le mani d'oro

Everyday, or almost everyday, I post on my Facebook page a fashion picture that represents the fashion "Coup de coeur" of the day or Very Favourite in English I think.

Today, the coup de coeur was full of humour and very French - or very French cancan. This dress is part of Jean Paul Gauthier's spring 2011 collection. I hope to make you smile with this posture full of humour and French history.

On a more "serious" note, this weekend, I had the time to cut the muslin for my "Chanel" dress, sew the muslin for my Burda winter coat and to trace a top pattern Kay landed me two years ago... Talk about procrastination !!!

If DH is free one night this week, I will post pictures of both muslins.

And you, what are you working on ? What are your fashion coup de coeur ?

I had bought this pink and black blouclé at Emma One Sock some 2 or even years ago. Originally, I had bought the fabric to make a DKNY outfit from Vogue (1067). As it often happen, I grew out of this project, jumped on another one and left the fabric all nicely folded in my fabric closet.

I would sometimes look at it and thought I could give it away or donate it for Kay's Fabric Flee Market or leave it there until I like it again.

The miracle happened. After reading Tany's excellent blog, I decided to mix Celine's style from spring 2010 with a touch of Chanel, to create an outfit I like...

Often on EOS's site, they recommend to dry clean fabrics. After washing a little square of it, I was amazed of I well it reacted. There it was all in the machine a delicate. It came out without wrinkles just nicely fluffier. I left dry in the air. Amazing, this fabric is amazing. Easy washing, fast drying and no ironing required. Oh My, I call that perfection in the fabric department. Perfect to for work !!

I cut part of my muslin tonight, the rest will be done Thursday and soon sewn.

As I said before, the jacket is based on a Burda pattern (BWF 2010-11-104) and one Etro jacket I saw at Holt Renfrew. They use bands of fabric with beaded trims. I wonder if the fabric bands are on bias or not ??? The fabric use for the trim is the same as the one use in this skirt project.

I know I said it, I am very much exited about this project.

photo credit: Etro.it

Today will be dress design day. I am starting with Vogue 8146 as a base.

Since I want to the upper chest part to be in a different fabric, I think that princess seams would not be suitable. This Vogue pattern has long and deep darts instead.

The neck opening is not what I want. I will draw it based on my Go Pattern dress. The rest will or might stay as is, I will see.

To go with it, I want a short and simple no collar, round neck line Chanel type of jacket. I digged into my Burda and Patrones magazines for it and this is what I selected:






Unless you have a suggestion...

I briefly introduced the fact that I am very bad at drawing. Being a shame of my huge lack of skills in that matter, I often mention to my work colleagues that I cannot draw... while Working in a faculty of architecture, interior design and industrial design could give any one or many ones serious doubts on their drawing ability. In my case, it did the inverse.

Professors told me that very talented students arrived in their program with zero back ground in drawing, with no perception of perspective. For those professors, drawing nicely is mainly a question of observation, practice and creativity. They strongly encourage me in giving my self a chance by simply taking a pencil, paper and time.

My second source of inspiration was watching Paco Peralta drawing. It seemed so easy... I though I could at least draw like 1/100 of what he does and I would be happy.

Yesterday I drew my first dress in a decent way for a forty something neophyte. Today I bought a book about fashion drawing. I read it in the metro while coming back home. I quickly has dinner to try their tips.

I am launching my self in public... The posture of the model in this picture inspired me:


And this is my first attempt of sketching a human posture just for the fun of it. Not perfect, I agree... but so much better than what I have done in my entire life ... :-) I have to redo the waist slop it is inverted and the angle of the hips. More time spend in this tonight.
I think this is fun ... in 20 years I will be not bad !

As I said I would, I finished both my wool fleece jacket and my Chanel inspired sailor pants. I will not present this jacket as a total sucess. Let say that it is not bad, but not as perfect as I would like it to be.

First of all, using a coverstitch machine to decorate strait lines is not a difficult thing. Theoratically, you start and finish a vertical line down at the hem and you are suppose to either take the extra threads and insert them in the seam (not possible on the right side of your garment) or make a knot... Which I did. Well the knot did not stay with me, the decorative stitch then decided on leaving my jacket to hang loose in the atmosphere. Of course this is what I wanted!!

The other thing that does NOT please me at all is that, you cannot, not, not, not, redo a little part of your decorative stitch ( I used the underside as the top stitch). You did a tiny booboo... Well, ripe the stitch and do it all over again Sam !!!

The other challenge was making curves blindly. You probably wonder what I mean here. Well, if you use the underside of the cover stitch, stitch, well the top of your jacket is underneath and the inside is on the top... oh this is very funny in curves !!!

The last thing that bugs me with this cover stitch... forget about Velcro any wear near your garment. A subtle scratch and your seam is ruined.

As my dear friend Annette says, this jacket will be used to walk the dog... humm does any one have a dog I could walk? The only thing that made me feel good was that Paco Peralta told me (when I was over at his place ha ah) that it happens to him as well not to succeed with a garment... I am checking is garbage ever since ...


The other project I was planning was a pair of sailor pants based on Chanel's model of Spring 2010. Those pants are wonderful!!!! I love them. They are made in stretch cotton of medium weight. I love the fit and style. If I stop running, skiing or cycling during weekends, you get pictures of the 10 last garments I finished, did not review on PR and did not take pictures of.

Those pants have a centre front seam, two functional side openings (one on each side of course) and strait legs from the thigh down. The centre front seam replaces the dart in the upper side (just under the waist line). The back as one dart on each side. I drew them my self as I wanted them.

Since my jacket is not the success I wanted, I need a sugar pie type of garment. I have a dress in mind I though I could draw and sew. Usually, I am reluctant in drawing anything... but... I looked at Paco drawing a jacket for me and thought I could give it a try as well.

Please do not laugh, I have never drew anything since kindergarten and I have never been good at it. This is my first attempt in fashion drawing.

This is the dress I drew tonight. I have this nice and light black and pink bouclé. I want to use it with a plain black top, maybe in very light Ultrasuede, an empire waist and the bottom in bouclé. I got inspiration from Holt Renfrew for that jacket that will go with it. It is a garment from Etro.


click to blow

Chanel dans le style vaguement Comte Dracula

ou bien tricot des montagnes angoissées



Je ne reconnais plus la signature habituelle de la maison. Bon cet hiver il avait le look yéti pas très saillant...

Céline fait un peu plus festive avec un ensemble de fourrure... qui est tout de même noire
























Même Kenzo, connu pour ses tenues très colorés opte pour un look d'outre tombe, du type Fester dans la Famille Adams


Et bien je vous l'annonce, je n'aime pas ce qui arrivera comme vêtements pour l'automne 2011. C'est tout. Outre cette appréciation purement subjective, je pose des questions sur l'aire du temps. Lorsque les jupes sont longues, l'économie va mal, c'est là un indice reconnu comme en témoigne le Financial Post. Quand la mode est sombre et grunge, qu'est-ce que celà indique... le déclin d'un empire fondé sur l'argent, le sexe et la gloire ???

Ahhh j'oubliais Emmanuel Ungaro présente quand à lui une tenue de type folie bergère ;-)