le mani d'oro

Ce soir, grâce à Georgene du blog des Sewing Divas, j'ai découvert Madeleine Vionnet. Ça y est, je veux tout lire à son sujet. Alors ma liste de cadeaux de Noël s'allonge à chaque jour de nouveaux titres de livres de couture et de haute couture.

Avis aux chanceuses parisienne, il y aura une exposition au Musée des Arts décoratifs du 24 juin 2009 au 31 janvier 2010. Ô combien je vous envie.

Daisy (mon mannequin) et moi en sommes à la confection sur tissus. Voici la couleur que j'ai finalement choisie. Je sais, le noir convient à tout. Mais pour une fois, j'ai envie de porter autre chose que du noir. Alors, ma robe sera rouge brique. Je la porterai avec cette magnifique écharpe de soie peinte à la main.

Daisy(my mannequin) and I are working really hard today. Everything is cut and we just sew, sew, sew. Yes, I did put aside the LBD to have a LRD. For once, I will be dressed in something else then black. The dressed will be worn with this magnificent hand panted silk scarf. See you soon !

Le temps presse. Plus que 6 jours avant la soirée remise de prix. Je dois tailler absolument aujourd'hui. Je me devais donc de terminer ma toile afin de vérifier l'ajustement réalisé à plat sur papier. Comme je l'indiquais dans mon message précédent, j'ai taillé 10 ans au buste, 6 ans à la taille et 8 ans aux hanches. J'ai aussi retiré la poche et dessiné une nouvelle pièce pour le côté. J'adore le fit. Bien sûr le dos ne tombe pas aussi bien qu'avec une fermeture éclaire...

Time is running. I really needed to finish the muslin today and cut the dress fabric today as well. I had already correct the pattern using the paper pieces. I cut size 10 at the bust, size for the waist and size 8 for the hips. The flat corrections were good. I am very pleased with the fit. Of course, the pins in the back do not look as good as a zipper. I wonder if I should have done a correction for my shoulder blades. They are a bit protruding.

Si vous me connaissez bien, vous savez que j'ai passé trop de temps à l'université. Je travaille dans une et poursuis un X ième diplôme dans une autre. Je songe à me confectionner une robe de soirée avec tout ce papier ! ;-0

En septembre prochain, je recommence ! Mais, pour ne faire que des trucs vraiment sérieux et dignes de mention sur ce blog... DE LA COUTURE. Après un arrêt de leçons au fil et à l'aiguille de plus de 14 ans, je poursuivrai ma formation.

J'ai trouvé une école qui me semble tellement intéressante. L'apprentissage se fait en groupe hétérogène en terme d'expérience et le professeur nous enseigne individuellement. Cet environnement sera nouveau pour moi. Je me suis inscrite aujourd'hui. J'ai hâte de vous en dire plus en septembre. D'ici là, jetez un coup d'œil sur les cours de dessins d'Ana.

If you know me a little, you know that I spent way to much time in university. Oh well, I work in one and I study in another one... May be I should design my self a cocktail dress with all that paper framed on my wall ? ;-o

So next september, I will be back in school AGAIN ! But only for the realy serious stuff... SEWING ! After a 14-year break, it is about time. Of course you know that I practiced alot during those years.

I found this sewing school on Internet and it seems more then interesting. I will be part of a groupe composed of sewers of all level. The teaching is individual for all 7 members of the groupe. I am looking forward telling you how it goes. Meanwhile, take a look at Ana's fashion drawing class results.

ÉCOLE DE COUTURE ZIG ZAG

Visitez leur site

Intéressant, non ?

I love her voice that was certainly deepen by her (bad) smoking habit. It is interesting to note that for her, at the time, smoking was not unfashionable. In that video she is asked to define elegance. Her answer: Elegance is rare in France !! and Haute couture is not necessarily elegant because designers and women simply over do it. Simplicity is elegant according to her. (Of course I agree) She is also asked about her reaction to copies and adaptation of her style by women "on the street" meaning you and I type of people. To summarize her thought, imitation is the result of success and fashion designers should not be offended by it. Therefore, we can inspire ourselves without feeling guilty.

