Tea and Roses

Unfortunately, I must start this post with some bad news. My lovely old sewing machine has been out of commission for some time and I had assumed that it was merely a broken needle which would be simple to replace once I got settled into my new workroom. Well, I replaced the needle yesterday morning and have discovered that there may be some underlying issues. When I go to thread the machine, I can't seem to get the bobbin thread to catch, and instead my main thread gets all caught up in the internal mechanisms and won't easily come free. This has me incredibly sad because while I'm familiar with it's everyday uses I'm no mechanic and don't have a clear idea of what might be the issue. The machine has been in my family for many years, it's a good deal older than I am!! I do know of a repairman who can probably sort it out, and Minnie has a few ideas what might be the trouble, but I am considerably slowed by its temporary loss. Needless to say, I've got a new project that I've been excited to start, and it's going quite a bit more slowly than I had anticipated thanks to having to hand stitch everything at this point. 

Maybe a month ago, I received some heavy rose printed fabric from my sister. She had intended to make something for herself, but it was a project that she never managed to begin and the material caught my interest. It's a rather heavy weave and I believe it's intended for upholstery rather than clothing, however it seems quite durable. The best thing about it however is the wide bands that make up the pattern, alternating between climbing roses and what looks like ribbon lacing. What I've started doing with it is simply allowing the bands of design shape the final piece, which will end up being a type of dress. What I have envisioned has a fitted bodice with a square neckline, incorporating a center panel of roses (v-shaped) sandwiched by two strips of the purple. It will break with a seam at the waist, and the skirt will flare down to long tunic length before it splits into 4 separate panels (two in front and two behind) that will reach nearly to the floor.  The design is sleeveless, and meant to be worn either over an under-dress or with a blouse and leggings. I'm calling the style a traveling dress because the panel skirt would hypothetically allow the wearer to ride any manner of beast of vehicle. Given the variety of prints available in upholstery grade fabrics, I have a lot of hope that this will be something that is simple for me to reproduce.
I officially started work yesterday morning, full of ambition and with a cup of steaming tea in hand. I can't tell you how many cups of tea later, and I feel like the process is moving at a crawl. Part of the problem is that I'm not stopping to create a pattern first, but rather letting the fabric shape the piece as I go. This means that I have been constantly stopping to take measurements and more recently to attempt to fit the bodice with the help of a mirror. Initially I created something that looked like a pillow case with a neck hole cut into it (and that was essentially what it was), but I soon realized that to make the skirt practical I would need to split it in the front and back as well as either side creating the 4-panel pattern. This meant that I would need to separate the bodice portion from the

skirt portion and work them both individually so that I could rotate the positions where the stripes of pattern fall before assembling a finished piece. I finally worked up the courage to cut the two apart and have since been sorting out exactly where to pleat the bodice to create the correct tapered silhouette. I'm taking around 20 inches out at the waist from the original 52" width of the fabric, however because I want to preserve the full width of all 4 purple stripes on the bodice I have to do quite a bit of difficult shaping. At the moment I have the front of the neckline cut and the edge turned so that I don't damage the material with all the fittings I'm required to do. I have the shoulder seams sewn and the arm holes are cut, although I have not yet trimmed the excess fabric from under the arms. I have the loose proportions for the pleats pinned at the waist, and the seams on either side of the front panel have been basted in so that I have a good idea of where they will fall and how the fabric will shape around the bust.
All in all, it has been a good start to my second day of work, but there is much yet that needs done before I begin to feel really accomplished. I can only hope that I maintain steam on the project and don't hit any more unexpected roadblocks. I'm about to prepare some food for Reginald and myself, and then I believe I will be back to work for the rest of the evening.
With any luck, there will be another long post with many completed pictures shortly.

Thanks,
 Djinni

Current Events

Well, it's finally happened. Sir Reginald and I were wed a few days ago in a simple ceremony. I can honestly say that everything that made the event special was personally done by a guest or loved one.

