Tag Archives: Sewing

Prom Dress in Threads Magazine

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I am so proud to announce that the gorgeous prom dress I made for my granddaughter is featured in the Reader’s Closet of Threads Magazine issue # 178, May 2015.Screen Shot 2015-02-17 at 4.20.13 PM

How exciting it is to see something you made in print. Check it out in Thread’s Magazine.

To see all the exquisite details of the dress and the process I went through to make it, read With Love – Prom Dress.The Prom Dress

Browse through my other articles and if you like what you see I hope you become a follower.

Here are links to some other articles you may like:

Rev Jacket DualThe Reversible Jacket

Side Front BustJacket Pattern Alterations

Me 4Fashion Ladies Skirt

Animal FloralMixing Fabric Prints

IMG_1891Dress for a Prom Queen

To see many more articles, go to my homepage and scroll down to the bottom, stopping to view what articles that catch your eye. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you become part of my following family. I have many fun things to share.

Martina

Red Silk Sheath

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Me 3There is something about a simple sheath dress that states sophistication.  The classic sheath can be dressy or casual, but even in a casual fabric it is still classy.

One day at Gail K’s, I was shopping for fabric to make a prototype for one of my husband’s inventions, I found this beautiful red tone on tone silk.  I love silk so I just had to have it, my immediate thought was to make a simple sheath dress, and this is what I came up with.

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Fashion Ladies Skirt

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Me 4I love embellishments and little decorative details on fashions and that is why I love embroidery.  I have a Bernina 200E/730 that I bought years ago and I still love this machine.  It has the capability to do hundreds of decorative stitches and to do machine embroidery so I can create one of a kind fashions.

One year when I was at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Atlanta I discovered this embroidery company that does their own designs, which have an Asian design flare and not a lot of stitches per inch so the embroideries come out light to the touch and not stiff, which makes their designs perfect for flowing fabrics, light weight fabrics and knits.  Momo-Dini Embroidery Art is owned by two sisters, Momo and Dini, Fine Art Professors originally from China, they do their own artwork and sales and they have won many awards for their paintings and designs.

Momo-DiniI look forward to seeing Dini Yan at the Expo every year not only to see what new designs they have created but because she is so nice and friendly.  This year I was really excited to be able to show her what I created with their embroidery designs.

One year they came out with these designs called Fashion Ladies and I immediately knew what I wanted to make to show off these designs.  Unfortunately the design CD went into my “stash” like so many other fabrics and embroidery CDs do, but this year I made this skirt a priority on my sewing list. And I am so glad I did because it is beautiful and fun to wear.  For some reason I feel like a little doll wearing it.  It makes me happy.

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Jacket Pattern Alterations

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Pink JacketI think the reason most people give up on sewing fashions for themselves is because of fit.  Fitting yourself can be quite a challenge, especially if you don’t have someone to help you pin, measure, take a tuck in, etc.  To be honest it can be quite a hassle, depressing and a very long process. But if you would take the time to get that perfect or almost perfect fit it can be so rewarding.  It makes you feel and look great in your well fitted outfit, much better than a store bought fashion. Also the more you fit yourself, the easier it becomes, then the more enjoyable the sewing process will become.

In this article I am going to show you some of the steps I took to alter the jacket pattern for my Reversible Jacket.  We are all made of different shapes and sizes, so I know you won’t have the exact altering issues that I have, but I hope you can learn from these examples and apply them in some sort of way.  Example, if I had to add to a curve, you might have to take away from a curve.  Same basic process, I add and you subtract, basic math and geometry.

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Fabric Cutting – Paper or No Paper

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Cotton with Paper

I have been sewing and cutting out patterns on all types of fabrics for decades. Over the last few years I have heard about cutting out your patterns with a layer of paper underneath. I have always dismissed it because I didn’t see why it was necessary.  I finally decided to put this theory to the test.

The theory is to lay paper down on your table, lay your fabric on top of the paper, then lay your pattern on top of the fabric and pin through all three layers.  The paper on the bottom is supposed to grip and support your fabric better and keep everything from shifting; therefore, your pattern when cut is more accurate.

The first thing I had to do to test this theory was to have an open mind. Continue reading →

With Love – Prom Dress 2013

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Prom for BlogBoo Hoo, my grandaughter Angelica is a senior in high school. That means it is my last year to make her a prom dress; therefore, it has to be spectacular.  This article is all about her prom dress I designed and made.  It is full of pictures showing some of the sewing processes, the thought processes, and many couture details of the dress.  I hope you enjoy the beauty of the dress as much as I enjoyed creating it. Continue reading →

What Is Your Fabric Saying?

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Coat

Fabric speaks to me, LOL.  Sometimes I have an idea and I search for fabric, other times fabric jumps out at me and inspires me or challenges me to come up with a design just for it.  That’s what happened with this fabric.

I don’t know what the fabric is called, or what it is made out of, it was a remnant I bought many years ago at an American Sewing Guild event.

The fabric is very soft, kind of spongy, stretches, and has a unique gimp looking pattern.  When I looked at it, I thought hand cut fringe.  I decided on making a coat out of it that would allow it to flow as I walked.

When I wear this coat, sometimes for special occasions and sometimes with jeans, I get a lot of compliments on it from people I don’t even know, asking where I purchased it.  To me, that is one of the greatest compliments a seamstress can get.

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