Nugat haljina / The Nougat dress

Od poslednjeg posta sam bila vredna, radeći na Nugat haljini (predlog za naziv haljine je dala domišljata Dragica, a meni se odmah dopao). Posle malo igranja sa materijalom, evo dokle sam stigla. Za sada, haljina ima samo prednji deo. Već imam okvirnu ideju kako da dizajniram leđa, pa se nadam da će taj deo posla brzo ići. Kad spojim sve delove, drugarica će morati da proba haljinu - do sada sam radila prema lutkinim merama, ali se nadam da neću imati previše posla na probi.

I've been busy since the last post, working on the Nougat dress (witty Dragica suggested the name, and I liked it a lot). Here's what I came up with after some playing with the fabric. So far, the dress only has the front. I have a rough idea for the back, and I hope this part of the job won't take me a lot of time. Once I put together all the pieces, my friend will try out the dress - so far I've been using dummy's measurements, but I hope I won't have too much fitting issues to work on.

TR Masterklas - zadatak br. 9 / TR Masterclass - task no. 9

Upravo sam završila rad na novom zadatku za TR Masterklas. Trebalo je da napravimo bluzu koja bi imala detalj(e) sa naborima u obliku čvora. Htela sam da stvorim osećaj vrtloga, ali i da napravim gladak prelaz između romba sa naborima i ostatka bluze. To je zahtevalo preciznost, strpljenje i gotovo inženjerski pristup dizajnu, ali je krajnji rezultat vredan svog truda. Vema sam zadovoljna ovim radom - osim što zadovoljava propozicije zadatka, verujem da demonstrira i moje umeće, ali i oslikava moj lični ukus. 

Dok sam radila na bluzi, pomislila sam kako be bilo sjajno završiti je do kraja, tj. napraviti od nje haljinu. No, pošto je krojačka lutka manjih dimenzija od mene, znala sam da ne bih mogla da obučem haljinu. Taman kad sam pomislila da bih možda mogla da je prodam, drugarica se prijavila da je preuzme. Sasvim zgodno, njene dimenzije su gotovo identične merama lutke :). Nadam se da ću haljinu završiti što pre, ali će to ipak zavisiti od mojih obaveza, koje se polako umnožavaju. U svakom slučaju, znaćete kada haljinica bude gotova.

I've just finished working on a new task for the TR Masterclass. We were supposed to make a blouse that would incorporate nod like gathers detail(s). I wanted to make a vortex effect, while making a smooth transition from the gathered diamond and the rest of the blouse. This required precision, patience and almost an engineering approach to design, but the end result was worth the effort. I am very pleased with this project -not only it meets the requirements of the task, it also demonstrates my skills and depicts my personal aesthetics.

While working on the blouse, I thought it would be great to finish it, that is, to make a dress out of it. Since the dummy's smaller than me I knew I wouldn't be able to wear the dress. So, I was thinking of selling it, but a friend applied as a future owner. Quite convenient, her measurements are almost identical to the dummy's :). I hope to finish the dress soon, but it will depend on my other commitments, that have been increasing lately. Either way, you'll know when the dress is finished.

Novogodišnji poklon za vas / A new year present for you

Dragi čitaoci, bliži nam se nova godina, pa sam poželela da vas častim jednim lepim poklonom. U pitanju je divna knjiga o krojenju, koju sam skinula sa jednog sajta, koji je u međuvremenu ugašen. Knjiga se zove Modern Pattern Design (Moderan dizajn krojeva), iz 1942. godine. Pošto je knjiga starija od 50 godina, autorsko pravo nad njom je zastarelo, pa imam slobodu da je javno podelim sa vama. Dakle, knjiga sadrži instrukcije za pravljenje najrazličitijih krojeva na osnovu baznih krojeva za odevne predmete. Modeli koje opisuje su prilično retro, ali tehnika se i danas može primeniti, potrebna je samo mašta i dobra volja. Mogu vam reći da sam mnogo naučila iz nje o modelovanju krojeva. Instrukcije su pisane na engleskom, ali su praćene detaljnim ilustracijama, pa verujem da ćete moći da se snađete čak i ako ne baratate dobro ovim jezikom.

Ova knjiga je, pre nego što je sajt na kom je objavljena ugašen, izazvala veliku pažnju na krojačkim forumima koje pratim. Kada je sajt misteriozno nestao, mnogi su žalili za njim, jer materijal iz knjige više nije bio dostupan. Na moju sreću, skinula sam knjigu na vreme i drago mi je da sada mogu da je podelim sa vama. Nadam se da ćete uživati u njoj koliko sam i ja!

Knjiga se sastoji od 12 poglavlja i ujedno 12 PDF fajlova, koje možete skinuti sa linkova ispod.

Dear readers, a new year is getting closer and I wanted to treat you with a nice gift. It's a lovely book about pattern drafting, I downloaded from a website that has been shut down recently. The book's name is Modern Pattern Design, from 1942. Since the book is older than 50 years, the copyright on it has expired and I am allowed to share it with you publicly. The book contains instructions for drafting various patterns using basic pattern slopers. The models it covers are quire vintage, but the technique can be used nowdays with some imagination and good will. I learned a lot about pattern drafting from it.

The book caused a lot of debates on sewing forums I follow. When the website it was published on mysteriously disappeared many were disappointed since the book's content wasn't available anymore. Luckily, I downloaded it before the unfortunate event happened, and I'm happy to share it with you. I hope you'll enjoy the book as much as I did!

The book contains 12 chapters, and is divided into 12 PDF files. You can download these from the links below.

1. Poglavlje 1 / Chapter 1 (2.86 MB)
2. Poglavlje 2 / Chapter 2 (960 KB)
3. Poglavlje 3 / Chapter 3 (532 KB)
4. Poglavlje 4 / Chapter 4 (1.66 MB)
5. Poglavlje 5 / Chapter 5 (700 KB)
6. Poglavlje 6 / Chapter 6 (760 KB)
7. Poglavlje 7 / Chapter 7 (1.30 MB)
8. Poglavlje 8 / Chapter 8 (1.72 MB)
9. Poglavlje 9 / Chapter 9 (680 KB)
10. Poglavlje 10 / Chapter 10 (520 KB)
11. Poglavlje 11 / Chapter 11 (300 KB)
12. Poglavlje 12 / Chapter 12 (450 KB)

Želim vam sve najbolje u 2013.!

