Textile O Rama -- Japanese Ikat (Kasuri)

I recently unearthed some fabrics I bought from the now-defunct Kasuri Dyeworks in Berkeley maybe 13 or 14 years ago. This was during my obsessive quilting phase and I am so glad I made the pilgrimage to Kasuri Dyeworks before it closed.

The fabrics I unearthed were mostly Japanese ikats, or kasuri. There was one piece, in particular, that I paid a goodly sum for. These fabrics are typically 14-inches wide (suitable for kimono).

First, take a look at this particular fabric that I bought:



and here is a closeup:



What is amazing about this fabric, is that the indigo dye is applied to the thread before the fabric has been woven. Imagine the accuracy that must go into this process! Now, there are other cultures, such as several in South America, that also use this ikat process, but the resulting woven fabric, while beautiful, does not have the same impressive accuracy of high quality kasuri. And if the technical difficulty wasn't high enough, the traditional kasuri changes the design every several inches, as you can clearly see on my length of fabric.

Gorgeous. I originally bought this fabric thinking I might use it in a quilt, but it was pricey. I recall that this piece (which included one repeat of each of the designs) cost me over $100. Yes, expensive, but certainly worth it for the craftsmanship. However, I chickened out, I guess, because the fabric was lovingly put away and never used.

Now that I have brought it out again, I know I can never cut it. It's too amazing, too precious. So, I may hem the ends and turn it into a table runner. I think the fabric might enjoy that, so long as I keep drippy candles away from it. :)

I recently bought a Japanese fabric that very much reminded me of the traditional kasuri. In this case, every several inches it changes the weave to produce a different pattern. It is a stretch woven fabric, containing a fairly high percentage of lycra.



This fabric is actually black, though it appears to be charcoal in this photo. And, unlike the kasuri, this fabric has been cut and is being sewn up into a top. I'll be posting it once it's finished and I can corral a child into photographing it. :)

Technique -- Machine Dyeing using Procion Dyes

One of my passions is dyeing fabric. I love love to dye fabric. I first experimented with fabric dyeing years ago in a Wearable Art class I took at Canada College. Later, when I started quilting, I became obsessed with gradation dyeing. I bought muslin by the bolt and dyed yards and yards, back in the day. Later, when my children attended a Waldorf kindergarten, I used the same Procion Dyes to dye silks, particularly 36" silk scarves, which are de rigeur playthings for every Waldorf child. I donated many many colorful silk scarves to school fundraisers and I still have a large bag of these in my garage.

Now, I hate to call myself lazy, but I have a certain philosophy regarding... economizing my effort. Simplify simplify. I long ago gave up hand dyeing and started dyeing fabrics in my washing machine. It's so much easier!

If you have been intimidated by dyeing in the past because of all the calculations and effort, really, it doesn't have to be that hard. Yes, if you are going into business and want to produce consistent results, you will have to weigh your fabric, weigh your dyes, estimate your water, make precise calculations, use a consistent fabric, and so on. But, for those of us who want to dye the odd piece of fabric, who cares?

However, before beginning, you need to get into the correct mindset. If you go into this wanting a specific shade or a specific color, you should proceed with caution. It's best to approach this endeavor with a spirit of adventure and open mindedness – "close enough is good enough." With this attitude, you will find that it's fun. It's really really fun. If you hate the results, you can over dye the fabric again, use it for testing patterns, or gift it to someone else who can appreciate a hand dyed fabric in that particular shade. :)

I started machine dyeing using the method on the Dharma Trading website (my favorite vendor for procuring my supplies). I thought I would walk you through my process, so you can see where I have employed my shortcuts on their method.

Why Fiber Reactive Procion dyes? Well, these were my first introduction to dyes because that's what my teacher, Mary Lou Lange, used. She used them because she had good results with them. They are colorfast, easy to use in cold water, and they come in lots of pretty colors. They come in powder form and last forever. I am still using dyes I bought 15 years ago with no degradation or other problems.

You don't have to start with white or natural-colored fabric. If you have a fabric that you like, is a natural fiber (or partly natural), but you hate the color, why not try dyeing it? Except in this case, it's called over-dyeing. You just might love the results.



In my case, I had a very uninspiring 100% cotton knit in an oatmeal color with light grey flecks. Blech. This was not a high quality fabric and had been sitting around the fabric store for a long time. I bought a bit over 2 yards for $2 a yard, thinking I could use it for a wearable muslin. It took me awhile to decide what color to dye it. I have quite a few dye colors and don't want to buy any more, though if I did, I think I would have to get that new Oxblood Red color. (By the way, I have NO affiliation with Dharma or Procion.)

