Ava

Meet Ava, queen diva among all the garments I've created thus far. She's such a diva I couldn't get you entries of garmets I've made before this. I couldn't even get in a post to properly introduce myself to you. She had to go first, there was just no arguing with her.  This is her after our many construction battles and before her big debut in Sin City next week.  We'll be there for a book signing of The Lost by Vicki Pettersson. 

 

 

So, I s'pose I should tell you what, or rather who, started this whole thing.... 

 

That broad, Vicki Pettersson, that's who.  Her, her stories, and the covers of her Celestial Blues Trilogy.  It's a Fantasy/Crime Noir/Romance misha-mash.  A fresh idea mixing Angels and this Rockabilly reporter babe named Kit - all in the belly of Vegas. 

 

I ate through the first book The Taken in a couple of days and loved the world Ms. Pettersson created.  A post about that dress will have to come later, Ava is givin' me the eye for even mentioning it. She's the jealous type. 

 

I was fortunate to win a copy of Book 2, The Lost, through Goodreads. Boy, did I love it!  So far it's my hands-down absolute favorite book Pettersson has written. I won't be doing a review here as the book will release on the 19th (...Yeah, same day Justin Timberlake's new album drops.  I'm just saying. Problem?) I'll do a separate entry about Vegas when I get back.  I will give you this much about the book: 

 

I CRIED. 

 

Anyway, here's the cover for The Lost.

 

 

I was on a mission to find this Lost fabric in downtown LA.  Let me tell you, the fabric district is this seamstress' Disneyland.  I had a blast, but I gotta be honest I thought I wasn't gonna find her.  We were coming to the end of our day and I was about to lose hope.  That is until I arrived at this obscure shop and found her hanging against a wall, near the floor, covered by a blue fabric version of her.  She had thread runs, she was the end of bolt, practically discarded, but I saw her beauty through it all.  After a tense bargaining session with the owner of the shop he finally let her go. (I got enough to make another dress and a corset, by the way.)

 

 

I started out draping muslin on Selena.  My dressform, Selena, will be featured another time.  Here, I'm just fixing where I want the darts and seamlines, using pins and a marker to draw guides.

 

 

I took the muslin from Selena, ironed her out, then transfered her to paper pattern using a spiked tool that looks like it could have been used as a torture device during the Spanish Inquisition.  (Torture tool: not shown.)

 

I had to make a mockup to make sure the fit was true to me.  This is one of the most important steps. Especially when you are working with a fabric you are afraid to make mistakes with.  You will also want to wear whatever foundation garments you plan on wearing (ie. corsets, pointy bras, granny panties, not that I'm wearing granny panties... Stop trying to look.)  Here, I could see that I was going to need to lower the dart a little as well as take in some of that fabric at the collar. In heinsight I should have also made that dip at the collar a little more dramatic, but I was excited to get on with the project so I didn't notice. 

 

Here we are with most of the tools that would make Ava what she is today.

 

 

Below I'm sewing in the darts wearing my favorite pin cushion.  (I got her on clearance at Joann's years ago.  I've looked, but haven't seen one since. Sorry!)  At this point in time Ava was starting to get her confidence.  She knew her shape was beautiful.  She started to know what buttons to push, what to do to get to me. 

 

 

Here, Ava and Brother John are conspiring against me. I would find this out as I tried to sew in her sleeve.  A girl can only deal with so many pricks at a time.  Ava was using all my own needles against me.

 

 

I was starting to lose my temper.  I even threatened her with violence.  I was reacting to what she was giving me. She wasn't letting me work the sleeve like I wanted.  She just wasn't cooperating, at all.

 

 

I felt bad I threatened her.  So I apologized and we took a break from each other.  I needed a nap and she needed to stay draped over the ironing board.  I came back to her after a couple of hours and apologized.  We kissed and made up.  She even allowed me to stitch the lining to her zipper by hand with no problems!  She can be such a beautiful creature when she wants to be.

 

 

And that's all for now, folks.  It's getting late here.  I need to sign off and get into bed.  Don't worry, I promise there will be tons more pictures and posts come next weekend.

 

Leave your comments and/or questions and I'll get back to you.

 

Oh, and my name is Jessica.  It's a pleasure to meet you.