Round 3 Process plus Soul Searching

So here is what is actually written in my journal for this round:

"Little Black Dress Hints
Sing Sing on Wikipedia
Brassiere?
Breakfast at Tiffany's

The Fire Within
Containing

Boring
Points

Fortune Cookies

Columbine Skirt Variations
trying the kite shape :(

re-trying the squares - too short
tulle underskirt?

Construction -
More like quilting than my usual sewing

Give up -----> (edited since I describe the actual dress in 7 words)
together in one night

jewelry strung 3 times. Argh
Painting shoes - only ones."


Yep, THAT is it. When you look back at my other journal entries and compare, I think you will have a clear sense that this round was going very wrong for me.

I had taken much to heart Ted's complaints that the designers really weren't using him as he had imagined. I think he thought that he would participate more in the design process, and that he could guide us away from potentially disastrous design decisions. During the past two rounds, the only thing I really knew being that Ted thought the whole lot of us submitted disappointing work in round 2, I had been thinking a lot about one topic: Is designing for the judges, rather than being true to my own vision, possible and/or advisable? During this round, I thought I would give it a try the way Ted had envisioned. He, after all, was the only one that knew what the judges were actually thinking.

To start off, Little black dress was good for me. Silkstone? not so good. I owned one, but had never actually worked with the doll. I bought her more as insurance....a just in case, as I get random Barbie commissions once in a while. I had already prepared a sloper for Silkstone and FR as I had expected Round 2 to be a "small doll" round. So many of the designers fell in to one camp or the other, I expected the sizes to be apportioned evenly from the start.

My initial thought was to tweak the tradition. I wanted to make a statement about both the embracing and restricting nature of "traditional." Sounds very arty, doesn't it? I was actually rather impressed with myself....it was a spectacular idea and I even had the fabrics on hand to make it work. I could, and still can, see it in my mind's eye. I can see each step that will be required to make it. I think I will try to make it this week if I can get my "actual work" finished. It is called "The Fire Within."

Now, since this was my "communicate with Ted" round, I asked him about whether or not this was an homage to the little black dress in all seriousness or if this was a bit tongue in cheek. I don't think I told Ted what I was dreaming of so it certainly isn't anyone's fault but my own. He told me it was serious, I chickened out.

If I were a marvelous sketch artist like many of the other designers, now would be where I would post the sketches, but alas, it is all in my head still. If you would like to try to imagine it, I will try to explain: Plain strapless princess sheath in black silk, form-fitting of course. The top of the bodice is a straight line, the shape very close through the hips and just to the knee. Beginning at the top left, almost under the arm, there are 3 small, less than a millimeter wide inset bands that join together below the fullest part of the bust in to one which meanders down the left side of the dress to mid thigh where a godet is set in to the left princess seam. This godet is set so there are two trailing points that hang unequally to about mid calf, shortest one to hte center. The fabric is a fire silk taffeta, red and gold cross-woven. Along the river of lava, three tiny metal bands are "riveted" holding the crack closed.

There was much discussion as to whether or not the accent color could be ON the dress, or if it should be in the accessories. It was clear to me that Ted felt that the dress should be BLACK, and that if that was the rule, then I would not be meeting the challenge. Yep, I chickened out.

With sloper in hand and a few commercial Barbie patterns for a base for the patterns I was going to generate, I set about on a different idea. I finally got Ted to admit that if it wasn't on the SURFACE of the dress, then the accent color could be ON the dress....because really, the only solutions that were presenting themselves needed the color.
I designed a Plain sheath a la the original Fire gown, but instead of the Modern Spirit escaping the confines of tradition, well, I inset the pleats. I do have a picture of this pattern trial. In the silks I chose it looks ineffably day wear rather than cocktail. The collar points were supposed to be much more dramatic on the jacket, but my lack of regular work in this size was telling here. I imagine I could get closer to my second original vision, if I tried it again

When I sent the picture to Ted he said, predictably because of my practice colors I suppose, that it didn't look much like a party dress, and that I shouldn't have the jacket close in the front if the pleats were off the side. He was right, of course. I don't ever really think of the little balck dress as a "Party" dress, although it is clearly a Cocktail dress....not sure if there is a real distinction between the two anywhere but in my mind. hehehe This ensemble is complete, except for the hooks, which are easy to add if you would like to have it for your collection. Email me.

