Learning from Alabama Chanin - Red Hearts on Gray Tunic Top

I bought a couple books last summer at the local Barnes & Nobles.  When I sat myself down in the crafts section, as I like to do from time to time, I found two books by Natalie Chanin on hand sewing clothing.  One is titled, "Alabama Studio Sewing + Design: A guide to Hand-Sewing and Alabama Chanin Wardrobe." The newer book is "Alabama Studio Sewing Patterns: A Guide to Customizing a Hand Stitched Alabama Chanin Wardrobe."

This is the back of a tunic top.

Now that I've had the books for a full year, I've gotten a chance to read them thoroughly as well as make a few pieces from them, including the one in this blog post. This fitted tunic top is a slightly altered version of the pattern in the books.  It is upcycled from 3 different t-shirts. The stitching is in black and red with four "random ruffles" running down the front.

Front

 Shoulder close up

Here are some close up shots that show the detailed hand stitching. The seams are all sewn twice for strength and style.  It has inside felled seams where I sewed the light gray to the dark gray. Because I upcycled from other shirts, I had to patch together the fabric to make this top.  So there are more seams inside the dark and light areas. Outside felled seams connect the dark gray to itself, and the light gray is patched together using outside open seams with feather top-stitching. By the time I got the front and back cut out, there wasn't enough fabric left to make the binding, so I cut into a third shirt, the red one.  The red binding is attached with a stretchy stitch, called Cretin stitch, to keep the arm holes and neck line stretchy. Since I had so much red fabric left over, I thought I'd add some applique, and hearts seemed like the obvious choice.

As is characteristic of Chanin's style, the bottom edge is left unstitched. Also, characteristic of her style are the hand appliqued bits attached with running stitch and an unfinished cut edge.

One important tip that is omitted from the books is that you have to ease the binding anywhere you use it.  This means that the binding is a bit shorter than the edges it binds.  If you don't ease, you will find that the arm holes and neckline gape in an unattractive way. (Ask me how I know.) Figuring out how much to ease the binding is a bit of an art, but I find that I use as much ease as I can without creating ripples. Even a tiny bit of ripple is okay.  I found that it's better to slightly over do it than to slightly under do it, especially since these tops tend to be fitted, which leads me to another observation...

I think the pattern sizing in this book is too small.  I've found that anything I make from these books in a large size tends to be a tight on me, and I'm 5'5" and 130 pounds. I am a US Size 8 or maybe 10. In fact, according to the designs I've made from these books, I'm consistently an "extra large," which bothers me a bit since I'm not a particularly large woman.

Other than that, I really love the designs and techniques in these books. If you like hand stitching and making clothing, I totally recommend these books to you. I love the combo of soft jersey and fancy stitching.  The clothing I have produced is both beautiful and comfortable, and I'm offering much of what I make for sale, including the top in this blog post.  I made a couple more tops that I still need to photograph.  So expect more from me soon.

Thanks for looking. 

Let me call you Sweetheart

I'm in love with you. 
Let me hear you whisper that you love me too. 

I couldn't decide which color of pink crystals to use.  So I used all of them.  I wrote a tutorial for the Sweetheart Pendant so you can learn to bead one yourself.  Thanks for looking.

My New Avatar by Tiffany Inglis

If you're like me, you've always wanted to be a cartoon character.  I don't know why.  I guess I just love cartoons. Well, Tiffany Inglis can draw cartoons, and she is also a master in Photoshop.   You see, Tiffany is a computer whiz AND a brilliant portraitist.  She has a PhD in computer science, and she wrote her dissertation on "Pixelating Vector Art."

Clearly, she's not your average computer nerd.  Anyway, Tiffany recently posted a custom wedding portrait on Facebook, and I was blown away by it.  It looked right out of a Pixar movie.    So I asked Tiffany if she would like to trade some beadwork for an avatar.  I was super happy when she agreed.  I sent her some photos of myself and my art, and with her magic, she made this picture of me, complete with wavy red hair and glasses.  Isn't it amazing? 

I actually look like this. 

In my head. 

But now I look like this on my computer too.  You can see that Tiffany managed to include a Rivoli Urchin pendant, a Sweetheart Pendant, a top hat from felted wool sweaters, and a coat I made.  (These are all things I've written tutorials for.)

In exchange, I made her this Rivoli Urchin Necklace in the colors Tiffany picked.  I'm totally sure that I won this trade.

Thanks for looking.

TUTORIAL Sweetheart Pendant with Cubic Right Angle Weave CRAW

Here's my latest tutorial, the Sweetheart Pendant in two sizes!

The Sweetheart Pendant is woven with beaded cubic right angle weave and its variations. This tutorial does not contain complete step-by-step instructions for weaving these hearts. Instead, This tutorial is designed for experienced beaders, and it includes charts like those I wrote about last week. This tutorial assumes you already how to do basic cubic right angle weave and know how to connect two ends to make a continuous strip. If you don’t, check out the links at my blog post above to learn how.

The tutorial is 6 pages, including about 30 illustrations and photographs. The tutorial is a PDF file that gives charts and explanations for reading the charts to make Sweetheart pendants in two sizes.

Thanks for looking!

Tutorial Beaded Lace Hearts Part 6 of the Beaded Lace Adventure

Using nothing more than seed beads and thread, beaded lace hearts are designed to look like Irish crochet and tatting lace hearts and leaves. Use square stitch to make hearts in two different sizes. Although the shape varies with the size and shape of the seed beads you use, this pattern explains how to adjust the counts so you can make beautifully shaped hearts with your particular seed beads. The big heart is 1 1/4 inches (32 mm) tall. The small heart is 1 inch (25 mm) tall.

The tutorial is 12 pages, including 37 illustrations and photographs. The tutorial is a PDF file that gives step-by-step instructions explaining how to make beaded hearts in two sizes. I give detailed instructions for weaving the hearts, plus the last 5 pages include photos and several design possibilities for bracelets, earrings, and necklaces with these hearts, some of which use other beaded motifs from the Beaded Lace Adventure. While many design inspirations are included, this tutorial does not explain how to finish a specific piece of jewelry.

This is part 6 in my series, The Beaded Lace Adventure, where I aspire to write a series of tutorials designed around making large collar necklaces out of beaded lace. I am carefully documenting my process in this series, and I invite you to make a lace collar or cuff bracelet with me. For example, this section is the front of the third collar I am currently working on.

Part 1 of the Beaded Lace Adventure is “Athena’s Acanthus Bracelet”

Part 2 is “Beaded Lace Flowers”

Part 3 is "Beaded Lace Swags"

Part 4 is "Beaded Lace Medallions"

Part 5 is "Eucalyptus Leaves Bracelets and Clovers"