Sewing Room

I'm fortunate enough to have a dedicated sewing room in our apartment. I'd call it the size of a kids bedroom with super high ceilings. I'm able to cram a lot of things in this room. From sewing supplies and fabric storage to school books, art supplies and dress forms to tons of interior decor items. In storing items I try to display the pieces that I love most so that I can constantly gain inspiration from the things around me.

One of my favorite items is this antique set of sewing drawers from an old treadle sewing machine. I was searching for storage solutions for scissors and other random sewing supplies and came across these beauties on ebay. I bid on a few other sets before winning these. They were a Christmas present from my parents. They're a great way to beautifully store sewing supplies that I can access from my sewing machine and I love their history. It's so neat to think that someone else sewed many lovely garments with these beauties by her side.

I guess that I'm becoming a collector of small urn vases? I pick them up whenever I spot them at thrift or antique stores. I tend to find something that I like and then start collecting.

Check out the stunning details of these drawers!

These inspiration boards fill my walls. I took old frames that I found inexpensively at thrift stores and made them into magnetic chalkboards. It's fun to fill them with images that inspire me.

The one on the right is my favorite. I love orange roses.

This miniature dress form was another of my favorite Christmas presents. It's more of a decoration for me than a tool. The large brass urn stores my various rulers and curves for pattern drafting.

My latest project. A Pet en'lair for a customer.

Yuletide at Rock Ford Plantation

This winter I returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas with my family. While there I had the opportunity to attend a lovely event at Rock Ford Plantation, the 1790s home of General Edward Hand. The house is one of my favorite museums to visit. It is beautifully decorated according to how it looked during the years that the Hand family lived there (1790s to early 1800s). Many of the walls are painted a vibrant blue to match the original paint color - it's truly stunning.

The Rock Ford docents try their best to replicate the clothing worn during that era in history. It is always enjoyable to visit their candlelit evening events to see them dancing in the hallway to live music and enjoying a game of cards in the parlor, while below stairs docents portray servants cooking in the working hearth (another activity that I had the chance to participate in this winter).

Unfortunately, I was not able to dress in period attire for the occasion due to another activity the same evening, but I did get the chance to stop in and be inspired by the clothing of others.

The ladies above, Pam, Cindy and Nancy (my mother) each created their own attire.

My mother made this reproduction of the white and red striped 1790s jacket from the Kyoto Costume Institute's book 'Fashion'. Her jacket is made from a lovely pumpkin orange silk. The skirt is ivory with a diamond pattern woven into it.

Here she poses with Tom, a fellow docent.

Two very stunning Empire style gowns. The lady on the left is April Thomas of www.18thcenturygowns.com. She is attired in a lovely changeable blue-purple silk velvet gown. It looked a gorgeous deep blue in person. The muff was made by April and was constructed from diamond pieces of real fur. It was inspired by period images of similar muffs. There was a fad for harlequin items in the 18th century inspired by the diamond costumes traditionally worn by the comic Harlequin character in the Italian Commedia dell'arte.

Andrea, on the right is wearing a red embroidered silk robe with a lovely sheer white gown. She is fortunate enough to have a husband who creates her wardrobe for her while she crafts stunning reproduction jewelry pieces that can be found at www.ameysadornments.com. Andrea's turban headdress was made by Miller's Millinery.

Above: Andrea and Nancy in the formal parlor. Below: April, Mark and Andrea in the formal parlor.

Yuletide at Rock Ford was an inspiring event as usual.

Tavern Nights

Once a month Rock Ford holds a Tavern Night in the historic barn on site that includes dinner, dancing and a great opportunity to wear Revolutionary War era clothing. The event can be attended in modern dress as well.

Revolutionary Rock Ford

This summer Rock Ford will be hosting a huge Revolutionary War Reenactment on site. The Lancaster County Park where the Plantation resides is an excellent location for such an event because it is completely secluded from modern life and offers the chance to go back in time. Some of my particular favorite moments of the event are - the fall leaves that are always at their peak of beauty at the time of the reenactment, lovely costumes worn by docents and reenactors, and the vendors - of course. If you are in the area and have a chance to attend this event as a spectator or reenactor - please do, it is a wonderful event. This year, I will once more be costuming the fashion show and also look forward to making myself a new gown for the occasion.