If my dress looks familiar, it's an idea that Minnie and I have been toying with for some time. Here is a sketch of the design that I had originally shared with you a few months ago when we were designing the prototype. Actual stitching of the wedding dress was done exclusively by Minnie, and I only wish I could have been on hand to fully document the process. She did an amazing job, and I felt very classy that evening. The pearls are hand beaded and knotted my my dearest childhood friend. (more of her work here: https://www.facebook.com/EJD21x )

What I have not been doing lately is sewing. I have had every intention of continuing on with projects but life seems to have swept me along rather rapidly. Sir Reginald and I have moved to a new home in a new city and so there has been a good deal of settling in required. Also, the majority of the tools of my trade are still residing in packing boxes. On a positive note, I now have a full study dedicated to my work, whether that be at the sewing machine or in my books. All that remains is some final shelving of my materials, and I should be back in business.

Although I haven't been able to create anything new for some months, I was able to re-combine a few old things to make a new look. I recently attended a festival with some friends, and was able to finally use last year's Liliana Vess attire as something besides costuming. You can see me below on the right hand side, and although it does not show in the picture, I'm wearing the skirt layered with a  burgundy underskirt. My favorite part of the festival, of course, was viewing the work of other seamstresses as many of them have shops set up in the area. Between admiring the sights and the lovely weather it made for a very pleasant day out with good friends.

Until I have more to share, please be well
~Djinni

'Tonic Approved

Good morning. I'd just like to start the day off with a quick thought for a future project. I've recently acquired a large amount of red satin and, have been planning to turn it into some sort of dress coat or jacket like the one pictured to the left. At the moment I'm looking into black lining and probably silver accents. If I'm feeling really invested in the project I am also considering some sort of black and silver embroidery down the front of the jacket as well as around the collar and cuffs. possibly even a back piece. Embroidery however does take a considerable amount of time and effort so this will be something to do over time rather than anything I will be able to show immediate results on. I should be able to create a pattern, in one afternoon, and then put the majority of the piece together in a second.

Embroidery would fill the quite times that I would have in the evenings since it is exclusively hand work, and to be honest the details like this are something that I greatly enjoy. Once I've done as much as I feel the piece requires, it should be a simple matter of sewing up the front seams and the hem - both of which can be quickly top-stitched on my machine.
 Today, I decided to get a better idea of what I would be working with since up to this point it had merely been speculation as to whether I would have quantity that I needed, so I laid everything out to take a good look at things. Cat-a-tonic decided that she needed to be more involved in the creative process and since elected to take a nap on my materials. In the department of creative support I find her invaluable - or in this case, completely without value.
A dress jacket like this is something that I hope will eventually become a key item in my line of Djinn and Tonic attire, since the base pattern should be quite simple, classy, and easy to produce in a variety of sizes (the standard S, M, L, and XL). The embroidery however is probably something that I wouldn't undertake for mass production or sale unless by commission and even at that it would have to be added on to the price of the standard piece at an hourly rate as it can prove to be quite taxing. I hope to have some new images to share with you shortly-if not of this jacket then certainly of the dress that Minnie and I have been working on.
Until then you have my regards
~Djinni

I Lied About Orange

In my previous post, I gave a small spoiler for what my next project would consist of, and I believe I posted something about 'lace and the color orange'. To clarify upon this, I had the opportunity to discover some vintage material (as pictured) that is elaborately printed with colorful medallions. It is something that Minnie purchased a long time ago, and has been shelved ever since, waiting for a moment of inspiration. I instantly elected to turn this fantastic stuff into a garment. At first glance the pattern seemed to be very orange, however upon a second, closer, look it proved to actually be a very bright red. Minnie described it to me as 'tomato red', when she corrected me, although I think it looks a bit more like the color of newly ripe cherries.

