Dintarmawen Design

New Treasuries!

2012-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

Two New Treasuries!

2012-01-31T22:03:00.001-08:00

Many thanks to Phyllis on Etsy, who featured one of my veils in her treasury For the FUN of it!

And this one, Belly Dance Raqs, by engineerandthegypsy (love that name!)

I'm In a Treasury (or Two or Three)!

2011-10-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

A Coupon!

2011-09-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

If there is a belly dance veil in my Etsy store that you've had your eye on for awhile, now's the time to buy! I just posted a coupon to my Twitter feed (see the right hand column). It's only good until September 30 (Friday!), so don't delay!

And yes, you could also use it on the medieval gown I have for sale. Wouldn't that be a steal?

My Shiny Dell Mini

2011-08-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

So I was playing around on my new Cricut and made some vinyl decals for my brother, who is the browncoat who spotted Miranda on the new Star Tours ride. I did a few extras for myself, and dressed up my little pink laptop a bit. I think it's super cute, and it's a great barometer of people's taste. I get two reactions--either "Do you speak Chinese?" or "Hey, are you a Firefly fan?"

Why yes, yes I am a fan. And I only know swear words in Chinese. =)

A Medieval Gown, For Sale on Etsy

2011-08-17T15:50:00.001-07:00

This is a one-of-a-kind, ready to ship, fabulous medieval gown. I don't sell costumes very often, so snatch this one up while you have the chance! Click on any of the pictures to see them full-size. To purchase this gown, visit my Etsy store.

It's of a stunning mid-weight burgundy upholstery fabric with a gorgeous sheen--it used to have a watermark design in it, but I washed the fabric before sewing it and most of the design washed out. (Yes, this costume is machine washable!)

Gold metallic embroidery encircles the neckline and both wrists, and I finished them off with a hand sewn gold metallic bias tape binding for a bit of bling. Bright gold two-piece machine set grommets run down the back and are laced with a gold cord. A simple double strand knotted metallic gold cord belt draws the gown in to fit you perfectly!

Speaking of fit, medieval gowns from this era are not traditionally form fitting. My dressform is set to a 37 inch bustline, 29 inch waistline, and a 37 inch hip line. As you can see, this isn't tight fitting, and by leaving a gap in the lacing it could fit a variety of sizes. I included underarm gussets for ease of movement and visual interest. The sleeves are made overlong, so they should just reach your knuckles and gather beautifully along your lower arms.

The skirt flares out from the hip line from four inset gussets. This makes the skirt unbelievably full! It is also overlong, in the medieval style, so you can pick it up and walk princess-like or let it pool around your feet. The hemline is serged and double turned--you can leave it long, or have a local seamstress hem it up for you if you'd prefer to have it floor length.

Although this is based on a historical t-tunic pattern, there are some decidedly non-historic aspects to it. The metallic machine embroidery, metallic bias tape, and metal grommets are definitely not authentic to the time period. The seams are also serged for durability. (Can I do historically accurate? You bet. But I chose not to for this one.)

If you're looking for a stunning Halloween costume or a head-turning Ren-Faire outfit, this is it! Transform yourself into Rapunzel, Maid Marian, or Guinevere for the evening! Or add a pair of fairy wings and be the prettiest girl in the realm of the fae!

A Zumba Fairy Costume. . .

2011-08-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

I got an interesting request last month--my sister is a Zumba fan and her instructor was going to a convention and needed a costume for a party they have there. She had three requirements--it had to be white (to glow under black lights), it needed to look good with a set of fairy wings, and it needed to be funky and floaty.

My first thought was a handkerchief skirt, so that's where I started--two layers, one of a sparkled bridal fabric, and the second of a polysilk. But then I needed something else underneath it, since as soon as you spin in a handkerchief skirt it goes flying. Really flying. (And leaving little to the imagination if you aren't wearing something underneath.)

So taking my inspiration from those wrap pants you see everywhere in the Caribbean, I fashioned some funky bloomers out of the polysilk and integrated them into the skirt. So the bottom layer you see is actually the points of those wraparound bloomers. I put the whole thing on an elastic casing, because I hate fighting tons of layers and making sure nothing is slipping or showing when I'm dancing. I then took some scraps of the organza and serged the edges to make some cute spiraled accents that I could layer on top (the organza is a separate skirt, since it's dry clean only.) Voila! One funky, floaty, fairy skirt.

On top is a simple peasant blouse out of the same polysilk, with slits up the sleeves (oh yes, her face and shoulders were also going to be painted so they needed to show--so I guess that was the fourth requirement). I had this leather obi belt in my stash to tie it all together. I think it turned out pretty cute. I may whip up another one of these fairy skirts in a bit longer length to wear to belly dance class--I hate wearing a ton of layers when it's summer, and the breezy design would keep you comfy while you dance!

Click on the photo to see it much bigger if you'd like to see the costume's details.

Any interest in me adding these skirts to my Etsy store inventory?

My Absence, and My New Goal: I Need a Sewing Room!

2011-08-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

Part of the issue with my absence the last year (aside from just too many projects, too little time) is that I moved. My sewing room is in a corner of an unfinished basement. And the sink in my kitchen is WHITE. Ack. A tie dyer's worst nightmare!

Veils have been on hold, sewing has been on hold, everything's been a bit packed away and forgotten. That's been bad news for those of you who needed veils during the past year, so my apologies. The good news is that I have a lovely unfinished basement with room for a sewing room AND a shop for doing all of my dye experiments in. (With a stainless sink, of course.) But it's going to take some work. So in order to make that crafty dream come true, I'm doing some massive projects in the coming weeks. This includes a lot of veils, but more importantly, a lot of costumes.

I don't usually post my costumes for sale, I know. But I'm gearing up for Halloween, and relentlessly raiding my fabric stash, so now is the time for you all to take advantage of my temporary lapse in sanity. =) Now this isn't a you-send-me-your-measurements-and-I-stress-like-crazy bunch of costumes. Right now I'm planning on offering them in pretty standard sizes (the 36-28-38 and 38-30-40 ranges) and hoping they'll fit the majority of the people interested. If you are interested in one in a different size let me know ASAP and I may be able to work it in.

So what do I have in the works?

A burgundy medieval gown with gold embroidery at the neckline and wrists. It laces up the back with gold grommets and has a skirt you wouldn't believe! (Obviously, not SCA-style with the machine embroidery and grommets, but based on a medieval pattern.) This one is almost done and will likely be posted for sale first.

Arwen's farewell dress from Lord of the Rings. Yes, this is the one I posted pictures of here ages ago. My friend jokes that it's really not a costume, just a decoration for my dress form. It's finally getting finished! I need to add the collar and sleeves on, finish the under dress and sash, and this one will be ready to go. The bonus with this one is that the under dress will be a stand alone princess-seamed purple gown that you can wear on its own--so you'll be getting two gowns for the price of one.

The blue gown from the new Red Riding Hood movie. I loved the costumes from this one, and I have the perfect worn-looking blue cotton for her dress. I have some red that may work for her cape but it's silky, not wool. (Do you really want to wear wool to a party anyway?)

Belle's gown from Beauty and the Beast. I have two different fabrics to work with, so I may do two. One is a beautiful heavy daffodil yellow watermark fabric, the other is a lightweight faux silk in a brighter golden yellow. I may kick myself for even attempting these, but we'll see how it goes.

Steampunk outfits! Oh my goodness, do I have a beautiful new pattern that I can't wait to try out. A long flowing coat, a smart bustier, and bloomers! (Come on, do you really want to wear a long skirt? You have to show off your cute shoes!) I have enough fabric to potentially make four different outfits, with the following for the coat material:

Plum microsuede
Grey microsuede
Olive microsuede
Brown pleather (but a gorgeous pleather!)

