Monday, March 25, 2013

Impressionism


 


Oh, how I ( Major Moma) love a sew along.  And what is better than a sew along?  A PRP sew along!

Right now PRP is having an All-Stars competition where they bring back past contestants to have a special competition.  Oh, so much fun.  I am sure I will get new inspiration and ideas to take my sewing up a notch.

And, I get new challenges to stretch my abilities.

This week the theme is Inspired by Art.

When I was in undergraduate school, I had to take a requisite number of art classes.  One of my favorite was dance for non-dancers.  But though I took two quarters of that, it was not enough to fulfill my requirements.  And I have no real artistic ability and thus was forced to take an Art History class.  I took Western Art History; Renaissance to Present. 

DΓΌrer painting at the Gemaldegalerie, Berlin

My mom (aka M on this blog) told me this would be one of the most useful classes I would take in undergrad.  Really?  Please explain mom.  And she did.  She said that all the rest of my classes may be foundational to things in my career but a knowledge of art will help enhance my real life.  Through an understanding of art, I will better understand our history and culture and it is something I can talk about for years to come. 

I don't think I truly believed her.  And this was one of the most study intensive classes I took as there was a HUGE amount of memorization.  But I learned she was right.  As I have traveled and experienced life, I have drawn upon the knowledge I gained in that class.


Greek antiquity; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

This February I was in Berlin, Germany enjoying their wonderful selection of art museums.   And there were several times that I would look at a piece and wonder "How could I translate that into the clothes I sew?"

Gate of Ishtar; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

And then, the PRP themes came out!  But my ideas I had floating around my head from the Berlin trip required machine embroidery and my machine broke down a couple days before the themes were announced.  So sad.

I am not one to be easily discouraged though and I went searching through my fabric for another option.  And I came upon this ruffle fabric I bought last fall that I never was able to find the 'right' project for.  Instantly, I thought of a Monet painting.

source




The hoodie is from a Simplicity 3813 pattern but I made a few modifications.  It really is the center piece for this look.  It is made from an ombre green an blue ruffle knit.

This fabric is very light weight and delicate and so I took a nearly matching teal knit and added a binding to the hood.  I also added knit cuffs and a facing at the hem out of the same teal knit.  This really helped put some structure to the garment.  Now matching stripes can be difficult, especially with a knit that may stretch when sewing.  But matching ruffle stripes that constantly are flipping around, that is super annoying.

To give a nod to the bridge in this painting, I made the skirt from this knit/lace fabric.  The idea for this to be a circle skirt came also from a picture I saw in the February Vogue issue.  I think the stripes and hashes of the lace reflects the openness of this pedestrian bridge.
 
 
 
 
I used the Dana Made circle skirt tutorial and was able to pick up this beautiful yellow elastic from a local store.

Because the skirt is see-through, little shorts for underneath were a must.  And, I had just enough of the ruffle fabric left.






All three pieces can of course be worn together, but each of them I think can be worn separately as well. 



I am thrilled with the outcome of this project but I would give a strong caution to anyone considering buying this ruffle fabric.  It was expensive, at $12.98  a yard and it is very flimsy.  I don't know how well it will hold up on a 9 year old.  And, matching the stripes were quite a headache.  Was it worth it?  I will let you know when am not still tired.

How have you become familiar with art?  Do you visit museums for fun?  What is your favorite museum?  

(Mine is definitely the Pergamon in Berlin.)

~Major Moma

10 comments:

  1. I really liked your vision of art. I think you're mom is right too. and I think you're hoodie is so much fun, but what I really liked were the shorts =D I had to make this huge school work about Monet... I remeber it so well!, because I didn't have a lot of time to finish and totally messed up... LOL
    Unfortunately I don't visit too many museums, nor I can travel at the moment, but I studied art at high school. Then i took a professional course of turism and we had art classes again, mainly from our country (portugal).

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    1. Thank you. We go to museums as a family during our vacations and I have been thrilled to share the experience with my children. I really want them to grow up appreciating what art can give us. ~Major Moma

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  2. Adorable hoodie. Love the colors!

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  3. I love Monet! And I really like your interpretation turned out. I have never been to that museum in Berlin, but it looks like a good one.

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    1. If you ever have a chance, it really is a "must see". I could have spent days in that museum.

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  4. What a fun 'interpretation'! Let me know on that ruffle fabric...I've never been able to fork over the money for it yet. As for art, I love museums when I can (one reason I love Europe and DC), but when I can't I use the library for art books. I also took a humanities class in college that I loved because I learned so much about different artists.

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  5. The colors are great and you did a good job matching up the stripes! That is the worst part of striped fabrics. I haven't used a ruffle knit, but I can imagine it would be a pain to work with. But the results are probably worth it! I like the twirling picture, cause I'm sure that's her favorite part ;)

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  6. I think it was totally worth it!!! I love your interpretation---I can totally see it but it isn't literal...I think it is fantastic!
    -liZ

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  7. Your mother is a very wise woman. Totally agree with her. :) Love your interpretation. Hopefully, it lasts.

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