I wish you all the best in 2013!

TR Masterklas, zadatak br. 8 / TR Masterclass, task no. 8

Samo dan kasnije, evo novog zadatka za TR Masterklas. Ovaj put smo trebali da dodamo vrlo specifične nabore na bluzu, koji me podsećaju na ružu. Dizajn je bio predefinisan, a na nama je bilo da aranžiramo ružu najbolje što umemo. Koristila sam izuzetno tanak saten koji se lepo drapira, i koji daje mogućnost lakog oblikovanja ruže. 

Just a day later, here's a new task for the TR Masterclass. This time we had to add very specific gathers to a blouse - these remind me of roses. The blouse design was predefined, and it was up to us to arrange the roses the best we could. I used a very thin satin that drapes well, which allowed easy rose shaping.

 

TR Masterklas - 7. zadatak / TR Masterclass - 7th task

Konačno i sedmi zadatak - suknja sa ukrojenom trakom, prema zadatom ili sopstvenom dizajnu. 

Finally, the seventh task - a ribbon skirt made following the given or our own design.

Pre dve godine sam napravila suknju koristeći ovu tehniku. Iako sam slike već objavila na blogu, nikad nisam bila zadovoljna slikama jer nisu adekvatno prikazale linije šavova (crna boja se jako teško fotografiše), tako da sam rešila da postavim nove slike, na kojima se suknja zaista vidi.

Two years ago I made a skirt using this technique. I blogged about the skirt before, but I was never satisfied with photos since they never showed the seam lines adequately (black is hard to photograph), so I decided to post new photos, which actually show the skirt.

Pogled spreda / Front view

Pogled s leđa / Back view

Pogled s leve strane / Left view

Pogled s desne strane / Right view 

TR Masterklas, 6. zadatak / TR Masterclass, 6th task

Evo ga i šesti zadatak za TR Masterklas. Trebalo je dodati nabore i valove na suknju, uz obavezni džep u šavu, a kopirajući zadati dizajn. 

Uopšteno uzev, ovo nije težak zadatak, ali mi je iz nekog razloga suknja zadala par problema. Tek iz trećeg pokušaja sam uspela da je sašijem. Pretpostavljam da je uzrok prezasićenje šivenjem. Ove nedelje sam baš dosta šila - prvo sam napravila dosta posteljine, zatim sam se zanimala prepravkom kaputa, pa sam onda prešla na ovu suknju. Do tada su leđa već počela da me bole od prekomernog sedenja, a pažnja mi potpuno popustila. I tako, namučih se oko jednostavnog dizajna. No, bitno je da sam stigla da ga završim na vreme, jer rok je sutra. 

Here's the sixth task for the TR Masterclass. We were supposed to incorporate gathers, flounces and an in seam pocket, following a given design.

Generally, this task wasn't particularly hard to do, but for some reason I had quite problems with the skirt. I managed to sew it in my third try. I suppose I was overwhelmed with sewing. You see, I've been sewing a lot this week - first I sewed a lot of bed sheets, then I worked on the coat refashion, and after that I started working on the skirt. At that point my back were already killing me from sitting too much, and I had problems with focusing on sewing. That's how I struggled with a simple design. Well,  it's important I managed to finish it in time, since the deadline is tomorrow.

Prepravka kaputa / Coat refashion

Pre neki dan me mama zamolila da joj pomognem oko prepravke jednog sportskog kaputaića. Kaput pripada njenoj prijateljici, pa je mama htela da joj pomogne oko prepravke, ali je ubrzo shvatila da ne zna kako bi izvela ono što je prijateljica tražila od nje. Moja mama pomalo šije, do sada je napravila podosta posteljine, zavesa, i čak je šila nešto od svoje garderobe, ali ne bavi se time često, tako da nema rutinu koju ja imam, i nije baš vešta kao ja. Iako nerado šijem za druge, ovaj kaput sam doživela kao lični izazov i pristala da pomognem mami i njenoj prijateljici. Prepravka je bila izuzetno zanimljiva (tome je umnogome doprinela činjenica da nisam morala ništa da param na postojećem kaputu).

Dakle, u pitanju je sportski kaputić od debele pamučne trikotaže. Mamina prijateljica je smatrala da je kaput prilično dosadan ovakav kakav je, i imala je ideju kako da ga učini zanimljivijim. Kupila je bukle sa krupnom pepito šarom u teget - žutoj kombinaciji boja. Teget boja kaputa savršeno se uklopila sa nijansom teget šara na bukleu. Htela je da se na kaput našije materijal i to tako da pokrije leđa, centralni deo desne prednjice, kao i džep na desnoj strani. Evo kako je izgledao pre moje intervencije.

A few days ago my mom asked me to help her refashion a sportish coat. It's her friend's coat, and mom wanted to help her with the refashion, but she soon realized she didn't know how to execute what the friend asked for. You see, my mom sews from time to time. So far she has sewn a lot of bed sheets, curtains and even made some of her wardrobe, but she doesn't sew often, hence has no routine like I do, and is not skillful as I am. I don't like sewing for others, but this coat seemed like a nice challenge to me, so I decided to help both my mom and her friend. The refashioning turned to be really interesting (the fact that I didn't have to rip of a single seam helped a lot).
The coat is a sportish one, made of thick jersey. Mom's friend thought it was rather dull the way it looked, and had an idea how to make it more interesting. She bought a boucle with large houndstooth pattern in navy - yellow tones. The color of the coat matched perfectly with the navy threads of the boucle. Mom's friend wanted to apply the fabric to the back of the coat, to center front right side and to the left pocket. Here's how the coat looked before I interfered. 

