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.

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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!

The Lady in Red - Pictures at last!

It took a long time, but I finally have some photos of the red bridesmaids dress. The dash to the finish was sheer craziness. After 3 days in the hospital, my exhausted client came to pick up her dress and didn't have her "support system" with her. She had come straight from a long day of blood tests and forgotten the bra. She left without trying the dress on, hence we do have a few small tweaks to take care of.

Back - Sheer upper back with self-bound slit

It was late, and I was getting ready to put the fastener at the back neck opening. She wanted to go home. She said, just grab whatever you can get to the quickest. Now I had wanted to do a covered button and loop. Fastest was a hook and eye. That will be replaced as it kept popping open all evening.

The photo below shows the asymmetrical drape with its black satin rose. It added some accent color in addition to the shoulders. She and I came up with the flower at the same time. As you can see, I need to at least double the size to be in scale with the woman in the dress. She also discovered that we need to secure the drape a bit forward of the side seam so that it will be visible when her arms are at her sides.

Side view showing satin rose

Since the wedding, she has worn the dress twice more and loved it each time. However, the chiffon has done what fabric will do when there is bias involved. It stretched unevenly. Note the extra-long left side of the handkerchief hem. Now that the dress has hung out a bit, I'm going to correct the hem.

 

At the wedding

After the wedding, I got a message on my voice mail that started out with her saying she had something bad and something really, really good to tell me. Bad turned out to be the hook and eye that kept letting go and a tiny bit of seam that let go due to picking up and swinging a small child. Good was her going on and on about how much she loves the dress and that she wants at least 2 more in different colors. Best? One of the guests, a future bride, wanted to know where she got her dress. Now there are 3 bridesmaids, a matron of honor and maybe even a bridal gown to do by the beginning of February!

 

I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with 4 different body types. My objective is for each of the women to be as thrilled with her dress as my beautiful Lady in Red!

 

 

 

 

 

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!