I was "feeling" a berry color as I am often told how flattering it is on me, but the only reds I had on hand were Chinese Red and Fire Red, neither of which were calling to me, so I decided to experiment and mix the Fire Red (#10) with a bit of Navy Blue (#24). If you look at the color chart you will see that some colors have an asterisk beside them and some have two. This means that you need more of those dyes to achieve the saturation shown on the sample chart. One asterisk means twice as much dye and two asterisks means four times as much.

You also have to take the type of fabric into account. Silk loves dyes and absorbs them readily, as does rayon. Cotton can be a bit more problematic. A long-staple cotton can take dyes well, unless it has been treated by something that will inhibit the dye, such as a permanent press finish, but some cottons that are more "slubby", made from a shorter staple thread (like my knit) can be more resistant to accepting the dye.

This is where calculations might intimidate you. Don't let them. I had two-plus yards of a cotton knit plus one diaper. Why a diaper? Well, for 17 years now I have been using cloth diapers as rags. When I make up a dye bath, I throw in a diaper or two, or maybe a pillowcase, just because it makes me smile. :) I don't do more than that because I don't want those extra fabrics to "steal" too much of the dye.

Anyway, for such a small amount of fabric, I use the Small setting on my washer. (You do need a top-loading washing machine for dyeing fabrics because the fabric needs to be submerged at all times. It's why I will never buy a front loading washing machine.)

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A note about using powdered dyes: you want to be careful around the undissolved dye. You do not want to be inhaling this stuff. When I used to do a lot of dyeing, I would wear a mask and gloves. Now that I dye fabrics very very rarely, I am more casual about these precautions. However, once I open the dye container, I hold it away from my face, and breathe very shallowly during the actual slurry-making process. Once I have measured the dyes into the cup, I place the lid firmly back on the dye container and place it back on the shelf. I do not wait and risk a possible spillage. Once the dye is mixed and added to the dye bath, I wash down the area where I was measuring the dye. Any residual grains of powdered dye can be very problematic the next time I wash a load of light colored clothing. :) I also immediately wash the cup and spoon used to mix the dye.

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The following steps describe how to create a fabric similar to mine:

• Assemble your tools and supplies: Procion Dyes in your chosen color, salt, soda ash fixer, fabric, washing machine, empty gallon jug (for mixing salt water and soda ash solution), cup (for mixing dye), spoon (I use a standard plastic spoon). Optional: urea, synthropol, mask, gloves.
  
• Prewash and dry the fabric to remove sizing, dirt, etc. You can use synthropol or you can wash it as you normally do.
  
• Dissolve the salt in warm water. I used one cylindrical carton of Morton's salt from the grocery store for this project, which is about 2.5 cups. You might notice that the instructions call for non-iodized salt. I have dyed hundreds of yards over the years with regular iodized salt and had no problems whatsoever, but if you have non-iodized, you might want to use that for "best results." I would be curious to know how non-iodized salt improves the process.
  
• Set your washer to a Small load (for this small amount of fabric, I've also used extra large loads for large amounts of fabric) and Warm/Cool. Start the cycle so that the tub begins to fill.
  
• Add the dissolved salt to the washing machine.
  
• Mix your dye. In my case, I measured three heaping spoons (using a regular plastic spoon) of Fire Red (#10) into a cup. Had I wanted a very deep color, I would have used twice as much since this is an asterisk'd color, but I was economizing on my dye. To that, I added one half of a heaping spoon of Navy Blue (#24). (It was probably about 1.5 teaspoons by Imperial measure.) I then added a small amount of warm water and stirred with the plastic spoon to make a slurry. I then added a bit more water and stirred some more. Continue adding warm water in small increments until the dye is completely dissolved. For years I used plain warm water, but if you first dissolve urea into that warm water, it can minimize lumping. You do not want any lumps. If in doubt, strain the solution through a piece of silk or a coffee filter. Once the dye is dissolved, I add additional water – in total, I add about 1 cup of warm water to the dye mixture.
  
• Add the dissolved dye to the washing machine.
  
• Let the machine agitate for a minute or two.
  
• Add the fabric to the machine.
  
• Re-set the machine to start from the beginning of the cycle. My machine has a 15 minute agitation cycle. You want to agitate the fabric for 20 minutes before adding the soda ash solution, so I set a separate timer for 15 minutes to remind myself to re-set the machine to the beginning of the cycle before it empties out my precious dye bath.
  
