Pink Sundress

This is a very good example of what to do with a very cheap bit of cotton (1 euro!). I was inspired by a design in Burda magazine that miraculously fitted the small piece of fabric I had.
The bodice is interlined with thermofusible cotton and lined with the same fabric of the dress.
Here I am wearing it with my MIA boots I bought some years ago in Melrose Ave, Los Angeles. One of my favourites. But it goes well with flip-flops, of course!

Little Black Dress with Leather Belt

I am proud to present my new creation. I got this stretch fabric, an embroidered lace, expecting to do something like this:

Bill Cunningham's

To achieve that design, I put together the top of this 1950s dress and this skirt pattern from Burda magazine, just like I did in my Retro Butterfly Dress.

I sewed a waist stay to the skirt, made of the same fabric, and sewed the top of the dress to the bottom of that stay. Since the fabric is thransparent, full of little holes, I sewed a nude colour stretch lining skirt to the waist stay as well. It keeps the transparency effect, but if does not allow to see through. I did not line the top, so you can see the pale pink bra showing though. 

For the leather belt, I decided to copy a white leather Mango I had in my closed. I cut the pieces out of some old leather pants a friend gave to me. Each piece has to halves, up and down, which fold over and meet in the middle back. I cut some two-sided iron lining (the one that melts with the temperature of the iron), and applied between the two sides of each piece, pressing with the iron, using a cotton cloth to prevent the leather form damage. Then I zig-zagged the pieces together.

 The result is perfect, both for the dress and the belt. In these pictures I am wearing it with my new PonsQuintana purple sandals, my last acquisition.

Green Cotton Sundress

This beautiful pattern came in the last Burda magazine, which is full of lovely sundresses. A very good number, July 2012. In it they recover this pattern from the 1950s, only a little bit longer. I am seeing these femenine, full skirt dresses everywhere, and it makes me happy that I can wear them and be "in fashion," because I really love them.

The pattern proved out perfect. I decided to interface the midriff piece and the strips. The only weak point is that since it is cotton, it wrinkles (one can't have it all). See the picture after being sit for one hour in a restaurant. But still, it is really nice and special. Here I am wearing it with a pearl necklace form the 1960s and with the fabulous and confortable UGG Kalia, my best buy of the summer

Retro Butterflies Sundress

I am happy and proud to present this dress. Why? Because finally I managed to make a cut-at-the-waist design which is both confortable and becoming to my body, after some failures. How?

Again, couture techniques learned from reading Shaffer's book have aid me. Following her advice for two piece dresses cut at the waist, I finished both the blouse and the skirt independently. I sew a waistband to the skirt, which made it adjusted and confortable to wear both standing and sitting. Then, I attached the blouse to this waistband, and tada!

The patterns I used come from different places. The blouse is from this 1950s Simplicity dress and the skirt come form my favourite Burda magazine:

The fabric is this light red cotton with white butterflies. I really love this dress, it has a retro flavour that calls for some tatoos!

Cotton Checked Summer Blouse (and its defects)

Remember I got some fabric left from this project ? Well, I've been saving it for the good weather, and now, this sunny/wind/rainy spring, it has become perfect to go to work. It is a reversible cotton tartan, so I used the other side here.

I also took the pattern of my favourite magazine of all times, and it has resulted good, all in all.

In the positive side I must say it goes so well with my jeans and marine blue sandals, it is confortable, and again I applied some learning from Shaeffer's book that proved unvaluable, like interfacing all the front yoke and the back neck facing, only I made it with fusible interfacing, I cannot see the practicality of sewing it with (invisible?) stitches, so far.

Now, we have to learn from mistakes, and here I did some learning!

First, I realised there was not check matching in the back. I could not do it better, because the fabric (being the left overs) was so scarce. I decided to go on, even if this was and early stage, because, the alternative was... fire.

Second, it is not very becoming to my silhouette. In other words, it makes me fat. I forgive that as well, because I really like the tone of this blouse, and the grace it has, with its yoke and little sleeves...

Finally, one sleeve is not well placed in the back, it goes too low. I realised that just when I did the final fitting ( just now when it was completely finished). Too late, I thought. I'll have to bear that defect as well. And learn. You have to pay really close attention in all fittings (it is and unforgivable mistake when I was trying it on myself at home with no hurries and no preasure of any kind!), don't look only for the overall efect, but also check all the parts, low hem, neck, sleeves, everything, carefully and individually, to avoid mistakes in a too late state. This one could have been solved really easily in early stages, but now, with the trimmed hems and seams, no way.

But it is cute, isn't it?

Jersey Dress in the Mountains

Today we traveled to Ainsa, in the Pirinees. The weather was cloudy, and I decided to wear this jersey dress I made a couple of years ago with my "Universal T-shirt" pattern. In this case I combined the printed cotton with some black for the sleeves and neck. It is a good solution for printed fabrics which could be too much on their own.

This particular dress combines very well with short leggins. I am quite proud of this neckline too. Ii is sewn separately, and then attached to the dress and machine stiched in place.
I decided to post it, even if it is an old design, because the pictures in Ainsa are so beautiful and because it is been a while since a posted something. The are two reasons for that. One, I was making these dresses to my twin nieces, and I haven't got any picture yet. This last week, I was also sewing for my students, but I will show you eventually.
Hope you like the dress!

Jersey Wrap Dress

I had persued this design for a long time, trying to get a similar pattern modifying similar ones, but last year I finally saw this VOGUE in the net and I bought it.
I bought the material because the print was as nice as the touch of the fabric, very good fall, lots of give, soft... but it did not occur to me what to do with it.
I took a while to do the match, having them -the pattern and the fabric- both at home in the same shelf, until one day inspiration arrived and I was so happy with the idea!

The result has been nice, very nice. The skirt, really wide at the bottom, in a bell shape, falls graciously around my legs. Also, and most important, I have learned a lot in the process! The most important of my new discoveries (you never stop learning!) is that American patterns, which are sold individually (I discovered this only last year!) include the seam allowances! Pitty that i discovered this after having finished my dress, which, now I see, is maybe too generous at the superior front. Of course I realised that in the first fitting, but I wanted to play safe, and be sure the two sides would not open easily when wearing it.

I really prefer our system here, in which the pattern is the pattern, and you add to it the seam allowances you consider safe. For example, in a new design, you better leave big allowances in certain parts until the first fitting, but in designs you know well and store (like a toile), allowances can be minimum. So I think it is more accurate if the pattern is without the seam allowances, which you add when cutting the material arround it. Anyway, good to know, and something to have into consideration. Before cutting a pattern, check if the seams allowances are included.
Apart form that, the pattern was accurate and really flattering, so I put VOGUE in my list of trustable patterns.