A little bit of Home Dec.

After I moved,  The Boyfriend and got a lot of new furniture and set up the apartment.  My favorite new piece of furniture was my couch and I was super excited to make my own throw pillows.  I drafted a very simple pillow case with a square for the front and 2 overlapping rectangles for the back so I could easily remove the pillow and wash the cases.  I decided it would be fun to break in my brand new serger I got for my birthday (back in January) to construct the pillows.  My new serger is a Babylock Imagine.  It works so well.  I love how easy it is to use and the feet are really cool also.

The fabric is a vintage barkcloth-like fabric I got at an estate sale my mom and I stopped at on a whim after seeing a sign on the side of the street.  I was originally going to use it for dining room chair covers, but decided to use it for pillows instead.  One day, if I have a kitchen with a small window over the sink, I will use the rest to make a curtain.  I thought it would be cool to pipe around the pillow and found the perfect red-orange vintage piping in the stash.  Unfortunately, I did not have enough for both pillows. I went to Joann's to try to find a match, but the red piping there was not a close match.  I chose a light lime green instead.

Like I said, I used the serger to make the pillows.  The piping foot is awesome.  It worked perfectly!

The Wedding Guest Dress

The Boyfriend's sister got married in Mexico at the end of October and I decided to make my dress to wear to the wedding.  I chose Simplicity 1873 because it was vintage-y and looked pretty simple to construct.  The bride instructed me to only wear certain colors, but I ended up in none of the pictures so it didn't matter either way.  I didn't follow her color instructions, so maybe that's why I wasn't in the photos.  Hahah.  

I chose a vintage cotton blend for the self and a cotton broadcloth for the lining.  I chose to fully line the dress.  I fit the bodice one evening a few days before the wedding and made a few changes.  I had to do a sloping shoulder adjustment, but I forgot to lower the armhole so it is a little snug.  I am super proud of matching the print at the CB.  I only noticed the front hiking after I took these photos!  I know what to fix if I ever make this again.


Look at my pretty hem.  I serged the edge and catchstitched it.  The lining was 3-thread overlocked with a very large SPI so it looks like a satin stitch.



























Overall, I'm happy with the dress.  It was freakin' hot in Mexico, and the dress was sweaty, but hopefully I'll never have to wear it in humid weather again.  I need to find a way to style this dress so I can wear it to work.  Suggestions?

The Fabric Haul (Picture Heavy)

Thanks to everyone who commented here and on Sew Retro about the stinky fabric.  We washed the last few batches of fabric with vinegar, but the smell didn't come out completely.  I think I'm going to have to wash it again and try laying out small batches in the sun.  I do not have a clothesline, but maybe I'll have to rig one up in the backyard.  We are too lazy to wash the fabric again and lay in the sun, so I think we are going to make a "stinky bin" and put all the fabric in there.  When it is time to use it, I'll just wash it again.

Now to the fabric! I did burn tests for almost every piece of fabric and we did really well!  Cottons, SILKS, and a wool! I think some of the cottons could be rayon, but there is no real way to tell unless I put them under a microscope.  Too much work!

I love the little birdies embroidered on the yellow cotton.  I want a little house so I can make curtains out of fabric.  My mom likes the border print floral.  I think it would make a great little vintage sundress or better yet, a pretty skirt!

The rose print is adorable, but I LOVE the silk and the sheer embroidered cotton.  I think they were meant to be used together.  The blue fabric pictured is interesting, but I can't figure out what to do with it.  Probably a muslin.

A really pretty, soft wool plaid and a cotton olive green corduroy.  There is just enough plaid for a skirt and tons of the cord.  I think I want a cord skirt as well.

BEAUTIFUL SILKS from China.  They were in a paper package with Chinese written on it.  The inhabitants of the estate were big travelers.

A gorgeous, funky polished cotton!  I love the sheen. Weird, but cool! I don't know if I would ever wear it, but its nice to have.

LOVE the cotton plaid!