Rad sam počela od zadnje strane. Ufircala sam poveći komad buklea, pravougaonog oblika, za kaput uzdužnim krupnim šavovima. Zatim sam platno prišila za kaput mašinom, vodeći računa da štepam prateći pepito šaru u teget boji, kako bi štep bio što manje vidljiv (na slici ispod sam crvenom linijom istakla šav, na desnoj strani slike se vidi unutrašnjost kaputa). Napravila sam otprilike pet paralelnih uzdužnih linija štepova, čime sam postigla da se bukle ne odvaja od leđa kaputića po njegovoj širini. 

I started from the back. I hand basted a large rectangle of the fabric to the back of the coat, using lagre stitches. Then I machine stitched the fabric to the coat, making sure the stitches followed the navy part of the fabric pattern, thus making the stitch less visible (I marked the stitch line in red on the image bellow, on the right side you can see the inside of the coat). I made around five parallel vertical stitch lines, which fixed the fabric to he coat's back.

Kada je platno pričvršćeno za kaput, iskrojila sam bukle prateći konture kroja kaputa, ostavljajući poveće dodatke za šavove. Dodatke sam podvila na unutra a zatim prišila tkaninu za kaput koristeći cik cak bod. Bukle sam sekla deo po deo, jer se tkanina užasno para, a na ćoškovima sam morala da skraćujem dodatke za šavove, kako bih smanjila zadebljanje platna. Na nekim delovima je tkanina bila toliko debela, da sam jedva uspela da je podvučem pod papučicu.

Once the fabric was fixed to the coat, I cut it following the coat seams, and leaving wide SAs. I folded the SAs inwards and machine stitched the fabric to the coat, using a zick zack stitch. I cut the boucle in small portions, since it frayed a lot, and I had to trim off the fabric at corner points, to reduce bulk. The fabric was so thick at some parts, I barely managed to put it under the presser foot.

Koristeći isti proces, prišila sam platno na prednji deo kaputa. Oko postojećih rupica za dugmad sam iskrojila pravougaone rupe, tako da se kaput zakopčava uz pomoć starih rupica za dugmad. Pošto je vlasnica kaputa zamislila da spreda kaput bude asimetričan, činilo mi se da bi ovakve rupice za dugmad dobro izgledale na njemu.

Repeating the process I sewed the fabric to the front. I cut off rectangular wholes from the boucle, thus allowing existing buttonholes to button up the coat. Since the coat's owner wanted an asymmetrical coat, I thought these kind of button holes would look nice on it.

Kada sam odradila na kaputu sve što je od mene traženo, mislila sam da bi još par manjih detalja učinilo da kaput izgleda skladno, pa sam dodala pepito platno na levi rever, i dodala sam zakrpe na laktove rukava. Ovi detalji su rukom prišiveni. 

Once I made all the changes I was asked to make I thought a few more details would make the coat prettier, so I added the houndstooh fabric to the left lapel, and I added sleeve patches. I hand sewed these details.

Sve u svemu, mislim da sada kaputić zaista sjajno izgleda, mada ovo nije moj stil oblačenja. Još bitnije, vlasnica kaputa je jako zadovoljna krajnjim rezultatom.

Even though the coat doesn't suit my style, I think it looks great now. But, what's more important, its owner is very satisfied with the result.

Novo izdanje Sew News časopisa (Decembar 2012.- Januar 2013.) / A new issue of Sew News magazine (December 2012 - January 2013)

Mislim da je vreme da serijal postova o TR Masterklasu prošaram i nekim drugim temama. 

Pre neki dan sam dobila Decembarsko - Januarsko izdanje Sew News časopisa za 2012. / 2013. godinu, u kome je objavljen moj omiljeni S kaput, koji sam šila početkom prošle godine. Kaput je jednostavnog oblika i neobičnog kroja, sa šavovima u obliku latiničnog slova "S". Šavovi su naglašeni paspulom u šavu u kontrastnoj boji. Pored specifičnog kroja, kaput krase i paspulirane rupice za dugmad, obrađene istom keder trakom kao i ostatak kaputa. Naravno, tu su i dugmići u boji paspula, koji daju kaputu vrlo elegantan izgled.

I think it's about time to interrupt my TR Masterclass series with other topics.

I received the December - January 2012 / 2013 issue of Sew News magazine a few days ago. The issue features my favorite S coat, that I sewed at the beginning of the last year. The coat has a simple shape and an unusual cut, with seams shaped like the letter "S". The seams are accentuated with a piping in a contrasting color. Besides the unusual cut, the coat is enhanced with bound buttonholes, emphasized by the same piping cord as the rest of the coat. The buttons in a matching color give the coat quite elegant look.

A evo kaputa na meni. Ne mogu da vam opišem koliko sam željno čekala da dobijem nazad svoje čedo :). Na žalost, moraću da sačekam da se lokalna snežna oluja smiri, a temperatura pređe u plus, da bih ga nosila.

And here's the coat on me. I can't describe enough how impatient I was to get my precious back :). Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until the local snow storm calms down, and the temperature reaches values above zero to wear it.

TR Masterklas - 5. zadatak (2. opcija) / TR Masterclass - 5th task (2nd option)

OK, prethodni post odnosio se na interpretaciju petog zadatka (nabori, valovi i džep na bluzi bez rukava), ali nisam bila sigurna da moja interpretacija u potpunosti zadovoljava kriterijume. Zato sam rešila da napravim još jednu verziju, jer nisam želela da budem diskvalifikovana iz grupe zbog tehničke omaške. I tako, napravih još jednu verziju, vidno drugačiju od prethodne. 

Ovaj put nisam imala neku konkretnu formu, sliku ili oblik kao polaznu osnovu. Zapravo, krenula sam od ideje da napravim vrlo specifičan "rukav", koji izgleda kao šešir na ramenu, gledano iz profila (podseća me na damske šešire koji su se nosili u prošlosti). Imala sam malo problema da osmislim ostatak bluze, jer karneri i valovi nisu baš po mom ukusu, a nisam želela da napravim nešto što mi se ne bi svidelo. Palo mi je na pamet da karner dodam na bok, a odatle su se ideje ređale jedna za drugom, vodeći ka ovakvoj finalnoj verziji. Sada sam sigurna da bluza zadovoljava sve kriterijume.

