BLACK WAVE COCKTAIL DRESS

I name this dress “Black Wave” after I saw the pics. I took them out side, facing the bay, and with the wind, the flounces could not stay still. The skirt was dancing with the wind, having a grand o’ time. I thought on waiting till the wind came down, but I wanted the morning light, so there was not other chose, other than wait till another day.

I made the skirt of the dress in Satin Silk soft organza, the body of the skirt was underline with silk organza for support and to carry all the markings needed for the skirt.

Lace, black and brown silk organza were use for the bodice, nude china silk to underline.

Velvet ribbon was used for the waist band and straps.

On the next pics I’m showing some of the process of making the dress,
After I did the skirt, it was a matter of finding out, what look I wanted for the bodice. I try doing something a bit different and not so predictable. There were some printed fabrics on my stash, so I went to play with them and see what it would come out of it.

As you see on this pic I liked the stripe fabric with the lace over it, the problem was the fabric is a poly. Although it was a good look, modern and fun, I just was not comfortable mixing fibers on this dress.

Back to square one! The dress will be as I originally though of it, bodice over a nude look.

Most often I use three layers of fabrics to create a nude color when I’m using lace.
Depending on the intensity of the lining color, I’d use a brown organza and, like in this case a black over the brown.

As you see on the pics, just the brown organza over the nude lining did not give me enough dept, the black organza over the brown did.

hand sewing the lace over the bodice.

Traditional hem with lace ribbon

I use paper bags for ironing over seams, using this technique you prevent seam imprints on the fabric. [I use a lot of kitchen tools with my ironing, will post about it some time soon]

Here you’d see how I closed the back of the skirt. The pattern has a flounce that overlaps the center back seam. Using baby snaps on the flounce and the waist seam to close the back. The bow also has a snap to hold it in place.

With the center back closed you can’t see the center back seam,

JUNGLE COLLECTION PRINT BLOUSES

Blouse made out of Poly Georgette; this is a peasant style blouse easy to wear. The neckline and cuff are sewn with elastic thread on the bobbin, making it easy to fit and slip over the head.

Charmeuse top cutout on the bias with invisible zipper on the left side for easy fit.

Low rise poly crepe pants, the pants might be part of a suit

JUNGLE COLLECTION "IVORY" DRESS

This dress is part of the collection I called “The Jungle”. It is made out of Poly crepe with bias charmeuse piping. The piping was cut from a leopard print that would be use in other piece on the collection. This is the same print, but on poly georgette, used for the blouse and dress shown on the last post. I still have to finish some details on the georgette dress; I’d be posting that with other pieces.

Design detail;

facing cut from printed fabric.

NEW DIRECTION

I’m back on the game, this time I’m doing things different. Looking at my stash, and making some patterns I stared working on a small collection that I will list on my ETSY store. Paco commented later last week, ETSY is a great site for selling hand made creations.

I had known about ETSY for quite some time, a good friend from my F.I.T. days [she has a jewelry store on the site] had introduce me to it, but never had the time to list my designs. Busy doing custom made, I never had finish a collection to list on the site.

The last experience was a reminder to follow with plans I had on the back burner for a while. ETSY was one of those plans.
I have some pieces that were stared but the whole group never got completed. As you could imagine, after the inspiration is gone, you never get it back, so I’m working on implementing new ideas with what I already had made.

Also, through friends here in Miami, I got some contacts from one local TV channel, I need to create some [very] “Miami” designs to send to them. Will this work out? I don’t know, we will see, [but it surely brings some new energy and challenges]. In order for something of this nature to work out you have to really “pimp” yourself, which it is not easy when you are doing everything.



Keeping that in mind, I’m getting seamstress’s contacts numbers from a local industrial sewing machine dealer. As Mary Beth had mention, I need to get some good seamstresses, this way I will have time to “sale myself”.
So with new energy, and cleared mind, I went to my ETSY shop, duster it up, took out the “spider webs” and posted some of my old Wedding dresses samples.
I still need to get acquaintance with the site, but boy, you really need to be careful when you do anything on the net. Do you believe, just few hours after posting the dresses, I got what Etsy calls a “convo” [CONVERSATION] I read the “convo” and read it again… hu hu! It look like a scam, like they say, if it looks like a scam, talk like… I’m can not said it was, but I try to “convo” and the account was closed, hum!! This person wanted to buy out of the site, she gave her email address and wanted me to send PERSAL INFO so she could send a check. She would have her SHIPPING COMP get the dress. It did not sound “legit’’ to me. So WARNING! Be ware of the scams they are every where.

