Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Creative Siphoning (and a teen's perspective) the weird liquid shirt

Reposting: I wear this shirt so often (today included), I probably owe the universe an apology at this point.

si·phon ˈsīfən/ noun: syphon 1. a tube used to convey liquid upwards from a reservoir and then down to a lower level of its own accord. Once the liquid has been forced into the tube, typically by suction or immersion, flow continues unaided.  verb: syphon 1. draw off or convey (liquid) by means of a siphon.

 This was our creative syphoning experience - not of a liquid, but a "flow" of ideas, inspired by a cool fabric.

I make a shirt. My kids see that shirt. My son (9) wants insists on a hoodie made using the same fabric.  My daughter (13) wants insists on a shirt just like mine. 

Note: I didn't specifically suggest it to either of them.


The magic fabric from Fabrics World USA, blogged about here...



This pattern, dated 1985, has a Miyake-esque vibe... dontcha think? I have made about 5 versions of this top over the years, always the EXACT same size (shows how fit standards have changed! It was HUGE then), since I was about 14 years old.  


A glimpse of the shirt...

If this shirt had a soundtrack, it would be...Enjoy the Silence, by Depeche Mode.  I have never had such a reaction to something I've made, like I got from my kids this time.  The amount of "oohing" and "aahing", trying it on, stroking the fabric... it was just... WEIRD.


I had to ask...

"So.. what happens when you wear something sorta weird around your friends, they ask about about it, and you say 'My mom made it?'  Is that particularly cool/uncool, or nerdish... or is it even something you mention?"  

"I don't know.  For us it's different.  It's your profession.  You're a designer. 'My Mom made it' doesn't mean the same thing for us. I mean, it's not like you're at the kitchen table..."


Fabrics World USA

252 West 38th Street
NYC


7 comments:

  1. Interesting. I have the same pattern and made the top twice, once with and once without the cowl.

    I, too, was nicknamed "Stripes" by my grad-school roommate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get outta here! We have to meet somehow! Are you doing anything for Pi Day? We're going to the Museum of Mathematics!

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    2. I've done one version with the cowl, btw. Mine was bias stripes on the cowl, vertical stripes on the body.

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  2. I think we must be twins.

    I've made my pi vs tau partisanship known:
    http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-half-tau-day.html

    But I used to celebrate pi day until I realized pi is wrong.
    http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/search?q=pi+day

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This information is above my mathematical weight class, but my daughter (a HUGE Vi Heart fan) understands what you are referring to completely! Baby steps... She said she will explain it to me.

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  3. I took an upper division math class with Bob Palais, the first guy to point out (in a math journal) that pi is wrong.

    It feels good to be absolved for all my 2pi and 4pi^2 errors. It's not my fault. It's the confusing notation.

    If you are in LA or Boulder, let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You can bet I'll let you know. LA is far more likely, but who knows when that'll happen... (I've got family there)

    ReplyDelete

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