SALLIE SILK IN SHIGAWAKE

Something really, really special came into my life recently. Last month, I opened a package from Texas, filled with 5 yards of hand-painted silk from my beloved Sallie Oh. How did this small miracle come to be? I made an offhand comment about some sort of silk trade after seeing her truly magical Satsuki dress, not really expecting her to actually take me up on the offer. But I guess long-distance pen pal love affairs are the real thing.... She emailed me to tell me she would be happy to watercolour her magic for me. After I stopped hyperventilating,  I sent her ten yards of 16mm crepe de chine from Dharma Trading Co for us to share. A few months later I practically wept when I unwrapped her handiwork.

What I emailed Sallie the day my precioussss arrived....

A light chartreuse with a field of indigo and rose watercolour splotches.... It even has a repeat! So in awe was I, that it sat on a hanger in my studio for over a month, terrifying me. How on earth was I going to get the balls to cut into this fabric, made with such love and skill? It kept me up at night. Sallie and I began to call it the Silk of Intimidation - she had the same fear to make it, worried she was going to disappoint me (FAT EFFING CHANCE MY DEAR).

I had Vogue 8827 in mind from the beginning, but deliberated for weeks about whether I was making the right decision. I had fallen in love with the short sleeved maxi dress when it was released and had been waiting for the right silk to come into my life to make it.

There was not EVER going to be a better silk.

Finally, I marshaled my courage. I made a strong cup of tea and spent over 3 hours meticulously and thoughtfully cutting out my pieces, ensuring the pattern on the silk was distributed as beautifully as possible.

The pattern came together fairly easily, but I took my sweet time assembling it, using only the finest silk pins and french seams. I spent many hours watching Orange is the New Black, making the tiniest, most even hem stitches to fasten the facings down the length of the dress. I widened and lengthened the belt to have more of an obi effect, and angled the corners for a prettier finish. The silk is so fine and light, I have yet to Colombo an ideal way to fasten the wrap from the inside. However, because of the crepe texture, it stays together quite nicely with only the obi keeping doing the work.

The only issue with the dress is that the sleeves are quite narrow - I will have to be very careful wearing it over time as I worry about the stress on the armhole seams. Otherwise, it fits perfectly, feels sinfully good on the skin, and blows in the wind like a prayer.

I spent more time on this dress than I've spent on almost anything I've made yet, wanting it to be as perfect as the silk itself. And when I was finally done, it sat in my closet for weeks. This wasn't a dress I could shoot on my balcony. My Sallie Silk needed a special location - Sallie Silk needed Shigawake.

Last Thursday I made the 11 hour drive to Shigawake, Quebec with the dress fluttering on the garment hook in the backseat of my rented Jeep. It sat there for 3 days while I frolicked with a huge gang of displaced Montrealers in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The Gaspe region is awe inspiring - think New England, but more rugged and elemental, filled with a salt of the earth mix of English and French, living simply surrounded by sea, field and sky. We camped down the road from an agricultural and music fair and spent 4 days swimming in the ocean, romping in waterfalls, drinking in meadows, cooking over a fire, singing in barns, watching the sunrise. On our last full day there, I asked my friend Sean to help shoot the Sallie Silk in the grounds surrounding our campsite. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful place to document what is easily the most beautiful garment I could ever hope to call my own.

I wove a flower crown out of the banks of wildflowers and tried to embody some sort of wood nymph. It wasn't hard in that golden magic hour light.

This weekend has been so much about gratitude for me. Gratitude to live in this amazing country filled with such kind, good people; gratitude for the inspiring friends (old and new) I get to share this journey with; gratitude for the unspoiled beauty of Canada, which takes my breath away every time I get a chance to explore it; gratitude for this amazing small community of sewists and makers, who are so generous with their time, their skills, their support. Gratitude for Sallie, who feels like a soul sister even though we have never met and live thousands of miles away from each other. Gratitude for this little corner of the internet, where I get to share the things I feel so lucky to be able to make...

Thank you Sallie. Thank you goodness. Thank you life.

Just so freakin' pretty.

Hello loves,
I have a very busy day planned. I've already been up since 5:45 to have some breakfast with my hubby, soon my kitchen table will be delivered, and then I have more shopping expeditions planned. Moving overseas stinks. You have to buy all new appliances with the switch in plugs/voltage... so I'm off on a hunt for lamps and the perfect waffle iron.
But first, I saw this on Pinterest this morning and just had to share. It's just TOO delicious.

Image source: defunct fashion.

This dress is by Charles James, circa 1957.
You may proceed with the fainting.

Don't give up on me! I'm still here!