After Ted's response I started in with another round of second guessing. I knew that my designs were considered to lack "wow." I decided to try for some new kind of shape. I am good at structured form-fitting, but was that too predictable? What would be more of a Party dress? What? Where? How? You see how things were going. We are at the Journal Entry "Boring."

The Fortune Cookies said this: (care of Panda Express dinner one night) "Forge Ahead with You New Ideas" and "Speculations Will Turn Out Well." I had to laugh and I was even a little heartened.

The Columbine is the Colorado State Flower. My mother, who currently resides in Colorado, was of inestimable help during this round as I agonized. She listed as I talked through all my waffling. The dress I designed next has what I call the Columbine Skirt. If you have seen the flower it will make sense, I think. If not, well, here is a link to some pictures that might help, but maybe not.

Columbine Pics

The idea is that the skirt would have inset squared that would create almost cone shaped sections...like the way the Columbine petals are. The lining of this skirt would be the bright magenta I had selected instead of the Fire silk (even then I knew that SOMEDAY I would need that last tiny scrap of silk to make the dress) and should show a bit, but the DRESS would be black.

I did it 3 times. It didn't work. Sigh!

The first one, which this is a picture of, was too short. (This is the picture I sent to Ted.) I thought if I inset a Kite Shape, instead of a square I would be able to lengthen it enough. That shape didn't work at all. So I went back to Squares, but I didn't want to have the skirt flare much below the hip....maybe if I had moved it down to mid-thigh. (Now you can really tell I am in trouble with the second guessing.) I tired the third one that was at the Hip with a Tulle underskirt. That one is nearly finished also, and if you would like to see it, comment or email me and I will shoot some pics.

After Senneth was asleep and Isaac was with Grandma for Mama's nervous breakdown, we talked it through and I decided that I needed to start again. I hated what I had. I started again at about 9:00 p.m. on Saturday. That doesn't sound like the 11th hour to you probably, but I have a long standing tradition of no Sunday sewing. By 11:30 the dress was constructed. I was listening to a book called "The River of Doubt" while I sewed that night. Perhaps that is why all the Soul Searching. (The book is actually about Theodore Roosevelt and a South American Adventure.)

When I took the dress, completed but without the straps attached or hooks done, my mother said "Yes!" and I went to bed.

On Monday morning I did my jewelry 3 times, with much near shrieking in the interim. First it was too short. The second was long enough but rode too high on the neck...I realized that the necklace needed an extra bead in an opportune place to solve the problem....but they all had to come off to make it work. Ugh! The Shoes were also going to present a problem as I only had one pair. They were black, but how to "adapt them?" Lucky Magazine the month before had given me the answer....and I almost guarantee that you will not be able to see what I did in the pictures.

This was not a happy round for me. I am used to making a thing, knowing it is good and being able to confidently present it to the world. Although I ended up feeling that way about the final product....it is still classically boxpleat for all its being on a Silkstone, and maybe even recognizable as such...I learned that trying to meet someone else's mind without knowing their mind is a losing battle.

The Pockets as I imagined them

I just added this and another outfit in the same group to my Ellowyne Salesroom (check the link to the right.) These pants were made after the competition, but to check my idea. I wanted the pockets to be positional: either conservative and up or higher contrast, folded down. The pants that were sent in for the competition did not have quite enough curve in them to make it look like I meant it. These are more what I had envisioned....and it seems that the chief complaint of reviewers reporting in is that they didn't like the Capris...so here they are in a wide legged style. (No, I didn't make them today...I wish!) As I mentioned in chat on the subject of Capris, I considered wide legged trousers, but decided I wanted to stick to the gloomy Summer effect, since Chills is so very Winter-y.

