Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Monday, 7 March 2011

Long Vest - Junghans-Wolle Modell 228/0, Damenweste

The pattern is in German but the chart and blueprint are very clear. I used Orlana Magic yarn 50% wool, 50% acryl, 490m/100g. It took just a little bit more than 200g. Needles # 3,5 for the main part and # 3 for edging. The description is free and could be found here Modell 228/0, Damenweste aus Bamboo-Cotton
True colour is at the second picture. It is not grey but beige with rosy shade.



This winter I made mostly headwear/neckwear garments. This vest is the only one "big" thing I've  done.
I still have in plans two small neck/head things to do before moving to summer knitting.

Yesterday I watched again a wonderful French film "Ensemble c'est tout". I have it in my collection and this is a movie that always helps to improve my mood though I always have tears at my eyes when watching it. It is based on the novel by Anna Gavalda (Zusammen ist man weniger allein: Roman (German Edition),  Просто вместе, Hunting and Gathering) It is a story of ordinary people with their problems, pains, bagage and fears. The novel as well as a film is very simple and very kind. Both the novel and the movie are beautiful. I think I found one of the music themes from the movie. It's Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto for violin.



Sunday, 27 February 2011

Bella Italia (Burda Magazine 2/2011, Jacket #108)

This weekend I finished the Cropped Jacket from La Dolce Vita section of February issue of Burda magazine and watched a new movie Certified Copy (Copie Conforme) where action takes place in beautiful  Tuscany.

The movie is about a couple's relationship. I expected to see a French romantic film but in reality I would rate it almost as art-house cinema. It is difficult both because half of the movie we see a couple trying to sort out difficult relationships and also because the film director Abbas Kiarostami doesn't disclose the real past of the characters and finish the film unexpectadly abrupt. It is very thought provoking movie, gives a lot of things to think about but it is not an easy show. I would say that it is even discouraging. Juliette Binoche won the 2010 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for her performance.

Another Italian thing makes me feel more positive. As I mentioned (in this post) one of the things I was going to make was the cropped jacket. The same day I bought the magazine I came across this fabric and it immediately clicked together with the jacket pattern.


So here is the result.




For me as a beginner the pattern was challenging and though it has more detailed instructions than usual I had to refer to my sewing books several times.But I learnt a lot from this pattern.

I was planning to make a matching pencil skirt with godet from the same issue but I changed my plans because this fabric has no stretch in it. I still keep  in plans matching skirt but will use another pattern.

Thursday, 17 February 2011

Winter Song about Spring (Burda Moden Magazine 2/2011)

This is a beautiful waltz "Dialog by the Christmas Tree" from the old Russian movie Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears. The movie won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. At the bottom of the page is the full text of the song in Russian.



After buying the Burda Moden magazine 2/2011 issue several days ago and with current February temperatures going down to -24C (and the forecast for the weekend is -28 C *gosh!*), I can't get rid of this song. I highlighted the words that I've been humming for several days already.

- Чем же всё это окончится? -How all this will end?
- Будет апрель. - It will be April.
- Будет апрель, вы уверены? - Will it be April, are you sure?
- Да, я уверен. -Yes, I am sure.
- Что же из этого следует?
- What does that mean?
- Следует жить, - That we should live,
  Шить сарафаны и легкие платья из ситца.  Sew sundresses and light chintz dresses.
- Вы полагаете, всё это будет носиться? - Do you think all these will be worn?
- Я полагаю, что всё это следует шить! - I believe that all these should be sewn!


After many disappointing issues of Burda Moden magazine last year I finally got the issue that I really enjoy and want to sew 4 (!!) patterns from. All of them come from "Italian" pages. So here are my sewing spring-ish and summer-ish dreams...

First one is a fitted jaket.

#2 - matching pencil skirt.

#3 - Dress with gathered A-line skirt

#4 - Summer Coat (still need to think it over, not sure that 3/4 sleeves are practical in our climate).

Well, all these scares me a little bit, the plans look too ambitious but I can't keep dreaming ...

Here is the text of the song:

- Что происходит на свете?
- А просто зима.
- Просто зима, полагаете вы?
- Полагаю.
Я ведь и сам, как умею, следы пролагаю,
Я ведь и сам, как умею, следы пролагаю,
В ваши уснувшие ранней порою дома.