The material is a standard weight cotton and in quite good condition despite it's age. Minnie and I elected to use it as a prototype piece for the simple gown design I have adopted (in favor of the more elaborate corset and under-dress) for my wedding to Sir Reginald. This gown will feature a 7-panneled pattern to provide a flared silhouette with a full skirt, lace upper portion, and a gathered bust, as shown in the sketch to the right. It can be worn with a simple under-bust corset if so desired, or possibly gathered up and layered with an underskirt to create different finished looks. The material would look stunning with either gold or red accents, however for our lining and accent fabrics, Minnie and I have elected the red.
Our first real hurdle, as with any project was the construction of the pattern, and that occupied the first working session this past Easter. I have lately been in love with designs involving lots of lace and decided to modify the basic concept of a strapless dress to include a the lace upper portion with a line of tiny pearl buttons up the back, meeting the point where the dress itself would employ a zipper. This upper portion, as well as the lace ruffle that peeks out from the skirt-hem will be done in a red point d'esprit lace mesh, and trimmed with a slim band of red lace with a delicate floral design. The 7-paneled constitution of the pattern will allow the dress to maintain a slim, fitted, line through the midriff (perfect for wearing with an under-bust) and seamlessly transition into a much fuller skirt.

 Minnie and I met again yesterday and were able to finally begin the task of cutting and sewing the resulting panels together. The dress is fully lined, and we chose a soft red material for this purpose. During the several hours we spent yesterday in her underground workroom, we have been able to sew and press the panels composing the front and back of both dress and lining, and set the zipper. Because the lace upper portion must be attached between the outer and the lining material to create a finished edge both inside and out, I have not yet been able to attach the lining to the outer shell or to sew up the side seams without first addressing that part of the pattern. We did however begin gathering the bust of the dress, and mounting it to both a lightweight foam core material and to an inner and outer lining. The extra weight of the foam should allow for the finished dress to be worn with out the need for any additional undergarment, and should provide stability and shape to that part of the dress.
With any luck, one more good workday should produce a finished product, or at the very least a garment in need of only minor adjustments and handwork. There is much left to do, but this first portion has gone so smoothly that I can only trust in our abilities. As this pattern is a prototype, I would appreciate some feedback on what more could be done with it. What else would you, dear reader, be interested in seeing me create?
As always, my most sincere thanks,
~Djinni

Being Lili

Several months ago, I set my mind toward the task of building attire for the popular Magic the Gathering character Liliana Vess. Due to many new adventures as well as much non-photogenic weather, it has taken me much longer than anticipated to share any results of my efforts. I have however recently made a journey to the gathering known as MegaCon and this seemed the perfect opportunity to showcase my work.
I believe when we last spoke of this project I was finishing up some hand work on the bodice as well as doing the final paint details on the sleeves. These small things took a bit longer than expected due to the delicate nature of the work, however I was able to finish the full thing by my deadline at the end of last October. Each one of Lili's over the shoulder sleeves is constructed of a slim triangle of purple costume satin that fastens to the rest of the bodice front and back with a series of small black hooks. The pieces are fully detachable, leaving the bodice able to be worn as a simple purple corset, or as part of the greater attire.
Each shoulder is hand painted with a delicate boarder design. These designs are largely drawn from my own fancy as none of the pictures available give a very clear idea of the patterning, however I really fell in love with the metallic finish of the paint against the purple of the material.

The corset is fully lined with an old gold lining material (reclaimed from a second hand pillow sham) and all of the edges were turned inward and top-stitched with metallic thread so that the whole piece had tiny hints of sparkle both from the hardware and from the stitching itself. The bodice attaches to the flowing skirt (discussed months ago) with several more hooks so that the garb may be disassembled at will and worn in any combination of pieces.

I am on the whole largely satisfied with the finished piece and how it really evolved from the images and sketches that I used to build it. I feel I would be remiss If i did not now include a few images of the full attire. First off here is an image that I used extensively when putting my ideas together depicting Liliana. The most exciting moments however of being Lili, were when I bumped into another young lady who was dressed as Elesh Norn (another character from the Magic the Gathering multiverse) and was able to take a picture with her, and the moment when a young man who was working one of the stands selling cards, actually pulled the Liliana of the Veil card out of it's case and protective wrapper (this is a 90+ dollar card pictured below) and handed her to me so that he could take a picture of us.