A handful of Regency dresses. There are a few casual day dresses, but also a couple of absolute stunners for your next ball. One is out of a beaded sari from India that is going to be fabulous! These will be based on Sense & Sensibility's historical patterns.

A couple of flirty overdresses. Picture a Renaissance style bodice with a poofy loopy skirt. Perfect for ANYTHING--a pirate, a fairy, a wench--you name it, this is the most versatile costume piece you'll ever own.

Eep! Not quite sure I'll make it, but that's the current plan. Follow me on Twitter if you want to be the first to know when each one is posted for sale! (http://twitter.com/dintarmawen)

Potato Chip Hats!

2011-02-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

This semester I had the opportunity to teach my first 4H class! Called Costuming for Beginners, we learned about everything from figure drawing to basic sewing. We did a brief overview of historical fashion from Egyptian to modern day, and did a bunch of fun projects. The kids were great, and it was an excellent experience for me too!

At our parent night, I had one of my colonial dresses on display. I had a request for some instructions for a colonial hat, from the sister of one of our students who needed something for a school project.

I like to call these potato chip hats, because they resemble a Pringle perched at a jaunty angle on your head. =) So, if you'd like some instructions on how to make one, here is a handout I put together with some basic instructions.

Stay tuned for another method for potato chip hat making--involving placemats and IKEA! Will it work? I'm not sure. In the meantime, happy snacking. . .um. . .millinery!

Turquoise and orange make. . .ooooo, pretty!

2010-04-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

I did a custom order this week and got a fabulous surprise! The customer wanted a turquoise and orange scrunch pattern. This orange usually turns out to be a bright tangerine, almost like a vibrant orange creamsicle. Well, when combined with a turquoise in the rinse-out, it turned to a beautiful burnt orange--like a coppery sunset! I thought it was just stunning, and luckily she did too!

Want to create your own unique color combination? I take custom veil orders at my website, http://www.dintarmawen.com.

New website!

2010-03-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, have I been absent lately! A lot of time (and a lot of costumes!) have passed--I will try to catch up slowly over the next few weeks.

I do have a bit of exciting news--I've set up a new website! Visit http://www.dintarmawen.com to check it out. You can view my costume portfolio and some of my favorite links. Most importantly, this will now be my main venue for selling my silk belly dance veils and costumes. I'll also be posting things for sale that I've found as I've stockpiled costume supplies, including fabric and accessories that I purchased for costumes that I'm no longer planning on making.

If you're interested in ordering a custom veil, it's now easier than ever! Just click on the "Veils & Skirts" section under the Salesroom link. You can choose your own custom colors, and within a week have your own unique veil shipped to you!

Costume Fabric Destash

2009-08-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

This week I have come to a sad realization. . .my fabric collection has gotten seriously out of hand! I have a weakness for a bargain, and for something I can see potential in. So when I spot the perfect piece of fabric, and can think, "oh, that would be perfect for. . ." I snatch it up. Just in case I may need it some day. The truth is, if I started sewing tomorrow 24/7 it would take me years to get through it all. With Halloween approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to post some of it for sale. Perhaps the fabric for your perfect costume is hiding at my house! If you are interested in any of the following, let me know and I'll be happy to take pictures of it and post it to my Etsy store for you to purchase. Most are going to be no more than $3 a yard--as I said, I have an eye for a bargain!

Belle from Beauty and the Beast or Jane from Tarzan: a gorgeous soft yellow light upholstery weight watermark fabric. Crisp and beautiful! I would guess I have close to 10 yards of this.

Arwen's chase dress from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: a deep gray microfiber suede. I must warn you, this is very static-y, but a little fabric softener may tame it. 60 inches wide, five yards.

Obi-Wan or Anakin Skywalker Jedi robe from Star Wars: Rich brown crinkled cotton--yeah, the originals were wool, but what kid wants to run around in scratchy wool? I underestimated my brother's height when I bought this, but it would be perfect for a smaller Jedi. 6 yards, 45 inches wide.

Aayla Secura from Star Wars: Am I really ever going to paint myself blue? Not likely. I have a few yards of brown snakeskin print cotton for her top, and some beautiful faux leather for the contrast and her accessories.

Jane Austen fans wanting to be Elizabeth Bennett or Emma Woodhouse: I found some gorgeous windowpane check sheer fabric. I think it was supposed to be for drapes, but can you imagine how beautiful it would be as an overlay on a Regency gown? I have six yards each of white and creme.

That's it for now. . .let me know if anything catches your eye!

Twice as Nice

2009-07-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my experiments in over dying. You can see what a difference using an acid dye vs. a pigment dye makes. A pigment dye washes out to a soft, stonewashed looking gray--the acid dye remains a vibrant black. I then over dyed this one with a fiber reactive dye. A little extra work, but a nice effect!

Matching Skirt and Veil Sets. . .and Finally, Red and Black!

2009-07-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

I finally have a few more things to post! I've been experimenting with acid dyes, and have gotten some interesting results.

Here's one of my favorites, a black silk belly dance veil with fiery red borders. I've also made a handkerchief skirt to match this one. It's the same pattern I used to make our troupe skirts a few years back, so see my previous post for instructions. I've made up eight of these skirts in total--while a simple design, they take a lot of work so I'm not sure if I'll be offering them in my Etsy store very often. (In other words, they may go fast so if you'd like one dyed with a matching veil in a certain color, email me!)

Here's a much lighter version of the same red dye--it turned out more of a bright cherry red. Still not quite the stop sign red I was hoping for, but it's getting closer at least. click on the photo to see where this one has been posted in my Etsy store.

More belly dance goodies to be posted soon!

Two more!

2009-07-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Another silk bellydance veil or two for your Etsy shopping pleasure!

Silk Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Fuschia Pink and Purple

Silk Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Turquoise, Purple and Fuschia Pink

New Bellydance Veils Posted

2009-07-02T19:19:00.001-07:00

I added a few more items added to my Etsy store tonight! Click on the links to go to each individual page:

Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Purple and Fuschia Pink

Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Turquoise Blue

Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Fuschia Pink Silver Gray

Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Purple and Turquoise Blue

Scrunched?

2009-07-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by someone who was interested in a custom veil order. She noted that in the custom listing I have on my Etsy store, I mention that I usually "scrunch" dye my silks. She asked what that meant, and it got me to thinking--what does it mean? I thought maybe a demonstration of what I meant would be best! Here are two identical color combinations from the batch of veils I just finished.

The one on the right was done by scrunching the fabric very tightly before applying the dye, which keeps the colors from mixing. As a result, you get a lot of "white space" between the two colors, and for the most part they stay separated. This is a good technique to use if you are using two very dissimilar colors which may not blend well if they combine.

The one on the left, believe it or not, was made using the same exact colors--only this time, the fabric was very loosely scrunched and I worked the two colors of dye through the fabric--scrunching it as I applied the dye. Quite the difference! You still get some blotches of the individual colors, but I work hard to make sure there is no "white space" and that the colors blend more softly.

Although they are scrunched in different ways, I like both styles--which do you prefer?

New Silk Bellydance Veils Posted to Etsy

2008-11-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

I just posted a new batch of silk veils to my Etsy shop. You can see a few of them on the right hand side of my blog in my Etsy mini. I may do one more batch this week for the holiday season, so if you have a color request please convo me through the Etsy site or just post a comment here and I'll see if I can fit it in. (I'm running low on purples and blues!)