A fun stripe and a red silk my mom has claimed.  I'm not a huge fan, so I'm cool with it :)

Another bundle I just didn't want to photograph. The yellow dotted swiss is best piece of fabric in the bundle! Oh, and there were two rather hefty tricots in nude.  I'll definitely use them to line knit!

Super fun fish print! I'm going to use this one day.  Even though it is crazy.

Cutest fabric from the lot! I hope I get the diamond fabric before my mom does :) hehe.  We think the printed gingham would make a  great apron.

 The patterns were $5 each which is usually a lot for me, but I didn't have anything like them and they were in my size.

I had to post this too.  My mom got this travel kit for $3.  It has never been used, and I think it's just adorable. 

We also bought some cute trims, 2 pairs of funky shoes, interesting costume jewelry, and a beautiful necklace gold and amethyst from the turn of the century 1900 (not 2000). I get it at Christmas.  :)  Oh, and a gorgeous custom sheath dress and coat made for lady of the house.  It is white and beautifully embroidered in black.  The embroidery is also cut out.  I'll have to take pictures and share some of the details.  My favorite part is the quilted coat lining and the hidden pocket.  I get the dress and my mom gets the coat :)

My mom paid for everything, so thanks Mom!

Vintage Fabric Question

Pictures are coming, but does anyone know how to get the smell of old people out of vintage fabric?  You know, that musty smell in everyone's grandmother's house.  My mom and I just bought LOADS of fabric at an estate sale today and even after washing, it still smells funky.

Any suggestions????


Thanks!

Fun with Denim

I participated in the Cotton Inc. Competitions at FIDM, but the submissions for the contests are due on Monday and I doubt there is anything I can make in time.  Oh well.... I learned how to embellish fabrics, dye them in cool ways, discharge fabrics, macrame techniques, and some felting techniques.  I particularly liked the dying techniques.  Last week, for the denim competition workshops I did some distressing on denim and some color discharging.  Here are some of my samples:

This was done by crunching up a piece of denim tightly in a tiny cup of bleach.

I used a diagonal folding technique.  I folded accordion-style on the bias and clamped the fabric between 2
pieces of wood and dunked in bleach.  After I discharged one side, I folded diagonally again, clamped and dunked in bleach.  

Arashi technique.  One of my favorites...Wrap fabric around PVC piping, wrap with rope, string etc,
Squish fabric to bottom of pole and dunk in bleach.  

Still have to show the inside of the Portrait Dress, I forgot, but I'll take pictures tomorrow.  Also have to show off my icky little black dress I designed.  I love the design, not the execution.  So sad, but I might redo it, definitely for myself when I get a working personal sloper.  Finally, my bustier is almost done, and its looking pretty damn good.  Have to insert hook and eye tape and sew up the rest of the lining.

And design a 12 piece golf line.....So much to do this weekend!!!!!!


Thanks to my two newest followers, Lori and Sarah!

Pearl on a poodle! I won this pillow at the fair last week!

Valentino-Inspired Bustier

For the next draping project, I have to create a Valentino-inspired bustier.  I learned that the difference between a bustier and a corset is the amt. of shaping that occurs. A bustier shapes slightly and goes with the curves of the body.  A corset completely transforms the shape of the body and molds it into another shape completely.

I have to be inspired by Valentino, so I chose his simple, pleated details:

interesting pleated?  textile on bodice

love the pleats, hate everything else :)

two above from 2001.

This is what I've got pictures of so far.  Just draping in muslin.   I actually didn't end up using this drape.   I have pleated the heck out of my fabric and have attached it to the foundation, but I forgot to take pictures today.  I spent all day Monday pleating, and all day Tuesday hand sewing the pleats and making the outer layer of the bustier.

Sorry for the poor quality of photos again.  My phone is not smart, nor does it take good photos.  I need an upgrade.  

Here are the fabrics I am using for the design:

A gorgeous purple dupioni silk shantung. A generous gift from another student who acquired it from a friend.  He said a relative? of his friend willed the fabric to a fashion design student and he got a whole lot of beautiful fabrics.  

