using white pencil to add highlights.

Other news: Thanks for all your responses on my last post! I will work on the belt tutorial this weekend and get that up for you then. The lovely Cation Designs requested some pics of the sleeve construction so I will add those to the post too. I haven’t forgotten your Blogging With Cats award either and I am gathering evidence of the fuzz-bum’s’ ways of “assisting” my projects. If only I could capture Boofy chewing on the hanging threads of my coat muslin. Yes – you read that right.

We also took a trip to Ballarat on the weekend (about 1.5 hours by train outside of Melbourne for my international visitors). Much treasure was found! I bought a 60′s girdle for a mere $15….4 pairs of amazing vintage seamed stockings, brand new in their box for $4 a pair, and 4 pieces of fabric for $20! The Mr found some decorative pieces to go on our future dining table – some old glass jars, a set of nesting dolls (weird looking they are) and an old fire extinguisher! Hehe…THAT won’t be going on the table but it looks nice by our antique meat safe.
The interior of our house is coming along nicely. We’re slowly working our way upstairs.  Dad is making us an amazing 2.7m solid Jarrah dining table that will comfortably seat 10. We plan on getting some Eames replica chairs to go with (can’t afford the real ones unfortunately) and then moving all the sofas and TV upstairs. That will then become the living room….Not sure what we’ll do about my current desk which is upstairs – and then it’s onto the bedroom on the third floor. And somewhere amongst all that I’ll have to sort out a proper sewing space….

Oh and back to Ballarat (that was a tangent sorry!) – while we were leaving our accommodation on Sunday, a couple pulled up their car next to us on the footpath and the lady jumped out….I thought she might want directions or something (We’d seen the pair at one of the antique stores the day before)…But instead she hands me a leaflet explaining that they were meant to be going to High Tea at the Craigs Royal that afternoon, but their flight back to Sydney was to leave soon and they weren’t going to make it so would we like to take the booking instead?? WOW – How nice of them!! How could I refuse? Hehehe. I ought to pay it forward for someone else I think. And the High Tea was great – the perfect end to the trip. After that we picked up our goodies and caught the train back home. I did a bit of Googling too and discovered who the couple were….A bit stalkerish?? I will be calling them to thank them very soon.

Anyways, enough rambling, I better get to bed.
See you all on the weekend!