Moonlit Château

 

 Sometimes it's one thing to clearly see in your mind's eye what you want to create and quite another to make that creation a reality. I began on this piece in early December, worked on it on and off throughout the month, and just put the final layer in place this morning. At last!  Perhaps I could call this Slow Photoshop, somewhat like the Slow Sewing movement.

One of my inspirations for this piece was the Day to Night lighting effect demonstrated by Glyn Dewis in the November Photoshop Virtual Summit. Here is my original and not very good photo of the Château de Montreuil-Bellay in the Loire valley in France. After removing most of the background, I was able to greatly improve it using primarily AI Clear in Topaz Studio 2. Then came many, many layers to tone it and work on details for the moonlit effect. 

The sky with the moon is overlaid on another sky with all the stars and both are from Pixabay. The deer and the stag are also from Pixabay while the trees and shrubbery to the left and the grass in the foreground are from my photos. There's even a texture from Kerstin Frank thrown in for good measure.

I could probably have continued piddling around on subtle improvements, but I think I have come close to the vision in my mind's eye. And while it took me a long time to get here, the journey with Photoshop is always amazing.

 

On our walk

 

Monarch butterflies have been plentiful in Dallas this fall on their annual migration south. (One year I even found a tagged one which I still have carefully preserved.) Out on a walk one afternoon this month we came upon this glorious vine that was hosting several. I discovered later that it's a Mexican flame vine, Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides, a plant species related to asters. Now, to be honest, all those Monarchs weren't so artfully arranged when I snapped the photo, but Photoshop lets you compose the picture that should have been. Also used Topaz Impressions for a more painterly look. A delight to do.

Window on Munger Place

 

 

Here's another piece arising from the Awake course mentioned in my last post. It doesn't precisely relate to any of the lessons, but did come about as a result of my desire to participate in all the digital creativity.

I began with the photo of one of the front windows of our house, then added the background photos of the tall pink phlox which have been blooming all summer in a front garden. The swallowtail butterflies came from Pixabay, but there always seems to be one or two of them flitting around the phlox. The text is from the original promotional brochure for Munger Place which was developed in 1905. And the ornament is from Dover's 2,286 Traditional Stencil Designs.

I have to mention (okay, brag) that back when we first bought the house, the sashes of all 27 original windows in the house were removed and stripped, then repaired and refinished by me. And most, including the one above, received a redo a couple of years ago. However, a set of triple windows on the side missed out, until in June their deteriorating condition could no longer be ignored. 

Of course, when we bought the house in the 1970s and set about restoring it with boundless energy and optimism, I had no idea that decades later I would still be turning my hand to many of the same things. Back then it was an adventure, and this big, derelict house was a canvas which we could freely fill with our ever-evolving vision. Now we can enjoy the house we saw in our mind's eye, but it still requires behind-the-scenes work to keep it that way. It is, after all, 110-years old!  

And I am, well, let's just say, quite a bit older than I was in the 1970s. But I credit all that behind-the-scenes work with helping me stay in shape. And now that those windows are checked off my to-do list, I can get back to exercising my mind with more digital exploration.

Ninety-nine percent perspiration

 

I had been mired in Photoshop frustration for some time. When I looked through my images for a starting point, nothing came to me. Nothing especially “creative.” I felt I should have been been bubbling over with ideas since beginning Sebastian Michael's Awake course this summer.

Its full title is “Awake: The Photoshop Mastery Edition” and it follows the original Photoshop Artistry course that I had mostly completed last year. Even though I am relatively Photoshop-competent and have been piling up layers and applying blend modes with abandon for some time, I hoped these courses would not only teach me new skills but also propel me into greater digital creativity.

One unexpected benefit has been finding myself a part of a community of equally Photoshop-obsessed souls all around the globe. Before I could look at and study their compositions via the monthly Living the Photo Artistic Life Magazine, the photoshopartistryInstagram feed or the Fine Art Photoshop Flickr group, but now I feel I can interact with them more fully if I choose.

Many of these people have built up a large and enviable body of work. Ah, yes, work, that's the key word. Referencing the famous Thomas A. Edison quote, instead of Genius, I think you could certainly say Art “is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” So with that in mind, I sat myself down one morning and kept working away until I had put together the composition above. 

Tunic or not tunic

My dear old Pfaff has been having a bit of a rest for the past few months. I did revise my basic knit top pattern, with both set-in and raglan sleeves, for a somewhat looser fit, and I made prototypes of each. Beyond that all I have sewn is masks...ho-hum. So I thought I would review a couple of garments I made at the end of last year and the beginning of this.

One plus of getting older is, hopefully, knowing yourself. Knowing your strengths and abilities, and your weaknesses as well. Knowing how to make the most of the former and cope with the later. At the same time, it's also important to remain open to possibilities and to change. I don't want to be that frowning old lady pounding my figurative cane and decrying everything about life today.

That's true about fashion, too. I think I know what suits me, what flatters my small but not especially slender frame. I know how I want to look, the kind of styles that make me feel mentally at ease. But, once again, I don't want to get stuck in time, closed off to what's new. So, although I don't feel the need to keep up with trends, I do venture out of my fashion comfort zone from time to time. 

