New alterations page

Check out my new page! Since this season's all about sparkle, shine, leather, feathers and overall embellishment. I added extra embellishment to the shoes that I already embellished in another post. I also took the extra embellishment and stitched it onto the shoulder section of a dress that I am altering.

Leather Jacket

I love leather, feathers, spikes, sequins and everything else fabulous, so I have always wanted to own a great leather jacket. But leather is expensive and a new, real leather jacket is near impossible to find under several hundred dollars. And real leather is expensive to buy. But I did notice that real leather jackets go for only $20 at thrift stores, so I decided to get a vintage leather jacket and take it apart for the leather. I bought an extra large one for the extra fabric, bought a new jacket pattern, and matched the pieces with the pattern. I had to make a few alterations to account for pieces that wouldn't match the pattern. I added extra seams to follow the symmetry of the lines of the pattern and account for pieces that were too small. I also had to add four panels of black fabric under the arms and along the sides to make up for the lack of large pieces of fabric.

I'm still working on putting in the lining, the arms, the collar and the zipper, but here's what I've got so far. I am loving how it is turning out so I am really excited to get to wear my coat and start working on my next project. I have another coat I'm thinking of turning into a leather skirt or possibly a moto vest. I'll keep you posted.

Check out my new page!

I just added a new page called Fashion forecast where I make my predictions for the next big trends. This is solely based on styles that have popped out to me as fun, funky new trends that I'm starting to notice pop up here and there and that I'm predicting will be the next big thing. Check it out!

Sneak peak - Skulls

Alexander McQueen gold leather leaf clutch

Bridesmaid Dresses

So in addition to making my wedding dress I also decided to make my four bridesmaid dresses. Yes, I am crazy. But in the end it was so rewarding to see all my beautiful bridesmaids in the dresses I made specially for them. Since I am still very much a beginner to fashion design I went off two different patterns to make the four different dresses. From those basic patterns I altered each pattern to make it unique to the girl wearing it and to fit in with the 50's inspired aesthetic of the wedding. Here's each of my bridesmaids on the big day and my sketch of the altered look.

Dress 1

 Strapless sweetheart dress with sparkle overlay bodice and A-line knee length skirt.

 My alteration for this pattern was adding the sparkle sheer overlay over the bodice, which I actually took from the same pattern as my wedding dress. But I kept the high back sewing the zipper to the middle of the back and leaving the slit to the top, which was secured with a button at the top.

Dress 2

 One strap dress with ruched sash and A-line skirt. The different aspect of this dress is the tri-tone aspect of the fabric.

 However, once I cut the pattern I found out the gradient aspect of the fabric was so gradual the bodice, sash and skirt of the dress looked like three different fabrics. But in the end we were both still happy with how it turned out.

Dress 3  

High necked bodice with a bejeweled neckband and belt and a fitted pencil skirt.

The alteration to this pattern was to make the high back into a low cut racerback.

Dress 4

This dress is from the same pattern as dress 3, but instead of a neckband I used sheer fabric from the wire sheer overlay for the A line skirt to attach the front and back bodice with a large bow in the center.

I also cut out a half circle in the lower back to give this ultra girly dress a sexy cutout.

Rapunzel

My friend Kasey works for a company that does dress up entertainment for children's parties, so she wanted a Rapunzel dress to go with the Disney movie that came out recently. Since I couldn't find a pattern that exactly matched the dress from the movie, I used a pattern for a renaissance dress and took in the fullness and length of the skirt to make it more youthful and airy like the movie. I also altered the sleeves to include a puff cap sleeve and a sheer 3/4 length sleeve that has lace detailing and painted on detail. To make the painted detail I cut out pieces of stenciling and painted the fabric with lavender and purple fabric paint with a clear sparkle fabric paint over it. I also altered the back bodice of the dress to include a sheer panel on the back and button detailing.

It took several several months to take on this specific and detailed of a dress. It is by far the most difficult outfit I've made so far. However, I am so proud of the finished product. This is the most accurate replica of the dress I have seen so far and although my craftsmanship is not yet up to the perfection I'm striving for,  I am very happy with what I've produced so far. I'll also have another photo shoot of Kasey in her dress to come soon!

 Here's a view of the sheer paneling in the back.

The hem of the dress was finished with a lace trim sewn on the lining.

Close up of the sheer 3/4 length sleeve with painted detailing.

I loved the puff cap sleeves with a ribbon overlay.

Wedding Dress Part 2

Since my first wedding dress draft I have come a long way. I ended with a softer color pallet with heather grey lace overlay with clear sequins, white beaded flowers, and a beaded scalloped edge. To emphasize the waist I replaced the ivory lace waist detailing with a matte, ribbed cream ribbon to tie around the waist and a cream lace flower bunch I took off a headband to place over the ribbon. I then added tulle underlay to give the dress fullness and a 50's vibe a la Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. In addition to my original hair and makeup I also found an amazing vintage ivory ostrich feather hat at an antique store at the Oregon Coast.

Here's my final version. I will also be posting a funky photo shoot I put together with my favorite photo shoot buddy, Shayna.

Wedding Dress Part 1

I am very excited that my next dress is actually the dress that I am going to be walking down the aisle in! I was a little nervous to make my own wedding dress, but now that I have finished making the bulk of the dress and only have to add detailing and tailor it, I am confident that I am going to have a beautiful, one of a kind wedding dress that will showcase my own personal style and beauty.

I decided on the style of my dress by looking around at patterns to get ideas when I found this beautiful tea length dress with a flattering A-line style and a classic high neckline. I altered the pattern to include a plunging V-neck in the back to freshen up the style and give it a sophisticated, yet sexy look. I wanted something that was completely different from all the full-length, sweetheart wedding dresses that are everywhere right now. The dress is made of an ivory satin fabric and has beaded lace embellishment along the neck. The original lace had iridescent pink sequence and white beading, so I switched out the sequence with glass silver seed and clear bugle beading.

I am so excited to finish the dress and find the perfect pair of retro, amazing shoes that will stand out with my one of a kind 50's inspired dress. For the big day I plan on wearing retro inspired makeup and hair including red lipstick and a wavy up-do.

Here's some photos of my dress transformation from my first minimalistic vision to the intricate beaded lace detailing that is on the dress today:

Version 1

My initial design was simple tea length dress with a high neckline made in ivory satin fabric. I love robins egg blue, so I chose a simple ribbon to add color and definition to the waist.

Version 2

I switched out the ribbon for a thicker, creamier looking robins egg blue sash that was tied on the side of the front to bring interest to the front of the dress.

Version 3

Since I didn't feel the sash was too glossy and didn't bring enough interest to the front of the dress I decided to make the dress less minimalistic by adding a beaded lace collar to the neckline of the dress. I made the collar from the beaded hem and cut pleats into the fabric to make it lay flat.

The original beading (see below) had white beading and pink iridescent sequins that felt too immature, so I took out all the sequins and added my own glass silver seed and clear bugle beads to bring more interest to the lace and add a hint of color.

Here's the original beading with the pink iridescent sequins that came with the lace before I replaced it.

Now I've done the first fitting of my dress I decided to use the same lace beading from the collar with a lace  detailing around the waist.