The Green Spiral Hoody Dress

So the last little while has been about sewing, and while I waited for my client to come around so we could do a fitting, I decided to experiment with embellishments, on a hoody dress that I have been wanting to make for quite some time, and then I decided to share it with the world.  also I am believe that I will be selling this one.  This hoody dress is a size 14 New Zealand sizing.. which can be found here 

First the Fabric, which is cotton Sweatshirt fabric, so it has a very slight stretch, the almost white, but actually sage is what I made the spirals from, and the brown the main hoody.. the peacock green I might be using on the second one of these I am making for another client.

then i cut the pattern out.

followed by cutting and pinning the spirals.  I enjoyed this bit as it was very creative, and i found out that spirals are pretty easy to freehand cut out, and not to difficult to sew on. Before when I made my wall hangings I used a iron on backing to keep the fabric nice and then zigzaged the edges, but this time I wanted the edges of the spirals to fray a little, which it will as the fabric is a knit, rather than woven.. so two things will happen when washing, this hoody dress, the inside will soften and apparently become a little fuzzy, (maybe I am kind dubious about that) and second the sage green spirals will gain a slightly frayed edge, which will look pretty cool.  !!

 

and then i sewed it all together, and boy did it come out really well.. i am so proud!!

 

I enjoy this type of crafting, it is both creative and technical at the same time.  It also gives my mind a break from the heck strife of my life of late, and when I am done I have something physical in exchange.  I remember once when I read the books Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card, reading about Makers, whos job it was to keep the unmaker, the destroyer away, and when the Alvin, who was the seventh son felt this unmaker close he would make something.  I am not the seventh son of a seventh son but I am the first daughter of the first daughter of a first daughter, and maybe that is similar, however has I have grown over the last few years, a large part of who I am is that person who creates, crafts and sews, and when I do this I veritably imbue it with magic. 

hmm.. *ponders many thoughts*

also if you would like this hoody dress,  please message me, either here or on my email Urbanwitchery (at) gmail

*smiles*

The Element of Land

Photo taken by me!

For the longest time the element of earth confused me, mostly I believe, because I was seeing a picture of the planet earth, and as you know the planet earth contains all of the elements not just one.  It was a very perplexing thing.  

So a few years back, I was re exploring my understanding of the sacred elements.  I travelled with two witchy friends of mine to Castle Point, with the intention of discovering what the element for east was.  You see while I understand that there are ‘traditional’ correspondents for the elements and directions, I live in New Zealand, and our seasons and circle casting is opposite to that of the northern hemisphere and seeing as I believe in practising in the land you live rather than trying to fit something from another land, so to speak, I was curious as to see what would happen.  

Castle Point, Photo taken by Chris Seaman

Of course I had not been specific when asking about the direction I was and elements, however the message I got back in regards to the elements, was the following impressions which I have translated into words: Land, Ocean, Wind, and Fire, somewhat different from Earth, Air, Fire and Water.  When I enquired further about Land in relation to the elemental energies of earth, I was given a vision if you will. 

 I turned away from facing the ocean and faced towards the land, I was sitting on the saddle, that is the huge sticky up bit you can see in the photo.  As I sunk my awareness down into the earth, I stared to feel the land.  I started to feel the energies of the people who had lived on that land before.  As I spread my awareness down through the various layers of soil and into the distance, I could feel the farmers who made their living on the land, holiday makers who came and went, the settlers, who cut down the trees, and created the farms that the farmers now lived on and the Maori and the lives that they had lived.  Then I shifted deeper into the soil and land itself, and could feel how the soil feed the plant life, and made homes for some of our native birds, along with several of our import.  The land was showing me something here, it was the energies and wisdom of those that had lived and live on it.  It is difficult to explain in words as I was receiving emotions, which loosely translated into images, not really anything that was spoken.  But then this has been how I have always done this type of thing.  And boy did it take me years to figure that one out, but I digress, and perhaps is a subject for post another day. 

This energy these pictures of Farmers, Holiday Makers, Settlers, Maori and the fauna and flora living on the land was part of the energy of this element of earth, the land.   Which is quite different from my initial image of the Planet Earth, go figure *coughs*  

So what did I learn through all of this?  Apart from the obvious learning in a very visual way the more about the element Earth, or what I now refer to as Land. I also learned that learning about the elements is an on-going process, and as you yourself progress and deepening your understanding of magic, and your own path, so to you deepen your understanding of the elements, kind of a hand in hand thing.  

I am currently furthering that understanding by doing the elemental meditations by Philip Carr-Gomm, called Wild Wisdom Meditations with Earth, Water, Air & Fire, and these if you are interested are very good and can be found here at CD baby.  These meditations are also good for beginners, to start their journey to understanding the elements. 

Robes not sacks

So After going to Druid Camp Aotearoa, at the Grove of the Summer Stars, one of the Druids who is travelling to England in June, asked me to make her a Robe and Tabbard, so that she has nice ritual wear for England.  As we were discussion styles and designs, i got to wondering, so many druid robes of have seen are, to put it frankly sacks with arms, not flattering, and if you are a shapely woman, or man then would it not make sense to have a more fitted robe?  but then it is also down to personal preference, just like some people like to have robes for rituals, others don't.  But then perhaps some people shy away from robes because of their sack like design.  then there are the robes that re reminiscent of medieval gowns, which are not really my thing..  anyway, i figured it would be nice to see what i am currently sewing for this lady as it is in my opinion quite beautiful!!

This is the fabric and pattern that has been choose.  The turquoise at the back is the Dress/robe with the pattern for the Dress robe in the front.  the royal blue and light blue are for the tabard, which will go over the Robe.  on the tabard will be an awen and goddess appliqué the goddess on the back and the awen on the front.  i am also making a small bag from the remainder of the patterned fabric.  the gold and silver as also for the appliqué

the pattern actually took quite some time to lay out as there was not actually enough, but lucky in one of my fabric boxes was some shot silk, well kinda silk which matched both the turquoise and royal blue..

here is a pic of the of the extra fabric in comparison to the turquoise.  its difficult to get in pictures as it changes and shifts in the light. 

so now we have gotten to the stage of need for fitting, and their is no arms sewing on it as yet.  Once the dress/robe is finished then i can make start o the tabard..

this satruday there will be a fitting and i will be able to put the arms on, and hem it.. whoot.  the colours remind me of a paua shell, which has the similar colours of turquoise and royal blue

so gentle readers, if you were to have robes made what would they look like and why?