le mani d'oro

Des problèmes multiples d'ajustement - Multiple fitting problems 

En procédant à l'essayage ce matin, il m'apparait évident que le pantalon (Vogue 1144) de monsieur Rucci n'a pas été dessiné pour une silhouette comme la mienne. Voici rapidement les problèmes à corriger.

With this morning's fitting session, it is obvious that Ralph Rucci's pants were not designed for a woman with my shape. Here are quickly the zones that a desperately in need of corrections.


1. Un petit problème de cuisses bombées. Les plis à la fourche indiquent clairement une manque d'espace pour mes cuisses de cyclistes. Il y a sûrement un facteur génétique à cette courbe de muscle.

 1. A little problem of protruding front thighs. The horizontal winkles at the crotch area are caused by my front thigh muscles that require more space then the pattern is giving. Being a serious bicycle rider, I am not surprised. There is also a genetic factor.

Protruding thigh problem

Close-up on th wrinkles linked to the lack of ease for thighs.

 2. Cette vue de côté montre bien la courbe de la cuisse qui tire sur la tissu vers l'avant. À l'arrière d'autres problèmes importants s'observent clairement. Il semble que le vélo arrondi le grand fessier ou gluteus maximus. Le pantalon manque d'aisance dans la zone la plus large du muscle. Cela fait en sorte que la ligne de taille tire vers le bas à l'arrière en plus d'engendrer des plis horizontaux sous les fesses. En contre partie, le haut du pantalon à l'arrière est beaucoup trop grand. Je dois affiner la taille à l'arrière et creuser le bas du dos.

2. This side view is showing the protruding thigh problem on a different angle. It also shows a second "pulling" zone where my gluteus maximus is at it's fullest. This causes other horizontal wrinkles right under the buttocks. It also pulls the waist line downward in the back. The top back as extra fabric. I need to remove this excess of fabric in the centre and in the top centre leg seam. Each front and back leg is made of two pieces.



Cette photo de l'arrière montre bien l'excès de tissu et les plis horizontaux causés par le manque d'espace pour le grand fessier.

This picture is showing very well the excess of fabric in the top and the lack of space for the  gluteus maximus.

Comme guide pour la correction j'utilise ce livre: "Sewing pants that fit". Ce n'est jamais une tâche facile.

As guide for those corrections, I use the following book : "Sewing pants that fit". It is never an easy task.

Cliquez pour lire le texte. Click to read the text.  From Sewing pants that fit.

Hier soir, je suis arrivée du bureau avec la ferme intention de tracer un patron de pantalon tout simple afin de compter rapidement un nouveau membre  à ma garde robe de printemps. Je me disais qu'un de mes magazines Burda aurait certainement un pantalon pour me satisfaire.

Finalement, je me suis assise par terre avec mes boîtes de patrons Vogue et hop, je suis tombée sur ce patron de pantalon pas si simple.


Last night, I came back from the office with the firm intention of tracing a simple, simple, simple pair of pants from one of my Burda magazines. Oh well, I ended up sitting on the floor with my boxes of Vogue patterns, until this one catches my eye. Never mind the simple pattern that I had originally in mind.

Vogue pattern 1144

Vogue Pattern 1144

Vogue Pattern 1144

La ligne du pantalon, telle que vue sur la photo avec la veste, ressemble en tous points à ce que j'avais en tête...  Les détails du patron sont discrets et superbes.

Je me pose une toute petite question, est-ce moi ou bien le pantalon est un peu trop grand pour le mannequin ? ...  de toute façon,  la confection de mes vêtements demeure du "sur mesures",  mon pantalon sera bien ajusté...  pas de crainte ici.

The pants, as shown on the first picture with the vest, are exactly like my original idea. The pocket details in the front and in the back are simply perfect...

That said, I have a simple question, is it me or those pants are a little too big for the model?  ...  but that does not matter since mine will be made to fit and not for a shooting.

 J'ai découpé les 15 pièces du patron. Il a des pièces pour la doublure d'où le grand nombre de morceaux. Ce patron présente beaucoup d'aisance aux hanches et comme mon tissu a un peu de lycra, j'ai beaucoup de réserves à lui donner trop d'aisance. Le lycra après plusieurs heures se détend un peu. Pour un pantalon cela ruine l'ajustement totalement en produisant des poches aux fessiers.

