Anonymous Chintz Patchwork Waistcoat by Jackie Wills

Anonymous Patchwork Waistcoat 

Last Saturday the postman delivered a large padded jiffy bag parcel with my name written in large felt pen, clearly not an online purchase!   I struggled to prise open the staples and peeped in side.  I could see a patchwork of strong chintz colours and embroidered thread, baffling but also a tad familiar.

The garment slipped onto the polished walnut table as I stared in silence and disbelief.   Yes, it was definitely a waistcoat  I created more than 20 years ago, inspired by the windows at Buckfast Abbey.

A beautifully typed letter slipped from  the garments folds.  Some of the words are reproduced below:

"Dear Miss Wills

We brought this waistcoat from you at an Exeter Cathedral Summer Fayre many years ago.  We couldn't bear to just give this to a charity shop.  It's a beautiful into which you clearly put a huge amount of time, effort, skill and devotion.  It's still in excellent condition so we are sending it back to where it will be still loved and appreciated.

With sincere thanks for this waistcoat and for the time it belonged to us.

Very best wishes

Anon"

Anon, if you read this I am sincerely touched and hugely overwhelmed by your gesture,  I will keep it and wear it myself as it fits a treat!  A happy reminder of past stitches, time and creativity.

Thank you.

Spooky True Story about a Waistcoat

Spooky True Story about a Waistcoat

It has been on my radar to write a blog post for several weeks. I was surprised last post was June 2015.   I struggle with juggling home life, work life, creativity, swimming adventures and technology

Yesterday morning I opened https://www.facebook.com/JackieWillsTextileArtist and found a message and a couple of photographs from AB.  I instantly recognised the work in the photographs to be a long sold waistcoat.   Distinctly my style, distressed blue denim with hand painted bamboo and abstract hearts along with added embroidery.

AB asked if I could confirm that it was one of my garments and if so what year.

Well, I could definitely confirm that it was one of my waistcoats, I just hoped that I had a photo to prove it.   I searched through my content and found the exact one, referenced TY 724.  In those days I would make a garment, take a random snap for personal reference and sell it.  The date looked like the year 2000.   In those days photos were non digital and and would be printed out via  by the excellent services of Trueprint.

TY 724 is reproduced below:

AB lives in Spain,  he came across the waistcoat in a charity shop.  He said it had been well looked after and in good condition.  Anyway AB wore it to work in Spain and a few people commented on it. Apparently one person knew the designer (me). Right now I cannot think of anyone I know in Spain! How is that for a spooky coincidence!!

Naturally I am delighted that TY 724 has retired to Spain and has found a new owner who will cherish it as much as the first.  

  

Are decorative waistcoats in fashion or not?

Are decorative waistcoats in fashion or not?

Its a question I have been pondering for the last few months.  

Looking back to 1992 which was pre-internet my waistcoats were sold direct from my public studio at Cockington Court, in upmarket art galleries, shops or by attending large craft events.  In those days my garments sold for £35.00 - £70.00 each.  I would be disappointed if I did not sell two/three garments a week, and it became a reliable income.

Moving on to the mid 1990's, circumstances changed and I began working from my studio at home.   I missed the company of other craftspeople and public feedback, but the advantages outweighed.  I could develop new ideas in peace and work flexible hours.  I continued to sell at shows/events and at Brigid Foley's lovely shop in Tavistock.  Garments were selling from £75.00 to £150.00 each, at looking back at my records I did well.   Getting out to shows I was able to communicate directly with people and sell.    The quality of my work could be seen and appreciated.  

This was the first photograph I put online
back in 1998.

Then came the internet  around 1998.  I saw it as a massive worldwide opportunity and immediately paid for a website to be created.  It was a basic website with no shopping cart, just a few images and words with my telephone number and email address.   To my great delight I began getting enquires and commissions from UK and further afield.   Wow, this is easy and decided to focus on the internet rather than bother with getting out to shows and meeting people.  Looking back this was probably a mistake.

sold

Moving to around 2002 and I created my own website with 1&1.co.uk  but unfortunately lost my original domain name.  Did not affect sales and enquiries.   In those days I could put a search out for my garments and they would appear at the top of the listings.  All good news.   The bad news was that sales on the internet and from Brigid made me complacent and I relaxed.     The internet and technology moves so fast that if you do not keep up with it then you sink.  

Waistcoat ref: 04 for sale

I remember the internet before google, before big names had websites.  Unfortunately my tech intelligence will never catch up and I cannot compete with the speed and sophistication of these wonderful websites selling beautiful clothing and reaching people.

This brings me back to the title of this post:  Are decorative waistcoats in fashion or not.   The answer is probably yes.   Unfortunately technology has surpassed me and I am lost in the depths of the internet revolution.  Its time to rethink.