Now, tunics are not exactly cutting edge, I know. Young and old, everyone is wearing tunics. Not only are they comfortable, they also glide forgivingly over buldges. My main problem is with proportion. Since a tunic falls below the hips, it visually shortens the legs, an oh-oh for already short-limbed me. Still, I was taken with the creative tunic designs from Marcy and Katherine Tilton in Vogue and Butterick patterns.

Then I fell in love with a digital print knit from Mood Fabrics. It has the deep reds and purples that go with so much in my wardrobe. But it's also a very busy print, so I knew I needed to make it into a simple garment, something flowing that would show it off. Butterick 6136, a tunic by Katherine Tilton seemed to be the answer. The photo of View C on the pattern envelope even showed it made up in an equally busy print.

First, of course, I made a trial version in some of my seemingly inexhaustible stash of old cotton interlock which I over-dyed (from a tint that looked liked the old Flesh crayon) in a rich Procion color called Pomegranate. I used the size M cutting lines, but I think it would have fit better had I used S, because it is generously sized. The pattern description says it is fitted through the bust, which I take to mean more close-fitting than my tunics turned out. I think I would have been happier with them if I had simply made them less roomy.

I adjusted for proportion by shortening it about 2 inches on the “skirt” section. I shortened the sleeves considerably which I have to do on every pattern and narrowed by shoulders by 3/4”. I also narrowed the upper back by about 1/2”.

It's a very easy garment to sew, nothing whatsoever complicated about it. For the solid color tunic, I made View B with the stand-up collar and decorative top-stitching which I did with a small machine embroidery stitch and regular thread. Then I added beads along the stitching to give it a bit more emphasis. I also added a line of decorative stitching with beads down the back.

So I wore it and liked it well enough that I thought the pattern would indeed be just right for the Mood print. Even better, in fact, because the print fabric was softer and drapier than the cotton interlock and would look a bit sleeker. Or so I thought.

This time I used View C which is exactly the same except for the twist collar and no decorative stitching. Even easier to make the second time, of course. But when I tried it on, I felt overwhelmed by the print, by such a large expanse of print. Mr. C convinced me to wear it once, and it looks better in the photos he took of me than I thought it looked when assessing it in the mirror. But I don't see it turning into a go-to garment as I had expected all the times I had looked at the beautiful fabric before sewing it up.

So, is there a moral to this sewing story? Hmmm.... Maybe learn from your mistakes. Well, not really mistakes, but not stellar successes. Unlike trying on a garment in a store, you can never be totally certain of the sewing outcome, no matter how long you have been sewing, no matter what prep you do to make the garment as perfect for you as possible. I tried something a bit different for me, and maybe I'll come to like them more with time.

Digital diversions

During this period of “sheltering in place,” we are fortunate, Mr. C and I, to have a place that shelters us most pleasantly. There's plenty of space where we can each pursue our individual interests undisturbed. This tumultuous time that has upended lives around the world has so far changed our days only slightly. In fact, I am almost grateful for the additional time that staying home all day every day has given me. 

  

When I haven't been spring cleaning or attending to the exuberance of greenery out in the yard, I've been immersed in pushing pixels around on my computer screen . After many years of using Photoshop CS3 (which debuted in 2007), I finally subscribed to Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography plan which includes the latest Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. Why had I been waiting!

Of course, I wanted to catch up to all the advances in Photoshop plus learn about Lightroom which I didn't have before, so I've been on a YouTube marathon. There are many, many excellent video tutorials given by people who really know the intricacies of these programs. I am simply amazed at both the depth of their knowledge and the seemingly infinite effects that are possible.

Anthony Morganti has been guiding me through Lightroom with his very clear and detailed series of Mastering Lightroom Classic CC. And I have long subscribed to Phlearn with Aaron Nace and PiXimperfect with Unmesh Dinda. As well as learning from their digital mastery, I appreciate their obvious enthusiasm for Photoshop. An enthusiasm which I share (and which Mr. C often wishes I did not share with him). 

 

So here I am, sharing it with you. The picture above is the result of my attempt to turn the very lackluster photo below into something worth looking at through the magic of Lightroom and Photoshop. It may not be an ah-inspiring masterpiece but I'm pleased with what I've achieved. In some respects I feel as if I were “painting” the scene in the original photo, enhancing and changing colors, adding some things and removing others, emphasizing various details while rendering other areas with less definition. Both medium and tools are at hand merely by turning on my computer and opening the programs. I find it totally addictive.

 

As a bonus, when I'm finished, no cleaning of brushes and removing errant streaks and smudges from hands and other body parts. Although I do kinda miss the evocative odors of paint and turp and linseed oil.

 

More Marcy Tilton

All dressed up and no place to go, like everyone else during this extraordinary time. But even in normal circumstances, I have more outfits than occasions to wear them. That is due both to the fact that I am not very social, hence the lack of occasions, and to my love of sewing, resulting in the outfit surplus.

Yes, I do love to sew. I love fabric, the luscious colors and tactile textures, the eye-catching patterns and prints. I love spreading my stash out, pairing various pieces, imaging what they might become. Versatile jackets, tops that would go with pants, even dresses which I hardly wear anymore. It's a gorgeously attired fantasy life that I'm envisioning, just waiting for me to sew it into reality. 