- Что же со всем этим будет?
- А будет январь.
- Будет январь, вы считаете?
- Да я считаю.
Я ведь давно эту белую книгу читаю,
Я ведь давно эту белую книгу читаю,
Этот с картинками вьюги старинный букварь.
- Чем же всё это окончится?
- Будет апрель.
- Будет апрель, вы уверены?
- Да, я уверен.
Я уже слышал, и слух этот вами проверен,
Я уже слышал, и слух этот вами проверен,
Будто бы в роще сегодня звенела свирель.
- Что же из этого следует?
- Следует жить,
Шить сарафаны и легкие платья из ситца.
- Вы полагаете, всё это будет носиться?
- Вы полагаете, всё это будет носиться?
- Я полагаю, что всё это следует шить!
Следует шить, ибо сколько зиме не кружить,
Не долговечна её кабала и опала,
Так разрешите же в честь новогоднего бала,
Так разрешите же в честь новогоднего бала,
Руку на танец, сударыня, вам предложить.
Месяц - серебряный шар со свечою внутри,
И карнавальные маски по кругу, по кругу,
Вальс начинается, дайте ж сударыня руку,
Вальс начинается, дайте ж сударыня руку,
И раз-два-три, раз-два-три, раз-два-три, раз-два-три.

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Potiche and Bow Tie Blouse

First about the inspiration source. Recently I watched a wonderful new comedy from François Ozon called Potiche. It is fun, ironic, sometimes absurd and totally wonderful as Ozon's films usually are. The main characters are played by a brilliant duet of Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Dépardieu. I am not going to tell the plot here because I personally hate reading reviews that disclose all the details of the story. Would only mention that Catherine Deneuve heroine's family business produces umbrellas which of course recalls  Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg from 1964. 

After watching the movie and leaving the cinema both my friend and I couldn't keep smiling and walked all the way back with happy smiles on our faces. The action of the movie takes place in late 70s, so the movie shows a lot of fashion and clothing in retro style. And as you can see from the pictures below bow tie blouses were quite popular at that time.

    



I am not the only one being charmed by bow tie blouses, many celebrities have been noticed wearing this irresistable classic.








I had already planned on the New Look 6831 pattern and I decided that it is time to go for it.



To be exact I aimed at view A, with  front button closing, set-in long sleeves and a bow tie collar. I am an unexperienced sewer so it was my first time of sewing something with long sleeves and buttonholes.
I was a litttle suspicious about the sleeves length when looking at the pattern but decided to rely on New Look pattern. I used them before and it was all right. To keep the long story short the final result was disappointing, sleeves were short. Really short, like 3/4 or 5/6, they were lacking almost 10 cm. Luckily I had a lot of fabric left and after heavy thinking wheather to make a cuff or a ruffle, I decided for a ruffle. The fabric is very forgiving both because of its softness and  multi-colour geometric print. Actually the final result pleased me but I stay in doubts, do I have abnormally long arms? How to avoid such disappointment in the future?


The butttons - clear glass of light beige shade.


The blouse was made to be worn with brown trousers that I had already in my wardrobe. Additionally I have one knitting WIP that I am planning to wear with it as well.
I made one more garment before, this is a Little Black Skirt (LBS). Black is tricky to photograph and LBS has no particular details to demonstrate, just a little simple pencil skirt, a very basic wardrobe bilder.
I used the pattern from Burda magazine 6/2010/133, only increased the length.


So I decided to post it too, just for the record. My fluffy friend couldn't miss posing too :).

 Ooh, I think this is my longest blog post so far!

Friday, 2 July 2010

Coming back. To what?

When I was just a little girl….. Here I would like to digress a little bit and share with you my favourite song. I like not only the song but also the clip because it gives such a wonderful picture of feminine dress and style of 50s. It is from the movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much". It also stages Doris Day one of my favorite actresses from the Golden Era of Hollywood.




When I was just a little girl I liked drawing pictures of “princesses” in beautiful dresses. My grandmother taught me to knit and sew when I was very young. When I became a teenager and later as a young woman I tailored dresses for myself using my grandmother’s old Singer sewing machine with hand drive. It is still alive and I keep it because of sentimental memories.


In my adult years life kept me busy and I drifted far away from the wonderful world of yarns and fabrics.

Some time ago I realised that my wardrobe is very boring and monotonous and doesn't reflect who I am. I realised that I miss personal style and strive for more feminine clothes. So I started a journey in search of my style. I use different sources on my way, including books, web sites, forums and of course my favourite blogs which are a source of inspiration for me.