I cut all 15 pieces required for those pants. Yes, I really wrote 15. Both front and back are made of 2 pieces and beside the pockets and facing pieces, you also have separate lining pieces. Those come handy since the lining is attached to the bottom of the facing. I won't have to draw them my self.  

This pattern has surprisingly lots of ease at the hips. Since my fabric contains Lycra, I will avoid the sagging effect by reducing the ease form 6 to 2.5 cm.

Vogue Pattern 1144

Une seule chose m'inquiète et il s'agit de la fourche. Je trouve la courbe très accentuée.  Et vous qu'en pensez-vous? Je dois faire une toile pour vérifier l'ajustement.

Only one thing bother's me and it is the crotch line. I find the curve really steep. I am not use to that. What do you think ? I will make a muslin to verify the fit.




En comparaison, voici la ligne de fourche du patron Burda 8211 que j'utilise depuis des années. Elle est beaucoup moins accentuée.

In comparaison, this is the crotch line form Burda 8211, a pattern I have been using for years now. It is less curvy.

Burda 8211 technical drawings

Vogue 1144 technical drawings

Sur ma page Facebook, j'ai l'habitude de présenter en photo mon coup de coeur mode de la journée. Les commentaires qui s'en suivent, sont souvent partagés entre j'aime ou je n'aime pas du tout. Ça me fait toujours sourire. J'ai pensé partager ces coups de coeur avec vous.

On my Facebook page, I often show fashion pictures representing my favourite outfit for the day or fashion catch of the day as I like to call it. I thought I could start posting them here as well.

Here is the fashion catch of the day - Voici mon coup de coeur de la journée. J'aime la simplicité de la ligne et les manches de cuir souple.

Ralph Lauren Automne 2012

Mais, en la regardant bien, Celine n'a pas travaillé le cuir un peu à cette manière il y a quelques temps? Une coïcidence je présume?

By looking at that dress a little longer, I am thinking about a design Celine presented a few years ago. Coïncidence I guess?


Voici le modèle créé par Celine au printemps 2010. Variation sur le même thème ?? Qu'en pensez-vous ?

Here is the dress created by Celine for their Spring 2010 collection. Variation on the same theme or different inspiration? What do you think?

equiterre.org

 

Vous me direz peut être qu'il n'y a pas de lien entre le Jour de la Terre. Et bien pour la majorité des cas, vous auriez sûrement. En ce qui me concerne, la couture c'est ma façon de dire non à l'exploitation des gens pauvres à travers le monde, des gens qui travaillent dans des conditions pitoyables afin que nous puissions avoir des vêtements beaux et abordables. Avant d'arriver chez nous, nos vêtements ont parfois parcouru deux fois le tour de la Terre. J'essaie du mieux que je peux, d'acheter du tissu fabriqué près de chez moi et de coudre presque tout ce que je porte...  par amour de la couture et par conviction.

Demain, je participe aux célébrations du Jour de la Terre, par respect pour mon vaisseau spatiale et par intérêt pour les générations futures. Et vous, quel geste poserez vous? Si petit qu'il soit, il compte et soyez en fière.


If you would tell me that there is no link between Earth Day and sewing, you could really be right. But, in my case, there is a direct link. As most of you, I enjoy paying a low price for beautiful clothes displayed in the great boutiques of Montreal. Still, one question pops up: what is the real price of those clothes ? I hate to think that it would be the price of exploitation for men and women in developing countries. The other question that comes is: how many times have these pieces of clothing travel around the globe? As much as I can, I try to buy fabric made as closed as possible from my home. I try to make most of my clothes, so that no one has to suffer while making them. I try to buy clothes made in Canada or the US. 

Tomorrow, I am proud to participate to the Earth Day celebrations in Montreal. I do it to say thank you to mother earth and I do it by respect for the future generation. Tell me what you do in your town to celebrate?

equiterre.org

Kay, The Sewing Lawyer, brought me two second hand tailor's pressing tools that were sold as over stock by Park Canada. They were in my sewing closet for months, all dusty, dirty and looking pitiful. They both desperately needed a major make over.

