Wedding Dress Part 1

A couple months ago, one of my mother's friends offered me some leftover fabric samples that she had snagged from an upholstery shop that was going out of business.  I stopped by Callie's house to pick them up and she asked me if would be interested in altering her wedding dress for her daughter, Caitlin.  Caitlin was set on wearing her mother's wedding dress, but they have very different body types and was looking for some suggestions.  Of course I jumped at the chance and asked to take a look.

Caitlin tried on the dress, and unable to zip it, we decided to make a  new bodice that would fit better.  The goal was to try to use as many elements and materials from her mother's dress as we could.  Here is Callie's wedding photo.  She wore a lace jacket with crinkled chiffon bell sleeves for the ceremony.  So beautiful...

And here is a picture of the actual dress that I would be working on for Caitlin...

Here you can see that the dress would only zip up to a certain point.  Caitlin decided that she loved a deep V neck and would love to use the lace from Callie's jacket and somehow incorporate it into the dress.  Here are a few shots of the muslin dress I made for Caitlin's fitting.

This took several fittings and when I got just the right fit I marked the muslin at all the seams and simply used them as the new pattern pieces.

Since I had to make a new bodice, I knew that one challenge would be matching the new fabric to the vintage dress.  I'm lucky enough to be a 40min train ride from the Garment District, so I took a trip to NYC.  I decided to use silk charmeuse and was able to get a very close match by using the "wrong" (not shiny) side.

It was a tight fit to use the same skirt, but some kind of sewing angel must have been helping me because the old skirt juuuuuust fit and I was able to keep the original chiffon overlay and bustle.

Here some shots of the final dress...

I used the bottom edge of the lace jacket for the waist and kept the original buttons on.  The jacket originally buttoned up the back.  There is an invisible zipper underneath.

Caitlin came this morning for her fitting and loved how many elements of her mom's dress are in her new one.  She, her mom, and I all got teary, exchanged hugs and knew that it was the perfect combination of old and new.  Her wedding is in two weeks, so I will be sure to get some wedding shots and post them in a follow-up post.

This has truly been one of the most emotional and rewarding challenges I have ever come across in sewing.  What a satisfying endeavor!

"City Confection"

So, I have been going to the Art Institute for Fashion Design for the past year and have been getting into the nitty gritty of sewing these past 6 months.  I've been through two Clothing Construction classes, Textile and Fabrication Analysis, and Trend Forecasting.  My favorite class, though, has been Patternmaking.  I once heard a professor say that patternmaking is the "make or break" moment for a Fashion Design student.  And I can definitely agree.  Luckily, I fell IN LOVE with this class and it led me to search for a patternmaking internship.

Anyway, blah, blah, blah.  Let's get to my final project!!!

 Eeeeee!!!  I am so proud of it, can you tell??  I decided to do two pieces, so the top is a peplum sleeveless blouse with a Peter Pan collar and the bottom is a simple pencil skirt.

 The top has a separating zipper and the pencil skirt has an invisible zipper.

 The top was a little big on the form, and if time had allowed I would have taken it in, but that was my last priority.

 The top has an all-in-one facing with a Hong Kong finish, and I lined the peplum with a beautiful cream-colored lining.  Can you tell that my inspiration was a cupcake??  I named the garment "City Confection."

 Don't pay attention to the fact that my kick pleat overlaps the opposite way of the "correct" way.  Just pay attention to the fact that I did a lined vent!!!  This process was not without tears, and I actually had to RE-DO it twice!  But let me tell you, if it had not been for the most amazing tutorial on YouTube, I would have been up s*%# creek without a paddle.  People, I have to share it with it you, not only because it is amazing, but because the guy in the video has a cute little accent as well;)

I literally have gotten 8 hours of sleep combined over the last 3 days, so needless to say, I'm due for a big ol' nap.  All for now!

Simplicity 1755

Well, the kids are in school, I'm finally feeling settled and now it's time to talk about my latest project.  It is one of the newest Simplicity patterns, 1775.  I fell in love with the silhouette and knew that I had to try it out. 

My little one jumped in for the shot:)  I used a deep burgundy heavy cotton blend  that I actually received in one of my mystery boxes from Fabric.com. 

 I chose View A with the View B hem.  I also left out the pockets.

 I left the back collar open instead of adding button closures because I love the shape of it as is.

 This dress was all about the details for me.  I did a Hong Kong finish on all seams because I'm really into making the inside as beautiful as the outside.

This is a beautiful vintage button I found at a local fabric store...

This project took me quite some time due to the finishing on the inside seams, but I absolutely love it.  If I make it again I will shorten the bodice by an inch.  It is a little long and bunches slightly, but overall, I am quite happy with the results!

Simplicity 2255

I was browsing JoAnn's one day and just fell in love with this bright butterfly fabric.  I had originally decided to make a dress for my oldest daughter, but thought it would be such a cute button-down shirt!  My plan is to wear it with a pair of tailored high-waisted shorts to give it more of a modern look and keep it from looking too cutesy...a styling challenge for sure.

I used Simplicity 2255 and made a size 8 without any adjustments.  I made View A and left off the side tabs and ruffle detail.  Too busy with the butterflies.

I really am trying to work on clean finishes so I used french seams.  Yes, it is more time consuming, but the end product really is more satisfying, don't you agree?  And I chose a lime green single fold bias tape for the armholes.

Hopefully now that I am into the swing of school my posts won't be so few and far between!!

And finally, a moment of zen...I snapped this picture at midnight the other day.  I don't know about you, but for me, there is nothing quite like a sleeping house, a fantastic Pandora station, and the whir of my sewing machine...

Easter Dresses and Simplicity 2222

Did you miss me??  Well, I missed posting!!!  It has been a while, but in all fairness, we moved from California to my hometown in Connecticut, I transferred to the Art Institute in NYC, and now the girls and I are finally settled.

I was doing online courses through the Art Institute when I lived in Cali, so these campus classes are like a breath of fresh air.  This is my second degree and I must say, it is much more fun this time around.  I love the interaction with the professors and I know how lucky I am to be going to school in one of the fashion capitals of the world.  That is certainly not lost on me.

If you can remember a couple months back, I was working on three Easter dresses for my daughters and finished them in the nick of time.  Pictures???  Yes!

I used the Stella pattern from Violette Field Threads.  See this post.

My youngest was napping at this point, I believe, but her dress was exactly the same in pale blue.

For my Easter dress, I chose Simplicity 2222 and made View B.  I really love how it came out!  The waist is drawstring and it fit perfectly on the bottom half.  The hem is short, so I suggest adding a couple inches if you like a knee-length.  I cut a size 6.  I used a 100% cotton print that I ordered from Fabric Mart in Honolulu.

The back looks like it is pulling a little, but it didn't feel uncomfortable when I was wearing it.

And of course, here are some action shots of the egg hunt!!!

Thanks for sticking with me through my little absence, and hopefully I will have more to show and share soon!