And sew it I do. But slowly, and carefully. Which is why my closet can still contain my clothes and why my stash barely seems to diminish. First there's the pairing of pattern and fabric, then refining fit and finessing details. I want to make each and every garment the best I can. I want it to fit and feel and look exactly right, so I'll be happy wearing it.

So even a “wearable muslin” gets meticulous treatment. Which is what this Marcy Tilton top was intended to be: a trial for a rather bold printed knit that had been maturing in my stash for some time. I went to my well of old cotton interlock which has still not run out, and found this not-quite-navy dark blue which I paired with some scraps of a bright leaf green knit for contrast.

I made several changes which you can read about on my review on Pattern Review. It's categorized as Average or, in French, Less Easy, to sew, which rating it earns, in my opinion, due to the squared-off cut of the sleeves where they attach to the body. But I really like the unique look it gives to this top. The other out-of-the-ordinary styling detail is pockets created by a separate lower front piece. I added the buttons and tabs both to keep the pockets from being so floppy and to repeat a touch of the green of the neck band. 

The back is slightly shaped with a casing which I also handled differently than the pattern instructions, inserting a stitched-down band rather than a knotted tie. I think these interesting details show much better in a solid color fabric than in the prints shown on the pattern envelope. So I nixed using my printed knit for it.

Since blue is a color I rarely wear, it turned out that I had no bottoms to pair it with. Even my jeans were the wrong color of blue. So I ended up making a pair of ponte pants using a simple faced-waist pattern (OOP McCall's 5672) that was designed for wovens and omitting the zipper. The ponte is stretchy enough to allow them to be pulled on. And to make sure the waist stayed snug while wearing them, I stitched 3/8-inch clear elastic to the inside of the facing after stitching it to the pants. I copied the pocket from a pair of bought pants.

Now all I have to do is wait for an opportunity to actually wear my new outfit. Sometime when we can all get together in person again. Until then, stay safe, stay home and keep sewing.

Little red riding hood

Or so Mr. C immediately dubbed it. As far as I'm concerned the hood is merely an elaborate collar since I can't imagine that I would ever want to wear it up. But other than that, Marcy Tilton's modern hoodie has my heart. So flattering, shaped in front with princess seams while the two-piece back has a sort of peplum that flows forgivingly over the posterior. So easy to put together as well, although some precision top-stitching is required, especially on a solid color fabric, to make it look its best. And isn't this rose red color lovely...yet more of my ancient stock of cotton interlock. All these many years after I bought it, I'm certainly getting my money's worth out of it. 


   



 























 

On Pattern Review I detailed the specific construction changes I made, which mostly concerned how I finished the various seams, but couldn't post all the relevant photos there. So here they are.

Booked up

Not only a new year but a new decade of reading for the Foreign Authors Bookgroup, going on its 26^th year. Our January book, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, a Man Booker Prize nominee, has been read, much appreciated, and thoroughly discussed.

The next book, The Hired Man, is a slim volume set in a Croatian village where dark wartime secrets are brought into the light by a family of outsiders. The author, Aminatta Forna, is indeed foreign, although not Croatian, having been born in Scotland and raised in Sierra Leone and Great Britain, with periods of her childhood spent in other countries as well. The novel (and the author) has received numerous accolades . After reading about and sampling the book, I decided to nominate it.

Everyone in the bookgroup enjoys Nomination Night so much that we devote an entire meeting to it. It's an opportunity to introduce books that each of us thinks would be interesting, informative, discussable. We hear about books, both widely heralded and obscure, with personal recommendations from readers whom we know. For 2020 there were twenty-five books nominated, so paring that down to eleven was difficult, as always. Some books seem to induce almost everyone to vote for them, while others which I hoped would be chosen, lose out. They go on my personal to-read list.

We have a two-book per person nomination limit, and this year, in order to try to contain all the enthusiasm for the books within a reasonable hour-plus, we also set a time limit for presenting each book. I'm afraid I did rather poorly in presenting my first book, Himself by Jess Kidd. Since it didn't get chosen, let me recommend it here. The setting is a village in County Mayo, Ireland, in the 1970s, where a young man, raised an orphan, comes to uncover the truth about the teen-aged mother he never knew. A charmer, he sets hearts aquivering, but also causes a stir in other respects as he pursues his quest, aided and thwarted by a cast of diverse and eccentric characters, including ghosts of the dead. It's a beguiling novel, interwoven with the supernatural, brimming with folklore and humor, lyrical and poetic. A wonderful read! 

  

Now I'm on to The Hired Man, which I haven't read, as I usually like to nominate books that are new to me. It's taking a chance, but usually there's enough information on a book to be able to tell if it's worthwhile, with opportunities online to sample the writing. The little that I read in The Hired Man was so intriguing that I had to force myself not to go ahead and read it then and there. But I like the book to be fresh in my mind when we come together to discuss it, so I'm just beginning it now.

As always, you are welcome to join us if you are in the Dallas area; just email me for details on where. Or send your comments and participate online with us.