There are a few more zill bags for sale now too--I was taking photos and couldn't resist doing a little group shot rainbow style! There are a couple of these that I haven't posted yet, so if you don't see the one you want in my shop just let me know and I'll list it for you. These would be great if you need to do a little gift for your fellow dancers!

ePatterns Now Available from Sense & Sensibility, and a New Toy for My Sewing Room!

2008-11-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here's some exciting news for those of you who love historical costuming! You've read about how much of a fan I am of Sense & Sensibility patterns. Well, she is now offering epatterns! This is a great way of ordering her pattern collection in PDF format--you can get them instantly, there are no pattern pieces to store, and you can print them out to any scale (great for those of us who do doll costuming!) So far they include her Regency, Romantic, Edwardian, early 1900s, and Swing era patterns. Click here to visit Sense and Sensibility Patterns.

The reason I'm so excited about these? Well, besides the fact that I just love the look of historic dresses, I just inherited a great new toy for my sewing room--an HP DraftPro DXL pen plotter! So now I can plot out my patterns to any size that I want! I have so many historical costume pattern books that include scaled patterns--everything from Janet Arnold's books to Patterns for Theatrical Costume. I've tried blowing them up with the grid method, using copiers, even using an overhead opaque projector--and all of them are a serious pain! So I'm in the experimenting phase right now--I'll post my tips and tricks for getting those patterns into a program like AutoCAD and then plotting them out.

One tip for those of you lucky enough to track down one of these old plotters--the serial cable is NOT a standard cable. Many people find one of these plotters and assume they don't work because they can't set up a connection to it. The cable is what's called a reverse modem cable--you can use a standard serial cable, but you have to use what's called a null modem adapter with it. More details can be found here. See if you can find one of these gems on eBay--but only if you can find a local one. They're heavy and huge, but a great piece of equipment!

Halloween Update 2: Wicked

2008-11-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure when I started the tradition of doing more than one costume per year for Halloween, but here was the second! My sister recently saw Wicked in Chicago, so the Saturday before Halloween she got the fabulous idea of us dressing as Glinda and Elphaba for an upcoming party. One week is not much time to pull off fabulousness, but we gave it a shot!

The Elphaba dress was from a Burdastyle pattern. If you haven't discovered www.burdastyle.com yet, you must check it out! It's an open source pattern network--meaning people can come up with fantastic stuff and then post it for anyone to download. Since we didn't have the time or resources to tackle something more authentic, I found a pattern for a Leg O Mutton top, and added a skirt to it. Luckily I had some black crushed panne velvet in my stash. It was super simple to make after I scaled the pattern up a bit, took out the inset, and made it gathered all the way across the front where it attached to the skirt. It's a great pattern and I can't wait to make myself a top from it. Her broom was $1 at Shopko, and I think she found her hat at a discount Halloween store. (Her makeup, by the way, is Ben Nye--PLEASE, if you're painting your face, buy the good stuff--it's really not that much more expensive and looks so much better!)

My costume is more of a mish-mash. My sister (again) did a fantastic job of restyling an absolutely horrid wig I bought for $7 at Shopko. I thought it was a total loss, but she put it up on perm rods, boiled it, and it came out in perfect ringlets! The skirt and corset are actually from a Bo Peep costume I made years ago--I made a new white shirt to wear underneath, then made a petal skirt to wear over the top. (The party we were going to was in a barn--a real one--so I wasn't about to wear full-length foof!) I ran around the petal edges with a serged rolled-hem in metallic thread, and my sister then glued rhinestones to the edges to mimic the look of Glinda's dress. My crown she made from a crystal beaded garland found in the wedding section of Michael's, and my staff is a spray-painted dowel with a Christmas tree ornament attached to the top.

Halloween Update 1: Alice in Wonderland

2008-11-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

At long last, here are the results of my Halloween madness this year. Being a school librarian, I thought it would be appropriate for me to dress as something literary. So, having just read Beddor's Looking Glass Wars (fabulous, by the way!) I decided to be Alice in Wonderland. I originally planned to do something based on the original illustrations for Through the Looking Glass (hence the striped tights) but due to time constraints I ended up doing the Disney style apron instead. My sister gave my blonde wig a trim, added some bangs, and voila! The dress is made out of a fleece back satin, of all things (that I had in my stash), and I made a very simple net petticoat to wear underneath (aren't ruffling feet fabulous inventions?).

To keep up the literary theme, I talked my assistant into tackling a Regency-style dress, from Jennie Chancey's fabulous pattern (the Simplicity version), so she could be Jane Austen. She even did a corset--I was so proud!

Upcoming projects

2008-09-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

While it appears I have not been doing much by way of design, I really just haven't been doing much by way of blogging. =) Here are a few things I've been working on lately, photos to follow soon:

Two medieval T-tunic style dresses similar to the blue linen one I made. I'm putting some metallic embroidery around the neckline and cuffs, and lacing up the back. The fabric is from my stash--a home dec weight with a subtle watermark that reminds me of grosgrain ribbon. One is a raspberry color, the other a teal green. NOT authentically medieval, but very pretty so far. They'll be posted in my Etsy store for the Halloween season as soon as they're completed.

Danielle's blue dress she wears on her outing to the monastery with Henry in the film Ever After. Again, this is one for my Etsy store, hopefully in time for Halloween. I've even made her gold circlet, which I'll be including.

Tribal bellydance belts! I love the look of tribal costuming (I'm not very good at the style, however, I've quickly discovered as I've blundered through my practice DVDs.) I'm experimenting with some embroidered waistbands and funky fringe and am really liking the results so far.

The next few weeks should be very productive!

Rainbow Bellydance Veil

2008-08-16T18:01:00.001-07:00

Here it is! The color wheel rainbow veil--I'm quite pleased with it. I think it's the perfect solution to the problem I always had, which was matching my veil to my outfit. Just buy a veil with every color in it already, I say!

I must confess, I cheated a bit on this one. I squirted on the yellow, then realized that it was supposed to be the orange section, so I then layered on the orange. So I don't know that the orange color is truly what it was supposed to be, but I really like it anyway!

This will be posted in my Etsy store for sale, along with all of my other color wheel experiments, seen below.

Fuschia color wheel; see this veil's listing in my Etsy store

Yellow/green color wheel; see this veil's listing in my Etsy store

Turquoise color wheel; see this veil's listing in my Etsy store

Color Wheel Silk Veils

2008-07-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have no patience for quilting, but when it comes to using quilter's tips for dyeing fabric, I'm a fan! I love the look of color wheel dyeing--mixing your primaries in different proportions to create a rainbow of fabric. I was going to try it out on some scraps to see how it would "turn out," then thought, why not just make a few silk belly dance veils out of the little experiment?

So here are my three primaries--Procion fuschia and turquoise, and a yellow I had on hand (the kind you find in tie-dye kits at the craft store). I then used the proportions listed on this site to mix my colors. Here are all of my little bottles--12 in all!

I then got to work! I decided to do one veil that would include all 12 colors, going fron left to right lengthwise. Then I did three that were sections of the color wheel: fuchsia to orange, yellow to blue-green, and turquoise to red-violet.

I had a bit of leftover dye so I had some fun doing a fire-style yellow and red veil and a bunch of zill bags. Keep your fingers crossed that they work out!

New Etsy Item--Zill Bags!

2008-07-09T09:15:00.001-07:00

I love these little zippered bags--they're perfect for stashing little things in style! In my shop I have them labeled as a zill bag, but I use them for everything from a wallet to a camera case. I dyed a batch to match the veils I was doing, so click here for the cobalt blue one, here for this one in lipstick pink, and here for its matching pink veil that I just posted.