Waistcoat ref: 137 for sale

Fibonacci Patchwork - Waistcoats

Fibonacci Patchwork - Waistcoats 

I became fascinated by the Fibonacci sequence of numbers back in the mid 1980's.  Subsequently the article below was published in "Patchwork and Quilting" magazine summer 1990.   An easier version to read can be found on my website:  http://www.patchworktemplates.com/page12.htm.   I have also written a bit about it on my website www.jackiewills.co.uk.  Apologies as it needs updating.  Please contact me if you would like me to email a copy.

During my time at Cockington Court with the Devon Rural Skills Trust I created a Fibonacci waistcoat using shades of solid red glazed cotton chintz, some heavy upholstery fabrics and some beautiful fabric from Zoffany.   The hand sewn fibonacci design made a beautiful back.

To make this into a garment I added machine sewn crazy patchwork which brought it all together. I remember being quite haphazard with the machine sewing.  Unfortunately this image does not show the fine detail.  I wore it constantly until a lady approached me and wanted to buy it.   I explained it was well worn which did not deter.    During this time I received a number of commissions for a similar garment.  See images below:

The theme for this Fibonacci waistcoat was reds, blues and with some quite strong patterned fabric.  Most of it was hand-sewn with random machine embroidery and appliqué. The thing about machine embroidery on chintz is that you have to get it right first time as unpicking leaves visible machine holes.  The glossy glazed chintz combined with non glazed fabric created an interesting contrast.  

These photographs were taken on a cheap throwaway camera and do not show the detail.   This garment was created about 1991 and at the time was a very expensive commission.

Other fibonacci commissioned waistcoats are shown below:

Unique Waistcoat Ref: 132 - size 10.

Unique Waistcoat Ref:  132 - Size 8.  

This is a such a cute waistcoat and it seems a shame that it rarely sees the light of day.   My friend was staying with me recently and I asked her to try it on.   It looked absolutely fabulous on her, so I took some photos.   Unfortunately the light was not good, so the accurate colours in this garment can be seen on the images that are not modelled.

The denim is jeans weight 14oz and has been colour discharged randomly to very pale effect.  I no longer practice this method as I do not like flushing lots of chemicals down the drain.  Does not do the environment any good.  Also, after many years of using household bleach it began to affect my eyes, and inhaling it made me feel quite poorly sometimes.  So bleaching denim is not recommended practice.      

Before rushing on, my observations using household bleach is that it varies greatly, depending on what brand used.  I once bought some bleach in a high street shop, when the cap was opened I had to stand back and close my eyes as the fumes were so strong. It was scary.  Different brands of bleach react differently by way of discharging, depending on how much used and how you cover fabric with it.   Some bleach brands are quite mild.  Best results occurred when the denim was washed in a washing machine immediately after bleaching.  I have not experimented with environmentally friendly bleaches.

I have in my possession samples that were bleached to this extent over 20 years ago.  The fabric does change, the bleach may weaken it after many washes.  The samples I have show little deterioration.  I cannot guarantee this will be the case for all though.   In my opinion if it frays a bit, then thats what denim does.  It frays. It looks good.



Getting back to Waistcoat 132:   The Indigo denim was bleached almost white, with some traces of blue visable in random places.   I used one of my constant designs, Robinia or Gum Tree leaves painted in lilac, along with a few random clematis leaves from the same pallette.   Some blue embroidery was introduced to balance the blue peeps of denim.

Using Husqvarna Lily embroidery stitches I created the almost symmetrical lapels.   Not creating lapels but sewing directly onto the denim.  No opportunity for mistakes on this occasion, as unpicking would be visible.  I enhanced the embroidery using a couching method and in my opinion it worked really well.

The image on the right has been scanned so colours are pretty accurate.

I tend to work in a random fashion.  Not planning, just painting, then sewing directly onto the prepared fabric.   Thinking too much about placement takes the edge of for me.   I know this method does not suit everyone.

Embroidered detail of lapel.

The waistcoat back has a tie belt.  For the back and the lining, I have used glazed cotton chintz.   The glaze may loose its lustre after time but I loved the colour so used it.

Further images of this garment can be seen following links from this blog.

This waistcoat is currently for sale £80.00 plus post and packing.  Please contact me for details.

Sewing Machines: Bernina 730 Record versus Husqvarna Lily 555

Bernina 730 Record versus Husqvarna Lily 555

This blog is my personal view.  It concentrates on a couple of pros and cons of the above sewing machines. If I had to choose one to use as my constant it would be a very difficult decision.  Based on reliability and the fact the tension rarely fails, the Husqvarna would win by a hairline margin.  Based pleasure of using, the Bernina wins hands down.