OK, the last post referred to an interpretation of the fifth task (gathers, flounces and pocket incorporated in a sleeveless top), but I wasn't sure my version quite met the requirements of the task. So I made another version, because I didn't want to be disqualified from the class due to a technical error. Here's a new version, quite different from the previous one.

This time I had no specific form, picture or shape as a start basis. Actually, I started from an idea to make a very specific "sleeve", that would look like a hat on a shoulder, looking from the side (it reminds me of women's hats worn in the past days). I had difficulties envisioning the rest of the blouse, sine ruffles and flounces are not up to my aesthetics, and I didn't want to make a garment I wouldn't like. It crossed my mind to add flounce on a hip, like a peplum, and from there one idea followed the other, leading to this final version. Now I'm sure the blouse meets all the criteria.

TR Masterklas - 5. zadatak / TR Masterclass - task 5

Nastavljam da vas informišem o svom radu u TR Masterklasu. Novi zadatak je podrazumevao kreiranje sopstvenog dizajna, korišćenjem principa koje smo savladali u prethodnim koracima. Dakle, trebalo je napraviti bluzu bez rukava, koja bi imala nabore i valove, kao i džep u šavu.

I keep informing you of my work for the TR Masterclass. New task was to make an original design, by using the principles we've learned so far. We were supposed to make a bodice with gathers and flounces, that would incorporate an in-seam pocket.

Ovaj put, inspiraciju sam našla u op artu i fenomenalnim slikama Viktora Vasarelija. 

Ne sećam se da li sam već pominjala svoju opsesiju ovim slikarom. Op artom sam bila fascinirana i pre nego što sam čula za Vasarelija. Crtkala sam trodimenzionalne sfere i slične oblike, sve dok mi jednog dana prijatelj nije rekao da kopiram Vasarelija! Pomislih - ne kopiram ja nikog, ovo je moj crtež! Kada sam videla sličnost sa njegovim slikama, shvatih da sam zakasnila s idejom. Ali, od onda pomno proučavam Vasarelija i smišljam kako da njegove optičke iluzije prenesem na meni prijemčiviji medij - garderobu. 

This time I found an inspiration in op art and fantastic paintings of Victor Vasarely.

Have I mentioned before my obsession by this painter? Well, I was stunned by op art before I've heard of Vasarely. I used to draw 3-dimensional spheres and similar shapes when a friend said that I had copied Vasarely! I remember thinking it was my original drawing, not some copy cat! When I saw the similarity with his paintings I knew I was late with the idea. However, I've been studying Vasarely ever since, and thinking of ways to transfer his optical illusions to a new medium - garments.

I evo kako to izgleda u mojoj interpretaciji. Nije baš vrtoglavo kao Vasarelijeve slike, ali uzmite u obzir da mi je ovo prvi put da šijem op art ;-). Iskustvo u šivenju pačvorka mi je prilično pomoglo. 

Kao što vidite, ja sam dodala dva džepa - jedan ispod pazuha i drugi na leđa (kad već ludujem sa dizajnom, što ne bih dodatno začinila stvari?). 

Here's how it looks in my interpretation. It's not as vertiginous as Vasarely's paintings are, but have on mind this was my first time sewing op art ;-). My patchwork sewing experience helped a lot.

As you can see, I added two pockets - one under the arm and the other one on the back (well, since I'm making a crazy pattern, why not making thing more spicy?).

Val sam dodala na rukav, ali sigurno se pitate gde su nabori. Evo ih: svaki roze pravougaonik je gusto nabran pre nego što je ušiven u bluzu. Koristila sam sintetički muslin koji se fenomenalno drapira.

I added a flounce to the sleeve, but you must have been wondering where the gathers were. Well, here they are: each pink rectangle was heavily gathered before it was sewn in blouse. I used a synthetic chiffon that drapes well.

Ovaj kroj bukvalno jede konac! Namotala sam 5 špulni konca, i sve sam ih potrošila! Zamislite tek koliko bi konca otišlo da sam sašila takvu haljinu....

The pattern literally eats thread! I whined thread to 5 bobbins and used them all! Imagine how much thread I'd use if I was sewing a dress like this one...

TR Masterklas - Najbolji radovi / TR Masterclass - The best works

Od kako sam upisala TR Masterklas, mojim iznenađenjima nikad kraja. 

Moram prvo da vam se hvalim, jer sam jako ponosna... Pre par dana je Shingo Sato izdvojio najbolje radove koji su nastali u svih 5 masterklas grupa, koliko je do sada organizovano, a koji su interpretacija prvog zadatka. Moj rad se našao među njima, što je velika čast.

Ever since I've enrolled the TR Masterclass, surprises keep on coming.

I have to brag to you, because I'm very proud... A few days ago Shingo Sato selected the best works from all 5 masterclass groups; the selected works are interpretation of the first task. I am honored to have my work among these.

A zatim sam saznala da je Masterklas zapravo takmičarskog karaktera. Već sam vam opisala da se učesnici koji ne odrade zadatak na vreme diskvalifikuju iz daljeg učešća. Učesnici koji uspešno završe kurs dobijaju titulu TR instruktora. Međutim, najveće iznenađenje tek sledi -  one koji prežive kurs čeka još jedan izazov: 50 najboljih učesnika iz svih masterklas grupa ide dalje u finale, koje će se održati u Februaru 2013. Učesnike će odabrati Sato lično. Finale će trajati 90 dana, biće otvoreno za javnost, a publika će biti žiri koji će odabrati 5 najboljih učesnika. Publika će moći i da postavlja izazove učesnicima.

Ukoliko želite da pratite finale, posetite Facebook stranicu TR Platforms Final 2013, gde su već postavljeni radovi učesnika iz prethodnih masterklas grupa, pa imate priliku da se upoznate sa njihovim veštinama. I sam Sato je pozvao publiku da se priključi finalu, pa vam i ja upućujem poziv.