New Batch of Veils

2008-07-08T15:50:00.001-07:00

I've been tie dying again! My Etsy store inventory was running low, so I did a very simple batch of silk bellydance veils--in the microwave! I've always wanted to try the microwave method instead of letting them sit overnight. I had an explosion on this one because I didn't let the steam bubble settle down enough before starting it up again, but luckily the microwave insides cleaned up well. This one is now posted for sale--it's a beautiful cobalt blue color.

And I did finally see Chivalry. It was worth the wait. =)

Er....make that I THOUGHT I saw Chivalry. . .

2008-05-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, lame update to my gushy post about finally seeing Chivalry in person. I stopped by today to pay it a visit, and there's now a sign by it stating that the painting is on loan to a museum in Moscow until June.

So. . .I saw a print.

Granted, it's a beautiful print. A print I'd love to have hanging in my house. I mean c'mon MOA, what are you gonna do with it when you get the real one back? Stick it in some closet? I'd give it a good home, promise. . . =)

Anyway, there's the sad truth. But I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing the real one when it arrives back in June. The kind folks at the reception desk that I pestered about it assure me that it's fantastic, and enormous, and will be well worth the wait. Sigh!

Etsy Packaging

2008-05-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Etsy shop owners have an entirely different approach to selling things online in a lot of ways. Take packaging--I've bought some things off of eBay that came in some pretty interesting slapped-together boxes! With Etsy, it seems as though the packaging is as important as the product. People are buying handmade items, so they expect that same care to go into the product's presentation.

So here's an idea I've been toying with for some time--bags for dancers to store their silk veils in. I have to admit that I am terrible about just throwing mine in my dance bag when I'm done with it--and there it snags on all of the jingly things that dancers like to carry! So I'm experimenting with including a little drawstring bag with each veil I sell. A little something extra to protect their investment! Here's my prototype, with an embroidered label with my store web address on it. I'll see how they go over with my customers!

Chivalry by Frank Dicksee--I saw it today!

2008-04-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

My sister and I stopped by the Brigham Young University Museum of Art today--she wanted to see the Warhol Marilyn Monroe prints they have on display, and I wanted to take a sneak peek at the Victorian exhibit because I had seen a Waterhouse painting on the promotional materials. I literally gasped when I walked in, because there was one of my favorite paintings on display, Chivalry by Sir Frank Dicksee!

Flashback to a few years ago--I'm making a list of my favorite Pre-Raphaelite artwork I want to try see while in London. The Lady of Shalott by Waterhouse at the Tate, Dicksee's End of the Quest at the Leighton House. . .but in my quest to find where Chivalry was, I found out it was in a private collection. I resigned myself to just enjoying the print I have of it that's hanging in my bathroom--as you can see, my walls are painted to match the damsel-in-distress's gown. =)

How could I guess that the original is currently on display, not ten minutes from my house! The exhibit is called Masterworks of Victorian Art from the Collection of John H. Schaeffer and has some beautiful pieces in it.

Chivalry is absolutely stunning--the colors are vibrant, the condition wonderful (unlike the horrible print I have, which made it look as if the original was falling apart!) and it's displayed perfectly so you can really soak in every detail. I'm sure I'll be visiting it several more times before the exhibit ends in August--if you are a fan of Pre-Raphaelite art, it will be well worth your time to check it out.

New Etsy Banner

2008-04-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

So my old eBay logo was looking a little outdated, so I decided to take a new stab at it for my Etsy store. I love those Dover electronic clip art CDs! This motif was from the Designs and Motifs from India set.

Announcing. . .my Etsy store!

2008-03-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm trying something new--posting some of my silk bellydance veils to an Etsy store. I've had success selling them on eBay, but I hate having to post them a few at a time, and worry about the best time to post them, and worry if anyone is going to see them in the one week they're up! So I'm giving Etsy a try--that way I can post my entire current inventory for several months, and people have a wider selection. Follow the link on the right to view the veils I currently have up for sale.

An Easter dress...sorta

2008-03-22T09:21:00.001-07:00

Does a dress still count as an Easter dress if it's black, and if you started it in December? =) It's amazing the unfinished projects you uncover as you're reorganizing! This one just needed a zipper and a facing, so I finished it up last night. The dress pattern is Simplicity 4531, and the bolero shrug is Simplicity 4224. No real modifications, besides making the ribbon belt wider, and tied in the front. The embroidered fabric is yet another JoAnn's $2 clearance table find. I think the ribbon and zipper cost more than the fabric did. =)

Cubby boxes, done!

2008-03-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

What a project this has been! Here is the final product. The ribbon is from Stampin' Up, the little frames on the front are just metal scrapbooking frames from Making Memories (I painted them white, then distressed them with my Dremel tool. How I love that tool!) The cute purse, dress form, and Eiffel Tower are from Tai Pan Trading--I just need to whack off the top half inch of the tower so it will fit on top of the cubbies. The table for my machine will eventually be replaced with something that matches the Expedit. Four boxes are full of my pattern stash, one for my dolls and doll patterns, one for custom patterns I've done, and then four for embroidery supplies and blanks.

When covering the boxes, I just made a "tube" of fabric that was wide enough to slip around the box. I then folded the bottom fabric like a present and glued it down, and tacked the top excess fabric down inside the box. I also glued a rectangle of flannel on the bottom of each one. This covers up where the fabric is folded down, and also provides a soft surface so the boxes don't scratch the Expedit as I slide them in and out. A bit of spray adhesive helps to get the fabric for the lid centered and flannel attached, then I just used a glue gun for the edges. I bought some matching scrapbooking paper for the little frames, so I can have each box labeled.

A diversion from sewing. . .isn't he handsome? =)

2008-03-20T20:34:00.001-07:00

So everyone needs a night off from their hobbies once in awhile. =) I got to see Collective Soul, one of my favorite bands, in concert last night at Novell's Brainshare (ah, the perks of having a techie for a brother!) What a fantastic show! It's so great to watch a band that just obviously loves performing. (For anyone who was there, one word--thunderstruck! lol) I snapped this picture from the jumbotron--no, I wasn't that close to the stage, sadly!

A last-minute medieval dress

2008-03-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ah, the joys of a last-minute idea. =) In my day job as a school librarian, I've gotten quite a reputation for my outlandish costumes. (Last week I was a different Dr. Seuss character every day!) This week was a special school fair, where we were highlighting our curriculum. So I thought, libraries. . .bookmaking. . .illuminated manuscripts! So I quickly ordered some medieval and celtic design rubber stamps so the kids could make their very own manuscript pages and color them in (a big plug here for Estelle's fantastic stamps at http://www.stampsmith.net/--she is fabulous to deal with and got them here in a big hurry). But how could I host a medieval activity without dressing appropriately?

So here is my quick attempt at something somewhat historical for our special event. I eBayed my last semi-historical medieval dress (the Simplicity pattern that uses 10 yards of fabric--good grief) and wanted to do this one on a budget--and a time limit! The underdress is quilter's cotton, the overdress is a linen blend from JoAnn's. The pattern was amazingly simple! It's based on the instructions from "T-tunic: the period way" by Lady Muireann ingen Eoghain ua Maoil Mheaghna. I was skeptical at first--how are all of these rectangles and triangles going to come together in anything remotely wearable? And only using 3.5 yards of fabric? But I tried it out, and am very pleased with the results! The underdress uses her Anglo-Saxon pattern layout, and for the overdress I eliminated the underarm gussets and used a sleeve design from Patterns for Theatrical Costumes. Hand embroidery was out due to time constraints, so I fired up the Aurora and chose a simple motif and mirrored it for the sleeve and neckline borders. It still needs a bit of work--I need to fit it a little better around my waist, the front gore is missing (everyone thought how clever it was that I left the skirt front open so you could see the white peeking through--ha ha) and I haven't hemmed the sleeve facings or the bottom yet.