Hello my lovely readers!
This is just a quick post today to let you know that I'm still here. I haven't really been in much of a position to blog during our overseas move. The husband, the kitty and I have all made it safely to Monterey, California and are trying to settle in as much as we can to our new house. All of our furniture (including the entirety of my studio) is half way across the ocean somewhere on it's way here so right now we just have our luggage, an air mattress, and my computer.

So far things are good and I'm really liking California, and especially loving how friendly and helpful most Americans are. It's a pretty surprising difference to Norway where (at least in my experience) Norwegians were mostly polite, but usually very reserved and often quite self-occupied.

The tough part about moving so far has just been the strange, transient life of living out of hotels and mostly empty houses, waiting for all of the things that make a house feel like a home to arrive.

Last weekend we found an amazing antique mall in Salinas, CA (a.k.a. gang land) and stumbled across the most amazing 1940's Duncan Phyfe table and chairs for our dining area. It will be delivered this week and I'll post pictures. In the meantime, the table is similar to the one below.

image courtesy of RossAuction.com

It will be really nice to have a table to sit and and work/ write... especially as I'm camped out right now on a pile of pillows on the floor, typing away madly with a pinched nerve in my back making me strangely immobile today. I'm sure it's actually quite a funny picture...

An-who, I'm still around, just not in much of a position to provide you with any meaningful, useful or interesting blog posts. I hope to resume full-time blogging at the beginning of September. On that note, A Few Threads Loose will also have some more sponsorship spots open for very low prices so if you're looking to advertise your blog or business, drop me an email! (afewthreadsloose at gmail.com).

Have a happy rest of the summer!

WHAT'S DOING (2013/08)

Happy day everyone. I'm toying with starting a new blog feature. I generally only post when I have a new sewing project but I thought it might be fun to share other stuff as well. Sometimes I feel like I'm everywhere on the internet (seriously, my browsing history at the day job would alarm anyone - the perks/curse of being a curious, creative, prowly brain type) and I'm going to start cataloguing cool things I'm finding/thinking/doing etc. in the off chance someone else is interested.

BUYING                                                                            
A friend recently bought a jaw dropping Persian carpet for an even more jaw dropping price and after lurking in their sales area for a few weeks I finally settled on a gloriously weird, psychedelic 9' x 5' low pile rug. Normally I'm more of a thrift/curbside/Craigslist kind of apartment decorator but sometimes it's okay to invest in a special piece you know you'll have forever . Check out E-Carpet Gallery if you want to eye bang carpets for the next few days. It is just brain boggling inexpensive, the quality is great and it ships quickly. I got mine for under $300 which is pretty unheard of (Americans take note - they will not ship the Persian rugs to the US due to the embargo on Iranian goods but they have products from other countries as well). Plus they are located out of Montreal! Check out my preciousssss:

LISTENING                                                                            
Is everyone listening to Daughter Fish' podcast Thread Cult? It's really great. I bought my Bernina because of her interview with a dealer, and am learning a crazy amount about silk from her most recent episode. My suggestion to iphone users is to download Downcast to stream or download it. It's hands down the best podcast app out there and worth the price. While you're at check out How Was Your Week with Julie Klausner and By the Way: In Conversation with Jeff Garlin.

VIBING
Alunageorge reminds me of the trip hop I listened to the 90's but with a cool, London Now attitude. This song is IT for me right now:



WATCHING
If you're not watching Orange is the New Black right now I don't really know how else to stress that you're missing out without yelling YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT. Smart, tender, tart, funny, deep, broad, specific, personal, universal.... It's the best thing on fake television right now.

Another treat you can find on Netflix is Turn Me On Dammit! Like Superbad, if  Michale Cera was a pretty blonde, California was Norway, and Superbad was a sex positive, feminist, hilarious, sweet and honest portrayal of a teenage girl's coming of age.



DROOLING
Did you see Sophie's Bombshell on her blog Cirque de Bebe? If I had a giant trophy of a bronzed pinup with her arms raised in a V for victory, Sophie would win for Best Choice of Fabric in the Bombshell Oscars. Tesutti, you are expensive and far away, but also fooking brilliant. Beach print for the beach! Wonders, never ceasing.

READING
I left my Kindle at a friends house last week and have been reading an analog copy of 100 Years of Solitude. It's spoken of reverentially for a reason. Can't put it down. I also just finished Tiny Beautiful Things, which is easily the most moving, wise and articulate "advice" I've ever read. Part memoir/part Dear Abby, if Abby was the street smart, lyrical and loving older sister you never had.

TRAVELLING
To Gaspesie, Quebec this weekend for the first time. Apparently one of the most beautiful places on earth and my first time there. A Montreal contingent is setting up some kind of expat shanty tent town at the agriculture fair in Shigawake, where some of our brightest musicians will be playing all weekend. Hammocks and ocean air, here I come.