Biću iskrena, naravno da želim da dođem do finala, ali još je rano da o tome razmišljam. Za sada, cilj mi je da što više naučim, i dam sve od sebe, pa nek bude šta bude.

After that, I found out the Masterclass was actually a competition. I've said that those participants who fail to complete a task before the given deadline will be disqualified from further engagement in the group. Those who complete the course successfully gain a title of TR Instructor. However, the major surprise's yet to come - the ones who complete the course will be faced with a new challenge: 50 best students, chosen by Sato, will enter the finale, that will be held in February 2013. The finale will last 90 days, it will be open to public and an audience will be a jury which will select the best five finalists. The audience will be able to challenge the participants as well.

If you'd like to follow the finale, visit the Facebook page TR Platforms Final 2013, where you can see works of the finalists selected from the previous masterclass groups. Sato invited the audience to join in, so I'm passing you the invitation.

I'll be honest with you, I'd love to enter the finale, but it's too soon to think about it. For now, my goal is to learn as much as possible and to give my best, so whatever will be, will be.

TR Masterklas - zadaci 3 i 4 / TR Masterclass - tasks 3 and 4

Ovo će biti kratak post, bez mnogo reči. Danas imam da pokažem dva nova rada, gde je cilj da se odeći doda volumen i trodimenzionalnost kroz nabore i valove.

This is a short post, with not many words. I have two works to show you today. The task was to add a volume and dimension to a garment, using gathers and flounces. 

Zmijsko telo / Snake's body

Nestrpljivo čekajući sledeći zadatak za TR masterklas, morala sam nečim da uposlim ruke, pa sam uzela da šijem haljinu. Trenutno izgleda ovako - fale joj rajsferšlus, rukavi, postava, porub. Haljina je zamalo završila u kanti, jer sam bila nezadvoljna njenim izgledom pre no što je prošla kroz ozbiljan makeover proces.

While impatiently waiting for the next TR Masterclass task, I had to make my hands busy with something, so I started sewing a dress. Currently it looks like this - it needs a zipper, sleeves, lining, hemming. The dress almost ended in a trash, because I hated haw it looked before the extreme makeover.

Ne znam da li se vama dešava da ste preplavljeni gomilom ideja, i da ne možete da se odlučite koju da odaberete i realizujete. Mene ovakvi momenti povremeno dohvate i u takvim situacijama najčešće odustanem od bilo kakvog rada, jer nisam u stanju da se skoncentrišem. Međutim, ovaj put sam MORALA nešto da šijem (to je ona grozničava potreba da uposlite ruke, kao da vam život zavisi od toga), pa sam uspela da odaberem, čini mi se, najgoru od svih ideja koje su mi se vrzmale po glavi. 

Dakle, htela sam da napravim haljinu od materijala koji imam već neko vreme. Tkanina, kao što vidite, ima zmijski print, koji je za moj ukus pomalo riskantan i spada u kategoriju nezgodnih dezena, tj. ukoliko se ne iskoristi na dobar način. Nisam znala kako da malo "umirim zmiju" sve dok nisam, pukim slučajem, stavila materijal do maslinasto - braonkastog pamuka koji sam nedavno kupila. Tada mi je sinulo da bi par detalja u kontrastnom materijalu umirilo divljinu printa. 

Do you have those moments when you're overwhelmed with a bunch of ideas and you can't decide which one to materialize? Well, I suffer from these moments from time to time, and in these situations I usually give up on any work, due to lack of concentration. However, this time I HAD to sew something (you know that agonizing need to keep your hands busy, as if your life depend on it), so I managed to pick the worst of all ideas that I had.

So, I wanted to make a dress using a fabric I had had in my stash for some time. The fabric, as you see, has a snake print, which is IMHO a bit risky and in a category of those fabrics that don't forgive wrong choice of garment style. I had no idea how to "tame the snake" until I, quite coincidentally,  put the fabric next to the olive-brownish cotton from a recent purchase. It was then that I realized that a few details in a contrasting fabric would calm down a bit the wilderness of the print.

Sa tom idejom na pameti, krenula sam da smišljam kroj koji bi najbolje ukombinovao dva materijala. I, u svemu tome, uspela dam da odaberem najgori mogući :-). Krenula sam od Nora haljine, tj. njene varijacije koju sam šila prošle godine. Varijacija je lepa, nemojte pogrešno da me razumete, ali ne u kombinaciji koju sam ja odabrala. Iskrojila sam rukave od jednobojnog materijala, a prednje i zednje delove bluze od tkanine sa printom. Ova kombinacija ni na koji način nije umirila zmjski print, već je ga je naglasila na užasan način. Izgledala sam kao da sam ukombinovala Star Trek uniformu sa zmijskom kožom. Nimalo elegantno niti ženstveno, već kostimirano. 

Having that idea on my mind, I started thinking of a pattern that would combine the two fabrics the best. While brainstorming of it, I managed to choose the worst possible pattern :-). I started with the Nora dress (that is - its variation), that I made last year. Don't get me wrong, I like the variation, but not in the combination I chose. I cut the sleeves out of the plain fabric and the bodice out of the snake print. The combination did not tame the snake print, but enhanced  it instead, in an awful way. I looked as if I mixed Star Trek uniform with a snake skin. Not elegant nor feminine, but costumed like.

Potpuno užasnuta rezultatom, napravila sam haos od dnevne sobe dok nisam našla rešenje. U par navrata apsolutne histerije, haljina je zamalo završila u kanti. Ne bi mi ovo bio prvi neuspeli poduhvat. Imam ih zapravo mnogo više nego što to možda izgleda, jer izbegavam da pišem o sopstvenom fijasku - previše sam sujetna da bih priznala da mi se i to dešava :-). Ipak, u ovom slučaju, nisam želela da bacim materijal koji mi se jako sviđao, i koji sam mesecima merkala za neku lepu haljinu. To nije bila opcija koju sam sebi mogla da dopustim. I tako, haos u sobi je smirio haos u glavi... Našla sam kroj koji sam mogla da ukombinujem sa iskrojenim delovima Nora haljine - Burda 5/2011, #128. Izmenila sam Nora haljinu, pa sam izmenila varijaciju Nora haljine, pa prešla na treći kroj, koji sam takođe menjala.... sve u svemu, ova haljina biće pravi bućkuriš, ili kako na engleskom zovu ovakvke krojeve - Frankenpattern.

