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.