I have very much enjoyed the experience of making this piece from start to finish and then enjoying wearing the results. I can only hope that if you too share my love of garb and and the feel of well made attire, that you will understand the feeling. At the moment, I am already deep into my next project. Although it is in the beginning 'hopes and dreams stages', I can spoil that it involves quite a bit of lace and the color orange!

Please to not fear that my long absences mean that there will not be more to come. The wheels of inspiration are ever turning. I do fear that until Sir Reginald and I are well and safely married there will be little time for my other amusements, however you have been lovely and patient with me to this point and I merely beg of you patience for a short while longer.
~Djinni

Scraps of Lace and Birds of Paradise

With the end of the holidays and the coming of the new year, I regret to report that I have fallen of on my creative activities. Part of the problem is that I have yet to replace the needle on my sewing machine. The rest is largely the result of the great deal of time I have spent studying the keeping of accounts in an attempt to further myself in my personal and professional endeavors.  

note: This is to be read that I am back in accountant school and that some of my classes are demanding this semester, however coming right out and saying it seems so flavorless on a blog that is attempting a steampunk flavor.

I have, however been able to keep up with a few small tidbits, mostly little projects to occupy the spare minutes. I've been playing with a few ideas of combining natural and mechanical jewelry motifs for a while, for instance the necklace pictured to the right was one of my first pieces which combines a mix of gears and flowers. I can't say that my Birds of Paradise earrings have quite the same mechanical charm, but they were designed with the similar lavish intent. In fact the beaded 'feathers' are long enough to dust the shoulders of the wearer. The hardest part about eventually re-producing something like these will be finding the metal bird pieces a second time, although I'm certain something similar could be ordered should I decide to delve into further marketing.

The hardest transition for me as an artist seems to be where I should leave off making goods for my own personal use and enjoyment, and when I should begin to produce (either through mass production or individual crafting) items that could be sold. Garments will be the trickiest, since the staples of my collection so far have been things that require careful and personal fitting. Minnie had an answer for me when we last discussed it, and her suggestion was that we start things off small with things that are sure to fit everyone. Advice that seems simple enough but does not leave us with a great variety of places to begin.

The fingerless gloves, pictured to the left, are going to be our solution. The pair shown here was made by Minnie (and is pictured being modeled by her). Gloves like these are quite versatile and something that every lady should own in several different colors (dare a say one for every outfit?). I intend to start producing them with remnant lace, both new and repurposed, however I would like to move into other materials such a velvet or leather to suit ladies of every occupation. Lets be honest, some of us just don't have dainty enough jobs to wear lace every day. In future posts, please keep an eye out for an 'order me' caption placed below the picture of an item to indicate that I am indeed offering it up for sale. If no given price is obviously stated in the post, then please assume the price will be negotiated upon request or interest in the item.

With any luck this will be a project to fire the imagination and I can't wait to see what we come up with.

Thank you, as always
Djinni

Garb for the Season

Good evening! I'm currently deciding to give my poor fingers a break from the work of top-stitching as I have just jabbed myself rather brutally with the back of a needle, and as I have been working very hard the last few days I just so happen to have new material to post about. I am currently (perpetually) employed in making my Liliana Vess attire, which has come to the point where all that remains is hand work and attaching all the various pieces to one another. I have chosen to finish the corset with gold top stitching (just a simple quilting stitch) to hold the lining and the outer layers together and to turn/finish the edges. This sounds like it shouldn't be difficult, and in theory a quilting stitch like this is about as simple as it gets. What I did not account for however was the difficulty involved in using metallic threads. Every few inches the metallic strand decides to break or fray loose from the plastic strand that is wrapped around, and I have to stop, unthread my needle, and reassess things. Aside from that, progress is quite satisfactory, and I estimate no more than a week before I will be posting pictures of the finished pieces.

