A Summer Ramble
by Frank Herbert, American (b. 1920)
I was looking for paintings of wheat, when I found this beautiful piece of art. What a lovely way the figure compliments the surrounding scene. Nature is the guide for much of my choice of fabrics and sewing styles, and wheat is something that I've always wanted to "match" with fabrics. I am looking for a soft cotton printed with wheat kernels, on a cream-colored background, but so far have found nothing like it.
From my front window, this is the scene before me today:
Click on the picture for a larger view.
Though I have never thought of the wheat color as being particularly desireable as a color to wear, I've come to feel differently about it since great crops of it surrounds me. These photographs that I have taken do not show the vivid beauty of it in the sun. In the moonlight it shimmers like fine spun gold.
Here's some wheat print fabric on ebay
A wheat rubber stamp from the Kansas Heritage Center. Kansas is the "wheat state."
A Summer Evening
by Leopold-Francois Kowalsky, 1856-1931 (Russian)
(The garments on the women appear to be peasant style
and I would love to know about the pattern or sewing technique. The
dresses
look good with the flowers.)
From the north window is a field of blossoms from another crop, and I did have some fabric to make a dress to go with it.
The blue of that sky is amazing. Now I need to find some fabric to make a dress to go with it.
The sleeves have a piece of white fabric in the middle because I did not have enough of the main fabric. I'll show you how to do that on a sewing tutorial on some future post.
The neckline is trimmed in white eyelet,
and there is a bias type ruffle on the hem:
I flew into Spokane one summer on a little United Airlines commuter plane and it seemed like you could reach out and touch the wheat fields in the Palouse. I was going to visit the Moscow campus at UI and had things turned out differently I would have gladly moved to that area. I didn't know that the Palouse was also the largest producer of yellow split peas in the world (my favorites)>
ReplyDeleteSoon it'll be time for the combines to come and mow the fields down.
Hi LadyLydia,
ReplyDeleteI do love the first painting on your post today.
I like all the buttery yellow colours and I think I might just add wheat to that list...I'm sure it will fit right in.
Have a good week
Barb from Australia
I love it when you share your views from your front yard.You must live in such a pretty area.Wheat is a beautiful symbol.A friend of mine had dishes with wheat on them and I always thought they were so pretty.I love the way you combine your sewing with inspiration from nature and paintings,it makes a world of possiblities when you think of it that way.Hope you have a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteI love the dress you made to match the surrounding field flowers. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe two white dresses in the photo you made mention of appears to be made of batiste, gauze or possibly a fine muslin. Something soft and silky would work well also. Nothing stiff.
The style appears to be either Greek Revival or that of the Empire era such as worn during Jane Austen's time.
I would think that Sense and Senseibility Patterns would have a similar pattern and instructions to those dress styles. The dress would be adaptable for today's styles also.
Mrs. J.
What a very pretty soft green print. I always feel that green is a lovely colour to wear. I must also agree that looking to nature is a wonderful way to select colours that may be surprisingly good together but not perhaps obvious. I am reminded of a darkly brown ploughed field, a vivid blue winter sky and a crisp edge of snow, perhaps with just a touch of ruby red berries. Not quite for this season though ...I am already thinking on, to winter sewing!
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ReplyDeleteI have cut the dress down to make a skirt, which I wear with a white blouse.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the white ruffle at the neckline.
ReplyDeleteI did just the opposite of you - I had some older dresses that I had made, that I had grown tired of. I cut the bottoms off, turning them into blouses to wear with new skirts I have made!
I used the bottoms to make a few quilt patches for later. Thank you for your inspiration! My children like to remember that I used to wear a part of their quilts!
Lydia, I *love* that ruffle ~ simply adore it! I recently had several dresses similar to yours made for me for every day wear. And a few "duster/lounge" dresses for around the house as well. They are wonderful. Put an apron on and I'm ready to go. The lounge dresses are ankle length and have a wide ruffle at the bottom. As I'm working in the home, any time I stand still for a while that seems to be our baby kittens cue to roll on their backs and play with the ruffle, lol. I love your dresses. Please continue to share pictures to give the rest of us ideas!
ReplyDeleteWith all the drought this year it is so lovely and hopeful to see a healthy field of wheat. Isn't it beautiful!! What a glorious view you have right in your our front yard!! God surely does know how to make a pretty picture doesn't He.
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the little floral print in the light green dress. The white at the neck sure sites it off too.
Sarah
The wide gathered ruffle was added because the V neck was too low. Also if I can find the pattern I will warn you against using it. It was very easy but I had forgotten that if a pattern has a v front and back, the dress will not fit right and the sleeves will pull it off the shoulders. I tried to correct that problem with the ruffle. Later, I made a skirt from it.
ReplyDeleteThe fabric may still be available at fabric stores.
From the south window is a field of pumpkins, which I'll try to show on the blog another time.
ReplyDeleteLydia,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, absolutely beautiful!
Blessings,
Sarah,
Australia.
Say!....you found some wheat-print fabric. Very pretty. I suppose you'll be ordering some of that soon?
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I thought ten dollars a yard was too expensive. The average every day cotton dress takes 4 yards, but I'm still considering it. I thought I would take a look at flocked muslin, as it can be tinted with Rit or other dyes, and the white part stands out. I think there is some with a wheat print, and also there are some already colored in various sections of the fabric store.
ReplyDeleteSo peaceful and so lovely. The dress is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful paintings, I always associate such views with my hometown. The dress is also beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat pretty scenes. You are lucky to have such a lovely view.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say how much I appreciate this blog. Your wisom has been an inspiration to me and some of your older posts have been very helpful during recent difficult times. Thank you!
I hope to post again very soon!
ReplyDeleteI do love the beauty & color of wheat. Such a simple beauty that often goes by unnoticed. Have a lovely day~ Ivy Jane
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