Sewing, Creative Design and Beyond...

How odd is it...?

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:32:00 +0000

That just when I have something exciting to share, it is actually too exciting to share? So, I'll write this post now, and share the details later.

I am working on a movie... a big one... stars as famous as famous gets. Projects requiring expertise and creativity. So much fun... and alot of work! Can't say much more than that, but now you know why I am MIA from the blogosphere for a moment...

Hilarious for Project Runway fans...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:35:00 +0000

I hate it when people post links, and don't tell you what they are, or why they feel the need to share...

This is an innovative idea, and a great giggle-inspirer. You can send a friend a phone call or voice email from Tim Gunn with a reminder to watch Project Runway. I don't actually watch this show very often, but the idea is hilarious!

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Inspiration

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:07:00 +0000

Why is she telling this story backwards?

(Above) A fabulously unusual Miyake design.

I have loved Issey Miyake for a long time, and have a good collection of his patterns, although I've actually only sewn a few of them. Wearing his designs takes a certain confidence in your own artistic interpretation and expression that I think I've had to grow into.

One thing dressmaking has shown me is the amazing variety of body types, dimensions and fit preferences out there. In theory, all clothing should be custom made, but I do realize that it would require a complete re-thinking of how many of us live. As unique as snowflakes, we all navigate different climates, social and professional cultures, physical requirements and challenges, different levels of health, flexibility and body image...

I really marvel at the idea of relatively sizeless wearable sculpture, since my clients, and most people I know, are usually looking to clothe themselves in garments that mimic the shapes of their bodies.

I know Miyake and I are kindred spirits because he co-authored one of my very favorite books about Madeliene Vionnet...

Kimono-making lessons - I was fortunate to have the opportunity to make kimono for kabuki theater early this year. The director had very little to spend on costumes, but knew A LOT about kimono-making, so instead of charging my normal rate, I charged her less, in exchange for lessons and insight. If you have never made one, you wouldn't believe the amout of detail and tradition that govern how a kimono is "properly" made. It is extremely specific, and not something I would recommend trying just for the heck of it. To do it properly (if that is your goal), you have to learn new techniques, and hand-sewing skills. Tradition matters here, and it all doesn't make sense at first... I had to hear a lot of stories before I started to understand. The opposite of the way I usually work, the design of the kimono dictates the fabric, instead of the other way around. Of course, you can always approximate the kimono with modern techniques, but it will be more of a costume version, or a westernized nod to the style of the kimono.

The origami Yoda, pictured above, was an absolute inspiration to this process. Doesn't he look warm and cozy?

I always longed for a winter coat that looked like it was meant to compliment the grey winter cityscape, and I love to be that odd tile in our city's mosaic, so the Miyake coat undertaking was right for this moment. So maybe it took a decade or so, but I finally did it!

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Stop-n-share

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:37:00 +0000

Spots, done right...

I love creative knitting blogs. (wait, this will all make sense in a minute) I mostly dream of it, and don't do much actual knitting, mostly because it requires an ability to sit still, which I currently don't possess... But that's a story for another day. I had to share one of the most creative things I've seen in a while, at the Dark Knit blog. Check it out.

Knitting and embellishing an animal print? Okay, that's creativity. And... it gave me SUCH an idea for needle felting! Can you see it in your own head? I MUST do it!

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I've come full circle on sewing with patterns

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:22:00 +0000

There was a time, about 15 years ago, in fits of frustration, I was convinced that I would rather drape and draft my own patterns than sew with a commercial pattern at all. Frustrated by huge Amazonian shoulders, gaping necklines, having to rearrange the proportions of absolutely every pattern to fit my frame and design aesthetic, I decided that it just wasn't worth the trouble.

I have since changed my mind. Finally, after years of sewing, I now know enough about patternmaking and fitting a body, that I can take a quality commercial pattern and "fix" it, both visually, and mathematically, to get the right result.