After wearing corsets for other events, wearing early medieval is a dream! The pattern is comfy, the skirt is fabulously swishy but not overwhelming, and it really does make the most of your fabric. (Oh, and the belt I found in my sister's closet--she bought it at Walmart!) The kids loved it, and it made my night when one of them poked their head in the library and said, "I don't want to do the activity, I just wanted to come by to see what you were wearing!" =)

A cubby box, and some perfectionist therapy

2008-02-26T21:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, so the boxes are turning out to be quite the project. But don't my costume books look nice?

I purchased a ten pack of plain ol' cardboard file boxes from OfficeMax--turns out they are the perfect size for the cubbies. So I reinforced them with tape, and after days of debate (cover them with paper? cover them with fabric?) finally decided on what to do. I wanted to match the Disney posters seen in the "before" pictures--blues, sage green, dusty pink--and give some contrast to the Kassett style white boxes for CDs and such I'd bought at Ikea.

Good news? All ten will be covered with fabric I already had in my stash! Bad news? Covering them takes forever! Here are the mint green ones--I have little white metal scrapbooking frames that will go on the front so I can list what's in them, and some cute ribbon to tie in the colors (thanks to a friend and her stash of scrapbooking stuff). It's a perfect fit for two rows of patterns, if you're looking for a way to tame your collection. =)

But I just couldn't face another night of cubby boxes, so last night I took a break and did some perfectionist therapy, aka tie dye. Check my eBay listings for some new veils in the next few days--unpredictable fun, as always!

Expedit it!

2008-02-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

Ah, Ikea. What a fabulous place--it makes you want to just redo your entire house while eating fresh cinnamon rolls. But I digress.

Last weekend I'm pretty sure my dad and brother set a world record for assembling a 5x5 Expedit bookcase! After reading several horror stories on the web about how impossible it was to put together, I warned them it could be quite a project. "Five hours to 40 minutes, that's what people say," I cautioned. Well, not to be outdone by anyone on the web, they set out to beat that. Thirty minutes flat, from unpackaging to finished product. And they claim it would have been faster but their materials delivery person was a bottleneck (ahem, that would be me, lugging the pieces upstairs.) Here they are being busy little worker bees--you can also see my newly painted blue wall behind them.

Next post--cubby boxes. Tons and tons of cubby boxes.

Sewing den remodel before picture

2008-02-26T21:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, for the few people who actually read my rather sporadic blog posts (thank you, by the way!) here's what's been keeping me from finishing a few projects I've mentioned on here.

Ugh. You can say it--ugh. This is what my den "embroidery corner" was looking like a few weeks ago. I took a picture (which I hate to share, but you'll appreciate the after pictures so much more) just to show how bad it was. Piles of unfinished projects, embroidery supplies, fabric--just general atrophy everywhere.

Next post, what a little paint and a trip to Ikea can do. . .

Dance Fabric Yard Sale

2008-01-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

Sadly, the time has come to start reducing the size of my fabric stash! I had quite a collection of middle eastern-looking dance fabric built up, but I want to start focusing more on historic costume (and am running out of space!) so I've decided to start eBaying some. Right now I have two veils posted, my collection of stretch burnout velvet, and a bunch of sari-like fabric like the photo to the right. Click here to see what I have currently up for sale.

Historic fashion patterns for dolls!

2008-01-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

An eBay auction caught my eye recently (shocking, I know!) that inspired me to do a little research. Somebody was auctioning historic patterns for Barbie-sized fashions--with a separate set for each era (Regency, colonial, etc.). The auction listing showed a sample page which was obviously out of an older book. (The listing did have a disclaimer that they had the permission of the author to be reselling the patterns, thank goodness.) Well, of course I wouldn't be content with just a few photocopies--I wanted all of the patterns! So I set about to find the entire book.

Turns out this little gem of a book is called The Doll Book and it's by Estelle Ansley Worrell (ISBN 0442295553). The patterns are actually designed to fit soft-bodied dolls (patterns for the dolls included too!) but they are similar in size to a standard 11 1/2" fashion doll, and scaling instructions are included for other doll heights. The book is still readily available through used booksellers--I found mine for less than $6 and that included postage. So doll costumers, get yourself a copy--it will keep you happily busy for years with everything from Cavalier-era gowns to Victorian bustle dresses! (There are even instructions for creating period-correct hairstyles on your dolls.) I've been collecting the Simplicity historic Barbie-sized series patterns but this book has it all!

So I'm going to try to scale a few for both Barbie-size dolls and my new Tyler Wentworth 16" fashion doll. (Okay, make that two eBay auctions that caught my eye this week. . .) Keep posted for pictures of my progress!

Vampire Eras, Finished

2007-10-28T12:40:00.001-07:00

Here are our vampire dresses, finished! Mine was made using the "Shakespeare in Love" style Elizabethan pattern by Simplicity, now out of print. My sister's is the Josephine-style Regency pattern by Butterick. I took the train off and raised the neckline on hers, and skipped the skirt's cartridge pleating on mine, but other than that I followed the patterns pretty closely. The black crushed velvet is fantastic stuff we bought online from Sy Fabrics, the colored organza fabrics were clearance table finds at JoAnn's (blue--leftover from the Beauxbatons collars) and Hancock's (purple). Probably my favorite fabric was my underskirt and sleeves, which was a black crushed organza that I found on the Walmart $1 table. Bottom line cost on both gowns was probably $25 each. Not too bad!

Vampire Eras, Step One!

2007-10-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

So this year's crazy Halloween theme centers around vampires. (Basically, my friends and I just wanted an excuse to make cool, gothic-inspired dresses.) We originally planned to be a bit more matchy-matchy, but it's evolved into kind of a neat idea--each one of us will be wearing a style from a different era. So perhaps were got stuck with the fashion sense of the time we originally lived in pre-vampire? Anyway, my friend (and fellow Beauxbaton) is doing Tudor with a twist, my sister is going Regency (possibly with a miniskirt!), and I'm going Elizabethan. Mainly so I can recycle my costume to be Titania for our school's Shakespeare carnival too. =)

Anyway, here's today's progress--the embroidery for my bodice. Not much to show for hours of watching my Bernina struggle with metallic thread and rethreading every three minutes or so. (Thread's fault, not the machine's, I think.) But I'm quite happy with the finished product. All three dresses will have black crushed velvet bodices, with organza skirts in a jewel tone layered over black lining.

Fleur Costuming 101

2007-10-11T07:22:00.001-07:00

Since I've had a few requests for more specifics on this costume, here's some help, pattern and fabric-wise, for those who may want to make their own.

Fabric:
The blue silk-like material for the dresses is called silkessence, and I've only found it at JoAnn's. It's fabulous stuff--washes and wears like a dream, doesn't require much ironing, and it's CHEAP! (We got ours on sale for like $1.50 per yard--always use a coupon!) A great alternative to cheap costume satin, which I despise using. =)

The collars and cuffs are out of organza--I got it at JoAnn's too, and the color was called old blue, I believe? It was on clearance for $1 per yard.

Patterns:
For the dress, we used this pattern, believe it or not--McCall's costume pattern 4889. We changed the neckline to a simple round one for the peter pan collar, and combined the upper and lower sleeve into one pattern piece. Oh, and made it knee length. I spent a lot of time making the collar "just right" by looking at screen caps from the film, but honestly, nobody is going to see it with your cape on! So save yourself some trouble. As long as your pattern is empire waisted with a flared skirt and long sleeves, you'll have the right look.