Bučkuriš ili ne, meni se sada haljina sviđa! A to je najbitnije... Na slikama možete videti kako stoji na lutki. Iznenađujuće, na slikama se ne vidi koliko je lutki ova haljina velika - u struku i kukovima. Velika joj je i na grudima, ali sam navukla na lutku brushalter sa punjenjem, pa sam joj malo popunila poprsje.

Sve u svemu, za koji dan planiram da završim haljinu, nadam se da će biti gotova za subotnji rođendan na koji idem.

Being completely horrified by the result, I made a chaos in my living room until I reached a solution to the problem. In a few moments of total hysteria, the dress almost ended in a trash bin. This wouldn't be my first failure. Actually, I have more waders than you might think, but I avoid writing about them - I guess I am too wain to admit I have these moments too :-). However, in this case I didn't want to toss away the fabric I liked so much; that wasn't an option. So, the chaos in my living room stopped the chaos in my head... I found a pattern I could combine with the cut out pieces of the Nora dress - BWOF 5/2011, #128. I altered the Nora dress, then I changed the variation of the Nora dress, then I used a third pattern that was also altered... all in all, this dress will be a true Frankenpattern.

Frankenpattern or not, I like the dress now! That's the most important thing.. You can see on pictures how the dress looks on my dress form. Surprisingly, you can't see how big the dress is on the dummy. 

I plan finishing the dress in a couple of days, hopefully by Saturday, as I planned wearing it on a birthday party I'm going to.

TR masterklas zadatak br. 2 / TR masterclass task no. 2

Obećala sam da ću vas infromisati o napretku TR masterklasa. Drugi zadatak je podrazumevao  da u spostvenoj interpretaciji primenimo osnovne TR principe. Inspiracija mi je bila farba koja se razliva niz telo. Potražila sam par sličica na netu kako bih dobila pravi oblik koji me zanimao, nalik na donje dve ilustacije.

I promised I'd inform you about the TR masterclass progress. The second task was making a personal interpretation by using basic TR principles. An inspiration was a paint that melts down the body. I looked on internet for some pictures that would give me the shape I needed, like the two illustarions bellow.

 

A evo kako izgleda moja bluza (tj. njena desna polovina). Ova ideja mi se jako dopala i već zamišljam letnju haljinu sa ovakvim detaljima.

And here's how my blouse looks (that is - its right half). I liked the idea very much and I'm envisioning a summer dress with these details already.

A evo i kroja, ako vas zanima. Izgleda mi kao morska trava ili neka meduza :-).

And here's the pattern, in case you're interested. It looks like sea grass to me, or like some jellyfish :-).

Dopuna tekstu, kao odgovor na Klodinino pitanje: ovaj model nije napravljen tehnikom našivanja aplikacije preko postojeće bluze, već crni i zeleni delovi čine kroj. Dakle, svi oblici koje vidite su nastali spajanjem sva krojna dela u jednu celinu. A evo dokaza.

Update to reply to Claudine's question: the model wasn't made by sewing an applique onto a darted bodice, but instead the black and green panels form a pattern. Therefore, all the shapes you see were made by sewing two pattern pieces into one whole. And here't the proof.

Ovaj kurs me jako inspiriše. Osećam se kao dete, jer je sve kreativna igra. Jedva čekam da vidim šta je sledeći zadatak!

I am very inspired by the course. I feel like a child, since everything seems to be a creative play. I can't wait to see what the next task will be!

Par informacija o krojačkoj lutki

To English language readers: this post is related to dress form stores located in Belgrade, Serbia. I suppose you're not interested in these information, so I won't translate them to English.

Posle današnjeg posta par čitateljki me pitalo gde sam kupila krojačku lutku, pa evo par informacija na tu temu.

Moja lutka je kupiljena u Stilo Enterijerima, TC Piramida. Kostala je sa PDV-om oko 9.300din. Imaju samo jednu velicinu, 36-38. Lutka je od stiropora, presvucena triko materijalom i može se podešavati visina, tj. njen položaj na stalku. Više informacija možete naći ovde.

Vihor Trade takođe prodaje krojačke lutke, podesive za različite veličine. Cena je 16.200din. Razmišljala sam se da dam malo više novca i kupim podesivu lutku, ali nisam mogla da nađem informaciju o tome da li je lutka od plastike ili nekog mekšeg materijala. Ovo mi je bitno zbog mogućnosti da ubadam špenadle u lutku. Na žalost, nisam dobila odgovor na email koji sam im poslala, pa nisam htela da rizikujem. 

Transformation & Reconstruction Masterclass

Dragi čitaoci, imam sjajne vesti da podelim sa vama. Upisala sam se na online masterklas kurs koji vodi Shingo Sato lično! Pre desetak dana sam na Facebook-u videla da Sato formira novu grupu za masterklas i rešila da se prijavim. Kurs je namenjen modnim kreatorima i studentima dizajna, tako da sam se pitala da li ću se kvalifikovati, budući da nemam formalno obrazovanje iz dizajna. Zamislite moje oduševljenje kada sam dobila potvrdan odgovor! Kurs traje 3 meseca, tj. 90 dana i, zamislite, besplatan je! Baš sam imala sreće. Oni koji prate ovaj blog malo duže, znaju da sam nekoliko puta ostajala bez teksta pred Satovim majstorijama, a čak sam se i oprobala u TR (Transformation & Reconstruction) tehnici pre dve godine, kada sam sašila ovu suknju.

Dear readers, I have some great news to share with you. I enrolled to an online masterclass held by Shingo Sato himself! Some 10 days ago I saw on Facbook Sato formed a new masterclass group and decided to apply for it. The course is intended for fashion designers and design students, and I wondered if I qualified for it since I had no design education. Imagine my thrill when I got the positive answer! The course lasts 3 months, 90 days to be more precise, and it's free of charge! I was so lucky. Those of you who've been following this blog since I started it know that Sato made me speechless more than once with his craftsmanship, and I tried myself the TR (Transformation & Reconstruction) technique two years ago when I made this skirt.