For more safety, I ordered both the Go Pattern dress and the Vogue 1108. This morning, I was getting very nervous since none of those two patterns had reach my mail box. I looked closely at my existing wardrobe in order to have a plan B dress for the cocktail-award night on May 1. It is already April 16 after all!

To night, on my arrival from work, I saw a white envelop on the entrance floor. I thought right away: "it seems like the Go pattern dress won the race !" ... and your vote. In my recent posting, 81% of you had voted for the Go Pattern. The Vogue 1108 will not put aside for ever, I have a graduation ceremony to attend this year ;-)

This weekend will be sewing time. Or at least sunday will be since on saturday, I am in my management class. So sunday the muslin or toile will be done. I realy need a toile for this pattern since it is a closefitting dress.

So how does a Go Pattern look like?

The envelop size is similar to the big Vogue envelops. The drawing is nicely printed and the model on the drawing has one of those 35-21-36 (89-53-91 cm) type of body. The technical drawings on the back of the envelopp give the dress much straiter lines. In addition to the measurment table, the finished widths and lenghts for bust, waist, hip and back lenght. This is such a good idea. All pattern companies should do the same.


According to both tables, I should start with a size 10 for the bust, 6 for the waist and 8 for the hip. I will let you know if those suggestions are realistic. The ease for all those sections of the dress is of 1 1/2 inch (4 cm). This is closefitted !

The instructions seam to be very good. Those will be put to test while sewing. Strangely, this close fitting dress has pocket. For this version, I will not put the pocket.

I bought three fabrics for it, one black, one dark red and one with flowers. For the coktail, I still hesitate between the red and the plain black. The one with flowers is for the office not for the evening... it does not look chic enough. Fabric requirements are given both as yardage and meter.

My decision as for black or red, will be taken this weekend. LBD or LRD !?

This is a picture of all pattern pieces.


Bright designers give you lining pieces ! . I am looking forward cutting and sewing. You will have pictures of the toile on sunday or monday. Have a superbe weekend.

Il y a deux designers européens que j'aime bien: Paule Ka et Paul Smith.

Bien que Paule soit en réalité un nom de femme, l'âme derrière cette marque est le designer Serge Cajfinger. Paule est le prénom d'une de sa tante, une compagne d'affaire des premières annnées. Leur style s'inspire beaucoup des années 1950. Les lignes sont simples et résoluement féminines.

There are two European designers that I like: Paule Ka and Paul Smith.

Though Paule is actually a woman's name, the soul behind the brand is the designer Serge Cajfinger. Paule is the name of his aunt, who, with his mother was Serge Cajfinger's first business partner. Paule Ka style draws heavily from the 1950s. The lines are simple and decidedly feminine.

PAULE KA PRINTEMPS-ÉTÉ 2009






PAUL SMITHPAUL SMITHPAUL SMITHPAUL SMITHPAUL SMITHPAUL SMITH


Paul Smith est plus connu pour ses vêtements masculin qui ont de la gueule. Sans rompre avec la tradition londonien, il réussie tout de même à renouveller un style bien ancré dans la culture britannique. Ses vêtements pour femmes brillent par leur simplicité et cet été, il mélange le noir et le blanc à des couleurs primaires franchement croquantes.

Paul Smith is best known for his stylish male clothes. Without breaking with London's traditions , Paul Smith managed to renew this classical style so firmly rooted in British culture. His clothes for women are notable by their simplicity. This summer, he mixes black and white with primary colors to create a frankly crisp look.

COLLECTION PRINTEMPS - ÉTÉ 2009





Cet imperméable est génial. J'adore la couleur et encore plus les plis autour du boutonnage. Cela me semble pas trop difficile à reproduire.

I love this rain coat. The colour is simply stunning and the gathered portion around the buttons is simply delicious to look at.

J'adore les chaussures, j'adore les chaussures à talons hauts, mais parfois je me pose des questions sur la hauteur des talons que les grands designers de chaussures nous proposent.


Femme urbaine, fana du transport en commun et de faire mes courses à pied, je marche 3 à 4 kilomètres par jour. Je marche aussi beaucoup au boulot, en plus de monter à pied tous les matins les 17 étages séparant la rame du métro de mon bureau.