The Blouse is the prototype for the Fans Blouse....but alas, only for the FIT of the blouse. You will note the cuffs have a different style closure and the sleeves on Fans are a bit puffier....I wish I had been bold enough to go full puff like Brandon's....but I was worried it wouldn't fit in the sleeve of the Jacket. hehehe

And Pictures from the Creation

As you can see, here is a swatch pic for the palette that I ended up using. The "Dawn's Early Light" taffeta that I used for the piping, lining on the sheer and bodice ooks a bit yellow in the picture but is really a soft gray. I love the Silk Matka that I used for the jacket. Ahhh.
I still have this secondary palette grouped together in my office because I really love the colors. After seeing all the other brightly colored designs, I wonder if my decision to go with the "Fog" aspect of the poem was best. I still love the idea of a rich monochromatic palette though. The contrasts of textures in the fabric was what I was going for....





The little fan pleats on my sheer blouse are my Pride and Joy as maybe I have mentioned. Every once in a while when I am working, I see a thing in my mind's eye and am able to create it just exactly right. This was one of those delightful times. The first step in their creation was making bias ribbon out of the silk organza. I used the "hot knife" to cut the ribbon so the edges are sealed. (It melts the fibers which slows down the fraying and helps it hold its shape.)



I had a terrible time trying to get this pic to post. Argh!

As you can see, the baby was strapped to my chest for this phase of production. I drew the final shape on the paper and then fan pleated the fabric so the edge conformed to the shape. As you can see, this requires a lot of pins to hold everything in place until it can be tacked and pressed. I actually pressed the center with the pins in place. It was a bit tricky to figure out which fans had to be full, which centered half, which left-half/right-half to keep the bulk low but have all the sections showing pleated. hehehe This is really the kind of work I enjoy, and it was during this round that I realized that much of what I like about boxpleat is the "craftsmanship." With that in mind, I realized that maybe having someone else (ie a factory) make my pieces might not yield the work satisfaction that creating each piece gives me. This technique, while not that complicated or even time consuming really, would be difficult to justify in a manufacturing setting. Of course the effect could be created in other ways, like pleated trims etc, but I think you will see the distinction there. In my few ventures in to "mass" production, even on a small scale, I have found I don't care for making the same thing over and over again. It has to at least be a different color, a new fabric, something.



This last picture is ominously titled "second pants" because yes, despite my careful planning, the pants didn't fit....Ellowyne has (and you may not have noticed) chunky calves! I used my Tyler sloper, making appropriate adjustments for her waist and hips and didn't even think to check the width of her lower legs! I cut the leg open to check the waist fit. You can also almost see the detail of the piping along the pocket edge. (I learned how to make piping this round!) The initial reversal idea that I was going to do used the curved pocket flaps as an optional fold down, to show the contrasting silk and tie in more closely with the lighter colored tops. The curve wasn't quite right though and I wasn't happy with the look so I scrapped it on these. As a trial of concept, I did make another pair in a different fabric this week so I could show (and sell.) I still need to process the pictures though and put them in the sales room, along with the pattern trial for the over blouse and a few other bits. You can also see the suede-y nature of this fabric in the picture here. Texture was everything for me this round.

Story Line and Judges "Questions" Round 2 Ellowyne

This is text, exactly as sent to the judges with my design, including the Journal/Story I wrote. I thought this text would play a more integral role and was surprised that there isn't any way for the at home viewers to read all of these together. The first is the poem from the Ellowyne Chills Doll. As I indicated in my last post, I was under the impression that the poem was going to be an essential part of the evaluation, so my details are all "justified" in my questionaire based on the poem and my choice of doll.


"Old clocks, antiques, and gloomy days
with Sybil by my side she stays
For flowers, lace and pretty frills
They leave me cold, like windblown CHILLS"

Summer Chills

Mark Twain reportedly said "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." I don't believe a bit of it, but I have to admit the gloomy days of Summer fog do require a bit of adaptation for one's wardrobe.

