Tuesday 16 August 2011

not quite zero-waste cutting experiments

a few months ago when my lovely friend
Marion Gorr went to China
she kindly thought of me while at a market

and on her return
sent me a delicious piece of soft white cashmere
about 2.0 x 1.4 metres
give or take a whisker

i thought about it for a long time
and pondered how best to use it

this week i finally
laid it out on the kitchen floor [after gently sweeping aside some cats]
braved the cutting
and reduced the cloth to essentially three large pieces
that fit together like  a puzzle

the bits that were cut away became
pockets
and
collar

here's what i had leftover
with a coin to show the scale
i don't think much was wasted



i sewed the big bits together with my overlocker
seams on the outside
so the inside would be really comfy

i used my favourite 35% cotton 65% silk thread
in the weight that Marion has had put on cones
in response to me asking
so that when i bundled the coat


and boiled it
the stitching would blend in
with the rest


i think it worked


thank you Marion...

28 comments:

  1. HOLY%#%#%@% is that stunning!!!!!

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  2. stunning, India, absolutly stunning.

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  3. I agree with all of the above.

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  4. Dribble. Dribble dribble. Dribble more. Dribble.

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  5. And thank you for the link to Zenhabits ~ exactly what I needed to hear this morning. And now I've subscribed.

    The cashmere is awesome, as always!

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  6. That is just downright incredible. Makes me wonder if eucalyptus will grow in Illinois?

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  7. this looks really fun to wear, lovely, too. i'm curious about the construction (three pieces, more or less, sound great to me)

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  8. oh wow! and I bet that little pile of scraps will end up being used somewhere else too..... scrumptious!

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  9. Oh my gosh....did that ever work! As others have said it is stunning!

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  10. It will look stunning, love to actually see it.

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  11. Wowza!!! I just love that red you grow down there. Can you bring some with you?
    The balance of this cloth is sumptuous.

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  12. really nice, but i must see it on!

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  13. a master at work
    or perhaps at play

    what a feast of colour
    and pattern
    and swing

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  14. ditto all of the above for sure!
    that colour of rust... amazing India. Did you read
    'The Desert gardener' feature story in WA Mag last w'kend?
    may you travel well and enjoy... you're off any tick of the clock!
    S
    ps just remembered... go to new blogger design... advanced...and scroll through fonts ... will check later.

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  15. Absolutely gorgeous! The beautiful colors of the eco-prints and what I imagine is the amazingly soft texture of the cashmere... ahh, superb. What a wonderful friend Marion is to bring you such a lovely piece of wool to play and make with. :-)

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  16. mmm, not sure how good it is, perhaps you should send it me so I can 'really' see if it's as gorgeous a everybody else has said... she says with a cheeky grin and wink...lol
    many hugs

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  17. l like your cheek Annette ( HA!) ...but l wouldn't part with that if l was India, not even for loads of money. It is from a friend, made with love and the help of Mother Nature..what more could u want?!x It is just beautiful India and l bet it is gorgous to touch and amazing to wear. Thank you for sharing it with us. Oh l forgot and the little bit that is left is amazing. I am getting better at having less waste, so am designing better but still have a long way to go.xxlynda
    ps..what an amazing genous friend you have.

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  18. nice try, Annette!
    and Pam, the tree that made the red is endemic to your region...
    and of course, yes, Marion is ridiculously generous and has been hugely helpful and supportive of me over the decade [and more] that i have known her.
    she's always helped me find the right fabric for the job and come up with some excellent suggestions when i've needed help.
    which is why i will always buy from Beautiful Silks. and of course the Elephant [Marion's beloved] makes excellent falafel...

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  19. Gasping for breath at the unwrapping! The contrast of color and shapes against the luxurious fiber is breathtaking.......and along with the rest....I long to touch it......safe travels my friend......ox

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  20. What an incredible trail of color those eucalyptus leaves have left. The sharp rusts and persimmons of the back make me very curious to see the front...will there be a sequel shot of this wonderful coat?

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  21. Of course I knew the coat of gorgeousness wouldn't be coming my way... just funnin'...
    hugs

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  22. Incredible.. not much wasted AND the dyeing created such a fabulous piece.. I love the idea of transformation.. and that is exactly what you do.. and saving those scraps reminded me of Boro.. they saved every scrap and piece.

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