Looking at the site I came across Leanne’s store, I had seeing the store many times but never notice it was her's. It is nice seeing one of PROJECT RUNWAY'S winner on the site.

I would like to acknowledge the comments made. The worlds and sentiment posted were of great help to me and I hope to others who might read that post some time in the future.

With gratitude, thanks;

Gorgeous Things
Paco
Ann
Els
Mary Beth
Summerset
Joannely
Kates
The Sewing Loft

LOVELY BLOG AWARD

Did I say “Life is just like a box of chocolate…” After posting I realized I was awarded the “lovely Blog Award” by Josie….Wow, thank you! It really made me smile, thank you Jose, I’m glad you enjoy my blog.


Rules:
1) Accept the award; post it on your blog together with the name of the person who had granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award on to 5 blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let then know thy have been chosen for this award.


Here are my Five: [some are not newly discovered]

Bunny

Couture Pioneer

Ann Fashion Studio

Cindy Ann

Summerset

BEIGE IRIDESCENT SILK OUTFIT III

“Life is just like a box of chocolate…” I should change the name of this post to “La Novela”…really, I need to laugh about it, and I’m past the point of being mad so there is nothing left but to laugh.

After trying to please the client and making all the changes, I realized that it was an impossible task [yes, there were more changes she wanted]. I had to end the processes, it was taking too long and as it was, I was loosing all around.

In conclusion, I made the decision of not charging, even suggested returning the deposit. I know, that is not the “norm”, but in this case, I just need it the matter resolved and move on.

She was gracious not to accept the deposit, and offer to “pay something” for my time… That was not acceptable to me, I rather her having it as a “gift”. I was not about to undercharge for my service.

So here I am, taking it all in and trying to see what road to take next. I had being re-thinking the “made to order” business for a while now. Clients either don’t know or just don’t care what it takes to have something made; the time, care and patience need it. Some one that makes clothing, either for themselves or others knows all the work that it takes. Some start sewing their own clothes to have better made items or a better fit. At times, you could “knockoff” an expensive out-fit for much less, but if you factor the time you had put into it, how much would it be? What would you charge?

I could make a suit for myself and would pay only for the materials used, but what about the time it had taken me to make it?

These are things that most clients don’t understand. Ready to wear clothing, even the most expensive, would be done faster and more cost effective. Think about all the special sewing machines that would do just some specific task, button holes, seam bidding, overlocks just for knits that would clean finish and sew at the same time, hemming… the list would go on and on.

All this, had to be done by hand when you do “Made to order” or just some thing for you.

To be honest, I this time I’m not sure what road to take. Yes I know I had had some great experiences in the past with most clients, but this are few and far in between.

Maybe I have some samples all ready made so clients could choose the one they like, they could see it, touch it maybe try on…

Maybe, I’d open a cyber store…

Maybe, maybe…
Some thing would come up.


I know I have said a lot, PLEASE!!, what do you think?

BEIGE IRIDESCENT SILK OUTFIT II

Here is a pic of the over blouse finished. On my last post, the blouse was almost done, and was waiting for “Mrs. K” to fit the pattern of the under blouse. The fitting went well, so I thought! After getting home, “Mrs. K” decided she was not happy, and wanted some changes.

The next day, she came with two other ladies. The under blouse was discarded, shoulder pads taken out and lapels carried all the way to the hem of the blouse.

I’d tell you, at times, I just want to throw the tower… but that’s just a “moment”

BEIGE IRIDESCENT SILK OUTFIT

I wanted to post some pics of this project before it was finish. The outfit is; pants, over and under blouses [ The under-blouse was an addition after the second fitting, and it is not cut out just yet.]

The entire outfit was centralized on the Lace. Complementing the lace with the other fabrics was a "most", making it quite a challenge [finding the right hue of beige was not an easy task, the lace gives a grayish hue, and the color is a Khaki beige].

Both blouses are made out of Silk Iridescent Chiffon and Silk Charmuse. The charmuse was used to underline the iridescent chiffon; it was also used for the Collar, Cuffs and Lapels.

Silk Iridescent Chiffon,

Iridescent Chiffon and Charmuse

Lace Over Charmuse

The Collar, Lapels and Cuffs are made in the Silk Charmuse [You could see some of the basting still at the collar, I use silk thread and beading kneedle for basting Silks]

The seams at hem and facing were finished with a Hong Kong

On this pic you could see one of those details I like using on my made to order.
It is a “bib” or “flap” that it’s sewn on the harm hole right under the arm. It protects the garment from sweat or marks left by antiperspirants. I also use it on the crotch of pants to prevent wear and tearing of the fabric when the inner thighs meet.