Shirtdress Dress for "Mad Forest"

Here are pictures of my most recent creation. A dress for the production "Mad Forest" to be worn by Irina. The actress will be wearing padding underneath to give her body the proper figure for the role that she is playing. I draped the pattern for this dress and sewed the entire garment. The production went into first dress last night and the show opens on December 1st at Carnegie Mellon University.

Kent State University: Civil War Fashions

This weekend I had the good fortune to see Kent State University's exhibit of Civil War era fashions, On the Homefront: Civil War Fashions and Domestic Life. Our three year wedding anniversary was on October 18th, and we finally found time to break away from schoolwork this weekend to celebrate with a trip to nearby Ohio.

Vince did all the research and planning for the trip, so I was totally surprised and thrilled to be able to see the originals on display at Kent State.

The original dresses on display were fabulous! All in amazing condition, made of exquisite fabrics, and very beautifully constructed. Stunning works of art. And so inspiring.

The exhibit will be on display until August 26th, 2012 and is a must see exhibit.

If you don't have the opportunity to visit Ohio, be sure to check out their online collections which include many images of the originals in the exhibit.

Couture Techniques: Lace Insertion

Lace insertion is such a beautiful and delicate trim and perfect for those lovely antique laces that can inexpensively be picked up at an antique or thrift store. This would be a fun trim to add to a pre-existing garment - like several rows at the bottom of an otherwise dull shirt or dress.

Lace Insertion:

A piece of lace or openwork trim applied to face fabric of garment with face fabric under cut away after application to create a decorative open area covered by lace or trim. Created using lace or trim with two finished edges.

1.       Determine insertion placement and mark on wrong side of fabric, marking placement for only one side of trim. Thread trace design to front of garment if necessary.

2.       Shape trim where necessary using mitered corners or gathering with ease stitch.

3.       Place trim on front of garment along placement marking.

4.       Edge stitch along each side of trim. Backstitching or gauging down at beginning and end. Press to set stitches.

5.       From the back of fabric, cut fabric down center of trim, being careful not to cut trim.

6.       Press seam allowances to each side, away from center to create an open space where trim is.

7.       Finish seams as desired. (Ex. Turn and Slip Stitch, Hand Overcast, Zigzag by Machine). When pressing finished seams, press with strip of paper between fabric and seam allowance to avoid seam allowance ridge being pressed into face of fabric.

Note – Rows of lace can cross other rows of lace at right angles for an interesting decorative element. The under layer of lace trim can be cut back and dittle stitched to hide edges.

To Miter Corner:

Mitering – The diagonal joining of two edges at a corner.

1.    Pin trim in half at corner, folding trim straight back on itself (or two pieces of trim right sides together along ends).

2.    Fold trim down, creasing a diagonal fold at corner and forming a right angle at outer edge of trim. Press diagonal fold.

3.    Lift trim at corner and stitch on diagonal press line through trim, gauging down at ends.

4.    Trim the corner to reduce bulk, leaving a small 1/8” seam allowance.

5.    Trim seam allowance at corners to a point.

6.    Press seam allowance open.

Dior New Look Hat

In Millinery class we are blocking wool felt hats. I'm creating a Dior "New Look" inspired hat with trim inspired by this original. Isn't it fabulous?

Dior's "New Look"

Couture Techniques: Balenciaga Hem

The "Balenciaga" Hem - also referred to as the "Bubble" or "Balloon" Hem - was made famous when used in the couture fashion designs of Cristobal Balenciaga. The outer layer of the skirt appears puffy and is controlled by an fitted inner lining layer. The puff can can be gathered or pleated into the lining layer at the waist, hem or both. One end may be fitted or both ends may have fullness. This treatment is seen on skirts, dresses, sleeves, capes and pumpkin breeches.

Balenciaga Hem:

1.             Using a straight skirt pattern, slash and spread to create a pattern for the outer skirt layer. The fullness can be as much or as little as desired and can be evenly dispersed or may be much wider at the hem than at the top. Slash so that the outer skirt pattern is both wider and longer.

