"Chanel" is not an adjective

I found this great video on Youtube. It is a talk by Cameron Silver given at USC Annenburg on the Chanel Jacket and the many commercial cardigan jackets it has inspired. It doesn't have many views yet but given the recent blog chatter about our Little French Jackets, I thought it might be something my fellow sew-alongers would enjoy.

My favorite snippets from the talk include these details:

• Chanel created and made famous a formula that works; square cut, four pockets, silk lined.
• The recognizable color palette; black, red, beige, white, navy blue, beige, and fabrics; jersey and tweed for the jackets.
• Chanel supposedly said, "buttons have to have button holes, pockets be in the right place, useable. A sleeve isn't right if the arm doesn't lift easily." 
• The chain in the hem; a little "luxe cache",  "a little hidden luxury".

At the end there are 5 models with cardigan jackets, some Chanel, some inspired.

That bit about the sleeve needing to lift or it's not right has really been on my mind a lot throughout this project. I think part of the problem is that jacket armholes are often too low, which makes lifting them difficult. It's something Chanel was known to fuss over so I feel encouraged to do the same.

Bustier tops

The idea is to make a bunch of bustiers in a bunch of different fabrics so that I will be comfortable enough with their construction by the time I'm ready to make my wedding dress,

This is McCalls 6325... she's multi cup sized!

Real Rebecca Taylor via style.com

Vogue 1227 is a Rebecca Taylor pattern. Not Multi cup sized,  but she has that Vogue.

Free People Dress. I would love a denim or chambray bustier. 

Via BurdaStyle
 02/2011 #113 

Via Burdastyle
Bustier Dress 5/2011 #122B

OMG Anna Sui

So cute, I could almost barf. I adore Anna Sui, and I loath that I cannot pull off so many of her darling ensembles. Have at it crochetter moms, aunties and grandmas of fashion loving tweens. 

photos via style.com

MJ FW2012 RTW

You know...

 

 I think maybe...

   

 just MAYBE...

 

 Marc Jacobs

 

 might like FUN FUR.

 

 He certainly digs the glitter eyelash.

I'm predicting a spike in novelty yarns sales and I give it a week before the DIY tutorials start popping up on the intertrons.

 all photos via vogue.com

Knit Musings in the New Year

 Hmmmm....

 

via vogueknitting.com                               via style.com                 

This lacey leaf capelet (left) reminds me of my all time favorite Alexander McQueen runway look (right) .

It's no surprise to me that this is one of my all time favorite Vogue Knits designs. Being a new yaer and all I think it is time for me to give it a go. but should I make a ponchshawl, or blow it up in tribute to the late great designer? I have some Patons Lace in black and also in beige.... Which should I make this in?

My Design Sketch - Polka Dot Skirt

REFINED DESIGN CONCEPT

Halloween

I haven't made a halloween costume in years. Previous costume attempts included a generic tunic used for grecian party and a fairy (of sorts) for halloween, and a pirate costume cobbled together from my first corset attempt. I have stashes of historic costume patterns and I could love any terrible movie or show as long as the costumes are amazing. (Boardwalk empire is my current favorite). I love the idea of making costumes, but unless I have a reason to make them, I don't. This year I let the Burdastyle/Bernina Halloween costume contest pass me by again. But then yesterday my company annownced it's own "Hant Couture" halloween costume contest. The deadline is week from now, and I don't even need to take pictures to upload them. Well, inspiration struck me immediately and I then went out a lunch to source fabrics. Here are some of my inspiration pics.

I Love Marc Jacobs, but…

I could soooooo knit this!

Pithy instructions: hand dyed DK weight, knit in the round, 1x1 rib for 1” brim, switch to bigger needles and hold the yarn doubled , knit till long enough, decrease rapidly & bind off, add a pom-pom (if you’re into that sort of thing).













And this!

Pithy instructions: 2 strands sport weight (different colors) held together or marled dk weight. Appears to be knit flat so use a tubular cast on, k3, p2 for 1 inch, some sort of faux cable/rib for about 8 inches ( at the same time gradually decreasing 3 sts each side), then 5-6 inches 1x1 ribbing, bind off, sew seam.

Pictures via shopbop (a great source for sewing and knitting inspiration)

Hand Rolled Scarves - Hermes

I would love to try this technique. I have some paneled fabrics in my stash and a few scarf sized silk pieces that I painted for my textile painting class. 