Years ago, I would have needed to make muslins of everything to be so sure something would fit. Nowadays, the questions I have to tackle have to do with whether I will actually like it once made. My mistakes have more to do with fabric choices and th vision not agreeing with reality. As much as I would love for my mind's eye to be able to see exactly what the result will be, I'm not so sure that's possible... And, after watching "The Last Emperor" last week, I can see that even the best designers are making educated guesses until they "find" the end result they desire.

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My site stats tell me...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:24:00 +0000

By far, one of the most interesting topics among readers of this blog is:

The dress Keira Knightley wore in Atonement (see earlier post on this subject)and another brief mention...

*Note to self: Add Atonement to Netflix queue today.

Floor length evening gown in emerald green silk. Flowing bias cut bodice with bow detail perforated in the neckline. Loose through the bust, spaghetti straps over the shoulder. Wide waistband wrap, gathered at the rear; knotted at the front and left to hang. Straight cut circle skirt with high front slit and rear train.

18k white gold and diamond star hair studs with matching ‘Cosmos’ bracelet both by Chanel. Gold cage front leather shoes custom made by Bally.

This dress is deceptive. Although simplistic in terms of a lack of appliqué, the complexities of the silhouette would have made it an arduous task to piece together and fit.

- This snippet is from a thoroughly researched and well-written article, found on the Clothes on Film website, is a very complete description of the magical details of this garment, the process of creating it, why it is so iconic, and many of the design features, finishing details, and construction points that made it so perfectly unique.

But wait folks... if you want to know more, it gets even better. Check out the Costumer's Guide for even more in depth analysis and detail.

The dress has achieved a sort of legendary status on the web. Read enough about it, and you will find all sorts of wildly inaccurate tales of the process, strange and false accounts of what it seems to be, and how to make your own...

Funny how this gown, featured very specifically one one actress, in one movie, and so specific to one story, has generated such a buzz among people who imagine themselves in something so similar. Pardon me for asking, but how many people have a figure like that, and places to go where such a dress would be appropriate, and not costumey? What I suggest to anyone dreaming of this dress, is to find your own unique design, suited to your own body, budget, skill, time limits, and circumstances. What you will learn, when reading the article, is that while the fragility and specificity of this dress would make it highly impractical for your own wardrobe, there are some really good design tips to be gained by reading the linked articles.

For example:

- Go for a great and unusual color. Or create the illusion of a color by layering a sheer fabric over another.

- Pay attention to how grainlines may be manipulated to achieve the fit and flow you desire.

- Look at the body type it is being designed for, and how that body navigates space. Let that dictate the fabric choice. A delicate, graceful gait can be enhanced by the right garment, and a heavier, or more athletic type can too... but you have to use your "artist eyes" to find the right silhouette and fabric weight.

- It isn't all about the dress. There is a dialogue that the wearer and garment create as they interact with their environment that creates the magic.

- Highlight the best features of your figure. There is as much beauty in a fragile, slight frame as there is in a curvaceous, ample one. Work with your own unique strengths.

and...

Another topic that seems to be inexhaustible, is fabric shopping in New York City (see earlier post on this subject.

As much of my old information has become outdated, I will need to add to my post on this one. For one thing, I can tell you if you are in NYC for just a day, and just want to "stop in" to a fabric store and find some great fabric, I would suggest Paron. Real designer fabric leftovers to absolutely die for. No joke.

If you have at least an hour or more to spend, go to New York Elegant. However, if you are easily overwhelmed, I would avoid that one.

If you know what you need, and require quality, go to Rosen and Chadick. David and Ellen are fabric connoisseurs, and will help you get what you need.

Spandex House is truly the best places to go for sport, dance, swim, theatrical and recreational stretch fabrics, but make sure you go to New York Elegant for stretch fabrics like silk jersey, wool jersey, and stretch fabrics for your more elegant clothing. Seriously, the back left corner of the ground floor (once you come in from the entrance) is to die for...

