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Lady Violette

The Romantic Lifestyle

Posts Tagged ‘Sewing’

Fine Art Portrait’s Circle Skirt – a Fabulous Textile From Alberto Makali – That I will Remember Forever! SOS to Locate Another One in an XS or S Size!

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Full Circle Artist's Portrait Skirt

I wish to share my photos of an amazing textile made into a circular skirt! I recently sold this fabulous skirt on eBay because it was too big for me! Now I kind of miss it as the work of art that is is. I won’t say was, as it still is, but it is in someone else’s possession. I rather nostalgically wish I had kept it just for the print. I love the fabric. I felt someone who could wear it should have it. Someone does and she wrote that she too loves it. It is so cool that more people than us, in it’s chain of owners, should get to see and enjoy it, so here it is!

I see beautiful clothing, especially when it is handmade or has a lot of handwork in it as this piece does, as works of art.

I was using this skirt as a wall hanging and in other ways in my home decor before I passed it on. I was in one of my phases in which I felt I had collected too much and should part with some of it! My criterion that week was: If it doesn’t fit me I should part with it! I often regret doing this! Honestly, I am feeling that way about this beautiful skirt! I miss it!

I don’t acquire something if I don’t really love it and want it in the first place! What a dilemma! Thus I almost always miss clothes when I get rid of them! I think of them and remember them nostalgically as if they are old friends who have passed on! The only way to deal with this problem realistically would be to have a big storage warehouse! Alas! I have limited space so I do move things out of my life so that I can move new ones in on a regular basis. My rule is: For every new item that comes into my home, one old one that takes up about the same amount of space has to go out.

This skirt is one I am certain I will always remember. It didn’t fit when I bought it, but I thought I could get it altered to fit. As it turned out it wouldn’t have worked without disturbing the way the fabric was cut and the screened portrait design. Making the garment small enough to fit me would have been too disturbing to the design, so, I left it alone. but I took good photos so I could go back and appreciate them once in a while – like today! Somehow, I just felt like looking at them this afternoon.

If anyone has this skirt or knows of one in an XS or S size would you let me know? This is an SOS! (Why Not?) I would like to get another one if someone wants to sell one, or give it away, that would fit me. The one in my photos was an XL. It is pinned in the back to fit my mannequin for the pictures.

It features three famous portraits of beautiful women!

Leonardo's Genevra de Benci

Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring

Boticelli's Venus

These are silk screened onto cotton fabric. it is them embroidered with little sequins here and there to add sparkle. The skirt is made in India.

Close Up of Silk Screened Fabric

A close up of the silk screened cotton looks very much like a painting. Sequins are sewn on for some additional sparkle.

I call this A Fine Art Circle Skirt.

It is a full circular skirt with a screen printed border that portrays three famous portraits of beautiful women by famous artists. These women and artists are featured:Botticelli’s Venus, Leonardo DeVinci’s Genevra de Benci, and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Above the border of portraits is a graffiti style print. The graphics in the skirt are printed to fit into the shape of the pattern pieces exactly. This is why the skirt cannot be taken in without destroying the design on the panels! Doing that would be similar to destroying a painting – which is why I didn’t alter it. Upon close examination it became apparent that the fabric for each size of these skirts, if they made multiples, had to be printed and cut out individually.

This skirt is 100% cotton. It is designed by Alberto Makali, Italy. His label is sewn into the waistband seam, but it was not positioned so that I could photograph it.

The skirt is hand washable. In addition to the beautiful and dramatically printed fabric the surface of the skirt is decorated with hundreds of hand sewn on sequins in dark pink, orangish gold and green. These sparkle with you as you move! The skirt has a zipper up the left side and is gathered into a black one inch wide waistband.

I truly hope I find another one some day or it finds me because I think t is just beautiful! A true work of art!

It's What Little Girls Call a Twirly Skirt!

Last Look at the Beautiful Alberto Makali Designer Full Circular Skirt and All Three of the Famous Beauties and the Pretty Sequins that are Added Here and There for Sparkle! I Miss You Gorgeous Portrait Skirt!

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The Flower Child Gown for Princess WOW! Summer 2011 NYC Concert ~ Designed by Lady Violette de Courcy

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

Empire Waist/Long Lean Lines

I have finished the two dresses for Princess WOWS! upcoming summer 2011 Concert…

Slit/Double Layer Skirt

These are the final photos of the sleeveless dress, officially known as the Princess WOW! Flower Child Gown that I have taken as my record of this dress and the details of the design.

Skirt Moves Freely

I keep a record of every angle for myself.

That’s why I have so many pictures here

I thought I’d share them as I am sending the dress to the palace on Monday!

 

Enjoy my weird graphics here! I’ll never be able to achieve this effect again. It just happened – a late night phenomena – which I will never be able to repeat!

Bodice Details of Handmade Ribbon Flowers, Hand Sewn Beads, & Sequins

 

Overlapping Bodice Back

Ribbons at Sides Adjust Waist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Necklace by Lady Violette Compliments Dress

 

Sewing Studio ~ The Final Fitting

 

Blowing in the Breeze

 

 

 

 

 

Parting Shots

 

On the Way to NY

 

 

 

Bon Voyage!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool, huh? It’s 3:45AM but I’m liking this unusual juxtaposition so it stays!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lady Violettes Sewing & Photography “Studio” in the Corner of the Kitchen! The Dress Form Trying On the Necklace!

