Steampunk Jacket Update & Flash Sale at Craftsy

For today only, there's a huge sale at Craftsy. I'm putting up the banner that they say will update today. I don't know what's on sale; but they promise it will be terrific.

Meanwhile, the race to the Grand Opening continues. I'm picking up a huge mirror for the fitting area today, meeting with my event planner tomorrow and moving the last of the stuff essential for the party on Sunday. I continue to work on the Steampunk jacket.

Even though this is "only an unlined jacket," you know I can't resist those extra flourishes. Rather than go straight from moulage to pattern to fashion fabric, I opted to add a muslin of the jacket at my own expense. The customer was tough to fit and I wanted to make a few design tweaks that had to be done on her body. Muslin fitting went great! I made some minor changes to the angle of the princess seam in front, set up the collar the way I wanted it and placed the pocket.

I've drawn the sleeve and am ready to try it in the new armhole. Then cutting & basting the real fabric for a quick try before the final stitching. Right now, my camera doesn't talk directly to my computer, so I have to take several steps to get pictures published. There will be pictures! I promise!

Here's the Craftsy Sale:

I'm Approved!!

Are you ever stumped by a certain technique? Do you ever want to branch out from one craft to another or just improve your skills? I suggest trying Craftsy classes. I am impressed by the high quality streaming videos, the interaction with teachers and other students, the impressive course materials and the lifetime access to your classes. One fee and you have the class forever!

Historical Fashion just became a Craftsy Affiliate. I'm excited to be able to share with you everything Craftsy has to offer and give you a chance to enroll in fantastic classes. Look for my capsule reviews of specific classes from time to time along with links for you to join me in class.

Support Small Business. Click through the Craftsy links here to give Historical Fashion a commission at no cost to you!

So far, I've completed Shoot It, Jean-ious, and Plus-Size Pattern Fitting and Design. In-process - Pant Fitting Techniques. In addition to great classes, the customer service can't be beat. If you're not a member already, joining is easy and free. Plus, they offer free classes and promotions, all of which will be available here.

Got questions? Leave me a comment and I'll get an answer for you.

Happy Crafting!

March Madness - The Red Bridesmaid's Dress

Remember way back in February when I posted the sketches of that bridesmaid's dress and promised updates? Between my lovely vacation and the huge crush to finish the dress on time, I haven't been able to touch anything other than sewing tools for the last month! (Not to mention being ill twice in the middle of all that.) The dress would not have required crunch time if it had stayed on the original schedule. My client told me the wedding was a week later than it actually was about 2 weeks ago. My April 11 deadline became the wedding date! And my nights and weekends vanished into a pile of red stretch satin, chiffon and tissue paper.

I ended up doing dress #1. The cationic chiffon, which was really beautiful fabric, was too black. Back to the shopping for fabric. We settled on a red stretch satin and chiffon from Sy Fabrics. I also got some black crepe-back satin for the trim. I did my math based on a lovely Goth skirt tutorial from Antimony and Lace. Figuring on 3 layers of chiffon for the skirt plus bodice & sleeves I came up with 10 yards of 45" chiffon. I placed the order, sat back and looked at my calculations once more. Then I called them & added another 10 yards of chiffon!

Starting with a moulange a la Kenneth King, I drafted a tight, princess seamed bodice to serve as the understructure for the dress. His "Birth of a Bustier" was my handbook for the pattern draft. My test garment became the inner layer of the bodice. The skirt was a simple A-line with a bit of ease added for comfort and drape. I wasn't going for a pencil dress.

A couple of fittings and many layers later, I had a workroom full of chiffon pieces and a basted-together satin dress to go underneath the chiffon. That brings me up to last night's final fitting. One little tweak over the bustline, one little tuck in the back and shortening the bone at center front will yield a strapless bodice with perfect fit. I tried the first layer of skirt and we adjusted the length a bit.

Then the fun began. I do love draping! We played around with the bodice chiffon until we got the perfect look, which turned out not to be the sketch. Rather than ending the drape at the waistline, we continued it down as a loose, scarf-like line on one side. We ditched the black sash in favor of the scarf and added a black satin rose at the waistline. We also changed the yoke at the neckline to black satin and added a line of black piping across the top of the bodice. The upper back is one layer of chiffon and the sleeves got re-designed to echo the handkerchief skirt.

The very best thing about last night? My client looked in the mirror and said, "Hey! I don't look like a tube of lipstick. I have a waist. I don't look frumpy. I've never had a dress I didn't look frumpy in!" And that is why I love making custom clothing. The bright smile when someone looks in the mirror and sees that they really are beautiful! More on that later. That thought inspires a whole post of it's own.

Dress gets delivered Monday. Look for pictures soon after!

Vacation Wardrobe Challenge

It's about time I sewed something for myself. And what better reason than my upcoming trip to Cancun to celebrate two years of being married to my soul mate. Actually, I've been sewing instead of exercizing and I can't really fit into any of the honeymoon clothes right now, so new gear is in order.

My objective - 4 pieces in the 4 weeks remaining before departure. Fabric must come from stash! Pieces must coordinate with some existing clothes in turquoise & purple. Must be lightweight, versatile and easy to pack because my goal is a week's worth of everything I need in a carry-on. I will not start my stay with my beach clothing still in Chicago this time!

This is what I have on hand:
 

Plum skort & ivory top

 

Add turquoise shirt



Top fabric with golf shorts

 

Maxi with Pashmina





Pashmina up close



Shorts with light tank & sarong

   

Dress fabric



 

Dress fabric up close

  

Top fabric up close



I need 2 tops, one a bit fancy and one camp shirt or similar style, a nice dress and a neutral shrug or light cover-up. So far, I have fabric (above) & patterns for the fancy top and the dress.





The dress, cap-sleeve short version

 

The dressy top - View on model



Sewing Pattern Review rated the patterns among the Best Patterns of the Year, the dress in 2008 and the top in 2010. I still need a camp shirt pattern. I may resize my Kwik Sew men's bowling shirt for that. Then there's the shrug.

So far, I've washed the dress & top fabrics and traced out the top pattern. Friday I redrew the pattern based on the moulange I created in Kenneth King's workshop and made a fitting muslin. If you ever have an opportunity to take one of his in-person classes, jump on it. Otherwise you can be content buying his CDs. My advice - start with The Moulange. I'm using Lynda Maynard's "Demysifying Fit" CD, which takes the moulange and uses it to adjust commercial patterns, to adjust my top.

So far I am very close to on schedule. Only the ruffle & the hem are missing from the top. Check back tomorrow for constructing the top, with a tutorial on drafting a one piece neck facing. Tonight I'll be correcting the dress pattern and doing a step-by-step at the same time. Look for a tutorial on using Lynda Maynard's method, probably after Cancun.