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is this gonna work?

Well, I was looking at CheapTrims for the first time and the creative juices started flowing. I was looking at the feather trim on tapes and got a little designing brainstorm. Well, maybe not a completely original idea but I'm a Fashiontrance fan and I've seen some haute designs with feathers and I love them. They have a 6 inch sort of peacock herl fringe, I want a spool of this BAD!.....cause it's there. LOL

OK, here's what I've come up with, I'm thinking sort of a bolero type vest thing. I saw clothing with feathered skirts and pants but like I'm going to hang feathers on my caboose? hahahaha!! Sleeveless box vest, stopping just above the waist. I'm thinking that sewing the tapes of feathers as you would the fringe on a flapper dress, only I don't want the tapes to show....so, if I first take my fabric do all the folds sort of like __/\___/\___/\__ this, the folds being as deep as the tape is wide and then steam press very well with the inside of the fold being pressed UP. I was going to use a green taffeta, it's that deep green that changes shades and has a bit of black in it, depending on how the light hits. Then when I sew the tape into the fold, the back of the fold points up so the feathers hang down.......but if I put folds in the fabric, across the grain, press well, then lay the pattern on the pre folded fabric, cut it out, join the side and shoulder seams, these would be unfolded when sewn up, matching creases of folds as closely as possible, repressing folds into seams then sew the feathered tape into the folds, whatever little fudging needed at seams (with all the feathers it's not like matching plaids) pressing up on the inside so feathers hang down and then lining it with a solid heavy weight fabric, I'm thinking the same heavy taffeta, this should work pretty good, right? I may have to fine tune and tweak the shoulder seams a bit to make the feathers hang right but that really isn't a big problem ( infamous last words).

Planning and Pondering, Val

Reply to
Valkyrie
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Val, it sounds as though it will work, but I have a suggestion. In order to make this garment cleanable (and for less than a king's ransom), why not put clear plastic snaps on the inside of the folds and on the tape of the feather trim? That way you can unattach the trim, either for cleaning, or for a different look. If you're going to go to all this trouble, you might as well get some wear out of it, and once you drip a little something on it you won't ever feel the same about wearing it again. (Said the klutz.)

When I was in Paris with Judy Barlup two years ago she arranged for the group to visit the American University's couture dressmaking class. While we were there the students were madly working on their show garments for the end of the school year. One of the students had a couple of dresses that used peacock feathers in very dramatic ways. She stripped the long ends off, and was using them in fan arrangements on the bodice, etc. The dresses were made of hand-dyed silk dupioni, with the dyes picking up subtle shading in the feathers, and were they gorgeous. I'd have loved to see them completed. Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Reply to
SewStorm

Good thought on the cleaning but it isn't going to happen. I'll be using YARDS of this trim, I ordered a full spool, it's about 6 inches long and I'm going to layer it about 3 inches or less deep. The bolero is about 20 inches from shoulder seam to hem and I imagine about 40 inches from left front around to right front at the widest. This is not going to be for everyday wear and if I put it on more than a few times in a year I will be surprised. I think the snaps would probably make it too bulky and heavy, too. I have a beautiful black silk matte jersey full length dress with long sleeves and cowl neck. I made that about 10 years ago and I've worn it MAYBE a dozen times. I just thought this feathered bolero would make a really stunning fashion accessory. I've tied flys and fished with them for years and peacock especially is amazingly resilient to slop and water. If the spilled goop can't be rinsed off I could just save a little of the trim and replace the ruined length. But,I know what you mean about the klutz part LOL been there, have the stained T-shirt.

Haute Val

Reply to
Valkyrie

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