For the cape, we used a pattern for a capelet (McCall's 5006), but it had shoulder seams I had to draft out. Honestly, you're better off just cutting out a circle (well, it's more oval-ish). Ours are almost a full circle and that's something I'd change--I'd cut away the front edges (so it's a more 3/4 circle) rather than trying to have them meet. We were constantly flipping them back so you could see the collars of our dresses underneath.

I'll put the underdress on my dressform and take some photos soon so you can see that without the cape. Right now I'm in the middle of making two vampire dresses--yes, Twilight fever has caught us all, hasn't it? =)

Harry Potter Mania!

2007-08-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well, even though I'm not a big Harry Potter fan I wanted to say that I'd been to at least one launch party. And why not go to the last one and go big? So my friend and I went as two of the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons. She made our fantastic hats (which you can't fully appreciate from this angle!) and I did our capes. Ironically, we got the most compliments on our shoes! (Which were cool, but the easiest part of our costumes--a fantastic find at Famous Footwear on clearance!) I'm the Fleur on the right--this is the great life-size Hagrid backdrop they had at the BYU Bookstore party.

So we spent the evening party hopping, and getting our pictures taken with a bunch of people. We were even finalists at the Barnes and Noble costume contest in Orem (if you any of you in the final group read this and took a picture, email us--ours didn't turn out!) It was a blast and now I have a Harry Potter costume to add to my overstuffed costume closet! If you are attempting your own Fleur Delacour costume and have questions on what we did pattern-wise, please post and I'll be happy to help you out.

Veils, veils, veils!

2007-02-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

I've been tie-dying a bit lately, and am selling my first batch of veils for the year on eBay (follow the link to the right to see what I have up for sale right now). I've just been doing some basics right now, but am excited to get into mixing more of my own colors. I think it's good therapy for those of us who are perfectionists, since you can never tell how one is going to turn out--so you just have to let it go and hope for the best!

Dance Costume Marathon

2007-02-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well, here I go again! Here is a pic of the latest sew-a-thon--new handkerchief skirts for our dance troupe. The tie-dye tops and scarves we did last fall, but wanted something to dress them up a bit. Since we all did different colors, the trick was finding a fabric to "match" everyone. I found this great fabric at JoAnn's on clearance--you can't tell in this photo, but it is a really nice heavy chiffon, with this great galaxy motif embroidered in variegated metallic thread and tiny multi-colored sequins sewn into it. The skirt is just your basic circle skirt, only cut in a 58" square. The waist opening is a 7" radius circle, and I cut a 3" casing of the material to accomodate a 3/4" elastic. Roll-serge the hem and you're done! I love these skirts because they're easy to make and they work for a variety of sizes--the only alterations I had to do were lengthening or shortening the length, since I cut the waistline a little large so it gathers in a bit.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Gold Dress Finished

2007-01-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

After someone just asked me about the sleeves on my gold Elizabeth dress, it occured to me that I never posted a completed photo! Unfortunately, the night I wore it we were in quite a hurry getting ready, so it's not the best--but at least you can see how it came together. I really need to finish the panniers to wear underneath it, and hem it properly--as you can see it's dragging a bit here. Next time I have my colonial corset on, I'll take some proper photos!

Phoenix/Jean Grey finished! (Well, kinda. . .)

2006-10-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not very good at this "dress diary" thing, I think because I'm impatient! When I sew, I do a marathon--and stopping to take pictures just isn't on the agenda! So here's the semi-finished version of my Phoenix/Jean Grey costume. I say semi-finished because I didn't get a chance to do my shirt to wear underneath (ran out of time) and the boning is causing a bit of a problem in the front where it buckles a bit. So it still needs a bit of work, but overall I was quite happy with it! The jacket pattern, believe it or not, is a Regency era spencer/pelisse--I used Jennie Chancey's Sense & Sensibility pattern and extended the turned-back collar and made the skirt paneled (pleated in the front, gathered across the back). The corset is from a Butterick pattern, with some modifications to the front seams, fake "hip pieces" sewn into the top layer, cutting off the top and adding two inches to the bottom. So here's a pic from the party I went to last night--ran into a Wolverine and couldn't resist taking a pic!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Gold Dress, The Home Stretch

2006-10-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Whew! Almost there--I need to attach the trim, and sew the underskirt, and this one is finally done! I'm pretty pleased with how this Simplicity pattern turned out--besides the lacing down the back and making different sleeves, I followed it almost exactly. It's not constructed like the movie version at all (but who has the time or patience for all that pleating in the back?) but it has the right look, I think. For someone who's trying to get as close to the movie version as possible, I would suggest narrowing the stomacher a bit.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Gold Dress Bodice Done

2006-10-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished bodice, at long last! I just have to tack down the silk bias tape that faces the neck--but it has to be done by hand (blech!) so I'm taking a break for tonight. The sleeve turned out closer to the look of the original than I thought it would--you can't see it in this photo, but I pleated it in the back like the original appears to be. The trim is just pinned on so I could see how it would look. Now, I have to do the panniers so I know how to level the skirt as I attach it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Gold Dress Progress

2006-10-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the update on my progress on Elizabeth Swann's gold dress. The bodice is now nearly complete. Here are two pictures--one of the stomacher with its machine embroidery and hand beading (done while watching The Bachelor: Rome last night--why do I get sucked into stupid reality dating shows?) and the back of the bodice with the installed grommets. I'm using Simplicity's pattern 4092, and have made few changes to it. I changed the sleeves, and will be putting lace around the entire neck edge and around the bottom of the sleeves. I also installed grommets down the back for lacing, rather than a zipper. So if you're working on making this dress from this pattern and have any questions, don't hesitate to ask--I'm happy to share what I've done to modify it to be closer to the original.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Shift Dress Complete

2006-09-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

The first gown of the Halloween season is done! Here is a photo of my version of the shift that Elizabeth wears while stranded on the island with Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. I was pretty proud of those sewn eyelets, but the reality is they would have been a pain for whoever ended up wearing the dress. They were slightly too small for the cord I was using, they didn't allow for the lacing to move well, and I worried about whether the new owner would be able to remove them for washing the gown. So, I ended up installing metal eyelets after all--they will make the costume better overall, and the new owner happier overall, so that took precedence over movie accuracy.

And while we're talking about eyelets, I have put in a plug here for another eBayer, Faire Lady Designs (http://stores.ebay.com/FAIRE-LADY-DESIGNS). I bought a HomePro LR grommet setter from her, and it's a dream! I can't believe that I used those plier things to set eyelets before. This machine sets them so beautifully! And if you're looking for high quality eyelets and grommets, there's just no comparison--after buying some grommets from her and comparing the quality, I'll never buy the cheapie ones that you find on JoAnn's notions wall ever again. She ships fast (and doesn't overcharge you for it) and is great to work with. So if you're a costumer that does any kind of corset work, one of these machines and good quality grommets are a must--and her prices are the best I've found.

So the lacing's in (the ends of the laces are also finished--gotta love heat shrink tubing!) and this one is ready to go. It's a size 14 in sewing patterns, which means it will fit about a 36 inch bustline (keep in mind that's not the same as your bra size). As usual, I serged the bottom of this costume but will leave the final hemming to its owner so it fits her perfectly--I made it extra long to accomodate someone who may be quite tall. So here's the finished dress, with the Aztec medallion necklace that it will be eBayed with. If you'd like to be notified when this one is put up for auction, just let me know at dintarmawen@gmail.com.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Shift Eyelets

2006-09-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Progress report for tonight--Elizabeth's shift dress from Pirates of the Caribbean is now cut out, and I did some testing on the sewn eyelets on my Aurora. Here's a sample of how they turned out--after sewing each one I carefully work the hole through with an awl. I should be able to finish the dress by tomorrow night. I also picked up an Aztec medallion replica necklace to be sold with each POTC dress, just in case the people who buy them don't have one already. (They're available at Claire's jewelry stores, but I wanted to get these before the Halloween rush.)

