coutures anglaises

So I planned to finish this as my last post of 2024. Oops.

Thank goodness for social media, right? Well, not always. But today I learned that the French call French seams "coutures anglaises." I think that is just lovely - reciprocal appreciation for a beautiful technique. But this post has nothing to do with clothing construction. No, this post is about two challenges that I just finished. They were great fun and I garnered lots of inspiration from each. And they were free!

Kathryn Chambers' Weekly Stitch Journal

This challenge began in December of 2023. Kathryn, or k3n, has a popular channel on Youtube called k3n clothtales. In December she posted some loose instructions for constructing a paper journal that would become the vessel for weekly hand-stitched little pieces of fiber art. Then every Monday, k3n published a video with a theme and some easy techniques. 

My journal contains 54 pages for some reason. I skipped one page because it was thick with paint. And now I have one page left. Luckily 2024 has 53 Mondays. k3n will publish something on this last Monday in December, but she has promised (only) a flip-through of her stitch journal. 

I expect it will inspire something for my final page. This weekly journal has already influence how I will make fiber art in the future.

I'll post some of my favorite weeks below:

January: Light and Dark

February, obviously

April, eclipse-inspired

Kawandi-inspired in March

kintsugi-inspired

Still crazy, after all these years

The center of this mandala is shiny paper that is reflecting the trees - not actually green

reverse applique - a personal fave technique

imitating nature

Maya Angelou inspiration

Jane Dunnewold - Complex Compositions

This series occurred fairly early in the year and was difficult for me. I still learned a ton, but have few remaining pieces that sing to me. Many who were enrolled had been in a previous class where they had printed lots of paper with acrylic paints - lots of interesting techniques. Anyway they had lots of papers to start with. I did not and so spent my time printing papers. It was fun and I've incorporated the papers into other projects like bookbinding.

Jane Dunnewold - Print Perfection

This was wonderful! We learned how to print on fabric using thickened dyes. I know I'll return to this again and again. Unlike printing fabric with fabric paint, printing with dyes leaves the soft had of the fabric, and so it will make lovely garments. Again I learned a great deal and hope my notes left me with enough breadcrumbs to avoid mistakes I have already learned from!

12mm silk printed with stencils, painting with a brush

Silk noil generates more muted prints, here via one silk screen, and brush strokes

Cotton printed with stencils and a stamp

Cotton printed using a cool technique invented by Jane

Silk charmeuse scarf printed with screens and stencils, then overpainted.

Jane Dunnewold and Zenna James - Presence in Practice

This challenge was a smaller undertaking but still time-consuming and great fun. This mother-daughter team issued a daily challenge for 12 days from Dec 10 until Dec 21. Their challenges came with short audio meditations (so worthwhile!), a place to share with other participants, a theme for each day, and then a list of suggested materials. 

I want to do more tone-on-tone stitching in 2025.

I discovered gell printing in 2024 - such instant gratification

Day 12: In 2024 I found out that I enjoy stitching on paper.

Since it was 12 consecutive days, and we did a little bit of holiday travel right in the middle, I was slow to finish. I made day 12 after the challenge was over, and I think it may be my favorite. 

I was pushed in some new directions with this challenge, as neither Jane nor Zenna provided any examples of the daily pieces. I actually liked that even more. I used supplies I have on hand and had a great sense of satisfaction and reflection upon completion of each 8" x 8" piece.

2025 - Diamond Jubilee for me

There are so many ideas floating in my imagination and an embarassment of great supplies for making. I'll be carving out lots of time for making. Daily, or weekly, or monthly challenges? Clothes? Art? Journals? And new year's resolutions are futile for me. I will continue to enjoy responding to others' inspiration with my own twist. 

Wishing you happy making in the coming year!

November - chocked full of making stuff

But almost no sewing.

I did repair some garments and made one pair of pants using the Sewing Workshop's Plaza pants pattern. There is not much to show with pants, especially since I prefer elastic waisted pants to all others. 

This is a tried 'n' true pattern for pants. I often make them as I did here, omitting the front pleats, but keeping the front vertical seam. The front vertical seam is simply a design line without the pleat. On occasion, I have made them without the front seam at all, much like what Louise Cutting calls "one seam pants." 

I used an interesting fabric. It is 100% cotton, medium weight with pretty good drape. Due to the unusual weave, it reads brown & black on one side, and light gray on the other. 

I bought it several years ago while visiting San Francisco. I visited Bretex fabrics, still quite a fabulous old-style fabric store, though much smaller than it was decades ago. And I had to buy this cool fabric.

