Conundrum

Today being Friday, I went to drawing in the morning. It was OK, but as you know, I don't like drawing contours, (I love my friends' drawings, though); I don't like drawing small; and my gesso'ed paper were all stripy and difficult to work with. Enough said. Ronette said I should try doing thin application in multiple layers; Jo said I should try applying gesso with a brush. I might. Enough said. Oh, I said that already.

I've been classmates with Jo and Marie since Day 1, and we've been to a few color and painting courses together as well. They're both lovely women. Marie's daughter is New Zealand designer Jill Alexander, of Mad Cat, Work Dog, and Puss Puss corsets. Marie said I could go to Jill's studio and ask for any scarps or sample cloths. For weaving inspiration or collage. I knew of Jill when we both worked at the Polytech, but I had never really met her. Jo sensed I didn't have the guts to go on my own, so she took me there. This afternoon.

This is my loot. One not-so-small laundry basket full of weaving inspirations, dye-practice material, and brocade cloth I can gesso small areas to draw on.


In a heated moment of me rolling amongst Jill's scraps and selecting pieces, she told me she's running a pattern making course, again. I read about it in the newspaper a while ago. But I know nothing about patterns, (Vogue or McCalls?) and can't sew much beyond a straight line, so it was one of those "wouldn't it be nice" things at the back of the back burner. Well, yeah, sitting amidst a pile of beautiful scraps messed with my head, and before I knew it, I was signing up for the course. Five Thursday evenings starting next week. It's either the start of a beautiful new adventure, or the biggest impulsive mistake I've made in my life, but I think I'm putting all my eggs in the synchronicity basket.

Still.

Professional Pattern Cutting
Stage 1: Basic Theory

This is a fast moving, enjoyable 5 week course that covers the basic theory of patterncutting for tops, skirts and trousers. It includes moving the dart, panels, yokes, flare, gathers, button openings, necklines and simple collars. At the end of the course you will have developed your own easy reference notebook to use when cutting your own patterns. This course does not cover block making or how to fit garments. Students need an understanding of garment construction / sewing to fully appreciate this course.

Yikes....

The workshops move progress like this:

Stage 1: Basic Theory
Stage 2: Skirt block making
Stage 3: Ladies trouser block making
Stage 4: Ladies bodice block making
and other 1 day workshops and individual tuition

I'm interested only in the very basics at this stage. I think it's time to calm down, read the whole thing over, and think again.

EDIT: Ronette also asked that we all photograph our drawings and give her a memory stick full of drawings for Christmas. I told her English is my second language.