Saturday, November 22, 2014

FUTURE BEAUTY




'Future Beauty: 30 years of Japanese Fashion'
the first major exhibition to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion from the early 1980s to the present, is currently on show at GOMA, Brisbane.
I went this week with my friend S, and we loved it!


In the late twentieth century, Japanese fashion came to display its uniqueness, when Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake and others began to attract attention.
Then Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto made their debut in Paris in 1981, with designs completely devoid of the traditional aesthetics of Western fashion.
The exhibition features dozens of amazing fashions, sculptural, dazzling, and extremely clever.


No photography is allowed in the exhibition, so I could only take pictures from the introductory display.  However, these garments are in the exhibition.
The look, shape and texture of fabric is explored to a wonderful and fascinating degree, for a viewer who loves textiles, fashion and the art of sewing.






 I came home possessed of the urge to sew, and with another heat wave upon us, decided a cool maxi dress was an essential:

I bought this fabric in Sydney last year, when I went fabric shopping with the lovely Val, of Valerie's Sewing Blog.



It is a border print jersey knit, and due to some confusion re pattern repeat, lost in the mist of time, I ended up with two pieces, intending to make a top.
However, inspiration for how to make the most of the interesting fabric has eluded me.


Until this week.
Suddenly I had the idea of butting the two pieces head to head, and joining them together.
This put the striped border in the middle instead of at the hem and gave me enough length to cut a maxi dress from my TNT pattern.


I used the maximum amount of width available to get some fullness around the bottom of the skirt by judicious pattern placement, front then back.

I bound the neckline and armholes with a scrap of black jersey, and voila:


A cool dress for a very hot day.


About once a year I attempt a selfie -
 here we go with the wind blowing the hair awry...



My lovely friend M recently gave me the fixings for a sweet and quick Christmas craft:


This is her Christmas cake frill, tied around my empty cake tin..

And this is how you make it:


The red is M's finished frill, the green is the work in progress.
I am working in inches because my quilters tools are in inches.
Cut a piece 42" long and 5" wide.


Sew a neat double hem along sides and ends.


Now sew a length of white insertion lace along the centre.
   Thread a length of narrow ribbon through, leaving enough at each end to tie a bow.


And here is the finished ruffle, ready for the Christmas cake.


I re-arranged the Tree, just a tad..


Welcome to the new ornament, direct from Notre Dame, Paris.


My friend brought this Nativity scene back from Peru.
Isn't it adorable?


Be good:
Santa's coming....

Have a great weekend and stay cool.

xxxx




33 comments:

  1. Hi Patricia,
    I am in love with your new dress. Gosh , you are so talented with your sewing and designs.
    I love the christmas cake frill.. my mother always put one around ours when i was younger.
    I dont start decorating until around the 12th of December..closer to christmas.
    The exhibit of japanese designer clothes looks so interesting.. i am glad you had the chance to go.
    your tree looks lovely.
    happy weekend.
    val xxx

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    1. Thank you Val, I am pleased with the dress. I am decorating now because Little Aussie came and helped with the tree, and will be back soon for another weekend. It is a joy to see his little face light up when he sees the Christmas displays. I will have to bake a Christmas cake now, won't I? xxx

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  2. Would like to see the Japanese fashion installation. Did you feel it inspired you to get creative with the yardage you had and make that terrific dress? Very clever of you. Are those little Hello Kitty figures in one of those pics? One of my (adult) friends collects Hello Kitty things.

    Thanks for giving us the selfie. I know how hard that can be :-)

    Darla

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    1. I think you would enjoy the Japanese fashions Darla, very different from what we usually see, and very ingenious. I did feel inspired by it all. Yes, Hello Kitty display was outside the exhibition - one section was garments inspired by such pop cultural identities.
      You have no idea how many selfies I have taken and rejected :)

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  3. That dress is perfect! I'm not sure how things work in the sewing world, but in the knitting world we would call that fabric waiting to discover what it wanted to be "stash."

    The Japanese exhibit looks like it was fascinating. Did they have any hand knit times on display? Japan is a huge source of beautiful knitting patterns, so much so that there are resources available for English speaking knitters to help them translate the vital bits.

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    1. Yes, definitely a stash, and this summer I am working from the stash Kristie. I remember seeing one little pink knitted sweater in the exhibition which I loved, but there may have been more. So much to take in all at once!

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  4. Hello Patricia

    I felt your enthusiasm as you described the exhibition and was not surprised you rushed home and your beautiful dress was created.
    My computer is acting up so I shall say good night

    Helen xx

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    1. Hello Helen, thank you for your kind comment, and yes, the exhibition was inspirational and exciting.
      My computer has been most naughty too lately - can it be the season? xxx

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  5. Patricia,
    It's so nice to see wonderful YOU in this picture. I love the ornament from Notre Dame, it's so unique and lovely. You already have your tree up? It looks great, and I love all the red on it. It is our Thanksgiving next week, and I'm so thankful for my blog friend in Australia.

    love,
    ~Sheri

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    1. Thank you dear Sheri, I am a bit shy of showing my face, so once a year is about it. I loved the ornament as soon as I saw it in Notre Dame, and it seemed a perfect memento. The tree is up, mainly for Little Aussie when he visits (but perhaps for me too?) Happy Thanksgiving. xxx

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  6. Finally a glimpse of Patricia - nice to finally "meet" you.

