And now... for Something Completely Different

Dapper Dog!

Meet my friend Winston.

Doesn't he just blend perfectly into the gentle, pastoral scene of the French toile?

Aside from being a well mannered, polite young man, Winston is always impeccably groomed; clean and coiffed, without a hair ever out of place. So, when Winston's "staff" (aka: "his people") approached me with a request to update his wardrobe, I was up for the challenge, even though I have "retired" from the fashion aspect of stitchery.

Being a resident of the Pacific Northwest coast, rain gear is a wardrobe essential. For those long walks in the park on all the wet and soggy winter days, we chose this very cheerful and vibrant red waterproof material which is paired with a multi-animal print fleece.

Fabrics and pattern ready to go.

And here we are, Runway Ready!

A second coat, which will do for those crisp and chilly early morning walks along the seawall, is made from faux fur with a Burberry"ish" reversible side. (Nothing but the best for "Dapper Dog".)

Of course, working with faux fur is a somewhat different experience then working with the cottons, linens and silks that have been in my more recent creative endeavours. Some of the techniques that I learned taking a parka sewing course at McPhee Workshop, some 25 years ago came in very handy for this project.
http://www.macpheeworkshop.com/shop/Patterns/Other/p/860-Parka-Capes--Collars.htm

Normal tools of the trade gave way to more practical equipment. This faux fur sheds more then my daughter's cats.

Here we are dressed and ready for the coldest day of the year, but since today is not that day, Winston has some questions!

The glamour of the runway does seem to have it's drawbacks. He is wondering how much longer he has to sit on this perch, wearing "fur" on top of fur? Indoors?

Both coats are fully reversible. Here the mood is more "country estate".

The "almost Burberry" reverse side of the "fur" coat.

Ready for all kinds of winter weather, "Dapper Dog" is set to go. Did somebody spell "w-a-l-k"?

Boutis: Traditional French Needlework

" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t...

Amish Hand Quilting in France with Esther Miller

Esther Miller, was born into an Amish family in the U.S., and now lives in Germany where she has for many years taught the techniques and methods of Amish hand quilting to anyone interested in learning these skills. As a child, she would closely watch as the women of her community worked together on a quilt, and eventually she was rewarded with a needle of her own and encouraged to join the group. Through the years, she has mastered these skills and techniques and now generously shares them with anyone who has a genuine desire to learn. Esther Miller in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace France. An example of her own work, Esther brings this intricately and perfectly hand stitched wall quilt to class as inspiration for her students. Last week, at the "European Meeting of Patchwork" in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, in Alsace France, www.patchwork-europe.com , I had the privilege of taking a 2 day workshop with Esther. The Amish...

Blocking and Squaring Boutis

The door of her cage has been opened. She is free to fly off and find her destiny. After many months of hand stitching and then many more months of cording, my little "colibri" is ready to set off on her own. As this was my first attempt at designing so large a boutis piece, it was a learning curve. All of the tight swirls, curls and circles are a great deal more difficult and time consuming to cord then are the longer more gentle channels. Maintaining an even tension is absolutely necessary throughout the process, so patience comes in very handy when doing the cording. The process of stitching and cording a work of boutis subjects the fabric to a lot of handling and manipulation that can distort the design. For this reason, once all of the stitching and cording is complete, the boutis must be washed, blocked and squared. The first step of washing is to remove all traces of the marking pencil as well as any soil that may have collected over the many months of working w...

Seams French

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