Is it a shirt? Is it a dress?

The shirt dress.

So I decided to tackle the shirt dress. I know this isn't really the typical shirt dress as this is made from stretch fabric. Also, but this is between you and me, the buttons don't really open, that's me - you think I'm gonna zag and then I zig, you think I'm going to zig and then I zag. Only I didn't use a single zig zag stitch in this whole dress. Oh do I love my serger.

(also, I have to admit I love my hair in this photo. This rarely happens - my hair loving moments. I'm glad I have proof of it online. Now if anyone asks me "How the hell do you walk around with your hair looking like that?" I can email them this post. This is why I keep a blog)

I'm very happy with this dress for the following reasons:
1) I got this fabric for free! One of my sewing friends (I promise you she was my friend before she became my sewing friend) didn't like this fabric (and for this, I'm contemplating ceasing to being her friend) and just gave it to me.
2) I managed to make it out of a meter of fabric. (initally I wanted it to have a huge circle skirt to give it a nice vintage feel, but I didn't have enough fabric. I guess you can't have everything.)
3) I drafted it myself using my custom bodice! I'm very impressed with myself.

Yes I know, I'm completely wasting your time with all this rambeling. I can already hear you shouting, "Kessem, why are you talking so much? I want to see a closer picture of your face"

Fine.

Now you regret making me stop talking, huh?

I attached the collar in the same method you're supposed to attach it in a button up shirt (Instead of using some sort of binding, I attached the collar like it was binding to the neckline in itself. get it? It's kind of a more abstract way of looking at a collar. Spiritual, if you will.)

Also, I attached the skirt in the same method I did in my Maxi Dress. My mom hates this and keeps trying to get me to wear belts over my waist. That's what I call supporting my hobbies.

I'm really glad you guys are getting to know all my shoes. If there is something I like only slightly less than sewing (food being the first and foremost my favorite thing in the world) it's shoes. I'm not going to tell you how many shoes I own because it's kind of embarrassing and stands against everything I believe in (consumerism, spending money, ruining your joints for the sake of beauty)

And with these Idiological words, I will part you with a picture of me abusing my cat.

I am kidding. I love my cat even more than I love food.

4 Things Sewers/Designers Can (and Should) Learn From Modcloth

One thing I love to do is to search the internet for inspiration. Modcloth is one of my favorite places to drool get fun new ideas.

What kind of things can we learn from Modcloth? Well, clean our your ears, and put on your reading glasses (yes, I do realize you aren't all Shrek's Grandma) and start taking notes!

4 Things Sewers/Designers Can (and Should) Learn From Modcloth:

1) Find unique fabrics. Now, even using the simplest pattern you can create a unique shirt!

Peanut Gallery Panache Top
Each and Aviary Way Top
Duck Duck Cute Top














2) Use bias tape the same color as your garment (or not) to make unique necklines.

On the Fence Dress

Lattice Begin Top

You can either make your own bias tape using Clover Bias Tape Maker
Or, you can buy ready made Bias Tape.




 3) change up them hemline of your dress to make your creation unique and wow - worthy dress:

Moonlight Up My Life Dress

Feeling Just Refined Dress

Roll Out the Raspberry Carpet Dress 

Frozen Falls Top 

4) Put some effort into the back - emblish the back as you would the front and surprise everyone just as you turn away.

Coral Coasts Top in Blue Hit the Ground Stunning Dress
Peach you to the Punch Dress




















What do you think? Will you keep this is mind when you decide on your next project? I know I will!

Fabric Resources

Hey guys!

I've been looking for cool interesting fabrics all over the web and have not been able to find any!
Well, I have, only I'm a cheapie and I haven't been able to find any in my price range.
I've been wanting to make a shirt with little animals on it. I have no idea where this obsession came from, but this is all I've been thinking about, and I just can't seem to find the darn fabric!
I have found a femininity boosting fabric, which I'm thinking about making into a circle skirt and placing the picture strategically over my pelvis.

 

 Not.