In light of the holiday, however, I am featuring some pictures of my mentor, mother, and assistant Minnie Stitches and her gypsy garb. Minnie is a seamstress of both skill and following, and without her many Djinn and Tonic creations would not be possible. The green brocade underskirt and bodice, and the white blouse are all samples of our unique designs made with re-purposed or remnant linens.

The bodice, as shown below, is fully lined and stiffened with plastic boning. It's cut with a five piece pattern (pieces 2 - 5 are cut double), and the finished piece laces fully up the back with a very wide ribbon. The rich color and texture that the brocade brings to the piece makes it perfect for use in the gypsy themed costume.

At the moment, this basic bodice comes in a s/m or an xs/s sizing (all sizes may be adjusted based on lacing)  and it is not quite ready for sale. There are still a couple bugs that need working out in the design to lend speed to it's production. It does however lend itself to becoming a 'ready-made' garment with little need for specific or custom measurements.
If you'd like to see more similar designs in the future, please leave a comment below. Feedback will always be appreciated.

And now I do believe it is time for me to get back to work. Until next time...
~Djinni

We Shall Call It 'Leather'

In the past few days, I have come to discover that corset making is hard. I feel the largest part of my frustration comes from trying to make something professional without the correct materials. One of the pitfalls I suppose of my desire to use as much re-purposed fabric as possible. You will then understand my excitement when a co-worker of mine told me that she was looking for someone to take a great deal of lightly used leather off her hands. There are just so many great things that can be done with leather - I started imagining corsets and greatcoats, and Sir Reginald tells me he is in need of some new armor.
Well, I can honestly say that whatever I ended up with never saw a cow in it's life, or any sort of animal for that matter. I shall hereby call it 'leather' with the understanding that this should not be fooling anyone. That being said, there is a good deal of it and I should still be able to put it to use. My 'leather' is a dark black-brown in color, and slightly beat up in places. I am sure however that with a little bit of either brown or black shoe polish I can hide the blemishes and make it settle on a hue. It appears to be nigh indestructible unless I were to set it on fire, in which case I'm sure it would melt.
Currently I'm thinking of making my 'leather' into the corset style top pictured above, since I feel it would lend itself quite nicely to the various belts, straps, and fasteners involved in that project. I will need to find a variety of buckles and buttons in the same color of metal before I begin since the hardware is going to be it's only real decoration. As projects go, this one is currently living in the thoughts and dreams stage, and I'm not sure when It will move on into completion. Please expect an update pretty much as soon as I start making progress, likely with more sketches and some photographs of the raw materials that I'm working with.
A quick question to my readers. If you are interested in purchasing a piece such as the one above, is the authenticity of the leather important to you? Would you mind buying one made of 'leather' if it was well made and for a reasonable price? Please drop me a line and let me know.

As always, thanks for checking in and lending me your support in my creative endeavors.
~Djinni

Liliana Vess

Good morning, and thank you for stopping in to visit my first post. Although I have been in the business of delightful creation for many years now, it is only recently that I have taken to documenting the process. My current project serves two purposes: first and foremost, as any young woman of my age and disposition I am eagerly awaiting my wedding. Among the preparations I am making for the occasion will be a hand made wedding gown graced by a likewise hand made corset. Now as anyone who has attempted this sort of thing in the past can attest, corset making is an art form with many many pitfalls - especially when all the patterns are being made from scratch. To ensure perfect fit and construction of the final piece, (and to expand my own wardrobe) I have elected to make several trial corsets before starting one in white

This concept brings me neatly to my second reason for my project. Halloween (Samhain to the initiated) is just around the corner, and I do enjoy a good reason to dress in costume. This year, I have elected to become Liliana Vess, the powerful dark plainswalker from the Magic the Gathering multiverse (pictured to the right). This outfit allows me the opportunity to hone my skill while keeping in the spirit of the holiday. It has the added bonus of keeping a certain gentleman in my life, Sir Reginald Poppycock, very happy, as she is one of his favorite characters. As this is a rather large undertaking to put together within the month, I have enlisted the help of my mother - a skilled seamstress who has taught me her craft. Yesterday was our second session collaborating on this specific project, and it produced some lovely results

