A great source for cabling instructions and lots of knitting techniques can be found here
Month: October 2013
Sew Vintage
Lovely lazy Saturday
Cloth Kits Sewing Bee
Can you already sew?Join Maria Pulley and learn some top tips for turning your sewing into something to be proud of!
This hands on one day workshop will equip you with a bundle of professional techniques in dressmaking.
Just for the frill of it
Downton Abbey
Cable tied!
All is well
Changing shape
Compare the two shapes and you will see that the vintage model is more curvaceous. The modern model has a bottom half that cuts across the widest part of her body, which is not very flattering when you are more than a size zero.
You can see this even more in this version there is a small dip in the waist but it is very small compared with the vintage model – you can tell more by the inside curve, the modern model’s body is almost a straight line. The vintage lingerie enhances the shape, finishing at a narrower part of the body, where as the modern version, while the panty line is slightly higher, still does not emphasise the waist. Also the bust is pushed out in the vintage model where as the modern bra pushes the bust upwards.
It is almost as if the female figure has lost its curves and become almost masculine in its shape. This drive for size zero causes a lot of anxiety for women and I am not at all sure that men find it equally appealing. What was noticeable mostly when people watching is that clothing has become androgynous too, jeans and tee shirts are the norm and it seems we have lost our differences between the sexes.
Become sexier than this? |
beauty is in the eye of the beholder |
Let slip
The epitome of femininity is enfolded in silk, satin and lace – past decades women had multitudes of layers, petticoats, corsets and undergarments that were the foundations for the dress or outer garment.
I am a lover of the full slip – it has all but disappeared in shops these days, but you can still purchase them in M&S. What a slip or petticoat does is create a slippery surface on which your outer garment can flow. It covers up the unsightly bump of a waistband – or a bra closure giving a smoother silhouette. Silk and Satin are perfect for reducing the amount of static that can be generated with modern fabrics – (avoid if you can the synthetic satin as this actually increases static). There is nothing more frustrating than having the line of a lovely dress ruined as the fabric clings to your legs.
This picture is of the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor: I feel the picture epitomises graceful femininity of the 1950’s – the fabrics are soft and sensual, enhancing her curves. I think it contributes to the art of seduction. We see sex on our screens all the time, but what we rarely see is sensual seduction – the slow process of a man discovering a woman’s body, of allowing him to be the explorer – peeling back the layers of softness – the sensuality comes from process of touch – the anticipation of what lies beneath.
Just look at the beauty of the lace in this slip, wearing something as lovely as that would make me feel like a woman!
There is nothing more sexy for a man to catch a glimpse of a little bit of lace peeping below a hemline – it gives a small glimpse into what may lie beneath, rather than the overt on display shelf for all to see. A man, I believe, whats to explore unchartered territory, and have something for his eyes only – which is why peeling back the layers feels like a flower opening up at his fingertips.