BRAZEN HUSSY by Cathy Boerema Of all the many titles that I go under or have been called – that of patternmaker, teacher, engineer of fabric, sewing whiz, even technical saviour capable of multi-genres - I relate most to that of a dressmaker. I love dresses and think of them as songs. When I can’t sleep at night, in my head I select a fabric from my collection and shape it into a garment. I find the designing of a garment the hardest part. Pattern making and sewing is straight forward and merely a process for me, but designing takes many nights of bad sleep to solve the problem of what best to make of a fabric. I once heard that Leonard Cohen took up to two years to write a song. I flatter myself to think I am like him, in making sure my designs are just right. And like Cohen, the trick is to write a song so simple yet beautiful and profound. Having moved from St Kilda to Castlemaine 15 months ago, I am obsessed with redefining my wardrobe to adapt with my new life in the country. Despite the tree-change, I have never been busier. I am outdoors as often as I’m indoors doing rough chores side by side with fine handiwork. I feel now here that my love of ‘toile de Jouy’ (pronounced ‘twull de zhooey”) fabrics – the classic French fabrics depicting people doing things in country settings, can be unleashed. In this range I have used quite a bit of ‘toile to Jouy’. It’s ‘s ironic to be a busy person wearing fabrics with images depicting other people being busy. Back in the city, I used to walk past people of many cultures talking in tongues many of which I didn’t understand. Now, I talk to my 6 chickens and two dogs daily. I’m so proud of my chickens and congratulate them when they’ve coughed up an egg each. A Youtube video showed me how to clip their wings so they wouldn’t fly away. I couldn’t part with the feathers I’d cut, so I incorporated them in one of the designs tonight – I call it “Hommage aux Poules”.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 23:24:55 +0000
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