Saturday, July 9, 2011

Fleur



Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Fleur.

She's me.  

I'm her.



She's my doppleganger in fabric.



She has princess seams. Of course she does.

I put them in everything, remember? A bad habit I've had since I was a teenager.

And, for the first time ever, I've seen the back of my own shoulders

and the... uh... cross-section of my hips.

And yes, it is very weird to see my own body in print fabric.

Ah, Fleur. You were a loooooooong time in the making. 

So, given that she's a clone of me, I interviewed her for my own job.
Turns out she has a pathetic resume.
"Can you cook?"
"No arms, ma'am."
"Can you do the groceries?"
"No legs, ma'am"
"Laundry? Give kids baths? Chauffeur? Vacuum? Think up new crafts?"
"No, ma'am."
"Well, what then can you do, you useless fool?"
"I can dress up, ma'am."

Well, phooey. I have to share clothes. But at least now I get to take the photos.



Remember that princess seam dress?


I have to say she wears it well...... for someone without arms.

And that denim skirt?


Well now I can get 43, 598 photo angles on it.







And here's a skirt I never showed you before, because I never got round to doing the photos. It's brown linen with ribbon embroidery. 

The camisole is store-bought, but it occurred to me that I can drape jersey outers (I'm thinking sleeveless mock turtlenecks!) on Fleur to change her look if I get bored of ebony scrolls on white.

So now you've met Fleur. She's gone to live in my sewing room where she'll be (literally) watching my back.

Isn't she useful after all? She is, quite definitely, the most useful thing I've made.

I'll deconstruct her for you in the next post(s)

and we can have a good laugh together at all the funny bits - it's always slightly bizarre to stitch yourself up.

But first, here's the website that inspired me.
It had me thinking, "I need one in my size. In exactly my size. I think I'll make one."  


And so I did:)


38 comments:

  1. WOW!!! How awesome is that! I keep looking at all the pics and yes, wondering 'how in the world'..... Only you!! And now there are two of you! :) Useful, indeed!!

    Definitely worth the wait! And now I look forward to the "deconstruction". I can't begin to imagine.....

    Way to go! And I hope you are extremely pleased with the new you... that she is worth all your time and effort. You ought to be delighted indeed!! (Not to mention relieved to be done!)

    And now I shall sleep in peace, finally knowing. ;)

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  2. Wow, Highly impressed! Good job momma. That must have taken a very long time. Tell Fleura hello for me. How did you choose her name? I am very interested in learning all about this. Clicking on link next. Thanks for sharing. =)

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  3. Fabulous! It was worth the wait and you made it so cute too!

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  4. BRILLIANT. I love it.

    But...what do you do if your measurements, umm....change. Daily. My waist fluctuates by the hour. ?? Heh. Perhaps add a balloon inside?

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  5. I am in awe... what an amazing project!

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  6. Ah, I never would have guessed. It's lovely! I've been wanting to do something like this. I just have to wait till my post-baby body is errr, in a less fluctuative state!

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  7. I can't beleive I guessed it! Well I was planning on doing the old gaff tape dummy but Fleur has won my heart!!!

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  8. Wow! I am super dooper impressed and also rather jealous. You are an amzing lady and what a fabulous item to have in your sewing room.!

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  9. Oh Lier! You had me stumped (pardon the pun). Never would I have thought that you made a 'mannequin' of yourself. Gosh, you are so clever. Looking forward to how you put it all together.

    Anne x

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  10. congratulations for this new you !! it's just genius ! I wish I could make something that useful and pretty ! can't wait for the deconstructing part ...

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  11. So glad to meet Fleur! And it turns out she's not a monster after all!

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  12. What an absolutely brilliant idea! I can imagine you invested a long time in making Fleur but I am sure she will be your best friend.

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  13. So lovely! As expected, I'm hugely impressed. It (she?) is beautiful. I do look forward to seeing her innards! : )

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  14. You're a-ma-zing!
    I love this!

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  15. hello Lier
    I'm so pleased my mannequins have been your inspiration...Fleur is beautiful!
    warmest regards from England
    Lucy

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  16. WOW! Blown away. Like my brain just literally imploded. I'm afraid to say it's not a huge loss, but nonetheless, I will miss it.

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  17. Okay, so she's not a palm tree inspired patio umbrella! Although, if you stick an umbrella in the top...

    She's a testament of your amazing talent Lier.

    Lisa

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  18. Hi Fleur! She's lovely. However, I hope you will continue to photograph clothing on your-real-live-self too! Somehow it's not the same seeing things on a mannequin (although I hear what you're saying about getting those detail shots).

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  19. Oh Fleur's amazing, if all monsters were that beautiful. I can't wait to read about how she came to be.

    PS I love those UK mannequins too.

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  20. Fantastic!!! I'm a little surprised you made her out of print fabric, although it is a very tasteful print!

    I've thought of making one of those before, but never approached daring.

    Princess seams are the best.

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  21. Now, black scrolls on white is so much better than duct tape! And the wood stand is quite nice, too.

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  22. I don't know what I thought you were making but that wasn't it! I knew it would be superb though, I've been wanting to make a duct tape dummy for a while now but this is leaps and bounds ahead of anything I've seen before. I shall look forward to the how-to soon and maybe after the summer I'll have go myself. Prepare to see many copies all over the blogosphere in the next few months!

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  23. She is PERFECT! Of course, I expected no less from you. Well done, LiEr! And the princess seams? Sublime. Love her.

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  24. Your body double is so cool! I love the fabric you chose, the finishes, everything. I really look forward to the deconstruction.
    BTW, I so love the jeans skirt!

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  25. Love, love, love it!!! I want a me or maybe just a sewing buddy to stand and just look pretty in my sewing room. I don't really sew for myself. I've been sewing and embroidering steady for about 8 years and during that time I've made myself one shirt. My sewing is always for the grandchildren or others. I can't wait to see how you made it.

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  26. Wow!!!! not what I was expecting at all! And to think you called her a monster (technically the project, I know, but it still cracks me up).

    I'm also curious what you'll do if your measurements change, as mine seem to do every month :)

    And related, I'm thinking of adding godets to a skirt - I see them on the denim skirt you showed on Fleur. Are they hard? Talk to me about godets.

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  27. :O I can't believe it. I would have never guessed it. This is SO cool and well done. Congratulations lady! ;D

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  28. Fleur looks fabulous!!!
    ~Natalie

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  29. Hi! I tried to email you, but it keeps bouncing back! I just ordered the chicken pattern, but my address that is linked to the paypal is wrong. My email is roesler@platinum.ca - thanks!!!

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  30. Wow. That is amazing. Great job!

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  31. I love her! I needed her Sunday night when I was making a tutu lol!

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  32. Very very very nice!!!
    And so cute frensch name ;-)

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  33. Well done! You are very talented. Why did I never think to do this??? Now I am going to have to have one in a fabric I love... thankyou for the inspiration, and yet another item for my to do list!!!

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  34. Holy moly, Fleur is amazing! You did an incredible job! (And your writing about your doppelganger cracked me up completely!) I doubt that I'll ever have the time and/or patience to make one like this, but just in case I'm pinning!! :) Lisa

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  35. quando metterai il tutorial del manichino ciao

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