Making a Valentino Finished

Well the dress is finished. I’m please the way it came out, although there are some things I would make different next time.

Oh, yeah!! As I was working on it I thought “this would make a beautiful wedding dress”. Of course it would be a more sophisticated dress; I already start it working on it, just have to make sure I have plenty of the silk 4 ply crape. Will see! Like I said in the past posts I’m not busy at this time, so is time to play lololol

Here are the pics of the dress I hope you enjoy!

Final note; like I said I’m please with the dress and plan to make it again, but, is it just me? …. I can't help the feeling after I finished a project that the “Love is gone”… does any one else feels the same?

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Making a Valentino "Final Details"

After the break, I decided to do the ruffle at the waist. Luckily I had some fabric left [remember I ‘m using some pieces from my stash] to cut some bias band to make it.
I cut some wide enough to make it double to have the ruffle have a soft feel to it. Using the ruffle foot, I gather some of it to the waist size, and then I sewed it to the bottom seam of the bodice, before joining the skirt.

Now, with both bodice and skirt joined, it was time to sew the zipper. Using a traditional zipper in beige [flesh tone] I sewed it using the prickstitch, changing the color of the thread as I was sewing the different fabrics; i.e. green for the charmeuse, beige for the organza.

In addition to the prickstitch, I slip stitch under each bias tube making sure not to catch then with the thread.

I totally forgot about the little bow I made, I think it would give a final touch to the zipper.

Blue Dress

I would like to take this time to give thanks all of you that have left some comments on the "Making a Valentino" project.

I also wish all a happy and safe Holidays. A New Year fill with much joy and prosperity.

I took a brake from the “VALENTINO” dress. Looking at the pics I notice a little ruffle on the seam that joins the Bodice and the skirt together, I was not sure about it. I look and look at the pic to have a clearer idea of what it really was, not sure, I decided to leave it aside and do something else.

Well, I thought, let me try a Burda World of Fashion pattern. I had a Cotton Twill that would be great for the dress feature on the April 2008 magazine.

Here is my version of the 101 dress.

I like this pattern a lot; it is my first time using the BWOF patterns, so far so good. The dress is size 34, (size 2 American size).
I still have to make the strings for the closure. The twill is too heavy for it; I will need to find a piece of fabric that would complement the blue twill to make them.

Making a Valentino "Almost Done"

With the top part of the bodice done, it was time to sew the yoke. I cut two yoke pieces out of organza; a top, where the bias tubes would be sewn, and a bottom piece which would be use as a lining.

Joining the bodice with the yoke took a little planning; I wanted the joining seam to have the same clean finish as the sleeves.

I sewed a piece of the bias tubes right side out, leaving the seam allowance free [I use the fold on the inside while it was being sewn, this way I could make sure the tube would measurement would be the accurate]. This seam allowance would be hidden with the bias tube itself when folded over.

The two yokes were then sandwiched between the bodice, lining and the bias strip from BACK ‘S DART to BACK ‘S DART. From CENTER BACK TO DART, I left lining as well as bottom yoke free. This two would be joining later; leaving this part free for lining the zipper [I have done this finish on wedding dresses when a crinoline is sewn to it].

Leaving the seam allowance showing at the right side of the garment trim some off, the bias trim is then folded up and tailors baste.

With bottom yoke piece hanging free, I was read to pin and baste the bias tubes in place.

With all the tubes basted, and hand sewn [slip stitch] to the bodice, I placed both the bodice and the skirt [the skirt was piece together previously] on the mannequin to take a look.

So far, I like the way is coming out.

Making a Valentino "Test"

With the design lines changed on muslin and transferred to the pattern … is time to “test” it. I used a left over silk charmeuse for this.

Sewing the pattern with a similar fabric, helps testing the fit as well as any construction techniques.

Taking a closer look at the pic, it is apparent that the body of the sleeves was made on silk organza, [look at the closer pic of the dress], the bust dart was change to make 3 smaller darts

I cut and sew the sleeves body, use bias strips to clean finish both the top and bottom of sleeves. The other bias strips were basted in place.

The bodice was cut in green charmeuse, sleeves and bodice were pin, put on the mannequin to see and make any corrections if need it.

The white organza is not the right one for this. I need something in a flesh tone. I dipped a piece in tea to see if that would work [an old trick use to dye lace and silks]. The tea was too light; I dipped another piece in coffee. I was please with the color, so I went ahead and dye the fabric.

Here is a pic of the bodice on the mannequin. The sleeves and lining are sewn. I baste the lining a fashion fabric together.

Now it is ready to be sewn to the lower part of the bodice

Making A Valentino

I find myself with some free time, so I’m getting busy doing some work for my pleaser. I start it making a knockoff of a dress from Valentino’s Haute couture Spring 2008.

I figure, why not, I have the time and some silks, let’s do it.

Not wanting to spend time making a pattern [like I had done in the past, till I got wiser], I took a similar commercial pattern. The closes to the dress was B5277, made a copy of it on patternmaking paper, trace to muslin,

left some extra fabric by the neckline [I see the Valentino’s dress is had a higher neck line than the one on the pattern] and pin it on the mannequin.