MISSING
The 2nd Montreal Meet-up this Saturday. Pals, you can find more details here. I'm hoping to organise another one in a few months on Chabanal, which has many hidden treasures but requires a guide. Have fun ladies!

EYEBALLING
Minnetonkas, you suede seductresses. A pretty great sale is on here.

GIVING
The response to my By Hand London Anna giveaway was pretty nuts - you guys REALLY love that pattern! Normally I would use a random number generator, but a certain someone really nailed the request to post your best "Anna" themed video. The way to my heart is apparently the Swedish band The Knife - congrats Adrienne! Anna is all yours! Email me your address and I'll send it off to Scandinavia for you!

CRUSHING ON ANNA

I'm in love. So, so, so in love. With Elisalex and Charlotte from By Hand London, of course. That love affair has been going hard across the ocean all year. But when my Anna dress showed up and I started seeing her in various iterations around the web, I realised I had to make room in my heart for another London girl.

 Anna.... Is this my favourite pattern of all time? It very well might be.

I've been craving a maxi all summer. They are just so damned comfortable and flattering. And there is something so sexily subversive about covering up when most people are letting it all hang out in the heat.

The fabric is a beyond beautiful greyscale digital print, an abstract brocade polyester I've been hanging onto for 2 years, waiting for the right dress to showcase the pattern. Since Anna is so leggy and long, it seemed like it would be a good match with it's vertical panels. I had 3 yards and just managed to squeeze this out. I didn't have the yardage to mess too much with pattern matching but I'm happy with the end result. Super light and drapey with a crepe texture, it moves with the air and walking down the street I feel like a cloud.

It's alllll about that thigh high slit. The cut is flattering but modest and with a flash of thigh while the wind blows your skirt around, you can't help but feel a little vampy.

I've been wearing it endlessly the last few weeks. The fabric is surprisingly un-sheer, which is good - I'm not sure how well it would work lined (it could certainly be done but you would not be able to line it full length. You would definitely see where the lining ends if your fabric is sheer). And oh boy does it sew up fast.... especially when you forgo french seams in lieu of speedy serged ones (will I ever be the sort of sewist who really agonises over the guts? I was so desperate to wear this I couldn't be bothered). I made a straight US size 10 and like all By Hand patterns so far, it fit purrrrfectly.

Love the kimono sleeves, love the bust pleats, love the design lines, love love love everything everything everything. I want to make a hundred. Unfortunately I'm out of appropriately drapey fabrics but rest assured, New York will be supplying me with more Anna fuel for the fire. There is a reason people like Roisin have been making multiples. It's that good. It's also one of the most complimented dresses I've ever worn. The older lady on my office floor who I always meet in the bathroom almost had a heart attack when I told her it was homemade.

Obviously I'm a fan of By Hand London. I've made everything they've released so far. As I've started sewing a lot more from indie companies this year, I've grown to love how each one has its own unique style and point of view. Collette is sweetly vintage; Sewaholic nails wardrobe necessities with a laid back, West Coast attitude; Meghan Neilson seduces with her feminine romanticism. For me, By  Hand is the definition of British cool. A little street, a little sweet, a little edgy - I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.

And guess what? I have a copy of Anna for one of you. The girls at By Hand sent me an extra pattern and it could be yours to vamp in as well. Leave a comment by next Monday and I will choose a winner at random. Extra points to the best youtube clip that includes the words Anna....

AUTUMN ANORAK

August is always a bittersweet time for me. In July, you can still fool yourself into thinking that autumn is forever away, but the nights have been getting chilly enough for me to pull my duvet out of storage (our weather has been so schizophrenic this season - its troubling) and my mind can't help but turn to a sewing plan for the cool to come. I have one last very, very, very special project to make of the lightest, floatiest, summeriest silk, but after that, I think it's time to get serious about the season change.

Which brings me to the anorak. I've been pining for one ever since I started seeing those fashionable birds of the street style set throw them over sparkly mini dresses and worn tees alike. I want a slouchy, soft khaki jacket that will transition me gracefully into that which shall not yet be named. In my blog roll today I saw a link to an Australian pattern company and discovered this jacket. It's exactly what I had in mind.

How have I not heard of this company before? It's called Style Arc. Does anyone have experience using their patterns before? I don't think they are available outside of Oz so I'm sure shipping would be a ginormous. Can someone let me know if their patterns are of sufficient quality to justify the cost?

Otherwise, Burda has a few options as well.

This one is okay but it's maybe too "army" for what I had in mind.

This one looks great in the "styled" photo, but doesn't hold up for me in the shot of the jacket alone:

Ultimately it's all contingent on me finding the perfect shade of cotton twill. I had a hard time finding a similar fabric when I made my sleeveless Victoria blazer in June. Maybe I'll have more luck in New York this fall?!