I have fallen off the blogging wagon into a prickly sewing patch - can't even remember my flickr password. Saturday I walked down to the Edible Schoolyard for the Alabama Chanin Workshop. You've probably seen the books - Alabama Stitch Book and Alabama Studio Style - but have you clicked through the couture photos on their site? I began a little pieced tank top in reverse applique for the young Miss Lear.
These books and patterns change the way you think of applique. You begin using the word as a verb. I am annoyed when people use 'impact' as a verb. It sounds rough and careless to run around impacting things with bulletpoints. But now 'applique' is sounding just as reckless. If you're not going to wear that, I'd like to applique it...applique over that stuff...I should just applique that thing.
Embroidery is also sounding slightly destructive. It appears like propaganda overnight - clean laundry is not just mended but a-mended with a vine and a little house. All the market bags are open targets. I am armed with milliners, sharps and betweens and I find clean and simple tedious.
And the Alabama Stitches book will suck you in and not let go for a while...
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, in French, appliquer IS a verb. So it makes sense and you don't have to give up your righteous feelings about "impacting".
ReplyDeleteI want the QUILT in that book. I was dithering over buying it, paging through it in the bookstore, knowing that I'll admire the clothes but never make the clothes, thinking, hey! I could make a cool blanket using this reverse applique on t-shirts idea, and then, there it was: cool blanket using reverse applique on t-shirts idea. Haven't done it yet, though.......she has a new "studio" book out now, with more home things (and more clothes, I think), and the NY Times did a piece on her life partner this past week---an "outsider" artist who wears bib overalls, and only Liberty brand bib overalls, with his Alabama Chanin custom shirts.
Oh, Mrs. Lear, I love your blog. The only problem is that you don't write enough. I ordered the book today. My niece is just the type for those neat pieces of clothing and maybe I can do one up for next Christmas.
ReplyDeletetp
And reverse applique... To euqilppa!
ReplyDeleteA colleague of mine turned a clean, simple, grey wool skirt into an Alabama wonder after getting the book. A few leaves at the hem did it.
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