I poked my head in to ___________ the other day. She always seems to have such lovely vintage suits and things in her shop. When I mentioned how I was tired of being cold in the summer, she pulled this charming little jacket, all nubby weave and texture, saying she'd been saving it for me. No one else, it seems, would dream of wearing gray in all this fog, even if it is silk. I was pleased to note that it had lovely wide lapels, perfect for displaying even the largest of my collection, although I think I will wear Grandmother's watch pendant....I think the fresh water pearls on it are gray, or maybe lavender.

When I got home there was a message from Rufus saying he hoped I'd remembered our "plans" for tonight and I could tell he meant it with quotes like that. He is always trying to take me to proverbial hot spots....I think he is trying to find someone for me to be interested in....and yes, I mean it in THAT way. Of course, he never tells me where it is we are going until it is too late. (I think he thinks if he tells me before hand I will come up with an excuse not to go...)

I wish he would tell me what the plans are, so I could know what to wear. Layers, it seems, are the solution to both the cold and the uncertainty. Prudence said I should wear the pleated blouse, but I am not so sure. Last time I wore it, Rufus gave me the oddest look and didn't say anything for a long, long time. When I mentioned that to Prudence, she said "Oh yes, definitely that one." I don't know how she can be so sure. So the pleated blouse, little jacket and the suede cloth capris, as that will work for my errands and whatever it could be that Rufus wants to do tonight.

If I take my big Sybil bag, I can stash either the pleated blouse or the jacket when I finally find out what the mysterious "Plans" are. It is a pity Sybil didn't turn out to be the pet I had imagined. It would have been so fun to have a companion to carry about...but no, that would never do. Oh well, at least it is a lovely bag.

Notes on Summer Chills:
I selected Chills, both because it is my favorite of the dressed dolls and because I felt it gave me the most to work with in the poem. I thought I would highlight some of the points from the poem that helped me decide as I worked through the design:

"Old Clocks"
I immediately thought of pendant watch my mother had when I was small. With her collection of antique brooches, I was sure Ellowyne would appreciate the inclusion of such a detail.....but even though the jewelry doesn't "count" I needed to make space for it. The lapels on the jacket are generous for brooch placement, but I also selected a collar on the sheer blouse with brooch placement in mind. The brooch shown is made from a watch head designed by Victoria Garnier of Minimode with pearls.

"Antiques"
I wanted the outfit to have a vintage feel in both aspects, but with a modern sensibility.

"Gloomy Days"
I chose the San Francisco Fog Palette to evoke the gloomy days. My secondary palette choice was a soft yellow, sage greens and a cinnamon brown which would have been ideal for the coloring of the doll I chose, but didn't highlight the poem as well. I was hoping for a "Rich Monochrome" look, with a variety of shades and textures.

"With Sybil by my side she stays"
This line gave me some trouble, since my research in to Ellowyne's life led me to believe that she must have written this poem before Sybil had been with her very long! I liked the idea of a Pet Carrier Bag (and found some remarkable chic ones in my online research.) It had to be chic of course, since it wasn't ever going to actually be USED as a pet carrier.

"For flowers, lace and pretty frills"
Obviously this line suggests that the design for this "mood" should be clean-lined and spare. I went through a number of different ideas, trying to identify a gracefully detailed front for the blouse that might be an "Anti-Frill." I love the crisp pleating and smooth circular lines.

"They leave me cold..."
My mother gave me the idea for the Mark Twain Quote, which made me realize that a "summer" outfit for this client was still going to need some warmth and layering.

And because the shift from day to evening was required, I wanted the blouse to be a bit surprising when the jacket comes off. Looking at all the other designs from her collection, Ms. Wilde appears to prefer to be "covered" even if it is sheer. Likewise, I wanted to have a dramatic change in the sleeve-line to highlight the difference from day to evening.

Reactions to Round 2 Ellowyne

I took notes as a gazed upon their amazing beauty, so these really are my "reactions this time. The names were at the bottom, so I tried to guess before I got there. Some, I actually got....others didn't have a specific vibe, but all were beautiul and full of interest. I can't believe that Ted was "disappointed" with this group of submissions at the time. Obviously we don't think as he does, but isn't that part of the fun. I did have some questions about the application of the "rules" though and wonder if I was too "bound" by them.