    What a wonderful exhibition - the Japanese designers were quite a stir on the world fashion stage weren't they? It seems that a few cities are holding fashion shows - your city, Melbourne (Gaultier) and Adelaide are all currently hosting fashion exhibitions. I may be lucky enough to get to one soon (sshhh!!).

    Your new dress looks wonderful - if I understand correctly, you bought more than you intended of this fabric - what a great mistake :)

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    1. Thank you Sarah Liz - don't show my dial very often :)
      It is a great exhibition, and I will be going a few more times, taking in the detail. Didn't know about the Gaultier, so might try to catch that one. I will look forward to hearing about any that you visit.
      Yes, bought more material than originally planned and it was in two pieces and I didn't want to waste it - the hot weather provided the inspiration to go for a cool maxi, and the juxtaposition of the two ends came to me as I played around with it.

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  7. Thanks Val, perhaps it is the first time I have really waited for the 'speak', and it was a source of surprise to me! I should not be so impatient in future. Glad you like the dress.

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  8. Your dress is brilliant! It looks so good on you and you definitely made the very best of the fabric!! I love that you collect Christmas decorations from your travels, they make lovely reminders when you get them out each year don't they. xx

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    1. Thank you Amy, I think the dress will enjoy a happy life.
      I've been collecting Christmas bits wherever we go for many years, and the tree has turned into a special travelogue now! xx

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  9. How lovely to see the real you, Patricia! It's a lovely dress too and I like the selfie too. A wonderful Japanese exhibition too! You seem to be full of life! That's great!

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    1. Aw, thank you Val - I am a bit shy about showing face on blog :)
      I think I am finally recovered from our hectic trip to Europe, and getting back to fully active! It can be a bit difficult in the oppressive heat, though - another 35 degree day today :(

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  10. lloks like a lovely exhibition. Wonder if it will travel to the UK? The dress look amazing. Recently got my sewing machine out, after quite a long time. Making a holdall from vintage fabric.

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    1. Hello Katharine, the lovely Future Beauty exhibition was in fact originally organised with the Barbican in London, and showed in winter 2010/11. We are very lucky to have it in Brisbane. Good for you, getting out the sewing machine. Sometimes that is all you need to do, and creativity follows. I adore vintage fabric - could you show the holdall on your blog some time?

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  11. Your hair has grown much since I last you. You are looking good in your dress!!
    The Japanese designers are onto something new. Experimental, brave shapes, styles. And I like it! I like it more than the traditional, minimalistic ( sitting on the cushions on the floor ; ).
    Once again, thank you for your informative post : )!

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    1. Yes, I am growing quite a thick mop of hair these days, Mette!
      I think you would like this Exhibition Mette - wonderful clean lines and geometric shapes. I loved it too! Wish I could have taken lots of photos to share. Glad you enjoyed!

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  12. The fabric pattern is very nicely placed on the dress. Clever and artistic.

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    1. Thank you Patricia, it is funny how it took a year to occur to me to join the pieces in this way, and I am very happy with the way it worked out.

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  13. Oh Patricia, such beautiful things! I love your new dress and wish I can sew (only buttons and uncomplicated repairs). I am very fond of Japanese fashion. They also make very good skin care products.

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    1. Hi Debra, I do enjoy sewing having learnt as a child, but I do have considerable limitations. The Japanese fashion is like a breath of fresh air!

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  14. Patricia, I've sent a couple of emails to get your address for the Christmas Card Swap, but haven't heard from you. Please email me at tomorrowlady@yahoo.com. Thanks!

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    1. Sorry, been busy at work for a couple of days, will get onto it!

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  15. Hi Patricia.....
    You make me laugh with your selfies!
    That dress is perfect on you!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Hi Linda, I'm not the expert photographer like you :)
      Yes, I think it is the perfect dress for days of intense heat. Like today...
      Cheers! P.

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  16. Hallo Patricia,
    you looks really good ! very nice post! have a great day, saluti

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    1. Thank you Massimo, glad you enjoyed my post. Saluti!

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  17. Gosh, you are so creative with your sewing, Patricia. That dress is super and the Christmas cake frill is pretty. I've bookmarked the page until I again have the use of both hands. :-)

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    1. Thank you Perpetua, how frustrating to have a hand in plaster! Glad you like the cake frill - I think I had better make a Christmas cake now, just to give the frill an outing.

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