Monday, April 25th, 2011

KItchen Studio

Lady Violette's Sewing & Photography "Studio" in the Corner of the Kitchen ~ Trying on the Necklace!

Every now and then I am producing something in my little work space and I look at the ‘moment of making’ that I’m in the middle of and think, “This scene might make a good photograph!”So, I have been stopping, now and then, to take a picture and preserve the experience in my creative process in this environment that caught my attention. They are usually messy, interesting work in progress moments, and that’s what makes them appeal to me.

I posted one last week, when I was working on Princess Wow’s concert dress. Here is another, from the same day. I was photographing the two long dresses I had just finished making before I sent them off for her to wear in her upcoming NYC concert.

In this one I was dressing the mannequin in the second one, a bright colored sleeveless gown, and trying out a multi-strand amethyst, garnet, silver, and art glass necklace to see how it would look with the dress. I had just arranged the necklace on the mannequin and turned around to reach for a pair of scissors. When I turned back to work on the next detail of preparation, this interesting scene of the half clothed dress form trying on the necklace caught my eye!

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Lady Violette’s Sewing Studio ~ in the Corner of the Kitchen! Where I Cook Up Gowns for Real Princesses!

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Lady Violette's Kitchen Corner Sewing Studio ~ Where Gowns are Made for Real Princesses!

This morning I was taking final photographs of the dresses I have designed for Princess Wow! before I send them to her in New York. Between taking pictures of the right side of this dress and shooting details of the wrong side, or inside, I snapped this photo of my tiny sewing area in the corner of our kitchen! It is a very tiny area and I rather like it! This picture reminds me of something from Victoria Magazine when it first came out years ago and was full of lovely photography of interiors, artist’s work spaces and romantic settings!

In this tiny space I have taken all the photos on my blog, done all the sewing and knitting I have shown, styled and photographed all of my recent scarf and shawl tying and styling demonstrations, styled and shot all the vintage clothing I have shown on my blog and sold on eBay and Bonanza, made adults and children’s clothes, made dresses for princesses of all sizes, made and photographed jewelry, written things and cooked every day! I have often been doing several of these things at the same time!

We also use this same space for reading, talking, visiting with friends, having tea and watching movies! Everyone who comes by the house heads for this corner first! And usually plops down on the couch, hangs out here for a while, has a cup of tea, talks, plans what is going to transpire next and eats something. It is very conveniently located right next to the tea cupboard, the teakettle, the stove and the refrigerator! I like it when friends feel so comfortable that they walk right in, ask me what I’m cooking, grab an apple or banana from a bowl on the counter, and make themselves at home. It doesn’t disturb me or my work at all! In fact I find it forces me to relax and take a break and afterwards I am able to return to whatever project I’ve been working on and be more productive.

Even I am quite amazed at what can be done with a small space if one is resourceful. It was all I had to work with and presented an interesting challenge. The more I experiment with using it the more I find I can do within the limitations it presents. Sometimes limitations and restrictions help you make good art because you have to begin by working within their confines. This photo is another humble little example of that fact!

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How to Make (or buy) the Gigantic Scarf I Used for My “Belted Half Dress Drape” Long Oblong Scarf Style.

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

I know how hard it is to find a giant scarf, or a great scarf! Especially one that is affordable or in the fabric, the color or the shape that I want. Therefore I have started making my own so that I can have whatever I need!

Gigantic Scarf 96" x 45"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the scarf I used to create the “Belted Half Dress Drape” scarf style demonstrated in my post yesterday. It is simply a 96″ long piece of 45″ wide fabric narrowly hemmed on each end. In this case with a rolled hem stitched by machine using a narrow hemmer foot. You can do it on a machine or by hand. The hand method is called a narrow rolled hem.

When selecting fabric something very light works best. This scarf is made of silk chiffon. It is border printed on each end because it was originally intended to be made into a scarf, but any all over print or a solid color will work just as well. Silk or polyester chiffon, china silk, lightweight silk crepe, rayon, or very lightweight cotton batiste would also be appropriate.

You will need to buy between 8 and 9 feet of fabric total. You want it to be sure the fabric is cut straight across the end before you hem it. Fabric stores do not always cut off the pieces they sell in exact straight lines with the grain of the fabric. Check for this before you sew the hem and, if necessary even it out.

Shops that sell Indian saris carry the kind of fabric I used. I have seen border prints, printed on each end like this one, or on just one end. My scarf is 96 inches long, That is 8 feet. I am 5″ 7″ tall and I found the length to be adequate. However, if I could I would get a little longer piece, such as 9″ that would give me a bit longer drape hanging down the back when I have finished the tie. If you are very tall I advise a 9 ‘ long scarf. That is all there is to it! It is quite easy and you can make your own “designer ” scarf in just the size, shape and fabric you need quite reasonably! Appropriate fabrics will cost from $3 per yard to about $40 per yard in fabric shops.

I have found chiffon on discount tables for $3 – $5 per yard. The sari silk scarf cut I used in the picture was a true bargain for $5 found in a thrift shop. They are also available in Indian shops and are not terribly expensive. I have also seen silk in fabric shops for $20 – $40 per yard. If you do not sew yourself, just purchase the fabric you like and take it to a tailor or dressmaker and ask them to hem it for you. Or ask the staff if anyone there would be willing to do it. I know that many women who work in fabric also sew for people.

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