I hope everyone will post their text somewhere so we can read the poem or journals along with the designs. I had fun writing mine. I will post it in the next post. Ted said we were supposed to base our designs on the doll/poem and then told us a little later that he thought we were all too obsessed with the poems. Hard to read minds, but I thought THAT was the point, as you will see in my journal/responses to hte Judge Questionaire.

Mine....I am in the first position again....will we always be? I am very pleased by the pictures this time. Much better than the Gene ones for mine. My pleats, ah, my pleats, they show up well. They are my Pride and Joy! I was trying to go for the anti-frill....all the ruffles on Chills always surprised me since it talks about how they leave her "cold." Who knows.

I do want to point out for the viewing audience that (again with the mini-details that don't show...sigh!) the brooch on her lapel is a pendant watch with gray/lavendar pearls. I would like to thank Vicky Garnier of Minimode, who despite being so busy she can't even really "do" Minimode, let me come over and ransack her treasures. The watch head is amazing, and the color match on the pearls is gorgeous for buttons and brooch. She is the best!

Mario and Gianni: I was originally contemplating a bow at the neck solution on mine, whew! That would have been tough. I do notice that throughout the designs there are several ideas that creep up in different combinations. Great minds think alike. I like the interesting shape of the skirt....although I think I would have liked the band at the bottom and on the cuffs to be solid rather than the gathered lace. A little velvet edge perhaps. hehehe I was totally amazed by the reversal on the skirt/vest. Very nice.

Debbie: I guessed this one. I was surprised to note that Nevermore's hair is down in this one....and several others. I think it serves Debbies Design, but I am not sure that I feel like that maintains a strict adherence to the "rules" as we were told.....of course, THAT isn't Debbie's concern. I was just surprised as we were told to design FOR the doll we chose. I was never one for "nipple showing" over corsets, but I know that is hugely popular. Debbie is much better than I am at having her finger n the pulse of the buying public as well, so.....I also think the skirt and top should either be closer or further apart. It didn't look intentional enough to my eye. I like the hemline on the skirt. I also wish I could see the coat better.

Karen: I guessed Brenda or Karen, but I can not tell you why both of those popped in to mind. My first reaction was, How are these 5 pieces? As I looked at the first picture. I hashed it all out with Ted that the outfit had to be 4 then 5, or 5 then 4. This is something I noticed on several of the other designs.....is that what Ted was so disappointed about? As for the whole notion of "leaving the feathers on the chicken" isn't Ellowyne all about being over the top?!?! Back tp Karen: I think I would have liked to see a jacket closure of some kind. I wonder if my monitor is playing fair with the colors on this round too. I will bet that what looks brown is actually a rich bronze and probably is quite striking in person (the center panel on the Bodice is where I noticec it most.) When I looked at the last pic with the fur and hat, I thought it was very "classic" but I am not sure wht my brain meant by this.....It is lovely, though. I especially like the sleeves pushed up pic.

Judith: I had no guess on this one. I love the striped fabric on the tunic. (I am a fabric addict after all!) This fits wih Red, White and Very Blue very well and I think it was an excellent design to fit in that side of Ellowyne. Wen I was choosing which doll to use, I thought R,W and VB was the least "Ellowyne-y" of the bunch, but I really like the way this works. When looking at the pics I said "She's got something underneath." (I saw a hint of the red sash through the semi-sheer fabric!) I noticed the "bag" in the first picture and thought it was a prop. This is a GREAT bag. Amazing.

Brenda: I see the clock! (I obssessed about the clock aspect from the Chills Poem.) I think the brooch and chain drape is very interesting. The dress fabric is wonderful but looks a bit stiff (pictures? I thought the same about Debbie's last round.) If I were going to make it, I think I would make the sleeves wider or narrower. E has such big hands that narrower would require closures, but I think it could go either way. The wrap is VERY E, I think. I only count 4 pieces though. Am I missing something?