Chanel Jacket: Part 1: Dreaming & Scheming

Let’s pretend that I haven’t neglected my blog for months, and jump straight into my current project obsession: the Chanel Jacket.

There are a great many sources of inspiration and information that have helped fan the flames of my desire:

- There is the Go Chanel or Go Home blog, to which I hoped to become a member so that I can add my own pattern alteration experience to this archive.

- Threads Magazine issue121 from 2005, the "Inside a Chanel Jacket" article by Susan Khalje has invaluable information (I had to call Tauton press to order a back issue since they appear OOP when the quantity drops below 20). **hint** One might be able to find pics online of the article if one is clever.

- Book: Great Sewn Clothes (from Threads) - covers the Chanel jacket construction details and includes a handy diagram of a Chanel jacket pattern.

- Book: Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire B Shaeffer, has much the same info as the Threads book, but goes into greater depths about many couture techniques.

- The amazing Signe Chanel documentary…. Especially the section on the braid maker.

- The runway show archives at style.com.

- Ebay… real Chanel jackets for resale often come with great detail pictures!

- Erica Bunker’s version of the Chanel jacket comes up quickly in a google image search. Erica’s blog is my go to whenever I start a new vogue pattern because she makes many of the same pattern alterations that I do and to the same pattern size.

- Marina is the couture blogger for Burdastyle and Frabjous Couture, took an in depth Chanel Jacket sewing course with Susan Khalje and shared many details from the class on her blog.

- You know that feeling you get at a store…"I could make that for way less!” I even had that thought in the CHANEL store in Soho. I tried not to look like I was dissecting the garments while I admired the lovely trim and buttons, but you know I was.


So, of course I have launched my own Chanel jacket project.

My Chanel Jacket:
Fashion Fabric: Silk boucle from Chic Fabrics on 39th between 7th and 8th.

I think I got this fabric for $6/yard... I only spent $40 total on fabric, and the lining was pricier than the boucle. Lining Fabric: Silk jacquard lining (also from Chic Fabrics) for $10/yard. This will be a summer jacket.

Trim: I intend to make a fancy braid with threads from the boucle I will also use a selvage or bias cut fringe as a base and I bought some nifty lace weight yarn from Patons that has a bit of sequins in it to include with the braid for a touch of glitz.

Pattern: V7975, short version with no overlap.

Pattern Issue: This pattern does not have a 3 piece sleeve. I WANT a 3 piece sleeve. None of the other patterns with a 3 piece sleeve are in print. I even enlarged the diagram from the Great Sewn Clothes book and printed it out to scale to see what I could glean about the fit and attempted to redraft a sleeve for my pattern taking these details into consideration.  My obsessing about the darn sleeve is a bit of a sticking point but I really want to get going on this project.  I may just keep working on the sleeve pattern puzzle for a wool boucle winter version and stick with a 3/4 length sleeve for this summery version.

Miami/ AquaArt & Art Basel

Soooo... I went to Miami on Thursday to visit my parents and go to Art Basel and the satellite shows. Thursday night was the opening for Aqua Art in the Wynnwood neighborhood of downtown Miami. My friend Laura had a booth with the Taylor & Mackenzie Gallery so I was pleased to show my support and hang out with her and my dear friend Melanie at the Vangaurd Gen Art Party. The party was super fun; tons of people from God knows everywhere, dressed to play, dance, mingle, drink, and look at art. I gotta say, I was very impressed with the show. This wasn't no art school mandatory. Even though I was wearing some beautiful/painful 4 inche heels, I made it my mission to see everything in the space (which was considerable) and I am happy to say I succeeded my mission.

Krause Gallery had 3 of my favorites from the entire show: Jordan Eagles who was making bloody art before vampires where sexy again, Rob Tarbell who paints with smoke, and Stephan Zirwes who hangs out of a helicopters to take pictures that make one feel very small.

Also, notable for those who like Francis Bacon and can spot his inspiration: Oscar Bernal (Volakis Gallery). Do check it out.

Friday I spent sleeping in very late, playing with Marmalade (squishy kitty) and I went to a complete oratorio performance of George Frideric Handel's Messiah, featuring the Boca Raton Symphony with my parents at the Miami Cathedral. It was quite impressive, and quite long.

