Patchwork Underground http://patchworkunderground.com Home of Erin Gilday, fearless sewist Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:03:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Latest Everyman Costume Rendering for PCC http://patchworkunderground.com/latest-everyman-costume-rendering-for-pcc/ http://patchworkunderground.com/latest-everyman-costume-rendering-for-pcc/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:01:08 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2668

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/latest-everyman-costume-rendering-for-pcc/feed/ 0 1920′s filet crochet and silk charmeuse chemise http://patchworkunderground.com/1920s-fillet-crochet-and-silk-charmeuse-chemise/ http://patchworkunderground.com/1920s-fillet-crochet-and-silk-charmeuse-chemise/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:21:07 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2657

I finished it! I made this silk charmeuse chemise with french seams and a hand-rolled hem to showcase the straps and yoke I crocheted from a 1920′s pattern. I’ve been working on this for months! I found the crochet pattern here.



This was my first time with filet crochet and my first time with silk charmeuse but it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!









   

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/1920s-fillet-crochet-and-silk-charmeuse-chemise/feed/ 0 Back to School http://patchworkunderground.com/back-to-school/ http://patchworkunderground.com/back-to-school/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:28:30 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2645 I’m going back to school!

I got my letter of acceptance from the Theater Arts Department at the University of Oregon a few days ago – I’m going to go back for my MFA in Theater Arts with an emphasis in Costume Design!  There are not enough exclamations points in the world to convey how excited I am!

I had the pleasure of meeting Professor of Costume Design and History, Alexandra Bonds, a few weeks ago.  Prof. Bonds was gracious enough to give me a tour of the department and introduce me around to some of the other faculty, students and staff.  I completely fell in LOVE.  The theater arts department is housed in the second oldest building on campus, called Villard Hall:



Isn’t it beautiful?  It was built in 1886.

The building was recently renovated (added on) to include larger, more modern facilities, including the Hope Theater:



I am super impressed by the quality of the work that comes out of the department and I can’t wait to join in on the fun this fall!









I tried, but I couldn’t find any decent photos of the costume shop.  Believe me: it is AMAZING!  It is giant.  It has large windows with a second (or was that third?) story view, multiple cutting tables, a dye room, a fitting room, a fabric room – EVERYTHING.  It is by far the largest and nicest shop I’ve ever set foot in.  Next time I go back I’ll try to take pictures so you can see for yourself how impressive it is.  (I’m planning on going to a showing of The Crucible next week at the UO so we’ll see if I can’t sneak a few then.)

I have 6 months before I start the program.  Right now, I’m working on finding some (affordable) art classes where I can practice figure drawing and fashion illustration.  I’m also reading every book I can get my hands on about costume design, fashion history and theater tech.  I really want to rock the socks off this program!

In other news, I think my Sew It All TV episode is airing on PBS soon!  I only say this because I saw this photo posted on their website:



I’m waiting to hear back from the Sew It All folks about my air date.  They promised me a DVD so maybe that will be showing up in the mail, soon, too.  Exciting!  I’ll let you know more details ASAP.

<3 Erin  

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/back-to-school/feed/ 1 my Sewing Birds article in Piecework out now! http://patchworkunderground.com/my-sewing-birds-article-in-piecework-out-now/ http://patchworkunderground.com/my-sewing-birds-article-in-piecework-out-now/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:31:32 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2628



See the headline, “Discover the ULTIMATE HELPER Sewing Birds” there on the left?  That’s my article!  The full title?  Sewing Birds: Love Charm, Health Tonic and Lady’s Companion.



I always love writing for Piecework, and you already know I like to wax poetic about sewing birds.  It is a pleasure to be in the company of such accomplished contributors in this issue.  I loved Karen Ballard’s article on patriotic knitting bags and accessories from WWI and WWII but I was especially thrilled with Robert Haven’s article on Tambour beading.  I’ve been meaning to try the technique for some time now!

Here’s a good example of Tambour beading, in case you’re not familiar with the technique:



A chain stitch is worked from the back of the piece using a small hooked needle and the beads are attached on the front.    Here’s what the back looks like:



Sequins are common but you can also use the technique with bugle beads and seed beads.  The technique even works well for plain, bead-less embroidery.  I associate Tambour beading with flapper dresses and Liz Taylor, but that’s just me.  Mr. Hand was fortunate enough to study Tambour beading and Embroidery at L’Ecole Lesage in Paris.  I am so jealous.  What an amazing experience!  I’ll have to add that to my bucket list.

In any event, the last time I wrote for Piecework was back in the July/August 2011 issue.  I forgot to post about the article, apparently, because I can’t find it anywhere in my archives, so I thought I’d mention it now.  I wrote an article on the history of Victorian fish scale embroidery.  The front cover of that issue, as you might recall, looked like this:



I also wanted to mention that Piecework is now available in an online edition, which might be nifty for those of us who can’t make it to the newsstand to pick up the latest issue.  I love Stitch magazine and, of course, I live for Threads but Piecework is pretty amazing, too.  In a perfect world, Piecework would focus a bit more on fabric-based arts and a bit less on yarn-based arts but the historical perspective Piecework brings to needle arts in general is unparalleled in the market.  I’m proud to be involved with such a vital force in fiber arts history!