• While the fabric is agitating, mix up the soda ash solution. The soda ash is essential to this process – it "fixes" the dye to the fabric in a chemical bond – this is why the dye is so colorfast. I added roughly 1/3 cup (I didn't bother measuring) to my gallon jug and then filled it about halfway with warm water. Put the lid on and shake it up to thoroughly dissolve.
  
• Once the fabric has agitated for 20 minutes, start adding the soda ash solution. You may notice that Dharma recommends doing this over a 15 minute period. This is too tedious for me, so I add it over a 2 minute period: I add some, let it agitate, add some more, let it agitate, add the rest.
  
• The fabric needs to agitate for 30 - 60 minutes, depending on how saturated you want the results to be. For this oatmeal fabric, I agitated for over 60 minutes. I take my timer with me everywhere I go in the house so I don't forget to re-set the washer before it empties.
  
• After the fabric has agitated the desired length of time, let the washing machine finish the cycle.
  
• Wash out the residual dye. I usually leave the fabric in the washer and put it through one or two regular cycles, with detergent or synthropol. (I typically prewash the fabric in regular detergent and use synthropol for the post-dyeing cycles.) Dry the fabric as desired. (I throw it into the dryer.)
  

To be on the safe side, after machine dyeing, I wash only dark loads for two or three loads. I've never had a problem, but I like to be safe. :) Voila. I will use this berry-colored fabric to test out one of the new patterns in my pile, like maybe the Fuji Mountain top. :)

Vogue 1018 - Sandra Betzina Skirt (#2)

I've repeated myself! I liked this Sandra Betzina skirt so much, I made it again. This time, in a sheer plaid novelty seersucker. My thinking was that the play of the plaid over plaid (at different angles) would be interesting visually. However, once I had washed the plaid fabric, it puckered up so much that the fabric no longer seems particularly sheer, so I'm not sure you can appreciate this effect in the final skirt. Oh well.

My alterations for this skirt are the same as last time: the drape was cut so the grain was parallel to the front. The waistband was converted to elastic with a rectangular yoke. The skirt was lined with a striped sheer black fabric. (I assumed that three layers of sheer fabrics would be opaque enough. If not, well, I like my legs, so enjoy. ;)







I'm not quite done with this pattern yet. I think I need to make it again, in a solid black jersey. :)

Sewing Workshop - Teagarden T

Oooh, I love this t-shirt! This design, based on a classic Issey Miyake design, is wonderful and I am soooo glad that Sewing Workshop has made the pattern available. It consists of two pattern pieces, not counting the neck interfacing pattern piece: the front/back/sleeve/collar (all in one), and the underarm gusset. Now, this gusset can be problematic for some folks, particularly those who bear no resemblance to the Venus of Willendorf (in which case, see the next paragraph). But for us busty folk, the gusset is vunderbar!!! It adds fullness just where you need it and the fullness doesn't overwhelm you anywhere else.

In my case, I cut out a Large, based on my high bust measurement, and removed the curvature at the waist – nice straight lines for me, thank you very much. (It's like sewing for a guy, in that regard.) That's it, that is the only change I made. I first sewed the top up in a very nasty nylon knit (which I've found is excellent for scrubbing dirty floors and counters), and it fit perfectly!

If you don't need the huge gusset and don't desire the "design line" of fabric drooping under your armpits, you might want to use the gusset reducing instructions posted by Linda.

Because this is a Miyake design, there are certain resemblances to origami in its construction. This means that the pattern pieces have many places you must mark. These marks have labels: A, B, C, and so on, up through K. Some people use colored tailor tacks to keep them all straight. That is brilliant, but I am much too lazy to use ELEVEN different colors of thread for my tailor tacks. What I did was use little round sticky labels and put them next to each tailor tack, on the underside of the fabric. So I made 6 labels for F, and two labels for A, for example. If they threatened to fall off, I just pinned those labels on. :)



I do recommend making a muslin, just to get it straight what you are doing. The first time (on the muslin) I blindly followed the instructions, and then I understood the basic idea so the second one was much easier. I still needed those labels, though. I have to remember not to get cocky and leave off those labels, which is exactly the kind of thing I would do. ;)

I need ten or twenty of these tops, all in black. (I apologize, in advance, for those who see me on a regular basis and will have to endure the many tops I plan to make from this pattern.) Oh, because I did cut this out at night and the light over my dining table is poor, I cut it on the crossgrain. The knit is a four-way, but it's much stretchier in the other direction. No matter, it's just fine. :)





Note to self. Buy a few boxes of sticky labels at the office supply store.

