Artistry in Fashion Event

I was fortunate to attend the Artistry in Fashion event here in the SF Bay Area yesterday. As usual, there were many great local designers and it was a wonderful opportunity to see (and buy!) some amazing pieces.

One of my favorites was Material Grace Artisan Textiles by Bonnie Wells. She had the most beautiful scarves and wraps in unique fibers and colors.

Image from here.

Marion Jewels in Fiber was a standout. All of the pieces were exquisitely made and very unique.

Image from here.

I also loved Keren Jewelry and the beautiful gold and silver wire macrame/crochet jewelry pieces. They are definitely statement pieces.

Image from here.

Juleselin organic clothing was a popular spot there. I picked up this adorable little jacket!

Image from here.

And finally there were local independent pattern companies who shared original and unique sewing patterns. My favorite was Decades of Style which, as the name implies, has designs with a vintage feel. I purchased the Cloud Cape pattern and the Parisienne Coat pattern. Can't wait to try them!

Image from here.

Image from here.

Boyfriend Jackets

It seems that fitted, structured jackets are making way for the old boyfriend jackets. Here's a WSJ slideshow of boyfriend jackets circa 2009 --- still cool this time around!

Break in the Action

In addition to welcoming Simon into the family and making sure he is comfortable, other things have led to a sewing and crafting break recently. I started having problems with my left hand --- stiffness and swelling of the index finger and knuckle joint, specifically --- which has made it challenging to continue my crafting endeavors. I've stopped knitting but still do some sewing. My doctor mentioned the "A" word as a possibility --- arthritis --- which completely freaked me out. Fortunately, after some tests and a visit to a specialist, it doesn't look like rheumatoid arthritis or some other autoimmune disease, at least for now, so I'm just focusing on getting the swelling down and minimizing the use of my hand.

Anyway, I have a bunch of ideas swirling in my head, so once I get through this, I hope to get back to my projects!

In the meantime, here's Simon again, being a vain little one!

Simon's Fascination with my Sewing Stuff

Our first week with Simon has been wonderful. He's a great cat! He loves to play with his feather toy and rainbow-striped ball. Racing up and down the stairs has become a favorite activity. He scratches his sisal scratching post rather than the furniture (just one accident --- he brought down one of the shower curtains on his first night). He eats and sleeps well and seems pretty darn content.



Of course, he is a cat. And we all know cats are curious creatures. Not surprisingly, my Wolf dress form seemed very interesting to him. After his few attempts to get to know the dress form (and the project hanging on it), I decided to move the form into a closed-off room when I'm not using it and especially when I'm not in the house!

Last night, Simon sat and watched me sew at my sewing machine. It was all very cute. When I finished, I turned the machine off and went upstairs with him. A while later, we noticed that Simon had disappeared. We heard some some noises downstairs, so when we went down to investigate, we found Simon up on my sewing table checking out the machine! When he saw us, he leapt down very quickly --- such a little scamp. I cleaned up the area to make sure there were no loose pins or sharp objects --- he's so curious!

I'm wondering what others do with their sewing and crafting stuff when there's a cat in the house...

Meet Simon

Meet Simon, our new cat! We just brought him home from our local shelter, where he had been residing for about four months. He's about a year old and is full of energy --- very playful! We're happy to have him join the family!

Quick Turn Dress - Preparing to Cut

For the Pattern Magic Volume 2 Quick Turn Dress, I've made the necessary pattern alterations and prepared the silk/wool fabric for cutting. I practiced making a very long bound buttonhole for the slit using the fabric (surprisingly tricky, as the fabric shifted more than I expected it to and very careful pressing is required --- thank goodness for samples).



Because there aren't any directions for the actual construction of this dress, I've spent some time thinking about some of those details. Some thoughts (any opinions welcome here):

1. Lining: I've been considering whether to add a full lining (with facings at the neckline and armholes) or use bias-bound edges with no lining. With the facings and the lining, I am concerned that there would be too much added bulk that would affect the draped and gathered neckline, but the finishing would be nicer. The fabric is a silk/wool blend with a twill weave, so it can definitely stand alone.

2. Quick Turn Piece: This is essentially a long rectangular piece that runs from the hem of the skirt up to the neckline and "turns" up and behind the neckline and back to the front of the bodice through a slit. This "quick turn" gathers down the neckline. I have a couple of options here. The piece can be a single layer with hemmed edges all around that is sewn to the skirt from hem to waist along one edge and then free-hanging up the bodice (this looks like the photo in the book). The piece can be a double layer with enclosed edges all around and left as a free-hanging piece that attaches to the dress at the waist (buttons or snaps). I'm leaning toward the second option, as the finishing might be nicer, but again, I'm concerned about bulk.

Any thoughts are welcome --- this is definitely a process!

Dress Forms

I absolutely love my Wolf dress form. I first used one in a draping class I took at a local college and really liked its sturdiness and good craftsmanship. I've used Superior forms as well, but ultimately decided to invest in a Wolf. They have a variety of styles, from standard sportswear to specialty forms for swimsuits, maternity, etc. They provide extensive measurement charts so you can choose the size you want, or you can order a custom form that will be crafted to exact measurements. Their customer service was excellent. I had a million questions, as this was a big financial investment for me at the time, and they were very helpful.

Image from here.

In addition to the standard form, you can also order extra items, such as shoulder caps (to help fit jacket shoulders more smoothly), arms and legs. I ordered the caps (which are invaluable) and made sure the form had collapsible shoulders (makes it easier to pull garments on and off).

I ended up choosing an evening/bridal dress form because the measurements were closer to my actual measurements and it had more shaping at the bust and back. I wondered about the arms, but someone mentioned to me that you can make muslin arms to attach if you need them (good idea!). It took about 4 weeks for delivery. It was shipped in a big crate from New Jersey and I was a very happy person when it arrived!

One drawback with this form is that it isn't an exact fit. There are forms out there that can provide an exact fit --- I'm thinking of those duct tape forms that are molded to your body but seem less sturdy. For me, I wanted something that would last, and I'm glad I made this investment.