I kept this piece in stash quite a long time because I wanted to somehow take advantage of the two distinct sides. But the brown/black side is my favorite and a much better color for me. If I had that light gray up near my face, I would definitely look near death. So, it became much-needed brown pants.

It made up nicely and I added some patch pockets. Maybe I can get a picture of me wearing it tomorrow and I'll slip it in here. 

Meanwhile I have been making stuff:

I continue my weekly slow stitch project with k3n clothtales on YouTube. My stitch journal is quite fat now. In a few weeks, I'll finish it with the last Monday of 2024. It's been a fun serial project. I may need to come up with something similar for 2025. These are such satisfying little projects.

This is kantha-inspired

This one was made without sight by wearing a blindfold. Note the loops.

This one is inspired by Bonnie Sennott's wrinkle embrodery

This one is cloth gathering, not yet finished.

And I have been working on another Jane Dunnewold online course, this one called Print Perfection.

Like all previous online classes with Jane, it involves lots of time and lots of fun. It started mid-October and we have our final live Q&A on Dec 3.  As in her other online classes, the material is presented in multiple formats: powerpoint with voice over, video demonstration of each process, printable handouts with details, and live Q&A's. There is also an online community where all of the students may post pictures and descriptions of experiences. There is so much inspiration there!

In print perfection, we have learned how to print fabric with thickened dyes. And it has been my favorite class ever!

I have worked my way through the 6 sessions she provided but still have tons of ideas for future experimentation. And, of course, I'll want to make something with some of the pieces.

This class combined nicely with what I learned in her online class concerning dyeing fabric with procion dyes. I used those notes to overdye some of my samples that I printed.

I have a little studio set up in my garage. I could happily work out there printing fabric many hours a day. The added bonus is that, once a piece is printed, it needs to *batch* for 24 hours. Then there is the *big reveal.* I so enjoy projects like that.

Even my drop cloths have potential for making something.

So I will be sewing again soon!

Shifting, Mixing and Splitting

The small piece that generated some interesting and informative larger pieces

The fun continues with Jane Dunnewold's online class, Dye Mastery: From White to Wow. I've learned and learned and learned. I am unaware of some of the lessons I've learned. And there is more.

Meanwhile, this sweet cactus is about to show off in my kitchen window.

The class end is near and I will miss it. So I will probably fix that longing by signing up for Jane's next class, whatever it is. This series has been time consuming, labor intensive, and deeply satisfying. I am so tickled when it's time to open the bundles and begin the arduous process of rinsing. And then when it dries, oh, my.

At the beginning - preparing undyed silk noil for dye bath 1

Here is my favorite at the moment:

Actually it's 3 pieces, all inspired by the smallish piece above. One is 1/2 yard; one is a full yard; one is 1.5 yard. Boy, did I learn something. In the future, I will limit the size of my pieces even when I hope to make a garment. That 1.5 yard piece just about did me in. And it is flawed, probably a reflection of the difficulty in handling a larger piece in this low-water immersion technique. However, there is enough to cut around the flaws, I think. 

In the picture above, you can see the flaws pretty clearly on the left hand side. Do you see the red speckles? It looks a bit like undisolved dye. I don't think that's what it really is. Rather I think it was a problem with my rinse out. 

Pieces being batched (bathed)

Lesson learned: the smaller the piece, the less likely I am to create flaws.

The 2 smaller pieces (1/2 yard, 1 yard) after Bath 1 - I used a cool yellow pure dye

DH says it does not look bad, just different. Hmmm...

The larger piece after Bath 1 - I used a warm yellow pure dye

Now I am day-dreaming about what I will make. Will it be a button up shirt, or a loose pull-over, or a jacket. Actually, I've eliminated the jacket idea.

The Hudson tunic from the Sewing Workshop is a real contender for these soft silk noil pieces.

First step in the rinse-out after Bath 2, all 3 pieces.

I have made and worn tops made from that very simple pattern many times. I do love the older Sewing Workshop patterns and reach for them time and time again.

I used the same combination of dyes for Bath 2, so they are beginning to look more similar.

Top piece is my inspiration

I definitely need to get all my samples organized into some kind of a notebook. I'm trying to determine the best way to store them. For now, I like having them out in the sewing room. 

After Bath 3, they seem to fit together though each is a bit different.

I am especially fond of the splitting that happens when pure dyes are mixed.

That is what I will be working on for a while, I think.

I am thinking maybe a loose-leaf binder with page-protectors to contain the dye recipes and small samples of my results.

The two smaller pieces. What can I make with a 1 yard piece and a 1/2 yard piece? Not much.

Perhaps these pieces need a 4th bath before becoming something...