They are both workhorses and have both been truly hammered over the last 15/20 years.   I can honestly say, apart from a seasonal service neither of them have visited the sewing machine hospital.  Considering how much fabric has passed under those feet, and thread through the spools and loops.

It was love at first sight when the Bernina, called out to me from the shelf at the Exeter Sewing Machine Shop.  The intention was to purchase latest Bernina model but when I saw the Record 730 it took me just two seconds to change my mind.  The Husqvarna was purchased as a spare  but it is now my primary machine.

The two embroidered samples below show machine embroidery by Jackie Wills.  See more http://picasaweb.google.com/thejaxcollection 

Bernina 730 Record

Pros:

The Swiss build is superb, a real looker, no square corners. The latches click, hinges strong, by sound it purrs.

Personal to me:

Bernina Embroidered Horse Mane 

The tapering embroidery stitches, the lever manoeuvre allows for long tapering effect from wide to narrow to nil and back again, creating a graceful uninterrupted line of stitching.

Freehand embroidery using a foot and lowering of the feet is second to none.  I dont need to use an embroidery hoop on thicker fabrics.  I can whizz back, forward and around and around at great speed without the thread breaking.  Effortless and easy.

Removing lint and dust from the inside of the machine is helped by the design of the machine.

Cons:

Occasionally stitches skip which is annoying when perfect stitching is paramount.  Unpicking is frustrating.  Replacing the needle helps.
As always the case when you need to demonstrate to the sewing machine doctor it sews perfectly!

Husqvarna Lily 555

Pros:  

Heavy, strong, endless variations of stitch can be created by the computerised system.  In my experience very reliable.

Husqvarna embroidered.

Personal to me:  

Freehand embroidery works but is limited, lower the feed teeth does not give fluidity to manoeuvre fabric around and around.   Stitches are neat and reliable.  Many features which make it a joy to use, as a general all rounder.  Stitch memory is particularly useful.

Cons:  

Removing lint and dust from inside machine is limited.

Its great to open the casing to clean the lint, dust and occasional broken threads from the machine.  Also there are points to oil the machine.  Its important not to over lubricate your machine.

Opening this machine makes you appreciate how well it has been designed.

Husqvarna Lily.  Cleaning is limited to removing the spool casing.  The manual says no lubrication (oil) is needed.   Must admit I find this strange with so much use.

1000 Waistcoats later..................

Going to write this blog about once a week.   Last week wrote about my first commission.  This week spring forward 25 years, nearly 1000 waistcoats later to present day.   Its overwhelming to think the first waistcoat could lead to nearly a thousand unique waistcoats.  On reflection it seems like a mammoth waistcoat breeding programme.   One lead to another, lead to meeting another person, lead to a change in style, lead to change in direction, lead to another boundary, to a new fabric, a new technique, lead to tears but most of all lead to personal fulfilment and happiness.

Glancing through my unorganised galleries of work

http://picasaweb.google.com/thejaxcollection

I can recall the creation of each garment, and definitely have favourites. Waistcoat 71 is one of them.   Since 1991 denim has been one of my favourite fabrics after a chance experiment with a pair of old jeans.  More about that in a future blog.

Waistcoat 71 was born in about 1997 when Gordon and I were renovating a Mervyn Seal 1960's style house S'Argamassa (renamed "Sailing Free") on the Marine Drive area of Torquay.   It was a wonderful place to have a studio, despite all the noise of the re-build.

The abstract design of five leaves on a stem was sort of inspired by this house,  I found a chestnut leaf in the garden, of which I created an abstract version.     The embroidery is courtesy of my beloved Bernina 701 sewing machine (circa 1960's) purchased from the Exeter Sewing Machine Company.

Like all my work, the machine stitching is random,  not planned and not marked onto the fabric in advance.  The love hearts can be seen in a number of my garments of that time, a quirky abstract heart, different on each garment applied, with a flume of embroidery cascading until it felt "right" to stop the machine.

The black denim  colour randomly discharged with bleach to create the animal hide effect.   The hand painted designs were applied where the fabric distress is paler for maximum impact.   The leaves have been machine embroidered using satin stitch.  Then turquoise stitching sewn between the leaves.  The garment as one front pocket.   In total there are eight leaf stems and eight hearts.   Strange as I normally work in threes or sixes.

At that time created many garments with "Chestnut Leaf"  theme.  This and another wacky blue denim is still in my collection (waistcoat 47).

Next blog will be about my beloved Bernina 730 Record and Husqvarna Lily sewing machines.  They are both brilliant to use, but both have pros and cons for certain types of work.