Man's World

Tied up

Well I said I do not sew lots of men's clothes but as it seems I have to.

But this is more of an emergency project. I could not bare looking at a bought tie again for a whole evening, or actually invest in buying one. I don't understand the tie-concept and have not seen one I like so far.

There is a special occasion on tomorrow therefore I spent my morning entertaining a very bored toddler and creating a Hand stitched tie. 

At least I can concentrate on my red stitches tomorrow. I might make a toddler's and boy's version with elastic band around the neck as well.

Jealousy and a jacket

Anniversary present

I recently had an unexpected visitor and found myself walking down High street. I do not get there very often and also know why. One reason is that I use any free time for everything else but shopping, and then for example, if I would take my youngest with me I could rather stay at home because we would only end up arguing which way to go. But I must say there is also nothing I would want from there. I thought I give it a go and find an anniversary present but no, no, no.

I had coffee instead and decided to finally make the jacket that I had in mind, already months ago. The fabric waited and I had still some days left before the big event.

I do not particularly like hand-sewing men's clothes also because they are usually very big. But the jacket issue kept coming back so I thought I want to solve it one day. When we lived on the remote Scottish Island our life happened mainly outdoors and we therefore needed to be dressed appropriate but not necessarily designed. Living in the city now, the focus shifted and the outdoor gear should look good too. There are good brands that produce good looking outdoor gear to high prices but the quality just does not keep up. The lining rips or the
water repellent surface does not survive cleaning or seams open or the material is too noisy and would scare wildlife away. 

As it was a surprise, I had to take an existing jacket for size reference and started designing it. I have never made a jacket this big and with lining but it was fun. For fitting I had to reveal my secret but he was still chuffed later when he was wearing it. Made of stretch denim with woolly lining it is warm enough for the cold season but still thin enough to layer it with even warmer layers underneath. The only thing it is not waterproof, so this prototype wont be the one for going fishing.

There was not enough time for pockets but I might sew some at a later stage if they are required. The buttons are hidden under the edge but a part of them can be still seen, which makes it interesting. I used a straight stitch throughout. Because I finished the outer jacket first the lining creates an additional line of stitching right next to the main one, which looks really nice. The advantage of this construction is that the lining does not fight with the outer layer and this is more comfortable to wear. 

But the nicest feedback was that he chose to wear this jacket to the wedding we have been invited to rather than the suit jacket.......

I want one too.

hot pink and Hand stitched

up for vote....

i can cu' s pink extra long Hand stitched gloves 
are up for vote....... 

if you have a minute, very much appreciated, thank you!

(vote icancu2)

http://onfireforhandmade.com/pink-great-finds/

Lotus and the Beach

Yoga in progress

My newest challenge is Bound Lotus. I have avoided Lotus in general the last years as I was either too fat or not flexible enough. But now the Baby-fat is fading and this summer had a good aspect as I had nothing else to do at night than doing my Yoga Set, every day. So Lotus is possible now, Bound Lotus still a big mission though. But I must say after 11 minutes with lots of props and some suffering, I feel really good afterwards, just wondering when will I enjoy 31 minutes without too much pain.....

Meanwhile my Hand stitched Yoga Tunic in natural Organic Cotton Bamboo Jersey is finished. The seam is at the front this time, as it might bother me while practicing kriyas on the back. Also, it is neither too wide nor too tight as I want to be able to do inverted postures without showing my belly. I enjoy being aware of my body but do not want to be trapped like a sausage, so I chose the middle way. 

As you can see on the picture, I took it on an outing and this Tunic is really fun to mix with blue and grey. The material is fantastic to wear (Bamboo!) and with the Yoga Bra, the white feels even better, as it breaks the brightness.

The second Top of this special Hand stitched Yoga collection is also about to be finished, already thinking of variations with different seam colours but I might add some coloured versions anyway, as I am not sure to keep it all white....

I love big projects!