With muslin on the dress form, and looking at the pic of the “V” dress, I drew the new lines on the neckline and sleeves. I also make the midriff yoke

Changes made on first muslin, I trace this changes to a new one, cut the upper part of the dress to fine done the sleeves and make sure neckline pleasing to me. Not sure if you could see, but I notice, the sleeves need to come down move at the top. I use some left piping [from the blouse I’m, making] as guide to where the bias ribbons would be place, this is need also to make the right length of the sleeve.

After going this far, I start it thinking what fabric I will use for this dress, I have some yards of printed silk charmeuse, I just don’t know witch, I’m favoring the yellow green one over the blue and green roses.

Let’s see how it goes…….

Butterfly Blouse


I had made this blouse in September for a, she liked it so, that went and got more fabrics to get 2 more made.

The first one [I wish I had taken a pic of it] was made on silk burnout chiffon in light pink, purple and beige.

The one I’m making now is a brown, dark green, gold and maroon Ombre [the colors don’t show that well on pics, sorry] poly chiffon. It has an imprint [jacquard, I will not call it so, since it is not all over]

I use tissue paper under the fabric to cut it. Cutting chiffon [and all slippery fabric] this way makes it a lot easier to control it and not have it run all over the place. I fond a roll of tissue paper at my local supplier that I use for projects where I’m using light slippery fabrics, especially silks. I tell you having a full roll of paper is a great help, if you can find one get it.

On this pic you see the lining fabric on top of tissue paper.

I had to play with the layout of the pattern some what, on this pic you could see how I over lap the pattern pieces for the under blouse [lining].

Here, it is easy to see the lay out of the top pattern, fabric and tissue paper. I placed the top [blouse] pattern on the cross grain of the fabric. The blouse been a “T” shape with out seams at the sleeves, I needed the width, and it was no problem with the fabric.

All pieces cut, I start sewing the lining. First I sew the armhole; I used the ¼” roller hem foot for a clean finish at the armhole. Because this is not such a close curve, I could use the roller with no problem.

[Wow, you could really see how old is my machine on this pic, but I love this machine, is it an OLD industrial SINGLE. My supplier thinks it is one of the first industrial machines made I bought it in NYC and I think is with me for 20yrs or more . At the moment I have 3 industrial machines; 2 straight stitch, (had 3 but sold one this summer) an overlock {Willcox & Gibbs, also old}. I also have 2 home sewing machines for the zig-zag.]

You could see on these pics, how well this looks when it is pressed. I had to admit that it does work better on silk. The first blouse had silk georgette as lining. The finish with the roll hem

looked great, again, whish I had taken a pic of it.

I did not use the roll hem foot on the blouse, I wanted to have a better control when making the hem on the sleeves.

The blouse has a V neck line; I had used corded piping to clean the neck line. I made the piping with baby’s yarn [it is softer and smaller than the cording for piping]. The first blouse, since it was light beige, the white yarn was perfect for it, it did not show through the sheer fabric. Thinking about this I made small piece to see if the white would work with the dark fabric. After I saw it did not I use black yarn [Thank God, I play with crochet and knitting once in a while].

I sewed the piping to the lining first, and then sew the lining to the blouse, the piping overlap at the center front, right at the point.

This pic shows how it looks when is done [the pic does not shows how small it really is, the piping is about 1/8”]

Finally it is almost done, I had basted it and left it ready for a fitting.

Going Back in Time

I hope you enjoy these pics. I had being taking pics of dresses that I still have from my NYC years.


The Roman Empire Dress


The fist one was a dress I made while Studying at F.I.T. in NYC.
The dress was for a project base on drapes and soft fabrics. I use silk georgette and guipure lace.




















The lace was beaded with white and iridescent sequins and beagle beads. I was inspired by the Roman Empire and its drape ropes. I wanted the lace to give a nude illusion, and the skirt wrapped, draped and weaves through the lace.














The weave would wrape over the shoulder ending with a fold. The dress had a ditachable train of the same georgette that would be attache under the fold of the fabric at the back.



This dress was great success when I open my business in NY; I made several versions of it. One was a dress for an engagement party made in Mint green. That version was strapless with the drape going over the shoulder.



Another was made in light peach with short sleeves. The sleeves were the traditional Filipino’s sleeves.

The Empire Dress

I love going to second hand stores and looking what's there. There is always a piece; a dress, suit, fabric or workmanship that always inspires me. New York had [in my opinion] the best second hand stores. I don't remember how many dress I got from the Salvation Army's store in Manhattan. One of these dresses was a short black silk taffeta empire dress. The dress had a 60’s feel to it. The bodice had the empire cut with velvet ribbon that went around ending on a bow at the center front, with scale ruffles covering the entire bodice and sleeves.
I made 2 patterns from this dress. One was for a dress in white silk organza. The bodice was made with the scale ruffles. The Empire line was covered with a hand beaded trim [I made this trim on silk organza with silver, white and iridescent beads].

This is the other design that I made from the black taffeta dress. The dress is made from white silk duchess satin, with white velvet ribbon [the bow is on the back].

I made the bodice out of silk organza that I had beaded in white, iridescent beads with clear, white and silver sea beads. I use pink thread for the clear sea beads to give some color to the flowers.

I really love this dress; it really was, for me, a labor of love!!!