2.             Cut lining from the original straight skirt pattern.

3.             Cut outer layer from newly created pattern.

4.             A stiffener may be added into the balloon layer for additional volume. This could be flat lined with net or silk organza or could be loosely stuffed when finished. Net ruffles could also be attached inside for more controlled stuffing.

5.             Sew straight skirt pieces together. Sew outer balloon skirt pieces together.

6.             Machine baste or sew a row of gathering stitches at the top and bottom of the outer balloon layer. Draw bobbin threads to face of fabric and draw basting stitches up until length of balloon layer matches length of stabilizing layer.

7.             Or, pleat balloon layer to same length as lining layer.

8.             Pin lining hem to balloon hem on each end. Right, finished side of lining should face towards body.

9.             Machine stitch together.

10.          Cut a self-bias strip long enough to go around hemline. Machine stitch bias strip in place, covering raw hem edge of outer fabric.

11.         Draw basting, gathering or pleat waistlines of lining and outer layer together and machine stitch in place.

12.         Apply waistband or stitch to waistline of bodice as desired.

Fashion

"One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art." - Oscar Wilde

"Fashion fades, style is eternal." - Coco Chanel

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." - Coco Chanel

"Style is knowing who you are, and what you want to say, and not giving a damn." - Gore Vidal

Spring 2011 Renderings

Before I packed away my renderings during the great sewing room cleanup, I snapped a few photos of the renderings that I completed last school year. This is not the best documentation, but it will do for now.

Above: Prismacolor pencil rendering. This was actually begun in undergrad and finally finished last year. I'm pretty happy with it, although I wish that I had done it on a slightly lighter colored paper.

Designs for Dance Light 2011. This year I will be designing and building a man's ballet costume for Dance Light. Watercolor.

Dance Light - female lead.

Watercolor Pencil.

Couture Techniques: Seams on Beaded Fabrics

Sewing with beaded or sequined fabrics can be time consuming but the results are rewarding. Beaded dresses are stunning and oh so glamorous. This summer while dining out at an upscale restaurant with a good friend I promised myself that on our next dinner outing together I would wear a beaded or sequined dress. I'll likely purchase a vintage one...but if I were to make it, I would use this technique.

Beaded Seam:

A more time consuming method for seaming beaded fabrics, this method reduces bulk and discomfort of beaded seam allowances and ensures that the beads are securely attached to garment along seam lines.

1.    Mark and thread trace pattern pieces onto fabric. Leave 1” seam allowances.

2.    Carefully cut the garment pieces out.

3.    Determine how beads area attached to the backing cloth. Often this is with a chain stitch that can be pulled out easily if the correct thread is pulled. A chain stitch will pull out easily from one end of a row of stitching, but not the other.

4.    Insert needle into one loop of chain stitch next to bead you want to be closest to stitch line. (This will prevent chain stitch from pulling out beyond this).

5.    Pull chain stitch or carefully pick out stitches up to the needle, retaining long thread from stitching.

6.    Wax thread pulled from beads to straighten. Clip end.

7.    Thread needle with this thread.

8.    Stitch through loop that needle is holding in place – to secure and prevent loss of beads.

9.    Stitch back up through bead at the end of the row and back down to wrong side of fabric.

10.                  Knot off securely. Clip thread.

11.                  Repeat on other rows of beading until seam allowance is free of beads.

12.                  Pin garment together along seam lines.

13.                  Hand baste together along seam lines.

14.                  With zipper foot, stitch along seam lines.

15.                  Press seam open, using velour needle board or folded towel to press beaded face of fabric into. Lower temperature on iron and press very carefully to avoid damaging beads or sequins.

16.                  Re-bead over seam line using spare beads. Do not catch seam allowance in this beading.

17.                  If garment will be unlined, turn raw edges of seam allowance under and slip stitch in place. Press (carefully).

Note: Other bead removal methods include cracking beads from the stitching line and trimming sequins from the stitching line.

I love this dress! Especially the neckline and sleeves.