If you need notions, trims, or other sewing accouterments, go to Daytona. If you are highly skilled, and need quality tools, notions or special interfacings, muslin, sample paper or patternmaking oaktag, go to Steinlauf and Stoller. For buttons, feathers, and all things that make your projects fabulous, go to M&J trimming or Joyce. The ones who offer ecommerce are great to order from. Most of them will send swatches, or help you with what you need, if you want to order by mail. There are many other completely valid choices of shops in the garment district, but between the stores mentioned above, I typically find everything I need.

Happy shopping!

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Button dilemma

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:28:00 +0000

Just in case you couldn't get enough of my Miyake-drama...

This is what typically happens. I get down to the end of a personal project, and get stuck on some fiddly detail, that could literally occupy my thoughts all day long. Oddly enough, this doesn't happen with client projects, about which I find it infinitely easier to be decisive.

Well, not a real dilemma, to tell the truth. I love the boomerang buttons, but will the coat still look okay with only 3 buttons? Can I pull off having one larger button, if I place it correctly? Gotta think here...

You can see I eventually resolved all of this.

I thought about covered buttons, but they look to "cutesy" somehow.

If I cold dream here, I would get glass buttons with jade inside, or a pressed green flower or leaf inside. The buttons I need might be waiting to be found. Hey, this is New York City... forget the stash and go button shopping, right?

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Ambitious fashion sewing... or... maybe I shouldn't make my own jeans...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:39:00 +0000

A few years ago, I made a revised version of a client's favorite jeans... They are pictured below.

She worked in the garment industry, so she had access to the right button and studs to complete the look. She was happy with them, but I felt that they looked much harder, in a way that it didn't look like washing would fix. Here are some poor quality shots of the jeans in black denim...

Then, another client asked me to copy some jeans he saw in an old 1970's soap opera scene(he sent me the VCR tape!),but I couldn't really capture the mood of them... what a shame.

I also think that modern denim just doesn't hang the same way... my imagination?

I even did a blog post on a massive overhaul of my store-bought jeans to create my own ideal fit. But somehow, they always fell short of the dream for me. I can make my clients happy with them, but for myself, jeans are much more elusive. I think the reason is that "fit" is not fact for jeans. It is about where they hug and where they sag. It is about being broken in, and responding to your curves (or lack thereof), and cooperating with the movements of your body as you go about your daily life. They are denim sculpture... on a body.

Which, by the way, explains why none of them look too interesting just laid out on the floor that way. There needs to be a body/denim dialogue happening.

When it comes to jeans, I appreciate quality, durability, beauty, versatility... maybe not in that order.

I'm not really a jeans person. Of course, I appreciate what they represent, and even own a few pairs that I wear all the time, but I would never wear them anywhere I run the risk of actually being seen by someone I know and respect. Case in point: A few weeks ago, when I wasn't feeling well, I made a quick run out to the fabric store in my jeans and swetashirt. A salesperson I see often came up tp me, and said "Oh, I thought that was you, but wasn't sure, since my first thought was, "Mimi would never wear that.". I think that was a nicer way of saying... "You look like heck -- did something happen?"

Like most people, I appreciate the utilitarian features of jeans. But let's face it, if you wanted a fabric to deicately grace your curves, denim would not be the fabric of choice.

Having said that, I need to know what high end jeans have to offer... besides the label.

So, you might be thinking... "Well, why don't you just stop wearing jeans, then?"

My answer, "Because they are the perfect garment for so many situations, and when you look at price per wearing, you can't beat 'em... and, cause when they're right, they're really right... and you feel like a rock star!" I don't think I'm gonna make my next pair... but we'll see.

So... after much searching, I think I've found the perfect ones for me right now... and, just like a "good on paper" blind date, I have to go to the store to make sure they are right, and then I will know for sure. I'll keep you posted.

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Frankenstitch

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:16:00 +0000

A word to add to your fabric lexicon... "Frankenstitch"

I did not create this word. I stole it from Albedo Design Journal (I can't remember which post, but it was recent). But I do love this word, and think it deserves a place in the sewing vernacular.

