Plans for the weekend

I’m really looking forward to a weekend of playing with fiber arts. I’ve ordered some marbling supplies from Dharma Trading Co, including some metallic fabric paints, and am going to experiment with adding metallic powders to some textile medium I have sitting around. I’ve been reading through my books on fabric surface design (painting, marbling, dyeing, etc.), too. I won’t be able to marble this weekend since the supplies won’t arrive until Monday, but I plan to do some pattern alteration at least, and start laying out fabrics for the crazy-quilting. I think I will also do a few dye experiments, but I haven’t decided which yet.

I’m amazed by this shibori (Japanese tied-resist) book I have. Julie gave it to me awhile back, but I didn’t do much more than glance through it at the time, being concentrated on other projects. It’s amazing! It’s an extremely thorough treatise on shibori techniques, complete with photos and instructions for a dizzying array of different effects. It makes it pretty clear that I could spend a lifetime exploring just shibori without running out of discoveries. It’s really, really cool. I’m not sure I’ll have time to do extensive experimentation with shibori, but I do want to do at least some basic stuff. Must buy some PVC pipe this weekend for wrapping fabric.

I am considering what to do about pattern alteration. I really need these tops to be longer in the back than in the front (because for cycling you hunch forward) and to be longer overall than most patterns are. I think I may look for a strapless, straight-line (i.e. not big floofy skirt-type) design and simply cut it short a few inches below the waist; if I can’t find such a design, I might have to get creative. I have thought about taking a class in flat pattern drafting, but (a) that wouldn’t solve my immediate need, and (b) all the courses offered at nearby community colleges are offered during the day, as part of a for-credit fashion program. (What, they think people actually want to do this as a *career*?) I’ve also considered hiring someone to do the pattern design–I found someone in San Francisco who might suit–but before I drop a couple hundred bucks on that, I figure I’d try home-grown solutions first.

(I did, however, find an interesting “take” on making your own basic pattern out of Saran Wrap.)

A third option is to wait until my mom shows up next week, and ask her to help me. She’s an expert seamstress, though she hasn’t done much sewing recently.

I’m considering ordering some peacock body feathers for embellishment, but think I’ll wait until I finish the flame-colored top, first. Blue-green-purple can wait until later.