Leigh: THe ruffle on her bum surprised me....I actually jumped a bit. (Which then made me laugh! I did just wake up after all. hehehe) How would you SIT in that though. Is the little sweater/jacket knitted? How could there be time?!?! I like the group a lot as a whole, but I am not sure how this applies to the 4/5 issue that I thought was central to the challenge. I wish the challenge had been to just to a mix and match to achieve the MOST combinations (from 1 to 5 pieces.) That would have been more fun.

Safina: I guessed this one too. I will bet the colors are great in person. I can see the irridescent silk has the pink in it, but it isn't showing well on the monitor. I love the ruched edge on the straigt skirt and the velvet edge on the lace. I wonder if the jacket is a bit too much like the Bitter Green original though, neck ruffle and all. When we initially received the challenge, I thought the idea was to make an additional 5 pieces that would interact with the original like an expansion pack. I had a ton of ideas how to expand on the basic Chills Coat for mine.....there are just so many ways to go on this challenge. It surprises me that Ted was so specific in his interpretation. I guess it was HIS challenge. :)

Brandon: There is the Sleeve again. Great minds think alike....I think I like the SIZE of your sleeve better than mine. :) I really like the 3 combination. The skirt line is great and I love the low buckle(s?) Don't much care for the cape...although I love the fabric in it, and see why it would be good to draw out the color from the pinstripe.

Jose': The jacket in the first picture was my least favorite part of this design. The leather details are hard to make dainty, so they look a bit blocky to me....The sheer blouse is GORGEOUS, especially the sleeve edge. Adding the skirt at the end surprised me as I thought we were already up to 5 pieces. I was counting the reversible belt/sash as it represents a substantial part of the outfit, but I guess that could count under the "accessory" category.

Andrea: My first thought (from Pic 1) was "Now how is THIS going to result in 5 pieces?" Then in my notes I wrote "Ah, unconventional layering. I wish I could get the hang of this." The sheer fabric is nice on the top of piece 2. The vest is really nice too, but I think the color from dress 2 is washing out. Pictures are going to be trouble throughout this competiton I think. :) I still don't count 5 pieces. Am I missing something?

Christopher: The bright fabrics/palette leapt out at me. I should have been able to guess this would be Christopher. :) Is the top actually a catsuit? The bag is an interesting design. I don't much care for the white vest though. Did Christopher win this challenge to stay in? I don't think so, but I don't know because the choices are so wide ranging and interesting.

When all is said and done, I really just can't figure out what was so "diasppointing" about this round. Was it because we are not Ted? I think it is pretty clear that each designer has a strong vision and amazing skill. I like them, I like them all.

The Rules, Part 2

I wonder where our text is. I thought the stuff we wrote to go along with it was supposed to be...well, going along with the outfit.

Also, my reverse issue doesn't show in the picture.....but I will show you what the "ideal" would have been when I get my pics processed.

Now for my "Reactions to Round 2"

The Rules

During this complicated round there were several things that came up. I am the type of person that asks endless questions. Many prospective customers appear to get scared off by the sheer volume of questions a person (well, me) can ask about a simple pair of doll pants! hehehehe In the beginning of this round, while trying to get a handle on the ins and outs, I asked if the change had to be a removal/addition for day-to-night or if we could do a reversal of a piece, ie, use all 5 pieces for both day and night. After much discussion it was decided that one might use a reversal, but that it had to be a 4-to-5 or a 5-to-4 transition.

In the course of the design process, I found that the switch I had been thinking about was not working and tossed it. When I woke up on the morning we were to send our designs, I was horrified to note that the switch was included in the requirements for this round. Sigh! I worked out the "not really working" switch and sent off the outfit.

In the morning I will post some process pictures, complete with baby. Also, I will try to get the prototype of the blouse and some other pieces in the Ellowyne Salesroom, so even if you have checked before, check again in the afternoon. (I am going to bed now, so don't expect anything right away. :) Thanks for your patience.