Just yesterday, I put on a jacket I made a few years ago, and vaguely remembered ripping the shoulder pads out one day when I caught a glimpse of just how huge my shoulders looked in it... and I know I sewed it up again hastily at some point after that, but couldn't find my own Frankenstitching.

I made a dress for a client this summer, and forgot to remove some basting from one of the appliques before her final try-on, and she pointed to it, eyebrows raised, as if to say "What is this Frankenstitch I'm looking at?"

This word also maks me think of that famous Marilyn Monroe gown, in which she sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President..." (need I say more) and was rumored to have been sewn into to make it fit so snugly. If done just prior to the event, imagine the Frankenstitching there!

We've all done it, haven't we?

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My love affair with vegetables...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I sew all the time, and I like to use my creativity in the kitchen, too. Lately, with the weather growing chillier, I have started to get hungry, REALLY hungry... and I've been feeling crazy for vegetables.

I have been going to a local Jamaican/Guyanese restaurant to get veggie roti lately, which one of the owners turned me on to a few years ago, by filling it with calaloo, "pumpkin" (it must have another name, since I've never seen this kind of pumpkin before), and chick peas. The other day. much to my chagrin, they weren't offering pumpkin, so I set out on a mission to learn how to cook this vegetable myself. Note: I have since learned that this is also called "kabocha".

I found it! Bonus...It costs all of $1.50 for a whole one, and half of it feeds the family.

Tastes like sweet potato, pumpkin and squash, all rolled into one, but has a natural sweetness and heartiness that makes it a great compliment to fish. I made mine into a smooth, soft texture, like a chunkier, moister mashed potato-like concoction.

I got the cooking instructions from a Trinidadian friend of a Jamaican/Cuban friend, and the result was astoundingly good. Replete with all sorts of slang, I understood her instructions perfectly, and the only unusual thing a person needs to prepare this yummy food, is a very sharp knife. Very easy cooking after that is done! Now its official. I love New York City, and I'm never leaving.

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Serendipity

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:13:00 +0000

It was on vacation this summer that a "new" color started to appeal to me.

Okay, so a client decided she didn't want to use the silk fabric pictured below, and told me to feel free to use it. Then Kim of Paron sent me the swatch you see placed on top...

and it is just so perfect I could scream. With the skill of a sommelier, she can find what will excite me. Pairings are her strength, but in this case, it was just a guess at what I would like. And she was dead on...

SOLD!

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Miyake progress - bias binding, gusset sleeve

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Originally written 9/29, but telling this story backwards...

Far more interesting this way, no?

So I've loved this pattern for a long time. Like 9 years... Yes, that long. I have always wanted to make this coat, but thought that maybe the model's body type and pose were influencing my love of this pattern, and that if I wasted the time making it for myself, only to discover that it looked like a garbage bag, I would be VERY upset.

But then, one day, the ideal fabric jumped off of the shelf at me in one of my favorite fabric stores...

The price happened to be right at the moment, and even though this is a fairly expensive project, it is very personal, and uniquely all mine.

My first fear was this sleeve/side gusset part of the construction. I worried that the photo was some sort of trick, and that I would have enormous, saggy fabric lumps in the armpit area of my coat. But I trusted the pattern, and the skill of the geat Miyake...

And this gusset works so well, that it forms a neat fabric dimple at the underarm, creating a classy, oversized sleeve that folds into itself when I put my arms down.

My next worry was this daunting pile of bias binding (above) I had to cut. Where would it all go? Well, it is used to create these bound seams that are visible when the coat flutters open. This is a really special, handamde touch that makes the coat seem... special-er...

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When $9 changes everything...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:09:00 +0000

A repeat client came to me with a bridesmaid dress that, while perfectly acceptable as a lone dress on a hanger, was outrageously unflattering on her. Luckily, the bride had given her carte blanche to have changes made, as long as she stayed within the color boundaries.