So last weekend I decided to get the work done. Well, partly because I felt guilty for not having taken good care of them and partly because I am working on a UFO jacket that I seriously want to finish.

The first piece I worked on is the sleeve board. I like how the first layer of fabric was sewn underneath instead of being stapled like the bigger board. It reminded me of the lacing on a corset. The top cover was removable and made to fit with an inner cushy layer made of wool felt. In the top picture you can see that the base was heavily used as riveting or punching surface.

 All layers were burned and demonstrated signs of extensive use.









Mon amie Kay m'apportait l'an dernier deux planches tailleurs ayant appartenu à Parc Canada. Cet organisme possède sur plusieurs de ses sites et à sa collection centrale des vêtements d'époque qu'il faut parfois presser et repasser. 

Ces deux planches étaient dans un état , humm comment dirais-je... un état exigeant des petits travaux de restauration. La première à laquelle je me suis attaquée est la planche pour presser les manches. Elle était couverte d'un housse de coton amovible, tandis que le feutre de laine et la toile de recouvrement était cousu en dessous, un peu à la manière des lacets d'un corset.


Comme l'ensemble de ces couches étaient irrécupérables, j'ai procédé à la confection d'une housse amovible en plus de refaire la couche coussinée de feutre et la toile la couvrant.



I am not certain that I will use this board as much as it was at Park Canada, but every time I do it will be a much appreciated to press with precision.

Here is the final result.

Le résultat est impeccable. Je suis très heureuse. J'ai hâte de l’utiliser.





I enjoy having those restored objects with plenty of sewing history. They add to the pleasure of using them.

I thank you all for helping me selecting a new hair cuts for me. The final decision came to Angelo, my hair dresser. I showed him the pictures, he read your comments and came up with this cut.

I like the final look and so did Angelo. He enjoys having plenty of latitude and above all changing my hair style every second cut or so. DH seems to be pleased as well. This length is excellent under a bicycle helmet...  since I spend all my summer weekends with one of those on, it better make for my lifestyle.

The pictures are snapshots taken at home after a day of work and wearing a beret (my staple hat among all). The sun rays are very oblique. After almost a year of being straiten with an flat iron, my hair will take a bit more fluff after two wash.


The picture that shows best my cut is the following one. I was against the sun light and I did not stop talking....  though I should have...  This is what it gives, but I like it any way.



Voilà une autre !!

I need a new hair cut like you would not believe !!!!!!!  The last style was this one.

oh well it grew longer, I had my hair cut again at least 3 or 4 times the same way. Since I am the type of person who enjoys changing heads every 6 months, after a big 10 months, I am tired and I need change.

Therefore, I have been on a thinking mode for at least 3 weeks... my hair is getting longer, I cut my bangs ...  and I look terrible now.

I so much need a hair cut !  Ohh next Saturday, I am sitting on the hair dresser's chair that's for sure.

Here are the cuts I was thinking about:

Haircut 1.

Haircut 2a Katie Holmes

Haircut 2b Katie Holmes

Haircut 3

Haircut 4 (taken on the Sartorialist)

Haircut 5 (taken on the Sartorialist)

Haircut 6 (taken on the Glamourai)

Haircut 6a (taken on the Glamourai)

Haircut 7 (taken on the Sartorialist)

Haircut 8 (from the Sartorialist)

Haircut 9 (taken on the Sartorialist)

Haircut 10 (taken on the net ??)

So tell me which number you prefer. DH favourite is number 10 and second favourite is number 1.


Then, what is the link with Twiggy. I could not remember the exact haircut Twiggy had in the 1960's. I knew it was from Vidal Sassoon, but how was it really?  While searching for Twiggy's hair bob, I found this four fascinating pictures of her getting her legendary make up ready.  Oh my, I never dared to wear "fake lashes". But did she ever wear those well !! I hope you will enjoy the pictures as much as I did.

Taken on Flickr and the credit is not given :_(( Not fair for the photographer

Don't forget to cast your votes for the hair cut.

One detail might explain why those pictures are representing brunets, I use to be one before my hair turn prematurely grey... and no I will not dye my hair ;-)