X-Men 3 Phoenix: Fabric

2006-09-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the fabric I found for my Phoenix outfit from X-Men 3: The Last Stand. It's a red/black shot cotton/poly blend, but you'd never know it looking at it--it has this great sparkle to it. (And it crinkles really neat, a lot like it looks in some close-up shots from the movie.) I bought the whole bolt, since with Wal-Mart fabric (yes, Wal-Mart of all places) you never know when they'll get more in if you need it. So I may have enough to do a second outfit to eBay, but we'll see how I'm doing on time by then.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Materials

2006-09-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from my other two projects--Elizabeth's shift dress and gold dress from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The first picture is of the shift dress fabric--somebody emailed me a request to make up another one to auction, and when I found this fabric I couldn't resist. Like the last one I made, it's a heavier tone-on-tone brocade, with a raised leaf pattern in it. Unlike the last one I made, this one will have sewn eyelets (closer to the original). Once again, the new Bernina comes to the rescue! The other pic is of the materials for the gold dress--the gold brocade, the pearl trim that will go along the front edges of the dress, and the stomacher that I just embroidered the other night. It took over an hour, but I think it turned out really well. The lining is boned (so its new owner won't have to wear a separate corset), so I just have to sew together the outer layer, and attach the sleeves and skirt. I'm hoping this one is going to be a show stopper!

Arwen Farewell Dress: Full Length

2006-09-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a full-length shot--the sleeves are just pinned on for now, and the sash is just a headband I had, since I don't have the fabric for that yet. I just wanted to see how it was coming together--all that's left on it is hemming (it's got this great train out the back), attaching the yoke/rolled collar, and attaching the sleeves. Oh, and I have to find little silver knot buttons for the front and make the sash. The underdress, as I mentioned, is going to be cut along the same lines, but will have a boat neckline and will lace up the back. I'll be using the leftover lavendar material to make some embroidered arm bands and a belt to dress it up when it's worn without the "elven overdress." The new owner will really be getting two dresses in one!

Arwen Farewell Dress: Sleeves

2006-09-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a close-up of the sleeve--the pattern I'm using is Simplicity 8725 (medieval style, no princess seams) with the rolled collar from 0513. I just chopped the sleeves off just past the elbows, and then drafted this petal sleeve using kind of an oval shape. I like this shot because it really shows off this gorgeous fabric. This is going to be a one-of-a-kind, for sure--I bought this fabric years ago and never knew what to make out of it until I was looking through my costume research and saw Arwen's dress, and knew that's what it was supposed to be! It's got the weight of a really heavy dupioni silk, and the rough weave of one, but without the slubs. Then the paisleys are this great velvety raised design. I might have a hard time parting with it--I'm making this one to auction on eBay in early October!

Arwen Farewell Dress: Embroidery on Yoke

2006-09-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised some pictures, so here they are! These are the beginnings of the Arwen "Farewell Dress" I've been working on. This is a close-up of the silver metallic embroidered yoke for the rolled collar that I'll be putting on next (it's photographed on top of the purple fabric that will be a completely separate underdress--the colors are off, since the purple is looking much more blue than it is). The embroidery was done on my Aurora, just using a design that came with my software--I mirrored it and joined the two sections end to end and rotated them. I used Marathon silver metallic thread--I wasn't using a metallic needle so I did have about six thread breaks, but was pleased with how it turned out.

Embroidery: Topping

2006-08-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that I've been doing piles-o-towels lately. They're the loopy microfiber kind, and I found that the Aqua Film as a topper was making a mess--it kept getting sticky and then my presser foot would drag it all over the place. So I tried something new--using Sulky Ultra Solvy as a topper. Worked wonders--you would swear that it was a completely different stitch count, the results were so much better. So if you're working on something really loopy or with a deep pile, use some Ultra Solvy as your topping--it will make your stitch-out so much better! I'll post a photo of both side by side so you can see the difference.

Gearing Up for the Halloween Season

2006-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted, and that's mostly because I've been so busy! I've been giving my Aurora a workout (I've embroidered nearly 100 golf towels) and I'm in the middle of finishing some costume tops for our Middle Eastern dance troupe. One word for any of you who do dance costumes--sergers! Can't live without one now. In the meantime, I've been experimenting with tie-dye and posted a batch of dance veils on eBay a few months back and got some really good reviews of them, so I just did another batch and will post those shortly. These have matching skirt toppers and head scarfs--I just hate when you get a new veil and then can't find a thing to wear to match. (Yes, I'm a little picky.)

On the Halloween front (for those of who who don't think about what you're wearing until the night before--for shame!) I'm making myself Phoenix's outfit from the newest X-Men movie (the red/black shot silk corset-y number). I also have to quilt my colonial skirt that I made last year (another test for my Aurora--the BSR). For eBay, I'm making the following:

Elizabeth Swann's gold dress from Pirates of the Caribbean (the first one)
Leia's Ewok dress from Return of the Jedi
A Jane Austen style dress--possibly generic, although I have some yummy silk and may make Elizabeth's white ball gown from the new Pride and Prejudice. Shameless plug here--if you haven't checked out the new Simplicity patterns for Halloween, you must buy the two Regency ones that just came out. They were done by Jennie Chancey, who runs Sense & Sensibility Patterns (www.sensibility.com). She does amazing work and is one of the nicest people on the planet. =)

Arwen's lavender farewell dress from LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring

Well, okay--those are the ones I have the fabric for. Whether I get them done or not is another story. =) But this is why I'm posting my plans here, for all the world to see--I work best under pressure. =)The gold POTC dress is halfway done--pictures will be posted soon!

eMotions: Au Revoir, Marie!

2006-04-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long hiatus--I've had little time for sewing lately, but am finally getting back into the swing of things.

Things really didn't improve with my eMotions machine. My machine started breaking needles, and I started getting major thread nests in the bobbin case on occasion--the machine makes a very distinctive knocking noise when it starts happening so I'd know to run for the machine to stop it. (Then I'd be picking out thread of the bobbin case for the next half hour. . .) So long story short, when it was working it was a fabulous machine--when it was unhappy, it seemed like nothing in the world could get it working again.

And yes, I'm using the past tense--this last Saturday I traded mine in towards a new Bernina Aurora 440QEE. I was going to hang on to the eMotions machine for a bit longer and add the embroidery module in a few months, but my dealer offered a $400 trade-in for it so I jumped at it. (I think my dealer was relieved to see it come back so they wouldn't have to hear me griping about it anymore.) =)

I don't regret buying my little eMotions machine at all though--I still think it's a great starter machine and I successfully embroidered dozens and dozens of projects on it. My plan all along was to see if I got hooked on embroidery enough to justify splurging on a "real" machine, so if someone is in that boat I think it's a great way to try it out for a minimal investment. I just ended up using mine a little too much than I think it was designed for so I noticed more of its quirks, and started getting frustrated with its limitations. But I loved the eMotion's USB interface that lets you control your machine from your computer, and it's one of the reasons I decided on the Aurora.