Maybe I'll find fabric with hair printed on it and make it into a maxi skirt.

Anyway, this is kind of what I've been thinking about:

 

 But I want it to be satin-y and not cotton-y.

Since the fabric is so unique I guess the best approach would be to make a plain shirt with a little pocket in the front. 

Both the fabrics I've showed you are from Spoonflower, which is a beautiful site where you can create you own fabric and print it on organic fabrics and so on. I love the idea, but like I said, I don't like to spend much on my fabrics and at Spoonflower, you pay for what you get.

Do you guys know any good online fabric resources? I'd appreciate any help!

Chiffon Blouse

Well, this is one of the blouses I wish I had my serger while making it. If you look closely you can tell the seams are falling apart because everything is fraying.
And let me tell you, trying to serge the seams after the fact does not make the shirt look clean made - it just makes it look like it's going to explode on your body and the nothing can contain the size of your breasts.

I drafted this pattern from my custom bodice, it was pretty easy to make as it didn't require many alterations to reach this final pattern.
I'm also wearing my favorite pants. I don't wear them often as they are quite thick and they don't really go with everything, but I love the color and it makes me so happy that I can wear yellow at least in the lower portion of my body. Apparently, I have a a yellow-ish hue in my skin tone and any time I wear yellow (especially since the tips of my hair are kind of yellow) I look like a Trini, the Yellow Power Ranger.

 I kind of wish I was her.

Anyway, I still love this shirt, I feel like it's kind of elegant but sweet at the same time. but that's just me.

The weekly close up. How do you like my face this week?

Yellow Booty. I am a true Power Ranger.

I had issues with finishing the hems and so on. I made a weird version of a baby hem at the bottom, but for some reason it doesn't hold out that well either.
Anyone know any great tips for dealing with chiffon? It's such a troublesome fabric.

Ok, that's it. I have no more very similar and decent pictures.

Bow (to me) Dress

I am an ombre goddess. I can't imagine why my arms look like this. I look like someone held me upside from my legs and dip dyed my arms in brown dye. This really does defy all the laws of physics. How could the sun be so in-sync with the fashion trends? Next I'll have a chevron pattern on my legs.

Next let us discuss the difference of hue between my arms and legs. Could this be the same body? Is my stomach green? Will my toes turn translucent to complete the ombre look? Let us observe the picture in black in white to get the full effect.

This is ridiculous. I've always dreamed of posting a black and white photo of myself in the blog, it always seemed silly.
Now it doesn't.
Nope.

What the Bow are you talking about?
This bow:

I made this dress out a self drafted pattern. The fabric is stretchy so I obviously didn't need and darts or anything.
The skirt is a simple gathered skirt. (it's basically a rectangle that I gathered at the waist).
I love the neckline of the dress, it's kind of sexy yet doesn't show any boobage at all!

This is what the bow would look like if you were a pirate.
I've been having too much fun with my photo editing program.

I have decided to spare you from seeing the bow one more time.

There really is nothing interesting to say about this dress. It's pretty straight forward. I have to admit that I've had it for a while but haven't worn it that often, something about the color of the dress and my complexion doesn't really work.

Thoughts?

My kind of failed Peplum Blouse

As Promised, here's my new peplum blouse!
I'm not very happy with the outcome, it came out kind of short and the fabric frays like crazy.
I kind of feel like I'm wearing an upside down umbrella.

Source 

I might as well buy myself a pack of gum and knock of Orbit's Offices door because I am ready to go.

Yup, I'm perfect model material.

 How do you like my neckfolds? oh, how do I love unveiling my human anatomy on the internet.

The back is kind of nicer. I guess this length kind of works with a high waist-ed skirt, I tried wearing it with a pair of jeans it just does not work.

Reasons why I don't like this blouse:
1) LOOK AT ALL THE FRAYING. I can barely close the buttons anymore because the buttonholes are fraying so much. stupid stupid fabric.
2)  It's kind of tight in the chest area. The fact that the buttonholes keep falling apart doesn't make the blouse stay closed either, let me tell you that. I wore this blouse to the super market, and I couldn't understand why the grocer was so happy to help me find oranges until I realized the blouse was half open.
3) Also:

 The armholes are too big. and it's quite noticeable because I finished my seams with bias tape and they're kind of stiff.