Alors dîtes-moi, pouvez-vous marcher avec ces chaussures ? Des talons de 7.5 cm, je veux bien mais 10 cm en aiguille, je dis NON ! Est-ce uniquement pour faire le caniche dans un salon?



I love shoes, I love high heel shoes, but sometime I really wonder on the height of heels the greatest designers are offering. Urban, fan of public transport, against using a car for daily shopping, I walk 3 to 4 kilometres each day.
I also go up each morning the 17 floors that separate the subway station from my desk. And, I walk those down when my work is over. During the day, I walk to different buildings on campus. I walk, walk, walk. So too high is too much.

So, tell me, can you walk with those shoes. I can put up with 3-inches heals (7.5 cm), but 4 inches (10 cm), that's to much for me. Is it only to sit like a poodle in a living room ?

What do you think ?

Tout d'abord, je vous remercie des excellentes suggestions que vous m'avez formulée. Birgitte a eu un excellent commentaire sur les robes bustiers qui nous donnent des airs de fraîchement sorties de la douche lorsque nous sommes derrière le lutrin. Un look à éviter selon moi. J'ai donc mis de coté les robes sans bretelles. Miaa avait proposé le patron Vogue 1076, que j'adore. Ce patron est d'ailleur déjà planifier pour cet été. Toutefois, l'absence de brettelles le déclassait.

First of all, I would like to thank you for those wonderful suggestions of dresses. Birgitte had this excellent reflexion on strapless dresses and looking freshly out of the shower while thanking the académie or any person to be thanked. I had never thought of that. I then put aside all strapless dresses or top like Vogue 1076 suggested by Miaa. That will not prevent me from sewing this top this summer. I am totaly in love with that pattern.

Après avoir réfléchi au public (membres de la communauté universitaire), aux possibilités de remettre la robe et au temps qu'il me reste, j'ai retenu deux suggestions:

After thinking about the public present that night (university member including students... who are often more chic then us), the possibilities to wear the dress again and the time left to sew it, I am down with two patterns:

VOGUE 1108 (without the front bow, I am too shy to wear a bow)



Où, OR GO PATTERN






















Quel choix difficile. Le Vogue 1108 indique un "foundation with boning". Humm ai-je le temps pour ça? Je peux toutefois omettre le soutien avec baleine et porter un soutien gorge sans bretelle. J'adore les plis sur le coté. Le Go Pattern est magnifique aussi. Simple et chic. Ciel quelle décision !

What a difficult choice. The Vogue 1108 had a foundation with boning that gives me doubts on the amount of time required to construct it. In return, I love the side pleats so much. The Go Pattern has this simple chic. Again, what a difficult choice !

HELP ME CHOOSE BY TAKING THE POLE ON THE TOP RIGHT ! ;-)

Je vous dirai ce que j'ai choisi. Je crois que d'avoir les patrons en main m'aidera.

Voici les autres excellentes suggestions. Here the other excellent suggestions

Un rétro chic et un rétro sexy


Funny thing, on those eight patterns, I have four at home and already sewn Vogue 1014 for a wedding.

Thank you again !

J'ai réellement besoin de votre aide. Pour le 1er mai, je dois me confectionner une robe cocktail. Il s'agit d'une soirée-cocktail où je suis en nomination pour un prix. Je ne sais quel style ou patron choisir avez-vous des idées ? Dois-je porter une robe noire absolument ?

Laissez moi un lien vers votre robe préférée.

I really need your help with this one. For the 1st of May, I need A dress, preferably a cocktail dress. I will be attending a gala-cocktail where I am nominated for an award. I do not have a clue on what to wear. What style ? What pattern ? Do I absolutely need a black dress ?

Leave me a link to your favorite cocktail dress.

O quanto ho bisogno del suo aiuto! Per la serra del primo di Maggio, parteciperò a un cocktail e non so cosa portare. Sono stata invitata da un cocktail-gala dove sono nominata per un primo. Che style, che modello di carta scegliere ? Devo assolutamente portare un vestito nero ? Aiuto, aiuto !

Lascia me un link verso il suo vestito cocktail preferito.