Međutim, ova priča nije prošla bez peripetija. Kada sam se prijavila za kurs, imala sam već isplanirano putovanje u Rim, na medeni mesec (o tome ću kasnije), ali kako je najavljeno da će zadaci startovati od 17. Novembra, sračunala sam da imam sasvim dovoljno vremena da, po povratku s puta (dan pre početka kursa), kupim krojačku lutku, kao i materijal koji mi treba. Zamislite moj šok kada sam na putu shvatila da najkasnije do 16. Novembra moramo da postavimo slike skrojenog osnovnog modela za bluzu bez rukava, inače ćemo biti diskvalifikovani! Počela sam manično da jurim sve moguće informacije o tome gde mogu najlakše da nabavim krojačku lutku (otuda moj prethodni post). Bila sam u iskušenju da donesem jednu iz Italije, ali mislim da bi bio prevelik maltretman doneti lutku kući avionom. Zato sam se odlučila da ipak pazarim u Beogradu, a angažovala sam roditelje (hvala mama i tata!) da obave kupovinu umesto mene, kako bih pravo iz aviona sela za mašinu. Inače, pomenutu radnju iz prethodnog posta sam našla poslednje večeri u Rimu, kada su moji roditelji već imali lutku kod sebe. Nisam želela da dođem u situaciju da se možda pokajem, pa nisam ni ušla u prodavnicu da vidim šta sve imaju u ponudi.

However, this story had its twists and turns. When I applied for the course I had already had planned a trip to Rome, Italy, for a honeymoon (I'll write about this later), and since the course announcement said the course would start on November 17th, I figured I had enough time to buy a dress form and some fabrics after I get back home (which was a day before the course started). Now, imagine my shock when I realized I was supposed to post pictures of a sewed sleeveless blouse sloper to Facebook no later than November 16th, or I would have been disqualified! I started gathering all the information about the dress form in a panic (therefore my previous post). I considered an option to bring the form from Italy, but I realized it would be too much of a hustle to carry it through the airport. So I decided to buy the form in Belgrade, and asked my parents (thanks mom and dad!) to do the shopping for me, so that I could sew straight on when coming home from the airport. Just so you know, I found the shop I mentioned in my previous post on my last night in Rome, when my parents had the form at their place. I didn't want to let myself regret for the decision I had made, so I didn't even enter the shop to see what it had to offer.

Lutka je malo uža od mene, budući da je veličina 36-38, a ja sam 38-40. Mislim da će mi gornji deo odgovarati, ali da ću morati da je malo popunim u kukovima i još više u zadnjici, pošto nema šanse da smršam toliko :-). Na žalost, nije podesiva za različite mere, ali pretpostavljam da to i nije prevelik problem. Pre neki dan sam sa uživanjem direktno na lutki pravila osnovni kroj za bluzu - tehnika o kojoj sam do sada samo čitala - i gle čuda, sve je mnogo lakše nego kada modelujem direktno na sebi!

The form is slightly narrower than me, since it's size 36-38, and I'm 38-40. I think the top part will suit me, while I'll have to stuff the bottom part of if, especially the rear since there's no chance I loose that much of a weight :-). Unfortunately, it's not an adjustable form, but it's not a big deal to me. The other day I enjoyed drafting the basic bodice sloper directly on the form - a technique I've only read about so far - and, by miracle, it's far more easier than drafting on myself!

Kao što rekoh, kurs traje 90 dana, a u grupi nas ima 40. Svakih par dana dobijamo novi zadatak od Satoa, sa detaljnim instrukcijama u vidu video klipova. Ono što nisam ranije znala je da su ti video klipovi ekskluzivno dostupni samo polaznicima kursa, i to u kratkom periodu koji nam je na raspolaganju da završimo zadatak. Jednom kada rok za zadatak istekne, filmovi se brišu i više nam nisu na raspolaganju. Takođe, zadaci su diskvalitivnog karaktera, tj. oni učesnici koji ne ispune zadatak na vreme se iksljučuju iz daljeg rada. Trenutno smo na zadatku broj 1, koji ovako izgleda u mojoj interpretaciji. Facebook grupa preko koje komuniciramo sa Satoom je zatvorenog tipa, tako da vam ne mogu proslediti link da vidite kako ostali učesnici rade.

As I said, the course lasts 90 days, and there are 40 of us in a group. Every few days Sato gives us a new task with detailed instructions in a form of video clips. Now I realized these films are exclusively available only to the course attendants, during the short period of time we have to accomplish the given task. Once we reach the deadline, the clips are being deleted and no longer available to us. The attendants of the masterclass can be disqualified by Sato if they fail to accomplish the task in given time. We are currently working on the task no. 1, which looks like this in my interpretation. The Facebook group we use to communicate with Sato is closed for public, so I can't share its link with you, and you can't see the other people's work.

Veoma sam počastvovana prilikom da učim od velemajstora svog zanata, i nadam se da sam dovoljno dorasla zadatku i izazovu u koji se upuštam. Obaveštavaću vas o progresu i svojim utiscima. Za sada, mislim da sam okružena žestokom konkurencijom i veoma ambicioznim polaznicima, što dodatno inspiriše moj takmičarski duh.

I am very honored by a chance to learn from the master and I hope I am up with the task and the challenge I took. I'll inform you of the progress and my impressions. So far, I think I'm surrounded by some very skillful and ambitious guys, which inspires my competitive spirit.