Self Drafted - Ivan Grundahl Stripe Experiment

I love stripes. I love sewing with stripes — how they can morph in 3D and really change the look of a garment, depending on how they are cut and used. When I saw this fun Ivan Grundahl top on an upscale website for $245, I was intrigued. I could immediately see the pattern piece in my mind that would yield this effect. On the left side of the garment, the side seam is virtually parallel to the fabric grain - a very traditional layout. But on the right side of the garment, the side seam is perpendicular to the grain of the fabric. Therefore the side seams would be about 90 degrees in relation to each other, instead of parallel.

My instinct was that a top like this would look horrible on me, but I was intrigued anyway. I came across some very nice, soft, cotton interlock for $2 a yard, so I bought three yards (60" or thereabouts) and I whipped up this top. Mine was yellow and white because that was the only choice available, but I prefer the black and white of the original.

I basically took a tank top that fit me at the neck/arm, and I laid it against the pattern paper. Starting at the center front, I traced about an inch of the neckline, pivoted the garment away from the front, traced another inch, pivoted the garment further, traced another inch, and so on. I ended the pivot&trace when the side seam was about 90 degrees (roughly) from the CF. I then traced the armhole.

The resulting pattern piece looked similar to this:


I bound the neck and armhole edges with the same fabric, positioning it so that only the yellow showed. And, yes, this looks ATROCIOUS on me. It emphasizes that which needs no emphasis and totally hides my better features. My daughter told me it looked like a maternity top on me. Therefore, all you get to see is the hanger version:



Now, I could give this away to a tall willowly, small chested sort, who could actually look good in it, but, instead, I think I will use it as a cheerful sleep shirt. For now. Hey, it only cost me about $7, so it was worth the experiment. ;)

LaFred - Athena Blouse

You know how all fashion experts say you absolutely, positively, must own a white blouse? Every season we are urged to buy the ultimate white blouse for that particular season because it is updated and, horror of horrors, you don't want to be seen walking around in last season's blouse?

How did I make it to the wizened age of fifty without owning a white blouse? I must have owned one at some point, probably in my more fashionable twenties, but I sure can't remember it. White is not a great color next to my face and I am all-too-prone to clothing stains that occur while eating over my natural "shelf" (and I don't mean my fluffy tummy). :)

Well, the time had finally arrived. I recently made some full skirts that screamed for a short white blouse. As I reported, I went to the Artistry in Fashion event last Saturday, and I bought my first LaFred patterns. I decided that the Athena blouse would be just the thing to become my white top. I liked the wing collar and the square armhole. My fabric would be a lightweight embroidered cotton with some added synthetic that gives the fabric a sheen. This fabric is very lightweight — almost a tissue weight. I had only two yards, so I had to make short sleeves, though I wanted longer sleeves. I cut the top in between the two offered lengths, though I ended up cutting it to be shorter than the short length. (I would have had enough for longer sleeves if I'd known!)

I cut a size Large, based on the 6" to 8" design ease in the pattern. Rather than my traditional 3" FBA, I made a more modest 1 1/2" FBA. When I was trying to decide where to angle the dart, I decided it might be interesting to make it parallel to the bottom of the square armhole to emphasize that design line. I also took out the waist shaping at the side seams. All my usual alterations.

Fred was an English major in college and it shows in her pattern instructions. They are clear, full of informative tips, and well illustrated. However, as the top came together (and it came together very well), I became concerned. The square armhole is deep and falls on the fullness my bust and I'm not sure I like that look. The top was fairly shapeless (I had removed the waist shaping, so no surprise there) and it was too long. The overall effect was dumpy. This pretty much happens with every top and make and it's why I have to spend so much time playing with the fit.

Since this is a fairly sheer fabric, I decided to try one of the seam finishes that Fred recommends in her instructions and it's a new one for me: A mock French seam. You sew the standard 5/8" seam, iron the seam open, fold the raw edges to the inside, and topstitch them together. I really liked this easy technique for this fabric.

Other changes:

• I made the front a bit shorter than the back and there are slits in the side seams that begin at my waist.
  
  
• The sleeve hem. In the pattern, the sleeves feature a "pinched cuff" hem treatment (optional on the shorter sleeve) where you pinch the fabric, pull the fold over and fasten it on a button. You can make two separate buttonholes (in thicker fabrics) or put a single buttonhole through both pinched layers (in thinner fabrics). I did neither, I just sewed the button through the layers. I don't see myself needing to button/unbutton the short sleeves. The resulting shaping at the hem makes the sleeve much more flattering.
  
  
• The buttons. I arranged the buttons in pairs. Three pairs, to be precise. Just 'cause. :) (You might have noticed I have used these mother-of-pearl buttons before. My fabric store had them 12 for $1, so I stocked up. You will see them again, and soon. :)
  

I bought the pattern Saturday and had the top done on Sunday, so it really does come together very quickly as it has only four pattern pieces (front, back, facing and sleeve). Once I achieved the right length and took out some of the fullness, I decided that I love this top! The white is a soft white color, which helps. Over time, I will decide how I feel about the square armhole seam falling on the fullness of the bust, but the neckline is very flattering and the top will be very easy to wear.

Blame DD#2 for this pose. She was my photographer and she egged me on. :) You can clearly see the square armhole, at least.

I just hope I can remember not to wear it on pasta-with-red-sauce day. :)

Vogue 2949 - Sandra Betzina Jacket

A good friend pointed out that with all my new wardrobe pieces, I was missing a "go to" jacket for this coming fall/winter. She's right. Just the other day I went out, in the chilly fog, without a jacket because nothing worked with my stylin' new blouse. :)

I had some inexpensive, stable, synthetic novelty sweater knit that I wanted to use. On one side, it's an eyelash knit. The background is black and the eyelash is white. I was not liking the idea of an entire jacket featuring the white eyelash, so I decided to use the back of the fabric (which has white threads showing, and only minimal eyelash). This pattern allows the "wrong side" of the fabric to show at the collar and cuffs, where the fabric folds back, and I liked the idea of featuring the eyelash fabric in that way. A "poor man's fur" effect. (kinda sorta)

This pattern has four pattern pieces -- front, back, and two for the raglan sleeve. The collar is cut as part of the front/back pieces. There are optional facings, if you don't want the back of your fabric to show at the collar. There is also an optional flange for the back of the jacket. After reading the reviews on patternview.com, I was a bit concerned about the "mudflaps" at the back. I decided to wait and see if I liked the shorter length before cutting that piece out.

This pattern could easily be called a "Very Easy Vogue", however I managed to make it much more involved, a questionable endeavor given the cheap synthetic sweater knit I was using, but, oh well. :) I cut out a size F, given my high bust measurement, but I realized I needed to add an FBA for the extra ease. I had never done a Full Bust Alteration on a raglan style before, so I used this recommended technique on Debbie's Cutting Edge page.

To be honest, I have my doubts about this technique. Basically, you create a dart into the raglan line and then you convert that back to flare at the hem. As a small-hipped person, I am not fond of excessive flare at the hip line, but I decided to try it out. For me, the jury is still out, but more on that later. (It may take me wearing this for awhile to decide. Next time, I just may sew a dart into the raglan sleeve. It wouldn't have shown up on this fabric.)

When I cut out this fabric, it dropped schmutz everywhere. I hated all the little eyelash pieces dusting my dining table, floor, ironing board, etc, so I decided to stitch down every single raw edge. Every raw edge in this jacket was opened, turned under, and whipstitched to the main garment. I love this finish, but it took me a long time to get all those seams sewn by hand.

Once I finally had the jacket together, I did not like the hem at the back without the mudflaps. My daughter, who could see my back view better than I, agreed. Then I cut out the mudflaps -- widening them to accommodate the increased width for the FBA, and pinned them to the garment. As I feared, they looked dowdy. I like asymmetry, but on me, this looked off-balanced. My daughter agreed. She didn't like it either way and suggested I cut the flaps down. So, I chopped them in half, heightwise, but left the width. We both agreed that this length was juuuuuust right.





I love the final jacket! I had three initial concerns with this pattern:

• I wasn't sure about the wide collar with my bustline and was prepared to cut it down. But in reality, I like it on me, though maybe that's because this is a soft, drapey fabric.
  
• I wasn't sure about the mudflaps, but am happy with the shorter length.
  
• I am not sure about the extra fullness at the front hip due to the FBA. Still not sure about that one. Again, a dart into a raglan might look weird under normal circumstances, but in this fabric you wouldn't have seen it.
  

To hem this thing, I also turned the raw edge under twice and whipstitched around the entire edge. There were 6 corners that I mitered -- 2 at the collar, 2 at the CF hem and 4 on the mudflaps. Yes, hours of hand sewing on this simple little jacket. Lucky I like hand sewing, but this was a bit much, even for me. :)

I will get loads of wear out of this jacket for the coming fall. It's perfect for the mildly chilly, foggy weather we have most of the fall and winter. I wish I could find more lovely, reasonably priced sweater knits so I could make up more of these, like in brown... :)