My first step, with any new project is to do a sketch of what I'm looking to create. In this case, I knew that I had to modify the skirt so that it would move correctly on a real person, yet still maintain the high slit that Lili is known for. To solve this problem I have included a semicircular drape in back overlapping a slightly more substantial panel that falls in front. This creates a high slit up both legs while preserving the modesty and mobility of the wearer. This whole piece will then wrap in place and fasten to the over-bust corset with a series of hook and eye fasteners creating the look of a full dress, but allowing the versatility of wearing both pieces separately in the future. As the skirt was already completed in advance, there is not much more to say regarding it's construction.
Our corset pattern is one that we made (it really does take two people to make one completely from scratch) for a previous project. It needed a few modifications to provide for laces in the front as well as the back, and I needed to reshape the pieces to add a bit more of a sinch to the overall finished product. If you are at all curious what the first version of the pattern produced, images of a green brocade version are posted on my facebook. We use a 5 piece pattern (two of each piece are needed creating 10 when all is said and done) and several additional pieces are needed to create the panels behind the laces. I have chosen an eggplant purple costume satin for the face material and an old-gold colored lining fabric. Because neither of these are particularly sturdy, we also used a core fabric (anything that can take a beating and is not likely to fray) as well as iron on facing to give the finished piece some substance.

When I arrived to work yesterday morning, we had already finished sewing the facing layer and the core into place as well as sewing the lining together. The top layers are pictured to the right pinned into position. What remained to be done was to add channels for the boning, shape the bust, and finish the front and back edges so that we could add the grommets for the lacing. I am in the process of ordering steel boning and other professional grade hardware, but in case it does not arrive in time for Halloween, I am prepared to use a heavy duty plastic boning, and we made the channels accordingly.
This dress, just like the ultimate corset I design for the wedding, should be made to not require any additional undergarment. In order to produce something that offers the correct amount of support, I have cannibalized the cups out of an existing undergarment. This was my quick and easy method, however it is possible to order a multitude of different products either online or in stores that would serve the same purpose if you don't have old dead lingerie laying about . By building in this type of construction however you will almost certainly have to modify the fit of the bust, and to leave the piece open to alteration you will not be able to place the boning in the seam allowance. We used a bias tape to run casings along up the center of several panels, both in the front and the back of the corset creating those lovely double seams and quilting the core and the facing fabrics together. The hardest part of the whole process seemed to be keeping these seams straight and even by eye and the positioning of the cups when you have to hold the whole contraption together on your body.

The final job we got completed was turning the front and back edges and adding grommets for the laces. I'm not at all happy with the punch or the grommets that we used for this version. The punch did not cut the fabric very well, and seemed to break progressively the more we used it. Also the grommets look lovely from the front but did not seem to crimp well in the back. Truthfully I'm not sure if they are at fault or if the breaking punch is responsible for the sloppy finish on them, but either way I'm looking into other options. All in all, the corset is coming together nicely. All the hard machine sewing is basically done and I'm left at this point attaching the lining by hand and doing some decorative gold top stitching along the edges. I hope to get most of the hand work done in the next week or so so that when we meet again we can grommet the back, attach the panels, and bone and lace the finished piece. I will be leaving the lining loose at the bottom until the last possible moment to provide us the opportunity to wait for the steel bones if they ship in time. Finishing the bottom and adding the hooks to tie the finished dress together will be the simple work of one afternoon in any case; by no means a taxing part of the job.

If you're interested in my work, please leave a question or comment on this post. I'm not yet ready to market my creations, but if something catches your eye please drop me a line so that I can gauge the interest in the different pieces I post here. A the present stage, my blog is by no means supposed to be a 'how to...', merely to document my creative process on my way to a final, polished, and eventually marketable product.
Thanks for reading,
~Djinni