So, after altering the dress to fit her body, we added the optional straps, and I felt compelled to decorate the blank bust area, since the fabric was impossibly thick and unforgiving, yeilding a sort of tight, wrinkled-armour look that I just couldn't live with.

Like, it was bad enough that if someone were to ask who altered her gown, I would consider PAYING her not to respond...

Well, lo and behold, I found a delightful trim in the garment district for about $4.50/yd. I bought two yards, and wound it into a flower effect, and that just took the dress in another direction entirely. I was happy, and so was everyone else! I felt great, and it was quick and easy.

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Welt pockets and bound buttonholes

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:07:00 +0000

Why is she telling this story backwards? Click here.

Now is when I get to worry that my welt pockets and bound buttonholes will ruin all of my careful work thus far. The pattern instructions, while accurate, are very broad, and you would need to know for yourself how to make welt pockets and bound buttonholes before attempting this pattern, I'm afraid.

The bound pocket, before pressing, pictured above. All told, it must have taken three hours (no lie) to get these pockets sewn. The sewing needed to be quite precise to look well in this fluffy fabric, and if I screwed it up, I seriously wouldn't be able to afford the fabric for new front pieces. This is when I also started to question the wisdom of sewing with fabric I really can't reasonably afford to replace... or at least doing so would make for an astronomically expensive garment! Hmmm... Guess I'll think about this after I sew my next few projects, for which this fact is also true...

So this part of the process also prompted some deep soul searching, as I questioned the value of spending a whole three hours on my own coat pockets, when that time could have been spent on a client's project, or doing something, ANYTHING else. Oddly enough, I don't feel the same guilt over watching a movie, or going for a walk, yet I lament three hours of time spent on something that is just a detail, for myself only, since, if I were pricing this particular project out for a client, this would be a darn expensive coat! I also question why I didn't take the easier road; flatlining the entire thing, making slit pockets, using the same flaps, closing the coat with a center front zipper with a front placket and/or buttons with loops, frogs or toggles, to spare the pain of bound buttonholes. (In the end, I didn't do bound buttonholes because of my unusual button decision.)

Oddly enough, I don't fret nearly as much over my now FIVE year quilt, or nearly TWO year scarf, which I have comitted to completing while away on our brief summer vacation, which has come and gone... and during which I probably had a total of 20 minutes of actual downtime.

I'm loving it anyway, and whether you, my dear readers, love it or hate it, the fact remains that this is not a garment that could ever be mass produced. These fiddly details, bias bindings, smal changes to suit my personal preferences wouldn't be done by anyone's hands but my own. So yes, I'm glad I did it. But then again, I'm not done yet...

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Miyake - now I'll start boring you with the details...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Part of my new blogging philosophy is to include what is useful and FINISHED, so that I can actually inspire other people to sew and FINISH their projects, too. For those of you who know a bit about my life, you know that I juggle many things, so some projects take me a VERY LONG TIME to complete. However, I do always try to challenge myself, and create things that have a great deal of personal meaning for me.

To see the finished coat, and read why I'm telling the story backwars, click here.

So, now that I have spent the last 9 years or so(literally) thinking about the Issey Miyake coat pictured below, the perfect fabric practically jumped off the shelf at Rosen and Chadick to greet me! It was pricey, but happily, a tip from a client (Yes, I'm serious) was serendipitously enough to buy the yardage I needed!

This is the inspiration:

And these fabrics together tell just the story I want to tell:

So maybe this is a bit hard to visualize, since you're not living in my brain, but I'll walk you though it...

(written 8/26/09)

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Miyake coat... Finished!

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Feeling like Kathleen Turner's character at the beginning of "Romancing the Stone", I just completed such a big, long-awaited, satisfying project, that, if I were a drinker, I would pour a glass of celebratory champagne. I never meant to be sewing this coat during the winter weather, but it isn't my fault. Seriously. I am actually right on time, and it is winter that has come early. In this mid-October "coldwave", I am now peacefully transferring my long-awaited coat from the sewing table to the closet. I promised myself that I would not post this until everything about this coat was complete, and now, with buttons on, hem done, final pressing finished, and stray threads clipped... it is ready to wear.