In case you don't believe me.

Anyway, this pattern was pretty easy to draft so I think I'll give it another go.
What do you think?

Finally! The Circle Shirt!

I've been having so much trouble with taking pictures of the circle shirt I've almost given up, luckily I haven't, so you aren't missing out on all the circle-ly goodness.

Wondered what you'd look like wearing the circle shirt to the office? Yup, this is it. Especially if there's a wall on the way to your office, then this picture is just head on accurate.
I would suggest making it out of a less sheer fabric, unless your office is Casual Friday all week long, which to that I say - time to try The 21st Century Pyjama Power Suit, good for you.

Probably shouldn't hug anyone at the office though, it could get messy.
I can just imagine myself trying to reenact a scene like this and just flying away mid slow-motion run:



Aah, emotional reunions. Must restrain myself.

I really don't know how I managed to make the same exact face in all three pictures, I guess all those hours of watching America's Next Top Model paid off. Behold! The Smize!

Source

Yup. I got that down.

And now from the back. 

As you can see, I hemmed this skirt over two years ago and I still have threads hanging out of it no matter how much snipping I do. Oh well.

I made a little crochet collar. I'm pretty impressed with myself as it really didn't take long and I've only learned how to crochet recently through Youtube Videos. Let me know if you want a little tutorial on this.

Yes I know, now I'm just bragging.

Last but not least: ARMPIT.

So whatchya think?? Have any of you guys had a chance to make this? If you have, please send me pictures!

Haven't seen the tutorial yet? Check it out here.

Inspiration

I just love Anthropologie, they have the most unique clothing! the sad thing is that their prices are far out of my range as my monthly earnings amount to about the price of an Anthropologie dress.

This does not stop me from drooling looking through their site and searching for things I'd kill to own - or more simply, sew to own.

Source

This blouse is a great example of how classic the garments are yet unique, this is after all, a basic white blouse, but the wrappy style with the fabric covered button gives it a twist. Very office appropriate, and with skinny jeans and a pair of heels I can even picture myself going out with it!

Shall we draft this?

Double Collar Blouse

I decided to up my game a bit and make something more of myself. Whats does that mean,  you ask? No, I did not get a college degree or start a multi - million dollar company. I drafted a collar, a double collar for that matter!

Now this is by far not the first collar I've drafted, but:
1) I had to prove to you, readers, that I can do it.
2) It's a double collar. Double the madness.

A superman pose for a superman double collar mission.

I'm sorry for the bad photography, I had to use the self timer which resulted in a lot of stupid crotch pictures (I discovered this happens from leaning over the camera and accidentally taking a picture instead of turning on the self timer) and - there's a spaceship landing next to me which is why my hair is flying in the wind and all the lighting is weird - photos.

  Also I couldn't find our huge professional tripod, so I had to use a tiny one so all the pictures are
table - high. Thus, the Boob Picture is born:

The collar is a little standy-uppy here but it really does sit nicely.

The fabric I used was a kind of light jersey, I always refrain from buying jersey as it doesn't make me oooh and aaah in the fabric store as chiffon and other flowy fabrics do. This fabric was so easy and fun to sew I'm completely rethinking this whole idea. Next time I'll do a little dance when I get to the jersey pile.

I used my own bodice to draft the pattern, I adjusted the neckline a bit and made it scoop lower. I then drafted the collar according to the new neckline.

I cut a strip of fabric using the curve of the neckline to create the binding for the collar, sewed it to the collar and top stitched it to the shirt to insure a clean stitch.

The bottom of the shirt has an elastic (I know you can't see it in the pictures), I just made a basic casing for it and inserted it using a safety pin.

What do you think?
I can show you reader, if you like, how to draft the double collar, let me know if you're interested!