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 !!

BLACK SILK DOUBLE GEORGETTE DRESS

The last rushed order was finally done on Thursday. I was glad it was gone and be able to take some time. It really had been an interesting month. Thank goodness, I have a few days, to get my energy back, get things organized and be ready for the next rush. I tell you I can’t wait to get back to the beaded wedding dress. It surly is relaxing doing all that beading!

The Cocktail dress with stole was made out of Silk Double Georgette and Silk Chiffon. I used the double georgette for the skirt and stole. The Chiffon was use for the ruching on the upper port of the dress.

Hopefully, next week I will continue with the beading, unless something else comes along.

BALANCING ACT II [BLACK EVENING DRESS]

The dress is done and waiting to be pick up. I wish it would fit one of the mannequins, and take pics.

The bodice is made of Alencon lace lined with silk gazar, Rex Fabrics . It was underlined and fused interlined at the armholes, as well as padding to compensate for the difference from side to side. Shoulder pads were use as well. On the left side there is a 1” thick shoulder pad, and the right side a ½” thick.

Shoulder line, upper hip seam as well as some of the tiers, when hand on a hanger, would look slanted, the left side appearing shorter than the right side. I mention earlier, when she has the dress on, it all looks even.
The skirt is made out 8 tiers cut on the bias and lined with silk organza, also on the bias. The tiers are sewn to a foundation made out of Taffeta.

Sewing the tiers was a real challenge, each tier should be 4 ½” long [ the part that actually is seen]. The skirt being an inch shorter on the left side, I had to play around with the upper tiers to get the optical illusion of being equal on both sides. This took me some time.

When making a skirt or underskirt that has tiers, often I measure the distance from each tier from the waist down, make the markings on the pattern and transfer to the fabric.
This time I had to start my way up.

With the skirt sewn, hem marked, I work my way up. Marked and attached the first 4 tiers [from the hem up] to the foundation.
Took the skirt, place it on the ironing donkey, marked the right side and stared working my way around the upper part. It took me some time to make the tiers look even from side to side.
First I try measuring, [making each tier a bit shorter than the last] and it did not work. I realized it was best to just eye balling it. So there I was pinning, looking, pinning, taking the skirt of the donkey and looking at it as it hangs, then … you get the idea!
Finally I was happy with it and when she came for the fitting it looked just fine.

The skirt was bagged hem using horsehair between the hem allowance and the foundation.
The hem was hand sewn to the foundation.

BALANCING ACT [BLACK EVENING DRESS]

I had stop, or better yet slowed down working on the Beaded wedding dress to make a dress for a new client. The Lady had being calling for a while and could not make up her mind. Finally she called to make an appointment.
The dress needed to be done in two weeks [do day March 16] she is going to a wedding.

The fabrics are; lace and silk gazar from Rex Fabrics . Thank God, the lace is not beaded.

After taking the measurements and doing the first fitting on muslin, I realized that I would have to make each side separate. The left side of her body is sunk in
[That’s the best way I could describe it].




After cutting each piece individually, cutting the left side higher at the hip seam and making the bodice of the dress, I had to interline, fill in the bust on the left side with Batting.



The dress haves a seam just above the hips, this seam is cut on an angle not on a straight line to compensate for the unbalance on her body. The left side is 1” shorter.

Looking at the dress on a hanger or flat on a table, you could notice the differents, but when she has it on, it looks just fine.




The dress basted waitting for a fitting [note: the dress is big for the mannequin]





I kept my self busy while waiting for fittings, [or just need some time to relax] working on the beading for the wedding dress. Here is a pic of the front panel in process.


I want to finish this dress ASAP; another lady came yesterday and, again, wants a dress in a rush. This dress is not a ball gown, just a cocktail strapless dress, and she is a smaller size, not like the one I’m working on. It should not be too much work [the fittings and clients wanting to change things is what take the most time].





As you could see the beading on the wedding dress would have to wait a while.