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/my-sewing-birds-article-in-piecework-out-now/feed/ 0 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf costume design http://patchworkunderground.com/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf-costume-design/ http://patchworkunderground.com/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf-costume-design/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:57:57 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2620

I made this set for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” which happens to be one of my favorite plays of all time.  I know Irene Sharaff won an Oscar for Best Costume Design for the movie version with Liz, so these are big shoes to fill, kids!

The scans are a little blurry but I think you get the idea of what I came up with:



         

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf-costume-design/feed/ 0 Everyman costume design http://patchworkunderground.com/everyman-costume-design/ http://patchworkunderground.com/everyman-costume-design/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:29:38 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2590

I’m working on some costume design for PCC’s upcoming production of Everyman, a 15th century allegorical morality play about Everyman’s reckoning with Death and, ultimately, God.

Everyman, in this case, is going to be one of the only actors who isn’t a giant, fantastic, steampunk-inspired puppet.  Everyman will also be played by many different actors throughout the play so the challenge was to make a costume that harmonizes with the pre-existing steampunk theme, is representative of Everyman AND is easily donned by actors of many shapes, sizes and genders.  This is what I came up with.

To me, Everyman is “trapped” in his myopic selfish individuality and unable to see through the human illusion of separateness and into the truth of his togetherness with God.  Until he can act on the Knowledge of this togetherness through Good Deeds, he is damned.  So, the chains and the cage-like hat represent that mentally “trapped” state, a prison of his own making, and the eye makeup represents his “blindness”/ignorance to his togetherness with God.

I took inspiration from pictures of archaic prison technology from Discipline and Punish.  The lock over his heart is based on a real lock from a Victorian insane asylum.

Everything will be metallic colored (tarnished silver?) but not necessarily actual metal.  I plan on making the hat comfortable to wear with padding protecting actor’s heads from anything pokey or rubby.  I’m thinking about fitting elastic on the inside to make the hat secure yet one-size-fits-all.  I could also add a chin strap for extra security, it depends on how heavy and large it ends up being.

I hope the rest of the creative team likes it!  I’m excited to share this idea with them.

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/everyman-costume-design/feed/ 0 Next level paper dolls http://patchworkunderground.com/next-level-paper-dolls/ http://patchworkunderground.com/next-level-paper-dolls/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:57:58 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2577 Love this dress.  Would you believe it’s made of paper?  Edward Maeder makes historically accurate, pitch-perfect, full-sized dresses using only everyday found paper goods.  This is taking a love of paper dolls to the next level.

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/next-level-paper-dolls/feed/ 0 Portfolio update http://patchworkunderground.com/portfolio-update/ http://patchworkunderground.com/portfolio-update/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:16:27 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2574 All new designs and projects are up now on my porfolio! 



Now I just have to dig into my old files to try and recover some of the Patchwork Underground designs from years ago.  I really want the flames skirt on my portfolio along with a few other dearly missed and loved pieces I made during that time period.

<3 Erin

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/portfolio-update/feed/ 0 My weekend in miniature clothing http://patchworkunderground.com/my-weekend-in-miniature-clothing/ http://patchworkunderground.com/my-weekend-in-miniature-clothing/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:31:29 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2514

As you can tell, I’ve been re-watching Gone With The Wind again.  Don’t ask where the medieval influences came in…I’m really not sure.  I sat down and started making this with no plan, just an awareness that this striped seersucker was the only appropriately scaled fabric in my stash.  I started with the chest piece and worked my way out from there, gradually deciding that the white and red stripes needed more contrast and texture.  That’s where the maroon fuzzy fabric came in.  It’s actually a light upholstery fabric which really doesn’t make it super well-suited to miniature applications but it’s what I had at the time so I went with it.  I like the fringed epaulets I was able to work out of it.  I also really like the matching stripes detail that you see echoed throughout the dress.  I feel like if I had a dress like this I would feel pretty large and in charge in it.  I think this girl is definitely royalty of some kind.  I almost gave her wings but then decided against it…I think she is more grounded than that.

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]]> http://patchworkunderground.com/my-weekend-in-miniature-clothing/feed/ 0 my Quilt Life Interview with Terry Kramzar http://patchworkunderground.com/my-quilt-life-interview-with-terry-kramzar/ http://patchworkunderground.com/my-quilt-life-interview-with-terry-kramzar/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:34:48 +0000 Erin http://patchworkunderground.com/?p=2515

Check it out: My interview with National Parks Quilter-In-Residence, Terry Kramzar got top billing!!



See that first heading, “Being a National Park Quilt Ambassador”?  That’s my little interview!

Interviewing Terry was a complete honor and a pleasure – she is such a good-natured, thoughtful artist. Here’s one of her pieces from her website:



Terry and I talked about what it’s like to be a quilter-in-residence at a national park, what she got out of it creatively and what hardships she faced as the only quilter to ever complete the national parks’ AIR program.  There is also a ton of information on other residence (read: TRAVEL!) opportunities for quilters.

If you haven’t checked out Quilt Life, you are missing out!  This issue in particular has an international/travel theme featuring quilters and quilting around the world.  Definitely worth a peek next time you are at Joann’s or any other specialty newstand.

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