I heard once a good way to unlock your creativity is to name your inner artist and your inner critic.  For years, I have tried to do just that, and for whatever reason I’ve come up empty.  I finally gave up.

When I got my dress form, I was asked frequently if I’d named her.  The question never failed to make me uneasy.  Even as I worked to shape my dress form into my own personal measurements, I eyed it with a certain level of reserve, maybe even suspicion.

The stand-offishness that I had with my form didn’t help at all when it was time to start draping.  For some reason, I’d decided that draping was the true test of my sewing chops, and if I couldn’t do it, then I’d have to admit I suck at something I desperately want to be good at.

After my first workshop with Julien (read about it here), I brought home my form, perfectly sized to my proportions and marked accurately to practice the art of moulage, which is a specific way of draping that uses corresponding lines on the form and on the muslin.  Guess what?!  I didn’t touch that form for a whole year!!  Believe me, I was sewing like crazy.  But draping?  Not once.

So I signed up for a second workshop with Julien.  And this time I decided that I would not walk in that door until I named my dress form.  She would be a stranger no longer.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Vivie!  It took a lot of time to come up with the right name.  Some of you may have already guessed that she’s partly named for Vivienne Westwood whose garments are world famous for their amazing drape.  But last time I checked, I’m no Vivienne Westwood, and using the name Vivienne sounded pretentious.  But a nickname, yes!  That works!  Vivie has French feel which is my way of honoring my teacher Julien and the very French method of draping that he taught me.

Can I confess to you now that naming her worked?  It really did.  Where I was tight and inhibited, Vivie is fun!  She brings out the best in me and we now have a lot of fun working together.

So, it’s only fair that Vivie get her own photo shoot.  She’s earned it.  She’s currently wearing the draped car wash skirt.  You can see a video of our work together on our Instagram.

God bless you, if you’ve read this far!  And if you’ve decided that I’m not a total lunatic (or that my kind of crazy matches up with yours) then come back next week to see a muslin of the car wash skirt.  See you soon!

Photography by Santiago Vanegas