Photo Shoot

It's not every day I get to feel as though my vision is truly coming to life quite like it did yesterday during this photo shoot with the fantastic Marjorie of Peer Canvas.  This shoot featured some of my original designs, this one pictured being from my senior year of design school.  This collection was inspired by the late 19teens and Erte illustrations.  I loved the sumptuous fabrics being used during this time period, the mixing of textures, and the slinky, sexy sense of fashion that was so luxurious.

The red charmeuse slip dress is paired with an over piece of black chiffon which is hand beaded and belted at the hip in a brocade fabric.  Other items in the collection included a faux surplice slip dress, a charmeuse pants suit, and three kimono style jackets made from black satin, red brocade, and trimmed in recycled fur.

A big thank you goes out to Marjorie for her professionalism and enthusiasm.  I'd also like to thank Jessica Timmons for doing such a great job with my make up and hair.I felt like a model for just a little while.  It was a fun day and very inspiring shoot!

Ruby Corset

I made this corset a few months back using a favorite technique of mine - hand stamping velvet.  I created a custom stamp for the center "medallion" and embellished the piece with glass beads and swarovski crystals.  The velvet came from a skirt that was in one of my design school collections. The lining was from a dress that I was creating several muslins for.  I love deconstructing pieces and finding new ways to use the great fabric, no matter how small the scraps may be.

Sewing tutorial 2

To continue last months sewing tutorial, we will pick up with the cutting of the sweat shirt. 

 Position the old shirt on the new one to be cut and be sure to leave room for seam allowance.  1/2 inch is usually good but do what works for you, just remember to add it to every edge to be sewn.  If you are adding length or width to the original make sure to do the same for each piece of the pattern.  The front and back of the sweatshirt can be folded in half and cut on the fold as well.

When cutting out the sleeves, position the new sleeve pieces both right sides together and cut both sleeves at the same time.  Again, don't forget your seam allowances and any adjustments you might wish to make.  Here I have left ample cuff length. 

Now we are ready to start sewing!  This method for upcycling clothing is not just for childrens wear.  It is an option for anyone who finds an article of clothing with enough space to cut a new garment out of. 

My First Sewing Tutorial

With the school year in full swing, it is quite obvious that it seems you can never have enough clothes for your child.   They rip them, stain them, color on them.  I've sent my young one to school in brand new pants only to have them stained the very same day.  With money being tight for everyone these days, I decided to put my sewing skills to work and see what I had in our home to create some economical, and very cute, wardrobe options. 

I started with a sweatshirt project.  It is turning quite chilly here is northern IL and she was down to only one that was in reasonably good condition.  I turned to my own closet and realized I had a few sweatshirts that were plain, almost never worn, and in awesome condition.  These would be just the thing to repurpose.

Over the next few days I will recount my process of transforming an adult sweatshirt into a childs size.  Here's what you will need:

* an adult sweatshirt in good shape and preferably without any large ornamentations that will not translate well into a smaller size

* a childs sweatshirt that you don't mind cutting up to use as a pattern

* a sewing machine, hand sewing won't work very well here, with the appropriate stretch needle for your machine

* a serger, this is optional if you don't mind using other seam finishes on the inside of the garment but it will make the process much faster and your life much easier

* matching thread

Start with the preparations.  Here are some tips -

*Make use of everything you have at hand so you need as little as possible at the fabric store



It's a great idea to reuse the ribbing on the original sweatshirt.  With a seam ripper or small scissors, carefully pick out the original stitching and remove the ribbing from the desired locations; neck, sleeves, or bottom of sweater

* Next lay out the shirt to be cut as a pattern and label the front and back of the sleeve before cutting

* Now, carefully cut the shirt apart working as closely as you can to the original seam. Don't try to pick all these seams apart.  They are serged to begin with and will take a very long time to remove.

* Press all the pieces, and as you do so, check for warping in the pieces.  Knit clothing is very easily stretched and you wouldn't want this translated into the new garment.  To check for warping, fold the front and the back in half and press them, matching their shaping on the edge of the garment.  If you were making these pieces into a paper pattern, you would be trueing up lines at this point.

* Prepare the adult size in the same way and don't forget to save anthing that may be used later on or in a different project.

You are now prepped and ready for the next step.  Tomorrow - cutting the new sweatshirt!


The Cha-Cha dress

I LOVE these shots! This was included in the summer photo shoot and I am very happy with the results!  This dress was made from repurposed satin from a forgotten bridesmaids gown and repurposed crinoline.

Working from Stash

The term "stash" in the knitting world refers to the yarn and fiber you have stored up to use for future projects, or maybe just for the beauty of having it. I have adopted this term for my sewing purposes as well. Not just fabric, but notions, beads, trims, muslin and pattern paper. I was quite a poor college student,as most of us are, and I hated to throw away good pieces of pattern paper - it could always be used for a collar, or pocket, or something... I envisioned every lovely piece of fabric as a trim, or being fashioned into a flower notion, at the very least it could be worked into a quilt. When cutting out a project, I saved all the pieces, and threw away only the most tiny of scraps. Now, I should mention that I have no tolerance for clutter, I am not a knick knack person, and I don't like to store things that will not be used. So, I decided some time ago to bring all the little plans I had for these items to life - or they will be disposed of. In my etsy shop I have designed veils and accessories from just such scraps. And, I have plenty of ideas to go. I will try to avoid the fabric store (and yarn store too) and use up all that I have.

Creative recycling

I've been having fun recycling scraps from the sewing room. As I altered a gown last week, I needed to shorten the crinoline and I loved the even quality of the long scraps of net left over. So I started to play with the shape as is, no trimming or cutting. The result was a large and bunchy cabbage rose with a serged edge. I alternated with flat and gathered areas which gave the rose a less uniform and more realistic look. Best of all, there was no waste!