3 min dis-traction

Restless night

Thinking of when I lived on the small remote Island in Scotland I remember one really cold winter, so cold that the water system froze. We had very brave longterm guests back then and while I was really inventive to gather some water to wash my hair, the girl solved it with Dry Shampoo that she had brought with her.

The other night, I could not concentrate on anything which is a shame because I really honor those quiet hours, and nothing mind numbing was broadcasting, so I remembered the upcoming wedding in our family and browsed for some special hair do. Vimeo has quite some arty films and I once watched a really nice series of Tiger in a Jar like making your own pesto or bread but also a nice hairstyle. From that I ended up at Hair Dresser on Fire which is kind of entertaining to watch..... On her blog she talks about no poo which is when you don't use shampoo but water, baking soda and cider vinegar. She says she cannot handle that herself but tries to reduce the times of hair wash and that is where the Dry Shampoo came back to my life.

I thought I give it a try after all and went into the shop I pass on the way to get my son from school and tried it this morning. A funny thing. The hair feels lighter but it turns white so I guess you have to spray it with a bit of water?.....I really don't know about that.

Anyway it is fun to play with hair for a while but last night I had a much better distraction result after exhaustion of a restless mind and Aqua Running:

3MS - 3 minutes to shift the flow in your body and mind...

Breath is My Music

Picking Plums

The boys are out and this gives me a moment of inner silence which I love. Not that I do not accomplish this otherwise but it has a different quality to it. Somehow motherhood is connected to being there non stop and only stops with physical separation and still then there is a chance that a lot of thoughts and concerns are still with the boys.

Not knowing when they are back I started with my Yoga Set. The last weeks I am doing a pelvic balance set which is quite short but very intense. I am also back to Aqua Running after a long Summer Break and was really surprised how easy my return was. So I guess I finally made a huge step. I would not mention this but I have to admit it is a (my) BIG mission to get rid of a baby body (; 

Additionally I can stay in the wheel position and this took years hahahaha. That is one aspect of Yoga that I really love. I keep doing the same thing over and over again often struggle and then one day something has shifted and I can do it. And then the experience can still change by further repetition. I still remember one night, in my past life, I was out dancing and noticed a change of my hip-spine coordination which was due to spinal twists I was practicing at that time. This might sound weird but it is a great feeling for me to be flexible.

If you haven't seen this short film I post it here again. I really like watching it. Not only because Yoga in a dress looks really nice but also because it shows how normal Yoga is. I do not think she looks particularly fit from a glance....... And the poses do not seem to be great effort for her. And the good thing about Yoga is that there is no limit to age or gender or constitution or condition. It requires comfortable clothes which is nice to wear every day anyway (... i can cu) and some practice. And it all comes with the Breath.

(and I recently had the chance to watch the changes in a 70 year old lady, completely new to Kundalini Yoga, that went from swearing to moving quite smoothly in days, and that with acute spinal issues.)

They are back now.

Bra take 2

I finished the "day" version of this super comfy bra. I just wanted a second one that is not visible or looks like another T-Shirt layer like the Yoga Bra.

This time I have used a wider elastic band with a softer structure, which seems to be even more comfortable. I did not fold the material over and embedded the band but left it outside, sewn on a single layer of Jersey. But because of its width I had to sew two rows of cross stitch around the band, which is a nice decorative element. 

The cut is lower for this version. I might try a different shape for the next one, maybe a V? The best thing about this breathable Organic Bamboo Cotton Jersey is that I can wear it quite often with only airing it, compared to a bra made of Cotton or Lycra. The material is very suitable for a bra due to its elastane content for stability, but rather for smaller cup sizes (;

Still in test phase but already one of my favorite no feel designs!

Questions

Why don't use your sewing machine for this?

For me it so normal to sew by hand that I still get a tiny shock being questioned. 
I know why i use my hands only, it is hard to explain to others though, especially in a time where time and technology run so fast. There are things I might consider using the machine for. But I cannot think of one at the moment. To be honest I often ask myself why did I have to start this? Also because it takes ages. The thing is I did not say one day I sew everything by hand from now on, it came to me and does not leave anymore. 