And, gasp! a polyester charmeuse lining.  This is a $1.50/yd purchase.  The colors go so well together and it will be perfect lining fabric.  Floral, feminine, and sort of Valentino.  Mixing silk and poly is just wrong, but I refuse to spend a lot of money on a school project that I can't even wear!  

And while I'm at it, here are other recent fabric acquisitions:

Grey Silk Gabardine from the FIDM scholarship store of all places.  $2.00/yd.

Brown/purple-y Wool/spandex blend suiting from FIDM scholarship store.  $2.00/yd.

shiny black Cotton/Spandex sateen from FIDM scholarship store.  $2.00/yd.  It looks grey in the pictures because its so shiny.  I'm using this for a dress (that I have to sew tonight!) for my pattern drafting class. 

Unknown cotton like plain-weave prints from swapmeet  $1.50/yd. 

Livebird, winner of the "name the dress" giveaway, please email me your info so I can send you the pattern! You have until Friday!


More to come this weekend when I have more time to blog.  I have to get back to drafting a shirt sloper and then sew that dress!

Fabric Closet!!!

When the Boyfriend moved in, I had to make space in the sewing room for his large shelving unit.  In order to do so, my parents kindly moved a lot of "stuff" out of the small walk in closet in that room.  I moved 1/2 of my bedroom closet (craft stuff, coats, accessories) to the sewing room closet to make room for the Boyfriend's stuff in the bedroom closet.  Some of his belongings that he does not use as frequently are also in the sewing room closet.  I fortunately had enough space in there to put all of my patterns and my fabric!

The fabric was on a metal shelving unit along a wall in the sewing room, but that had to be moved for this:

We combined our "stuff" and I think it looks cool together.  I wanted color-coded books, and the Boyfriend did that nicely.  We have a rainbow of books in the bedroom.  My mom made the dress on the right of the picture.

Here's my fabric in the closet!

My mom has twice as much fabric in bins stored in the "bonus room."

The Fabric Stash Grows

My major problem with blogging isn’t having something to write about.  It’s taking pictures of all the things I have to write about, and then uploading them to the computer.  I really hate doing it when I could be reading all the other sewing/craft blogs out there.  Reading and commenting is a lot more fun than actually doing sometimes.  Over the past few months I’ve been “collecting” or hoarding if you will, fabric and notions.  A lot of the stuff I’ve bought or been gifted has been vintage.  

Here are some recent vintage fabric finds:

On the left, 45” floral silky, shiny fabric of some sort.   This piece is my mom’s.    Any suggestions on what she should make? And on the right, 35” floral cotton? I think.  I haven’t done a burn test yet.  I’m thinking another sheath dress. 

Non-vintage swapmeet fabric.

I love this tie-dyed jersey.  It feels beautiful.  And it was $1.50/yard I think.  Probably rayon/cotton/spandex blend.  I want to make a maxi dress with it.

This pattern perhaps?  It's already in my stash:

This cotton gauzy fabric print on the left  is for a man’s Hawaiian-style shirt.  You’ll see the finished product sometime in June.  The fabric on the right is my mom's but I'm starting to covet it.  Another $1.50/yd swapmeet find.  It's a beautiful cotton/spandex sateen, my favorite fabric to work with.  We're thinking a slim dress or an a-line skirt.  

Three more swapmeet fabrics. The first is a real batik.  I think it was a tablecloth at one point.  There are a few tiny holes that I could cut around.  I have no idea what to make with it though.  It's not really my style, but I couldn't pass it up for a whole dollar.  The second is hard to see, but it is a bottom weight stretch gabardine.  It is black and has a bit of luster to to.  I would love to make a pair of BurdaStyle slim pants with it, but I don't know when I'll ever have time.  The last fabric is a really pretty border print plain weave cotton (see my textile class has become real handy).  It's my mom's but since we bought it recently, I thought I would show it off.  

This last piece is a stretch lace.  I'm planning on an oversized drop shoulder blouse to wear over a tank top.  I made a pattern from a Michael Starr shirt that I will use.  I would like to bind the neckline and sleeves with a satin bias binding.  I wish I had a binding foot.

Well, that’s all I have right now.  So much more to show later if I can actually make time to take picture of it .