For those wondering about the radio silence lately, it’s all due to a major move: house and studio all packed up, moved and unpacked (mostly). Normal transmission should now resume.
The first UFO (unfinished object) submitted to the UFO Project is a beauty: hand dyed, quilted and embroidered. The artist, Ulrike, is not so much in need of technical advice (she’s clearly highly accomplished), but seems to have become stuck in getting it to a point where it feels ‘finished’, at least for now. Ulrike’s adventures in dying, weaving and other textile crafts are beautifully chronicled on her bilingual blog, Handspindel.
Ulrike says:
Not sure if my biggest UFO is actually an UFO or more like an eternal WiP [work in progress]. But where’s the difference there anyway? It’s a coat I started to sew nearly four years ago. A summer coat in kimono shape. It was kind of finished Sept ’08, when I was on a spinners and knitters meeting; you can actually see me posing in it on one of the photos there [see below]. And I wore it a few times, but something was amiss. It didn’t feel quite right.
I think what gave it away was that I never actually finished the bottom hem and some other minor details like a closure and such. But I added some pockets the next year. Last month, I unburrowed it, ripped off the sleeves, cut them open and redyed the rest of the coat. In its redyed and sleeveless state, it now lies again burrowed under a heap of freshly dyed fabrics. And waits for some inspiration to come.
The reason I don’t get it finished? I guess I want too much. I want it to be a piece of art as well as a wearable object, a piece I like to get to when chilly summer winds blow my way. And to think, I was so proud of it the first time.
As an aside, the writer in me is liking the use of the verbs ‘burrow’ and ‘unburrow’ in this context!
I too have a silk, kimono-ish coat that I started years ago, and haven’t finished either. Made from kimono silk, it was intended to be quilted and double sided. I think I just ran out of time with it one day, and then other projects took over. And I wanted it to be wearable art, too. On principle, however, I don’t think that’s wanting too much!
Ulrike says:
The coat is made from old linen shirts (you know, those old night dresses from 1800 something you get rather cheap on flea markets) [Not in Australia you don't! - Kapinny], taken apart, dyed in my first indigo fermentation vat with a huge block on the back dyed with brazilwood. This was in my natural dyer’s beginner’s days and I didn’t know that brazilwood fades rather quick on linen or cotton. So a few months ago, I started another fermentation vat and just dipped the whole coat in several times. Since the fermentation vat is rather alkalic and since I use it with a rather low temperature, the silk patches of the reverse applique don’t take on the dye (or at least not that much) and just retained their colour while the rest of the fabric got a bit darker.
Some of the motifs are actually part of the dyeing process, I experimented a little with different shibori techniques and used practically everything that could clamp fabric.
I think I will put the sleeves back on. Or rather some other sleeves. This time, I actually cut out a pattern on paper and I already cut some different coloured strips of fabric. I thought to make the whole thing bolder. So I guess, my problem is more a matter of courage. Usually, I’m more the black always fits-type. Though lately I became bolder and actually wear colour. In small patches, but colour nonetheless. Inspiration is not my problem, I have so many ideas, I just lack the time to bring them all into reality. And I stopped buying new clothes two years ago. And slowly I’m in need of some new ones. Which I make myself, which is wonderful but takes time, especially since I only rarely use my sewing machine; I prefer sewing by hand. But in the end, I think, it really is a matter of courage. A matter of just doing it.
I’ll be interested to see what she does with those new sleeves. Ulrike also plans to add more appliqué.
Though there is always something very special for me about a blue and white combination, I love the splash of pinky-red that was on the back before the over-dying process. I’m all for colour in clothing: I actually can’t wear black ever since I used to work in theatre, and had to wear nothing but. For some reason it gives me the willies.
It’s hard to know what to suggest. I’m wondering if the issue isn’t something to do with the proportions. Perhaps the length is not quite right. I would experiment with pinning up the hem at different lengths to see what difference it made. I’d think about maybe adding some kind of mandarin collar? And perhaps the new sleeves could be shorter, as well.
It’s something that requires some playing around, I think, to see what works.
If you have any comments or suggestions on what might work, we’d love to hear them!
I think I might know what the underlying problem is so have approached my suggestions as I would if Ulrike had been a student. I smile alot when working with students so please don’t be offended by what I suggest.
I’ve worked on (REinvented) a few Kimonos (I know this isn’t however it is that shape) with students and am infact REinventing one as we speak. As is, they are ideal as a dressing gown and because they have no shape they’re possibly one the most unflattering garments around, as evidenced by the last photo – you actually have to stand like this for them to be appreciated. The problem with Wearable Art is that in reality it’s not – wearable that is. Perhaps this piece should be allowed to be what is it is, a beautiful cloth in the shape of a garment and the next one that Ulrike undertakes, if it starts as a garment she would wear and look good in then it will be stunning when finished.
Nothing is impossible and this piece is no exception however to REinvent the garment so it is a wearable Jacket would mean cutting and unpicking existing seams which would undoubtedly interfer with the handwork already completed – which I imagine Ulrike would be reluctant to do.
If the oposite is true, then basically there is too much fabric to be wearable and proportionally for her shape – the sleeves need removing or reshaping, darts in the back and perhaps the front, a little shorter or a lot shorter. If that was a start then the rest would answer itself.
Hope this was of some help?!
I understand what you’re saying, and you may well be right. Shaping what is essentially shapeless can make a huge difference. I agree that the sleeves need a re-design.
However, I have seen coats with this sort of silhouette look completely fabulous. (A quilted cotton summer coat, worn by one of those Parisian women who always look effortlessly stylish and wonderful, for example, and which was the inspiration for my – still unfinished – quilted coat. She worked for the Galeries Lafayette, and had bought it there with her staff discount. I wanted to be her.)
Dear Jody, I agree with your assessment that probably the shape is the basic problem. I already cut off the sleeves, made them smaller and am about to resew them. Not sure if I will make it better this time. We’ll see soon, I hope. If not, there is always the possibility to cut them off again ;o) I sew by hand so the seams are pretty easy to pick (even if the hold perfectly well in everyday life). I thought about gathering in the sideseams to give it some shape. I’ve seen this give shape to an otherwise unshapely handwoven coat once. The length definitely is not flattering for my stubby self. So maybe I should shorten it. Or lengthen it, to make it more of a statement ;o)
thank you very much
Ulrike