Completed Batik Trousers

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Tadaa! These trousers are not bad for my first try at batik. I’m still not sure if I like the way the batik design turned out. See this post and read the comments for a little info on my batiking process. I may dye over it when the wax wears off after a few washes. I like the shape of the trousers, and I’ve learned enough about batik to be fairly certain that my next batik project will be more like what I originally envision. This project is a qualified success.

The pattern is Burdastyle 2/2012 104. Since it is only January 2012 at this point, this qualifies as a pattern from the future, but it really reminds me of a design from my past. Specifically, my favorite trousers from 1988. High, cut-on waist, pleats, narrow hem. The high waist is so different from any other trousers that I currently own that it may take some getting used to.

The fabric is a very beefy silk twill. It started out white.

back view

Waist detail on the trousers. The pattern is Burdastyle 2/2012 104.

The process. That's a tjanting tool.

This is my wax heating setup. Surprisingly, my house did not burn down.

GPOYW — Theme Party

This is a good photo. Normally, I hate photos of me where I'm looking at the camera, especially if I'm smiling. This one came out well. I suppose it helps that I piled on the warpaint.

I love the challenge of getting dressed for a theme party. This one was college themed, and guests were supposed to wear something from their university. These parameters are a bit problematic for me for 3 reasons.
1. I don’t own anything with the name of my university
2. My one unbreakable rule of dressing is that I never wear anything with a logo on it.
3. The university that I attended has recently become infamous, and I was pretty sure I did not want to listen to Sandusky jokes all evening long.

So I took a fashion cue from John Belushi and screen printed “College” on a black shirt. I’m wearing it with a lace cardigan and fur skirt (not pictured).

This photo was taken on Saturday evening.

Ikat Dye and Weaving Class

The Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn is running an Ikat Dye and Weaving class, starting next week. If you are in the area, you might want to consider registering for it. Ikat is one craft that I have been itching to learn. Unfortunately, getting to Brooklyn in the evening just is not going to happen for me. I’m hoping that the class is popular enough that perhaps they will consider offering it in their Manhattan location.

I took their Shibori with Indigo class several months ago, and it was a very pleasant experience. The teacher was game for any and all wacky projects that the students wanted to do with shibori and indigo.

Batik Progress

Batik is harder than it looks. It’s becoming clear to me that it requires a bit of practice for a good result. One issue with the trousers that I am making is that the fabric is too thick. It is an amazingly thick silk twill. I thought that, because it’s silk, that it would suck the wax up, but mostly the wax sat on top of the fabric when I was applying it. I ironed the wax to get it to soak in, with limited success.

Before applying the wax, I sewed the pockets and side seams. I wanted the motifs to cross the side seams.

Another issue is that I was a bit of a wimp about heating the wax. When the wax started getting too hot (as evidenced by alarming popping noises coming from the can), I blew out the candle underneath that I was using to heat it. It seems like the wax absorbed better when it was hotter, though. I may try this again when the weather is warmer, and I can work outside.

Here are some photos of my progress:

project with wax applied, before dyeing.

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the result so far

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This is one of the better motifs

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This shows that part that's the closest to what I had in mind

Here’s my inspiration photo:

my inspiration photo

Batik

I’m batiking today. I’ll let you know how it goes. Oh, and that setup in the background, where the wax is melting in a cut-off pop can perched on a fondue warmer? It works, but I can’t recommend it because it may burn the house down.

GPOYW Big Sweater and Pencil Skirt

skirt blogged here, Free People sweater, Pucci scarf, ancient boots.

2 Banana Peels

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My slippers are probably the item in my wardrobe that gets worn the most. They are on my feet constantly the entire time I am in the house.

About a year ago, I drafted a slipper pattern that works for me. I made one pair that was a little too tight, then got it right with the second pair. Yesterday, I took apart one of that pair to make myself some new slippers.

I used some scraps that I had around. The upper is a purple cotton velvet in an upholstery weight, lined with polar fleece. The sole is leather salvaged from a leather jacket that I bought at a tag sale ages ago. The insole is 2 layers of wool. There’s a wool melton left over from a cape that I made, and cashmere salvaged from socks. I love cashmere socks, but they just don’t last. When the feel are entirely worn through, I save the rest for other projects, like this one.

Here's the "before" picture of my old slippers

Here's the slipper after I've been wearing it for a year or so.

leather soles

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GPOYW 01112012

My 5-year-old daughter staged and took this photo with her digital camera that she got for Christmas!

Retrofuture Air Hostess

Orange juice or Champagne, sir?

This top is a blatent knockoff of a top in January Vogue. The Vogue top, oddly enough, is from H&M. After I completed this project, I realized that I probably could have headed to the H&M in the local mall to see if it was there and save the trouble of making it. Somehow, it just seems easier to use some fabric that I have lying about and make it myself. I started with a Vogue pattern, 1084, and changed it considerably to get the lines I wanted. I chose this pattern because it has the shoulder that I wanted, and that’s a difficult thing to get right.

The fabric is a lovely cotton sateen. I bought it at a warehouse (London Textiles in Cherry Hill NJ). They have great prices and quality, but terrible lighting. I thought the darker color was black when I bought it, but when I got it home, I realized that it’s dark brown. I have a lot of it, and I may try to use color remover and dye the rest of it. Anyway, it’s perfect for this project, and a nice contrast to the tan color. The tan is also a cotton sateen.

Since I had some extra fabric, I self-lined the skirt to add a bit of heft to it. The top is unlined, with serged seams, except for the peplum part. The peplum is self-lined. It has a side zipper, which makes it rather difficult to pull over my head. It’s definitely the kind of thing that I need to put on before I do my hair. I put lingerie carriers at the shoulder seams.

back view

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Front View. I'm wearing false eyelashes, which look nice in the photo. In person, they are extreme.

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lingerie carrier at shoulder seam.

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Zipper detail. If I were to do this again, I would insert the zipper upside down, opening at the bottom edge. It's hard to pull over my head the way it is.

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My Christmas Present

Lastly, let me wish you a Happy New Year and I hope Santa brought you everything you want. He brought me this ring, which I just love. As I age further, my hands may begin to resemble the talons on the ring more and more. One of my sewing teachers at FIT, an older gentleman, had very talon-like hands. I see my future.

Christmas Nails

The green is Essie Going Incognito; the red sparkle is Opi Gettin Miss Piggy With It. Plaid trousers blogged here; lace cardigan blogged here.