Hitno potrebna pomoć čitalaca / Readers' help needed

Dragi čitaoci, potrebna mi je vaša pomoć, ukoliko možete da me uputite. Dakle, nalazim se u Rimu, i pre neko veče sam prošla pored prodavnice krojačkih lutki. Međutim, sada ne mogu nikako da se setim gde se ista nalazila, i potreban mi je vodič kroz Rim, ukoliko takav postoji među vama. Ako se ne varam, prodavnica se nalazila blizu Termini stanice (tu nam je lociran hotel, pa pretpostavljam da sam negde u blizini videla prodavnicu). Stvar je prilično hitna, pošto ostajem u Rimu do 16. Novembra. Bila bih vam jako zahvalna ako biste mogli da me uputite.

Dear readers, I need your help. I'm staying in Rome, Italy, at the moment. A few nights ago I saw a lovely dress forms' store somewhere in the town, but now I can't remember where it was. I need a guide through Rome to help me find the store. If I'm right, the store was located close to the Termini station (that's where our hotel is, and I suppose that's where I saw the store). The thing is quite urgent, since we're leaving Rome on November 16th. I'd appreciate your help.

Moja venčanica / My wedding dress

Dragi čitaoci, desio se i taj dan! Uz sve trzavice i odlaganje, D. i ja se venčasmo. Bilo je zaista lepo, mada moram priznati da sam imala tremu i da se nekih detalja sa venčanja uopšte ne sećam. Uzbuđenje je učinilo svoje. 

Dear readers, it happened! With all the troubles and delays, D. and I got married. It was really nice, though I have to admit I was quite nervous, and can't remember some details from the wedding. The thrill did its thing.

Već sam vam ranije pisala o svom stavu prema venčanicama, tako da se neću ponavljati. Haljina koju sam nosila je bila, pre svega, jednostavna. Koristila sam kroj iz italijanskog časopisa La Mia Boutique 7/1997, #16. Za ovaj kroj sam posebno vezana jer sam isti šila pre dosta godina, još dok sam bila gimnazijalka, i u to vreme je ta haljina bila nešto najlepše što sam napravila. Kada mi je haljina postala tesna, dugo sam je držala u ormanu, nadajući se da ću je jednog dana ponovo nositi. Međutim, to se nije desilo (a sada mi je drago zbog toga - ranije sam bila premršava!), pa sam haljinu teška srca poklonila nekome ko je mogao da je obuče. No, ja od onda maštam o novoj verziji iste haljine. Tačnije, napravila sam u međuvremenu još jednu haljinu po istom kroju, ali sam koristila lan sa dezenom, koji je potpuno progutao kroj, pa haljina nije bila ni blizu efektna kao njena prethodnica. Pre koju godinu našla sam prelep beli pamuk sa zanimljivim vezom, koji je bio idealan baš za ovaj kroj. Kupila sam ga bez mnogo dileme, ali je tkanina stajala dugo u ormanu, jer nisam našla adekvatnu priliku za haljinu koja ima golišava leđa. 

I wrote about my thoughts on wedding dresses, so I won't repeat myself. The dress I wore was, among all, a very simple one. I used a pattern from the Italian magazine La Mia Boutique 7/1997, #16. I am attached to this model because I sewed the same pattern a long time ago, while I was at high school. At the time it was the prettiest garment I'd made. When the dress became too tight to wear it, I kept it in a closet for a long time, hoping I would wear it again some day. However, that never happened (now I'm glad about that now - I was too skinny before!), so I gave away the dress to someone who could wear it, but I was heartbroken. Ever since I've been thinking of remaking the dress. Actually, I sewed another dress meanwhile, using a patterned linen, which swallowed the pattern lines and the dress turned out as a pale variation of the original. A few years ago I bought a gorgeous white embroidered cotton that was perfect for the pattern. However, the fabric stayed in my stash for a long time, since I couldn't find the right occasion to wear a dress with (half) naked back.

Unapred se izvinjavan što slike nisu najbolje - verujte mi da nisam mnogo razmišljala o tome kako ću pisati članak na blogu, i da li će slike adekvatno ilustrovati sve detalje haljine. Originalan kroj sam blago izmenila - skratila sam suknju do dužine blago ispod kolena. Osim toga, morala sam malo da izmenim izrez oko vrata, jer mi je stajao previsoko. Haljina je izuzetno udobna, što je jako bitno ako morate u njoj da provedete ceo dan. Kompletno je postavljena tankim belim pamukom, kako se ne bi providila.

I apologize for the not so good pictures -at the time I didn't think of the blog and posting nor of whether the pictures would show all the details. I slightly altered the original pattern - I shortened the skirt slightly bellow my knees. Also, I had to reshape the neckline, since it seat to high. The dress is extremely comfortable, which is important if you have to spend a whole day wearing it. It is completely lined with a thin white cotton.

I evo par snimaka s leđa, gde se krije iznenađenje - otvor na lumbalnom delu. Svi su bili prilično iznenađeni ovim detaljem, jer haljina spreda izgleda prilično konzervativno. Ali, to je trik koji me posebno oduševljava kod haljine, i što ubija monotoniju, a da pri tom ništa nije preterano.

Here are a few photos of the back, where a surprise was - a hole on a lower back. Everybody was quite surprised by this detail, since the dress looked rather conservative from the front. But that was the trick that fascinated me on this dress - it killed the monotony, while not revealing too much.

Na žalost, na slikama se ne vidi detalj koji sam izvezla providnim perlama. Koristila sam konturu vezenog motiva, i popunila ga perlicama, da dodam haljini malo glamurozniju notu. Detalj se nalazi napred, iznad desnog kolena.

Unfortunately, you can't see on the photos a detail that I embroidered with glass beads. I used a contour of the embroidered motif, and beaded it with pearls, to give the dress a glamorous note. The detail is positioned on front, above the right knee.

Uz haljinu sam nosila laneni blejzer u koralno crvenoj boji, koji se slaže sa cipelama. Dan je bio prilično sunčan i topao, pa sam jaknu ubrzo skinula, a ovo je najbolja fotografija koju imam da vam pokažem. Zato ću napraviti poseban post o njoj, kao i o kompletu koji sam šila za mamu.

I wore a coral red jacket with the dress, and which matches my shoes. The day was rather sunny and warm, so I took off the jacket, and this is the best photo I can show you. Therefore, I'll write a separate post about it, as well about the suit I made for my mom.