Pants Hem with lace border free from underlining.

Pants underlining hem

Grosgrain at waistline

Inside pants, showing the silk chiffon lining

COCKTAIL BLACK CHIFFON DRESS

Cocktail dress made in Silk chiffon with stole attached.

Bodice is draped and hand sewn in place with cascade drape at center front. The stole is attached to cascade, making the drape fall into the skirt giving it a wrap around look.

Both stole and dress where hemmed with a zigzaged roll hem.

I used a roll hemmed attachement for the zigzag machine.

BLACK SILK CHIFFON EVENING GOWN

The idea for the dress came about one day as I was playing with some beaded sleeves I had. I inverted the sleeve using the hem as a neckline and draped the rest of the sleeve over the mannequin upper body.

I love the look and that’s how the designing process stared for this dress.

It is strapless, long and I wanted it to flow, so chiffon was the fabric of choise. Chiffon is perfect for this dress, it flows and it would be easy to work with for ruching. Maybe because of the last dress I might still be hooked on ruching, so why not go all the way with it?

Make a dress "a la Desses”, “ Valentino” [no surprise there!!].

After the sketch was made, it was a matter of planning the dress:

Strapless bodice with center front dart
Full silk chiffon skirt with extension to cover both CF and CBs

The skirt would be underline with a gray georgette [the beading has gray sequins]

And of course, the lining and boning and all that good stuff

The next step was draping the center front panel follow by making the top of the dress, but that would be the next post.

APRIL IS GONE

April is gone, I’m glad. After my last project I took a few days to relax and put things in order. The sewing area was a mess after the rush of the last two dresses.

I took advantage did some spring cleaning. It was the beginning of spring after all. The birds were singing all day, and one of my orchids bloomed, the flowers still going strong.

The month stared sort of normal, not much went on for the first two weeks. It was so, I even forgot my Birth-day, I did not notice in till later that day.

As the second week went on and in the middle of the third, I got a phone call from my cousin who is living in Mexico City. He had being calling all day, but I could not get me till late that evening. He called to tell me my aunt was in the hospital, she had had a heart attack.

My aunt had gone to Virginia to spend some time with her daughter and grant-son, whose birth-day is also in April. As the family was getting ready to leave the house to go to the location where birth day party was to be, Aunt Hilda felt ill and lost consciousness.

She was taken to the hospital in Virginia, where the doctor notice she had had a heart attack. Immediately she was transfer to another hospital in Washington DC. She was three days in intensive care and hospitalized for a week.

Good thing she was with her daughter and not at her home, where she lives alone … she would not have made it.

As you could imagine fromt Saturday night [the day of the event] till Thursday it were crazy for us, phone calls to and from Mexico [where her son is living], Virginia, NYC and Puerto Rico.

As up today, she is doing great, thank God. She still in Virginia staying with other relatives during the week and going to her daughters on the weekend.
She will be going back to New York next week, after mother’s day.

I’m waiting to see how things develop to take a trip up North to spend some time with her. I know she would like that, and so would I.

In the mean time I got a wonderful gift from my dear friend Michel, who is living in Paris. He sent me some books I had being wanting for some time.

An embroidery course books from “La Mason Lesage”.

If I remember correctly I had asked him [Michel; when he and I lived in New York] to find out if “Lesage” had any books on one of his trips back home, and if they do to get me for me. At the time “La Mason Lesage” had no books for sale to the public but now they do.

“The Broderie de Luneville”

Before I end this post, I want to thank every one for the comments made on my last post, I’m glad you like “the rushed dress”.

I’m telling you, I hate doing rushed orders, but I’m glad I took that one.

I talked to “Mrs. H” [she is the client for whom I mad the last dress] a week after the wedding she attended I’m happy to say she was very please with the dress and brought one of her friends to get a dress made.

I’m working a dress that is “do” by the 15th of this month. I’d be posting pics of it soon.

I also want to thank Mary-Beth for the great blogs she emailed me; I’d be adding them to my list as soon as things get a bit more settle.

I know I’m going on and on, but indulge me a bit more, I haven’t post in a while. And that takes me to the last item; I want to apologize for not commenting on the great post that had being posted on some of blogs I follow. I had taken a pick here and there, put as you could imagine my attention was taken someplace else [calls and more calls from Family issues].

Well that’s all for this post. Thank you !!