Handwoven Fashions
I have odd dreams. Always have; always will. I always picture myself doing these crazy things or having cool adventures ... must be a writer/artist thing. One of the dreams I want to do is to create handwoven garments. This dream is part of the reason why I've started Bryony Studios. My inspiration comes from my family.
Don't my grandparents look lovely? I want to focus your attention on my grandma's wedding dress. She made that dress - not just sewed the dress, but wove the material for the dress. How cool is that?! Cooler still, we have the dress to this day. I can walk over to the closet and pull it out. It's a beautiful gown, simple in its design, but absolutely beautiful. Grandma was a short, well-endowed woman, so neither my sister nor I can ever wear the dress.
Because I knew Grandma had made her wedding dress, I knew I could make clothing of my own as well. It was something I wanted to try because ... well, just for, I suppose.
It was little wonder that I turned to making my own clothes. Mom started it, but due to her schedule rarely finished any of the clothes she started to make. That, and the fact I grew quickly, added to the problem. When I was eleven, I decided I wanted to make a pair of overalls because I couldn't find anything I liked in the store. Mom and I went to visit Mommom (Mom's mom) and started the clothing.
I was hooked.
I wore those overalls well into high school, and added to my sewing capabilities even to the point of mix-matching patterns to make what I wanted. Since I am tall (5'9"/ 5'10" depending on the day), I have a hard time finding clothes long enough for me. One of the first tricks I learned was adding length to skirts and pants.
To this day, I tend to make many of my clothes. Not all of them because of current fashion tastes, but as fashions swing away from what I like, I return to the sewing machine with patterns, fabric and dreams.
The skirt I can remember to this day - one of those business skirts for the working woman. In the catalog where I found it, the model wore low heels, and a button down shirt. I wanted the skirt with a chocolate leather jacket, maybe a butter yellow sweater, and the boots I already mentioned. Nylons irritate my skin, but living in Western NY requires leg protection in the winter time. Boots are advantageous for the weather.
At the time, I couldn't weave yet since I was around fifteen. I couldn't find any material in the stores either that matched what I saw. The dream faded until I learned how to weave then not only did the dream return, but it exploded with possibilities.
Not only could I weave scarves and bags, but I could weave clothes. If I could dream it, I could, in essence, create it. I might have to wait for a movie of my fantasy novels, but I could at least make some of the clothes! But, due to finances, fears and weight, I put it all on hold ... until recently.
I wanted something pretty; something unique, and something different. I wanted to try my hand at weaving for clothes, and the time had arrived. So, the night before I was to begin my three-day babysitting adventures, I warped up my loom in silver and aubergine.
I used the aubergine warp for my weft, added a pattern into the warp (shown above on the wood) and started weaving.
The pattern creates really cool columns in the weave. It's more noticeable on the silver side than the aubergine side, but the texture is gorgeous. The photo below shows the silver pattern.
It looks beautiful when it's on the loom, but it's going to shrink big time. I have it set at 12.5 epi with an open weave. I know it'll shrink two to three inches in the width, but the pattern I'm going to use is set up for narrow pieces of cloth ... thankfully. How I love the Regency time period.
I'm already contemplating changes in the weave structure and how I can add some bling to the fabric another time. One of the elements of art I love is the possibilities. I love experimenting and thinking of new things. Even failures work out because you know what not to do the next time.
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| 1945, Wedding Photo |
Because I knew Grandma had made her wedding dress, I knew I could make clothing of my own as well. It was something I wanted to try because ... well, just for, I suppose.
Being Tall in a Short World
Like many women, I struggle with my weight. I have always struggled with my weight, and have always been too tall and too big for most of the clothes in the store. When I was little, this was especially a problem because as a little girl, I fit into most teen clothes, but didn't want to wear the teen clothes.It was little wonder that I turned to making my own clothes. Mom started it, but due to her schedule rarely finished any of the clothes she started to make. That, and the fact I grew quickly, added to the problem. When I was eleven, I decided I wanted to make a pair of overalls because I couldn't find anything I liked in the store. Mom and I went to visit Mommom (Mom's mom) and started the clothing.
I was hooked.
I wore those overalls well into high school, and added to my sewing capabilities even to the point of mix-matching patterns to make what I wanted. Since I am tall (5'9"/ 5'10" depending on the day), I have a hard time finding clothes long enough for me. One of the first tricks I learned was adding length to skirts and pants.
To this day, I tend to make many of my clothes. Not all of them because of current fashion tastes, but as fashions swing away from what I like, I return to the sewing machine with patterns, fabric and dreams.
The Dream
What I wanted was a skirt of chocolate and teal (two of my favorite colors). I saw it once, but I knew that (a) I couldn't afford it, and (b) it wouldn't be long enough for my Christian school's dress code. Besides, I wanted the knee-high boots to go with it as well, and I couldn't afford those.The skirt I can remember to this day - one of those business skirts for the working woman. In the catalog where I found it, the model wore low heels, and a button down shirt. I wanted the skirt with a chocolate leather jacket, maybe a butter yellow sweater, and the boots I already mentioned. Nylons irritate my skin, but living in Western NY requires leg protection in the winter time. Boots are advantageous for the weather.
At the time, I couldn't weave yet since I was around fifteen. I couldn't find any material in the stores either that matched what I saw. The dream faded until I learned how to weave then not only did the dream return, but it exploded with possibilities.
Not only could I weave scarves and bags, but I could weave clothes. If I could dream it, I could, in essence, create it. I might have to wait for a movie of my fantasy novels, but I could at least make some of the clothes! But, due to finances, fears and weight, I put it all on hold ... until recently.
The Time Arrives
I love babysitting my cousins, but while my younger male cousin plays his video games, and his elder sister listened to her music, I was left to read. Thankfully, their mom has an extensive book collection. Still, I wanted to weave while I was there. My cousins were interested in art even at the ages of thirteen and seven, and I wanted to introduce them to weaving that their great-grandmother did.I wanted something pretty; something unique, and something different. I wanted to try my hand at weaving for clothes, and the time had arrived. So, the night before I was to begin my three-day babysitting adventures, I warped up my loom in silver and aubergine.
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| The Warp |
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| Aubergine and Silver |
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| Silver Pattern |
I'm already contemplating changes in the weave structure and how I can add some bling to the fabric another time. One of the elements of art I love is the possibilities. I love experimenting and thinking of new things. Even failures work out because you know what not to do the next time.
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