Completion date (10/16/09) Vogue Pattern 2038, issued in 1997, which marks exactly how long I have owned it.

I put this plan into action several (make that many...) weeks ago.

Yes, I'm telling the story backwards. This post is what allows me to release the rest of the posts written earlier in the process. Why? Because it is painful to try to live up to my own timeframe of how long I think each project should take, and trying to resist the urge to work hastily just to proudly post results on the blog. With a finished project, I can confidently and peacefully share the process, with complete knowledge of how things turned out, with a bigger picture appreciation of how it all came together, rather than dwelling on any obstacles I encountered, or minor changes I made... you get the idea. (Written 9/23, with a half-constructed coat)

Okay, so I can't throw it on to go to the supermarket or to run my daughter to dance class, although the shape and fit are casual. Why not? Because, worn with sweatpants or similar garb, this coat can easily go in the "Bag Lady" direction, despite the quality of the expensive fabric used to make it.

This coat took me 3 months to complete. Not because it was so time consuming, but that's how much time it took me to find the free moments where I had enough energy, attention and passion to sew it. I made use of every little inch of creative personal time I could squeeze, and now I'm glad I started in the hottest blast of summer.

What I love about it most, though, is that during this process, I must have put this coat on at least 20 times, and now, with it completed, it really feels like a coat! I have full confidence that this coat will be as warm as any store-bought coat I own, and the weight of the fabric is just right for me.

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Autism

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:51:00 +0000

This was originally posted May 4, 2007...

For those of you who follow the blog, and/or know me and my family, I am sharing this bit of info. Just recently diagnosed with Autism, our son Aaron is really making strides with his therapies. I submit this information on the blog because I feel that there is some bigger reason for this, and that the links between Craniosynostosis and developmental delays are probably stronger than we know. I usually have a lot to say, but on this topic, I'm speechless. All comments are welcome.

Oh, I do have one big thought at this point... I am so grateful for Early Intervention and all of the services they offer. But, I can't help but wonder... Isn't it a little creepy that the government gets involved in the developmental conformity of children?

And now...

He went to a birthday party, enjoyed it, and even let the clown paint his face!

He has grown so much... talks a mile a minute... can tell you anything you want to know about trains, levers, pulleys, axles and inclined planes. He is in school 12 months/year, and is just blossoming before our eyes. We are so grateful!

Better than the retro walk-away dress...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:49:00 +0000

I need to share this link for the retro Whirl-Away Dress , which is so cute and perfect for the woman wearing it, that I just adore it...

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Spats?

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:38:00 +0000

At first, I thought it ridiculous, but then, my wheels started turning. I could think of some pretty cool applications for this. Could spats be the next new fashion trend?

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What is old can be new again...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:00:00 +0000

This 1890's ensemble, bought at an auction, cried out to be refashioned for this millenium. This creative bride's personality was a perfect match for this dress. Here are the original three pieces, before we began:

and what we created:

Sometimes the vintage dream just won't conform to the woman's body. That is what extreme alterations are for! The addition of a shaped back panel of matching black silk gave this vintage store find a new life.

Check out this great little 1950's dress on the bridesmaid...

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Blushing (pink) bride...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:47:00 +0000

I love it when a bride knows what she likes. This particular bride knows that she loves pink, was having a very conservative wedding, is very young, and wanted to look like herself on her wedding day. Using her favorite dress as a model, we developed a very basic design, and found a very soft, pink silk to create the look.

I was so happy to be a part of her day.

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Happy moments...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:32:00 +0000

I often forget to stop and share what projects made me feel proud, all warm and fuzzy inside, and truly happy to be in such a great profession. Although this first photo is really far from doing this dress justice, let me just share the idea with you.

