Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The blanket dress.

Isn't inspiration a funny thing?

When I first had the idea for this dress I was unstoppable. I had so many ideas and so little time. I machine felted the blanket, I cut out the dress, I sewed it together, I crocheted a trim for the neckline and pinned it on, I experimented with ruffles and then I got interrupted and that was it.

For the past month this dress has been hanging on the back of my kitchen chair.

I have looked at it thousands of times but I haven't really seen it.

I have started and finished lots of other projects since I started the blanket dress, but after the initial rush of inspiration I lost interest in it.

Actually, I don't think I had lost interest in it, I just had no idea where I wanted to take it.

Mostly my creative work takes place in such short bursts of time that if I haven't answered all the questions in that time, often I find its difficult to get back to.

But this afternoon while I was having a coffee with Bren and debriefing a talk he'd just given to a bus tour, the blanket dress fell off the chair.

Almost without thinking I picked it up and started gathering fabric and pinning ruffles on.

All of a sudden I was excited about this dress again and couldn't wait to get to my machine to sew the ruffles in place. I was so inspired.

I gathered and stitched on the sleeves and some ruffles around the hem and then all too soon it was time to go and pick the girls up from school and I had to leave it again.

I hope I get back to it soon because at the moment it inspires me. I have plans for more ruffles down the back and perhaps some sort of pocket or flower detail on the front.

But who knows how inspiration works. Maybe it'll be another month before I get back to it. Maybe the best projects are the ones that aren't started and finished all in one go. Maybe the longer I work on it the better it will be.

I just hope I have it finished before the leaves start growing back on the grape vine again.

I hope something is inspiring you this week.

45 comments:

  1. So ... you make dresses out of tablecloths, blankets and old sheets.
    Awesome!!!

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  2. I think this dress is lovely - the ruffles look great. I am very similar in my bursts of inspiration - thats the way some of us are I suppose. This dress is too good not to finish mind you.

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  3. I LOVE this dress! Grey is my absolute favourite colour & I can't go past a frill & some floral, it's adorable!

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  4. Thats the most adorable little dress, look forward to seeing it develop.

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  5. The blue and grey are a great colour combo, especially photographed against the winter vine without leaves, makes me feel all cozy and warm. Just lovely!

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  6. Ohhh Im in love, I want to make one too. And I adore the colours. Cant wait to see how you finish it.

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  7. I love the contrast of textures and the ruffles really work - more will be great! Nic

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  8. Just love it! and I love it when that inspiration grabs me too - you feel like you can do anything, don't you?! Have fun with it all :) Kx

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  9. No???? Have you shown inklings of this to us before? Was I subconsciously channelling a previous post when I bought two blankets today at the oppie and thought - hey these would make fantabulous kid tunic dresses...

    Or was it just that the toddler kid refuses to wear anything other than a skirt and undies all day and things were getting sorta desperate ridiculous?

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  10. The basic shape and sleeve look a lot like the dress I made from carefree clothes for Girls Kate :) I love your ruffley blankety style every thing you are making lately is just so inspiring.

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  11. Such a wonderful dress...and the idea...pure genius! Inspiration...wish we could bottle it so we could have a little sip when we needed it. Sending fizzy bottles of inspiration your way :)

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  12. I love the crochet work - where do you find all these patterns???

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  13. Aww, it looks to comfy. Every new project presents a different challenge - maybe you needed to learn one other thing before continuing this dress - it's going to be gorgeous.

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  14. This looks great, glad you were inspired.

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  15. I love that dress! It's great that you have used a blanket, very resourceful. I am particularly enamoured with the crochet collar. x

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  16. This is Awesome!!!Awesome!!!Awesome!!!Awesome!!!Awesome!!!
    I love it!!! I hope I'll get the courege to do something like this in the future =)

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  17. Oh kate, it is just so so so so beautiful, um Ooty said it PERFECTLY!!! You are just too much, this one, my god this one is turning out to be my favourite yet. Love the different textures and the colours. I can't say how much I love it, and how perfect is it. and it's not EVEN FINISHED yet.
    I have no idea how inspiration works either, sometimes there's nothing, and then all of a sudden. But whatever and wherever is comes from you are one inspired lady.
    xo

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  18. Love! That dress is absolutely stunning. Inspiration definitely comes to me in fits and starts. I adore you're creativity. Thank you for inspiring me!

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  19. OK I need this one in my size! Pretty please....

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  20. The frills give me thrills Girly. Love it!
    The tableclothdress is fabulosos in real life. You're just LOVELY!

    ahhh how my life has changed.....

    Laughter SNORT!

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  21. I love those ruffles...they remind me of something but I just can't put my finger on it??? Don't you hate that! PS: You definitely need some grown up PJ's, I love Pyjama Days, unfortunately they are getting fewer and further in between now the boys are getting older....roll on school holidays ;-)

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  22. Love the dress and the mix of fabric.
    Have a creative week !!
    Cecilie

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  23. I love how it's looking . Funny how inspiration and time sometimes work against each other .

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  24. This one is simply beautiful! I seem to work the same way with projects hanging out half finished on chairs and in corners....
    Inspiration is the BESTEST when it takes hold, isn't it?!!!

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  25. Kate, this is gorgeous. I don't know where you find the time. It seems every time i pop over here you are up to something new. Truly amazing.

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  26. oh my. absolutely darling! the extra ruffle, the blue crochet collar, the cotton accents! love. love. love.

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  27. Love everything about this one Kate. Funny how we become blind to some things in our line of vision that we may pass by many times a day. Love a good ruffle!!

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  28. Beautiful and perfect mix of rough and cute. Nice to hear others with spontaneous, joyful and not-always-so-organized approach to the sewing projects.

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  29. I like how you describe the inspiration!This dress is just gorgeous, well done!x

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  30. This is possibily the most amazing dress I've ever seen! I LOVE it, I do hope you finish it xxx

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  31. love it! those ruffles really soften it up.

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  32. I am just so excited about what you have been doing over here...thanks so much for the inspiration! Totally amazed!

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  33. thats super cute!! i want to make one now in my size ;)

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  34. SO gorgeous! I want one!! This might sound like a stupid question, but is it actually a child's dress, or is it cut for grown-up girls?

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  35. hooray for inspiration, and hooray for woollen dresses and ruffles and up cycled clothes and a special hooray for dresses that fall off the back of chairs. that wee frock is truly divine kate. finish it now because someone cute really needs to swan around in it. well, maybe don't finish it now because it is midnight and you really need to go to bed, so finish it tomorrow. night

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  36. ooh that is beautiful. I want to copy your inspiration and make one myself. I love the raw edge ruffles, so rustic and pretty at the same time.
    Looking forward to meeting you!

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  37. So lovely, especially the crocheted neckline.

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  38. It's so beautiful Kate. Absolutely amazing.

    Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

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  39. wow Kate, you blow me away with your talent!!!
    When I grow up to be a big crafter I wanna be just like you!! LOL...seriously you are amazing!

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  40. loving the collar:)
    Never thought one could crochet a collar - but now I will remember it:)

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  41. Grey is my all time favourite colour!!! Love it. This dress is so gorgeous. Ace-adora!
    I'll now be scouting my local charity stores for a grey rug that is for sure... actually I already was after seeing kootoyoo's blanky with the crochet border - now if I find one I'll overwhelmed with options!!!

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  42. i love this dress....very pretty! and blankets are so great this time of year, so warm. i'm making a blanket top with a felting design at the moment. i'll let you know how it goes.

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