Starts #2- Notes from the Studio
January 2006 |
Hi, welcome back to my studio! Well, so much
for routine. My plan was to be sending these design notes out
to you every few
weeks- and here it is January. As I find a bit more balance in
my life, I am looking forward to this newsletter being on a more
regular schedule.
Lots of things are stirring. Winter is usually
a time I find myself curling up with my favorite drawing materials
and riding the images that come to me into new projects. If
you are not drawing now, I really encourage you to get yourself
some
different things to make marks- ie.colored pencils, inks, soft
graphite, water colors etc.
The best way to fold drawing or
sketching into your creative process is to: start drawing and
sketching.
It is really that simple. In fact, after a lifetime with
a pencil or brush in my hand….I encourage you to start on your own
and get comfortable with the process of doing it-BEFORE you take
a class. Anyway, winter has me drawing more and I will fold in
my tips about that off and on. |
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| New ReVisions Pattern: SnapDragon #117 |
 There are new things on the drawing board for me. ReVisions has
a new look! This is the unveiling of the new ReVisions pattern
and the brand new cover format as well! The SnapDragon pattern
is the first pattern to feature the new cover format. We love the
fresh, clean look and hope you do too. The back cover, also updated,
is steamlined and easy to read.
>> ORDER NOW I want to thank Heather Gordon of Meridian
Design
for her fabulous design eye and amazing computer skills in
this collaboration with me.
|
SnapDragon
is lightly shaped versatile jacket or vest with a simple yet distinctive
silhouette. Fluid and casual-fitting with a dart optional detail,
the SnapDragon has multiple wearing options with both sleeves and
lapel pieces detachable. This inventive design highlighting snap
tape, would be compatible with other closures accents including
buttons, frogs or zippers. The pattern includes sizes XS-XL, with
actual garment measurements included on the envelope. |
I love the easy feel of the garment shape. It has quickly become
my favorite jacket. I am having fun making interchangeable scarf/lapel
pieces. Some of my current favorite ideas are combining wool, trims
and novelty fabrics. These ideas and more are on the Design Ideas
pages of the pattern to give you a way to jump into your own stash
of fabrics! |
 |
Collar/Lapel Designing Options:
- Mosaic chips of wool: overlapped like a collage, leaving
spaces inbetween the pieces then stitching to hold them together.
Fabric pieces can have finished edges before combining or not.
- Cutting several curved shaped pieces, lining them in colors
with piping or other accents, then overlapping them on the
pattern piece, for alignment to the garment edge.
- Felted or irregular shaped pieces will be great accents
for the front of this garment. Adding your favorite embroidery
and beading.
- Luscious, handwoven scraps on the bias, will make a beautiful
soft, scarf.
- I am working on some stenciled and silk screened pieces
that I know will be
beautiful for these lapel pieces!
Stay tuned: For
spring, It makes the perfect rain jacket (or coat). and I have
one on my design table in reversible linen,
to really take advantage of all the variations. |
| Are you XXS? Wondering if the SnapDragon is going to work for
you? Directions on making additional changes to the pattern are
also included to help you look at the scale of the garment and
make addition changes if needed. |
 Where do you get interesting Snap Tape?…….for making
the SnapDragon with snap tape, it is available in most fabric stores
in black and white tape. The good news is, that the white can be
dyed. Cotton tape is preferable for this process. As you can imagine…the
tape is another surface for embroidery, printing and collaging
over with ribbons and trims- as shown in the above photo. I do
have a limited amount of colored (cotton) snap tape. Here is my
selection at this time. It is all there is available and it is
$5. per yd. Below is the chart showing tape needed for the different
sizes of the SnapDragon garment. |
| SNAPTAPE |
XS-SM |
MD |
LG-XL |
| Jacket/Vest |
23" |
24" |
25" |
| Sleeves |
24" |
24-1/2" |
26" |
| Scarf/Lapels |
23" |
24" |
25" |
|
|
Colors are on a first-come-first serve basis. It is not listed
on my website, so if you are interested in purchasing some, let
me know how much and the color. It’s a good idea to give
a second choice.
Please add $2.00 for shipping and send us a check:
Ericson/ReVisions
121 Eton Ct
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Remember to include your phone # in case your first choice is out.
We’ll check with you before we send it. |
| Starts in My Studio |
Starts are the play to keep myself charged and moving into new
areas in my work.
Being an avid recycler, I am always on the look-out for something
to transform. I will share some of my favorites with you in the
coming months. Recently, I have been enjoying condensing my wardrobe
into a collection I will actually wear. Being a casual, sporty
type person, one can never have to many work shirts and t-shirts.
Since the basic t-shirt is pretty uninteresting in silhouette…not
to mention unflattering on most of us-My mission is to take the
ones with images, textures and prints I love and combine them into
more arty, collage tops I will love to wear. My criteria is also
that they are also some kind of knit. SO here are two I have come
up with to share with you. |
|
| #1 I am really
enjoying this combo of the strip with the blue T with printing
and umbrellas. The purple trim, in some of the
seams, is actually an elastic with a crease designed into it. It
makes great piping , and also can be wrapped around the edge for
a finish. I enjoy figuring out how to balance the design on me….ie:
where to place the print…how much to use and how that will
play out in the sleeves. |
#2 The Lautrec
Top -
This is my favorite combo so far. 4 different shirts went into
this one. It is kind of like painting in a way- I find I like
a small print or static print( dots or stripes), to balance
the main image I might be using. It adds more interest than
lots
of solids in various colors.
Sometimes to get that effect, if I start
with a solid, I will stencil or silkscreen some images first,
then cut it up just
to have the
design and color on the background color I started with. On
this Tee-shirt, I loved that the blue one, with the Lautrec
image,
is old…that adds to the shirt for me. I changed to color of
the thin (originally while) frame around the poster using a sponge
and dry-brushing some fabric paint…the color tied in with
the orangey-red fabric I added as an accent.
I am moving into combining two of my favorite
linen shirts soon…and
of course more tee-shirts- so stay tuned for more transformations
and STARTS in the studio! |
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To contact ReVisions and Diane Ericson
email to --> diane@dianeericson.com
or visit our website at www.dianeericson.com |
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