This lovely bride (and even lovlier person) came to me with an idea for a dress to suit her very petite frame. For her outdoor, summer wedding, she chose this lovely silk gauze (you can see the texture in subsequent photos) and hand crocheted her own flowers to be used as appliques on the dress. She indicated how they should form an assymetric trail up the skirt and over one shoulder of the dress, and then chose a selection of antique buttons from her grandmother's collection to adorn the back of the dress.

The result was a true collaboration that thrilled us both. Here are her impeccable flowers, sewn on the bodice...

One shoulder (blurry, but you get the idea)

The skirt portion of the dress:

I really love this kind of project, and hope to do many more in the future.

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Trial by Fire (and Error)

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:56:00 +0000

Wiped out after a project that went wrong, I decided to work out my dissapointment with a personal project. Because I had used an expensive fabric from my personal stash (a luscious, black double silk organdy) as a lining to help "save" a dress that ultimately didn't work for a client, I decided to reclaim some of that fabric for a new dress, which I would name "Things we lost in the fire". My obsession with flame motifs led me to buy a lovely cotton emblazoned with a firey mix of reds and oranges, and apply it to a summer dress. Set against a smooth, jet-black cotton, I sketched and imagined until a creative frenzy sent me to the dress form to messily drape the design.

These approximate shapes gave me rough templates for cutting my pattern pieces...

I adjusted the pattern to my shape, cut the dress pieces, assembled the dress, and was pleased.

That is, until I put it on. Somehow, I had created what looked like a grandma's nightgown with flames. Hot flashes? Ode to menopause? Not what I was going for. Knowing I would never wear it, I resolved to find the version of this idea that I would/could wear. Okay, the silk organdy has no place on this dress, either. I wanted to place it as a bottom border, sorta giving the illusion that the fabric had been singed as the flames traveled up the dress. Okay, so I could see it in my head... but on the body? Terrible.

All of that to get to this. Black skirt, to be worn with a black tank and my favorite red wedge sandals.

Now, if only I had a tattoo...

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The 4AM cry...

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Whenever I get into conversations with other self-employed artist types, we discusss agonizing over projects, working so hard to force materials to conform to our vision, thinking and working so hard we can barely see or stand, and pulling all-nighters just to allow our minds and bodies to rest. That often brings up the subject of the the universal 4AM "cry".

And, without fail, I get a wide-eyed response of "You too???" This seems to be something almost all of us have in common. That soul-wrenching, supposedly private cry you have when you decide that you are a hack, a failure, talentless... untill you breathe life into the project, and, for better or worse, it starts to "become".

I think the creative process is very much like giving birth, and when it works, the glorious, euphoric high it produces is better than almost any feeling you could ever have. But the road is painful, sometimes long, and extremely emotional.

So, if you know this experience, at your next 4AM cry, know that you are not alone. If you are stuck, you can get "unstuck", if you are blocked, you can clear it, and you can (you will, and you must) overcome it. This is part of the process. If it is 4AM for you right now, I won't tell you to go to bed, because I know even I wouldn't take my own advice on that one!

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Talking to your great-grandkids

mimi@mimijackson.com (Mimi Jackson) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I have been working on the same quilt for about five years now.

Planning, positioning, thinking, rearranging, cutting, stitching...

Seriously.

And no, I'm not ashamed to say so. The color selection, careful piecing of shapes, and only working on it when I am really inspired to do so have resulted in my spending a few minutes here, a few minutes there... and here we are, five years later, and it is still becoming.

And so, hand-stitch after tedious hand-stitch is is becoming...

Well, other than the very personal meaning behind the quilt, the family connection, and the fact that I want every single stitch on it to be done by hand, this quilt is the only tactile communication I will likely have with my great-grandchildren. Assuming I will not grow old enough to meet them, the only "hug" I can give them, is by wrapping them in a quilt that has passed through my hands, my children's' hands, and eventually to theirs. It won't hang on a wall - it will be used on beds... when we're sick, when we're well, when we're happy, when we're sad. It won't hang in a museum or win a contest, it will just be "that special quilt" in our homes. Perhaps, for generations to come.

And that is more than enough.

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