So...... Art Basel. Yes. I went on Saturday... and I succeeded in seeing everything there as well. It was oh-my-aching-feet large. Huge. I saw all my favorite blue chips (Francesco Clemente, Lucien Freud, Joan Miro, Andy Warhol, Jean Michel Basquiat, David La Chapelle, Alexander Calder, Ghada Amer, yada yada yada...) and that was only about a 10th of the entire show. By the end, my mind was mush and my dogs were dead. So I bought a few discounted art magazine and met up with Mel and Laura again at their friend Leo's house for the rest of the night. Good times.

I was really lucky that my mother was generous with her car and didn't hassle me about whether or not I remember how to drive (duh... it's like riding a bike) and that Miami is so easy to get around, and the roads are in such great condition! I love that town. I definitely want to go again next year.

Danny Roberts' work is quite inspiring to me. His character sketch book specifically has been a big motivator to me to draw more often. Thank you Danny for sharing your creative spirit.

My current Obsession

Full Front
Originally uploaded by wzrdreams

I know that I have been absent for a while. It's all on account of all the fantastic sewing I've been doing. And, I have been reading the Sookie Stackhouse series on the train this summer (done with box set [#7] now) and so I haven't had as much productive time on the knitting front (although my wip list has grown!). Sewing at home means that I am making progress on my inaugural viewing of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series (season 4 & Angel season 1, simultaneously).... I think you have an idea of how busy I've been in my at-home time. Lot's of FOs deserve a blog post, but if you are looking at flickr or patternreview.com you probably know what I have accomplished this summer. Not to mention all theblog worthy start-itis that I've suffered, or the vacation I took, or the family wedding I went to with my crazy, adorable parents... no I just posted the cat video. Patience/laziness is my virtue!

Missoni Love

I found my favorite show this season. Missoni.

Everything is so cosy, beautiful and feminine. 

Everything about the look appeals to me personally.

The colors are great - perfect for me!

I love the layering of different textures. 

I'll be wearing multiple hand knits this fall for sure!

I love the dramatic swing of the dangling scarves.

I've been smitten by Rodarte for a while now, but this take on large open lace is even more appealing. Certainly more wearable for "everyday".

And I love the cowl inspiration. 

This looks sort of like a mobius, but not. 

The best I can tell, it's knit flat with one end seamed to a side, but what's going on with the other end? Is this more of a hood than we can see?

Quick and Catch Up

I can't believe Rhinebeck is tomorrow! I also can't believe I haven't blogged in a while since I've been quite knitterly lately. I'll blame it on my lack of decent pictures. In any case, I hope to have a whole lot of sheep and wooly goodness to share the next time I post so I'd better cover a least some of what September was all about.

I knit some socks for the BF's birthday. Started on Labor day when my college roommate and her BF were in town. This is trekking XXL. I think it was actually the first skein of sock yarn I ever bought, and it's definitely the most masculine. I slipped a pair of vintage cuff links (found at the Brooklyn Flea) into each toe and sewed up a quick little silk gift bag to deliver it all in. Sadly, this is the only picture I have.

I spent a few weekends making variations of spinach quiche. My favorite was this one with mushrooms, ham, mozzarella, cheddar and a sweet potato frie crust. Yuuummmy. I am now on a cheese diet that I will gleefully break at Rhinebeck if there is any tasty goat cheese.


I took off of work on my birthday and met the BF up at the Guggenheim. We saw the Bourgeois exhibit. (I think her art falls into the art as therapy variety.) Then we headed over to central park and relaxed until the sun started to disappear. We could see leaves here and there had turned brown and where falling. I started a new sweater..... Stephanie Japel's Spicy Fitted V Neck (more on that later when I get decent pictures.)

And then there was Stitch in Pitch. My BF came along and took this wonderful photo of me and some of my knitting group. From Left to Right: Me, Shannon, and Laura. I'm tinking back stitches on the SFVNECK because the pattern requires patience and understanding. Laura waswearing her lovely Arwen cardigan and Shan was making headway on her February Lady sweater. We stuck it out through an hour of rain before heading home. The BF stayed and watched the Mets win in the ninth inning.
These girls and I along with a few fabulous others in our knittin group will all be up at Rhinebeck tomorrow. I hope I spot some of my favorite bloggers there. If you spot me, do say hello. I think I'll be wearing this:

Possible with a green Foliage beret and a grey cardigan that is not Linden.