The Perfect Textile

“The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this."                  

                                                                             - Mark Twain

One of the most exciting parts of creating a new garment is finding the perfect textile and figuring out how to transform it into something spectacular. Textiles are made from fibres that range from organic and natural to synthetic. Local fabric shops are great for buying thread, zippers, or the occasional yard or two of fabric, but, at least in Kansas, their apparel textiles are sparse. I buy the majority of my fabric from Mood Designer Fabrics located in New York City's garment district. They have an amazing online selection and give customers the option to order swatches before making an “all sales final" purchase.

Jersey Blend Fabric

I bought this beautiful ruffled charcoal and black jersey from Mood. My initial thought was to run the ruffles horizontally, but then I had the idea to drape them vertically. It made a world of difference to simply rotate the fabric, which then gave the top a textured look. I paired it with a simple black skirt that I made this week.

Simply Lace

"Fashion comes from a dream, and the dream is an escape from reality."

                                                                -Christian Dior

Once used in the Catholic Church for religious ceremonies, lace is now seen on apparel, lingerie, and even shoes. There is a feeling of ultimate femininity when wearing a beautifully sewn lace dress. Its delicate features and intricacies keep designers interested and coming back for more. Dior, Chanel, Betsey Johnson, and Dolce and Gabbana, to name just a few, have all featured lace on the runway. 

I decided on a simple silhouette when making this dress because the lace speaks for itself. The lining is shorter than the bottom of the dress to give it an airy feel. Surprisingly, the lace was a delight to work with.

 

Little Black Dress

“Fashion has two purposes: comfort and love. Beauty comes when fashion succeeds.”

                                                         - Coco Chanel

In 1926, Coco Chanel transformed a color that was associated with mourning into a chic little dress. American Vogue called it “Chanel's Ford." It was sophisticated and timeless. There have been many adaptations to Chanel's charming black dress and they have become staples in every fashionista's wardrobe.

While watching Project Runway last week, I saw how one of the designers cut their fabric to create a circle skirt. I wanted to try out the technique, so I decided to create my own version of Chanel's little black dress.  I worked diligently for hours and was amazed with the end result. Never underestimate the little black dress.

Houndstooth

Houndstooth has been used for apparel throughout many decades and made popular by fashion icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy. It originated in Scotland as did many other eye catching patterns. The most widely used houndstooth is black and white, but there are numerous color variations. I love houndstooth for apparel because it can look fun and edgy, but still classic. I made a top and skirt this week out of two very different textiles, but with the same houndstooth color scheme. I paired the skirt with a top I made this summer. 

Top: Ponteroma Knit with
Exaggerated Houndstooth  Print

Top: Striped Cotton Jersey
Skirt: Houndstooth Woven Wool

Summer and Fall Looks

I spent the majority of my free time this summer sewing. Here are a few of the pieces I designed.

Separates

Sewing Machine

Phil bought me a sewing machine several years ago and I finally managed to open the box last fall and put it to use. At first I couldn't sew a straight line if my life depended on it. I struggled to cut fabric into the right shapes, so I eventually bought a dress form and began draping, pinning, and sewing. I still don't know what I'm doing half the time, but the clothes I'm making are starting to fit better.

So far I've successfully made tops, skirts, and dresses. I haven't bought a form with legs yet and I don't want to succumb to buying a pattern, so I still haven't made a pair of pants that fit properly. I've started pants twice and both times they ended up in the trash. I had a funny sewing fiasco this summer when I attempted to make a shorts romper. My dress form has a shorter torso than I do, so the romper was pulling in unfortunate ways. I modeled it for Phil and we couldn't stop laughing.