Fashion Friday Runway

I thought I would bring back "Fashion Friday Runway" 

back to the blog!

Today my runway is White Rock beach with Mini-me.

Dress iMade a few years back & still is one

of my faves for hot summer days.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Tunic top drama...

I had the last of this bold flower print fabric to make a tunic top to go with my Chanel....ish pants.

I thought of this design to combine 2 McCall's patterns 6112 & 6607 that I like to make one tunic top.

Both patterns were already cut to a size 12 so this is how I laid it out for cutting.  I then realized that I did not have enough of this flower fabric to finish the tunic.

So off to the fabric store me

& Alexandra went.  How cool is that a fabric store opened within walking distance of our home!

I came back empty handed though because that fabric had sold out.  So I just used my Chanel...ish pant material leftovers to make the back part of the tunic.

Both of these patterns were very easy to sew even with the two types of fabrics.  I just set my tension a little higher on my Singer.

The new back contrast with the un even/ hi low hems I am still liking.

I will also wear this tunic in the summer as a cover up for my bikini.

sharing with:  Make it Wear it

Sew you later!

DeniseAngela

A summer dress

 

 I am almost done my make over for my dressing/sewing room so I thought I better post this project I finished a couple of months ago!

This fabric was the first fabric I bought to practice sewing on a few years back & I also made my daughters first dress too.  For this simple summer dress I made it a halter style bodice with a circle skirt & tried the hi low hem with white bias tape.

Sew you later!

Beach cover up

I have been slowly getting back to sewing & I thought I would start with something simple before I get back to those Voque patterns so this is a beach cover up I made for a trip my husband is taking me on..........for our 20 year wedding anniversary.......I know 20 years?  Time has gone by so fast.........





& this is what my big hair will look like too as I doubt I want to pack my flat iron & deal with that everyday.....anyways in Metro Vancouver a beach cover up can cost more than $100.00 so I thought that was totally ridiculous so I made this one from the last of this knit striped cotton fabric that I got on sale last winter.  I did not use a pattern but it is real simple with only 3 pieces to sew together. I made it a hi/low style that I am liking at the moment.

Sew you later!

Las Vegas Little Black Dress



I have had a busy time this week with moving my sewing space, working, sewing for the girls and getting ready for a last minute business trip!

I needed a little black dress for dinner & cocktails during my trip so I decided to sew this black cotton bamboo dress.  I also needed a garment that can be folded and crammed in a suitcase as I always like to travel light with a carry-on suitcases for business trips. This was a another simple shift dress that I sewed by gathering the middle bodice for a better fit and detail.  I sewed most of the seams on my serger and I had no issues sewing the bamboo cotton fabric - it was a dream to sew with.  With this fabric I did not put in a zipper - I usually don't with jersey and bamboo so this dress was very easy to sew!



 I also serged this silver oh so soft shawl for cooler nights.  It is a knit fashion fabric that I got on sale!



I added the feather & beading trim by hand sewing.  It was time consuming because the thread kept getting caught in all the feathers & beads but I did this when I was watching my fave show Top Gear so it wasn't too bad.

I sewed this chiffon polka dot scarflette using my same pattern as my other ones. I think I have a hoodie

scarflette addiction. This will be my last one - for sure!  This one was entirely sewn on the serger ( a first) - I like the lines it gives the hoodie.  I always have problems sewing chiffon on my sewing machine it puckers so the serger was great!

When I wear it though, you can not tell from these pics because my hair is so dark.

When I knew what kind of trim I wanted - I searched 3 fabric stores until I found what I was looking for!  My daughter has asked me to sew a similar dress in white and I have started (a month ago) but I cannot find the white bead/ feather trims anywhere!  Her dress will have to wait or I will have to create my own trim!

 This will be my first business trip that I will be wearing clothes that I have made for my self!  I finally have a few garments that I feel are sewn correctly and look great!

My inspiration for this dress came from the Chanel Spring Collection 2011.  I love glamorous & glitz so this dress is perfect for Las Vegas!  The city  where I can wear my rhinestones during the day!!!

This is my Fashion Friday outfit this week. 

Have a spectacular weekend!!

Snowball Dress

I now have several projects on the go right now - not quite completing them - does this happen to everyone else?  I am usually OCD in completing things so this is not normal for me.   Plus I am moving my sewing studio to a larger room so everything is in transition right now.  I am also trying out fabric I have never sewed with before so I guess this is a good enough excuse for not finishing them.  I did design this winter white dress making up my own simple shift pattern.  I used snow white anti-pill fleece for the fabric.  Yes, I know fleece!  I wanted a white dress and this is what I had in my stash!!  This dress is so comfortable & cosy!  I did end up cutting a bodice part and a skirt part for a proper fit.



For my snowball scarflette I used my same pattern as my Noir Scarflette.
I always pin before I sew - it really does help.



 The pom-poms were easy to sew on!

 I added pockets that I cut free hand and sewed the matching trim on.

For the bottom hem of my dress I hand sewed on these circle rings - a pain to hand sew but I love the look!

I also got the stunning scissor necklace and bold brooch from a consignment store called Unique & Trendy.  I met the owner and she was very friendly and helpful!   She has her jewelry brought in from L.A so it is refreshing to see new and unique pieces!  Her store is fabulously laid out and I could spend a lot of time in there just browsing!  She lots of glam & glitter with a modern edge to it.  It truly is a unique & trendy boutique!

I am starting a Fashion Friday post on my blog and I would love to see what readers of this blog are creating.  Send me an email with a fashion item you have created and I will feature it next week.

This is my Fashion Friday outfit!

Snow Day Top

It snowed here a few days ago and mini-me had a snow day from school so I whipped up this top in the morning.  This is a top that I designed my self  with inspiration of a RTW top I saw.  I used my own measurements and copied the sleeves from a top I already have in my closet.

I like the fit but when I sew this again, I will make the neckline a little bigger.

I also think next time I set in the sleeves I will try a different technique and sew with the 2 piece bodice lying flat before I sew the side seams together.

I sewed without pulling this fabric so I would not have that lettuce effect on the material.

I used a warm & cosy knit material.  I think I will try & draft a pattern for this top as I really like it!  My Model (middle child) & girlfriends  thought I bought this top!

We had fun playing in the snow! It was all gone by that night though! That's Vancouver weather for you - snows one day & sunny the next - love it!

Pics by mini-me (future fashionista)! 

The straps are black stretch cotton and I serged the sleeves and hem. I must of taking this top off at least 10 times to get the straps to fit (that's with me taking measurements too) I really need a dress form!

Noir Scarflette & Eyelet Skirt

I was going through my failed sewing projects and found this skirt that I had sewn a few months ago.  I had botched the hem and could not fix it or it would be too short for me. 

This skirt is a black cotton eyelet and I lined it in a white stretch cotton fabric.  I cut this skirt on the bias with a side zipper.  So while I was designing my scarflette I thought about this skirt and how it would look nice when worn together.  I made the bias trim for the scarflette and added the same trim to the hem of my skirt.

From one of my sewing books I got instructions on how to make your own bias trim and it is easy!

The scarflette is also my own design and very easy to make.  Just measure how long and wide you want the scarflette to be and cut into half, sew the back together, this one I made just reaches below my shoulders.  

  Then add your hood.  I used a hoodie pattern that I already had.  Add your trim or serge or sew the edges & your done!

 I am always cold in the winter even driving with the heat on because I'm usually getting in & out of the car running errands or getting Starbucks like I did today after getting the middle childs retainer replaced! So this scarflette is great for keeping me extra warm!

Its also warm to wear without the hood.

Coco Capelet & Skirt



 I found this violet tweed boucle wool fabric and loved it.  This is the second hooded capelet that I have made from this violet fabric.  This one has pockets, button and hook & eye closure too. 

To make the skirt I used a pencil tweed skirt that fits me perfect and used that as a pattern.

I kept the selvages at the bottom of the skirt and stitched above because I like the darker contrast.

                                                        

    This is the hood.

   

       I wore this on a cold night when we took the family to dinner at our favorite restaurant Sagres!

The hood is warm for our cold Vancouver nights!



Femme Capelet

I have been having a few sewing failures this week with patterns so I have decided to go back to sewing my own designs.  That is really how I how got interested in sewing - I wanted to design and sew my own clothes.  I was not impressed of how clothes were fitting me and how cheap some of the material was - even the so called "designer clothes" lacked design and fit.  I also could never find a dress that fit me properly on the bodice  and skirt.  It was always too big or too small.   So I poured over every "teach your self how to sew" books and I was hooked.  I designed and sewed my first few dresses and skirts without a pattern and had fun creating something from a few meters of fabric.  I also read some great tutorials from other blogs by some really great seamstresses.  I was amazed at what these women could sew and seemed to make it look so easy.  Also when I emailed these wonderful women with a newbie question on how they used a certain technique they were very generous with their time to email me back with an answer!  I never new this wonderful sewing world existed and I was encouraged to be part of it and this was 6 months before I started my blog.  No one in my group of friends sews so books and blog tutorials have been my sewing education.  Here I am babbling - back to my pattern failures, I have learned quite alot from patterns, one being patience (which I don't have) and proper cuttings and I guess sometimes fit.  My last few projects I have measured properly, cut properly and sewn with the correct needles and after all that - disaster - the red skirt, purple dress, merlot cardi-wrap does not fit!  I have not posted these projects, that will be for another post.  For the merlot cardi-wrap I even took apart the stitches to see where my mistakes might be - with no luck.  I used the correct fabric, thread and it was still too big and hung on me funny.  I put those 3 garments away (flung them in the closet) and went to watch Top Gear on BBC.   The next day after work I went to the fabric store (they pretty much know me now) and purchased some gorgeous wool fabric and designed this capelet (since the cardi-wrap was a no go).



I love capelets and had made a simple one this summer with a matching skirt.  For this one I added a hood, the same hood design as my Volturi Dress and wool was a fabric that I have not yet sewed with so might as well try something new and not give up!  I also wanted this capelet to be warm so wool was the choice.  The armhole was something new to learn and went smoothly.  I used my own measurements and height for this design.  I also put in a hook & eye closure at the bottom and a button & buttonhole at the top (another new technique that I read from my Singer manual and practised on scrap fabric until I got it). 

I sewed this on my other Singer 1960's machine because I thought the wool was quite thick and this machine is my workhorse for thicker fabric.  I also usually keep it threaded black for quick sewing.



I hemmed all the edges of this capelet and made it so the darker brown selvages are draping in the front of it.

When I finished this I sewed up a another top in my favorite Metropolitan design fabric(this is my 2nd top with this great fabric), this time I sew it with a contrasting long black jersey sleeves and then finally a  black duiponi silk skirt, both my own designs.  I made the skirt in a asymmetrical design and I have no problems cutting or sewing with duiponi silk! 



All these photos were taken by my Model (middle child) and all it cost me was a Baconator at Wendy's!!  I like this one with the sun setting.

This skirt is 3 pieces with a yoke and gathers.  By accident I found a simple way to add gathers to the silk, I just layered or scrunched up the fabric and pushed it through as I was sewing- it gathered!  Real seamstresses are cringing right about now and I don't know if this will hold up but I will wear it and hand wash and see what happens.  I was doing the gathering before the correct way by sewing 2 lines and then pulling together but I always seem to break the thread!  I like the way silk drapes and it is one of my favorite fabrics.  I am so happy that I finished this outfit as we are going out for our anniversary dinner tonight.  I have not completely given up on patterns, just taking a break and to see what I can design next!