Stay posted for reviews as I try out my new toy, and some photo comparisons between embroidery done on the Emotions machine and my new Bernina to see if it's really worth the investment!

eMotions: Recommended Accessories

2006-04-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

These are my completely biased, non-scientific recommendations on what's worked well with my eMotions machine--I hope it helps you get the most out of your embroidery. =)

Marathon Thread: you've already heard me rave about this stuff. Everytime I've had problems with thread breaks, it was because I was trying to use a thread other than my Marathon. Those little Sulky spools wind the thread so tight that I think the eMotion's really tricky tension can't take the curlyness as it unwinds.
YLI Lingerie & Bobbin Thread: I only bought this because it was on sale at Hancock Fabrics, but it's really worked well. (What didn't work well? Those pre-filled bobbins with the cardboard sides. I never finished using the ones that came with the machine because they kept causing thread jams.)
HR5 Spray & Stick adhesive from Helmar (bought it at my Bernina dealer--it's an OESD product, I think): fabulous stuff for sticking your stabilizer to your fabric before hooping. I never had a problem with my needle getting gunky from it, and you can reposition things easily.
OESD AquaFilm Wash-Away Topping: comes in a little roll, but it lasts forever! (Since you're only using enough to cover your design, not hooping it.) Spray a little adhesive on it and put it on top of fleece before embroidering your design--it keeps your stitches from disappearing into all of the fluff. Tears away pretty well, and you can put some water on any film left behind to dissolve it (beware, it may leave the fabric a bit sticky, because of the adhesive).
Super Solvy Water Soluble Stabilizer: love, love, love this stuff. It tears away cleanly and anything left can be dabbed away with a little water.
Sulky Cut-Away Plus Stabilizer: great for knits--provides a firm background when you're embroidering but washes up quite soft.

(These last two are sold at JoAnn's--I just always use a 40% off coupon on a new roll so it's much cheaper.)

eMotions: Status Update

2006-02-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

I've been absent for a bit, but squeezed a few more projects out of my embroidery machine. I phrase it that way because it's been having some tension problems lately. I have had to set the upper tension very high (7) to get it to work, but even then, it will not stay consistent (one side of a stitch will look okay, the other will be off). I've decided to take it into my Bernina dealer to be looked at, but have not had time to do it. That said, I have discovered that the tension can be thrown off for just about any tiny reason--most recently, the thread was running over the USB cord on the back of the machine, and just that was enough to produce enough drag to really make it unhappy.

Artista Auto-Designer

2006-01-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I took the plunge and purchased Artista Auto-Designer, since Bernina was offering a rebate if you already owned Explorations. I have a long learning curve ahead of me, but it's nice to finally have the capability of doing my own designs. If you want step-stitched embroidery, the magic wand or auto-digitizing tool is a breeze--satin stitches take a bit more tweaking because you have to make sure that the stitches are angled in a logical way. (And it REALLY doesn't like it when two lines intersect--I've been doing a lot of swirled clip art designs and they take some prep work beforehand.)

Stay tuned for some pictures of my digitizing efforts, and news on CDs I'll be making with designs for costuming in mind! (All the cutesy animal ones on eBay are nice if you're doing kids' clothes, but I'm going to be concentrating on creating designs you can use for embellishing clothing.)

(My next project, now that I finally have the tools to do it? Padme's picnic dress from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. . .well, at least I've bought the material for the cape!)

eMotions: Marathon Thread

2005-12-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

I just bought the "starter kit" of Marathon polyester embroidery thread from Terradon Embroidery and couldn't be happier! It worked great in my eMotions machine, and the color selection for the kit is great--a very good assortment of light, medium, and dark basics. (I hate when you look at the corporate Marathon sites and have no idea where to even start with the hundreds of colors that are available!) Honestly, I couldn't tell a difference in quality between the Marathon thread and the expensive Isacord thread--I had no thread breaks and the sheen of the finished designs is great. Besides Terradon's great prices and free shipping if you spend over $50, they're super nice to work with--always a plus. Highly recommended if you need a good starter kit of thread for your new machine.

Explorations Software Update

2005-12-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

So last night I took the plunge and upgraded my Explorations Lite software to the standard version. I highly recommend it if you have an eMotions embroidery machine! Besides all of the new designs and fonts that are included, there are a lot more text and editing features. The best way to see what "goodies" you get when you upgrade to the standard version is to go on the OESD site and do their tutorials. I finally feel like I have the tools necessary to really do something with my machine!

eMotions Show and Tell

2005-12-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's my very first project I did on my machine--a stomacher for a colonial dress I wore for Halloween this year. This was done with the plain ol' rayon Sulky in an ivory color, and embroidered onto a quilter's cotton that matched my petticoat. I used Sulky fusible stabilizer underneath but I don't know that I would again--it seemed too papery and stiff after it was done. The design took two hoopings--one for the top half and one for the bottom half. All of the designs I used came with my machine.

eMotions: The Positives

2005-12-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Lest you think I'm unhappy with my little embroidery machine, here are a few of the things I really like about it:

First, the hoop attaches to the embroidery arm very securely. Two different posts spaced over an inch apart in the middle of the hoop snap into it. I've heard with other machines (like the Deco 330) the hoop only attaches at one point at the top, making accuracy a problem when you're embroidering in the lower portion of the hoop.
Which brings me to another positive--so far, this machine does super accurate and clean embroidery!
The Explorations Lite software, while it doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, does let you rescale, rotate, and mirror designs very easily.
There's an alarm that lets you know when you have a thread break.
When a thread breaks, it's very easy to back the machine up to exactly where you need to start embroidering again (either on the machine itself, or from within the software).
I love that it connects to my PC with a USB connection--no messing with cards! (Although it does have a card slot that you can use.)

eMotions Explorations Lite Software Upgrade

2005-12-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

The file format annoyance continues. . .

If you want to be able to use grade B files (I bought a design from OESD that turned out to be grade B) you have to update your Explorations Lite software to version 1.3j. Contact OESD software support about getting the update (they have to mail it out to you) or contact your Bernina dealer if they're super nice and will help you out.

eMotions Embroidery File Limitations

2005-12-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

Probably my number one annoyance with this machine--the file format limitations! It can only use grade A or B Artista files--and after doing a whole lot of digging, I've discovered what that means. A grade A or B file is one that was digitized in the Artista software. If the design was originally in .PES or some other format and someone has just converted it to the Artista format, it will be a grade C. And your eMotions machine will not be able to use it. You can pull it up in the Explorations software, but when you try to send it to your machine, no go.

What does this mean for you? Well, all of those nifty (and probably pirated) CDs of designs available on eBay for cheap, even though they claim to be Artista files, will not work with your machine. When in doubt, always ask the file grade. So, you are basically limited to buying your designs from Bernina, or from someone who is digitizing using Artista software.

eMotions Thread Trick

2005-12-05T11:35:00.000-08:00

After tearing my hair out over trying to use metallic thread (this machine does not like Sulky metallics, BTW) I learned a tip from my Bernina dealer--apparently the thread post on the top of the machine is causing problems and they're working on a fix. Until then, don't use it! Just set your thread spool on your countertop behind the machine and let it unwind your thread from there. Tried this and haven't had a problem since with regular thread on a cone. I'm not quite brave enough to attempt the metallics again!

Marie eMotions Embroidery Machine

2005-12-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

One of the main features of my blog will be embroidery tips and tricks for the new Marie EM-1 eMotions embroidery machine that was seen on QVC and is being sold through Bernina stores. It's a great little machine, a great deal, but will give you a great many headaches unless you know about some workarounds! There's not much on the web yet, so I thought I'd post some advice for current and potential users of this machine--please, learn from my mistakes! =)