I have this thing with aerodynamic. Or maybe the better word is efficiency? I am always looking for the best, easiest, most logical, harmonic in everything and before I find no peace. This manifested for example in finally crocheting a soap and toothbrush holder out of orange fishing rope according to my needs, sewing fruit baskets out of rice bags and now I found a new material! Rip-stop.
No way I would use a machine with this.
It is slippery and uncomfortable to sew.

But I love my new wallet and medicine pouch. The material is easy to wipe, it is very thin and soft but because of being rip-stop I can use it in a single layer. And it does not cost a lot. I love pouches and clutches and containers and want to refer here to an older project - the Hand stitched washing bag - and I don't think I can have enough pouches ever. And a plus, I found an alternative for leather which I do not love to use.

Anyway, time changes, and at the moment I do not get a lot of working time. So more time for thinking, maybe....

Dress 1 for a special occasion

Student life for 3 days

Give me some days on my own and my whole rhythm has changed. I have one meal a day (maybe), late breakfast (= coffee) and work long and late. It is only me and my dolly and music, if I don't forget about that as well.

This time I take My time to create a dress for a special occasion, the first one in a series of special occasions.

It is fun to develop and tricky as it has a low cut around the décolleté, actually very low. The colour is a petrol blue and it has a contrasting cherry red seam on the back. As I do not want to spoil the simpleness with anything  I have to work around the tension. I thought I could solve it just like that but ended up tuning it on the doll. 

It is still not finished and there is yet another one to design during this short time in my "Student life" but as soon I get into it again time is forgotten and I will wonder why it is so dark around me.

And maybe I will update this post with some live pics of the special occasion (:

bra in progress

Rusty

It has been a long time... I am back on the Island and have to find out that my favorite cardigan has blown away. I aired it before I left for the airport and forgot to take it with me, the other option is of course that it shows up again in 3 weeks time or so, a special quality of the house I am living in at the moment.

The other thing I notice being away for so long does something. It changes perspective but also, it takes a while to get back into a routine. Saying that I spent the last days in a cloud and slowly made my way out, mainly by sleeping and doing nothing. But yesterday I had to do it: I worked on a sports bra.

I love the summer even when it is boiling hot like it was on the continent but also because I can wear the thinnest materials or hardly anything. The bikini top I made was really nice to have with me wearing it non stop. 

But it is getting cooler now, the materials need to be thicker and layers drape over layers, so straps and ties are definitely in the way. Also, for my Yoga routine I cannot have anything bothering me on my back or anywhere else...........



Still some supersoft Organic Bamboo Cotton fabric left I hid in my studio for some hours and started to develop my Yoga sports bra. I am not a fan of bras and never found one that was comfortable and nice looking. And the elastic always bothers me and wires?? Anyway I made this first version especially for Yoga. It has a simple T-shirt cut with one seam at the back and a wide elastic band sewn between 2 layers of fabric. 

I will test it and adapt it for the day version. 

So far: very nice and comfy.

this way

The process of starting a painting is very funny to observe for me, but hard to explain. There is long nothing accompanied by a special nervousness. And all of a sudden it is clear, I can see it and I start. The outcome could be different though.

Sometimes I make plans and I can only laugh at the end of the day what is left of that plan. 

And then there are seeds. An idea comes up, energy flows and excitement arises. The thing is, it might take a long time to grow or another much stronger one overgrows everything.
In my head all goes very fast in reality rather not. I am learning to live along the slow movements... I have created a new Hand stitched Halter Top but it was already there for a long time. 


It is a beginning of a new direction I feel. 

m.o.v.e.m.e.n.t.

I will stop thinking for a while and come back to it and find out. 
Sorry to be vague for now but I will keep you posted, just don't know when (: