Tag: Travel

I’m Teaching at the ASDP Conference

Leave a comment

#36 – I’m Teaching at the ASDP Conference!

It’s Official!  I’m teaching at the ASDP Conference!   I emailed a proposal for a class, which has been accepted and I’ve been put on the schedule.

Friday afternoon, October 18, 2019 in Milwaukee WI.  Here’s the class description:

Tempted by all the lush ribbons in the stores but not sure which makes the best flowers?  Wondering how to make a beautiful Dior Rose? Come spend an afternoon with Ellen W. Miller, author of Creating Couture Embellishment to learn all about making flowers and ribbon trims to suit today’s fashions. Using different kinds of ribbon and fabrics we will make lots of flowers: Peonies, Pansies, Geraniums, Foxgloves, Dior Roses, Poinsettias, with leaves and stems to round out our bouquets. Lest you think that’s all the ribbons are good for, we’ll make some Shark’s Teeth trim, a glorious Butterfly Bow and other ribbon trims. This class will spark lots of creative ideas for adding contemporary flowers, bows and ribbons to future projects.

If you are interested in signing up for the class here is a link to the ASDP Conference site.

ASDP Conference Schedule

ASDP Conference Schedule

 

I hope to see you there!

London!

1 Comment

#25- London!
I am in London, England with my husband for a week! We are staying at the Rembrandt Hotel,    www.sarova-rembrandthotel.com  across the street from the Victoria and Albert Museum   https://www.vam.ac.uk/.   We bought a membership to the V&A, which allows us access to the museum and the special exhibits as often as we like. We’ve been 3 times since we arrived 4 days ago.

Kate & Ellen smiling

Kate & Ellen

On our first day in London we met Kate of Fabricated   http://fabrickated.com/ . Kate is charming, generous and fascinating to talk to. Kate told us about her day job and we compared notes about difficulties of buying a home, apartment/condo/coop in a large city like London or Boston without parental help or a 7-figure salary. We also talked about Kate’s book project, and I think we talked about blogging and making clothes but jet-lag fog has obscured that part of my memory. It was lovely to meet Kate in person; she’s extraordinary.

After a cup of tea and piece of cake Kate, my husband and I wandered through the jewelry exhibit while trying to find the William Morris textiles. That’s the thing about a large museum like the V&A: on the way to one exhibit you pass through another exhibit that’s fascinating!

necklace made of buttons & gold wire

Button Necklace

Here’s a photo of a necklace made by Rowena Gough in 1999, of mother of pearl button and gold wire. I love this! I want to know what kind of gold wire is strong enough to support all of those buttons.  Any ideas?

My husband and I saw the Balenciaga exhibit, also at the V&A, which was beautiful. I took some photos in this exhibit- technical sewing things that caught my eye.

Hem with pleated support

Hem with pleated support

Here is a photo of the train of a long gown, which is supported by a heavily pleated underskirt or maybe a pleated facing.

Feathers & Beads on a gown

Feathers & Beads

This photo of a feathered and beaded dress is supposed to show that the feathers are beaded and the dress itself is beaded. It makes sense to bead both the feathers and dress under the feathers in scattered patterns: lots of varying sparkles from the many layers, which move differently in the room’s air currents.

We have also been to Kensington Palace, where I took some photos of Queen Victoria’s and Princess Diana’s dresses but they will have to wait for the next post—coming soon.

 

 

Going to Ohio & England!

2 Comments

I’m going to Ohio & England!

Hello!  It’s been ages since I wrote a post and I bet you thought I had just given up posting.  Nope, just super busy!   I’ve preparing to go to Ohio to tape two 10 minute segments for It’s Sew Easy!  A sewing program broadcast on PBS. http://www.itsseweasytv.com/

I will be explaining Sashiko and Circular Flounces.  You would think that after writing about these 2 techniques it wouldn’t take long to prepare for the segments. But to squeeze all the information into a 10 minute talk meant making a full sample for each step, as opposed to the book, where I had to make 1 perfect sample and take a photo , then move to the next step on the same perfect sample and take the next photo.  Live and Learn! The taping in Cleveland, Ohio will be February 9th. I will be in Cleveland for most of Feb. 8th with little to do, so any suggestions for fun things to see/do are welcome.

On February 12th, my husband and I are going to London U.K .for a week!  WooHoo!  While we are there I will be talking at Ray Stitch on February 14th, 6:30-8:30 pm!  This will be my official book launch in the U.K.!  I will be explaining some combination of:   Sashiko, Circular Flounce, Bias and Embellishing RTW shirts.

https://raystitch.co.uk/sewing-classes-london/creating-couture-embellishment-with-ellen-miller

My husband and I don’t have many plans for our week in the U.K. so  suggestions are very welcome.  Of course the V&A Museum and the British Museum are on our list , but any other suggestions?

Last but least, I have not forgotten that I still haven’t posted photos of the Mother of the  Groom dress!  I will have some down time in Ohio, so I hope to post those photos next week.

 

The Montana Antique Mall

Leave a comment

An unexpected trip to Missoula, MT afforded an opportunity to go to the Montana Antique Mall. https://www.montanaantiquemall.com/

Several of the dealers had antique clothes for sale; here are some photos of some of the pretty clothes I drooled over.  The Montana Antique Mall isn’t a museum technically but it inspires me the way a museum would.

I’m sorry the pictures in this post are blurry.

A White Dress:

antique, white wedding dress againsta green door.

This lovely white dress was embellished with rows of taffeta, pinked on both edges and gathered into ruffles. Four rows of ruffles cover the sleeves. Another four rows of ruffles are placed at an angle, encircling the hips. Three large loops of taffeta are gathered and sewn to the side seam to form a bow at the waist. I think this was a wedding dress; can’t you just see the bride holding a bouquet of roses?

 

a close up of the white dress: the ruffles along the hip line and the big bow at the waist

Close up of ruffles and bow.

Close up of the ruffled sleeve.

Close up of the ruffled sleeve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Pink Coat:

A soft pink wool coat

This lovely wool pink coat is decorated only on the ¾ length sleeves’ cuffs.

The pink cuff embellsihed with off white crochet work, cyrstals and tiny nailheads.

The embellished cuff

There is central crotcheted motif of a daisy like flower, encircled by smaller flowers. Scattered further afield are smaller flowers and single leaves. All of the crocheted elements are held onto the cuff by small, prong-held, pale blue crystals and tiny silver nailheads. Imagine the ¾ length sleeves, with its wide sleeves and embellished cuffs meeting a long, shapely evening glove. The Opera, anyone?

A Salmon Dress:

A salmon colored flapper dress embellsihed with crystals.

 

This lovely salmon dress is embellished with crystals, a gathered skirt and a handkerchief hem.

I love the pattern of crystals following the lowered waistline and then flaring up into the bodice, going to either side of the breast mound, with one group of crystals continuing all the way up and over the shoulder.

a close up of the gathering of the skirt and the crystals.

Close up of the gathering and crystals.

 

The fullness in the skirt is controlled with gathers that peek out in a small arched section where vertical lines of crystals blossom. I’m ready to wear this dress out dancing! If only it fit me…

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save